Labhards
SightgeiSt the Saxony Magazine A MusicAl Genius froM sAxony The BATTle of The nATions A PlAce for The soul The BeAuTy of Precision
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sTories
No. 6 5,– E
Leipzig/Halle Airport Your fastest way to the most spectacular sights of the region
only 10 minutes to the cities of Leipzig and Halle
less than one hour to unique places of German history
Unforgettable Masterpieces The sixth edition of SIGHTGEIST celebrates the anniversary of a monumental event: The Battle of Waterloo was just a skirmish compared with the Battle of the Nations, also known as the Battle of Leipzig. In October 1813, more than half a million soldiers met outside the gates of the city to fight the largest military conflict in world history, and Napoleon Bonaparte`s army was decisively defeated by Russian, Prussian, Austrian and Swedish forces. Exactly 100 years later, Europe`s largest accessible monument was erected close to Napoleon`s command post. It has now been restored to its former glory on the occasion of this double anniversary. But Leipzig has another reason to celebrate: The city`s greatest son was also born 200 years ago. Richard Wagner, a lousy student at St. Nicholas and St. Thomas schools in Leipzig, quickly rose to fame when he lived and worked in Dresden, where he was made Saxon Royal Court Conductor for life. His tenure was cut short, however, when he took part in the unsuccessful bourgeois revolution of 1849 and had to flee from Saxony. During his time here, however, he succeeded in creating unforgettable masterpieces for which he wrote both the music and the lyrics. In Wagner`s lifetime, Saxony had become Germany`s leading industrial region. While the industrial revolution is often associated with dirty factories and poor living conditions, you might want to check out Villa Esche in Chemnitz, an industrialist`s home and a masterpiece by the architect Henry van de Velde, who would have celebrated his 150th birthday this year. The entrepreneurial spirit is still alive, as two stories about innovative products and technologies from Saxony in this magazine prove: Solar foils from Dresden and lightweight outdoor fabrics from Görlitz. The famous watch-making industry in the small Saxon town of Glashütte would not exist without the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments. What sounds like a nightmare to those who detested these subjects in school is in fact one of the best collections of technical instruments and clocks in the world, collected not only for their function but also for their beauty. At last, the vastly improved exhibition in Dresden`s Zwinger has been re-opened to the public following long and major expansion and renovation work. Enjoy the read.
Hans-Jürgen Goller Editorial Director SIGHTGEIST 3
06
Kaleidoscope
Contents 03
Editorial
06 Kaleidoscope News and Events
12
A Musical Genius from Saxony The Life and Times of Richard Wagner
26
The Battle of the Nations Napoleon`s Real Waterloo
42
How to Cuddle with a Yeti Cosy in Sub-Zero Temperatures
52
A Place for the Soul East Meets West in Upper Lusatia
12
64 Master of Words and Music
The Beauty of Precision Technical Wonders from Past Centuries
70
An Exclusive Drinking Experience A Historic Brewery Offers More Than Just Beer
82
Imitating Nature A Window to the Future
92
A Mover and Shaker Revolutionary Modern Ballet
102
Design for Life The Beautiful Face of Industrialisation
112
Cultural Highlights Festival Calendar 2013/2014
122
26
4 SIGHTGEIST A Double Anniversary
Imprint
42
52
70
Lightweight Comfort from Saxony
A Special Brew
92
King of Dance
102
Fusion Architecture
Van-tastic Design
“Reasons to celebrate”
64
Scientists` Heaven
82
Power Surface
112
Saxony on Stage
SIGHTGEIST 5
K a l ei d o s c o p e
The myth of Baroque Dresden in a 360° panorama The myth of the Baroque royal seat of Dresden is shown in a completely new light at the asisi Panometer in Dresden – from the longawaited arrival from Italy of Raphael’s famous painting of the “Sistine Madonna” in 1754, to scenes with historic personalities such as Tsar Peter I, Johann Sebastian Bach, Countess Cosel, goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger, porcelain inventor Johann Friedrich Böttger or Casanova, right up to long-forgotten scenes of everyday life with wooden towers and washerwomen on the river Elbe, litter bearers in the streets or buffoons in the city’s squares. In his new 360° panorama, the artist Yadegar Asisi, for whom the Panometer is named, has condensed the period from around 1695 to 1760 in an artistic snapshot of Baroque Dresden. In a blaze of pink, blue, black and gold, an accompanying exhibition presents prints, lithographs, drawings and sketches, an original ivory flea trap and a gold-plated plaster bust of Augustus the Strong made especially for the exhibition. www.asisi.de
New Giants´ Hall opens in Dresden´s Royal Palace Dresden’s Royal Palace, once the residence of the electors and kings of Saxony, gained a new attraction at the beginning of 2013. After the New and Historic Green Vaults (Grüne Gewölbe), the Treasury of August the Strong (Schatzkammer) and the Turkish Chamber (Türckischen Cammer), the Giants´ Hall (Riesensaal) has now been reopened, 280 years after its “demise”. Magnificently renovated, the hall provides a setting for some 400 exhibits from the Armoury (Rüstkammer), one of the most important collections of ceremonial weapons, armour and costumes in the world. The display includes a selection of the most important suits of armour and weapons from the late 15th to 17th century. www.skd.museum
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K a l ei d o s c o p e
GÖRLIWOOD Görlitz is becoming increasingly popular with Hollywood directors. Quentin Tarantino, Kate Winslet and Adrien Brody have already made movies here. Currently, GÖRLIWOOD is providing the setting for the film “The Grand Budapest Hotel” that will be shown in cinemas in 2014. American director Wes Anderson has brought a plethora of star actors to Saxony for his film, including Jude Law, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Owen Wilson. The former Hertie department store in Görlitz has been used for a number of scenes. The impressive Art Nouveau building was closed in 2009 and has been partly converted for the film. Görlitz on the river Neisse on the border to Poland has been a setting for major film productions in the past, such as “The Reader” with Kate Winslet, “Around the World in 80 Days” with Jackie Chan, or “Inglourious Basterds” with Brad Pitt. www.goerlitz.de
20 years of Moritzburg Festival Moritzburg Festival, one of the best-known international chamber music festivals, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013. From 10 to 25 August 2013, the internationally acclaimed cellist and Artistic Director of Moritzburg Festival, Jan Vogler, has invited more than 25 classical musicians such as Nicola Benedetti, Midori, Nils Mönkemeyer, Alice Sara Ott, Kristian Bezuidenhout and Juliane Banse to perform. Concerts will be held in Baroque Moritzburg Castle, Moritzburg church and various venues in Dresden, among others, and promise to be unique events. The festival was established in 1993 by Jan Vogler together with Kai Vogler and Peter Bruns based on the famous Marlboro Festivals in the USA. www.moritzburgfestival.de
SIGHTGEIST 7
K a l ei d o s c o p e
WorldSkills – The quest for the best This is where world champions are made. At WorldSkills Leipzig 2013, the best skilled workers from all over the world compete for the title of world champion. The WorldSkills competition, which is held every other year, is open to competitors up to 22 years of age, and is hosted by a different country each time. Following Canada in 2009 and Great Britain in 2011, it is now Germany’s turn. The exciting contests make learning a skill fun, whether in traditional trades or new disciplines, as a cook, a mechatronics expert, or a web designer. This gigantic event is a rendezvous for international specialists from the areas of vocational education, industry and politics. They all share the aspiration to continue improving standards in vocational education. WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 takes place from 2 to 7 July at Leipzig trade fair. More than 1,000 participants from all over the world will compete in the 42nd championship for the title of world champion in 45 official disciplines. Around 200,000 visitors are expected to attend the competition, which is embedded in a comprehensive international conference programme covering all aspects of vocational education. www.worldskillsleipzig2013.com
Nine websites, one destination:
Saxony
The tourism highlights of Saxony are now presented on nine websites in different languages especially targeted at different markets. On the German speaking website www.sachsentourismus.devisitors can click English, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Polish and Czech language versions. In addition there is a special version for India in the English language. The website www.saxonytourism.comhas already served internet users in the United States of America and Canada for a number of years. www.sachsen-tourismus.de, www.visitsaxony.com, www.saxonytourism.com, www.sassoniaturismo.it, www.saksen.info, www.go2saxony.ru, www.saxony.in
8 SIGHTGEIST
K a l ei d o s c o p e
Where world history was made The small village of Wermsdorf near Leipzig made world history in 1763: It was here that Austria, Prussia and Saxony negotiated the Peace Treaty of Hubertusburg, ending the Seven Years’ War that had been waged on several continents. The peace treaty was negotiated at Hubertusburg Castle, which gave the treaty its name. The castle is considered to be one of the most important 18th century palaces in Germany and was the second residence of Augustus III after Dresden. To mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty, a special exhibition by Dresden State Art Collections under the title “The Royal Hunting Palace of Schloss Hubertusburg and the Peace Treaty of 1763” will be held on the main floor of the former hunting palace until 5 October. Costly furniture, paintings, porcelain wares and musical instruments show the exuberance of an era that was to come to an abrupt end with the Seven Years’ War. www.skd.museum/hubertusburg.de
Stoneman MTB trail A Stoneman mountain bike trail opening soon in the Ore Mountains will make Saxony the second European region after South Tyrol to offer recreational athletes a trail of this standard. The route takes cyclists 160 kilometres through parts of the Saxon and Bohemian Ore Mountains, covering a difference in altitude of 4,287 metres in three days. That is exactly 30 tough metres in altitude more than the trail in Alta Pusteria in South Tyrol. What makes this route so special is the gentler nature of the Central German Uplands with extensive forests, and the fact that it crosses the border to the Czech Republic, making it a real alternative to the Alps. www.tourismus-erzgebirge.de
SIGHTGEIST 9
K a l ei d o s c o p e
Experience musical instrument making with
Musicon Valley
For the first time, the Musicon Valley association and the Vogtland Tourist Board are offering exclusive tours through the world of musical instrument making in Vogtland. The region is the cradle of instrument making in Germany: For more than 300 years, all kinds of orchestral instruments have been produced with superior craftsmanship in the towns of Markneukirchen, Klingenthal and SchĂśneck in the “music cornerâ€? of Vogtland. The special tours are a completely new concept allowing musical societies, orchestras and ensembles to meet instrument makers face-to-face and learn about instrument making. Special packages are available on different themes. Accordion players can take a look behind the scenes at the oldest accordion factory in the world, Harmona Akkordeon GmbH Klingenthal. The tour for brass ensembles includes a visit to B&S GmbH, a leading manufacturer of brass instruments. And lovers of rock music can see how Warwick guitars, basses and amplifiers are made. All in all, more than 30 instrument makers have contributed to the programme.
10 SIGHTGEIST
K a l ei d o s c o p e
Markneukirchen music school has created an authentic historic violin maker’s workshop with room for 60 participants. The tours are attracting considerable interest: From 2 to 7 September 2013, for example, Framus & Warwick, a company that makes electric basses, has joined up with the magazine Gitarre & Bass to host an international bass camp for players of all ages and levels with world-renowned artists, workshops and events. As a special feature of the tours, music societies and ensembles are given the opportunity to perform with the renowned Chursächsische Philharmonic orchestra in the spa town of Bad Elster. This year, the world-famous Stanford University Symphony Orchestra from Palo Alto (USA) will stop off during its European tour “In Beethoven’s Footsteps” to perform at the Beethoven Gala on 23 June 2013 in King Albert Theatre in Bad Elster. The musicians will also get a chance to visit the world of musical instrument making in Vogtland, including the musical instrument museum and various workshops. www.erlebniswelt-musikinstrumentenbau.de
SIGHTGEIST 11
A Musical Genius
from Saxony The Life and Times of Richard Wagner
An exceptionally gifted composer, a rebellious spirit, a ladies’ man, for many a muddled mind. Richard Wagner is one of the most fascinating yet controversial figures the art and cultural scene has ever produced. In 2013, Saxony celebrates the 200th birthday of its prodigal son, who came from a poor family, taught himself composition and finally realized his life’s dream of a festival theatre to showcase his own work.
Interior view of the concert hall of the Wagner Museum in Pirna-Graupa
Scene from a performance of “Tannhäuser” at Chemnitz town theatre (2009)
Every year from the end of July to the end of August, the Bayreuth Festival draws thousands of fans of Richard Wagner’s music to the Festival Theater on the Green Hill in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth (above left, a break during the performance).
Every year in July, prominent politicians, business dignitaries and
celebrities gather on Green Hill in Bayreuth, accompanied by considerable media interest, to attend the premiere of the Richard Wagner Festival. Less influential lovers of his music accept having to wait five to six years to buy one of the coveted tickets for a performance. Wagner’s original wish that admission to the festival should be free is fulfilled to a certain extent by Wagner Societies around the world: Every year, they award 250 scholarships to music students to spend eight days in Bayreuth, where they learn about the composer’s ideas and get the chance to attend three performances. When, a year before his death, Richard Wagner outlined his idea
the opera “Fidelio” when he was 15 years old, cemented his
of setting up a scholarship foundation, he looked back on a life of
resolve to become a musician. He neglected his schooling, in-
highs, but above all lows, with years of deprivation and debt that
stead secretly taking lessons in harmony and borrowing books
forced him on several occasions to flee his creditors. His ideal of
to teach himself composition. The fees incurred for using this
a musician, who lives only for his art, regardless of his income, for
literature threw the promising composer into the first debt cri-
the purpose of reforming mankind through music, was based on
sis of his life.
his life’s experience.
Fortunately for his many fans around the world and admirers
From early childhood, Wagner had known financial hardship.
of his work from “The Flying Dutchman” to “The Ring of the
His father died just a few months after Richard’s birth in Leip-
Nibelung,” young Richard Wagner did not let himself be de-
zig on 22 May 1813, and his step-father, who took care of Wag-
terred from pursuing his vocation. He wrote his first piano so-
ner’s mother and her eight children, also passed away while
natas, arias, songs and overtures and completed his tuition with
Wagner was still young. In Leipzig, home to many musicians
the cantor of St. Thomas, Christian Theodor Weinlig, who
and publishers, young Wagner came into contact with art at
announced after just six months that the young musician had
an early age. He listened to Beethoven’s music in the Gewand-
completed his education and was now fully qualified. “Richard
haus concert hall, saw his sisters perform at the town theatre
Wagner was a self-made musician,” says Thomas Krakow, chair-
and visited artists. Wagner’s infatuation with the soprano Wil-
man of the Richard Wagner Society in Leipzig. “Although he
helmine Schröder-Devrient, who he saw in a performance of
only spent part of his childhood and youth in Leipzig, the town had an unbelievable influence on him. He embraced the mentality of this bustling industrial town. He was exuberant, ebullient, always on the move, always looking to achieve something. There is a lovely Saxon word to describe just that: “fischelant,” characterising someone who is smart, can stick things out, who always gets back on his feet to reach his goals.”
SIGHTGEIST 19
Performances of Wagner’s operas feature ostentatious and dramatic stage sets.
