Scotty's smiling because I wanted to surreptitiously snap a shot of him in the Goethe Museum when no cameras were aloud. It took some convincing, but I wore him down. That's a big head...the bust I mean.
This picture and those that follow show the inside trappings of the home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, pronounced Guhrta. As Wikipedia will confirm, Goethe (1749-1832) was one of the more prominent actors in the literary movement known as Weimar Classicism. Like most polymaths of the 17th and 18th century, Goethe had a hand in everything. His investigations into plant morphology influenced the thought of Charles Darwin, his few ruminations in philosophy were enough to catch they eye of Hegel, his diplomatic contributions redound today with his name on at least one street or city square in virtually every major town in Germany, and his numerous poems and novels, among them the famous
Faust, have captured the imagination of literary enthusiasts since his day. Yes, he was talented...and rich, which gave him ample time to ply his various trades.
The capacious kitchen where Goethe's servants prepared meals for his family of 4, if I remember correctly.
This is a water pump. It took its place in the kitchen next to the large open oven which is featured above. A water pump of this sort was very innovative for its day. It conveniently brought water from the courtyard behind his home, situated in the heart of Frankfurt, into his four story mansion.
Nothing worth extensive commentary, but its a cool armoire. It had a twin which flanked the other side of the door shown on the left.
A very formal dining room to host the many dignitaries, playwrights, and nobles which darkened the Goethe doorway.
The clock still keeps time, though it requires some winding every now and then.
Goethe's library. Voluminous for its day, with folia and books in Greek, Latin, French, German, and English.
I don't recall the point of this room except to serve as a gallery of paintings collected by the family. Goethe enjoyed drawing and painting from a young age. Some of these paintings may have been his own...but I didn't pay that much attention to a nearby German tour guide doing her best to amplify her voice through all four stories of the home. Seriously, just let us enjoy the house without busting an eardrum.
Okay, this is really neat. Apparently this was the desk where Goethe fashioned his two part masterpiece,
Faust. Again, no flash photography was allowed in this museum so I feel especially sneaky for stealing this rare gem.
Goethe sharpened his creative wits on the whetstone of this puppet house. Given to him as a boy, it figured prominently as a tool to generate ideas for future novels and poems.
These paintings depicted the story of the biblical Joseph in succession. They lined the walls of Goethe's sister's room on the third floor.
Gotham City Tower...not really, but you can imagine. C'mon. No, seriously...Batman in Frankfurt. It happened.
Big ole wet, sloppy town square in the middle of Frankfurt.
In the foreground you see Frankfurt's 17th and 18th century jailhouse, still preserved and planted squarely in the middle of the city's skyscrapers (the only ones found in Germany for that matter).
A nice ambulatory exploration of the night life in Frankfurt. Scotty was picking up ladies left and right. It was getting old. "I'm an American...feel my arms" Over and over he said. Es war sehr peinlich fuer mich. (It was embarrassing for me).
The only actual constructed blackhole on earth. And a shopping center on the second floor. How quaint.
The Frankfut Kaiserdom Cathedral. The first incarnation of this church was built in 680. A hundred years later it served as the site of Charlemagne's Synod. Oh, he was no one of any real significance...EXCEPT THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR! Beginning in the 12th century this church was the venue for the election and coronation of Holy Roman Emperor until 1562. Just outside this church to the west about 20 feet are Roman ruins dating to the first century. Did I mention I lost Scotty in this church for about 30 minutes?
A fitting place for reflection on losing your friend in downtown Frankfurt and having to explain that to his parents.
Bereft of Scott's presence for a good half hour, I did some touring around the place and even took in a little literature on its Gothic architecture. Fascinating. Man, where is Scott?
After retrieving Scotty from the Benedictine order of monks in the cathredal's nave, we sauntered down to the Main River, pronounced "Mine". This was the eponymous origin to the city's name, Frankfurt. Apparently Charlemagne was leading his men, the Franks, across the Palatinate away from some unruly enemies when they came upon the Main River. Legend has it that Charlemagne prayed (this is in 794, mind you) for some way for the river to be transversed. Upon conclusion of that holy request he spotted a doe foraging on the river, just ankle deep. He deduced that there must be a ford (
furt) that would allow his men to cross and escape immenent doom. Thus, the river was crossed, Charlie and his boys threw a big party, gave thanks to the big guy upstairs, and christened the small outpost Frankfurt am Main, or where the Franks forded the Main river. There is still a mural on the side of a building commemorating the crossing. Scotty and I took this all in by order of downpour and then made a run for it to the subway. Not a bad half-day trip.
