A Time Lapse ...

... in history

Quotes of the week

“My childhood did not prepare me for the fact that the world is full of cruel and bitter things.”
― J. Robert Oppenheimer

“When you see something technically sweet you go ahead and do it, and you argue about what to do about it, only after you have achieved success.”
― J. Robert Oppenheimer

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Hello,

I am writing this week’s newsletter from Innsbruck. We arrived here earlier than anticipated since we skipped a few visits on the way, due to the beginning of the German holidays an its constant traffic queues because we realised on the way that the major travelling weekend had started in Germany. Furthermore, the weather forecast was not very good, and our planned trip included outdoor life.

Lüneburg

The first night, after we left Sweden, we stayed at the wonderful Campingplatz Stover Strand International, just by the river Elbe, south of Hamburg and north of Lüneburg. We had a quiet evening, starting out with a little bit of organisation in the car. Seems to be a constant task. Afterwards we walked over to the restaurant which is situated on a houseboat. We had a salad, a glass of wine and were watching the barges passing by. A very quiet and contemplating evening.

The next day we visited Lüneburg, a beautiful, Medieval city. The first written record of the city is from 956, and has to do with a matter that still occupies us today - taxes. Its main income in those days was from salt, being a very important commodity for food preservation before we had fridges and freezes. The business also helped the city become an influential member of the Hanseatic League. There was a big trade with Norway and Sweden, where the market in Skåne (where I live now) was a major market for herring. It is hard to imagine the importance and wealth of Lüneburg, based on a commodity like salt. But, those were the days.

One of the oldest houses dates from 1493. You can see how the top floors almost topples on the side, and backwards. But, the house is still standing.

Around 1560 the herring disappeared around Falsterbo in Scania, once the biggest customer of Lüneburg’s salt businesses. This caused a downfall in prosperity and the city fell into poverty. Today we can be grateful since it led to few building projects, leaving Lüneburg as it looked 500 years ago. Walking around the big square take you back in history.

There is a Heinrich Heine house, today the Rathaus (City hall) and a wedding took place as we passed by. It seems that Heine’s parents lived there from 1822-1826. Obviously, he visited since he called the town Residenz der Langeweile (residence of boredom). It does not seem to be a boring town today at least.

In 1945, the German Instrument of Surrender which brought the Second World War to an end, was signed here. You cannot visit the building today as it is situated within a military zone.

The owl guarding the entrance to the bookstore.

Today the town is a peaceful place, with small cobblestone streets and alleys. The center is surrounded by old houses with modern shops. We ran into a bookshop where I could have stayed for a few hours, looking around, sitting down in a sofa or armchair with a cup of coffee and a paper, or a book. I managed to buy three books; two as preparation for our Greek trip - Ithaka by Claire North and Circe by Madeline Miller, and The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams. We continued strolling through the alleyways down to the canal, or river, with its old, and renovated buildings.

Oppenheimer

The big talk this last week has been the opening at cinemas of the film Oppenheimer. Martin and I went to see it on Tuesday, with much anticipation. A movie that does not leave you untouched. So many excellent and well-known actors in the cast, make it an impressive film. Based on the biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Christopher Nolan has directed an excellent epic. It felt slightly too long, but you are absorbed by the story until the very end.

The acting is superb, even in smaller roles, direction is amazing, changing between present day hearings (in black and white) and the story of developing, in shortest time, the atomic bomb. Intermingled with episodes from his private life and his bouts of anxiety for what he has developed. Interaction between the various scientists involved in the project, give you a picture of a man born to lead. Listening to his fellow scientists, analysing and making his decisions. Not always in agreement with his colleagues. His work and research was a balance act between the pure scientific achievements and the military interest in the outcome. If the film is based on fact, Oppenheimer hoped that the creation of the bomb would be a deterrent for other countries to start new wars. In addition he predicted a nuclear arms race in a future.

On my blog this week

Four posts since last time. An excellent, short biography of Napoleon was very interesting, and make for more reading. A wrap-up of the Paris in July challenge. It was a great month with a lot of sharing our interest in France and Paris. A bookshop (also mentioned above), and a July wrap-up of what I was reading outside Paris in July.

Paris in July, 2023 - Napoleon, A Concise Biography by David A. Bell

Paris in July 2023 - wrap up

A wonderful bookshop and a few new books

July Wrap-up

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See you next week