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JUNE / JULY 2004 - excerpts from the editorial
German Life – Ten Years and Growing Stronger
by Mark Slider
When the first issue of German Life rolled off the press as the June 1994 issue, no one was looking fifty-nine issues and a decade into the future. The prime thought at the time was just one thing
– will it work? After all, starting a magazine is a risky business. Estimates are that some seventy-five new magazines are launched each month with hopes of finding and securing a group of readers. Of those,
sixty percent will not survive to see their first anniversary issue. Additionally, each and every magazine fights and scrapes for its own portion of advertising dollars and newsstand space – both of which have
been at an ever-increasing premium as consumer tastes shift and the world of publishing changes from year to year.
Such was the case with German Life. When it took its place on newsstands across the country and began arriving in mailboxes a decade ago, it was the sole English language magazine devoted to
covering topics of interest to Germanophiles – those interested in all-things German. The combination of travel features, historical remembrances and cultural observations met with a dedicated readership.
Over the years, German Life has continually taken readers on a bimonthly trip to the German-speaking regions of Europe, providing guidance and inspiration for future travel plans backed with a
historical foundation. Its content has also helped to bridge the cultural divide in reinforcing a positive image of Germany, its emigrants and its citizens.
Survival in the world of magazine publishing is a feat in and of itself. In fact, German Life has overcome substantial odds. Dr. Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni, Professor of Journalism at The
University of Mississippi, says that German Life beat “big time odds.” Dr. Husni adds, “You are one of eighteen magazines out of a hundred who will be blowing out ten candles this year. It is a major milestone
and you deserve to give yourself a big cake for such an accomplishment – a job well done!”
Publisher Mary Ruddell, is the one person who has been with German Life throughout its existence. “My job at German Life has evolved from Chief Financial Officer to Publisher over this ten-year
period. As the most senior member of the staff, I am grateful to our readers, writers and advertisers for giving German Life ten years of publication. The journey would not be so interesting and fulfilling
without your support.”
Throughout the past decade of coverage, we have witnessed the hope and challenges that have been brought by reunification. The fall of the Berlin Wall opened new travel options and created
social and economic challenges that are still being resolved today. Zones of gray are coming to life with each passing year. The Wall itself, has even become a canvas for artistic expression and a museum piece
documenting the tragic impact of the Cold War.
Within our pages, our authors have taken us from the revitalization of the industrial Ruhr to the lighthearted Fairy Tale Road winding its way from Bremen to Frankfurt. We have also ventured into
the other German-speaking parts of Europe including Austria and Switzerland. Our travels will continue with the ongoing desire to take you to places that will fill your mind with ideas and your heart with a
genuine wanderlust for this beautiful and fascinating part of the world.
The future holds great possibilities and we will be there every step of the way – continuing to bring you the heart and soul of Germany and its German-speaking neighbors. From all of us at German
Life – thank you for helping make the past ten years a wonderful possibility.
The journey continues…
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The Dawn of Elegance
by Carl Kuntze
Daimler and Benz – two automotive geniuses combined forces and made the “three-pointed star” a symbol of renown.
The gasoline engine can be traced to the theory of the four-cycle engine advanced by inventors Beau de Rochas and Jean Joseph Lenoir. Historical references available cannot seem to agree
whether they were Belgian or French but they exhibited a prototype at the Paris Exposition of 1878. They never seemed to find a practical application for it or they may have lacked the financial resources to
continue their experiments. Consigned to oblivion, it is left to scholars to uncover further information on them.
It took the forethought of Gottleib Daimler of Stuttgart, Germany, to bring feasibility to the automobile engine. He did so by devising a cam system for coordinating two cylinders operating
together and by replacing open flame ignition with a hot tube, which resulted in a safer way of starting an engine. He earned the appellation “Father of the Automobile,” a distinction he shared with Karl Benz of
Mannheim, who was independently developing his own version of an automobile. Both produced relatively primitive gasoline driven models in 1884, 1885, and 1886. Ironically, they never met. Their companies thrived
despite a selective clientele.
