Altdorf

Last weekend, Red Baron attended a 90th birthday party in Postbauer-Heng near Nuremberg.

A son of the jubilee, Gernot Arp, professor of geology and paleontology at Göttingen University, offered to take those interested on a geological excursion to the former university town of Altdorf. Nearby, there is a unique geological formation.

Altdorf in the Topographia Frankoniae 1648.
The university buildings are on the upper left.

When I hear the word Altdorf, I automatically think of William Tell, but Old Village is a common name in "German" lands.

Students at Altdorf University listen to their lecturer

Hadn't Wallenstein once studied in Altdorf, not far from the site of one of his greatest triumphs?

In August 1632, Gustaf Adolf had made himself at home in Nuremberg. Wallenstein had fortifications built on the hills on the north bank of the Rednitz near the Alte Veste in Zirndorf and waited until the Swedish king was forced to leave Nuremberg due to a lack of provisions.

Finally, on September 3, Gustaf Adolf sought a military decision. Again and again, he sent his troops to attack the well-entrenched imperial forces, but in vain.

Wallenstein wrote to his emperor, Ferdinand II, "The king has suffered a tremendous blow in this enterprise ... and although Your Majesty had valor and courage to spare before, this occasion has confirmed them even more, seeing how the king, having brought all his power to bear, has been repulsed, and the title of invictissimi belongs not to him but to Your Majesty." Well, Wallenstein kisses the but of his commander.

Gustav Adolf not only lost his aura of invincibility but also a third of his troops. Many of his mercenaries deserted and seamlessly joined Wallenstein's forces.

The university building in Altdorf

Gustaf Adolf fell in the Battle of Lützen in November 1632, and the University of Altdorf closed its doors in 1809 during the Napoleonic era.

The campus in 2026. Note: the fountain is still in place.

The main building of Altdorf’s former university is now a social-diaconal facility focused on people with disabilities, named after Johann Heinrich Wichern.

If you want something, you have to want it completely; half-heartedness is the same as nothing.

Wichern is widely known as the inventor of the Advent wreath.

But I digress.

Before we visited the geological site, we went to the Museum in Atdorf, which houses impressive fossils found during the excavation of the Ludwigskanal.

The Ludwigskanal at the Dörlbach incision near Altdorf

At the beginning of the 19th century, Bavarian King Ludwig I ordered the construction of an artificial waterway to be built between Kelheim on the Danube and Bamberg on the Main. The project started in 1836 and took 10 years to complete.

The idea of building a navigable connection between the Rhine and Main rivers and the Danube was not new. Common theories assume that Charlemagne, then still King of the Franks, had the so-called Fossa Carolina (also known as Karl's Ditch) built in 793.

The Dörlbach incision for the Ludwigskanal in 1845, with the old road bridge

The Ludwigskanal was 173 km long and had 100 locks. However, the ships were too small for mass transport, and soon the powerful railroad entered the market.

      

In 1950, the canal was abandoned after many sections had already been destroyed during World War II. In 1992, a modern Main-Danube Canal was inaugurated, but it proved uneconomical too and is now used only for tourist boat trips and water sports.

At the museum, Prof. Arp gave an introduction to Earth's history before our group admired the exhibit.

Timeline of Earth's history

A map in the museum shows the geological formation through which the Ludwigskanal was built.

Pachycormus,
the thick-bodied fish, lived in the time period of 189-60 million years ago

Ammonites

Ichtyosaur (Stenoteropterygius quadriscissus)

Ichthyosaurs are land animals that returned to the sea and transformed their limbs back into flippers. The number of finger joints and finger rays increased, especially between 182 and 174 million years ago.

Altdorf black marble

Black marble from Altdorf with its fossil inclusions was à la mode and correspondingly expensive.

According to the museum director, this tobacco box made from black marble is the “most expensive” item of the exhibition.

Geological cross-section through the terraced slope of the Dörlbach incision for the Ludwigkanal. 

Using a display board, Prof. Arp explained the geological situation of the Dörlbach incision.

Climate change, ocean currents, and mass extinction

The rock sequence cut into Dörbach reflects a striking shift from a cold, glaciated period to a warm period. The cause is believed to be the simultaneous strong volcanic activity in the southern hemisphere of the Earth and the resulting increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. As temperatures rose, sea levels rose sharply, and ocean circulation decreased. This led to salt stratification in the water and ultimately to a lack of aeration of the sea floor. This was followed by species extinction and the formation of facies sludge in the Posidonia shale. 

