Nancy

On the second day of the Museumsreise 2026, our group explored Nancy, Lorraine's capital.

  

The first stop was the Musée d'École in the Villa Majorelle. Its interior was crammed with Art Nouveau furniture, paintings, and other objects.

Portrait de M. et Mme Corbin by Victor Prouvé painted in 1906

This eyecatcher is an example of the Nancy School. The painting depicts the wealthy class, with a newspaper-reading husband and Madame striking a pose. The background is filled with decorative glass art, an Art Nüoveau rose window. 

An Art Nouveau vestibule

Marcel Corrette: Le goûter sur la terrasse 1938

And here are Mr. and Mrs. Corbin again, shortly before World War II, having a snack on the terrace.

Rich people lived in style and sat on a canapé whose back was decorated with a hard-working Lorraine miner.

Victor Prouvé: Portrait des Demoiselles Moulins, 1903

And again, Victor Prouvé: He painted the granddaughters of the orchestra director at the Nancy Opera, all of whom, of course, play the piano.

Then we went up a flight of stairs to the first floor, where we met ...

 

... a cluttered bedroom ...

... a bathing paradise (?) ...

... and a contemporary stained-glass window.

It was hot, and those saturated with Art Nouveau gathered in the shade in front of the museum before the scheduled departure time. Our bus took us next downtown to Square Stanislas.

 

We had to walk a few meters and passed the Prefecture of the Department of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

And there it was in all its splendor, Square Stanislas. For its history, you may wish to consult the information (in German) that Professor Asch sent to the participants as an email attachment before the excursion.

To Stanislas, the Benefactor, from a Grateful Lorraine, 1831

In the background, the rather grand city hall.

The corners of the square are richly decorated with golden arches and fountains.

In the distance, a slender, pointed, tall church tower could be seen. I left Square Stanislas, walking down along a street lined with magnificent buildings and through a triumphal arch, heading in the direction.

Saint Épvre (©Krzysztof Golik/Wikipedia)

Suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a Neo-Gothic church. Built in the 19th century, the cathedral is dedicated to Saint Épvre and is a landmark of Nancy.

Épvre comes from the Latin aper, which literally means "boar." Saint Épvre was a bishop of Toul in the 5th century. He is regarded as a particularly compassionate pastor and is said to have been especially dedicated to helping the poor and the sick.

Unusual depiction of the Holy Trinity in the Typanon of St. Épvre

After lunch, the Museum of Fine Arts, located on Square Stanislas, was the penultimate stop on our excursion. I took many photos, and while looking through them, I realized that I could use them to illustrate the story of salvation. Here we go:

Frans II Pourbus (1569-1622): Annonciation, 1619

Anonyme flamand XVIe siècle: Adoration des bergers

Gerard Seghers (1591-1651): Le Christ après la Flagellation, 1525.

With the pillar of scourging in the background, Jesus bends down to pick up his clothes.

Giampietrino (1508-1549): Christ au roseau

As King of the Jews, Jesus wears a crown of thorns and a reed. Is he contemplating a second Gethsemane: "Father, must this be?"

Scene of crucifixion in St. Épvre

Wilhelm Stetter (1487-1552): Apparition du Christ à Marie-Madeleine, 1523

The risen, triumphant Christ.

Luca Giordano (1634-1705): Conversion de Saint Paul, 1685

The spread of Christianity began with Saul's conversion near Damascus.

Here are some other painting highlights.

Paolo Girolamo Piola (1666-1724): Susanne et les veillards, 1700.

Lecherous old men are much older than in the Old Testament, but here, two of them try to seduce Susanna in the bath. 

Georges de La Tour (1593-1652): La femme à la puce, 1638

Here, you are possibly wrong. The girl isn't unbuttoning her bodice; she's crushing a flea between her thumbnails.

Lorraine clearly is the "missing link" between Charles' territories in Flanders and Burgundy.

Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was nicknamed "The Turk of the East" because of his drive for territorial expansion. In his quest, Charles fought three decisive battles (Read more in German).

On March 2, 1476, at the Battle of Grandson against the Swiss Confederates, he lost his (Hut) hat.

On June 22 of the same year, at Morat against the allied Swiss, Lorraine, and Further Austrian troops, he lost his (Gut) estate.

