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Posts from the ‘Germany’ Category

aug 29

Grab-Ottos-des-Großen- Jurgen-Jerratsch

Otto the Great

In 962 the pope, Johannes XII placed the crown on Otto the Great (912 – 973) and his consort Adelaide in a grand ceremony in St. Peter’s in Rome

Not long thereafter Otto had a new seal created which showed him en face and with a crown, sceptre and orb. It is probably correct to consider the new seal the nearest thing we can get to a direct presentation of the ideas, which lay behind the coronation, which Otto apparently had sought after for more than a decade. As such the seal may be explored through a direct comparison with the old one, which Otto up until then had used. This showed him in profile and carrying a spear. So to speak fit for fight.

Thus, there is no doubt that Otto the Great wished to explore another type of lordship than what pertained to be a king. While kings in the beginning of the 10th century were elected or at least had to fight for their supremacy as warlords, emperors were made out of quite another silk (preferably purple).They were first of all masters of the universe and defenders of the church and faith.

Magdeburg LHA Kaisersiegel Otto I 0 300x300 Otto the Great

To develop and elaborate this idea, Otto the Great drew heavily upon the history of emperors from Augustus and forward. Not indiscriminately and never as a one-to-one copy. But to be emperor was to follow in the footsteps of long series of predecessors. It is definitely correct to talk about this creational stance as a reinvention of a very old tradition.

This story is the overall theme of a grand exhibition in the best of the German tradition and in Magdeburg, famous for being home to two other exhibitions of the same ilk (Otto der Grosse und Magdeburg 2001  and Das Heilige Römische Reich Deutscher Nation 2006.)

016 ottosiegel 1 300x300 Otto the GreatWhile both of these exhibitions took as their point of departure the life and times of Otto the Great and the aftermath of his reign, the current showcases the history behind the happenings in Rome 962. Thus the exhibition consists of five parts:

  • Augustus and the origins of Emperorship in Roman Antiquity
  • Constantine the great and Christian Emperorship
  • Byzantium: the Continuity of Roman Emperorship in the East
  • Charlemagne and the Appropriation of Roman Emperorship
  • Otto the Great and the Renewal of the Roman Empire.

True to tradition a massive catalogue with fabulous illustrations accompanies the exhibition (741 pages/4.3 kilos and in German) plus there is a scientific report from a symposium, which led up to the exhibition and where specialists might delve into the ideology behind emperorship more generally. Here it is possible to read long and carefully crafted explanations about the more than 300 artifacts, some of which are quite spectacular.

What not to miss?

  •  The imperial insignia from Palatin found in 2005 with the blue orb on top of a sceptre (306 -312)
  • The crystal orb from the grave of Childerich (481/82)
  • The Holy Lance, the sword from Essen and the Imperial crown
  • The purple certificate of the marriage between Otto II and the (somewhat) purple princess, Theophanu.

All are they artefacts, which symbolise the powerful aura of imperial culture. And which we normally have to travel extensively in order to see.

This exhibition is definitely a must see for anyone with an interest in medieval history – as well as our common European Future.

Otto der Grosse und das Römische Reich. Keisertum von der Antike zum Mittelalter.
Kulturhistorisches Museum Magdeburg
27.08.2012 -09.12.2012

Ausstellungskatalog:
Otto der Große und das Römische Reich. Kaisertum von der Antike zum Mittelalter
Herausgeber: Matthias Puhle, Gabriele Köster eds
Schnell & Steiner 2012

Kaisertum im ersten Jarhtausend.
Hartmut Leppin, Bernd Schneidmüller, Stefan Weinfurter eds.
Schnell & Steiner 2012

A small travel programme points to places in Sachsen-Anhalt where it is possible to get a sense of the life and times of Otto the Great accompanies the exhibition. The program can be found here. 

aug 29

ausstellung-zu-otto-dem-grossen-und-1000-jahren-kaisertum-otto-der-grosse

Imperial designs?

Large exhibition about the German emperor, Otto the Great, and the Roman Empire opened in Magdeburg this weekend amidst growing misgivings in the rest of Europe about the future role of Germany

Not so long ago the Italian newspaper “Il Giornale” owned by the brother of the Lombardian Berlusconi – printed a front-page showing Angela Merkel raising her right arm in a gesture associated with the Nazi-salute. As anyone could see the photo was severely tampered with in photo-shop (as was the benign waxen face of Berlusconi just below).

