rede an den kleinen mann (13. 144)

Having a passing familiarity with one of the more radical and controversial figures in the field of psychiatry, Wilhelm Reich, we were rather absorbed with his 1945 illustrated essay, Listen, Little Man!—call-out quotations limned by cartoonist William Steig (best known for his 1990 children’s book Shrek! and the basis of the animated movies) a personal friend and originally self-published by Reich’s Orgon Press. Aligned with overarching philosophy that neuroticism, self-destructive behaviours and fascism were rooted in sexual frustrations, the tract, translated with multiple reprintings and influencing the likes of Saul Bellow, William S Burroughs and Norman Mailer and Joan Didion among others as writers of creative non-fiction, documents the evolution of a psychoanalytical session from the point of view of the derided therapist, Reich himself as a stand-in for the whole backlash against the industry and skepticism towards expertise in general, from bemused naïvety, amazement to panic and horror about how resistant the patient can be to being disabused, esteeming his enemies and persecuting allies, becoming crueler than through grievance than the power structure one hopes to supplant. Much more to discover at the links above.

hohlerde (13. 138)

Though having a passing familiarity with the esoteric side of the Third Reich, we’re admittedly not tuned into the latest emergent tropes of internet youth culture and were blissfully unaware (here’s a slightly more wholesome alternative in Classical Memes for Hellenistic teens) that there has been a revival of late of Heinrich Himmler’s and other occultists’ preoccupation with Aryan exceptionalism and privileging their ancestry (see also) as semi-divine and separate from others with the lost civilisation called Agartha.  This supposed subterranean realm in the hollow Earth is not seeped in tradition,but rather a new invention by a French fiction writer and colonial officer invented more than a century-and-a-half ago, articulated over several iterations from the original fantasy as a land of advanced races borrowing elements of Atlantis and Lemuria to practitioners of Theosophy believing it to be the domain of the ascendant masters to an Aryan mainstay and propaganda. Typical memes deal with Ancient Alien tropes and feature celebrities and though leaders coded as Nordic and those sharing, if confronted, will say its all in jest and that anyone pointing out the historical context obliviously can’t take a joke, which is a common tactic, like the various trial balloons to stoke outrage, deflect, gaslight and push tolerance, for Nazi boosterism and the vicious cycle behind it.

das kunstwerk im zeitalter seiner technischen reproduzierbarkeit (13. 136)

Courtesy of Damn Interesting, we are directed toward the seminal 1935 essay by pioneering media theorist, cultural critic and philosopher Walter Benjamin—one of the many exemplars of the oppression and rejection of German-Jewish intellectuals under the Third Reich, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Informing later studies by Marshall McLuhan and Susan Sontag, Benjamin wrote of the limitless nature of publishing and distribution to have an estranging effect on the authentic experience of art, though while democratising access and stripping the ritual from production, the assembly line nature direction of publishing houses and film studios, exhibition of artefacts lessens the spectators’ identification with what’s being witnessed. Benjamin nonetheless aspired to write radio dramas and adored movie stars like Catherine Hepburn. This commodification of author and artist, however, is not veneration of the aesthetic value but rather the politicisation of it that affords the chance for all to be critics and creators, the potential for expression but not the right to it, since the gatekeepers are not talent or excellence by rather monied interest of the industry—or it the case of authoritarian regimes, the state itself as a tool of maintaining the status quo. Contemporarily and retroactively, the paralipomena—that is, things and topics omitted from the critical edition of his essay, like the prevalence of photography or as applied to television and social media, influencers and the spectacle of tribalism (see previously) make Benjamin’s observations very relevant, particularly for the performative gratification seeking to redeem what’s been lost to distraction and desensitisation.  Often misquoted from another collection of essays, Theses on the Philosophy of History, as having said, “History is written by the victors,” more nuanced, Benjamin posits that  “incumbents are however the heirs of all those who have ever been victorious. Empathy with the victors thus comes to benefit the current rulers every time.”