Aged 21 and now a fully trained composer, Richard Wagner left
It was not self-promotion, but appreciation of his talent that
his hometown to work as Musical Director in Magdeburg. Two
brought Richard Wagner back to Saxony, where he spent a
further character traits were to accompany him throughout his
further significant chapter of his life. As Royal Saxon Court
life: Envy of those who had the fortune to be born rich, and the
Conductor in Dresden from 1843 to 1849, he directed the
ability to market himself. Whether it was the latter that made Ri-
orchestra of the court opera, which he called his “magic
chard Wagner so popular with women or whether his attraction
harp.” Wagner was one of the first conductors to work with
arose from something else, we will never know. What is certain,
body language and facial expression as a way of helping the
though, is that Wagner, who was just 5 foot 5 tall and not blessed
orchestra understand his enthusiasm for music. Some of his
with good looks, had not only two wives, but also countless af-
most significant pieces are linked to his time spent in the
fairs, including with the wives of his patrons. Wagner was married
town on the river Elbe: Both “The Flying Dutchman” and
for the first time in 1836 to Minna Planer from the Ore Moun-
“Tannhäuser” were performed here for the first time. Wag-
tains in Saxony. She took some of the burden off her husband,
ner composed “Das Liebesmahl der Apostel” (The Feast of
running the house on a tight budget and accompanying Wagner
Pentecost) for an orchestra of 100 instruments and a choir of
when he was forced to flee from his creditors, for example from
1,200 in Dresden’s Frauenkirche and wrote the first drafts of
Riga via London to Paris. The at times stormy crossing at sea
his “Ring” tetralogy.
found its artistic expression in “The Flying Dutchman.” Wagner’s
While spending a summer in Graupa, a suburb of Dresden,
second wife Cosima was also better at managing money than her
with the intention of taking a break from the cultural scene
husband. She lived for her husband’s work and continued run-
and composing, the idyllic rural landscape inspired Wagner to
ning the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth after his death.
write “Lohengrin.”
20 SIGHTGEIST
At first glance, Wagner’s operas seem to speak of a faraway world of legends, sagas and myths. But those who delve deeper might discover one of the secrets of Wagner’s appeal. “He tells stories with his music that everyone can relate to. What father has not had to deal with a pubescent teenager like young Siegfried at some time or other? Who has not been confronted with the blessing and the curse of gold?” says Professor Ulf Schirmer, General Music Director of Leipzig Opera. “These questions still have a hold on us today. Wagner brings us a step closer to finding the answers through his music.” Richard Wagner not only composed the music to his operas, but created a “Gesamtkunstwerk”, a total work of art, including the libretto and stage directions. He is considered by scholars to be one of the most significant reformers of European music in the 19th century. He changed the expressiveness of music and gave a new meaning to tonal harmony with his brilliant acoustic skills. “Every note he writes makes me want to hear more. Wagner’s music is still fresh, expressive and fascinating today, the ink is not yet dry, the music still sounds as if it were written yesterday.” These lines, written by Eytan Pessen, Director of the Semper Opera, illustrate the attraction that Wagner’s work exerts on its audience.
Richard Wagner Monument in Pirna-Graupa: The largest Wagner monument in the world shows the composer as a knight of the Holy Grail surrounded by five allegorical female figures embodying the elements of his music. (left) Wagner museums in Saxony (from top to bottom): Old St. Nicholas School in Leipzig, Lohengrin House and the hunting lodge in Pirna-Graupa
The composer’s significance in the history of music is immense.
According to many scholars, Wagner’s ideas even influenced modern film music. Richard Wagner also affected the course of history and was back on the run in 1849, this time not for financial, but political reasons. Together with the Russian revolutionary Michail Bakunin, the conductor August Röckel and Gottfried Semper, he was involved in the May Uprising in Dresden, which aimed to topple the Saxon king and proclaim a republic. Wagner and his fellow conspirators were sought by warrant; Bakunin and Röckel were caught and imprisoned. Wagner subsequently experienced good and bad times as he travelled through Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France. He composed “Tristan und Isolde,” set the poems of Mathilde Wesendonck to music, performed concerts of his works that were celebrated but did not bring him income, separated from Minna and confessed his love to Cosima. His fortunes only started to change for the better as he neared his 53rd birthday: Shortly after his accession to the throne, King Ludwig II, the Bavarian “fairy-tale king,” who was a fan of Wagner’s work, summoned the impoverished and itinerant composer to his court. The effusive young regent saw in Wagner the embodiment of a brilliant artist and, following their first meeting in the king’s Munich residence, Ludwig II became a kind of substitute father. The king settled the bankrupt composer’s debts, became his greatest patron and – against the will of many of his advisers – paid Wagner huge amounts of money in his eagerness to see still-unfinished works performed, like the “Ring” cycle or the “Meistersinger” (Master Singers). Ludwig II also helped Richard Wagner to make his final dream come true: He financed the construction of the Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, where the great musician died and was buried in 1883.
SIGHTGEIST 23
TravelInfo How to get there Getting to Leipzig By air: Leipzig-Halle Airport Non-stop flights five days a week from London Stansted and three days a week from Rome Ciampino, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich By rail: direct ICE connections from almost all German cities By car and coach: via motorways A9, A14 Getting to Dresden By air: Dresden airport Non-stop flights from London, Moscow, Barcelona, Basel, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich. By rail: direct ICE connections to Dresden from almost all German cities; CityNightLine from Zurich and Amsterdam By car and coach: via motorways A4, A13 and A14 Getting to Pirna The Richard Wagner Sites can be found in the suburb of Graupa in the town of Pirna approx. 5 km from Pillnitz Castle heading towards Saxon Switzerland. WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Schlosshotel Dresden-Pillnitz Family-owned four-star hotel situated in the grounds of Pillnitz castle. It is just a few kilometres away from the Richard Wagner Sites in Pirna-Graupa. www.schlosshotel-pillnitz.de
24 SIGHTGEIST
Brauhaus Pirna “Zum Gießer” This pub has been well established in the region for many years. Guests can sit next to the large brewing vat and enjoy good food and delicious home-brewed beer in a cosy atmosphere. www.brauhaus-pirna.de (in German only) For hotels and restaurants in Leipzig, please see the travel info on page 41. WHAT TO DO Richard Wagner Sites in Pirna-Graupa In the summer of 1846, Richard Wagner spent 10 weeks recuperating in Graupa near Pirna. The village and the idyllic landscape at the gateway to Saxon Switzerland offered Wagner the peace and inspiration he needed to compose his opera “Lohengrin”. With a view to Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday, Lohengrin House has been extensively renovated and largely returned to its original state around 1840. In addition to the exhibition on the ground floor on Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin”, visitors can visit the authentically redesigned rooms in which the composer lived with listening points providing information on his stay in Graupa. In January 2013, a new permanent exhibition was inaugurated in the hunting lodge with more exhibits and information. In six rooms, it presents Wagner’s life and work in Saxony during the period up to 1850. Audiovisual and multimedia displays show how Wagner created his operas from the lyrics to the composition itself, right up to their production. In addition to Lohengrin House and the hunting lodge, Pirna also offers a cultural trail through the castle grounds with information panels on the different stages in Wagner’s life. www.wagnerstaetten.de
Old St. Nicholas School Leipzig Former St. Nicholas schoolhouse was restored at the beginning of the 1990s to create a new cultural and historical attraction in Leipzig’s city centre. From 21 May 2013, it presents a new permanent exhibition on “Richard Wagner as a Young Man, 1813 – 1834” dedicated to Wagner’s childhood and youth. Also the “Gasthaus Alte Nikolaischule” in the historic schoolroom is one of the best known restaurants in town. www.alte-nikolaischule.de (restaurant), www.kulturstiftung-leipzig.de (in German only) Agenda for the anniversary year (excerpt) 16 – 23 May 2013 Richard Wagner Festival in Leipzig with concerts, performances and exhibitions www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de 17 May 2013 – 31 January 2014 Temporary exhibition in GRASSI Museum for Musical Instruments “Golden Sounds from the Mystical Abyss – Musical Instruments for Richard Wagner“ www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de 27 April – 25 August 2013 Special exhibition in Dresden's local history museum “Richard Wagner in Dresden – Myths and Legends” www.stadtmuseum-dresden.de The whole of 2013 The Semper Opera in Dresden offers a guided tour on Wagner (by request only). It also presents an exhibition to accompany Wagner’s anniversary year with new exhibits every month: Two walk-through pavilions in the upper vestibules allow visitors to admire the historic interiors of the “First Royal Court Theatre” before it was destroyed by fire in 1869. www.semperoper.de
Leipzig
Richard Wagner 200. Geburtstag 2013
The Battle
of the Nations Napoleon`s Real Waterloo
View inside the Monument to the Battle of the Nations: the crypt with “Guards of the Dead”
A contemporary painting of the battle outside Grimma Gate on 19 October 1813 before the storming of Leipzig
Napoleon Bonaparte, who wrote history as Emperor Napoleon I, lived from 1769 to 1821.
It was a battle unlike any the world had ever seen – and Na-
not interested in talking with the Saxon monarch. Furthermore,
poleon’s real Waterloo – because the campaign fought near the
they ignored his offer to support further military action against
famous Belgian town was just a skirmish compared to the events
Napoleon. Instead, the king was taken prisoner in Prussia and his
that took place in and around Leipzig 200 years ago. A bat-
state placed under Prussian and Russian administration. So how
tle of this scale required an equally grand name: the Battle of
did Saxony get into this predicament?
the Nations. Exactly 100 years later, on the site of Napoleon’s former command post, Europe’s largest memorial was built to
The French Revolution had shaken Europe profoundly. Fearing a
commemorate the event. To this day, the Monument to the Bat-
threat to the old regime, the rulers of other European countries
tle of the Nations is a visible reminder of the French emperor’s
were hostile towards France. At the time, Germany was still made
decisive defeat.
up of a large number of sovereign states. As well as small and medium-sized states, these included two great powers, Prussia and
Not only was Napoleon conquered, but Saxony too. It had been
Austria, which struggled for dominance.
a loyal ally to the French emperor to the last. Although Saxony attempted at the Congress of Vienna in 1814 to portray itself as
Saxony had been ruled since 1763 by Elector Frederick Augustus
an unwilling partner without room to manoeuvre between 1806,
III, who was subsequently crowned King Frederick Augustus I. He
when the Treaty of Poznan was signed, and 1813, this image was
was described as “well disposed” but “listless”. Frederick Augus-
not altogether true. And yet it was an honourable attempt, con-
tus was reserved, a procrastinator, deeply religious and extremely
sidering that it was a matter of survival for the state of Saxony,
conservative. He had little interest in politics and only pursued it
which had been in existence for 850 years and ruled by the House
to preserve the status quo. It is therefore significant that although
of Wettin for more than 700 years.
Frederick Augustus arranged the meeting between German Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia at Pill-
On 19 October 1813, the ruling King Frederick Augustus I stood
nitz Castle in Dresden in 1791, he did not sign the Declaration of
outside the so-called King’s House on Leipzig’s market square to
Pillnitz that opposed the French Revolution. But when the Holy
receive the victors of the Battle of the Nations. But the Russian
Roman Empire, including a number of German states, declared
tsar, the Prussian king and the Austrian field marshal Prince Karl
war against France, Saxony was drawn into the military conflict,
Philipp zu Schwarzenberg, whose emperor was to arrive later, were
which was to end in the downfall of the Empire in 1806.
SIGHTGEIST 33
Contemporary engravings showing the death of the Polish Prince Poniatowski (above) and wounded French soldiers returning to Leipzig (below).
When Napoleon Bonaparte, originally from the island of
leon’s last triumphs on German soil was the Battle of Dres-
Corsica and First Consul of France since 1799, crowned
den in August 1813, in which he defended the town against
himself Emperor of France in 1804, the advocates of the
Russian, Prussian and Austrian troops. In June of the same
French Revolution saw their ideals of freedom, equal-
year, he had received Prince von Metternich, Chancellor of
ity and fraternity betrayed. His “Napoleonic Code” not
the Austrian Empire, in Brühl-Marcolini Palais, now part of
only modernised France, but also the German territories
Dresden-Friedrichstadt municipal hospital. However, this
west of the Rhine, which had been governed by France
encounter proved unsuccessful and led to Austria joining the
since 1801 or were independent. In 1806, sixteen Ger-
anti-Napoleonic coalition.
man states, including Saxony, joined forces in the Confederation of the Rhine, a military alliance with France,
The Battle of the Nations was fought by more than half a
which lasted until the Battle of the Nations. Saxony
million soldiers. Whereas initially the two armies were almost
was made a kingdom, like Bavaria and Wurttemberg
equal, over the following days the coalition’s troops gained
before it. Frederick Augustus was crowned king and,
decisive positions. Napoleon was convinced until the last that
contrary to later propaganda, now pursued Saxon power
Austria would not join in the fray and was also surprised by
interests, which led to the expansion of Saxon territory
the arrival of Prussia's Silesian army. Nevertheless, the bat-
and sovereignty over the truncated Polish state of the
tle, which raged in several places at once, started off well for
Duchy of Warsaw. In doing so, he restored the former
Napoleon. On 16 October, the French emperor proclaimed
union between Saxony and Poland.
victory in Leipzig, prematurely as it turned out. On 18 October, the Saxons defected to the allied partners, but too late
By the time the Battle of the Nations began near Leipzig
to change Saxony’s destiny. On 19 October, Leipzig was con-
on 16 October 1813, Saxony’s position had deteriorated
quered and the Saxon king found himself isolated. Napoleon
dramatically. During the French invasion of Russia in 1812,
and his French troops fled back to France. On 31 March, Na-
not had only Napoleon failed in his attempt to conquer the
poleon’s opponents invaded Paris.
Russian tsar, but the Saxon army had been diminished in the process. Prussia and Sweden, followed by Austria, now
At the Congress of Vienna, the map of Europe was re-
joined forces with Russia to finally bring Napoleon to his
drawn. Prussia wanted to annex the whole of Saxony, but
knees. When the coalition’s troops invaded Saxony, the
was prevented from doing so by Austria and France, where
Saxon king held off a confrontation. He conducted secret
the Bourbons had been restored to the throne. Saxony
negotiations with the opponents but was called to order by
nevertheless lost two-thirds of its territory and half of its
Napoleon, who had gained further victories. One of Napo-
population to Prussia.
SIGHTGEIST 35
Larger-than-life guards on the outside of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations
The ideals of the French Revolution continued to thrive in
elector as early as 1780, which can now be seen in the grounds
Saxony, although initially no reforms were undertaken as the
of Gohlis Palace in the Leipzig district of the same name. And
old regime had been restored. The revolution of 1848 failed
since 1839, the main square on Leipzig’s inner city ring, also
because the Saxon king appealed to the Prussians, of all people,
home to the Gewandhaus and Leipzig Opera, has been named
for support.
Augustusplatz in his honour.