Nevertheless the newspaper found it appropriate to accompany an article about the so-called imperial designs of Angela Merkel with this photo, titling it “the Fourth Reich”, and claiming in the text that she is angling for the title of “imperatore de Roma”. It stands to reason the article raised a global furore in the media.

All this happened at the same time as curators, architects and historians were putting the finishing touch upon a huge “Landesausstellung” in Magdeburg, entitled “Otto the Great and the Roman Empire”. Of course, the exhibition has been planned for years in order to celebrate the anniversary of Otto the Great’s birth in 912 and his imperial crowning in 962 in Rome. Nevertheless it seems to be quite topical, although the curators has deliberately sidestepped in order not to raise the spectre of the second and third “Reichs” when the achievements of Otto the Great were so disastrously appropriated to construct the founding myths of Der Kaiser (1871 – 1918) and later Hitler (1933 – 1945).

Very prudently – probably in view of this, but hopefully also because she was otherwise engaged in cleaning up the sordid acts of the Greeks, the Spaniards and the Italians – Angela Merkel did not take part in the official opening of the exhibition in Magdeburg, which took place in the cathedral, where Otto the Great was entombed in 973. Official representation was delegated to Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, president of the “Bundestag”, who several years ago took it upon himself to be the official protector.

In an interview he gave to “Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk” on the day before the official opening, Dr. Lammert explained why he had engaged himself in this exhibition. In the interview he pointed to the fact that huge exhibitions such as this one might help to emphasise the need to develop a deep historical sense in the general public.

- It is often thought that the further back in history we go, the more history becomes a specialised job for historians. However, this is not the case, says Norbert Lammert and adds that he believes the development of a culture of memory is actually an important task for governements to lift.

In his opinion the history of Otto the Great and his reinvention of the idea of Rome and emperorship as a legitimate form of political institution has special relevance today in Europe. On one hand there is the need to have a legitimate form of universal government bridging the nation states. On the other hand it is necessary to balance this against the need for regional and national self-government. According to Norbert Lammert this is the exact challenge which Otto endeavoured to meet in the 10th century, but ends up adding:

-   However one challenge is ours alone: how do we legitimate such a type of balanced government democratically?

Which of course is a very legitimate and pertinent question in Europe 2012 where governments in Southern Europe right now tends to be led by technocrats instead of elected politicians.

Maybe the photo from the opening of the exhibition is a sign of  this new era. For Otto the Great to be crowned emperor was the same as to be divinely blessed with the job of defending the faith as well as the church and support the missionary efforts amongst the heathens. It was not his job to lead the administration of a realm geographically stretching from Rome to Schleswig. Maybe to be a European politician in the 21st century is to be the guardian of our memorial culture and the values of Europe – whatever they might be deemed to be in a global context of poly-culturalism. And less to take part in the nitty-gritty daily administration of the welfare of our future societies.

In which sense the politicians will be the future “emperors” while the technocrats will take the role of local national and regional administrators. It seems the exhibition in Magdeburg this autumn  will be well worth a visit. At least it raises a number of important questions which we might have to ponder in the future.

Karen Schousboe

Read a presentation of the exhibition

 

maj 14

smykkesaetafperler
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Young Dürer

The largest exhibition of the works of Dürer in 40 years

This summer, the German National Museum in Nürnberg hosts the largest exhibition with works by Albrecht Dürer in 40 years. The exhibition is built around five themes, focusing on his idea of himself as for instance witnessed in the development of the “first” copyright protection scheme, the influence from his neighbors in the formation of his persona and art plus his work as a dramatist an narrator, as is witnessed in his large production of early prints, as well as in his strive for technical perfection as a painter of natural objects and scenes of nature. A separate part of the exhibition showcases the way in which modern art historians tries to solve some of the puzzles through scientific methods of investigation.

The exhibition has been complicated to curate. One reason is that paintings and other artworks of Dürer are not easy to borrow from other museums. Several very important painting are shown, amongst those the “Kreuzabnahme”, which has undergone heavy restoration during the last years.

However, one particular painting, which was on the wish-list, was the self-portrait by Dürer, which hangs in München in the Alte Pinakothek, the so-called “Selbtsbildnis im Pelsrock”, will not be shown. This is the painting, where Dürer poses as Jesus, and which he later presented to the council of the city of Nürnberg in 1509 (it was later sold during the Napoleonic wars).