Automobiles were too expensive for most people – perhaps this was a reason for their merger after Daimler died. The company then became Daimler-Benz A.G. Combined, they could share patents as well
as research and production facilities for a more efficient operation and advancement of technologies. Rather than competing for customers, a single formidable brand would appear in the market. Likewise, a
consolidation would bring costs down and prices within reach of a burgeoning middle class. Other countries were engaged in inventing their own variations of the automobile. Wilhelm Maybach, Gottleib Daimler’s
beneficiary, became head designer and leading engineer of the new company. An early contribution of his was the spray jet carburetor, which revolutionized the fuel delivery system of internal combustion engines.
Under his stewardship, rapid advancements in motor vehicle development took place.
Their saga began when forty-eight-year-old Gottleib Daimler retired in 1882 as director of the Otto Engine Werke to pursue his dream of devising a light but fast gasoline engine to propel
carriages. Otto engines, while practical, were primarily for heavy industry. Daimler moved his entire family to a villa at Bad Cannstadt to set up shop with colleague and longtime friend Wilhelm Maybach (see
February/March 2003 German Life), who shared his aspirations. They worked in secret because Nikolaus Otto’s patent for the four-stroke engine was still active, and, while they were working from their own
original theories, they did not want legal difficulties with their former employer. Heavy and slow, the Otto engine was more suitable for pumps, generators, and large industrial equipment. Daimler and Maybach
labored to reduce its size and weight for easier manipulation. The major innovations they introduced were an advanced ignition system and exhaust valve design, principles of which are still sound to this day.
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Biking Around the Bodensee
by Leah Larkin
Idyllic towns and beautiful lakefront views combine for an inspiring bicycle trip.
It is an adventure which leads along the shores of central Europe’s second largest lake through three countries: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is easy, pleasant pedaling – an ideal jaunt
for three days. The popular trail is well marked and a breeze to follow – for the most part.
This past June my husband and I joined members of a ski club at a military base in Stuttgart for our third bike trip around the Bodensee, which is called Lake Constance in English. The beauty of
such a group outing is that a bus transported our luggage from stop to stop, so our cycling was not encumbered by heavy gear.
We rode for two and a half days, a total of 130 miles. Lindau, one of the prettiest towns on the German side of the lake, was our starting point. We had time to meander through the town the
evening before our bicycle departure. The harbor area, where there was live music for the town’s “Kur” guests, was bustling. We walked out to the lighthouse, watched a steady parade of boats in and out of the
port, and admired the town’s magnificent flowers.
The next morning, our group of twenty-nine hit the bike trail. Simon Coffin, our trip captain, had given us all pages of maps and instructions for finding the hotels at the end of each day. We had
a pre-departure briefing when he went over the itinerary and warned us about a tricky part that would be the finale to that day’s cycling.
There was a couple with an eighteen-month old riding in a bike seat, as well as a few serious cyclists on racing bikes. Most of the group, however, rode mountain bikes. Simon pulled a cart with
tools and supplies for breakdowns. We stayed together initially to find our way to the trail marked with “Bodensee Radweg” (Bodensee bike route) signs.
It was not long, however, before the fast cyclists moved out in front, leaving a leisurely group behind. As in previous rides, small groups of riders who pedaled at a similar pace stayed together.
Within about forty-five minutes we were already in Austria and its main lake town, Bregenz. As there is no border crossing, it is hard to know when you leave one country and enter another. Bregenz
is famous for its summer festival on the lake. We did not take time to go into the town, but followed the bike route along the shore, through a grassy area where sunbathers were out in force, past the town’s
casino.
We continued cycling in Austria for about another hour before reaching Switzerland. For views, this was the best part of the ride with the sailboat-speckled lake on one side and snow-covered
Alpine peaks on the other. Eventually we headed away from the lake, riding through fields, orchards, and vineyards.
