Up
at 6:00 am -- exercised -- breakfast at 7:00 am -- Phil and I walked the path
along the river in Dessau, East Germany which is at the junction of the Elbe
and the Mulde Rivers. Dessau is known
mainly for the Walter Gropius Bauhaus Center of the mid 1920's.
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| Swans at Worlitz Gardens |
This
morning we are off to Worlitz (population: 3,000) to visit Worlitz Park with
its English Landscape Garden and Palace.
This Garden (built from 1764 to 1800) comprises 277 acres of landscaped greenery,
lakes, canals, islands, as well as bridges
and other structures which fit into the natural-looking habitat. This Garden was conceptualized by Prince
Leopold III Friedrich Franz of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817) -- otherwise known as
"Prince Franz". While
touring Europe in his early 20's Prince Franz fell in love with England and
decided to have a place near his home which would mimic the English
countryside. He continued throughout
his life to improve upon his original concept as new ideas came to him during
his travels.
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| Greg, Beth, Jack, Cora Lee on Gondola-- |
On a
trip to Italy the Prince was so enamored with Pompeii (re-discovered in 1748)
that he decided when returning to Worlitz that he would build his own Mt.
Vesuvius which he could make erupt at will to thrill his guests. He also purchased a column from the
recently re-discovered City of Pompeii for placement in his Garden --- long after his death the column was tested and
determined to be a fake. In the August 2012 edition of Smithsonian
Magazine the article, "That Time a
German Prince Built an Artificial Volcano", tells the story of how a chemistry
professor brought the German Mt. Vesuvius back to life in 2005.
After
touring the grounds of Worlitz Gardens -- we had a choice to make --- take a gondola
ride around the property or have a tour of the Palace including the secret
passage from the palace to the kitchen.
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| Carina and Pat in front of the Palace |
Phil
and I were the only two in our group to opt for the Palace tour -- so we had
our guide, Carina, to ourselves. It was
fabulous -- I could ask lots of questions -- we spent more time in some areas
and less in others -- we got to know Prince Franz a little better. He loved gadgets -- a pedestal that was also
an ice box, a system which pumped water from the basement to all parts of the
palace, a dumb waiter, a murphy bed,
furniture with lots of secret doors and compartments. Even moulding along the doorways held secret
hiding places. He had a library with
wallpaper depicting various authors and the shelves beneath the author's depiction
held that author's books. Prince Franz was a champion of the people -- local
craftsmen built his furniture for the library and the houses and other
structures in his garden. He reminded me
of Thomas Jefferson and his ingenuity. They
were born only three years apart.
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| Murphy Bed in the Ballroom |
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| Pat in the Library. |
By
11:45 am we are on our way back to the Clara Schumann with a slight detour to
go by the building which housed the Bauhaus School of Architecture and Design
in Dessau in the 1920's. The building
was restored in the 1970's and now is the home to the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation
which describes itself as a cultural lighthouse in the new German states. We also drove through a neighborhood with
three of the original Bauhaus residences.
The Bauhaus movement was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 in Weimar,
Germany -- moved to Dessau in 1925 --
moved to Berlin in 1932 -- and in 1933 closed by it's own leadership due to
pressure from the Nazi regime. A number
of Bauhaus architects emigrated to the United States and to Israel.
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| Carina and Pat in the Underground Passage |
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| A Bauhaus Home! |
What
do you know -- it's time for lunch with an afternoon at leisure. My afternoon is spent downloading and
labeling photos before I forget what they are.
We have lovely dinner and the entertainment is a "theatrical
medieval performance" as we prepare for tomorrow in Wittenberg, home to
Martin Luther.
Thanks
for Reading.
Pat
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| Sunset on the Elbe River! |
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