300px Duerer01 wiki 216x300 Young DürerNaturally Nürnberg tried to borrow the painting for the exhibition. “Nein” said München, and argued that the painting is not typical of “The Early Dürer” (although it was painted, when he was young). Accordingly München could not see a reason for the loan. Further it was indicated, that the Museum considered the painting central to the exhibition in München, since it draws huge crowds (and income). Finally, they claimed that the painting had been damaged the last time it had been lent to Nürnberg in 1971 and finally that it was too fragile. Naturally the curators in Nürnberg felt insulted by the insinuation that they were not good caretakers – actually a very damaging slander in so far as that might put a stop to other in-loans. Further, they felt entitled to borrow, since both museums actually belong to the same institution. After a lot of bickering both upfront and – we must presume – behind the scenes, and after the Landestag had voted to order München to lend the painting to Nürnberg, a joint committee of conservationists from both museums examined it. Their verdict was unanimous: The painting was too fragile to be transported. Further, the damage stemmed not from 1971, but was already visible in the 1930ies.

The result: The painting stayed in München and the Alte Pinakothek may probably enjoy a deluge of visitors travelling from Nürnberg to München this summer. Before traveling there, visitors should take the time to see the Albrecht-Dürer-Haus, where the artist lived from 1509 -1524. The house still stands and visitors may get a feeling for the living conditions of an artist in the beginning of the 16th century. Further the museum hosts a workshop where it is possible to get acquainted with the painting techniques and materials at that time.

Der Frühe Dürer
Germanisches National Museum, Nürnberg
24.05.2012-02.09.2012

Das Albrecht-Dürer-Haus
Albrecht-Dürer-Straße
Nürnberg

Dürer: Das ferne Genie. Eine Biographie.
Thomas Schauerte.
Reclam, Ditzingen 2012

Read about the “Ausleih-Streit”, the controversy, between Nürnberg and München in Faz

Letter from prof. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann (Nürnberg) to professor Satzinger (München) concerning the matter of the insinuation

 

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Hansholbein

The Family Meyer

Around 1528 Hans Holbein painted one of his most revered master-pieces of  the heavenly crowned Madonna, originally called the Madonna with the Family Meyer, later the Darmstadt Madonna. In 2002 the princely house of Hessen decided to sell it.

Jakob Meyer was mayor and banker in Basel and the painting is of the crowned Madonna covering him and his family with her cape. Luckily it survived the iconoclasm in Basel to surface later in Paris. Finally it ended up in the castle in Darmstadt belonging to the Princely house of Hesse. Since 2003 it has been exhibited in Frankfurt at the Städel, but recently the “Haus of Hesse” decided to put it up for sale. It has been estimated that the painting might have ended up costing more than a $ 100 million on the international market. However, being registered as a national heritage, any export of the painting is forbidden by German laws. The final price has not been disclosed, but rumours has it that it approached the sum of $ 70 million. The buyer, Reinhold Würt, is a well known billionaire recognised for his keen interest in art. He has pledged that the painting will remain on view to the public. It is presumed that the painting will be placed on view at the restored Johanitterhalle in Schwäbisch Hall where other “Old Masters” are exhibited. To the chagrin of the curators at Städel. The money from the sale will be used to restore the “Fasanerie” - a beautiful baroque palace near Fulda.

himmelskonigin 221x300 The Family MeyerA Baseler Mayor
Jakob Mayer (1482 – 1531) was son of a papermaker in Basel. Early on he entered the group of bankers and made a fortune out of his banking business as well as his military career in the catholic army of the Pope. He ended up as the first non-noble mayor of Basel and it was later said of him that he was “the hare that jumped the nobles” – the nickname, “the hare”, stemming from the name of his house in the main square of Basel. Then, however, he had withdrawn from his political career and lived as a rentier on his small manor in Gundeldingen. It is thought that the Madonna was hung in the chapel of this small castle and was meant as an expression of catholic resistence against the reformation.

Apart from the Madonna there exists a double portrait of Jakob Mayer and his second wife Dorothea, which is now hung in the Baseler Artmuseum

The presumed location for the future exhibition of the Darmstadt Madonna, die Johanitterhalle

Read more about Jakob Mayer zum Hasen

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uta
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Naumburger Master

This summer a magnificient exhibition in Naumburg in Germany showcases the works of one of the most outstanding Gothic sculptors and architects: The Naumburger Meister. We don’t know his name, nor much about his whereabouts; only rumours abound. However, untill now he was thought of as the epiphenomena of a “German Artist” – emotional, heartbreakingly romantic and authentic in every sense. So much so that his sculpture of one of the founders of the Naumburg Cathedral,Uta von Ballenstedt became the archetype of a German Nazi Hausfrau; and as a derivation of this, the prototype for evil queens, aka the evil stepmother of Snow White in Disneys film from 1937.

evilqueen 225x300 Naumburger MasterHowever, The Naumburg Master was not German, but French. In the German reviews of the current exhibition, this somewhat amusing detail is deemed one of the remarkable new results of the scholarship behind the show. By the way copiously published in a two volume catalogue covering every possible detail in 1568 pages.