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German American Destinations 2004
Fresno, California: The Impact of Ancestors
by Jennifer Longan
On May 8, 1887, John Carl Kerner stood on the banks of the Volga River in Russia, unaware of the impact that he and over two hundred other German immigrants would have half a world away. They were
about to leave their homes for scattered destinations in the West. Among those many destinations was the small, central California farming town of Fresno. Up through the early 1900s, thousands like John Kerner
would flock to this town.
Fresno is located in a rich agricultural valley and was a likely attraction to many of the immigrants. Exact numbers are unknown, but it is estimated that there are currently over one hundred
thousand people of Volga German descent in the surrounding San Joaquin Valley.
The promise of freedom and plentiful farming opportunities drew these immigrants to destinations throughout the United States much as it had drawn them to Russia a century earlier. In 1763,
Catherine the Great, Tsarina of Russia, was anxious to encourage immigration from Europe and thereby continue the beneficial aspects of importing Western ideas and technology. To this end, she provided
unprecedented incentives of freedom and some autonomy to immigrants. In response, large numbers of Germans settled along the Volga River region in Russia. For over a hundred years, they were isolated and
retained their heritage and language unchanged, a time capsule of an earlier Germany…
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Sheboygan County, Wisconsin
by Mark Slider
German and Austrian roots through Middle America.
For many immigrants, the path to a new home in America found its way through the center of the country. As agricultural failures and religious strife swept across Europe from the
mid-to-late-1800s, a large number of those immigrants made their way to Wisconsin with many settling in the Sheboygan area. Today, the region around Sheboygan, Wisconsin, holds a treasure trove of sights with an
Old World touch.
Sheboygan’s largest employer, Kohler Company, began in 1873 when a twenty-nine-year-old Austrian immigrant by the name of John Michael Kohler bought the Sheboygan Union Iron and Steel
Foundry. For ten years, Kohler’s firm produced cast iron and steel implements for farmers as well as castings for the city’s furniture factories and ornamental iron pieces. Then, in 1883, Kohler decided to apply
a baked enamel coating to a Kohler horse trough/pig scalder – creating Kohler Company’s first bathtub. Today, Kohler encompasses a wide range of products including kitchen and bath, furniture, engines,
generators, a golf resort (The American Club), and a residential community (Kohler Village).
German roots run into nearby Elkhart Lake as well, where you will find The Osthoff Hotel and Resort. The hotel was opened in 1886 by German entrepreneur Otto Osthoff and his wife Paulina.
The hotel provided luxurious accommodations as well as entertainment and fine dining for the affluent and well traveled of the day. Sold in the mid-1950s, the hotel operated over the next thirty years as a drama
and arts camp. A group of investors who were attracted by the rolling hills and clear waters of Elkhart Lake, purchased the property in 1989 for development as a condominium resort. Today’s Osthoff Resort opened
its doors in 1995 and offers year-round recreational opportunities, all-suite accommodations, fine dining, incredible scenery and Old World charm. Its AAA Four Diamond rating makes it one of the premier resort
destinations in the Midwest. When December comes, the Osthoff’s Old World Christmas provides a taste of the Christkindlmarkt experience…
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Pittsburgh auf deutsch
by Tom Bross
While enjoying lunch on the Grandview Saloon’s terrace, I looked downward on a much-photographed Pittsburgh panorama that reminded me of a faraway German city. Here, in hilly southwestern
Pennsylvania, two rivers – the Allegheny and the Monongahela – converge at a clearly defined geographic point called the Golden Triangle. A mile or so downstream, those rivers flow into a third one: the Ohio.
So my thoughts turned to Koblenz and its urban layout, identifiable by a remarkably similar point of land: the Deutsches Eck (German Corner). Not far south from that sharp-edged triangle,
another mid-European river – the Lahn – joins the Rhine.