And what became of Frederick Augustus? When he was allowed
In the winter of 1813/14, shortly after the end of the Battle of the
to return to Dresden in July 1815, he was greeted enthusiasti-
Nations, calls for a monument to commemorate the event grew
cally by the penitent Saxon population. He reigned for another
louder. However, the confusion of the 19th century initially pre-
twelve years and was highly esteemed, as the moniker “The
vented it from being constructed. After the German Empire was
Righteous” given to him during his lifetime shows. The fact that
founded in 1871 under Prussian leadership under the exclusion
he had become even more conservative as a ruler and did not al-
of Austria, a sense of national pride evolved, and the idea was
low any reforms did not seem to lessen his popularity. Following
revived. The Leipzig architect Clemens Thieme, a member of the
his death, he was buried in the crypt of the House of Wettin in
Apollo masonic lodge, together with fellow masons founded the
the Catholic Church of the Royal Court in Dresden. In 1843, a
German Patriots’ League for the Erection of a Monument to the
statue by the famous Saxon sculptor Ernst Rietschel dedicated
Battle of the Nations near Leipzig. They raised funds to build the
to Frederick Augustus was erected on Dresden’s Schlossplatz.
monument with donations and a lottery. The German Emperor
The people of Leipzig had created a monument to the former
William II and the Saxon King Albert initially refused to par-
38 SIGHTGEIST
ticipate: The Prussian because the monument was to be built in Saxony and the Saxon because he was ashamed that his ancestor Frederick Augustus had only received the royal title through his connection with Napoleon. The foundation stone was laid on 18 October 1900. The completed monument weighs 300,000 tons, stands 91 metres tall and is built from concrete with granite facing. The pyramid-like construction is richly adorned with statues both inside and out, reflecting the classical philosophy of the freemasons. A viewing platform offers outstanding views of Leipzig and the surrounding area. The impressive interior comprises three sections: The crypt is a cenotaph for the 90,000 fallen soldiers of the Battle of the Nations. It features eight 5.5-metre-high death masks flanked by two warriors each. In the Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame) at the
Every October, historical societies reenact scenes from the Battle of the Nations.
monument’s centre, four 10-meter-high figures embody faith, bravery, fertility and sacrifice. And the cupola is decorated with 324 horsemen reliefs.
SIGHTGEIST 39
St. Alexei Russian Memorial Church is a Russian Orthodox church near to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations.
The interior boasts unique acoustics that reflect the overtones
dome, the church next door to the German Library is still a
in particular and enable an echo lasting for up to ten seconds. As
landmark in Leipzig. On the former battle field, further mon-
a result, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, which also
uments were erected as well as the so-called “Apel stones,”
houses an exhibition, is also a popular venue for concerts.
which mark important events during the battle. But the monument’s significance as a bringer of peace did not last long, be-
At the inauguration of the monument on 18 October 1913,
cause just a year after it had been unveiled, the First World
Thieme left no doubt about the purpose of its construction,
War began.
which was to create a “reminder of the coming into being of the German people after centuries of fragmentation and seven years
The Monument to the Battle of the Nations has been reno-
of Napoleonic rule” and a “memento for future generations”. His
vated extensively for its centenary in 2013. The monument,
speech began with “German brothers, German sisters …,” which
as a place for reflection on the errors of the past and the
outraged the emperor and prompted him to leave.
prospects for a peaceful and democratic future for Germany, Europe and maybe even the world, is now put in a new his-
On the previous day, St. Alexei’s Russian Memorial Church
torical context. Leipzig provides more than just a setting,
dedicated to the 22,000 Russian soldiers who had fallen in
since its Monday demonstrations back in 1989 initiated the
battle had been opened, modelled on the Church of the As-
democratization of former East Germany and therefore Ger-
cension in Kolomenskoje near Moscow. With its gilded onion
many’s reunification.
40 SIGHTGEIST
TravelInfo How to get there By air: Leipzig-Halle Airport Non-stop flights five days a week from London Stansted and three days a week from Rome Ciampino, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich By rail: direct ICE connections from almost all German cities By car and coach: via motorways A9, A14 WHERE TO STAY The Westin Leipzig The interiors of the Westin Leipzig blend local history with modern European design. The rooms offer fascinating views over Leipzig’s city centre. www.westin-leipzig.de Hotel Fürstenhof Leipzig At the heart of this fascinating city of art and culture, the 5-star superior Hotel Fürstenhof Leipzig welcomes guests in a historic 18th century building. The hotel is situated in the city centre, just five minutes’ walk from the Central Station, and offers the highest standards in terms of comfort. www.hotelfuerstenhofleipzig.com Radisson Blu Hotel This hotel directly opposite the famous Gewandhaus concert hall and the opera boasts some of the most modern and elegant rooms and suites in Leipzig, all furnished with exquisite materials such as Macassa ebony, glass and leather. www.radisson-leipzig.com pentahotel Leipzig The pentahotel stands for fresh and unusual design. This starts in the pentalounge, where a more conventional and rigid compartmental way of thinking has been swept away to create a single space comprising reception, lobby, restaurant and bar, with interior design by Matteo Thun. Of course, the concept is continued in the stylish bedrooms. www.pentahotels.com
WHERE TO EAT Falco Designer ambience and gourmet cuisine on the 24th floor of the Westin Leipzig. Falco is the only restaurant in the new German federal states to be granted two stars in the Michelin Guide. www.falco-leipzig.de Stadtpfeiffer Restaurant Stadtpfeiffer is a restaurant in the Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig. Michelin-starred chef Detlef Schlegel pampers guests with exquisite dishes while his wife Petra manages the restaurant. www.stadtpfeiffer.de (in German only) Auerbachs Keller Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was fascinated by Auerbachs Keller and immortalised it in his life’s work “Faust”. The tavern nine metres under Leipzig’s paving stones has lost none of its original charm. Visitors who make their way down to the underground restaurant can enjoy regional cuisine in a wonderful historical setting. www.auerbachs-keller-leipzig.de WHAT TO DO Monument to the Battle of the Nations The Monument to the Battle of the Nations in south-east Leipzig is one of the town’s most famous landmarks. Choral concerts are held regularly in the huge domed hall and are a unique experience thanks to the building’s exceptional acoustics that resonate for up to 10 seconds. The 90-metre-high platform offers views of the city of Leipzig and its surroundings. A new permanent exhibition is planned for the anniversary celebrations in October 2013.
Temporary exhibition: Heroes Made to Measure Leipzig’s Local History Museum is presenting a temporary exhibition from 4 September 2013 to 5 January 2014 under the title “Heroes Made to Measure – 200 Years of the Battle of the Nations”. The exhibition will focus on the myth surrounding the “wars of liberation” and its impact over the last 200 years. www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de
Leipzig 1813 - Panorama of the Battle of the Nations In a former circular gas tank container, artist Yagedar Asisi has created a panorama on the Battle of the Nations called LEIPZIG 1813. He does not present this historical event as a depiction of battle, but approaches it from the perspective of the people of Leipzig, showing how they lived within the town’s walls during the battle. The spectacle can be seen from 3 August 2013. www.asisi.de Russian church in Leipzig Saint Alexi Memorial Church in Leipzig is a Russian Orthodox church near to the Monument of the Battle of the Nations dedicated to Russian soldiers who fell in the war. The church’s 55-metre-high tower with its golden onion dome modelled on Old Russian architecture can be seen from all over Leipzig. The building houses a small municipal library and a church museum. In addition, it serves as a place of worship for a Russian Orthodox congregation. www.russische-kirche-l.de
www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de
16 – 20 October 2013 Festival to celebrate the dual anniversary 17 – 21 October 18 October 19 October 20 October
Historical bivouacs from various countries in agra-Park in Markkleeberg near Leipzig Opening ceremony with political representatives from across Europe, symbolic handover of the restored monument to the public, premiere of a sound composition in various parts “Imagine Europe” – multimedial theatre event at the Monument to the Battle of the Nations Historical re-enactment of the battle with 6,000 actors
www.voelkerschlacht-jubilaeum.de
SIGHTGEIST 41
How to Cuddle C o s y i n S ub-Zero Temperatures
42 SIGHTGEIST
SIGHTGEIST 43
Yeti produces in Germany. The company's small factory is located in Görlitz, Saxony. The town has been home to manufacturers of first-class textile for centuries. Today, ten Yeti employees produce 10,000 down sleeping bags every year that are among the best in the world.
Greenland. It’s freezing cold. Outside, the thermometer has plunged to 25 degrees below
zero. Nothing out of the ordinary for the Arctic in March. But for Central Europeans, braving the cold is a challenge, especially when they have to spend most of the time outdoors with nowhere to warm up, as participants in the “Arctic Circle Race” found out. This cross-country skiing race lasting several days is considered one of the most demanding competitions in the world. In 2012, Annett Finger, a triathlete from Dresden, took part for the first time. The athletes have to negotiate a total of 160 kilometres across the frozen island in three stages. At night, they sleep in tents, so the quality of their sleeping bags and mats is crucial. “You have to be equipped to survive 24 hours outdoors,” explains Annett Finger. She used a sleeping bag made by Yeti from Görlitz in eastern Saxony. The compact eiderdown sleeping bag allowed her to get the rest she needed after strenuous days on skis. “I got an excellent night’s sleep and didn’t feel the cold at all,“ the extreme athlete remembers.
The secret of lightness Yeti uses the most lightweight and exclusive materials currently avail-
able to make warm “cocoons”, both as outer garments and sleeping bags. The company calls its technology “Next to nothing”, because the stitched nylon fabric filled with down weighs just 25 grams per square metre. The thread holding the down together is only one-tenth the thickness of a human hair, and yet the silky soft material is surprisingly tear-proof.
Yeti’s Faith down coat weighs less than 300 g.
SIGHTGEIST 45
Passion series sleeping bags are made for people who love nature and a sense of adventure.
The special fabric is waterproof, wind-resistant and breathable, making it ideal for all kinds of outdoor products. The company in Görlitz developed this ultra-thin fabric in cooperation with a Japanese firm. “There are only five weaving looms in the world that can make such fine material,” says Kay Steinbach, Yeti’s longstanding managing director. “Each one produces 35 meters per day.” The company claims to produce the lightest sleeping bags in the world. The lightest Yeti model weighs just 320 grams. Rolled up, the smallest sleeping bag measures 12 x 12 x 21 centimetres, only twice the size of a grapefruit. Professional athletes appreciate the advantages of a sleeping bag that can be compressed so small it hardly takes up any space in a backpack. After all, on long expeditions, ridge walks or arduous mountain tours, every gram counts.
A snug haven Sleeping bags designed for outdoor use also have to offer the best possible protec-
tion against rough weather. Extreme athletes and mountaineers have to survive extreme
46 SIGHTGEIST
temperatures. “On expeditions, my sleeping bag is my only refuge, a place where I can recuperate and recharge my batteries,” says Michael Bärisch. The adventurer from Dresden has climbed Mount McKinley in Alaska, for example, and also swears by Yeti’s patented product. Bärisch’s objective is “not to freeze at night at 30 degrees below zero.” Yeti sleeping bags are hand-made. The shells are prefabricated in Asia according to exact specifications, but the final stages of production are completed in Saxony by the company’s ten employees. Each sleeping bag model is shaped to suit its purpose – ultralightweight, for extreme temperatures, or for use near water – with a clever system of chambers into which a precise amount of down is blown. The fluffy filling weighs between 2 and 30 grams per chamber. Some bags have 24 chambers, others more than 70. Yeti even takes anatomical differences into consideration in designing its products. As women get cold feet more frequently, sleeping bags designed especially for their needs
Many thousands of carefully prepared individual down feathers are Yeti’s quality guarantee.
have a thicker layer of down in this typically female problem zone. For the filling, Yeti makes use of a universal principle of nature, which has proven its worth for millions of years and is very difficult to copy.
SIGHTGEIST 47
In the Dresden outlet of Globetrotter, an outdoor supplier, Annett Finger tests the quality of a sleeping bag in a cold chamber that simulates icy conditions. Visitors can also watch Yeti products being made here.
With their fluffy plumage, geese and ducks are “the most efficient combined heat and power plants of all time,” according to the company’s catalogue. Its sleeping bags contain 95 percent finest down and five percent feathers. The company rigorously ensures that these come exclusively from free-range fowl, which are raised humanely. “We work with farms in Europe, which are bound by contract not to pluck living animals,” says Steinbach, underscoring the company’s code of ethics.
Transparent production With an output of some 10,000 sleeping bags a year, Yeti manufactures an extremely
durable niche product, as Steinbach says. The small company has since added jackets, vests and trousers to its range. It is an East German success story: The small, familyrun business established in 1983 near Dresden made outdoor sports and leisure equipment that was considered a closely guarded secret. When the Danish firm Nordisk took over the company in 2005, it had long since moved its production to Görlitz on the German-Polish border. The sleeping bag producer had already made a name for itself on the German-speaking market. “Anyone who enjoyed sleeping outside had heard of the brand,” says Steinbach. In the past seven years, Yeti has grown into an international business that not only cooperates with partners abroad, but is also growing in popularity outside Germany. Its key markets to date are in Europe, mainly Germany, Denmark and France. But the company is also gaining significance in Japan and South Korea, Steinbach says. “We have also started doing business in China.” In addition, Yeti has set its sights on Finland, Sweden and Norway. To present its products in the best possible light, Yeti has worked for over 10 years with Berlin-based photographer and creative director Uwe Hauth.
SIGHTGEIST 49
Passion One, at 320 g the world’s lightest down sleeping bag, and Anastasia Yakumenko, solo dancer, with Desire, at 200 g the world’s lightest down jacket
His visual style and unconventional approach to the subject have had a lasting impact on the company’s image. Hauth’s images accentuate the quiet, intimate moments and experiences of travelling. Yeti’s production is transparent. In Dresden at least, customers can watch almost every step of the manufacturing process for these exclusive products – hand-made in Saxony. In the local Globetrotter outdoor store, the company set up a transparent factory in 2011 as a second production site after its headquarters in Görlitz. Visitors can watch the down and feathers fly through tubes from transparent silos into the sleeping bag shells. Employees use electronic scales to make sure that exactly the right quantity of feathers is filled into the individual chambers. The openings are then sewn closed before the sleeping bags are packed and readied for shipping. The transparent Yeti factory fits in well with Globetrotter’s concept of convincing customers of the properties of a product before they buy it. The store in Dresden, for example, also has a cold chamber. Triathlete Annett Finger spent a night inside it before setting off on her tour of Greenland. At temperatures of 10 degrees below freezing, she tested whether her Yeti sleeping bag would really withstand the extreme weather conditions. “It was warm and cosy,” was her verdict.
50 SIGHTGEIST
www.sandstein.de
Do you also think of highly qualified, skilled employees when you hear MINT?
At an international level, Saxony’s skilled employees have a particularly large number of professional degrees in the sectors mathematics, information science, natural science, and technology (MINT): Saxony’s university graduates are significantly above the OECD average. And they’re among the top in Germany. Such renowned companies as Volkswagen, Hitachi, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Infineon, Bosch, and GlaxoSmithKline appreciate this refreshing fact. When do you acquire a taste for MINT?