märchesänger (13. 107)

Youth choir, whose early members were mostly comprised of individuals orphaned during the war founded in 1948 in Obernkirchen in Niedersachsen (named after the constituent county in West Germany), the Schaumburg Fairytale Singers rapidly attained a high degree of musical excellence, winning many competitions in their class, and were propelled to a level of international fame unexpectedly on this day when their English interpretation of Der fröhliche Wanderer (Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann) peaking at number two of the British singles on this day in 1954, remaining in the charts for twenty-three weeks after it was broadcasted by the BBC as the encore after placing during a performance in Wales. Domestically, the arrangement composed by the choir director’s brother made to sound like an authentic folk song, the success of the Schaumburger Märchesänger was boosted by the Merry Wanderer being made into a Heimatfilm (a nostalgic, pastoral genre especially popular in West Germany and Austria from the late 1940s to early 1960s, and abroad lead numerous tours, concerts and special appearances, including the Ed Sullivan Show and at the Kennedy White House. With an expanded repertoire and extended alumni association, the choir and music school (also with multiple campuses) continues the legacy of its founders in cultivating talent.

selbstbildnis mit zottelhut (13. 095)

Through the rather remarkable discovery of a previously unknown miniature portrait commission kept in the archives of the sitter’s descendants for over five hundred years, we are introduced to the early Renaissance mannerist artist called Hans Baldung “Grien”—adding an nickname he acquired from his student days for his penchant in working with the colour green, incorporating it into his monogram ʜɢʙ. After studying under master Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg Baldung founded his own studio and workshop in Strasbourg, supplementing his projects by painting the aristocracy of the Free Imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. An advocate of the Reformation, like Dürer and Cranach, Baldung produced paintings, woodcuts and prints (also working in stained glass and tapestries) traditional religious settings with protestant iconography and the usual mythological allegories but also indulged a life-long preoccupation with the subject of witches and witch-hunters, among the first artists to concentrate on the theme (his monicker may also have been a conscious echo of the German word “grienhals,” a German synonym for hexe) as well as nontraditional motifs like Phyllis and Aristotle, the female form in general and depictions of eroticism, heretofore unseen in the art world in any medium.

dateline (13. 090)

On this day in 1609—with some evidence that the periodical was in circulation already for four years—the first newspaper in Germany and among the first worldwide was published, Avisa Relation oder Zeitung, by printer Julius Adolph von Söhne in Wolfenbüttel (also the home of the Jägermeister distillery) in Niedersachsen with the issue carrying developments and happenings from various countries up-to-date (see also), with the presumption it went out then. The French daily of record Le Figaro was first distributed on this day as well in 1826, named for the Beaumarchais character from Le Mariage de Figaro with a line from his closing monologue “Sans la liberté de blâmer, il’nest point d’éloge flatteur”—without freedom to criticise, there is no room for praise. The first issue of of the journal Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners later to become the Paarl gazette was published in as the first periodical in Afrikaans language in 1876. The leading news agency and wire-service of Italy, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) was also founded today in 1945 by a consortium of the resistance to Mussolini’s fascist regime.

why, he’ll have you back here before you can say schicklgruber (13. 085)

As our faithful chronicler reminds, not long before the collapse of the Third Reich the Merrie Melodies animated short film, the penultimate in their anti-Nazi propaganda series, premiered in theatres with news reels before the main feature on this day in 1945. After a prologue describing the downfall of Nazi Germany, a furrow ending in a rabbit hole emerges in the woods with Bugs Bunny, realising he is in the Black Forest laments that he knew he should have “taken that left turn at Albuquerque”—the first occurrence of the catchphrase. A chase ensues with Hermann Göring pursing his quarry, hoping for a bit of relaxation and distraction but Bugs manages to evade capture whilst eliciting some anti-Hitler sentiment. Musical, operatic interludes from Wagner’s Tannhäuser (see also here and here) and Strauss waltzes punctuate the encounter. Though not banned per se from the studio’s catalogue, the cartoon only saw limited releases in 2001 and 2007, likely due the amount of footnoting when the bounty presented to the Führer emerges as Bugs disguised as Joseph Stalin with the question “Does your tobacco taste different lately,” a reference to popular advertising campaign for pipe-smokers.