Metro Pittsburgh’s long-time relationship with Germany is not limited to look-alike junctures of major waterways. Emigration from Old World towns and farms, peaking during the 1850s and
1860s, has been influential ever since. Pittsburghers volunteered for service in one of the five ethnically German regiments assembled on the Union side during America’s Civil War. Currently, a substantial
twenty-nine percent of Greater Pittsburgh residents claim deutsch heritage.
Arriving nineteenth-century families gravitated primarily to present-day North Side, still a densely populated district rising steeply from the broad Allegheny flood plain. North Side
eventually became localized into specific Germanic neighborhoods: Deutschtown, Spring Garden, Troy Hill. The river’s name was also the area’s name – Allegheny City – prior to 1907’s municipal absorption by
fast-growing Pittsburgh…
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Old Salem, North Carolina: Experiencing Moravian Life, Southern Style
by Nan Bauroth
German-American buffs in search of a step back in time should make tracks for Old Salem, an authentic Moravian village of one hundred restored and reconstructed buildings nestled on the outskirts
of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Founded in 1753 by Moravians who migrated south from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the quaint village attracts a half million visitors a year by giving them a chance to experience the unique lifestyle
of this utopian German religious sect during the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Set amidst an initial tract of 98,985 acres of rolling Piedmont farmland purchased by the Moravians, Old Salem was originally dubbed “der Wachau” (Wachovia in English) in honor of the European
ancestral estate of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who in 1722 granted them religious asylum on his lands in Saxony and became patron of their church.
The entire village of Old Salem is a living history tour, rich in fascinating museums, restored brick residences, period gardens and orchards, original churches, and charming shops.
One of the best aspects of visiting is the ability to savor its many attractions at your own pace. While each living history tour is self-guided, costumed interpreters everywhere demonstrate
skills and answer your questions.
Buildings open to the public (with an admission ticket) include the Single Brothers House and Boys School, dating to the late eighteenth century. The Home Church, constructed in 1800, now serves
as the largest Moravian congregation in America. Volunteer parishioners give tours (check the front door notice for times).
Two blocks away sits God’s Acre, the village cemetery. Many visitors are intrigued by Moravians’ unusual burial customs – being laid to rest by gender, not family, and on equal footing with their
slaves…
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Gretna, Louisiana - German Roots in Mississippi Mud
by Virginia Heyerdahl
On the banks of the Mississippi River, directly across from the skyline of New Orleans and ten minutes away from downtown New Orleans by car, sits a community with a population of approximately
eighteen thousand – Gretna. With a name like that, the natural assumption is that the community was settled by immigrants from Scotland who named it after that country’s well-known runaway marriage capital,
Gretna Green.
However, the truth is a little more interesting. What is now Gretna was originally settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s as the settlements of Mechanikham and McDonoghville. Much
later, the name was changed to Gretna, possibly because it reminded someone of Scotland’s Gretna Green. And, there is even a blacksmith shop where marriages can be performed, just like in Gretna Green!
The hospitable community of Gretna, described as “a charming city with a small town atmosphere,” boasts one of Louisiana’s largest national historic register districts, encompassing roughly
an eight-block by six-block section of town running from First to Tenth Street and from Gulf Drive to Amelia Street. A leisurely stroll through the revitalized historic district allows for the discovery of the
unique architecture and landmarks left by the early German settlers…
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Rhineland, Weinland – Old World Traditions in a New World Setting
by Dorothea S. Michelman
Just forty-five minutes southwest by car from St. Louis, Missouri, an enchanting vista unfolds before you – verdant hills and valleys dotted with picture book farms and cows contentedly grazing,
while the Missouri River flows past, a wide sparkling band of silver winding through the landscape. Aptly nicknamed “Missouri’s Rhineland,” it is no surprise that early nineteenth-century German pioneers settled
down in this region, poignantly reminded of the home they left across the sea. One reminder of home which took root in the fertile soil and favorable climate of the Missouri River Valley was the tradition of
winemaking, and, in fact, these new Missourians were so successful in their endeavor that today’s Highway 94 is also known – officially – as the “Missouri Weinstrasse.”