The following year, the duke, in a final desperate effort, staked everything on a single gamble. On January 5, 1477, in the Battle of Nancy against the allied forces, he lost his (Blut) blood and with it all his possessions.

Auguste Feyen-Perrin (1826-1888): Charles le Téméraire, 1865

The duke was found naked on the battlefield. Why hadn't the looters also taken the ring from him - the one that a servant is holding out to the approaching victors as a sign of identification?

The church rises majestically above the village

Our last stop was the basilica, St. Nicolas in St. Nicolas de Port.

St. Nicolas' altar

As early as 1093, the first church was built to house a finger from Saint Nicolas' blessing hand, which the crusader Aubert de Varangéville had brought from Bari in 1090. Due to the large influx of pilgrims, a second, larger church was built beginning in 1193. It is said that Joan of Arc prayed there in 1429 before she saved France.

A breathtaking view toward the high altar

The present-day late-Gothic basilica was built starting in 1481 on behalf of the Duke of Lorraine, René II, and consecrated in 1560. It is said that the duke was thereby fulfilling a vow he had made in prayer in 1477, should he defeat the enemy Burgundians - which he did with the help of his friends in the battle of Nancy.

Only a glance at the floor plan reveals that the church building has a slight bend. According to ChatGPT, the most likely explanation for the bend is a combination of structural factors and the lengthy construction period. The interpretation of it as a symbol of Christ's bowed head is widespread and theologically appealing, but there is no historical evidence to support this interpretation for this basilica.

Storks perched on a distant corner of a roof clattered their "Que Dieu vous protège."

 Thank you, organizers, for this remarkable excursion.

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Strasbourg

This year's Museumsreise was a successful excursion to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, followed by a visit to Nancy, the capital of Lorraine. 

Special thanks go to Prof. Ronald Asch and Dr. Karl Schäfer for the well-prepared program.

Our group arrived at the Rotunda of the European Parliament, and before Red Baron could take a photo, they were off to the discussion with Engin Eroglu, an MEP* of the Freie Wähler party associated with the Renew Europe Group. Eroglu is a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament.

*Member of the European Parliament   

MEP Eroglu answered our questions at length

In the field of trade and foreign policy, Engin Eroglu was nominated as one of the 5 most influential members of the European Parliament in the Influence Index 2021.

Blue-eyed Red Baron took a "forbidden" photo of the debate
and was gently reprimanded by a charming female guard

We were then escorted into the plenary chamber, where 720 Members of the European Parliament discussed Urgent measures to strengthen competitiveness and secure high-quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector. 

This is an issue that particularly concerns Germany’s declining car industry. Each MEP was limited to one minute of speaking time. Note the countdown on the screen, turning from green to red after 60 seconds.

The subject of the debate was of rather secondary importance. The crowning achievement of any parliament is the passage of the budget.

         

On our way out, we crossed the impressive inner courtyard once more.

A view back at the parliament building through transparent walls.

Some of the group had lunch on their way downtown, with the cathedral's spire guiding the way. Time was short. 

For more, here is a link to a trip to Strasbourg in 2023, especially devoted to the Minster church. Therefore, I present only two impressive photos in this blog.

 

The world-famous rose window on the rear facade and a modern depiction of Mary, the cathedral’s patron saint, in the apse.

          

There were two observations on our way back to the bus.

The Italian tagliatelle become French tagliatélles, and the German Knackwurst becomes Alsatian knak. All is served à la crème for just 10.90 euros. Enjoy your meal!!

La gloire de France hangs over Rue d'Austerlitz.

Stay tuned for a more extensive blog about Nancy.

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Ship of Fools

Fools looking backward populate a ship without sails or a rudder. 

Sebastian Brant, Professor beider Rechte (canon and civil law) at Basel University, wrote the book titled Daß Narrenschyff ad Narragoniam in 1494, on the eve of the Reformation.

 

In his lecture 'The fool as a guide to the right way of life', Professor Nikolaus Henkel gave examples of pages from Brant's book. He started with the first one, alluding to a Büchernarr (sic! a fool obsessed with books), which lamely translates into English as 'bibliomaniac'.