unwörter des jahres (13. 082)

The jury that selects the German Un-Word of the Year (see below) went with one of the candidates from Deutschland’s Word of the Year in Sondervermögen, meaning special assets and sparking a lot of political debate but whose nuance isn’t immediately apparent and is intentionally misleading or euphemistic language used for investment and public debt. Runners up include the metaphoric Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz, the “inflow limitation act” using terminology associated with low-flow shower heads and the like to address immigration concerns and Umsiedlung for the “resettlement” of Palestinians advocated by Israel and the US.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Unwort of the Year (with synchronopticæ), a non-alcoholic glossary, the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year plus assorted links worth revisiting

twelve years ago: a time cafe plus terms for family members

thirteen years ago: a trillion dollar coin 

fourteen years ago: monitoring social media 

fifteen years ago: winter flooding 

sixteen years ago: a devastating earthquake in Haiti 

señor coconut (13. 076)

By turns curses and blessed, we are introduced to the concept album by the eponymous cultural appropriator, a techno and euro-dance producer by the name of Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart), titled El Baile Alemán (The Dance of the Germans) that sought track by track to force and fuse two polar opposite genres with Latin covers of Krautrock standards—calling it electrolatino, it’s Kraftwerk meets Buena Vista Social Club. Issued in 1999 on his private label Rather Interesting, a catalogue of his solo projects under various aliases, Schmidt was inspired to experiment after living in Costa Rica for six months, having exported the rave canon he’d helped to create.

the world of 2026 a.d. (13. 048)

Though the time setting for the novel and later screen-play for the film by Thea von Harbou is up for interpretation, having both gone through several rewrites and serialisation prior to and after its debut in 1927, subject to reconstructions during restoration—the original title cards, incorporated in the 2010 remastering does not specify a year and contemporary audiences placed it around the turn of the millennium, both 2000 and 3000—at minimum the Giorgio Moroder produced truncated version from 1984, the silent film rescored featuring a pop-soundtrack with Bonnie Tyler, Adam Ant, Pat Benatar, Freddie Mercury (see also) and Loverboy, does specifically set Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in this year with an intertitle, subtitles used for the dialogue.

9x9 (13. 016)

brought to you by the inkjet lobby: the amount of redactions in the US justice department’s release of the Epstein files sparks outrage  

christmas and commerce: a David Sedaris holiday classic—see previously  

global building atlas: an ambitious project mapping all three-billion built structures worldwide  

grabenanlage: rescue archaeology in southwestern German town of Herxheim in 1996 suggests ritual cannibalism on a massive scale with research still ongoing  

your attention is all you have—wasting it is annihilating: Blackbird Spyplane on a life of screen-time—via Kottke

pithos: Roman amphora of sardines found in Switzerland 

orthorectified panorama: the Apollo transforming printer that developed cartographically accurate photographs of the Moon 

a christmas memory: Truman Capote recalls holidays past  

formerly known as the kennedy center: the history of the US national stage for the performing arts—see previously

künstliche intelligenz (12. 998)

Lexically predisposed to the formation of neologism and portmanteaux, the German Wort des Jahres (see previously) usually selects from terms in coming common parlance that reflect social or cultural phenomena and not necessarily driven by novelty or the reference desk. The jury of the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache in Wiesbaden has chosen KI-Ära (Artificial Intelligence Era) as its representative phrase for 2025. The shortlist of other contenders for the honour are illustrative as well—like Vertiktokung, to use the short format video platform, klimamüde to describe exhaustion over the existential environmental crisis, Sondervermögen for special assets or a shadow budget for projects whose funding bypass parliamentary rules, Wehrdienst-Lotto expressing fear and reservation over the return of mandatory military conscription in the country and two Trumpian inspired entries in Strafzölle—punitive tariffs—and “Deal.”