Only the slow degradation of carbon dioxide over 2-3 million years and the further opening of the epicontinental sea to the Arctic led to gradual re-aeration and mixing with bottom-contacting ocean currents. Evidence of this can be found in so-called belemnite battlefields and a more species-rich bottom fauna in the Jurassic marl. (Gernot Arp, University of Göttingen).

(©James Albright)

The most impressive find during construction of the Ludwig Canal was a 1.5-meter-long ichthyosaur skull.

 

Tunnelling of the Ludwigskanal at Schwarzenbach (©Brunzerus/Wikipedia)

On our way back to Postbauer-Heng, we passed the tunnel at Schwarzenbach. What a technical achievement in the middle of the 19th century.

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The City's New Year's Reception

Red Baron was invited to the City of Freiburg's New Year's reception again for the first time in a long time. As on his last attendance, the event took place in the concert hall, where 1,000 guests walked down a red carpet.

This year's reception was enlivened by the Freiburg Jazz Choir, the Matrix Showteam, and the German-French hip-hop band Zweierpasch.

At the beginning of his speech, Lordmayor Martin Horn tried to convince the audience that his New Year's address was not a campaign speech in view of the upcoming mayoral election: "This is the city's New Year's reception. So sit back and relax." 

 We, the citizens, will indeed be electing a mayor on April 26. I still remember well when, in 2018, Martin achieved an astonishing victory over the incumbent mayor Dieter Salomon.

Following the election, the city council will have to appoint two new deputy mayors, as First and Deputy Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach is retiring after 24 years in office, and Finance and Sports Deputy Mayor Stefan Breiter is not running for another term for personal and family reasons. Both will be stepping down on March 31.

The Freiburg Jazz Choir on stage

In his speech, Martin Horn first emphasized a special feature of Freiburg: "Here, people work for each other and with each other." That is why his motto for 2026 is "Cohesion and Confidence."

He contrasted his motto with the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric of others. Unfortunately, far too many people allow themselves to be incited by right-wing extremists and anti-democratic forces when they shout, "Deport them all, remigration." This is not only inhumane but also stupid.

Without foreign skilled workers, how are we supposed to meet the growing labor demand, for example, in the care sector for our elderly citizens? We should all talk about migration in a positive, appreciative way.

 
Many people only see the foreignness in others. Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer warned: "The hatred that was stirred up back then has now become loud again. Some people do not recognize other people as human beings. And yet we are all the same. There is no Christian, Muslim, or Jewish blood. There is only human blood. And this is what I say to you: 'Don't look at what divides you. Look at what unites you.'"

A speech instead of a concert.
Red Baron sits somewhere on the right-hand side (©BZ)

Martin Horn continued: "Over the past year, I have met many people in our city who care for others: for the elderly or sick, for children and young people who have a harder time than others, for the homeless, and for so many more. They all make Freiburg human. This is extremely important – especially in times when we are repeatedly witnessing attacks on our democracy and society. But even in times like these, we should never forget that those of us who value democracy outnumber those who want to destroy it. The agitators and divisive forces may sometimes be louder, but when we stick together, we are much stronger."

 
Sustained applause

First and Deputy Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach is visibly moved (©BZ)

Then the mayor bid farewell to his deputy mayors. "Dear Ulrich, it is difficult for all of us to let you go." Despite his cancer, the first deputy mayor continued to perform his duties conscientiously – with passion and total commitment. The 1,000 guests in the hall rose to give him a standing ovation.

Martin Horn presented the outgoing First Mayor with an original beavertail tile from the roof of Freiburg's long-term major project, the Augustiner Museum, which Ulrich von Kirchbach will open on February 27 as his last official act.

Finance and Sports Mayor Stefan Breiter received a drill core as a gift, which was drilled during the preliminary work for the second construction phase of Freiburg's new rescue center. The topping-out ceremony was celebrated on January 8. Despite the expenses for the 35 million euro project, Freiburg is in good financial shape. "Thank you, Stefan, for eight challenging years in times that were not always easy," added the mayor.

Impressive interlude by the Matrix Showteam

Towards the end of the official event, Freiburg awarded the Golden City Seal to two ladies who had rendered outstanding services to the community.