WWW.INVEST-IN-SAXONY.COM
Saxony Economic Development Corporation
Bertolt-Brecht-Allee 22, 01309 Dresden, Germany info@wfs.saxony.de
A Place
for the Soul East Meets West in Upper Lusatia
Albrecht Huwe’s wife was not too concerned when he fell in love again eight years ago. After all, the object of his affection was not another woman, but an old half-timbered house in Upper Lusatia. The lecturer at the University of Bonn recognised in the 18thcentury log house his dream of a place to retire, a venue for events, and even boarding stables for horses. This vision will soon become reality.
As the train from Dresden
approaches the Polish
head of the Korean translation programme at the University of
border, it passes an increasing number of bizarre-looking houses,
Bonn was looking for a place to spend his retirement, and had
hidden between the green hills and forests. At first glance, they
never heard of Upper Lusatian half-timbered houses before.
look like normal half-timbered houses, but something in the
Nowadays, Albrecht Huwe is an expert on this kind of archi-
unconventional wooden construction merits closer inspection.
tecture. It apparently dates back to the Middle Ages, when
Somewhere between log house and half-timbered structure, they
settlers came from Franconia to Upper Lusatia. They com-
have distinctive wooden arches built around the ground floor.
bined the half-timbered style familiar to them from their
This architectural style, called “Umgebindehaus”, or Upper Lusa-
home country with the Slavic log building method. A wooden
tian half-timbered house, is unique in Europe. There are 19,000
supporting structure – called an “Umgebinde” – was erected
of them on the border between Germany, the Czech Republic
around the outside of the main log living space, or “Block-
and Poland. Nowhere else in Europe can so many examples of a
stube”, and supported the half-timbered upper storey and the
traditional regional architectural style be found.
roof. Subsequent generations adapted the architecture to their
The date “1854” is engraved in the granite door frame. When
needs, frequently extending the ground floor with a vaulted
Dr. Albrecht Huwe discovered the old boarded-up farmhouse in
brick addition separated from the living area by a hallway and
Eibau in 2005, it had stood empty for 15 years. The lecturer and
used as a stable.
Welcome in “Umgebindeland” The oldest verified Upper Lusatian half-timbered house was built
in 1525, but most were constructed after 1700. The most recent ones date back to 1930. It is not clear why this construction method was chosen. Half timbering may have been used to reduce the amount of wood used for construction, as the material was scarce. It is also unknown why the living area downstairs was separated structurally from the rest of the house. One reason might be that the timber beams of the ground floor decayed quickly and could therefore be replaced more easily. Perhaps the intention was to absorb vibrations from handlooms. Or it may have been a combination of both. Thousands of these elaborately embellished houses can still be found today on the stretch of land called “Umgebindeland”, a region of hilly uplands with bizarre rock formations and extensive lake lands spanning Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. Some 6,000 of them stand on the German side of the border, mostly in the mountains around Zittau and the uplands of Upper Lusatia. But they are also characteristic of many villages in eastern Upper Lusatia and Saxon Switzerland. A particularly prolific example is Obercunnersdorf in Upper Lusatia: With close to 250 Upper Lusatian halftimbered houses, some with beautiful slate adornments, often with gardens and steps, historic windows and doors, the village has been declared a historic monument.
SIGHTGEIST 59
Albrecht Huwe‘s Kastanienhof, or Chestnut Farm: before being renovated on the left and afterwards on the right.
nine points out of ten.” Friends named the farm Kastanienhof, or Chestnut Farm, after the handsome chestnut tree standing next to the front door. For the last six years, the 62-year-old has been travelling to Eibau once a month to work on his half-timbered house. The small village in the mountains of Upper Lusatia had a thriving weaving industry in former times. A magnificent half-timbered
Belief in “geomancy”
house in the village centre bears witness to this era. Once owned by a textile merchant, the former “Blockstube” now accommodates the tourist information office with the local mu-
Albrecht Huwe discovered the old farmhouse on a walk through
seum next door. The showpiece bedroom on the upper floor
Eibau and recognised its potential immediately. It is a handsome
serves as a registry office. But the weaving industry has long
farmstead, half way up a gentle slope with views of the village,
gone. Eibau is more famous today for its black beer, and Al-
the river and the Lausche, the highest mountain in Upper Lusatia
brecht Huwe often takes a few bottles home for his colleagues
with the border to the Czech Republic running along it. “The
at Bonn University.
Koreans believe in geomancy, a practical method of divination
Like Albrecht Huwe, other tourists and newcomers have suc-
to determine a site where a person’s soul can rest in peace,” says
cumbed to the charm of the landscape and its architecture. Many
Albrecht Huwe. “According to this method, Kastanienhof scores
come from West Germany or around Berlin. A woman from
Finland recently moved into a half-timbered house in Eibau, Al-
only works with materials that might have been used hundreds of
brecht Huwe has heard. The locals generally take the breathtak-
years ago: The floors are insulated with mud-soaked hemp fibre
ing scenery for granted and many have developed a new sense of
and hemp wool, and the half timbering is filled with mud and
awareness of what makes Upper Lusation half-timbered architec-
straw. Huwe is also using Korean traditional paper, “Hanji”, made
ture so appealing.
from the bark of the mulberry tree, for the walls. The paper is extremely strong and ventilates well, making it ideal for use in a
Only authentic materials
mud and timber house.
is loaded with slabs of wood fibre to insulate the roof. Night falls
A peek behind the curtains
as the men heave the material into the house. Almost all Upper
Thanks to a tip from his architect, Huwe found hand-painted
Lusatian half-timbered houses on the German side of the border
“beaver tail” tiles for the roof, left over from renovation work
are protected as historical monuments, and owners must fulfil
on a nearby church. He has already networked closely with
certain standards when renovating their homes. One basic rule
neighbours, construction workers and local municipal adminis-
is that natural construction materials must be given preference.
trators. According to a local saying, the people here are as “hard
After all, plastic siding, plastic windows and artificial colours do
as granite and as loyal as gold”. Huwe cannot confirm that they
not suit a half-timbered house .
are hard; he received a warm welcome and already feels at home
A faithfully restored half-timbered house may look wonderful
here. But they are outspoken. When he opened his home to
from the outside, but the traditional construction method re-
visitors during an open-house day for Upper Lusation houses a
quires compromises to fulfil modern standards. Albrecht Huwe
few years back, they told him outright: “You’ve got lots of work
has radiant wall heating powered by a heat pump. Otherwise, he
to do here. How are you ever going to manage it?”
A carpenter reverses his transporter into Huwe’s yard. The trailer
SIGHTGEIST 61
Since 2005, private owners, societies, museums and local authorities in Upper Lusatia have allowed access to their halftimbered houses on the last Sunday in May. On this occasion, Albrecht Huwe invites anyone interested into his house for a look around and a chat. The open-house gives people the opportunity to experience century-old homes with living spaces made entirely of wood. It also shows them that half-timbered structures are not just to look at and admire, but also to live in. They can be used for various purposes, such as a holiday home, youth hostel, tapas bar or café. Meanwhile, the same visitors who first expressed such doubt now give Albrecht Huwe credit for what he has achieved: A cosy living area complete with stove, a vaulted extension with a hallway, kitchen and storeroom, and a refurbished roof space that he plans to use for events at some point in the future. Huwe thinks back reluctantly to the state of the house when he bought it: The cellar was flooded, the gable end on the upper floor was dilapidated, and the floor of the living room had rotted through. But like many people who buy a half-timbered house, Huwe was tenacious and did not let himself be discouraged. And so far, the hard work has paid off: He has achieved something many people today only dream of: A purpose in life and something to be proud of.
Hidden treasures In two years’ time, the work should be completed. Then Al-
brecht Huwe intends to move to Upper Lusatia with his family. Until then, there is still plenty to do. First, the upstairs flooring needs to be taken out. “Then I hope to find a treasure chest – as long as the workers haven’t already made off with it,” Huwe laughs. He has already found a token coin from the Kingdom of Saxony dating back to the 19th century. A few more of those would help to sweeten his retirement, or at least give construction work a boost. Whereas he received funding from the state for the outer shell of the house, he is gradually having to cover the cost of the interior himself. After the move, Albrecht Huwe hopes to fulfil a childhood dream at Kastanienhof and open boarding stables for horses. That’s why he won’t be travelling to Korea this year, but will be attending a class for horse owners instead. Albrecht Huwe’s delight at the thought of his future life in the country is written all over his face. “If I were to retire to a terraced house in Bonn, I would be ready for the next world after just a year. I need space, I need nature,” he says. That doesn’t mean doing without culture. The region boasts plenty of towns steeped in history like Bautzen, Zittau or Görlitz, and Sorbian culture is just waiting to be discovered. “I certainly won’t be bored,” Huwe is sure.
62 SIGHTGEIST
TravelInfo How to get there “Umgebindeland” spans parts of Upper Lusatia and Saxon Switzerland and is best explored by car from Dresden, via the A4 motorway and B6, 96, 98 and 178 roads. WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Schloßhotel Althörnitz This hotel in a 17th century castle in the Zittau Mountains nature reserve boasts modern, comfortable rooms, suites and tower rooms with a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. The restaurant and bistro serve regional Upper Lusatian cuisine. www.ambiente-privathotels.de (in German only)
Hotel Erbgericht Tautewalde Erbgericht Tautewalde hotel at the heart of the Upper Lusatian mountains offers its guests a cosy atmosphere, friendly service and outstanding cuisine. In the restaurant, guests can watch the chef at work through a glass partition. www.tautewalde.de (in German only) Hotel bei Schumann This spa hotel in Kirschau-Schirgiswalde is the ideal place for a romantic break to pamper the senses, relax and enjoy the calm. It boasts a spacious spa temple and exquisite cuisine. Please note that the hotel only welcomes guests aged 16 and over. www.bei-schumann.de (in German only) “House on the Viaduct” This is just the right place for anyone wanting to spend their holiday in an Upper Lusation half-timbered house. Lovingly renovated by the Klein family, the “House on the Viaduct” is a successful blend between an authentically restored Upper Lusation house and a luxurious holiday home. www.haus-am-viadukt.de (in German only)
GOOD TO KNOW The Agency of the Region of the Upper Lusatian Half-timbered House (Geschäftstelle Umgebindeland) pools the many interests to preserve this architectural style. It also maintains contact with Czech and Polish project partners and advises house owners on the availability of state subsidies. In addition, it provides a real estate portal for Upper Lusation half-timbered houses on the internet. Every year on the last weekend in May, private owners, societies, museums and local authorities in Upper Lusatia open their doors to visitors. The open-house for Upper Lusatian half-timbered houses has been a fixed date in the border region since 2005. And finally, for those looking to spend a holiday in an Upper Lusatian half-timbered house, certified holiday apartments and houses are listed on www.umgebindeland.de and www.oberlausitz.com
SIGHTGEIST 63
The Beauty of Precision Technical Wonders from Past Centuries
Just one nudge of the globe and the countries of the world go spinning past. Stop it by putting your finger on a random location to choose where to spend your next vacation. Five hundred years ago, however, globes were not simply decoration, but important instruments used by geographers and sailors to determine their position or measure distances. They only became fashionable status symbols when rich merchants began following the sailors’ routes and, in discovering the world, were able to eliminate more and more blank spots on the map.
Mechanical celestial globe; Johannes Reinhold, Georg Roll, 1586, brass, fire-gilded
64 SIGHTGEIST
SIGHTGEIST 65
The Zwinger in Dresden with the Crown Gate: The Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments (Mathematisch-Physikalischen Salon) extends from the Crown Gate to the wall pavilion in the background. Ever since the Zwinger opened as a "Palais des Sciences" in 1728, the collections have been a distinctive feature of Dresden’s famous landmark.
Opened as early as 1728 as a “Palais des Sciences” under Augustus the Strong, the collections were accessible to an amazed public for many years and often helped scientists and instrument makers in their work.
exquisite treasures On entering the spacious Grottensaal, visitors are swept away
by the splendour of the past. The exhibition space comprises various subject areas with exhibits that were among the most complex machines of their time. The Langgalerie, for example, presents automatons, such as a drumming bear, and Astronomical clock; Eberhard Baldewein, Hans Bucher, Hermann Diepel, Kassel 1563 – 1568
astronomical models of the world, such as an astronomical clock from the 16th century. The Festsaal on the upper floor is home to the Physical Cabinet with highlights that include burning mirrors by Ehrenfried-Walther von Tschirnhaus, a vacuum pump and huge telescopes. The observatory built in
One of the world’s oldest globes, made in the 13th century in
1777 was in operation here until 1928, and set the official
present-day Iran, can now be seen in Dresden together with
time for Dresden’s clocks.
other technical feats of past centuries, such as clocks, telescopes
The collection of timepieces in the Bogengalerie is among
and chronometers. After six years of renovation, the Royal Cab-
the most significant in the world. It ranges from renaissance
inet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments (MathematischPhysikalischer Salon) in the world-famous Dresden Zwinger reopened in April 2013. Whether precision instruments for the mining industry, astronomical devices for maritime navigation or ballistic machines for military deployment, Elector Augustus and his descendants only added objects of the highest quality to this collection, which dates back to 1560. State-of-the-art tools and scientific instruments were acquired mainly from the imperial cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg. At the same time, the exhibits had to satisfy the extremely high artistic requirements of a prestigious royal collection: Gilt instruments that made use of mathematics and mechanics to survey the heavens and the earth and to explore other mysteries, also served as symbols of the wealth and status of court society. These natural history collections are now on display again in the Zwinger.
´ Grande Complication; Louis Elisee Piguet, Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux, around 1895
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tabernacle clocks and precious pocket watches to early attempts at displaying time precisely. This part of the exhibition tells the history of precision watchmaking in Saxony and the origins of watch manufacturing in the now famous town of Glashütte. With just a sketchbook full of ideas under his arm, Ferdinand Adolf Lange established the industry here in 1845. A talented pupil of Saxon court watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, he decided to start up a cottage industry making watches in the economically depressed town of Glashütte to compete with the precision watchmaking industries in England and Switzerland. His sons Richard and Emil followed in their father’s footsteps after 1868 and made A. Lange & Söhne world-famous. Thanks to their success and that of other watchmakers who set up business here over time, Glashütte today is synonymous with the highest quality, precision and luxury “made in Germany”. Sheltered from daylight, a new exhibition space in the ramparts of the Zwinger presents a fascinating collection of globes. Made primarily from hand-painted paper that is extremely sensitive to light, these globes present the world as it was known at the time. The exhibits also include celestial globes, a lunar globe and even one depicting Mars. But these globes should not be Reflecting telescope; Johann Gottlob Rudolph, around 1750
set spinning!
