#CAIRO 1870: ENJOYING A #CHIBOUK IN THE ROYAL HAREM
Thursday, 28 October 2021
Wednesday, 27 October 2021
#CAIRO 1870: THE ROYAL #HAREM
In 1870 Luise Mühlbach (1814-1873), best known as the
author of historical novels, received an invitation from the Khedive (Sultan)
Ismail Pascha of Egypt to visit Cairo. She published an account of her journey
in the form of letters, Reisebriefe aus Aegypten. Here is her description of the Khedive’s harem:
…We got out of
the carriage. Four large, ugly eunuchs stood by the door. They grasped [Mühlbach
and her daughter] our upper arms and escorted us through the courtyard to the
wing of the castle which housed the apartments of the princesses.
We stopped at a large glass door which
led directly into the castle. The door was opened from the inside; the eunuchs
remained outside, and we entered a salon of great length and width. The floor
was covered with carpets and there were divans all around the walls. A group of
some twenty girls advanced from the back, all dressed in airy gowns, some with
their heads covered with turbans, others with small gold-embroidered caps, and others
again wearing silver ribbons which hung down in back looping around their hair.
Four of these girls walked toward us smiling, took us, like the eunuchs, by the
upper arms and led us through the salon to a wide carpeted staircase. We
mounted the stairs led by them, and at the top encountered yet another giant
salon furnished with carpets and divans.
There the slave girls conducted us to
three ladies resting on silk-covered divans. Then a young lady approached us.
To my great surprise she addressed me in German and explained that she was our
translator and had been asked to mediate the conversation between myself and
the princesses. She was the governess of the young princesses, a woman of Swiss
descent and able to speak French and German.
The slave girls released our arms, and
led by the translator, we approach the princesses. They rose from the divan and
shook hands with us. Then one of the ladies indicated that we should take our
seat beside her on the divan. She moved the cushion on which her arm was
resting a little closer to me and indicated that I should make myself
comfortable, which meant folding under one leg, sliding onto the divan and
leaning on the cushion where her beautiful arm, adorned with bangles was
resting. An easy chair was offered to my daughter, and after she had sat down,
one of the slaves rolled the chair up to the princesses, so that she faced them.
As we began our conversation, I gave
some attention to the beautiful women, and indeed, the princesses were worth
looking at. I sat beside the mother of Prince Mohamed Wawfik. Although the heir
apparent was already 18 years old, his mother was still a beautiful and
youthful-looking woman. In the Orient women marry young and the ladies of the
harem knew how to cultivate and preserve their charms. I don’t want to be
accused of indiscretion and therefore dare not say too much of the appearance
of the princesses. They are young and beautiful, their black eyes have a fiery
glow, as only oriental eyes do, their purple lips are always ready to smile and
reveal two rows of excellent teeth. Their figures are not svelte, but of a fullness,
which is popular in the Orient. The ladies greeted me by putting their hands
first on their knees, then on their hearts and then against their forehead.
Tuesday, 3 August 2021
#AUSTRIAN
WRITER WERNER #KOFLER IN ENGLISH
Werner
Kofler (1947-2011), who wrote collages in the style of Thomas Berhard, was a
witty, sarcastic, uncompromising social critic. How best to describe his
writings? They are, in his own words, “mad creations”, “acts of revenge”, “masterpieces
of innuendo”, “master works of defamation.” But not available in English. How can that be –
why is a great writer like Kofler overlooked, why are English readers deprived
of the prickly pleasure of reading Kofler? Because his works are hard to
translate – too many local references, too many puns and wordplays lost in
translation. Well, I’ll give it a shot. Here is a taste of MANKER. The setting:
A radio play is being taped, and the author gives instructions to, or rather
constantly interrupts, Manker’s reading of the play:
No, Manker, not like this.
Not so fast, Manker, don’t say it as if you were in a hurry. More feeling, more
attention to detail! It’s an inventory, