Berlin City Palace tour

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Capital, City Palace, Germany, Hohenzollern

This past weekend in Berlin a special opening tour of the City Palace for curious Berliners. This project is nearing completion after 18 years of preparation and work. The former City Palace of the Kings of Prussia and Emperors of Germany was very badly damaged in 1944. After the war the old Palace was now in Communist East Berlin, like most of all the great buildings of the German Capital. The Communist leadership decided in the 1950’s to destroy what was left, despite the fact the could have restored it. Since there had been a palace on the site for 500 years, the population was not happy with this decision. For decades the area the size of 3 football fields was a parking lot and parade ground for East German troops.

After German re-unification in 1989, the idea of re-building the City Palace was put forward and the plan was approved by the Federal Government of Germany, the City of Berlin and the State of Brandenburg. The financing budgeted at 800 million Euros is shared amongst levels of government and the public donations of 105 million Euros to re-build the South, North and Western facade in the Baroque style of the 18th century. The Eastern facade is modern as will be the interior. The old rooms of the palace will not be re-built as they are now dedicated to show the collections of diverse cultures, there will be a restaurant on the roof, lecture halls, a library and concert hall.

By re-building the City Palace it completes the architectural ensemble of the heart of the City as envisioned by Frederick II of Prussia (1712-1786). Because they are Baroque facades on three sides, every element had to be carved by hand and in some cases gilded. The gilded balcony railings and many roof statues still have to be installed and the great dome and lantern need to be completed as is the landscaping.

The opening of the Humboldt Forum as the City Palace is now called is scheduled for Summer 2019. Situated next to the Lutheran Cathedral of Berlin and Imperial Mausoleum to the Hohenzollern Family and all the museums containing the wonderful collections, Unter den Linden avenue, and all the other palaces and university of the city is will certainly be a magnet.

 

Books I read lately

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America, books, Capital, Henry Laurens, Julie Flavell, London

Some years ago Will got a book entitled  ” When London was the Capital of America” by Julie Flavell. The book is the story of colonial America and though we forget it prior to 1776 London was the Imperial Capital of all British North America, it included the 13 original colonies and the territories south, after 1763 it also included all of Canada which had passed from French domination to British after the end of the Seven Year War and the Treaty of Paris.

Flavell debunks a lot of myths about America before 1776 and its white colonists. It was the practice for American colonists especially those with money to send their sons and daughters to London or Geneva for a proper education and to learn manners and etiquette and to become proper gentleman and ladies. This was very important for social status in the American colonies, you could not be considered educated if you did not have a British education. Geneva on the other hand provided a good Calvinist upbringing and had no vice like London.

American colonists in London lived in fashionable neighbourhoods in and around Temple Bar and Westminster and St-James Palace. Most of them were prosperous merchants and Plantation owners, arriving in London with their African slaves from Virginia and the Carolinas.

Those slaves who only knew of life on a plantation suddenly discovered that in London they had a great deal of liberty and that many white people were in fact living in horrible poverty and neglect. The only whites they had encountered in America had better lives than they did,  in London these African slaves lived and worked in genteel surroundings in great houses, they also saw that in England there was lots of white servants and they were equal to them. The African slaves invented the expression ” White trash” to speak of all those poor whites living on the streets of London. This is how their white masters saw all the poor below them socially.

African slaves who arrived regularly and in large numbers from America with their masters were dressed in elegant livery and since no slavery laws existed in England could go about society since their masters had little leverage over them in this foreign environment. London ladies found those Africans handsome and took them as lovers and even married them, which cause no end of distress and disgust among plantation owners visiting London with their families, in America the strict segregation of races was in force but not so in England.  Some Slaves being enterprising would set themselves up in business after leaving their American masters who were powerless to enforce rights they had in America. In fact the Londoners would look down on those American colonists for their treatment of slaves, it cause quite a lot of social friction.

The book also shows that there was no American archetype prior to 1776, the so called mythological American hero challenging England.  American colonists were in manners and speech just like the British in London, even Benjamin Franklin was very much trying to emulate Londoners and the English gentlemen. The American in London telling off the Londoners with speeches about democracy and freedom is nothing more than an elaborate myth.