synchronoptica 

one year ago: the Raelians (with synchronopticæ) plus a photo jacket

thirteen years ago: winter sports, a bounty for tax-avoidance plus the Feast of St Lucy

fourteen years ago: the UN climate summit in Durban plus sweet potato tortillas

fifteen years ago: vuvuzelas 

freudenfreude (12. 960)

First coined circa 2022, the German neologism formulated in English in response to the popular rediscovery of the concept of Schadenfreude (see more here plus an obscure native synonym) has through variants. The apotheosis of its source, word connotes the contagious nature of joy—whose own English equivalent is the uncommon confelicity—is also sparking compound snowclones to express appreciation for tiny victories: Parkenfreude, Schlangefreude, Platzenfreude, etc. Alternatively, there is the nascent Schadenfreudeschaden, for the compounded misery experienced by witness the former delight in one’s misfortune. Can you come up with some more examples?

11x11 (12. 895)

american psychosis: pathologising along with artist Jordan Sullivan  

kojève and cigarettes: uncovering the history of Hegelian tobacco and the American spirit  

usenet: a 1995 CBC segment featuring Cory Doctorow on how to internet—via Waxy   

karzer: revisiting privilege and imprisonment in German universities  

de facto recognition: leaked US draft to end Russian war in Ukraine  

dress code: ignoring all other disruptions and baseline unpleasantness, US transportation secretary encourages flyers to not dress down for their flights to improve the overall experience for all passengers  

tiled words: a daily crossword puzzle-Tetris hybrid—via MetaFilter  

algospeak: taboo, newly minted unwords of search and social media

victor insulations: the ubiquitous American diner mug—via Miss Cellania  

in like flynn: over-exposure to the stupidest ambitions of society at large has brought us all down—via Web Curios 

operation charlotte’s web: ICE ruins a classic of children’s literature—some pig 

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronopticæ)

twelve years ago: hand-washing and optimism  

thirteen years ago: the holiday winterval plus Martin Luther and bowling

segelfluggelände (12. 873)

After last weekend’s walk up the hill to the model airplane field, we realised we had never shared actual impressions from wandering around the larger landing strip for gliders, small, self-launching motorised planes and ultralight aircraft on the opposite end of town at Büchig. Taking advantage of break in the fog and overcast skies, we made a circuit around the summit. 

The massif affords some really nice views of the surrounding pastures and forest and chain of peaks leading off into the distance, as well as the Lichtenburg, which despite its ruined state still has intact ramparts and high keep (the tallest in the region, but still nearly overtaken by the construction crane working on restoring the bailey) to entice the imagination, particularly at eye-level, with all the elements of a medieval knights’ castle. 

 For mid-November, seeing the fallow fields blooming, with even stunted sunflowers, was a bit off putting. It’s another nice spot to let the dog run free.

irrgarten der leidenschaft (12. 848)

Premiering in München on this day in 1925—though not released in the UK until the following April, the silent, joint Bavarian-British production The Pleasure Garden marked the directorial debut of Alfred Hitchcock, a cinematic adaptation of the 1923 melodrama by Oliver Sandys (one nom d’plume of Marguerite Florence Laura Jarvis who also wrote under the aliases of Countess Barcynska, Armiger Barley and others) about the misadventures of two chorus girls engaged by a theatre in London. Though the interview and audition of one young dancer, Jill—played by American import Carmelita Geraghty, is marred by a purse-snatching right before, she is taken in by a sympathetic member of the company, Patsy (Virginia Valli, another US actor) and ultimately lands a part. Initially a ménage à trois, a throuple Jill eventually succumbs to the overtures of aristocratic guests and leaves her benefactors, abandoning them in the time of the greatest need. Filmed principally in Germany and Lake Como, the movie was deemed too European and without redeeming qualities, hence the delay of it being screened in England and in America regarded as highly objectionable and unwholesome. Whilst not critically well received, one can see some of the motifs of Hitchcock’s later films storyboarded in the opening scenes, anticipating Vertigo, Rear Window and Family Plot.