TravelInfo How to get there By air: Dresden airport Non-stop flights from London, Moscow, Barcelona, Basel, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich. By rail: direct ICE connections to Dresden from almost all German cities; CityNightLine from Zurich and Amsterdam By car and coach: via motorways A4, A13 and A14
QF Hotel This hotel with its distinctive curved façade next door to the Frauenkirche welcomes guests from all over the world. After being destroyed in 1945, the building was left in ruins for a long time. Today, its 96 rooms and suites are spread over four buildings, making it more than just a reproduction of the traditional 19th century hotel. It combines the charm of Dresden’s famous historic old town with modern facilities. www.qf-hotel.de
WHERE TO STAY Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinksi The hotel is located at the heart of Dresden’s historic city centre. Famous sights such as the Semper Opera House, the Frauenkirche, the Royal Palace or the Zwinger are just a few minutes away. Spacious bedrooms and suites as well as an exceptional range of spa treatments with a sauna, fitness centre, solarium, massages and an indoor pool make a stay in this five-star hotel a memorable experience. www.kempinski.com
INNSIDE Dresden Dresden’s new design hotel can be found in the old city centre close to the famous Frauenkirche, the river Elbe and the Semper Opera House. This four-star superior hotel boasts 180 luxury guestrooms and suites with king-size beds to guarantee a good night's sleep. Its light-flooded loft studios with air conditioning feature transparent, innovative bathrooms with rain showers. The Sky Bar on the 6th floor offers wonderful views of the Frauenkirche. www.innside.com
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WHERE TO EAT Kastenmeiers This fish restaurant serves light, creative gourmet cuisine from star chef Gerd Kastenmeier. With its spacious dining rooms and brightly lit inner courtyard, Kurländer Palace provides the perfect setting for culinary enjoyment. www.kastenmeiers.de (in German only) Restaurant Alte Meister Exquisite innovative food served in the Semper building of the Zwinger opposite the Semper Opera House. www.altemeister.net A large number of first-rate restaurants with a wide choice of regional and international cuisine can be found throughout the city centre, all around the Frauenkirche, on Neumarkt square and along the Baroque skyline towards Semper Opera House.
TIME IS THE SAME EVERYWHERE. B U T N O T A LWAY S T H I S A P P E A L I N G .
Some of Saxony’s attractions can be worn on your wrist. To experience all the others, you’ll need to visit Saxony yourself. Watches from Glashütte are exclusive, precision masterpieces that are valued around the
world. The beauty, unique appeal and culture of the region have made many visitors lose track of time. For further information visit www.saxonytourism.com (USA and Canada) or www.visitsaxony.com.
The most important thing a perfect beer needs is time. Other essential ingredients include passion and a love of the trade. A traditional brewery in Germany’s easternmost town still takes a leisurely approach to brewing.
A Historic Brewery Offers More Than Just Beer
Enjoying a beer outdoors on Görlitz’s Untermarkt with views of the old town hall.
Film scenes and sets on the premises of Landskron craft brewery during the filming of “Around the World in 80 Days”
Around t he World in 80 Day s
The border between Germany and Poland, at the easternmost edge of the Free State of Saxony, is marked
by the river Neisse. Just a few yards away in Görlitz is Landskron craft brewery. There are no docks here, at most a jetty for boats. Yet signs reading “At the harbour” or “Jackie Chan Alley” dot the grounds of this private brewery, causing confusion among unwitting visitors. The signposts are relics of the Hollywood film “Around the World in 80 days.” Scenes for this comedy were shot against the backdrop of the brewery's red brick buildings in 2003. The historical building from the period of industrial expansion in the late 19th century was used as a film set for New York harbour as it looked in the 1880s. The role of Passepartout was played by actor Jackie Chan. The well-preserved brewery building in Görlitz is doubtless a prime example of the “excellent material” that makes Germany’s easternmost town so attractive for filmmakers. “It would cost a lot of money to build a set like this in the studio,” producers are often heard to say. Some 4,000 individual heritage buildings dating from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Wilhelmine and Art Nouveau periods – including the Landskron brewery – form an unparalleled and intact architectural ensemble. Görlitz is seeking recognition as a World Heritage Site with its unique warehouses in the old town centre. In former times, beer was often brewed and served in these buildings.
Landskron is the only major brewery in Germany that still permits itself the luxury of fermenting its beer in open vats. During fermentation, a layer of foam forms on top containing impure hop products that has to be skimmed off by hand.
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Keeping tradition alive Landskron brews its beer in historic surroundings using traditional methods under
the German Purity law of 1516, which stipulates that beer made in Germany may only contain malt, hops, yeast and water. The German Federal Republic even wants to put the manufacturing principles for Germany’s most successful export on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The brewery’s managing director, Katrin Bartsch, alludes to this when she proudly says, “we brew world cultural heritage.” Ever since it was established as a stock company back in 1869, the Görlitz brewery has remained unchanged in one fundamental way: Over the decades and through changes of ownership, it has adhered consistently to the original brewing process. Landskron products are given all the time in the world to develop their very own malty taste. “We still give beer the time it needs to mature,” explains Katrin Bartsch. In six-metre-deep, cold vaulted cellars, malt sugar is transformed into alcohol and carbon dioxide with the help of yeast. After that, the speciality beers are stored twelve metres underground in small horizontal tanks for four to twelve weeks, depending on the variety. Beers with a higher original gravity, such as bock, need longest to develop their full aroma. The maturation process in the fermenting vats is not controlled by computers, but by experienced master brewers. “It’s all done by hand,” emphasizes Landkron’s managing director. During fermentation, a layer of foam forms on top containing impure hop products. Because these substances impair the quality of the drink and can leave a bitter aftertaste, the foam is skimmed off manually. This hand-crafted brewing process makes the beer particularly easy on the stomach and the head.
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The taste, appearance, smell and ingredients are controlled regularly to ensure that the beer is of the highest quality.
Landskron is now the only major brewery in Germany that still ferments its beer in open vats. Other beer makers allow the beer considerably less time to mature. They produce the beverage in cylindro-conical tanks using modern automated and computer-driven brewing processes to cut costs; the beer is ready to drink in just five to seven days. In the old days, beer was brewed by the traditional method without any time constraints, partly because people did not like the bitter impurities in their beer. "With industrial beer production in closed vessels, these can no longer be removed,” explains Katrin Bartsch.
Quality not quantity “We see beer as a lifestyle product,” emphasises Katrin Bartsch. To underline its potential as a traditional beer
maker, the craft brewery launched a strictly limited gourmet beer onto the market in autumn 2012. Master brewer Matthias Grall imported whisky malt especially from Scotland to create “Edition No. 1.” “It’s the most elegant beer we’ve ever made,” says an enthusiastic Katrin Bartsch. Enough of this exclusive beverage was made to fill just 15,000 bottles. “We are constantly devising specialty beers and will continue to experiment in future.” Landskron focuses on innovation in other areas too. Gourmets can enjoy hand-crafted beers from Görlitz at the “Bier-Kulinarium.” Matthias Grall came up with this idea in cooperation with restaurateurs from the region. Instead of champagne and wine, guests are served different types of beer, perfectly aligned to a four-course menu: For example cassis wheat beer as an aperitif or black beer with tiramisu. The brewery’s aspiration to constantly develop new products is also the key to its success. Unlike larger companies in the industry, the Görlitz brewery produces on a smaller scale. Some 25 years ago under the socialist regime of the German Democratic Republic, its annual production volume peaked at over 500,000 hectolitres. Today, it brews some 165,000 hectolitres per year. The range includes twelve specialty beers with widely varying flavours, which it sells in a limited area from Saxony to Berlin. The brewery’s regional roots are reflected in its name, which refers to Landeskrone mountain rising 420 meters above Görlitz. Following German reunification, the business returned to family ownership. It later spent three years in the hands of major brewery corporations, first Holsten, then Carlsberg. Since 2006, the company with 75 employees has been independent again and privately owned. Under the auspices of a family trust, it can now concentrate on its real business, unburdened by the expectations of a multinational firm.
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Beer and culture For many years now, Landskron has actively combined hand-crafted brewing with culture. The traditional
production methods the brewery uses and its architectural heritage bring with them an obligation, and the company has demonstrated its commitment by investing in the upkeep of these historic buildings. In 1998, Landskron opened its KULTurBrauerei (“culture brewery”) in part of the brewery that was constructed in 1872 as an ale house with a room for special events. After being used for many years as a warehouse, this room has now been converted into a popular venue for concerts, conferences, meetings and even trade fairs. More than 100 events ranging from theatre and cabaret to rock concerts in the KULTurBrauerei and the courtyard of the brewery draw some 60,000 visitors every year. Twelve thousand guests each year take part in guided tours of the brewery, and the number is growing. The craft brewery is gradually unveiling more and more of itself. In 2011, the stately director’s villa that had stood empty for almost 20 years was opened to the public. The exquisitely furnished house has been renovated with the greatest care. It now houses a museum with a small bar and can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Visitors can see for themselves how the building’s former inhabitants must have lived. In addition, an exhibition entitled “From a stock company to a craft brewery” presents original testimonies to the company’s 144-year history. Meanwhile, the brewery’s management is forging new plans to offer tourists even more. “We want to set up a visitor’s centre in our administration building,” announces Katrin Bartsch. As well as selling products and merchandising articles, the aim is to provide guests with shelter from the wind and rain while they wait for their guided tour to start. The managing director is also planning to put the machine shop to new use. She envisages a Lusatian craft market offering only hand-made products from the region, in keeping with Landskron’s style.
TravelInfo How to get there By air: Dresden airport By rail: regional trains from Dresden and Wroclaw By car and coach: via motorways A4/E40 from Dresden and A13 from Berlin WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Romantik Hotel Tuchmacher This hotel in a lovingly renovated Renaissance building dating back to 1528 offers rooms combining modern comfort with medieval flair. The hotel’s restaurants are among the best in Görlitz. The Schneider Stube restaurant offers cuisine ranging from regional specialities to French delicacies. www.tuchmacher.de
Hotel Börse This hotel in a historic palais from 1714 has charming rooms, most of them spacious with antique furniture and beautiful colours and fabrics. All rooms boast state-of-the-art inroom electronic equipment. www.boerse-goerlitz.de (in German only) Restaurant Lucie Schulte in den Höfen This restaurant in Görlitz, hidden in a courtyard behind one of the historical hall houses at Untermarkt, serves international cuisine. www.lucieschulte.de
GOOD TO KNOW Hollywood loves Görlitz With its impressive architecture, Görlitz has often featured in national and international film productions. Scenes from “Around the World in 80 Days” with martial arts legend Jackie Chan, “The Reader” with Kate Winslet, Quentin Tarantino‘s “Inglourious Basterds” with Brad Pitt and, at the beginning of 2013, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” by cult director Wes Anderson were filmed here. www.goerlitz.de Landskron Brewery The brewery is listed as a historical building and offers guided tours as well as live music and theatre events. www.landskron.de (in German only)
SIGHTGEIST 81
Imitating Nature A Window to the Future
Transparent solar foil enables windows to generate energy without detracting from the building’s design.
SIGHTGEIST 83
Organic solar foils The faรงades of high-rise buildings offer a much larger surface area for generating energy than the roof, where conventional solar panels are usually installed. It will be possible to integrate organic solar foils into glass in future, transforming faรงades and windows into attractive power collectors.
The Liternity® brand developed by Novaled offers a limited range of products with innovative light technology to an exclusive group of customers. This designer table lamp made of green visible carbon fibre is called “Victory”.
86 SIGHTGEIST
Highly efficient OLEDs developed by Novaled are tested for display applications.
Imagine a world in which cars are fuelled by sunlight! Where
your fridge is powered by your balcony window, or where you can transform your living room wallpaper into a tropical paradise complete with gently lapping waves at the touch of a button! This is no longer science fiction, but could be reality in the near future thanks to a new technology. Organic electronics have been developed by an innovative network of more than 1,000 scientists and engineers in eastern Germany, mainly in the Saxony state capital of Dresden. “This technology lays the foundation for entirely new components, such as flexible, transparent light-emitting diodes and solar cells, intelligent labels or tickets,” explains one of the net-
Technology from Dresden powers OLED
work’s initiators, Professor Karl Leo of the Technical University
smartphones and organic televisions
of Dresden. “We could soon be seeing windows with transparent photovoltaic cells that generate energy during the day and light
Before that can happen, the researchers and engineers in Dres-
up the entire surface as light-emitting diodes at night.”
den, together with their partners in Asia and the USA, still have
So what makes this new technology so special? Standard compu-
a number of problems to solve, such as cutting production costs,
ter chips are made of rigid silicon, as are the LEDs found in car
increasing the lifespan of organic lights and electronics, and fur-
tail lights or modern torches. Their organic counterparts are a
ther honing the technology. Organic screens can already be found
different matter altogether: They are constructed from flexible
in numerous applications, for example in the stylish, ultra-thin
and often transparent organic molecules, such as those found in a
OLED televisions presented recently at industry trade fairs by
similar form in rubber or plastic film.
electronics firms like LG, or in Samsung’s “Galaxy S3” smartphone with its flat, high-contrast and true-colour display that already has countless fans.
Simulating chlorophyll
Many of these new products use components and know-how
in plants to generate energy
developed by the organic cluster in Dresden. One of its most successful companies is Novaled. Founded in 2003 as a spin-off
Much in the same way as chlorophyll turns plants green and
from Dresden University and the Dresden Fraunhofer Institute
enables them to fuel up on the energy they need from sunlight,
for Photonic Microsystems, the company has since registered
organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) also generate electricity from
more than 500 patents for organic LEDs, supplies major indus-
light. And the process can be reversed: Organic light-emitting
trial corporations in the Far East like Samsung and LG with
diodes (OLEDs) radiate a gentle, sunshine-like light when power
formulas and organic material for organic screens, and is cur-
is applied. They may not be quite as fast as silicon computer proc-
rently preparing its initial public offering in the USA. “No-
essors, but they have another major advantage: Because they are
valed has grown from modest beginnings with three employ-
flexible, they can be printed on a large scale, for example in news-
ees and a small laboratory in Dresden into a privately owned
paper printing plants. This opens up completely new possibilities,
limited company with branch offices in South Korea and Ja-
such as electronic cinema tickets that show film trailers, novel
pan. It now employs more than 130 people and generated 23.2
travel vouchers that play a video of the booked holiday destina-
million dollars in revenues in 2011,” Novaled’s spokesperson
tion, or animated adverts on shopping bags.
Anke Lemke reports.
SIGHTGEIST 87
The world’s first roll-to-roll production plant for organic solar foil
Billion-dollar market expected
Architects are snatching prototypes
for organic technology
out of our hands
Novaled is not the only one counting on strong growth in the
Unlike classic photovoltaic modules that use rigid silicon or
next few years. “The markets are taking off at the moment,”
glass substrates, organic power collectors made by Heliatek
the semiconductor association SEMI Europe recently estimat-
are deposited on flexible films by means of vapour. They are
ed. It expects the global market volume for OLED products,
ultra-thin, come in almost any shape and in different colours
like organic smartphones, televisions and lamps, to total 20
with varying degrees of efficiency, depending on the mate-
billion dollars in 2020.
rial used. “We have already attracted interest from architects;
By contrast, the market for organic photovoltaics is still in its
they are literally snatching the prototypes out of our hands,”
infancy, although it also has investors and analysts fantasizing
says Martin Pfeiffer, Heliatek's head of technology and co-
about the future. Its market volume could soar to some 630 mil-
founder. They envision skyscrapers with glass facades clad
lion dollars by 2020, according to a forecast by analysts at the
in transparent photovoltaic cells that cover the building’s
Cambridge-based consultancy IDTechEx.
power requirements.
