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Hello and welcome to
the third episode of Bacio di Tosca TV!
As announced in the last episode, we are now on the island of Ruegen.
Behind us you see the Baltic Sea and we are on the escarpment of the chalk cliffs
We hope you know this to appreciate what risk we undertake for you?
The chalk cliffs are indeed one of the landmarks of the island of Ruegen
but there are another interesting thing why we are here
This will explain Dörthe - exactly!
The point at which we are here is probably the Ernst Moritz Arndt view
the so-called, we suspect it is because there is no sign, unfortunately,
indicate the exact place would ... anyway, it is indeed very interesting to know,
Who is Ernst Moritz Arndt, this is what some will ask
behind this name hides a poet and writer and a complex personality
Who was born on Rügen and has spent half of life here.
So we meet right now with Mr. Walter Schulz of the Ernst Moritz Arndt society
who will then tell us some details - we now only go once to Groß-Schoritz to the birthplace.
Exactly – have a look!
I am now here with Mr. Schulz of Ernst Moritz Arndt society in front of the birthplace of the poet
and Mr. Schulz will now tell us something about the house, about Ernst Moritz Arndt.
Yes, Ernst Moritz Arndt was born here on 26 th December 1769, here is an imprint on the front gable says he “is” born here.
The former owner in 1913, lived here, decided to say he “is” born
instead of he “was” born, because this implies
that he is still here. In fact, he has lived here for only 7 or 8 years.
then the family moved for financial reasons, his father was a farmer!
This house was built around 1750 and belonged to a gentleman of Kahlten and it has
then sold to the County Putbus. The father of Ernst Moritz Arndt was lessee of the
Counts of Putbus, the prince came to the Putbus later in 1812 he was crowned prince of Sweden.
We have to also mention that at the time was Swedish Pomerania and Rügen.
So that was a Swedish time, so that was a Swedish time, but to say it was very loyal
and people have lived very well. There is a saying:
Among the three crowns are made to live well!
The house was built in late Baroque style, plain and simple and it was always maintained at all times
even after the war, refugees were inside here, then it belonged to the LPG but all mayors
have always made sure that the memory of Ernst Moritz Arndt is kept awake.
This all happened to this house, the Ernst Moritz Arndt society is here since 1992
Founded in 1992, has done a lot for this house, I was 12 years a member of the Board
and we have about half a million euros in grants and donations collected here
so then the roof, facade, built in the interior of the park was put in order.
very much has been done in the past 20 years. Here is a cultural center in the south of the island of Rügen
Then we can go inside? Just let's go inside!
Hello!
In which room we're in right now?
We are located in the former bedroom of Arndt family.
Ernst Moritz Arndt is not born here and from the bedroom is nothing more to see.
The restorers have found on the wall THAT!
We have decided that it remain so. There seems to be a stove.
If you look closely you can see, the tiles are not real, they are painted.
at all times they had not enough money for that!
These are objects from the collection of Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald
which have transformed the rooms and they have given us a permanent loan.
we could not pay for the furniture, they also have to be restored.
The money is currently not available!
This is Ernst Moritz Arndt, I don’t know of what artists and when it was donated.
"The wisdom of the world will have to feed and teach the world to work!"
If you look on the floor, these are the original floorboards of 1750 that have been restored.
The restorers have managed to get them restored.
In GDR times, here covered by particle board - exactly the same on the ceiling.
That was not nice, but the fact is, it preserved the floor.
We have ornaments on the ceiling that was restored in 2000.
In this corner we have found these ornaments, they are similar in Putbus.
Therefore it could be dated to about the year 1820/1830.
You can see each room has seen a different era!
This is the garden room and the ceiling beams are original 1750!
All the wood in the attic is still very good, that have been identified by experts.
In this room a plywood ceiling was also suspended, that’s why all in well preserved.
However, the mud plaster had to be restored what was not easy.
We needed specialists to restore these!
Over there on the piano, you now have a picture of Ernst Moritz Arndt.
But it is not an original of his time, but it was painted in about 1960/70 here.
