Friday 29 May 2020, so this morning the final phase of assembling the Lantern and then lifting all 18 tons of it to the top of the Palace dome. A large crowd could be seen across the Spree River in central Berlin and across the street ( South side) of the Palace in front of the former Council of State of East Germany. Some special guests also on the former podium of the Memorial monument (now gone) to Kaiser Wilhelm I. Amongst them 43 yr old H.I.H. Prince Georg Frederich of Prussia, who represents his Family the Hohenzollern Dynasty who ruled from 1400 to 1918.
The wind is an important factor in this operation, today it’s 22C and the wind is at 11Km so fairly low and safe. Here is a good picture of the giant crane on a flatbed truck which was brought in today around 6am. It will lift the lantern all the way to the top.
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The Lantern is made of copper, bronze and gold leaf.
Despite the delays all day, finally as the sun was setting on Berlin, the lantern was lifted up into the air and the bells of the Lutheran Cathedral on the North side of the Palace started to peel to mark the event.
The crazy re-building idea of Wilhelm Von Boddien started in 1995 and it is complete today. I am sure he was pleased today to see his dream come to fruition. Today for the first time since 1944 the palace is reborn and completes the urban idea for central Berlin of Frederick II of Prussia surrounded by all the other buildings built during his reign in the Baroque style.
The project of rebuilding the City Palace in Berlin is now coming to a close. Though a few days ago it was announced that there will be a delay to opening up the new museum because of Covid19 only 70% of workers are accessing the site at this time, social distancing etc. On the web cam you can see that all the workers outside are keeping a good distance from each other. Inside the building is pretty much completed what is missing now are the technical permissions from inspectors, sign off on all phases of this project and that is another delay. Given that this is a massive project and with many technical aspects, I am not surprised.
Here are photos of the completed dome minus the famous lantern on top which is coming in a few weeks to be installed by helicopter. I still want to see that and there will be a YouTube video about it for sure, not everyday you install a 16 ton lantern all the way up there.
Another fantastic project under way now, in Russia this time, is the completion of the renovations at the Alexander Palace in Tsarkoe Selo near St-Pertersburg.
The palace was the last residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family before their arrest and deportation to their place of execution. He and his family have been rehabilitated by the Russian authorities and deemed victims of Bolchevik terror in 1918. The restoration required an army of gifted artisans to recreate rooms from rumble. Though in that typical ghoulish aspect of Bolchevik thinking every object belonging to the Imperial family was saved and warehoused and archived.
I will put up some photos of that restoration, it is quite marvellous, so much hard work, the Palace is re-opening to visitors in 2022.
Berlin the copper clad dome of the City Palace free of its scaffolding.
This morning 13 May, view from the Crown Prince Palais. The blue ring inscription around the dome is a prayer to God, the dome area was a Lutheran Chapel.
A closer view from the Commandature Palace, housing Bertelsmann a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group. This company had the former palace of the Commandant of the guards re-built on Unter Den Linden avenue some 10 years ago.
View of the North Side of the City Palace from the Lust Garden. In this reconstruction of the Palace a restaurant has been added on the roof, it should have quite a nice view of the city. Looks like Spring has arrived in Berlin, the Linden trees are in leaf.
I did not know that you could lift with a giant helicopter some 16 tons. This is the weight of the Lantern to be installed on top of the dome, some 350 feet above ground, a delicate installation. Military grade helicopters can lift much more.
At the end of May this is what is schedule to happen, the lantern on the dome of the City Palace will be lifted up and delicately lowered and installed. The requirement is for a windless day, a certain stillness in the air so to speak. I am sure it will be quite the show to see this happen. It is also not clear how they will get the Lantern to the City Palace. The workshop is at some distance. Will they fly it over by helicopter to the site? Possibly.
Here is a photo in the workshop with the balustrade and one bronze angel assembled. The entire Lantern is over 35 feet in height. This photo does not give a correct appreciation of the size of this Lantern which will sit at the top of the dome.
You may recall that in an earlier post I mentioned that in rebuilding the City Palace in Berlin now known as the Humboldt Forum, it was important to involve the general public and reflect the historical past of Berlin from 1445. It was King Frederick Wilhelm IV (1795-1861) who was a very religious man, who had the dome designed along Christian iconography. It is in direct contrast with the other palace courtyard with Greek gods of antiquity designed earlier by architect/sculptor Andreas Schlüter (1664-1714) who worked for the Prince Elector Frederick I. In the case of the Schlüterhof all the statues will be installed later this Summer I believe there is 12 total, all newly sculpted to replace the original which were badly damaged in 1945 which are now installed in a gallery of the Humboldt Forum museum.