Scotty's smiling because I wanted to surreptitiously snap a shot of him in the Goethe Museum when no cameras were aloud. It took some convincing, but I wore him down. That's a big head...the bust I mean.
This picture and those that follow show the inside trappings of the home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, pronounced Guhrta. As Wikipedia will confirm, Goethe (1749-1832) was one of the more prominent actors in the literary movement known as Weimar Classicism. Like most polymaths of the 17th and 18th century, Goethe had a hand in everything. His investigations into plant morphology influenced the thought of Charles Darwin, his few ruminations in philosophy were enough to catch they eye of Hegel, his diplomatic contributions redound today with his name on at least one street or city square in virtually every major town in Germany, and his numerous poems and novels, among them the famous Faust, have captured the imagination of literary enthusiasts since his day. Yes, he was talented...and rich, which gave him ample time to ply his various trades.
The capacious kitchen where Goethe's servants prepared meals for his family of 4, if I remember correctly.
This is a water pump. It took its place in the kitchen next to the large open oven which is featured above. A water pump of this sort was very innovative for its day. It conveniently brought water from the courtyard behind his home, situated in the heart of Frankfurt, into his four story mansion.
Nothing worth extensive commentary, but its a cool armoire. It had a twin which flanked the other side of the door shown on the left.
A very formal dining room to host the many dignitaries, playwrights, and nobles which darkened the Goethe doorway.
The clock still keeps time, though it requires some winding every now and then.
Goethe's library. Voluminous for its day, with folia and books in Greek, Latin, French, German, and English.
I don't recall the point of this room except to serve as a gallery of paintings collected by the family. Goethe enjoyed drawing and painting from a young age. Some of these paintings may have been his own...but I didn't pay that much attention to a nearby German tour guide doing her best to amplify her voice through all four stories of the home. Seriously, just let us enjoy the house without busting an eardrum.
Okay, this is really neat. Apparently this was the desk where Goethe fashioned his two part masterpiece, Faust. Again, no flash photography was allowed in this museum so I feel especially sneaky for stealing this rare gem.
Goethe sharpened his creative wits on the whetstone of this puppet house. Given to him as a boy, it figured prominently as a tool to generate ideas for future novels and poems.
These paintings depicted the story of the biblical Joseph in succession. They lined the walls of Goethe's sister's room on the third floor.
Gotham City Tower...not really, but you can imagine. C'mon. No, seriously...Batman in Frankfurt. It happened.
Big ole wet, sloppy town square in the middle of Frankfurt.
In the foreground you see Frankfurt's 17th and 18th century jailhouse, still preserved and planted squarely in the middle of the city's skyscrapers (the only ones found in Germany for that matter).
A nice ambulatory exploration of the night life in Frankfurt. Scotty was picking up ladies left and right. It was getting old. "I'm an American...feel my arms" Over and over he said. Es war sehr peinlich fuer mich. (It was embarrassing for me).
The only actual constructed blackhole on earth. And a shopping center on the second floor. How quaint.
The Frankfut Kaiserdom Cathedral. The first incarnation of this church was built in 680. A hundred years later it served as the site of Charlemagne's Synod. Oh, he was no one of any real significance...EXCEPT THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR! Beginning in the 12th century this church was the venue for the election and coronation of Holy Roman Emperor until 1562. Just outside this church to the west about 20 feet are Roman ruins dating to the first century. Did I mention I lost Scotty in this church for about 30 minutes?
A fitting place for reflection on losing your friend in downtown Frankfurt and having to explain that to his parents.
Bereft of Scott's presence for a good half hour, I did some touring around the place and even took in a little literature on its Gothic architecture. Fascinating. Man, where is Scott?
After retrieving Scotty from the Benedictine order of monks in the cathredal's nave, we sauntered down to the Main River, pronounced "Mine". This was the eponymous origin to the city's name, Frankfurt. Apparently Charlemagne was leading his men, the Franks, across the Palatinate away from some unruly enemies when they came upon the Main River. Legend has it that Charlemagne prayed (this is in 794, mind you) for some way for the river to be transversed. Upon conclusion of that holy request he spotted a doe foraging on the river, just ankle deep. He deduced that there must be a ford (furt) that would allow his men to cross and escape immenent doom. Thus, the river was crossed, Charlie and his boys threw a big party, gave thanks to the big guy upstairs, and christened the small outpost Frankfurt am Main, or where the Franks forded the Main river. There is still a mural on the side of a building commemorating the crossing. Scotty and I took this all in by order of downpour and then made a run for it to the subway. Not a bad half-day trip.