The owners have sold us out from Barth that so we have a picture.
This is modeled on the portrait which can be found in the Arndt Museum in Bonn.
In Bonn, there are also a museum but most off Arndt plays here!
Where was his creative period? He was only here as a child?
His father was a farmer, they had 8 children and are always taken from one place to another.
Probably because they were broke, here is the father worked about 8 years.
Then they moved on to Dumsewitz, then Grawitz and finally to Löbnitz.
Ernst Moritz Arndt described all stations in his memoirs.
"Memories from the outer life"
It is amazing that he has written the memories with over 70 years.
It is surprising that he is so reminiscent of childhood and youth.
The childhood and youth have affected him so much that he has written many poems.
His memoirs and letters of complaints ever again!
He also had a lot of good friends and girlfriends with whom he
wrote again and again until her death, in memory to Rügen.
his life could be divided into two sections, on Rügen and Pomerania he has lived about 45 years.
and in Bonn also 45 years!
That was not planned - his large sections were here, childhood and youth in Rügen.
Then he went to high school in Stralsund, and from there he ran away!
He would not become an immoral man.
After that they lived in Löbnitz, which is close to Barth, where he prepared for his study
in Greifswald - a pastor has helped him
as Ernst Moritz Arndt never attended a real school!
Everything was taught by the parents, the mother read from the Bible, and tell stories.
The father has taught in science.
After that he attended the University of Greifswald and Jena
Then he was appointed professor at Greifswald, but since the Napoleonic era came between.
Since that time he was a great critic and has been sharply attacked Napoleon,
He had to flee, he then lived in Sweden for a while.
After that, he has worked with Baron von Stein and the Russian campaign
to Russia and then came to Bonn.
His first wife Charlotte Quistorp died after the first son 1801
Then came the chaos of war, in 1817 he then married a half-sister of Schleiermacher.
He was also given a professorship in Bonn.
In his book "Spirit of Time" he has written sharply against Napoleon, and when he was in Bonn
as a professor, he wrote another pamphlet against the Prussian King.
The Prussian king then suspended him and he was 20 years out of work.
For half a salary of a professor.
In 1840 he was reinstated as a professor at Bonn, and he wrote: "luck you'll be too late"
But he has worked almost until his death at the University.
He was a deputy to the National Assembly in Frankfurt in St. Paul's Church
His dream was a united Germany, not under princes, but under one king.
That was the time when Germany was so splintered at that time!
Exactly, Germany was split and he wanted a united Germany under a king.
The crown was offered to the King of Prussia by the Paul church.
Ernst Moritz Arndt went to Berlin, but the king refused, he would not have the crown from the mob.
The Ernst Moritz Arndt had seen all this, but there are many other sides in his life:
He has written many poems, fairy tales and then he wanted to reform the church!
Imagine this at these times!
He was a very strict Protestant but wanted to reform the church in the sense of Luther.
Therefore, he has written a number of hymns and one I know exactly
which is still in the hymnal, "I know what I believe!"
The Reformation has not succeeded, but still, his hymns are still known
in his 90-year-old life he wrote almost daily, and almost everything he were able to print.
Because he knows a printer in Berlin, Georg Andreas Reimer, a textbook publisher.
He has printed almost all his works and writings.
Ernst Moritz Arndt's works have appeared in earlier times, yes.
Immediately after his death, some works have appeared, but then afterwards it has always lacked of money.
The Ernst Moritz Arndt society was founded in 1992 and had in program
the publication of the complete work - that has not worked out!
This has to be done by professors, who add the corresponding footnotes, but this
always lacked the money!
That’s why we always rely on the old works and quote from it, except for small scriptures.
There is no publisher persuaded to print even a part of his work.
In GDR times, once came out: "Memories from the outer life"
What appeared in the West I do not know, but that's the only book and some poems.
in this room we recently had the annual general meeting.
There were three presentations on the 20th anniversary of the Arndt society.
The head of the Bonn City Archives, Mr. Schlossmacher had called his post:
Revered - hated - forgotten!