Much more interesting though is the possibility at the exhibition to uncover the artistic context of this Gothic artist par excellence. His world was undoubtedly neither German, nor French nor English, but belonged to an international artistic “school” operating on all levels; and thus visible not only in the sculpture exhibited, but also in the stained glass paintings and illuminated manuscripts dating from this period, which are allowed to frame the master.

This is interestingt. As may be detected from the sculptures in the Cathedral of Naumburg they were for instance painted in vivid cultures at the time of their launching. By now we are very well aquainted with the fact, that the white sculptures of antiquity was painted decorously. We tend, however, to forget that this was also the case with the sculptures in the reims reve des culeurs 300x125 Naumburger MasterGothic Age. Recently – at the celebration of the 800 year of the Reims Cathedral – this was recreated in a typical French fashion. With “son et lumiere” it was shown how the sculptures of the facade may have looked originally. Here at the exhibition it is once again documented, that the Middle ages was far from bleak.

Much of this and much more is documented in detail at the exhibition, which really is “worth a detour” this summer.

Official webpage of exhibition

See video here (in french)

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sti-ved-graensen

Sleepy Borders

Since early this month, Denmark has been boosting its controls at the border between Denmark and Germany. The new control was implemented as part of a political trade-off between the Danish government and its right-wing supporting party, “The Danish People’s Party”. In Denmark this political deal has been widely laughed at, since most recognise that the object is more symbolic than practical. It is generally acknowledged that a beefed up border control will produce no solution to the problems of illegal immigration, since the borderline is crisscrossed with minor roads and small lanes from east to west.

Nevertheless the new border control has caused an European uproar especially amongst the Germans, who feel that the manning of the former border between Denmark and Germany has a subtext of kindling anti-German feelings. Which to a certain extent may be the fact, since two of the party’s prominent members of parliament are publicly known for wanting to reestablish the very old border between Denmark and Germany from the 8th century by Dannevirke. The present border lies app. 150 km north from here.

grenzhaus1 300x213 Sleepy BordersAlso it seems as if the Danish governement has underestimated the raw feelings that any border control may stir among the Germans. One reason might be, that it simply is not easy for non-Germans to identify with the pain which ordinary Germans suffered, while the partion between DDR and Bundesrepublik Deutschland was upheld in the most draconian way.

One indicator of this is the existence of a number of small museums along the “Green Band”, the former no man’s land between the two Germanies. The importance is born out by the fact that €7 million recently were donated to the deveplopment of one of these museums in order to professionalise the exhibitions. The obejct is to cater not only for the many Germans hiking or cycling through the Green Band, but also to service the numurous foreigners discovering this fabulous tourist venue.

The charm of the Green Band derives from the fact that in order to supervise and patrol the border, any number of neigboring villages were simply torn down and the inhabitants deported. Thus the borderpolice and the army of the former communist DDR were able to shoot on site anyone who tried to escape from thei so-called “political paradise”. When the border was overun in 1989 people found that this mile wide “no man’s land” had turned into a wilderness of remarkable value. Today it is possible to walk along the Green Band and enjoy the unique richness of vegetation and all the roaming animals. And not least visit the museums that tell the story of police brutality and unnecessary segregeation of neighbours and family.

grunes band elben 300x225 Sleepy BordersIt is hoped that an initiative like this along the present Danish-German border might enhance the sense of Schleswig-Holstein as a historically very rich borderzone between the two nations. Luckily people on both sides nowadays have a political say which prevents silly politicians to really endanger the tradition for collaboration and networking across the border and in between the various minorities in the borderregion.

Nevertheless it would be an important signal to send creating a hike trail along this border as well as all the former borders in Europe.

Read about “Green Band”

Read about the museum Grenzhus Schlagdorf

Read about the Danish Genforeningsmuseet

Yet another museum in Mödlareuth

Bicycle along the Roman “limes”