Annette Theobald (second from the left) is one of the founders of the Freiburger Tafel (Food Bank). For 14 years, she was the chairwoman of the Tafelverein, which has around 160 employees and is financed exclusively through donations, membership fees, and its own proceeds.

Charlotte Niemeyer (second from the right), medical director of the Clinic for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, received the award as a strong advocate for the interests of children and adolescents. She was the driving force behind the "Initiative for Our Children's and Youth Clinic Freiburg." After the opening of the new building, Niemeyer and the initiative have a new goal: they are vehemently advocating for the construction of new day clinics in child psychiatry.

The German-French hip-hop band Zweierpasch closed the official part 

At the following reception, old friends met, stood or sat together over a glass of wine or water, and enjoyed the finger foods on offer.

**

Out from the Shadows into the Light

Germans are humorless, according to a well-known stereotype. Well, humor is a tricky quality, but Red Baron is convinced that my compatriots are not without it.

On the other hand, Germans are notorious Nörgler (grumblers). They bitch and moan about everything, usually adding that everything used to be better in the past.

Yes, some things were better in the past, and will get worse in the future, when Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared in August that Germany's social welfare programs were unsustainable and needed an overhaul. "We simply can no longer afford the system we have today," he said in a speech, adding, "This will mean painful decisions. This will mean cuts."

A declining number of young people has to support a growing number of elderly people.

The Washington Post addressed the issue and titled an editorial "The decline of the welfare state has boosted the rise of the far right."

The fact that cuts to the social safety net will be necessary in the future is grist to the mill for those who know how to deal with it.

For the right (AfD), the problem is solved by deporting lazy foreigners who are a burden on the German social system.

And for the left (Die Linke), it's even simpler: Tax the rich.

These solutions appeal not only to right- or left-wing voters. They are, however, too simplistic.

But is it really so bad in old Germany?

At the turn of the year, Deutsche Telekom News' editorial team published a list comparing Germany's economic and political situation with those of other countries.

I have reorganized the list, added some graphics and personal comments, and I want to share the results with my readers.

The global crises are also affecting all people in this country, and do not suggest that world peace will arrive any time soon. Politically and economically, 2025 was unfortunately not a year that gave much cause for confidence and hope.

But humans would not be humans if they did not manage to strive for the light even in dark times. Because, viewed sine studio et ira, things are developing better in this country than the daily barrage of bad news would suggest.

Germany undoubtedly faces significant problems and must overcome many challenges simultaneously. However, there are only a few countries in the world that are better equipped to tackle those than the Federal Republic, as ten facts may show:

World ranking in 2024

1. Germany still has the largest gross domestic product in the EU, but, as the third-largest economy in the world, it cannot really compete with giants such as the US and China.

 

2. The standard of living is exceptionally high by global standards; Germany ranks in 7th place on the UN Human Development Index.


3. Life expectancy in Germany at 81.7 is also well above the global average of 73.5 years. Still, it is 4.1 years lower than the number one, Hong Kong, and 2.5 years lower than the European forerunner, Switzerland. Note that Red Baron is now at 90.5

4. Germany's unemployment rate is well below the EU average and one of the lowest in Europe, even among young people; the dual education system is considered a guarantee of success.

5. Because German companies invest heavily in research and development, their innovative strength is not only well above the EU average, but also above the European Commission's target.

    

6. Germany has been consolidating its position as a leading export nation for years; customers all over the world are clamoring for many German products. Still, my country looks poor compared with the ten times smaller Netherlands.

7. Despite huge debt packages that were recently voted in the Bundestag, public finances remain comparatively stable in my country. With a debt ratio of less than 65 percent, Germany is in a much better position than Japan (230 percent), Italy (137 percent), and the US (125 percent).

 

8. According to an OECD study, Germany is particularly attractive to highly qualified professionals.

9. The Federal Republic also ranks among the best internationally in terms of the rule of law, performing particularly well in categories such as "order and security" and "civil justice."

10. Despite all the doom and gloom and criticism from the US, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are well established in Germany. While Scandinavian countries and Switzerland have a GxR Score of freedom of expression and information above 90, Germany is on par with the US at 86. The UK, strangely, scores only 79.

Without sugarcoating the situation, these are good conditions for not necessarily increasing prosperity, but for maintaining it and ensuring a free, stable society in Germany.