Nineteenth-century America’s second-largest wine-growing region after Ohio, the area’s fine wines enjoyed national renown until Prohibition brought a halt to winemaking. It was not until the
1960s and 1970s that viniculture was re-established here, bringing both agricultural and tourism success.
Today Missouri is home to thirty-five wineries, four of which – Sugar Creek, Montelle, Augusta, and Blumenhof – form a “wine line,” all nestled conveniently close to one another along the
two-lane Weinstrasse, or Wine Road, which runs parallel to the Katy Trail and travels through rolling hillsides and deep valleys to bring you a spectacular feast for the eyes as well as the palate…
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The Brewmaster’s Castle
by Mark Slider
A German-American landmark is reborn in our nation’s capital.
The chocolate brown exterior strikes an impressive figure on Washington, D.C.’s New Hampshire Avenue and has served as a landmark in Dupont Circle for the past one hundred ten years. Once inside,
the immense structure silences the din of the city’s street traffic and “The Brewmaster’s Castle” – The Christian Heurich House Museum – becomes a virtual time machine as America’s most intact late-Victorian
home.
The building is a fitting remembrance of German immigrant Christian Heurich and his success in America. In October 1872, Heurich and a partner took over a brewery located a block and a half
south of the home at 1229 20th Street, NW. Nearly one year later, on August 2, 1873, Heurich bought his partner’s interest and established his own brewery.
Heurich built his mansion in 1892 to 1894, in the early days of Dupont Circle’s status as the premier residential neighborhood in the city. The home Heurich built was nicknamed “The
Brewmaster’s Castle” during the time he lived there. The reinforced steel and poured concrete construction made the mansion the city’s first fireproof home. The construction techniques were unique for the time
and were all but unheard of in residential construction. To further protect the home from fire, none of its thirteen fireplaces were ever used. A final touch of a salamander (a mythical guardian against fire)
adorns the top of the tower.
Inside, the home was a technological marvel of the day. It featured full indoor plumbing, circulating hot water heat, a central vacuum system, venting skylight, an elevator and gasoliers
(combination gas and electric fixtures). Richly detailed hand-carved wood is found throughout the home and makes the fireplaces in the entrance hall and dining room, true artistic works. Many of the original
family furnishings have been returned to their original home and help make the residence one of the most intact late-Victorian homes in the country. The building has earned a designation as a Category II
Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places…
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Ulm, City on the Danube
by Leah Larkin
From tiny sparrows to the awe-inspiring Münster, the glorious city of Ulm is an experience not to be missed.
The symbol of Ulm is a sparrow (Spatz) but not just the average tiny bird. This is a very clever sparrow that taught the dumb citizens of Ulm a valuable lesson, which sped up construction of their
magnificent Münster.
As legend has it, the citizens of Ulm were transporting wooden beams for church construction into the city, but the beams were loaded crosswise on a carriage and would not fit through the city
gate. They were about to demolish the gate when, lo and behold, they noticed a sparrow flying by carrying a twig in its beak. The smart sparrow inserted the twig lengthwise into a niche on the gate tower where
it was building a nest. How brilliant, thought the builders, who then repositioned their beams lengthwise. To honor the bird, which saved the day, if not the church, they placed a memorial to it on the Münster
roof.
A tiny sparrow still perches atop the Münster roof, and there are many other theories, most of which make more sense, as to why the bird is there. No matter, the sparrow is beloved in Ulm and you
can buy souvenir birds in all sizes, including some made of chocolate. Throughout the city you will also see extra-large varieties decorated artistically. In 2001, the city staged the “invasion of sparrows.” A
local artist, Ralf Milde, had the idea to sell two hundred fifty-five of the giant birds, which could be painted in various fashions and then set up around the city. Colorful, funny, and interesting sparrows
found places to perch in Ulm. Last October there was an auction to sell the birds with profits used for Münster renovation. Some city businesses purchased the unusual birds, which now stand in front of their
stores.