Heliatek based in Dresden is at the forefront of technological ad-
A leading manufacturer of computer accessories has also
vances in this field. Established in 2006 as a spin-off from the
shown interest. Because Heliatek’s organic cells supply suf-
universities of Dresden and Ulm, it is currently setting up an in-
ficient power even in the weak light of a living room lamp,
novative production facility in Dresden to manufacture flexible
the company has come up with the idea of wireless solar key-
and almost transparent organic photovoltaic cells in a roll-to-roll
boards that can power themselves throughout their techno-
production process using vacuum technology. Following the re-
logical life without having to be recharged or their batteries
cent collapse of its US competitor Konarka, Heliatek is now the
changed. The Swiss company Logitech launched a similar
global leader in this young technology.
computer keyboard in 2011, but the product did not take off.
88 SIGHTGEIST
Unlike organic solar foils, the silicon cells it used did not produce enough electricity in the half-light of a living room. Lastly, design also plays an important role: Heliatek photovoltaic cells come in different colours. “I think that people simply find our cells attractive,” says Pfeiffer.
Organic solar panels could solve energy problems in Africa Meanwhile, the engineers in Dresden have devised a solution
for a completely different problem: Some 1.5 billion people around the world, especially in Africa and South Asia, do not have access to the public power grid. Roll-out panels made of organic solar cells that can withstand extreme temperatures in the desert could help these people to become selfsufficient: Instead of waiting for their government to connect their village to the grid, each dwelling could use these foils to cover its own electricity requirements. But there is still a long way to go before African farmers can recharge their mobile phones via solar foils “made in Saxony” and enjoy the benefits of electric light in their homes without
Sheets of glass can be tinted using transparent organic solar cells to generate energy.
SIGHTGEIST 89
More than 1,000 Saxon engineers and researchers working on organic electronics In the meantime, some 40 companies and 17 research institutes in
Saxony are working on developing organic electronics, OLEDs, organic solar technology and printed computer chips. They include highly specialized suppliers of unique OLED equipment, producers of large-format plastic displays like Plastic Logic, as well as think tanks like the Fraunhofer Institute or the University An organic solar foil runs through Heliatek’s roll-to-roll production plant.
of Dresden. “Overall, more than 1,000 people are employed in the organic electronics industry,” points out Dr. Dominik Gronarz from Organic Electronics Saxony (OES), a network that brings together these companies and institutes. This makes Saxony one of the world’s leading organic clusters. “We have to make sure we
loud diesel generators. The road is not only paved with techno-
don’t lose our technological lead,” he says: “The competition in
logical hurdles, but also financial ones: Similar to other young
the Far East never sleeps.”
companies that have sprouted out of the ruins of the controlled
Dr. Gronarz is convinced that organic technology has a future:
economy of former East Germany, organic electronic start-ups
“In the next few years, we will see the first hybrid solutions
in Saxony do not have sufficient capital to finance low-cost
on the market that combine the advantages of conventional
mass production themselves. The region’s engineers and inven-
silicon technology with new organic electronics,” he believes.
tors have plenty of good ideas, but are mainly reliant on ven-
Examples include air pollution sensors that are produced with
ture capitalists who recognize the potential of organic monitors,
traditional semi-conductor technology but cover their electric-
LEDs and photovoltaic cells. Dresden’s engineers have since
ity requirements with ultra-thin, flexible organic batteries. But
given up on an idea they had just a few years ago of building
these transitional solutions are just the beginning. Trimmed
large-scale organic displays in their own production facilities:
for performance, even ultra-thin computer telephones could
Asian firms specialised in the electronic control systems re-
be made largely with organic electronics in future. Imagine a
quired for these displays had too great a head start, and the
smartphone that you wrap around your wrist like a watch after
scheme lacked funding.
you’ve hung up.
Info Good To Know Organic electronics is the name of a new technology for highly-efficient illumination, brilliant displays and innovative photovoltaics. It also offers a wide range of opportunities for innovative product developments that take advantage of the special features of organic electronics such as its flexibility, light weight and transparency. The OES (Organic Electronics Saxony) network provides further information and contacts in Saxony. www.oes-net.de, www.heliatek.com, www.novaled.com
90 SIGHTGEIST
r e v o AM r e k a h S d an He is wooed by prominent international dance companies and featured in
the repertoires of the world’s greatest ballet ensembles. And that is by no means an exaggeration. Although his work has always been controversial, no rational person today would ever venture to not take this artist seriously: William Forsythe is a choreographer and a researcher, an artist who thinks in motion. For almost four decades, he has pursued his goal of turning ballet into a contemporary, highly respected art form.
Woolf Phrase, choreography by William Forsythe; dancers: Esther Balfe, Cyril Baldy
The Festival Theatre in Dresden-Hellerau is increasingly becoming one of the most important centres for contemporary art in Germany and Europe with a focus on contemporary dance and music as well as a platform for modern theatre forms and art.
94 SIGHTGEIST
SIGHTGEIST 95
William Forsythe is one of the world’s foremost choreographers.
The road to success has been stony at times, above all because
“Art needs receptive people,” Swiss music educator Emile
he is in constant battle with himself. In his modest, doubting way,
Jaques-Dalcroze said in 1913 addressing students of his educa-
Forsythe always knows what he does not want. He must find the
tional academy in Hellerau’s newly built Festival Theatre. He
way to what he wants, working in the process with committed ar-
was referring to “future educationalists or artists of the stage” as
tistic partners. At the same time, he has to put up with irritating
well as “educated aficionados and friends of the arts.” This for-
adversaries, who make his life difficult.
gotten educational experiment in direct proximity to Hellerau Garden City and the interior design company Deutsche Werk-
This internationally acclaimed choreographer, who prefers to stay
stätten has left its mark on the place. The prestigious theatre
out of the limelight and does not care for accolades, still attaches
together with its stage design were influenced by the ideas of
great importance to being perceived through his art and his research.
theatre reformer Adolphe Appia. Appia, who was also instru-
It is a matter of particular concern to him that the exceptional danc-
mental in the design of the Festival Hall in Bayreuth, insisted
ers in his ensemble are given most attention; and they certainly are
that it was no longer sufficient to demand from audiences that
exceptional. Forsythe has a talent for recognising talent even when
they simply sit quietly and attentively on comfortable seats in
it is barely discernible to others. He encourages his dancers to work
the dark. Instead, they should search for the emerging rhythm
together to create a joint effort, and by doing so, awakens their inter-
within themselves, and be drawn out of their passive role. But
est, giving them the confidence to contribute their own creations.
fate took an unexpected turn: Just a few years after it was founded, Dalcroze’s school was brought to an abrupt end by the First
It is therefore a stroke of luck that this insistently curious, won-
World War and its initiator, who was now spurned in Germany,
derfully observational, ingenious man, together with his ensem-
returned to Geneva. From the late 1930s, Hellerau Festival
ble, the Forsythe Company, has now found a new home in Dres-
Theatre was used for various purposes, first as a police academy,
den-Hellerau. This is what he envisaged at that crucial point in
then by the Red Army.
time when Frankfurt Ballet was disbanded in the wake of cost cuts and his dancers left to scatter all over the world. Baron Bernhard
Visitors today are captivated by the almost sacred atmosphere of
von Loeffelholz was instrumental in finding a viable solution to
the building, now extensively renovated, which was extolled at
the problem. The former Chairman of the Cultural Foundation of
the time as a modern “cathedral of light” thanks to Alexander
Dresdner Bank has lived in Dresden-Radebeul for many years and
Salzmann’s lighting concept. It is not surprising that Forsythe
knows Forsythe from his time in Frankfurt. Back in 2003, he had
and his dance company soon felt at home here, even though de-
the bold yet brilliant idea of creating an artistic home for the cho-
lays in construction meant that they could not move in immedi-
reographer in Hellerau's Festival Theatre. Above all, however,
ately. Dresden’s theatre and the German Hygiene Museum were
the concept struck a chord with Forsythe, whose long-cherished
used as venues for performances and installations until Forsythe
wish to create a kind of dance laboratory was ideally suited to the
was able to take his audience to Hellerau on the northern out-
legendary 20th century building designed by Heinrich Tessenow.
skirts of Dresden.
SIGHTGEIST 97
William Forsythe was born on 30 December 1949 in New York
sequent choreographies. In light of his work, nothing could
and trained in ballet with Nolan Dingman, one of George Bal-
be the same again.
anchine’s original dancers. In 1969, he was awarded a scholarship to Joffrey Ballet School in New York, and was soon danc-
That makes it sound as if he started an artistic revolution, and in a
ing with the youth company and later with Joffrey Ballet itself.
way, he did. Forsythe put an end to classical ballet productions, with
When Stuttgart Ballet, which was flourishing at the time under
prima ballerinas and striding men, creating breathtaking dance in
the direction of John Cranko, was on tour in New York, For-
its place with works like “Artifact” (1984) or “The Loss of Small
sythe auditioned and Cranko took him on.
Detail” (1991). Many of his earlier pieces were adapted years later, − among others by the outstanding Semperoper Ballet in Dresden −
In 1973, Forsythe moved to Stuttgart, where he soon was of-
or are included in the repertoire of the Forsythe Company.
fered the opportunity to produce his own choreographies. In 1976 he became Resident Choreographer, working with the
Founded in 2004, the Forsythe Company is an independent en-
Stuttgart ensemble as well as ballet companies in Munich,
semble funded by the states of Saxony and Hesse, the cities of
Den Haag, London, Basel, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Paris,
Dresden and Frankfurt am Main, as well as private sponsors. It
New York and San Francisco. In 1984, he was appointed Bal-
is a non-profit limited liability company under German law with
let Director at Frankfurt Opera, and renamed the company
permanent residency in Dresden-Hellerau as well as in Frankfurt
Frankfurt Ballet. Until the company's breakup in 2004, he
am Main, in addition to its engagements touring. Hellerau Fes-
transformed the classical ensemble, making his mark on sub-
tival Theatre has gained international acclaim as a venue for
98 SIGHTGEIST
world premieres, performances and installations by the Forsythe
Hellerau. Each of these institutions taken by itself is a gem, but
Company, such as “Human Writes” (2005) or “Yes we can’t”
together they are invaluable.
(2008/2010). Forsythe’s latest works are performed more or less continuously in both Hellerau and Frankfurt am Main. Earlier
As a loyal supporter of the Forsythe Company, Baron Bernhard
works were and still are included in the repertoires of the world’s
von Loeffelholz can be believed when he describes the effect that
leading ballet ensembles, including in St. Petersburg, New York,
William Forsythe has on spectators who are not regular ballet
San Francisco, Montreal, London and Paris.
or theater-goers. He emphatically recounts how eagerly creative professionals from the advertising and communications industry
In the early 20th century, Dresden enjoyed a reputation as a city
took inspiration from Forsythe’s choreographies for their own
of modern dance. It produced artists like Mary Wigman, who
work during his time at Frankfurt Ballet. This level of interest is
had a famous dance school in Bautzner Strasse from 1920 to
also evident in Dresden-Hellerau – performances in the Festival
1942, and Gret Palucca. One of Wigman’s first students, Paluc-
Theatre draw a conspicuously young audience.
ca founded her own school in 1925, which still enjoys international acclaim as Palucca University of Dance Dresden. William
William Forsythe is sought after as an artist, yet remains controver-
Forsythe and his company have now given Dresden a new lease
sial in his uncompromising quest to challenge his audience to think
of life as a city of dance in the early 21st century with the Euro-
for itself. He deliberately places many of his works in a political
pean Center for the Arts Dresden, a collaboration between the
context, at times causing his audience to despair when they cannot
Forsythe Company, Semperoper Ballet, Palucca University and
find a way to appreciate his ballet as a purely sensual art form.
SIGHTGEIST 99
Amancio Gonzalez, Yasutake Shimaji and William Forsythe during rehearsals
But by forcing his audience to activate their thought processes,
tronic compositions for musical accompaniment, preferably by
to search for an artistic and scientific approach, they benefit too.
Thom Willems, favours dramatic interruptions, irritations. This
After all, the relationship between art and intellect is an impor-
tireless artist is constantly on the search for new challenges. Cur-
tant one, as illustrated by the following comment by Picasso on a
rently he is researching new approaches to dance notation as part
different theme: “I paint things as I think and not as I see them.”
of the Motion Bank project, working with scientists and artists to develop digital online scores of choreographies. But William
What attracts some but deters others is Forsythe’s way of immers-
Forsythe is not as unapproachable as one might think. In dialog
ing himself in spheres of thought that are difficult for many to
with his audience, he finds simple words, is charismatic, engaging
follow. He disassembles and analyses, then brings everything back
and usually also understanding. Perhaps, after decades of search-
together again, often with unexpected results. Forsythe has long
ing, he has finally found what he does want, in Hellerau Festival
dispensed with frills (with some exceptions); he uses mainly elec-
Theatre near Dresden.
TravelInfo How to get there By air: Dresden airport Non-stop flights from London, Moscow, Barcelona, Basel, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich. By rail: direct ICE connections to Dresden from almost all German cities; CityNightLine from Zurich and Amsterdam By car and coach: via motorways A4, A13 and A14 WHERE TO EAT Schmidt´s Restaurant Schmidt´s Restaurant in Hellerau offers guests creative cuisine. Located in the former building complex of Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau, the restaurant serves seasonal Mediterranean food. On warm days, guests can also eat outside with views of the ensemble of buildings in Hellerau. www.schmidts-restaurant.de (in German only)
100 SIGHTGEIST
GOOD TO KNOW Forsythe Company When he founded The Forsythe Company in 2004, William Forsythe created a new, flexible structure, enabling him to further pursue the multi-faceted creative work he began with Frankfurt Ballet. The Forsythe Company is a company-in-residence at both HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts in Dresden and the Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt am Main. Together with an ensemble of 16 dancers, Forsythe produces works in the areas of performance, installation, and film. www.theforsythecompany.com Hellerau Festival Theater – European Center for the Arts Hellerau was the vision of furniture manufacturer and entrepreneur Karl Schmidt, who founded Deutschen Werkstätten Hellerau as well as setting up the first garden city in Germany in 1909. The myth surrounding Heller-
au is also fostered by both the architecture of the Festival Theater and its aura as a modern art space. Hellerau is increasingly becoming one of the most important centres for contemporary art in Germany and Europe with a focus on contemporary dance and music as well as a platform for modern theatre forms and modern art. HELLERAU is a “laboratory for the modern age”. www.hellerau.org Hellerau Garden City Shortly after the first Garden City was built in England, Germany’s first settlement of this kind was founded over 100 years ago in Dresden-Hellerau by furniture manufacturer Karl Schmidt. Hellerau combined an architecturally sophisticated factory complex offering working conditions that met workers’ specific needs with a modern garden city. All in all, despite its romantic aspirations, Hellerau remains a modern piece of urban history.