To make it short, Ernst Moritz Arndt is revered in Rügen and in this area.
Here he is known and also many of his poems and songs.
He is hated by some, because he also wrote against the Jews, Polish and the French.
That were heavy stuff, when it is pulled out of context,
then you may ask why he is honored as a poet.
We have the opinion that he needs to be seen in his time as a whole person.
And, there was a colloquium at the university in 1999 or 2000 - I do not know exactly
and there was made very clear that we need to see him in his time.
But a professor in Greifswald said NO, there are lighter figures in his time than Arndt.
Then you should look what Luther wrote against the Jews at this times. This is also heavy stuff.
For this reason and because many people cannot agree there are no publishers
and no money, there is still no complete edition of works by Ernst Moritz Arndt. Really a pity!
In 1998 appeared in the magazine "Die Zeit", a huge article: “a fatal saint”.
And there, Ernst Moritz Arndt was quoted about the Jewish question.
We were aware of this at the Arndt-society far before this article and clear this issue.
I think 1994 or 1995, a special issue was published with an article by a young scientist from Bielefeld
“Arndt and the Jewish Question”. And the young scientist has really spent a lot of time, with Arndt's life and work
and also dealt with his letters and his writings on the Jews.
Of course there are terrible things that Arndt has written, but this work was neglected.
until the journalist picked these quotes out of context.
This led to a completely different meaning and Arndt was accused of anti-Semitism.
Our scientists have discovered that it was anti-Judaism at that time. Anti-Semitism started in the 20th Century.
Arndt has been blamed for the crimes of the Nazis. That was the worst thing in the article!
That can not really be! Of course he has written against the Jews, but also against the Poles and the French.
But his hatred of France was also due to this age.
Napoleon's troops crossed the country, murdered, robbed, ***.
the church where Arndt was married and where his son was baptized
in Greifswald, the "St. Mary's Church" was destroyed and they have made the church to the stables.
He had such experiences and this leads to hate Napoleon and unfortunately also hate the French!
Then he hated all French people. Five years earlier
He has written a wonderful book on the French and this
was written so lovely. Furthermore, we already had a lecture about this.
I said before: Revered - hated - forgotten!
Forgotten: He is forgotten in West Germany. Like in Bonn
there is not very much about Arndt. They try some
But it’s the city of Beethoven, Bonn has many different personalities.
There his family's grave and the Arndt-house as well.
But Bonn has the largest collection of writings by Arndt in the city archives.
There are also some letters in Stralsund and the museum in Garz also has some books on Arndt and Arndt.
Here I have an old edition of his works in five volumes.
The first part is most interesting because it describes the life of the image from that era.
Then here are almost all his poems and his "Recollections of the outer life" included.
Here I found the poem from your song "water" - very nice!
Arndt was not a child of sorrow. He was about 1.60 - 1.65 m tall
and he says it was a knotty Pomeranian. For the people in Rügen his poetry is important
he has written for us here. But personally for me it is important that he was always true to himself.
If he had an opinion, then he stuck to it consistently.
For example, with his criticism about the king, that made him unemployed for 20 years.
But he also has written many fairy tales that he wrote from memory
as his mother or a storyteller from Grabitz told him when we was a child.
That storyteller was an old servant, who tells fairy tales and he has written it down all from his memory when he was an old man.
His work is extensive and he is a controversial figure, but
for us here in Rügen he is the "Lighthouse"! As we have no other poet.
In Hiddensee Gerhard Hauptmann has temporarily lived. But Arndt is always returned to Rügen.
Another story from his childhood: Ernst Moritz Arndt ones broke into the ice and fell into the water.
There was just in a fine mansion Dumsewitz society, as he has come home, and
was completely soaked up, an aunt rescued him. He has not
dared to tell that he had fallen into the water.
In Garz he once broke the hotbed window from the rectory.
He has played with other children in the garden and there was the hotbed window broken.
Then a fine lady has said during the coffee party: This can only done by Monsieur Moritz!
And his aunt rescued him again and said: No, Monsieur Moritz is indeed wild
But he would never do such a thing! These are such small episodes from his childhood.