Birds aside, the real glory of Ulm is the Münster, a spectacular church whose steeple is the highest in the world at slightly over one hundred sixty-one and a half meters. City tours begin at the
Münsterplatz, the heart of the city that surrounds the church.
Ulm originated from the settlement “Hulma” that was first mentioned in 854, and, by 1376, had become an imperial city, more powerful than Basel and Frankfurt. In its early days, however, its
church was located outside the city walls. Due to frequent wars and battles, it was not always easy to leave the security behind the walls and go out to worship, so the citizens decided to build a church within
the walls. And, they financed the project entirely. It was not commissioned by a worldly or ecclesiastical authority. The foundations were laid in 1377. Although there were only ten thousand inhabitants of Ulm
at the time, they planned a church for twenty thousand worshippers…
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La Côte des Allemands: 300 Years of Germans in Louisiana
by Robert A. Selig
Mardi Gras, New Orleans, fleurs-de-lis, and jambalaya rather than German settlers, German culture or German food are the images we associate with the state of Louisiana. Yet German-speaking
peoples were among the very first settlers of Louisiana, arriving decades before the French Acadians in the 1760s whose culture has shaped the perception most of us have of Louisiana. The descendents of these
early settlers of La Côte des Allemands, the German Coast, augmented by waves of immigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, have kept their heritage alive. Today it forms an integral component of a
greater Louisiana heritage that is as rich as the gumbo they prepare in the bayous and swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin.
Floating south on the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers, Robert René Cavelier de La Salle reached the river delta in early April 1682 and named it “Louisiana” in honor of King Louis XIV
of France. Sailing east from Florida, Pierre le Moyne d'Iberville reached the delta on 2 March 1699, and established Fort Maurepas, today's Biloxi. Less than two years later, on 30 November 1700, King Charles II
of Spain died. With him ended the Spanish line of the House of Habsburg. In the ensuing War of the Spanish Succession, known as “Queen Anne's War” on this side of the Atlantic, the people of the Palatinate
suffered untold misery at the hands of troops crisscrossing the lands along the Rhine. Seeking a life free from poverty, religious persecution, and the ravages of war, thousands of men, women, and children left
their homes once peace was signed in Utrecht in 1713.
One of their destinations was Louisiana, which was promoted by the (in-)famous John Law. In August 1717, Law had acquired a controlling interest in the bankrupt Mississippi Company. He renamed it
the Compagnie d’Occident, reorganized as the Compagnie des Indes in mid-1719, and was granted the monopoly on all French trade outside Europe. Publications like the Historische und geographische Beschreibung des
an dem grossen Flusse Mississipi in Nord-America gelegenen herrlichen Landes Louisiana in welches die neu-aufgerichtete Frantzösische grosse Indianische Compagnie Colonien zu schicken angefangen …, published in
Leipzig in 1720, sang the praises of Louisiana. "The soil is extremely pleasant. Four crops a year can be raised. There is also game, which every person is permitted to kill. ... The land is filled with
gold, silver, copper, and lead mines. ... we will hunt for herbs and plants for the apothecaries. The savages will make them known to us. Soon we shall find healing remedies for the most dangerous wounds, yes,
also, so they say, infallible ones for the fruits of love."
French authorities were overwhelmed by the flood of emigrants responding to their advertisements. Lorient alone was the port of embarkation for up to four thousand emigrants, and many more
gathered at Brest or La Rochelle. Over ninety percent of the estimated ten thousand Swiss and Germans who left their homes between 1721 and 1732 for Louisiana are said to have died from sickness and starvation
on a voyage that could last three, four, even five months. Exposure to tropical diseases during stopovers in Santo Domingo killed many more, so many, in fact, that the vessels arriving in New Orleans were called
"Pest Ships."…
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Schiller’s “Wilhelm Tell” Aims at Luzern
by Betty Lowry
Switzerland celebrates two hundred years since Schiller’s telling of a tale about a man, his son, an apple, and an infamous arrow.