Design for Life The Beautiful Face of Industrialisation
This impressive villa perched regally on a hill was designed by the Belgian architect Henry van de Velde.
The spacious hall with its central skylight is the villa’s principal room.
Villa Esche is an architectural gem of European rank. Built by a pioneering artist at the heart of Chemnitz, the “city of modernity,” it links the careers of a hosiery manufacturer and an architect, influenced textile companies and an entire industrial culture, and is the quintessential modern dwelling.
Villa Esche stands magnificently, even regally, on a hill in the res-
idential neighbourhood of Kappel in Chemnitz. Painted a warm yellow, it is an impressive building, a landmark signifying wealth acquired in the past and still preserved today in many respects. Built on what was once an exclusive location on the outskirts of town, it now stands almost in the city centre. Originally designed by an exceptional artist as a residence for a wealthy industrialist and a work of art in its own right, it now serves as a museum and a venue for meetings and events.
Meissen porcelain designed by Henry van de Velde
Commissioned by a visionary industrialist Villa Esche was built for the successful hosiery manufacturer
to wallpaper, fabrics and even tableware. He was guided at all
Herbert Esche. He was one of a number of industrialists who
times by his conviction that the form of an object should follow
contributed to Chemnitz’s heyday as a hub of industry and trade
its function as far as possible. With his philosophy, Van de Velde
in the early 20th century. The textile industry in particular flour-
represented a new form of Art Nouveau and paved the way for
ished and Esche’s hosiery dynasty made a name for itself with
the Bauhaus movement.
technical innovations and farsightedness. Shortly before Herbert Esche’s marriage to Johanna “Hanni” Luise Koerner, the future Mrs. Esche was leafing through a special edition of “Dekorative
Designed by a pioneer of modern art
Kunst,” a fine arts journal, in 1898. It was dedicated to the Belgian artist Henry van de Velde, whose avant-garde Art Nouveau
Esche and his fiancée decided to entrust this modern artist with
designs had little in common with the rich ornamentation and
designing their first apartment in the Kassberg neighbourhood
intricate details that were so popular at the time, but were reso-
of Chemnitz. Despite the outstanding furniture crafted by van
lutely modern in form.
de Velde in his Brussels studio, the couple was troubled by the
Henry Clement van de Velde designed furnishings that were
contradiction between the tenement building itself, designed in
more evidently functional than decorative. Instead of flowers and
the Art Nouveau style, and the functional, sober forms of the
tendrils, they featured lines and curves. The Belgian wanted to
furnishings in their apartment. Herbert Esche therefore acquired
create complete works of art that would reform all areas of life and
a parcel of land with a park in Chemnitz in 1902 and commis-
break down the barriers between art and craftsmanship. Van de
sioned van de Velde, who was now living in Weimar, to create a
Velde’s interior designs encompassed everything from furniture
“living space” for the Esche family. It was a designer’s dream, the chance to turn a vision into reality with no intervention from the client, but with his unlimited financial support. A year later, the Belgian began on his first commissioned work as an architect in Germany, the construction of Villa Esche.
SIGHTGEIST 107
The music room. The curtains and upholstery are by the company eschke Seidenmanufaktur.
True to the motto “form follows function,” he designed the build-
built nearby also had a hugely detrimental effect on the build-
ing inside and out, planned the gardens, the room layout, the
ing's appearance. Things started to look up in 1998, when the
windows, furniture and lamps, created wall coverings, porcelain,
Chemnitz real estate management company Grundstücks- und
cutlery, and even Hanni Esche’s clothes. Van de Velde's “design
Gebäudewirtschafts GmbH bought the stately residence from Es-
for life” in Chemnitz is a particularly impressive example of his in-
che’s heirs. Over the next three years, the company restored the
terpretation of the Art Nouveau style. This brilliant artist, whose
building to its former glory.
150th birthday is celebrated in Saxony and Thuringia in 2013, is known as the pioneer of modernism and father of the Bauhaus era. Restored by modern businesses with a long tradition Frustrated by two dictatorships Numerous experts were involved in renovating this cultural The Esches moved into their new home in 1904. The working
monument. Who better to reproduce the fabrics or recreate frag-
relationship between the two men had since evolved into friend-
ments of wall coverings than the same local companies that had
ship. Van de Velde became Esche’s creative adviser, recommend-
been largely responsible for the heyday of the textile industry in
ing the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, among others. At the
Chemnitz? Firms like eschke seidenmanufaktur, specialized in
invitation of Mrs. Esche, the now world-famous artist fashioned
creating exact replicas of historical textiles, set about weaving
seven portraits of the family and a landscape painting in 1905.
upholstery fabric and wall coverings for the villa, which had
After Johanna Esche died in 1911, the villa was extended, once
fallen into an alarming state.
again following van de Velde’s plans: The large terrace was roofed
The upholstery on the chairs in the music room, the coverings
in and integrated into the building’s overall design, giving it a
on the walls in the former study, and the decorative fabrics in the
more symmetrical form.
bedroom are all the work of eschke seidenmanufaktur. The com-
After the war ended in 1945, Villa Esche was seized by Soviet
pany based in Crimmitschau makes exclusive fabrics for period
occupying forces. The widowed industrialist therefore left Chem-
interiors. Its portfolio includes silk tapestries, drapes and uphol-
nitz and moved to live with his daughter in Switzerland. While
stery fabrics. Founded in 1868 as a family-owned business and
there, he renewed his friendship with van de Velde. The villa was
now managed in the fourth generation, eschke produces exact
inhabited by his son for a short time, but its value was neither
replicas of practically all woven fabrics, right down to the very
respected nor preserved by the East German communist regime.
thread. Their products can be found in many state-owned castles
It was used first by the State Security service and later as a branch
and museums, such as Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Kriebstein
office of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce; a garage complex
Castle near Chemnitz or Moritzburg Castle outside Dresden.
SIGHTGEIST 109
Preserving a cultural heritage Saxon textile companies go back a long way; they were in-
industrial enterprises in and around Chemnitz, set up “Hom-
strumental in shaping the golden age of the textile industry in
mage Textil,” a group dedicated to upholding this tradition and
Chemnitz and its industrial culture, and many are still successful
guaranteeing premium quality work.
today. They have survived dictatorial regimes, modernization
The restoration of Villa Esche can therefore be seen as con-
and industrialization by serving niche markets and turning their
tributing to the preservation of cultural heritage in the textile
expertise to their advantage. To commemorate the 50th anni-
industry. The villa itself exemplifies Saxony’s entire industrial
versary of Henry van de Velde’s death in 2007, eschke seiden-
culture with Chemnitz at its centre. The cornerstone for this
manufaktur, together with six other craft, manufacturing and
industrial hub was laid by Carl Friedrich Bernhard, who built a spinning mill in Chemnitz in 1798. This was soon followed by weaving mills, chemical firms, manufacturers of textile machines as well as locomotives, steam and machine tools. The
The steps leading from the terrace are the only direct access to the park from the former living area.
industrialists of that era left their mark on Chemnitz: Most were active in social projects, set up foundations and had a lasting impact on many levels. This is still reflected in the townscape today: The architecture is unmistakably dominated by industrial buildings. Most are now used for different purposes, for example Chemnitz Museum of Industry with its extensive collection of technical and mechanical exhibits, witnesses to Saxony’s industrial past.
A centre for art and culture Villa Esche is another prime example: Since 2001, it has been
used as a community centre and a forum for business, art and culture. The building is home to Germany's first Henry van de Velde Museum, presenting the authentic ambience of the architect’s “living spaces” in five rooms on the ground and first floors. Exhibits from Chemnitz Art Collections are showcased in a permanent exhibition with furniture and other pieces of art from the artist’s overall work. Villa Esche can also be rented for private and public events. The museum forges a link between Henry van de Velde’s exceptional achievements and his friendship with the successful industrialist Herbert Esche. Entrepreneurs in the region have traditionally been involved in art and culture, and so a network has evolved with representatives from the spheres of business, art, science and culture, which uses Villa Esche as a platform for European and international events.
110 SIGHTGEIST
Henry van de Velde, around 1908 (born on 3 April 1863 in Antwerp/Belgium, died on 25 October 1957 in Zurich/Switzerland)
TravelInfo How to get there By air: Dresden and Leipzig-Halle airport By rail: Interregio Express from Nuremberg, Dresden and Leipzig By car and coach: via motorways A 4 and A 72 WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Hotel Chemnitzer Hof This 4-star superior hotel is situated on Chemnitz's architecturally most attractive square, right next door to the opera house, the art gallery and St. Peter’s church. The hotel was built in the 1930s in the Bauhaus style. After being careful renovated, it now shines in new splendour, with modern and comfortable facilities. The restaurant, ballrooms and attractive lobby have been restored to their former glory, while retaining the marble, sandstone, wood and brass features that always made the house so elegant and unique. www.guennewig.de/chchemni Hotel & Restaurant alexxanders alexxanders is in a quiet, central location, just a few minutes from the town centre and the railway station. The restaurant serves light, German cuisine with Italian and Asian influ-
ences. Whether fish or meat, health food or vegetarian, exotic or classical, guests are regaled with creative cuisine using fresh, highquality ingredients. www.alexxanders.de (in German only) Restaurant Villa Esche Situated in the Orangery next door to van de Velde’s Villa Esche, this restaurant welcomes guests with outstanding cuisine and friendly service. On warmer days, diners can enjoy the special ambience of the restaurant’s attractive terrace surrounded by idyllic gardens. www.restaurant-villaesche.de What To do Henry van de Velde Museum in Villa Esche Henry van de Velde Museum presents selected exhibits from the extensive inventory of Chemnitz Art Collections: The former dining room and music room on the ground floor featuring original furniture offer an impression of the authentic ambience of van de Velde’s “living spaces”. In the upper floor of the villa, a permanent exhibition in the former bedroom, children’s room and bathroom give a
further insight into the talented artist's wideranging oeuvre. In addition to Villa Esche, Villa Quisisana built around 1908 and Villa Koerner dating back to 1913/1914, both in Chemnitz, are included in the European Henry van de Velde Route. The villas are open for viewing on certain dates only. www.villaesche.de Chemnitz Museum of Industry Chemnitz Museum of Industry includes an extensive collection showcasing Saxony’s industrial history. It presents the city’s technological development in relation to Saxony’s social and economic history from the end of the 18th century. The exhibits cover the areas of mechanical engineering, vehicle construction, aircraft engine construction, the railway industry and the textile industry. One of the main attractions is a fully-functioning steam engine from 1896, exhibited in a renovated machine hall. The museum is an Anchor Point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH). www.saechsisches-industriemuseum.de
SIGHTGEIST 111
Cultural Highlights 2013/14 Saxony is Germany’s no. 1 cultural destination. The margraves, dukes, electors and kings of the Wettin dynasty who ruled Saxony for 832 years promoted the arts and music, built impressive palaces and even complete cities, and inspired in their people the joie de vivre visitors can still witness today. Saxony’s capital, Dresden, has risen again in all its Baroque splendour, its incredible art collections shining like the jewels in a crown. A journey through the musical history of Saxony is an encounter with great names and a rich musical legacy. It is possible to walk in the footsteps of famous musical instrument manufacturers, composers and musicians, not only in Leipzig, Saxony’s largest city, that has contributed to music history like no other place in Germany. Smaller romantic towns also impress with their historic architecture from Gothic to Art Nouveau, and with unexpected cultural highlights. By creating innovative art and music and presenting it in established or new locations, contemporary artists and musicians are busy building a tradition for the future.
SIGHTGEIST 113
until 29 September 2013 “Stepping into the Limelight!”
9 – 12 May 5th German Music Festival
17 – 20 May Wave Gothic Festival
Exhibition in Grassi Museum Leipzig on international avant-garde shoe design
Major music festival in Chemnitz with a focus on brass music
This festival in Leipzig is one of the biggest events in the neo-romantic black metal scene.
www.deutsches-musikfest.de
www.grassimuseum.de until 3 October 2013 18th Summer in Electoral Saxony
Cultural festival in the Saxon/ Bohemian spa region
9 May – 1 September Nature Theatre in Bad Elster
Open-air theatre in the historic park of this spa town in the Vogtland region www.naturtheater-badelster.de
www.chursaechsische.de until November 2013 Bad Elster commemorates Wagner and Verdi
Operas and concerts to mark the anniversaries of Wagner and Verdi www.chursaechsische.de
10 – 12 May 22nd Karl May Festival in Radebeul
Every year, numerous visitors come to the Karl May Festival in the town of Radebeul to celebrate Karl May, wellloved author of numerous adventure stories set in the American West. www.karl-may-fest.de
until 15 December 2013 Festival of Sandstone and Music
(in German only)
At this music festival, culture, music and breathtaking nature blend harmoniously. The concerts are held at various venues in Saxon Switzerland – in churches, castles, palaces and quarries.
11 May – 2 June Dresden Music Festival
www.sandstein-musik.de
(in German only) M ay 2 0 1 3
www.wave-gothic-treffen.de 18 – 20 May 22nd Weesensteiner Medieval Festival
Medieval market with authentic handicrafts and trades. www.schloesserland-sachsen.de 22 – 26 May Görlitz Jazz Festival
This festival combines live concerts presenting various jazz styles with the exceptional urban space and architecture of a town that dates back nearly one thousand years. www.jazztage-goerlitz.de
(in German only)
Under the motto “Empire,” the festival in 2013 takes its audience on a journey to the world of English classical music. Artistic director Jan Vogler welcomes outstanding artists from all over the world to celebrate music in atmospheric venues in and around Dresden. www.musikfestspiele.com
4 – 12 May Johann Strauss Festival Dresden
This festival presents rarities by Johann Strauss as well as operettas by Vienna’s king of waltz. www.staatsoperette-dresden.de
12 – 19 May 43rd International Dixieland Festival
Every year in May, more than 500,000 fans turn Dresden into the European capital of Dixieland. It is the longestrunning old-time jazz festival in Europe.
4 – 20 May Saxon Mozart Festival
www.dixieland.de
A Mozart festival with international partners
12 May – 22 September Lace, Velvet and Pearls
www.mozart-sachsen.de
Special exhibition showcasing precious jewels from Sorbian traditional costumes.