In later times, the story with his first son might be interesting.
Ernst Moritz Arndt married in March or February 1801 Charlotte Quistorp.
The first son was already born in June. We wrote this down in the museum in Garz
But there was a fine lady, who said: Why did you write this two dates down?
From our Ernst Moritz Arndt? I said, why not? He has not only played in the sand.
He was a man of flesh and blood. But the tragedy of this marriage was
that his young wife died in childbirth. The child came to the grandparents and Arndt has not seen it about 10 years.
Then came the French period, he had to flee to Sweden. Christmas 1811, he came back
and met his son who was then quite old. And there he wrote the song only for him: “Thou dear, holy, devout Christian
because today is your birthday, so on earth far and wide for all the children happy time!”
He has only written the poet for his son and it has become one of the most beautiful Christian children's songs.
You mentioned that for the people in Rügen Ernst Moritz Arndt is some kind of a "Lighthouse".
Maybe that’s the reason why they build an Ernst Moritz Arndt tower that looks like a lighthouse.
Or what is the reason for building a tower? – The reason for building a monument is that he was so revered already during his lifetime.
During the Napoleonic era he became quite famous as he had written poetry against Napoleon.
So since he was alive they planned to install a monument, but it became reality after his dead.
The monument was build on top of the Rugard in Bergen, which is the highest mountain on the Island Rügen.
This has been built in 1876. – But it looks a bit like a lighthouse? - Yes, it looks like a lighthouse
but it is an observation tower. When I said "Lighthouse" it was meant in a figurative sense. We have no
Goethe, Schiller and others. They are all in southern Germany. Here is a very thin population of poets.
Nevertheless, there are many poets and scholars who visited Rügen, because of Arndt!
Arndt was also acquainted with the Berlin scene, such as Schleiermacher and others.
They have also visited Rügen. He was introduced with Schleiermacher by the pastor Willich in Sagert
Arndt has married the half sister of Schleiermacher. With her he had seven children.
He also had contact with other poets and artists here on Rügen?
During his life he had always kept in touch with the personalities
In friendship. Here he was in contact particularly with women.
Also, another Charlotte. People say it was just a platonic love
But it was probably his mistress. She was a pastor's daughter from Garz.
And he was in contact with Charlotte von Ramin Kathen. With these two women he had an extensive exchange of letters
until their death. These letters are all preserved. He always spoke of as "my two good souls of Rügen."
Also remarkable is the fact: he has written a long love poem for a
Girlfriend who was also I think Charlotte. He met her only a very short time in the campaign against Russia, in Königsberg.
He must have been deeply fallen in love, and therefore he wrote her a very long poem.
And in this poem he also mentioned Rügen: “Where my love, we want to go, to the island or to the Rhein.
Without knowing that he should live on the Rhein once!
Then he describes the island of Rügen in all facets and writes that he is sitting somewhere in the Riesengebirge.
There he sees the mountain, and describes a comparison with Rügen: “I see him only, but I feel you with heart and mind”.
… something like this, I would need to find the quote to be precise. But this shows his unbridled love
until the end to the island of Rügen and the landscape. He returned once in 1817 to Rügen
and probably has visited all the sites. Unfortunately, I can’t find the poem so quick. It’s always the same
If you are looking for something specific ... here it is! In 1817 he has been on Rügen and wrote: Beloved fields, groves of sweet,
I'm finally back where I walk as a child, notes the stars in the sky and saw the angels.
Where I made this earth a heaven, heavenly stories seemed teeming joys of poetry and
Eden Adams as sweet and green ...
etc. It is a very long poem. - Yes, he still was bound to his home!
He signed his letters from Bonn always with “Ernst Moritz Arndt on Rügen”!
We would now call "of Rügen," but that is an old expression.
He has been very much attached to his home, but unfortunately could not go back.
In 1860, he died at the age of 90 years in Bonn. On the cemetery
He planted an oak, which already has a considerable extent.
This oak come from Groß-Schoritz as a seedling.