The little film below show above the main entrance portico of the Honour Courtyard four statues representing Christian Virtues, each 3 meter tall, reproductions in Sandstone from photos and drawings. Faith, Love, Prayer, Hope, Christian virtues King Frederick Wilhelm IV wanted represented. It was part of his very conservative mindset.
Here is a little film on their installation recently in German with English subtitles.
This short video shows the City Palace Berlin AKA Humboldt Forum opening in September 2020. It gives a good idea of the sheer size of the former Palace of the Kaiser in Berlin, now destined to be in its reborn modern form a museum to world culture.
More Sunshine and more Cooking for Easter this time. Now that we are in Easter Week we have to get ready and so I found this traditional Sweet German Braided Easter Bread recipe. It is a sweet bread with raisins, almonds, apricot jam topping. Every Easter we do a special sweet, in Italy there was this very traditional Patiera Napoletana. In Ottawa an Italian deli and pastry shop made those on special orders. It was soooooo Good! Pastiera napoletana is a type of Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs, ricotta cheese, and flavoured with orange flower water. You can make it at home if you want, but it is a lot of work.
So while making this sweet German braided bread I thought of the word Gemütlich
Gemütlichkeitmeans a situation that induces a cheerful mood, peace of mind, with connotation of belonging and social acceptance, coziness and unhurry. This is what our Easter will be. Frankly looking at the results of our work (Willy and I) today I am in a very good mood.
The sweet German bread is far bigger than what I expected I would say double size of a normal loaf. It looks great, smells wonderful as it cooks. It also took me 3 hours to make because of the steps to let the dough rise. It’s all fun. It is something we would usually buy in a bakery but with the current crisis that is not possible so making it at home is so much more pleasant and guarantees good taste and no funny cut corners. Mr Willy helped me along, I had never made this recipe before and he is our bread maker in the family.
If you wish to try this recipe, here it is:
Cuisine: German
Author: Angela Schofield
Ingredients
4cupsall-purpose flour
1tbsp.yeast
1tsp.salt
1/2cupsugar
1/4cupvegetable oil
1cupsour creamroom temperature
2/3cupluke warm milk
1tsp.lemon extract
2/3cupraisins
1cuphot water
Topping:
4tbsp.milk plus 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/3cupapricot jam
1/4cupsliced almonds
Instructions
Add the raisins into a small bowl and cover with hot water.
Measure the sour cream and set out to reach room temperature.
Add flour to a large bowl and form a well in the middle.
Add yeast and about 2 tsp. sugar to the well.
Warm the milk to luke warm and pour it into the well.
Stir gently while incorporating some flour.
Cover and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes.
Add the oil, the rest of the sugar, the sour cream, and the lemon extract to the bowl and knead for about 5 min.
Strain the raisins.
Then add the salt and the raisins and knead for another 5 min.
Cover and let rise in warm place for 60 minutes.
Add the dough to a floured working space and form to an oblong loaf. Cut lengthwise into 3 pieces and braid.
Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Mix the milk with the sugar and brush onto the loaf.
Preheat oven to 350ºF and bake for about 20-25 minutes
In the meantime, warm up the jam and spread onto the warm loaf.
Not to be outdone, Will made these Scottish Pasties filled with beef, carrots, onions and peas. Delicious!!!
Tomorrow I may make my upside down common pear cake, a recipe I got from Ms Lori in Imoden, Arkansas. I also want to go shopping before the crowds for our Easter Lunch. I got most everything but I simply do not want to go to the grocery crowds. We will also have to train both Nicky and Nora not to kill the Easter Bunny, hey they are Dachshunds and Nora is a tracking hunting dog with a long family pedigree in Italy. They cannot help themselves. Poor bunny would not stand a chance with their jaws of death. LOL!!!
Every day I peruse various German language sites to read and look at pictures of the reconstruction of the City Palace in Berlin now called the Humboldt Forum. One major element is missing and will be put into place in the next few weeks, that is the lantern on top of the dome of the palace.
The Palace was first started as a Residence in 1445 to house the Prince Elector of Brandenburg, then in 1701 Frederick I crowned himself King in Prussia (not of) to avoid antagonizing more powerful rulers and proclaimed his lands as the new Kingdom of Prussia. Then in 1870 Wilhelm I was proclaimed Emperor of Germany at the Palace of Versailles following his victory in the Franco-Prussian War, a war started by the machinations of Chancellor Bismarck which was supported secretly by Queen Victoria. His grandson Wilhelm II will as of 1890 remodel the palace and enlarge it into a grander palace. The Palace was used mostly as an Official Residence in Berlin, the ruler and the Hohenzollern family lived in Potsdam 28 Km from Berlin.