(in German only) 9 and 10 May Altzella Blues and Rock Festival
Germany’s most relaxing and authentic blues festival is held in Altzella Monastery. www.kloster-altzella.de
www.museum.sorben.com
(in German only) 16 – 26 May Richard Wagner Festival Leipzig
This festival marks the climax of the celebrations on the 200th birthday of composer Richard Wagner. www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de
23 May – 1 September Henry van de Velde’s Buildings
The exhibition shows their uses then and now www.villaesche.de 25 May – 2 June “A Capella”
This international vocal music festival offers a unique impression of what the human voice is capable of. www.a-capella-festival.de
SIGHTGEIST 115
June 2013 2 – 23 June Schumann Festival
Zwickau, Robert Schumann’s home town, celebrates the composer’s work this year under the motto “Schumann and Wagner” with works by these two musical colleagues. www.schumannzwickau.de 14 – 16 June 54th Plauen Lace Festival
The town of Plauen in the heart of the Vogtland region is famous for its lace; this delicate embroidery attests to outstanding craftsmanship. The annual festival is one of the best known in Saxony. www.plauen.de 14 – 23 June Bach Festival Leipzig
Under this year’s motto “Vita Christi,” the festival presents the theological, dramaturgical and compositional connections between Bach’s compositions. www.bach-leipzig.de
116 SIGHTGEIST
15 June – 15 September Summer Cultural Festival of Central Saxony
Enjoy the scenery while experiencing culture – that is the festival's motto again in 2013. At a number of venues between Freiberg, Mittweida and Döbeln, audiences can experience unusual sounds in unusual settings. www.mittelsachsen.de
(in German only) 16 June – 4 August 22nd Centre of Europe Festival
For several years now, this festival with its attractive programme has been dedicated to crossing borders in Central Europe. In 2013, concerts, exhibitions and literature at breathtaking venues from Lusatia to Dresden and as far as the Vogtland region will again contribute to cultivating dialogue between neighbours. www.festival-mitte-europa.com
20 – 23 June 4th Kriebstein Vintage Car Rally
Historical motorcycles and carriages from the days before 1939. www.burg-kriebstein.eu 22 – 30 June 31st Torgau Festival of Protestant Church Music
This festival week is characterized by diversity and originality. First-rate international artists play church music from the Reformation to the present day. www.tic-torgau.de 27 – 30 June Freiberg Town Festival
Central Saxony’s largest public festival www.freiberg-service.de
(in German only)
27 June – 25 August Film Nights on the Banks of the Elbe
13 July Dresden Castle Nights
Directly on the river Elbe facing the impressive skyline of the Terrassenufer with its historic buildings, Dresden presents two months of open-air cinema with classic films as well as rock and pop concerts.
Three castles on the river Elbe – Albrechtsberg Castle, Lingnerschloss and Eckberg Castle – provide a magical illuminated backdrop for this musical extravaganza.
www.filmnaechte-am-elbufer.de
(in German only)
(in German only) J u ly 2 0 1 3 6 July – 10 November The Phenomenon of Mobility. Pioneers of Automotive Engineering
Exhibition with fascinating icons of car engineering. www.museum-zittau.de
(in German only) 13 July – 24 August Leipzig Organ Summer
Exquisite organ concerts held in St. Thomas Church during the summer months.
www.dresdner-schloessernacht.de
13 July – December Leipzig 1813 – The Turmoil of the Battle of the Nations
25 – 28 July 19th Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta
Europe’s most fascinating and popular balloon event. www.balloonfiesta.de August 2013 1 – 3 August Via Thea Görlitz/Zgorzelec
A new panorama in the Gasometer in Leipzig.
International Street Theatre Festival: Internationally renowned theatre groups come here from all over Europe and the world to perform.
www.asisipanometer.de
www.viathea.de
(in German only) 15 July – 1 September MDR Summer Music Festival
Wagner’s life and work as a cross-genre spectacle. www.mdr.de/musiksommer
(in German only)
2 – 11 August Classic Open
Free entrance to concerts under the motto “Leipzig is Music – Leipzig makes Music” www.classic-open-leipzig.de
(in German only)
www.thomaskirche.org
SIGHTGEIST 117
11 – 25 August 20th Moritzburg Festival
7 – 15 September Schumann Festival Week Leipzig
27 – 29 September Meissen Wine Festival
Every year, around 25 renowned soloists and talented young musicians meet in Moritzburg to work together on new interpretations of chamber music and musical rarities.
Examines the life and work of the musical couple Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck.
Major wine festival on the Saxon Wine Route.
www.schumann-verein.de
(in German only)
(in German only)
www.moritzburgfestival.de 16 – 18 August 13th Leipzig Water Festival
Events are held in, on and around the rivers, lakes and canals in Leipzig’s town centre and surroundings.
6 – 8 September Transnaturale
Contemporary light and sound art at Lake Bärwalder. www.transnaturale.com
7 September – 13 October 13th Festival of Electoral Saxony
23 – 25 August Görlitz Old Town Festival
Bad Elster celebrates this year under the motto “Paths around Wagner & Verdi”. www.chursaechsische.de
www.altstadtfest-goerlitz.de
(in German only)
12 – 22 September Mendelssohn Festival
24 and 25 August International Linen Festival
This event takes place in 2013 under the motto “Mendelssohn and Goethe” in Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. www.gewandhaus.de
(in German only)
www.schloesserland-sachsen.de 24 and 25 August Open days in Saxony’s winegrowing estates
More than 25 wineries in and around Dresden open their doors to visitors.
13 – 15 September Chemnitz Industrial Culture Festival
The festival is dedicated to industrial development in Chemnitz and the surrounding region. www.chemnitz-tourismus.de
www.elbland.de
(in German only)
September 2013
13 – 15 September 13th International Festival “Harmonica Live”
4 – 15 September 20th Silbermann Festival
Festival of organ music played on historic organs from the famous organ builder Gottfried Silbermann.
Most important festival for contemporary jazz in Eastern Germany. www.jazzclub-leipzig.de
(in German only) October 2013
(in German only)
Rammenau Baroque Castle welcomes lovers of fine linen and traditional crafts.
27 September – 6 October 37th Leipzig Jazz Festival
(in German only)
www.wasserfest-leipzig.de
Impressive major festival with performances in historical venues.
www.meissener-weinfest.de
Artists and fans of harmonicas meet in Klingenthal in the Vogtland region. www.mundharmonika-live.de
(in German only)
www.silbermann.org
1 – 12 October TonLagen – Festival of Contemporary Music in Dresden
This festival presents concerts with chamber orchestras, vocal works of new music, musical theatre, electronic audiovisual experiments, dance and avant-garde rock music. www.hellerau.org 2 – 6 October Frauenkirche Bach Festival
On five consecutive days, works by Johann Sebastian Bach are performed on the Silbermann organ in the baroque nave of Frauenkirche Dresden. www.frauenkirche-dresden.de 11 – 13 October 20th International Bandoneon Festival
International soloists and groups perform music on the bandoneon. www.carlsfeld.com
(in German only) 16 – 20 October 200 Years of the Battle of the Nations and 100 Years of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations
20 – 22 September International Brass Music Festival
Opening ceremony, celebrations, light displays and re-enactments.
From swing and big-band sounds to folk music, all the way to rock and pop.
www.voelkerschlacht-jubilaeum.de
Temporary exhibition in Leipzig’s Local History Museum.
www.bergmannsblasorchester.de
17 – 27 October 23rd Laughter Fair
www.stadtgeschichtlichesmuseum-leipzig.de
27 – 29 September Radebeul Autumn Wine Festival
International comedy and cabaret festival.
Atmospheric wine estates, musicians, theatre groups, and culinary delights.
www.lachmesse.de
4 September – 5 January 2014 200 Years of the Battle of the Nations: Heroes Made to Measure
(in German only)
www.radebeul.de
SIGHTGEIST 119
19 October Open day at Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
Experience perfect craftsmanship in the production of “white gold.”
29 November – 22 December Bautzen Christmas Market
1 May – 31 October Strong Women of the Reformation
At the heart of the romantic old town of Bautzen.
Temporary exhibition at Rochlitz Castle
www.bautzen.de
www.meissen.com 25 – 27 October Grassi Fair 2013
A trade fair for applied arts and design in Leipzig’s Museum of Applied Arts. www.grassimuseum.de 25 – 27 October Designers’ Open
At this Leipzig design festival, national and international exhibitors can show their latest works in the fields of interior, industry, fashion and communication design. www.designersopen.de 28 October – 3 November Dok Leipzig
International festival for artistic documentation and animation film.
29 November – 12 January 2014 13th Winter Cultural Festival of Electoral Saxony
The Saxon state spas of Bad Elster and Bad Brambach invite you to enjoy culture and relaxation in winter. www.chursaechsische.de December 2013 6 – 15 December Silesian Christmas Market in Görlitz
Atmospheric Christmas market in Görlitz’s historic town centre with Silesian customs. www.schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de
(in German only)
www.dok-leipzig.de
31 December – 1 January 2014 New Year Concerts
No v e m b e r 2 0 1 3
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra sees off the old year and welcomes the New Year.
5 – 10 November euro-scene Leipzig
The 23rd festival of contemporary European theatre has as its motto this year: “Theatre and Dance from Old and New Europe.” www.euro-scene.de 8 – 17 November 2012 Dresden Jazz Festival
International jazz festival at various venues in Dresden. www.jazztage-dresden.de 26 November – 22 December Leipzig Christmas Market
The tradition dates back to 1458. www.leipzig.travel 28 November – 24 December 579th Striezelmarkt
The oldest and one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. www.dresden.de/striezelmarkt
120 SIGHTGEIST
www.schloesserland-sachsen.de
www.dresdnerphilharmonie.de
(in German only)
PREVIEW 2014 March – December Festival of Sandstone and Music www.sandstein-musik.de
(in German only) 13 – 16 March Leipzig Book Fair www.leipziger-buchmesse.de 28 March – 6 April 10th Electoral Saxony Mozart Festival www.chursaechsische.de 1 May – 5 October 19th Summer in Electoral Saxony www.chursaechsische.de
3 – 10 May Johann Strauss Festival Dresden www.staatsoperette-dresden.de 8 – 17 May 49th International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen www.markneukirchen.de 9 – 18 May A Capella Festival www.a-capella-festival.de 10 May – 1 June Dresden Music Festival www.musikfestspiele.com 11 – 18 May 44th International Dixieland Festival www.dixieland.de 13 – 22 June Bach Fest Leipzig www.bach-leipzig.de 21 – 29 June 32nd Torgau Festival of Protestant Church Music www.tic-torgau.de 9 – 19 July XIX International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition www.bach-leipzig.de 18 July – 4 August Lusatian Summer Music Festival “Four Elements” www.bautzen.de 10 – 24 August Moritzburg Festival www.moritzburgfestival.de 12 – 21 September Music Festival in the Ore Mountains www.musikfest.erzgebirge.de
Subject to change!
Imprint SIGHTGEIST is a publication of Labhard Medien GmbH Max-Stromeyer-Straße 116 78467 Konstanz, Germany Thomas Willauer, Gabriele Schindler Managing Directors Phone +49 7531 90710 Fax +49 7531 907131 verlag@labhard.de www.labhard.de HRB 380898 Freiburg Copyright: Labhard Medien GmbH Labhard Medien GmbH Branch Office Saxony Saalhausener Straße 51 b 01159 Dresden, Germany Iris Kupferschmied Publishing Manager Saxony Phone +49 351 7958830 Fax +49 351 79588315 sachsen@labhard.de www.labhard.de In Cooperation With Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony Bautzner Straße 45–47 01099 Dresden, Germany Phone +49 351 491700 Fax +49 351 4969306 info@sachsen-tour.de www.visitsaxony.com www.saxonytourism.com Editorial Director Hans-Jürgen Goller
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Editorial Team Thomas Willauer (responsible according to German press law), Wolfgang Gärtner Product Manager Iris Kupferschmied Translations Claire Gordon-Kühl Layout Z&Z Werbeagentur Dresden Printed by Brühlsche Universitätsdruckerei, Gießen, Germany Cover Picture Sylvio Dittrich, Dresden Authors and Photos Kaleidoscope Author: Ines Nebelung; Photos: © asisi; Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/Jürgen Karpinski; Landskron Brauerei Görlitz; Moritzburg Festival/Oliver Killig; WorldSkills Leipzig; TMGS; Musicon Valley e. V. A Musical Genius from Saxony Author: Manuela Geiger; Photos: © Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH/Heimrich & Hannot Leipzig; © Kultur- und Tourismusgesellschaft Pirna/Jens Dauterstedt, Marko Förster; Theater Chemnitz/Dieter Wuschanski; Andreas Harbach; Sächsische Staatsoper/Matthias Creutziger; Oper Leipzig; TMGS; LTM/Andreas Schmidt
The Battle of the Nations Author: Wolfgang Gärtner, Dr. Otto Werner Förster; Photos: © Sylvio Dittrich; Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig/Forum 1813; Napoleonmuseum Thurgau/Schloss & Park Arenenberg; LTM/Olaf Mertens; fotolia.com/© kameraauge How to Cuddle with a Yeti Author: Anett Böttger; Photos: © Hauth Photographie & Graphikdesign, www.uwehauth.com; Globetrotter Dresden/Martin Förster; shutterstock.com/© Cora Mueller A Place for the Soul Autor: Marita Lau; Photos: © TMGS/ Sylvio Dittrich; Sylvio Dittrich; René Pech; Albrecht Huwe/privat The Beauty of Precision Author: Christiane Schwarzbach; Photos: Mathematisch-physikalischer Salon/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Sylvio Dittrich An Exclusive Drinking Experience Author: Anett Böttger; Photos: © Landskron Brauerei Görlitz; TMGS/ Sabine Wenzel; shutterstock.com/ © Alex Staroseltsev Imitating Nature Author: Heiko Weckbrodt; Photos: © Novaled/Oliver Killig, Lamp at page 86 Design by S. Wolfram; Heliatek/Baldauf&Baldauf, Tom Bärwald, Tim Deussen, Smack Communications, Bernd Vogel
A Mover and Shaker Author: Gabriele Gorgas; Photos: © The Forsythe Company/Dominik Mentzos, Sylvio Dittrich Design for Life Author: decorum Kommunkation/ Nicole Marx; Photos: © Villa Esche/ GGGmbH Chemnitz, David Brandt; Klassik Stiftung Weimar Cultural Highlights Photos: © Sächsische Staatsoper/ Matthias Creutziger, Costin Radu; LTM/Dirk Brzoska; TMGS; Festival Mitte Europa/Wolfgang Schmidt Imprint © Chursächsische Veranstaltungs GmbH ISBN: 978-3-939142-92-8 Editorial Deadline: 9 April 2013 SIGHTGEIST No. 7 will be published in May 2014. For all information about travelling to and in Saxony, please contact Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony Bautzner Straße 45–47 01099 Dresden, Germany Phone +49 351 491700 +49 351 4969306 Fax info@sachsen-tour.de www.visitsaxony.com
© Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Foto: Jürgen Lösel
Saxony. Our cultural highlights shine – all over the world.
Art can please, astound, provoke. Art inspires and connects people and regions. Art is both a passion and an obligation in Saxony. Please take some time, and find out for yourself. Discover the fabulous cultural highlights that Saxony has to offer at www.kulturland.sachsen.de.