His son drowned in 1834 in the Rhein and on the grave of his son, he has planted this tree.
We are now in the garden of the birthplace. Behind us is a bust of Ernst Moritz Arndt.
We come to the end of the program. You wanted us to present your favorite poem of Ernst Moritz Arndt.
Yes, that is, "Meet Me in Rügen" and he wrote it when he was living in Bonn
and could not return to the island, which was 1842.
“Oh land of dark groves, oh splendor of the blue sea, oh island that I mean
it hurt me thinking of you. After escapes and moves to far over land and sea, my beloved
Island Rügen - you I like so much ... etc. - This is really beautiful!
The Arndt society was founded in 1992 and headed by a very charismatic woman
Maria Pakulla who lived here close to Groß-Schoritz.
And the city archivist in Bonn, Dr. Manfred Fandrei. The society was
founded on a ship at the Glewitzer ferry, this is the traditional way on neutral ground.
It was only a symbolic act. Since then 20 years have passed. Maria Pakulla has
given the chairmanship to Prof. Dr. Karl Ewald Tietz. He was professor of German language
and Literature at the University of Greifswald. He has guided the society from 1996 until his death in 2011.
Maria Pakulla once said: Ernst Moritz Arndt is a controversial figure.
And was used and abused at all times! And she always gives the example
with the GDR: As they said, that the pamphlet on the abolition of serfdom
would have establishment the later LPG. This is of course total nonsense!
Ernst Moritz Arndt could not know what will happen after his dead.
But he has broaden the way for the abolition of serfdom in those days!
I am very grateful that you had so much time for us
and told many interesting things about Ernst Moritz Arndt!
He really is a very complex personality. And it's really a shame
that today only so little of him is known. Perhaps
this will change that it will be more appreciated
that Arndt was an interesting personality!
I also think your contribution will help make it a little more known
among young people. Because he was not a role model as a young man
but he was a human being like you and me! And perhaps this
makes him so interesting. For me he is a role model because
he has ever remained faithful! And we can also took this for the future.
Yes, that is what many young people like for sure!
We are now at the Ernst Moritz Arndt tower that is visible behind me.
Looks like a lighthouse. And we will now go up there
- to see how the view is from up there.
You can go round here on this platform. Here is the first terrace.
This would be the first part! But that's almost nothing. There are 99 steps in total.
“Keep doors closed” there is a sign demanding it … well, we're well behaved!
Shall we go around again? Nope!
I am also quite sick ... and I don’t want that it became worse!
To the top - yes, we do not have to go out on each terrace.
I didn’t count, I do not know how many steps are ahead.
But this time I got better shoes!
Just look at this beautiful staircase! Isn’t it beautiful!
What does it say there on the sign? "Iron and enamel works Neusalz"
The staircase looks like in a doll's house! Adorable!
Up to the next level!
Now the stairs are not so beautiful anymore. Perhaps this part is new, that you can
enter the dome? Maybe it was not possible to go that high before?
Oh man, it’s really warm in here! But a beautiful view!
Here you can read what you can see from this position.
Hiddensee direction ...
It's like a sauna.
What's up there? No idea – some kind of a light.
Where is the birthplace? - Let's see, that's in Groß Schoritz.
Maybe here ... Bay of Greifswald, must lie in this direction.
Difficult ... But there was such an antenna, right?
But it was more strenuous to climb the bell tower in the last episode!
Saßnitz, Stralsund ... ...
Groß Schoritz must lie in this direction. In the birth house I have read
Something about this tower. It is quite unusual to build a tower.
Normally, there are statues or plaques.
But this tower was built, because Ernst Moritz Arndt was very patriotic.
And under this aspect, they thought that you would have a great view
over the German countryside and the German Ocean.
It fits very well indeed - we have learned that Ernst Moritz Arndt was very well-rooted to this place.
Above all, it is very windy here!
Yes, I agree!
Now we have reached the end of the show! We say goodbye
with some impressions of the chalk cliffs. We hope you have fun!
Check out the next episode that will appear in September. Until then – good bye! Good bye!