The title of the page 'Of Useless Books' fits Red Baron well.

I walk ahead in the dance of fools, For I see many books around me, Which I neither read nor understand.           Of Useless Books That I sit at the front of the ship, That truly has a special purpose. This is not without reason: I always rely on books, I have a great treasure trove of books, Even if I rarely understand a word, I still hold them in high esteem: I am happy to ward the flies off them. When people talk about the sciences, I say: "I have them at home!" For it is enough for me to be surrounded by books. ... Since I know little Latin. I know that vinum means "wine," Gucklus a fool, And that I am called "domine doctor!" My ears are hidden, Otherwise, one would soon see the miller's animal.

Im Narrentanz voran ich gehe, Da ich viel Bücher um mich sehe, Die ich nicht lese und verstehe.         Von unnützen Büchern Daß ich im Schiffe vornan sitz, Das hat fürwahr besondern Witz. Nicht ohne Ursache ist das: Auf Bücher ich mich stets verlaß, Von Büchern hab ich großen Hort, Versteh ich selten auch ein Wort, So halt ich sie doch hoch in Ehren: Will ihnen gern die Fliegen wehren. Wo man von Wissenschaften reden tut, Sprech ich: »Daheim hab ich sie gut!« Denn es genügt schon meinem Sinn, Wenn ich umringt von Büchern bin. ... Dieweil ich wenig kann Latein. Ich weiß, daß vinum heißet »Wein«, Gucklus ein Gauch, Und daß ich heiß': »domine doctor!« Die Ohren sind verborgen mir, Sonst sah man bald des Müllers Tier.

The other example Professor Henkel showed concerns Procrastination, an art we are all familiar with, and Red Baron in particular with apartment keeping.

Whoever sings "cras, cras*" like a raven Will remain a fool until the grave; Tomorrow he will have an even bigger cap. *lat. tomorrow      On Seeking Procrastination He is a fool whom God commands To mend his ways today And renounce his sins, To embrace a better life, And who cannot mend his ways right away, No, he sets himself a deadline for the next day And sings "cras, cras!" like the raven, Not knowing if he will live that long. Many fools have been lost, Who always sang, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" As for sin and folly, People rush to them as soon as possible. As for God and doing what is right, That creeps up slowly now, People always seek to postpone it. "Tomorrow is better to confess than today! We'll learn to do right tomorrow!" So says many a lost son... That same tomorrow never comes, It flees and melts like snow; Only when the soul cannot remain, Then tomorrow dawns, Then the body is oppressed by pain, So that it does not think of the soul. So also in the desert perished Many Jews*, not a single one Was to reach that land Which God promised with a gentle hand. Those who are not capable of repentance today Will have even more to suffer tomorrow. Those whom God's voice calls today Do not know whether it will call them tomorrow. Therefore, many thousands are now lost. Who swore to better themselves tomorrow! *4. Moses 14:22 f

Wer singt »cras, cras*« gleichwie ein Rab. Der bleibt ein Narr bis hin zum Grab. Hat morgen eine noch größere Kapp. *lat. morgen        Vom Aufschubsuchen Der ist ein Narr, dem Gott gebeut, Daß er sich bessern soll noch heut Und soll von seinen Sünden lassen, Ein besser Leben anzufassen, Und der nicht gleich sich bessern mag, Nein, Frist sich setzt zum andern Tag Und singt »cras, cras!« des Raben Sang, Und weiß nicht, ob er lebt so lang. Viel Narren sind verlorngegangen, Die allzeit: »Morgen! Morgen!« sangen. Was Sünd und Narrheit sonst angeht, Da eilt man zu so früh wie spät; Was Gott betrifft und Rechtes tun, Das schleicht gar langsam näher nun, Dem suchen Aufschub stets die Leute. »Morgen ist besser beichten denn heute! Wir lernen Rechttun morgen schon!« So spricht gar mancher verlorener Sohn. Derselbe Morgen kommt nimmer je, Er flieht und schmilzt gleichwie der Schnee; Erst wenn die Seel nicht bleiben kann, Dann bricht der morgige Tag heran, Dann wird von Schmerz der Leib bedrängt, Daß er nicht an die Seele denkt. So sind auch in der Wüste vergangen Der Juden viel*; es sollte gelangen Kein einziger in jenes Land, Das Gott verhieß mit milder Hand*. Wer heut nicht fähig zur Reue ist, Hat morgen noch mehr, was ihm gebrist. Wen heute beruft die Gottesstimm, Weiß nicht, ob sie ruft morgen ihm, Drum sind viel Tausend jetzt verloren, Die morgen sich zu bessern schworen! *4. Moses 14, 22 f.