On the shores of Lake Luzern in Wilhelm Tell country, the memorials are real enough. The village of Burglen claims the hero as its own and a rock on the water marks the likely point of his escape.
Signs point to the ruined castle of the tyrant and the gully where he was ambushed. However, in this year of Kultursweiz 2004, the special tribute will go to Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805), the German writer
whose “Wilhelm Tell” sent the name of the legendary marksman around the world.
Everyone knows the story – how Wilhelm Tell, coming into the main square of Altdorf with his small son, paid no attention to the hat raised on a pole. Was he to bow to a hat because the owner (who
just happened to represent the occupying House of Hapsburg) wanted to be amused? Hermann Gessler, the autocratic tax collector, demanded a bow. Wilhelm Tell, the Uri woodsman, declined.
Gessler taunted Tell about his marksmanship and demanded he prove it by shooting an apple off the head of his small son. Reluctantly, Tell drew his bow, then neatly split the apple with his arrow.
Annoyed, Gessler mocked him. Why did he carry a second arrow since one would suffice? Tell replied that if the first arrow had harmed his son, he would have used the second on Gessler himself, adding "In
truth! I would not have then missed."
The words were those supplied by Schiller, whose masterpiece drama elevated the story of self-respect and paternal love to the level of international literature. This year the play, written and
first performed two hundred years ago in Weimar, will come full circle. As a joint venture of the arts, the German National Theatre Weimar and the Tell Play & Theatre Association Altdorf will honor both the
playwright and his inspiration.
Tell's bold declaration was not the end of the story. The furious tyrant ordered him bound and taken across Lake Luzern to the castle dungeon at Kussnacht. When a storm blew up, the sailors
released their prisoner to steer them to shore. Tell succeeded, then leaped out of the craft, pushed it back into the water and escaped. Cutting through the forest, he intercepted Gessler in a hollow lane and,
with a well-placed arrow, put an end to the despot…
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Potsdam’s Royal Gardens…and Unexpected Pleasures
by Marilyn and Paul Nejelski
Nature frames, and is framed, by Prussia’s history
The guidebooks suggest a quick half-day tour of Potsdam. Wrong! We spent three delightful days in this jewel box of a city, and we were sorry to leave. In addition to fascinating history and
wonderfully diverse architecture, it was June and the gardens were in full display.
The gardens come in an array of shapes and sizes. The palace grounds are enormous, but contain intimate moments. The surrounding town and countryside echo the balance of color and design.
On our final day, a leisurely boat trip through waterways lined with flowers and woods completed the perfect picture. Potsdam is in the middle of an extensive network of interconnecting
rivers, canals, and lakes best viewed from the deck of a cruise ship with a glass of German wine in hand.
This natural setting frames, and is framed, by Prussia’s tumultuous history. Until the dynasty ended in 1919, the Hohenzollerns ruled Prussia for more than three hundred years from both
Berlin and Potsdam. Berlin was always the urban big brother, while Potsdam, only seventeen miles away from Berlin’s center, was a rural summer residence and garrison town. In 1767, half of Potsdam’s seventeen
thousand inhabitants were soldiers. Voltaire, a frequent guest at the palace, described eighteenth century Prussia as “an army in search of a country.”
Today, Berlin is the capital of Germany and, with 3.4 million inhabitants, Europe’s third largest city. Potsdam, only half an hour away by subway, is the capital of Brandenburg state.
However, with only one hundred forty thousand inhabitants, Potsdam still feels like a small town. The old market square fills daily with stands selling fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other local delights.
Our visit to Potsdam began with a relaxing overnight stay at the Cecilienhof Palace. That’s right – for a surprisingly small charge, you can live in a castle and be royalty for a night. As
travel authority Arthur Frommer notes, forty-six rooms of the castle have been converted into “one of the most charming hotels in the country.” The palace was started in 1913 for the Prussian crown prince; its
English Tudor style was an homage to his English royal cousins. As befits a grand English manor, the Cecilienhof hotel restaurant features an English breakfast and afternoon high tea…
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CALENDAR
Please contact events directly to confirm dates, times, locations and admission fees.