In November 1918 the Palace was attacked after the Kaiser abdicated and left in exile for for the Netherlands. In 1944-45 it was badly bombed and burnt and the Communist of East Germany demolished it in 1958 wanting to erase any trace of the former Kingdom of Prussia.
In 1999 Wilhelm Von Boddien a business man and culture buff suggested to friends that the palace should be rebuilt with public donations and government monies. One part of the site was occupied by the now defunct East German Parliament. He proposed to reclaim all the land once occupied by the City Palace and rebuild the palace as it was on the outside in the baroque style so it would match the rest of the neighbourhood and make of the palace inside a modern forum for world civilization along the ideas of german philosopher Humboldt and his brother. This project fitted into the new philosophy of the German Federal Republic of promoting the ideas of the age of Enlightenment.
The now demolished former GDR Parliament with the huge parking lot in front on the site occupied by the City Palace.
So in the Fall of 2020 the rebuilt palace will open to the public in its new vocation as a centre for world civilization and Berlin’s City Library, Conference Centre, University learning centre and restaurant. I wonder if they will invite HIH Prince Georg Frederich of Prussia who is head of the Hohenzollern Dynasty. Will have to wait and see.
Here are photos of the Lantern to be installed on the top of the dome this month.
The Lantern is made of Bronze and Copper, it cost 19 million Euros to rebuilt it, all from individual private donation. It is 25 feet in height, it has a religious symbolism to it because the dome use to house the Lutheran Chapel of the Palace. The dome itself was surrounded by statues of Old Testament Prophets. The angels support the crown which is palm leafs and the cross in bronze. Under the Monarchy, the Kaiser was also head of the Lutheran Church.
The inside of the dome Chapel in 1900, none of this will be recreated in the rebuilt palace. The use of this space is not clear at this time.
Inside the dome currently, it appears that it will remain this way, the room below the suspended ceiling can be used for exhibits.
The Bronze Lantern in pieces waiting to be assembled and installed on top of the dome.
The dome 37 metres in height itself covered in its new copper sheeting. Originally the German Federal Government was only willing to pay for a plain dome of metal sheeting. Again the public stepped in and enough donations were received to have copper with the Oeil de boeuf installed all around. In total so far the public around the world has given 125 million Euros for this reconstruction. The total cost of rebuilding the City Palace is 750 Million Euros. It is the largest construction project in Germany today.
The Western facade Portal III (main gate of the City palace)
The South facade of the City Palace across the street from the German Foreign Ministry.
I really want to return to Berlin to see this and other sites in the reborn city.
Today feels like Spring, the weather is mild and it is raining.
On one of our many visits in Germany at noon time Lutheran churches will have Music and Words, a theme for the day is presented and accompanied by music.
The churches are centuries old and very interesting architecturally and for their history.
We did this in Nuremberg a beautiful city with a great castle and churches. It is a relaxing way to spend a half hour at lunch time.
Trumpet Minuet – Alfred Hollins (1865-1942) December 27, 2019 Live recording concert St. Laurenskerk Rotterdam (the Netherlands) Marcussen-organ Organist: Gert van Hoef Assistant: Marjolein van Hoef and Jan de Rooij
This morning I was looking at the Camera feed from the rebuilt Berlin Palace known as the Humboldt Forum and on the top of the dome of the palace stood a man. The dome is about to be completed with a new copper roof and later a lantern will be topping it. This fellow was probably seen by a lot of people in central Berlin. He is probably one of the roofers who work up there. The only way to get there is by the top of the dome a trap door opens up at the summit. What a photo! It must have been very windy up there. It was 6 C today and partially cloudy.
This next photo is from the second courtyard of the Palace. Called the Portal IV of the Berlin Palace. The cartouche below the gold crown has the letters F.W. for Frederick Wilhelm, who was King of Prussia from 1786-1797 builder of the Brandenburg Gate.
As I have written previously I follow reconstruction projects in Europe of various gardens and palaces and churches mostly destroyed between 1939-1945. Army of artisans, fresco painters and stonemasons work on such projects for years to bring back to life beautiful buildings lost in the madness of war.
There are projects like la Chapelle Royale at Versailles which has been undergoing a complete reconstruction of its roof, no maintenance or work had been done since it was built in 1710. The design was presented to the king by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1699. It is fascinating to see the work done on the wood skeleton of the roof and on the slate tiles and decorative elements of the roof. The funding for such projects comes from the public, Friends associations and the Government.