In view of my advanced age, I added the following page.

I'm already standing close to the pit, The executioner's knife is stabbing me in the ass*, But I won't give up my foolishness!          About Old Fools Foolishness won't let me be old; I am very old, but completely unwise, A wicked child of a hundred* years, Show the bells to the inexperienced, I give the children a command And make myself a will, Which I will regret after my death. With bad examples and knowledge I drive what my youth learned. That my wickedness may reap honor, I wish and boast boldly of shame, How I have ruined all the lands and made much water murky; I always practice evil, I am sorry that I can no longer accomplish it as before. But what I can no longer do Should remain recommended to my Heinz. *A modern description of being close to the end is "having one foot in the grave."

Schon steh ich an der Grube dicht, Im Arsch das Schindermesser* sticht Doch meine Narrheit laß ich nicht!            Von alten Narren Die Narrheit läßt mich nicht sein greis; Ich bin sehr alt, doch ganz unweis, Ein böses Kind von hundert Jahren, Zeig dem die Schellen, der unerfahren, Den Kindern geb ich Regiment Und mach mir selbst ein Testament, Das wird nach meinem Tod mir leid. Mit schlechtem Beispiel und Bescheid Treib ich, was meine Jugend lernte; Daß meine Schlechtigkeit Ehre ernte, Wünsch ich und rühm mich dreist der Schande, Wie ich beschissen alle Lande Und hab gemacht viel Wasser trübe; Im Schlechten ich mich allzeit übe, Es tut mir leid, daß ichs nicht mehr Vollbringen kann so wie vorher. Doch was ich jetzt nicht mehr kann treiben, Soll meinem Heinz empfohlen bleiben; *Eine moderne Beschreibung der Todesnähe ist "mit einem Fuß im Grabe stehen".

Well, there are two corrections to the text: I am not 100 but only 90 years old, and my son, named Andreas, passed away and won't inherit anything.

Professor Henkel ended his lecture paying homage to a colleague and friend who died in 2009. Manfred Lemmer was Professor of German literature at the University of Halle in the former GDR.

Manfred Lemmer at the Basler Fasnet 1995.
Chancellor Helmut Kohl holds a copy of the Narrenschiff edition
published by Professor Lemmer in his hands.

Lemmer was a specialist on "Das Narrenschiff" and published an edition altering the woodcut on the title page.

The ship of fools sails under the flag of the GDR. The motto of the GDR was "Forward forever, backward never," although the most backward-looking figure is Erich Mielke, head of the Stasi. Next looking to him stands Justicia*. Both have their nakedness uncovered.

*Red Baron recognized the female figure as Red Hilda, the notorious Minister of Justice Hilde Benjamin. Professor Henkel disagreed.

In the front left, a People's Police officer is beating a citizen. And in the crowd is bald Johannes R. Becher, Minister of Culture, womanizer, poet, and author of the GDR national anthem: Auferstanden aus Ruinen (Risen from the Ruins). He is groping a female comrade's breasts.

The present world is full of fools at the helm of Government ships. I found a cartoon that takes an iconic painting as its model: King Trump crosses the Delaware River with his Administration, while J. D. Vance drowns Miss Liberty.

Here is a black and white photo of the original painting:

As a strong supporter of Europe's Revolutions of 1848, Emanuel Leutze painted at Düsseldorf in 1849 the Übergang Washingtons über den Delaware, hoping to encourage Europe's liberal reformers with the example of the American Revolution. This first version at the Kunsthalle Bremen was destroyed by fire on September 5, 1942, following a bombing raid.

Is the allegory well chosen? I learned that Washington's crossing was the moment when, by duping the British troops, the American Revolution sailed from near-death to survival. Well, the Trump boat is a Narrenschiff.

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