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"Greetings from Rübeland, Cheers to Coziness"
[Rübeland is a village in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt]
Some guy, with let's say questionable driving skills, hit my car, parked in a 30 kph road, leaving some scratches on the bumper.
He subsequently reported this incident to the police. Then a officer made it up to my doorstep somehow, only to find out that I have a 24/7 surveillance camera running, the doorbell turned off and actually never answer the door for/to strangers, including the police. So he went back to his squad car to write me this love letter, left at the windshield.
*content is censored for privacy reasons
This detail is the dedication for a larger stained glass window. As befits the ethnic origin of the congregation, the dedication is in German. The window is in remembrance of Elizabeth Krueger and donated by Christian Krueger.
1902 --- A cover for the magazine "Ver Sacrum" designed for the 13th exhibiton of the Vienna Secession. --- Image by © Austrian Archives/CORBIS
I'm by no means fluent in the German language (I struggle with the ENGLISH language often enough) but I think this one is telling us that this is no place for children to play and that their parents are responsible for them.
Buga gewesen, sehr erstaunt von Anfang an: der Anmarsch von der U-Bahn Messestadt West eine poststalinistische Ödnis, die Ticketbuden ein ärmlicher Verhau. 14 Euro bezahlt; nicht pro U-Bahn-Waggon, sondern pro Nase. 28 Mark sind das in richtigem Geld.
Kies- und Steppengrasödnis am Eingang West, alles wirkt verkommen, wie Bauplatz für die Buga 2009, kein bisschen charmant, gepflegt, liebevoll oder auch nur avantgardistisch. Ein paar Blumenbeete haben sie, aber sehr abgewirtschaftet. Wegweiser auf plastikgebundene Strohhaufen gespannt - originell? An Cafébude nichts ergattert - zu umlagert, obwohl jeder Baggersee romantischer wäre.
Kambodschanerin dabeigehabt, Deutschlandhighlights zeigen. Fragt die: "Habt Ihr keinen Schatten hier? Wieso marschieren alle durch die sengende Sonne - um ein paar traurige Blümchen in Reih, Glied und orangen Plastiktöpfen zu sehen?" Pro Hektar nur ein Sonnenschirm oder ein einzelnes mickriges Bäumchen, von mächtigen Pflöcken vorm Darniedersinken bewahrt. Wir lagern unter so einem Bäumchen auf einer öden langen leeren Wiese, rutschen alle zehn Minuten dem Schatten hinterher.
Was für ein Deutschlandbild vermittelt diese Wiese? Hohle Leere, die aber perfekt gemäht, jeder Baum gedreipflockt, Exerzierplatz?
Dann der "Zellengarten". Gefängnis? "Was sind das für Dreckhaufen hier", fragt die Kambodschinerin, "in eurer National Garden Show?". - "Liebe Besucherin, die Kieswälle gehören zum Ausstellungskonzept", sage ich. - Höfliches Schweigen. - "Da kann man überdimensionale Gipseier und Betonklötze besichtigen", sage ich. - Höfliches Schweigen. - "Bitte nicht auf die Eier klettern", sage ich. - Höfliches Schweigen.
In "Buga-Lounge" schließlich kühlen Sitzplatz gefunden. Schönes Meublement da, deshalb hängt an jedem Stuhl ein Zettel vom Möbelgeschäft. 20 Minuten Warten auf die Kellnerin, die hat leider zu tun. Tisch gewechselt, dann geht es. Kleinigkeit gegessen, natürlich Apfelschorle dazu, und dann - Toilette kostet 50 Cent extra, also eine Mark. Das müssen wir der Kambodschanerin erklären: 14 Euro Eintritt für staubige heiße Ödnis, plus teuer snacken, und dann im selben Lokal auch noch fürs Austreten zahlen - das ist exklusiv.
Die Gummibahn war nett; vor allem mal: Verschlungene organische Formen, nicht alles so militant aufgeräumt wie der ganze große Rest. Also lustig gehupft auf der Gummibahn - und an der allgegenwärtigen Metallkante lustig fies den Fuß geratscht. Dann wieder ein langer schnurgerader Hatsch zum See - mit seiner langen schnurgeraden Uferkante, schön ordentlich in grauen Beton gefasst. Natur pur.
Kurz vorm Ausgang Süd steckt eine Truppe Plastikköpfe in der Wiese. Kambodschanerin verzieht das Gesicht - "lass' uns weitergehen, das hier erinnert mich an Pol Pot."
Blümerant nicht die Blumen, aber die Wortkreationen: "Der Kick/Ball-Haus", "Die Pfütze/Wasser-Haus", "Aktivitätenband", "Buga-Lounge",
"Grünwerkstatt", "Parallele Gärten", "Spielbänder", "Dunkel Erlebnis". Die ganze Buga ist so - ein Gespinst, nichts dahinter, unverständlich, betongewordene Kopfgeburt. Lobt sie weiter.
This detail from a large stained glass window shows a dedication in German, reflecting the ethnic origin of the congregation at its 1911 consecration. While the church is now the Conventional Baptist Church, the windows remain. The window is dedicated to the memory of Albertine Haase.
Several books, some college texts for learning German/Deutsch, including a booklet I made of the dictionary in the back of the purple book in the middle so I wouldn't lose my place in the book when looking up a word.
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All these (and more) need new homes as I'm going to a different country for an extended stay soon so send me a Flickr Mail message (access through the arrow that appears near my profile photo when mousing over it, or click on the little tan envelope that appears on my profile page) if interested.
Advertising for a satirical magazine with a euphemistic title meaning "Up Yours!" and highlighting the backends of rider and horse.
Two British soldiers sitting on the ground, leaning against a brick building. They are both looking at a small booklet or pamphlet, and appear to be amused by what they are reading. The man on the right has a bandage wrapped around his head. The ground they are sitting on is dry and dusty, probably a welcome change from the mud that pervaded much of the Front. Painted on the building is the German word 'Ottskrankenstube' alongside a cross.
The nickname 'Tommy' entered into general usage after the Rudyard Kipling poems, 'Tommy' and 'To Thomas Atkins' (1892), which pay homage to the sturdy character of the average British soldier. It is possible this image, along with its light-hearted and condescending caption, was used as propaganda by the Government and Military. Injecting humour into the words people read and censoring the pictures people saw, deflected attention away from the negative and terrible aspects of war.
[Original reads: 'BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE WESTERN FRONT. Scene in a captured village. A wounded Tommy and another enjoying a joke in a book. Above them is seen a German Red Cross direction notice.']
This window commemorates the young people of this former German Evangelical church in the Indian Village neighborhood.
Postcard advertising an ad agency in Germany. According to Google Translate, the German words on this postcard translate in English to "Hello from Emsland". Sent by a Postcrossing member in Germany.
Political graffiti, Western Front, during World War I. The wall of a ruined building, which is covered in graffiti. To the left it reads, ' ..ier gehts fur Kaiser und Reich' which could be translated as 'For king and country'. To the right, partly hidden by the wall, are the words, 'Gott straf[e?] Engl.', which could mean, ' May God punish England'.
This is an interesting example of a very direct form of propaganda and intimidation, but one which only occasionally survives in photographs. It is directly comparable to the use of sectarian graffiti on house walls in Belfast in the late twentieth century.
[Original reads: 'Hun humour.']