Out of the shadows and into the light. That should be an apt headline for the political program, economic initiatives, and social impulses for the coming year. All it takes is enough people to get involved to overcome the current challenges.

My country fellows should not dwell on grievances and abuses, but clearly identify problems and seek solutions. Since these solutions are not easy, our government has referred the issues to mandated committees with clear deadlines.

Looking at all this, Germans must not forget their humor, which brings us back to the beginning of the blog.

Happy New Year, Everybody

**

80 Years Ago in America

An extremely well-written article by Stephen Collinson of CNN titled "The year the Christmas lights burned again" made such a huge impression on me that, for the first time, I copied it into a blog for the benefit of my German-speaking readers.


It was Harry S. Truman's first Christmas in the White House, and he was antsy to get away.

His wife, Bess, and daughter, Margaret, had already decamped to their home in Independence, Missouri. He planned to join them by taking a December 25, 1945, flight on the presidential aircraft nicknamed the "Sacred Cow."

President Truman's plane, a Douglas VC 54C

But Christmas morning brought sleet storms and a glaze of ice on Washington's roads, which halted the public bus service and made taking off from National Airport too dangerous. Eventually, after a four-hour delay, Truman climbed aboard his plane, but not before joking to reporters that he'd wait to see whether their charter made it off the slush-bound runway first.

Truman's propeller plane was buffeted by ice and high winds during his six-hour flight, but eventually made it to Missouri safely, although several newspaper columnists chided him for taking too great a risk.

Truman was having a difficult time adjusting to life as president since succeeding beloved Franklin Roosevelt, who died in April that year, weeks before the end of hostilities in World War II. By Christmas, Truman had already given the order to drop the world's first atomic bombs in Japan, and wrestling with how to build an enduring peace as a new confrontation loomed with the Soviet Union.

A plainspoken man, Truman had never dreamed of the presidency, although Roosevelt's declining health made his selection as running mate in 1944 a critical one. He'd written home from the White House to Bess in June that just two months earlier, he'd been a "happy and contented" vice president. "But things have changed so much it hardly seems real."

"I sit here in this old house and work on foreign affairs, read reports, and work on speeches — all the while listening to the ghosts walk up and down the hallway and even right in here in the study," the president wrote. "The floors pop and the drapes move back and forth — I can just imagine old Andy (Jackson) and Teddy (Roosevelt) having an argument over Franklin (Roosevelt)."

Truman wasn't the only American desperate to get home. Tens of thousands of service personnel raced the clock to reunite with their families for their first Christmas after leaving foreign battlefields.

On Christmas Day alone, 15,000 troops pulled into New York Harbor after a harrowing trip through Atlantic storms from Europe and North Africa, according to The New York Times. One vessel, the navy cruiser Philadelphia, had been hit by a huge wave that buckled its forecastle, but still limped home with its precious cargo. At ports on the East and West coasts, troops disembarked from transport ships and flocked to bars, cinemas, and bowling alleys while waiting for trains home.

Just a year earlier, these men had been battling Nazi troops in frozen foxholes at the Battle of the Bulge or Imperial Japanese soldiers in Asia. But their euphoria at being back stateside for Christmas was tempered by the grief they carried — the memories of thousands of Americans who'd never come home and the empty places that would remain forever unfilled at Christmas dinner tables.

Still, the sense of relief is palpable from news reports that day in 1945. "Earth wore a tiara of light for Christmas yesterday, for the first time since 1938, and men worshipped in its glow," the Times reported on December 26.

The returning exodus jammed railroad stations, already packed with regular holiday travel. Travelers bound from Union Station in Washington for the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida were directed to a local train by mistake. The two trains swapped loads at an unscheduled halt in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

San Antonio, Texas, basked in its temperatures of 82 degrees, then the highest on record for Christmas Day. Candlelit services and carol singing took place countrywide.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, even prisoners in the local jail felt the goodwill, chowing down on roast turkey, filling, giblet gravy, candied sweet potatoes, stewed corn, cranberry sauce, celery, pumpkin pie, and coffee.

Christmas also brought tragedy. A man in the capital was stabbed to death with a Japanese dagger brought home from the war as a souvenir. In Berlin, two American soldiers were shot dead* in separate incidents that showed how dangerous it still would be to enforce the Allied occupation.