Other projects one in London is the complete refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, plumbing, mechanical and electrical needs to be redone. This is paid for by the Queen and the Government. The Palace is largely used for ceremonial and representational purposes. For all intent and purposes the Queen lives at Windsor or on her Estate at Sandringham or Balmoral. Many family members live at Kensington Palace, the Heir Prince Charles lives on the Mall at Clarence House and others have apartments at St-James Palace. It should be remembered that the size of their living quarters depends entirely on the rank at Court, the larger the living quarters the more important you are. Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall have after the Queen the largest living quarters in London and several other homes across the UK.
Other projects I have been following for years are the refurbishment and reconstruction of the City Palace in Berlin (1445), The FrauenKirche (1726) in Dresden and the rebuilding of the historical centre of Dresden.
Potsdam city centre was destroyed in April 1945, 2 weeks before then end of the second World War. When I first saw Potsdam in 1998 the centre was still a field of ruins except for the Church of St-Nicholas which had been repaired by the Lutheran Church. A strange sight amongst empty fields in what was before 1944 a royal city. Potsdam is often called the secret capital of Germany. It was preferred by the rulers to Berlin, a Venice of the North with its beautiful Italianate buildings, parks and canals.
The City centre of Potsdam has been restored and so are the numerous palaces and parks. There is a sense of esthetics to recreate what was in the original.
Now in Potsdam the Garnison Kirche is being rebuilt.
The Garnison Church (full name: Court and Garnison Church Potsdam, German: Hof- und Garnisonkirche Potsdam) is a protestant Baroque church. It was a parish church of the Hohenzollern royal family until 1918. Originally built as a Calvinist church for Prussian monarchs, it became a United Protestant church with both Clavinist and Lutheran participation after the 1817.
The architect Philipp Gerlach was commissioned by king Friedrich Wilhelm I to build the church for members of the court and for the soldiers garrisoned in Potsdam. It was consecrated on August 17, 1732 and was soon well-attended by both the civilian and military communities. Friedrich Wilhelm I was buried at his request in the crypt of the church in 1740. In 1786 his son, Frederick the Great, was buried there, against his will. He is now buried at his palace of Sans Souci with his dogs as he wished.
Both Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon visited Frederick II’s grave. It was here that the first freely-elected Potsdam City Parliament met and the Lutheran and Reformed Churches celebrated their union. In 1933 Adolf Hitler used the church for his Day of Potsdam, and this is what caused the controversy to this day about this church.
The nave and bell tower were destroyed by fire during an air raid in the night from April 14 to April 15, 1945. Only the outside walls remained standing. In 1950 the Holy Cross Chapel was built within the cruciform walls of the bell tower. A new congregation met there for services until on a summer Sunday in 1968, the GDR head of state Walter Ulbricht and his Communist government ignored widespread protests and ordered the remaining walls left standing to be torn down. In its place in 1971 an ugly Computing Center was built, now derelict
Since 2004 the Garnisonkirche belongs to the International Community of the Cross of Nails (founded in Dresden, Germany in February 1991).
In 2004 a group of citizens formed the Promotion Committee for the Reconstruction of the Garnison Church, a non-profit organization. In June 2008 followed the Garnisonkirche Potsdam foundation. Both organizations work together for the reconstruction of the Garnison church not only as a parish church for its citizens but also as a reminder that future German-European cooperation is possible and essential. In 2013 the German National Committee for Cultural and Media Affairs named the Garnison church Potsdam an important cultural monument and offered 12 million Euro towards the funding of its reconstruction. Reconstruction work began in 2017 with the aim to complete the tower first.
Photo from the German Federal Archives, 1928 the stables behind the Garnison church. Partial view of the side wall of the Garnison Church. Today only the facade we see here of the Stables remains.
The tower and its musical carillon are now under construction. The tower once completed will be 89 meters high or 292 feet. In the background of this 18 century painting, you can see the Royal City Palace rebuilt recently and now housing the Parliament of Brandenburg province.
Currently the base of the tower is progressing rapidly. The building behind on the left known as the old computing building will be demolished. In the background the facade of the old Stables with its baroque architecture.
Artist rendition of the area with the park that once existed behind the church.
In a few years when the carillon at the top of the church tower in re-installed we will be able to hear this piece from the Magic Flute by Mozart which historically played in the old church.
Today I got my certificate for bartending from the PEI Liquor Control Commission. Why on Earth would I want to do that? Well I thought it would be a practical thing to have, I do not intend to work in a bar but at the Club if we should have a last minute emergency then I could help out. I got a 90% success rate on my exam. Because of my family hotel background I have worked in Hotels in Europe and North America while I was still in school. It was a good thing to learn and my work experience has stayed with me all these years. Doing the exam was easy, a lot of the concepts I understood and knew, so this is just another feather in my cap.