The entire period from 1720 onward was also one of reform in England socially and politically, the issues were the same, the Westminster Parliament was controlled by the Aristocracy and the Court around the King. The British were no happier with this situation than the American colonists.  In England the Government of Lord North was very unpopular and in America the ham fisted response to events like the Boston Tea Party was seen as a provocation by the colonists. However when the revolution started in 1776 many American colonists simply packed their bags and left for England or Canada, thousands did so. Selling their property and moving,  the revolution was not embraced by all and it had little to do with Freedom and more with political reform which was coming in England. In America it was more a question of poor handling of a political situation and the arrogance of the Aristocracy thinking it could use the British army against colonists at will.

The book follows real people like the Henry Laurens family of South Carolina, wealthy plantation owners who spend a lot of time in England and in Geneva educating their children. This family will play a prominent role in the revolution and in the new republic. The author gives us through her research in family letters and journals a very clear picture of who they were and is also able to give us a portrait of the family slave Robert Scipio Laurens who will leave his master and make a new life for himself in England.  She also devotes chapters to others like John Laurens son of Henry who after brilliant education in London will die in one of the last battles of the American revolution in 1783. John Allen from Pennsylvania, Ralph Izard and many others also get their stories told, they all lived in the same area in London and knew each other well.

The book is a fascinating look at America and London as its capital and how society functioned something that is too often overlooked. I highly recommend this easy to read and well researched book.

 

Everything you ever wanted to know…

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Budget, Capital, homeless, poverty, security, taxes

You remember the title of this movie, Everything you ever wanted to know about Sex but were afraid to ask. Well today it was about the City of Ottawa budget. Oh my, I sat on the last public meeting with all the various groups who wished to make a presentation to the City Committee overseeing the final draft of the Budget 2016 before it goes for final vote at the City Council presided by our Jim, Mayor Watson.

I was there as Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee on Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sports. In the last mandate arts and culture was lumped with sports and recreation. Not a good idea in my humble opinion but there you have it. This year’s budget will see an increase in fees of all kinds for services by the city but only a 1.75% tax increase. The gamble of the Mayor is to say that on the one hand he is keeping his promise not to raise taxes above 2% and letting those who use services pay for them with a fee hike. However this has a huge impact on the poor and the middle-class. Inflation and aging infrastructure demands a minimum tax increase of 2.5% simply to avoid the looming deficit of $41 million dollars. There will be a lot of cuts to services to create efficiencies of $17 million dollars, but has Councillor Catherine McKenney said this is not possible and difficult to imagine. I agree with her, I have seen just lingo before and all that happens is creating a lot of misery all around for all concerned.

I arrived early this morning for the powerful and influential Committee meeting overseeing the budget, a good thing I did, it was standing room only. More than 35 groups made presentations, all of 5 minutes only to the Committee. I was there to ensure that the motion we had voted on was tabled and presented by the City Councillor who works with us. It was about extra funding for the Arts groups, a measly sum of $1.2 million dollars on top of what they get now and part of a renewed City wide art policy.

In Ottawa, sports dominate, football, hockey, soccer and baseball. The Sport fans are very vocal and politicians like them because it’s easy populist politics. The arts is a more difficult topic, certainly not populist and seen by the masses as elitist, a waste in other words. Sadly in Ottawa Education, the Arts, Culture is all seen as a waste of time and money. The City has real problems understanding how Arts and Culture promote tourism and benefits immensely the tax revenues of the City, creating jobs and entrepreneurship. Luckily because it is the Federal National Capital, the central government invests somewhat modestly and promotes those topics and fills the void.

What was interesting about the meeting this morning was the number of groups presents who represent the poor and the homeless, marginal groups, poor children, women shelters and Food banks, etc… Ottawa like many other Capitals has a huge poor and disenfranchised population, Washington DC has a similar problem. It seems that Capitals attract poverty. All of these groups were asking for more money to provide the essential services required by their clients. There have been lots of budget cuts in the last 5 years and we are now in a critical situation.  Ottawa has a enormous poverty problem, mental health and food security issues, none of it addressed adequately.

Working from time to time at the Soup Kitchen serving lunch time meals to the hundred of homeless men and women is an eye opener.

The current budget may not be able to provide for all the demands made, but all presenters supported tax increases instead of Fee increases, simply a fee increase like those on bus fare is unsustainable for them. Ottawa will have the highest bus fare in all of Canada in 2016. Will the City Council rebel against the idea of the Mayor, will taxes be increased to meet inflation needs? We shall find out on 9 December.