wormsign (12. 825)

This spectacular image of a lone horseman standing in the mawing mouth of a rocky outcropping in Cappadocia—one of the multitude of “fairy chimneys” or hoodoos (peribacası), the formations named for the Southern Paiute word of the indigenous Native American tribe of the southwest of the continent for a vista inspiring awe and trembling, some the pinnacles and spires in this region of Türkiye have been hewn into ancient dwellings—looking like scene from a wintry Arrakis was captured by Erfurt-based filmmaker and photographer Dennis Schmelz, securing top prize in the annual drone photo competition, the Siena awards, see previously. NPR’s Goats & Soda features more outstanding honourable mentions at the link above.

the holtermann nugget (12. 808)

Unlike another individual who immigrated to avoid the draft with a mild, tangental case of the gold bug, leaving his native Hamburg some fourteen years prior, Bernhardt Otto Holtermann, who thrived in his adopted homeland of New South Wales and left a positive legacy, on this day in 1872, as an independent prospector under contract with the Star of Hope Mining company, discovered the eponymous gold specimen, a contiguous vein of the precious encased in quartz, the largest ever unearthed, the find weighed ninety-three kilograms, over three-thousand troy-ounces. Already wealthy from successful ventures in mining and sound investments (a shareholder in a residential hotel) and with a controlling interest in the corporation, Holtermann attempted to purchase his discovery for over the going value but was rebuffed by the company, only to have the nugget smelted for bullion—who disheartened prompted Holtermann to change careers and become a philanthropist and pursue his hobbies. Taking up residence in Sydney and building a mansion with a high turret for taking panoramic photos of the harbour, he followed his passion for photography and helped finance campaign directed at potential migrants (for needed labour and hoping to pass on the entrepreneurship that helped him) with his series of panorama images of the city and environs and became alderman for his ward, residing the second city for the remainder of his days.

bank error in your favour (12. 735)

Reminiscent of a possibly apocryphal story circulated by tellers of accepting coin rolls of pfennigs and exchanging them for euro bills shortly some years after the change over, on this day in 1975, one Stephen Holcomb Jr of Transverse City, Michigan presented a hundred-thousand mark note, wishing to trade it for US dollars after a local electronics store refused to take the foreign money for the purchase of an AM/FM radio and suggested he go to the bank. With no malice or fraud intended, the clerk had accepted the bill at face value, giving Holcomb the going rate and exchanging it for nearly forty-thousand in cash, promptly buying the radio and going on a spending spree. Honouring the current rate had been a mistake as the bill was dated 1923, issued during the inter-war period of hyper-inflation and valued at a fraction of a cent—see also here and here. Holcomb’s mother had been an antique dealer and the worthless artefact had been in the house as long as they could remember. Although not criminally charged, the balance of the money was recovered and new truck and other purchases repossessed after Holcomb’s night on the town in Chicago when he was apprehended by a bank detective upon returning home.

film als magisches ritual (12. 718)

Having been previously exposed to a select body of work from the underground filmmaker whose short pieces experiment of themes of the surreal, the occult and homoeroticism, we appreciated this rare glimpse of Kenneth Anger at work through this 1970 documentary from Reinold E Theil for the German network Westdeutsche Rundfunk, featuring segments of his Magick Lantern series and the filming of cut scenes for Lucifer Rising on location at the Avebury Stones. Although seemingly a recalcitrant and reluctant interviewee, Anger was grateful to WDR and the British Film Institute for grants that made the project possible. Much more from { feuilleton }—including an index of previous posts on the topic—at the link above.

*    *    *    *    *

synchronoptica

one year ago: search engine optimisation (with synchronopticæ), transcribing presidential debates plus tales of Chemical Romance

twelve years ago: a visit to the Sonnenburg 

fourteen years ago: design for houseplants