So I have been surfing the net for pictures of another topic I have been watching for more than 20 years. That is the reconstruction of the City of Berlin, both the East and West sector of what was once a divided city. There are several blogs both in German and in English on reconstruction in the German Capital.
It is interesting to read about the work of artists, stone masons, archivists, historians and politicians. Some very good photos are taken to show what is being done. Historical places are being re-born some 75 years after they were destroyed by war.
Many other cities in Germany have been through a re-birth since reunification in 1989. Dresden, Potsdam, Hamburg, Frankfurt, etc. In all cases armies of artisans are at work and the public not only in Germany but in the world give donations to help with the restoration efforts, the EU and the Federal Government of Germany are actively involved.
But while many historical buildings are being re-built, they are not returning to their old usage or made up to look like museums to life under the Hohenzollern Dynasty. In most cases the interior of such buildings are totally re-imagine to fit into our world today. The Humboldt Forum will be housed in the newly re-built Imperial City Palace, the outside is the original Baroque architecture but the landscaping around it will be reflecting a modern urban green landscape, recently Honey Locust Trees measuring 5 meters have planted on the North Side of the Palace. The inside is ultra-modern and will be a museum to World civilization. The Princesses Palais built in 1773 and destroyed in 1944 was rebuilt and is now called Palais Populaire. Again the outside is original Baroque reflecting the other building around it, but the inside will be presenting modern contemporary art. Many churches have also been rebuilt on the outside in the original style of the 18th century to reflect their history but the inside is modern to reflect what happened and what lesson to draw from destruction and war. Few in Germany today wish to celebrate either the Bismarck era or the two disastrous world wars. Germany today looks forward with a progressive view of itself. Along Unter Den Linden, a palatial avenue with the Fredericanus Forum, which is an ensemble of buildings on the avenue built at the time of the reign of Frederick II the Great, so every building has his imprint. The Zeughaus or Arsenal is a pinkish baroque building, now the German History Museum, the State Opera c.1742, recently renovated is also in that pink colour with baroque statues. Other palaces like the one occupied by Prince Henry, brother of Frederick II is the seat of the Humboldt University since 1810. So in many ways Berlin is not what people expect, it is a city of the Arts, music (techno is very popular) and Culture, parks, lakes and greenery.
So here goes:
The dome of the City Palace under completion, a little film about it explains that each sheet of copper some 1000 square meters of it must be hammered into place, it should be completed in about a month. Then the great lantern will be brought by helicopter to be installed on top, that should be quite the feat of engineering given its size. The same was done in Dresden for the lantern of the FrauenKirche at 80 meters above ground.
One of the honey locust trees being re-planted on the North Side of the reconstructed City Palace now called Humboldt Forum slated to open in October 2020. Trees did grow in that area prior to 1939.
Immediately across the street is the Lutheran Cathedral and the Lust Garten and 5 museums. One new museum has opened in the last few months, the James Simon Museum dedicated to the collection of James Simon (1851-1932) who was a great benefactor to the Berlin Museums through his lavish donations. The famous Nefertiti bust was a gift from James Simon and is on display in the gallery amongst many precious objects he donated. His family were Jewish entrepreneurs in cotton and textiles. He was also an advisor to Kaiser Wilhelm II on art and archeology.
Many of the works of reconstruction or new buildings are the work of non-german architects like David Chipperfield, Franco Stella or Norman Foster. They bring a new modern view and an international spirit, a goal the Federal Government of Germany is pursuing.
The James Simon Gallery in front of the Neues Museum rebuilt and re-interpreted by David Chipperfield. This international spirit also extends to museum directors like Neil MacGregor Director of the Humboldt Forum formerly of the British Museum. He has recently retired and replaced by Hartmut Dorgerloh formerly of the Prussian Palaces and Garden Foundation.
I really like Berlin for all that it has to offer and for its atmosphere, a very dynamic city.
Jerry and I get around. In 2011, we moved from the USA to Spain. We now live near Málaga. Jerry y yo nos movemos. En 2011, nos mudamos de EEUU a España. Ahora vivimos cerca de Málaga.
Tutto iniziò con Memorie di Adriano, sulle strade dell'Impero Romano tra foto, storia e racconti! It all began with Memoirs of Hadrian, on the roads of the Roman Empire among photos, history and stories!
Telling the stories of the history of the port of Charlottetown and the marine heritage of Northumberland Strait on Canada's East Coast. Winner of the Heritage Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and a Heritage Preservation Award from the City of Charlottetown