*The defeated Germans were not involved. I asked ChatGPT, and it reported about only one incident, the Potsdamer Platz shooting. It took place on August 24, 1945, only three months after Germany's surrender.
The victorious Allies had divided Berlin into four occupation zones. Near Potsdamer Platz, where the American, British, and Soviet sectors met, two U.S. Army soldiers allegedly crossed into the Soviet sector. Soviet guards challenged them, the situation escalated, and the Red Army soldiers opened fire. Both Americans were killed.
In the follow-up, the Soviets claimed that the Americans had ignored warnings and had entered a restricted zone. The incident contributed to growing mistrust between the Allies and is often cited as an early sign of the emerging Cold War.

But Truman encapsulated the national mood on a Christmas Eve radio broadcast. "This is the Christmas that a war-weary world has prayed for through long and awful years. With peace come joy and gladness. The gloom of the war years fades as once more we light the National Community Christmas Tree," he said.

The president cast an eye across the capital at the vast marble monuments to great presidents. "It is well in this solemn hour that we bow to Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln as we face our destiny with its hopes and fears, its burdens and its responsibilities. Out of the past we shall gather wisdom and inspiration to chart our future course," he said.

"With our enemies vanquished, we must gird ourselves for the work that lies ahead. Peace has its victories no less hard-won than success at arms. We must not fail or falter."

President Harry Truman in front of his home in Independence, Missouri,
with his arms laden with Christmas gifts for delivery (©Harry S. Truman Library)

"I wish my countrymen* a Merry Christmas and joyous days in the New Year."

*Gendering had not yet been invented

**

From Heaven Above I Come

Yesterday, I found a reproduction of a magnificent print of Martin Luther's "Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her.“

Luther wrote the text and melody of the Christmas carol in 1534, initially for the Heiliger Abend. The Christmas Eve observance was held annually at his home with his children. Later, he had the carol sung also in church services.

The text of "Vom Himmel hoch" is based on the Bible verses in Luke 2:1-18. The opening verses were traditionally sung by a man dressed as an angel proclaiming the birth of Jesus.

Catherine Winkworth translated the traditional English lyrics from German in 1855.

Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her. Ich bring' euch gute neue Mär, Der guten Mär bring' ich so viel, Davon ich sing'n und sagen will. Euch ist ein Kindlein heut' gebor'n Von einer Jungfrau auserkor'n, Ein Kindelein, so zart und fein, Das soll eur' Freud' und Wonne sein. Es ist der Herr Christ, unser Gott, Der will euch führ'n aus aller Not, Er will eu'r Heiland selber sein, Von allen Sünden machen rein. Er bringt euch alle Seligkeit, Die Gott der Vater hat bereit, Dass ihr mit uns im Himmelreich Sollt leben nun und ewiglich. So merket nun das Zeichen recht, Die Krippe, Windelein so schlecht, Da findet ihr das Kind gelegt, Das alle Welt erhält und trägt. Des laßt uns alle fröhlich sein Und mit den Hirten gehn hinein, Zu sehn, was Gott uns hat beschert, Mit seinem lieben Sohn verehrt.

From heaven above I come. I bring you good new tidings, Of glad tidings I bring so many, Whereof I want to sing and say: To you a small child is born today of a chosen Virgin; A little child so tender and fine, should be your joy and bliss. It is the Lord Christ, our God, Who wants to lead you out of all adversity, He Himself wants to be your Savior, to purify you of all sins. He brings you all blessings, that God the Father has ready, (so) that you with us in heaven should live, now and forever. So note now the sign rightly, the manger, swaddling-clothes so bad, There you'll find the Child laid, who all the world maintains and bears. Let us all be of good cheer and go with the shepherds thereto to see what God has bestowed upon us, honored with his dear Son.

Johann Sebastian Bach must have held Luther's Christmas carol in high regard, given that he used the melody as the basis for several chorale cantatas and cantata movements. In the Christmas Oratorio, the melody resounds as a cantus firmus, artfully embedded in the movement. Bach understands the chorale as a theological confession.

Listen to “Vom Himmel hoch” in an interpretation by Munich’s University Choir. After an instrumental introduction, the choir performs the version in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio until the community sings Luther’s Christmas carol.

Merry Christmas to my loyal readers

**

Sir Thomas More

Nine years ago, Red Baron read an article in The Guardian that fascinated him, but he never found the time to write a blog.