JUNE
Online
June 1 – December 31 2005: Extra Ordinary Every Day: The Bauhaus at the Busch-Reisinger. A special Internet-only exhibition at http://www.artmuseums.Harvard.edu/sites/eoed
Atlanta, GA
June 2 & June 9: Goethe Institut Atlanta Film Series - In the Shadow of Power – Im Schatten der Macht. (German with English subtitles). Call 404-892-2388 x 227 or visit www.goethe.de/atlanta
Lancaster, PA
June 11 –12: Music at the Lancaster Liederkranz. June 11 - Hank Keller, June 12 – The Polka Quads and Walt Groller. Call 717-898-8451 or visit www.lancasterliederkranz.com
St. Paul, MN
June 12-13: Annual Germanic-American Institute “Deutsche Tage” Festival. Part of St. Paul’s German Weekend. Call 651-222-7027 or visit www.gai-mn.org
Leavenworth, WA
June 15-19: International Accordion Celebration. Call 509-548-5807 or visit www.leavenworth.org
San Antonio, TX
June 18: Gartenkonzert. Call: 210-222-1521
Tulsa, OK
June 18-20: Annual Folk Dance/Folklore Weekend. Featuring dance workshops, culture corners and crafts. Call: 918-299-2839 or 860-875-3559 or email karin-gottier@webtv.net
Harmony, PA
June 19: Annual Harmony Museum Historic House & Garden Tour and Lunch. Call 724-452-7341, toll-free 888-821-4822 or email: info@harmonymuseum.org
Covington, KY
June 19 & 20: MainStrasse Village Goettafest. Goetta, good times and family fun in MainStrasse Village. Also the German Village Renaissance Festival. Step back in time at
MainStrasse’s second annual German Renaissance Festival in Goebel Park. Call 513-357-MAIN or visit: www.mainstrasse.org
Jessup, MD
June 20: The Continentals at Blob’s Park. Call 410-799-0155
Atlanta, GA
June 23: Goethe Institut Atlanta Film Series. Wim Wenders Retrospective. Far Away, So Close. Call 404-892-2388 x 227 or visit www.goethe.de/atlanta
Kutztown, PA
June 26 – July 4: Kutztown Festival. Revisit your past at America’s premier Folklife Festival. Call 888-674-6136 or visit www.kutztownfestival.com
Atlanta, GA
June 30: Goethe Institut Atlanta Film Series. Wim Wenders Retrospective. The American Friend. Call 404-892-2388 x 227 or visit www.goethe.de/atlanta
JULY
St. Louis, MO
July 1 – September 25, 2004: “Martin Luther – The Reformer Exhibit.” At Concordia Historical Institute. Reservations requested for large groups. Call 314-505-7900 or visit www.csl.edu/lutherexhibit.htm
Leavenworth, WA
July 2-3: Sausage Fest. Call 509-548-5807 or visit www.leavenworth.org
Winston-Salem, NC
July 3-4: Independence Day at Old Salem. Call 888-653-7253 or visit www.oldsalem.org
Leavenworth, WA
July 4: Kinderfest. Call 509-548-5807 or visit www.leavenworth.org
Modesto, CA
July 7-11: American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 35th International Convention. Modesto Doubletree Inn and Convention Center. Call Diana Bell at 559-229-8287.
Franklin Square, NY
July 10 & 11: 121st German American Volksfest. At Plattdeutsche Park. Music, dance, crafts, games, bratwurst and beer. Call 516-354-3131 or visit www.parkrestaurant.com
San Antonio, TX
July 16: Gartenkonzert. Call 210-222-1521.
Plymouth, WI
July 22: German Night. Highlight of “The Summer Concerts in City Park” series. German Night features bands, orchestras, a beer garden and food. Plymouth’s City Park. Call
920-893-0079.
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