The Seebock has arrived here in Potsdam, and so have the new jib, bag and persenning. We've found a berth at the Potsdamer Seglerverein on the other side of Templiner See. There's a lot less space to move around and the wind is stronger, so we'll really get to know the boat. On Easter Monday we went out in wetsuits, as the weather was mild. But on Sunday, these were just right.
The chestnut tree outside the window has been a dear, silent companion these past 10 years. I've lived next to it for longer than any other but the magnolia that stood in front of our house in A street. Goodbye, tree.
We went to visit Rudolf Mooshammer's grave this afternoon, walking home from downtown. Munich is incredible that way, everything is so close and nice to walk to. Anyway, the tailor and "Munich original" is buried next to his mother, who he started Carnaval de Venise, his famous and flamboyant men's shop, up with. He grew up without the support of his father, who was unhappy and an alcoholic. That's why Mooshammer became a supporter and benefactor to alcoholics and street people here. When he was murdered by a male prostitute in 2005, Munich's high society stayed away, but the rest of the city came to his funeral.
This cemetery is full of life. People come to take care of the flowers and visit their deceased relatives and friends. In this Roman Catholic town, the dead are very present in the lives of their survivors.
Some of the dead have nearly been forgotten. The Minister President of Bavaria Kurt Eisner, murdered in 1919, was cremated here. His urn was buried at the foot of a monument to the "Dead of the Revolution", which the NSDAP destroyed in 1933. Eisner's urn was removed to the Jewish cemetary, where it still lies. The monument itself was rebuilt after the war. Or: 17 dissidents killed during the "Röhmputsch" were cremated here, including journalist Fritz Gerlich. Their ashes were distributed among different urns by the Nazis to wipe out their memory. In the 30s and 40s, many political prisoners murdered in nearby Stammheim were brought here for cremation, as were nearly 4,000 prisoners from the concentration camps Dachau, Auschwitz and Buchenwald, as well as victims of the euthanasia program, "Action T4". After the war, the US Army dropped off the bodies of nine war criminals, including Hermann Göring, under the cover of secrecy, and to prevent any cult of followers from forming, their ashes were strewn into the Isar.
Source: Wikipedia
The "Feldmüllersiedlung" was built between 1840 and 1845, under the administration King Ludwig I, to redevelop this neighborhood where the poor craftspeople lived. Just off busy Tegernseer Landstraße, you'll find some of the smallest houses in Munich here. Some have been lovingly restored, making the neighborhood attractive. Just recently, the completely dilapidated 55 square meter house at the corner was sold for 200,000 euros, and I bet it'll cost the owners another 1-200,000 to restore the place in accordance with the historic preservation guidelines.
Looking at or into the windows tells you a lot about the mix of people you'll find here in Giesing.
I've been to Kiesstraße 3 several times in the past week, to Jürgen Rehse's furniture restoration workshop http://www.antikmoebel-rehse.de/. He shares the lot with a family of cabinet makers who have been at this location for over a hundred years. The movie "Pumuckl" was filmed in this house http://www.pumucklhomepage.de/pffza.html
The most beautiful cars in Munich are parked in Giesing. Seen on Walchenseeplatz.
Our little Isar is a mini Mississippi these days.
It's such a shame seeing the site of this great institution being turned over to commercial enterprise.
The old department store on Tegernseer Landstraße has been converted to an arts center for the summer. Before the building is torn down in August, artists and freelancers and the likes of the Chaos Computer Club are setting up shop there – rent-free. Project coordinator Zehra Spindler is also the person behind München852. Parties and events are held to raise the necessary funds, announced on Facebook.
Video with pictures of the neighborhood:
Song posted on the Puerto Giesing FB page at http://www.facebook.com/puertogiesing:
There's nothing quite like watching a Bayern München game in a Giesing bar. But everyone cheered the arch enemy on against Lyon here in 1860 land. Did we see Ribery's last game for Bayern?