 

This is the last surviving script handwritten by William Shakespeare, in which he imagines Sir Thomas More making an impassioned plea for the humane treatment of refugees. The theater piece about the life of Henry VIII's councillor and lord chancellor was not staged because of fears it might incite unrest.

British scholars found out that Shakespeare wrote the play "Sir Thomas More" actually in collaboration with Henry Chettle, Anthony Munday, and others in 1592. It survived only in fragmentary form after being censored by Edmund Tylney, Master of the Revels, in the government of Queen Elizabeth I.

Here is the powerful scene, featuring More challenging anti-immigration rioters in London against the number of French Protestants (Huguenots) seeking asylum in the capital.

 
"You'll put down strangers,
Kill them, cut their throats, possess their houses,
And lead the majesty of law in lyam
To slip him like a hound.
Alas, alas! Say now the King
As he is clement if th'offender mourn,
Should so much come too short of your great trespass
As but to banish you: whither would you go?
What country, by the nature of your error,
Should give you harbour? Go you to France or Flanders,
To any German province, Spain, or Portugal,
Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England:
Why, you must needs be strangers."

In two cases, Red Baron needed some help with the English: "And lead the majesty of law in lyam" translates to "keep the authority of the law under restraint," and "Why, you must needs be strangers" reads in modern English as "Well then, you must necessarily be foreigners."

Thomas's powerful rhetoric urges the crowds to empathise with the immigrants. He is asking the rioters to imagine what it would be like if they went to Spain, Portugal, or German provinces*, they would then be strangers. Thomas is pleading for empathy.

*Provinces, indeed. Germany was founded as late as 1871.

Wasn't it always, and isn't it still like this with strangers seeking protection and peace?

With greetings from Bethlehem, a Merry Christmas to all my readers.

**

Caspar David Friedrich

Caspar David Friedrich's most famous painting, Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog), hangs in the Hamburger Kunsthalle.

During my visit to the Hamburg Art Gallery in July 2023, this masterpiece was in transit to the Kunstmuseum in Winterthur for the exhibition "The Harbingers of Romance." 

So, Red Baron had to settle for an alienation featuring wind power stations.

The most extensive collection of Caspar David Friedrich's paintings may be housed at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

During my recent visit to our capital, we were particularly interested in one painting by this Romantic artist. Still, I do not want to deprive you of a sculpture near the entrance to the Old National Gallery.

Johann Friedrich Schadow:
Double Statue of the Princesses Luise and Friederike of Prussia

The two sisters are usually on display at the Friedrichswerder Church, but since it is currently being reconstructed, they are temporarily displaced. Read more about Luise's courage.

©Manfred Brückels/Wikipedia

The National Galerie is based on ideas and an initiative of the Prussian King Frederick William IV. As the "romantic king," he was a patron of art, architecture, and history, but was also the ruler who brutally suppressed the revolution in Berlin in March 1848 (Read more in German).

The dedication above the temple-like building, "To German Art," is traced back to Frederick William.

Caspar David Friedrich: Monk by the Sea 1808 -1810

Here is the coveted painting along with a Wikipedia article describing it.

Here is a portrait of Caspar David Friedrich at the age of 44 by Caroline Badua.

Greifswald Harbour 1818-1820

Caspar was born in Greifswald near the Baltic Sea. So many of his paintings address scenes with the sea in the background.

Moonrise over the Sea 1822

Coast Scene by Moonlight 1830

The romantic moon is a central style element in Caspar's work.

Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon 1818-25

Deep in the Forest by Moonlight 1822-1830

Woman at a Window 1822.
Isn't she watching a ship in Greifswald Harbour?

Abbay among Oak Trees 1809-1810

The Watzmann 1824-25

At the beginning of the 19th century, many other painters jumped on the romantic bandwagon.

    

Carl Blechen: Forest Path with a View of a Church, 1835

From the mysterious, dark German forest, they step into the light.

     

Carl Blechen: Castle Sanssouci, 1832

I chose the painting to remind you of the second part of my Berlin 2025 trilogy.

We tried to step out of the Alte Gemäldegalerie at the front, but a window blocked the exit. Nevertheless, the view is breathtaking. Like Fredrick William IV on horseback, you see the Berlin Cathedral, and in the back, the entrance to the Humboldt Forum in the rebuilt City Palace.

**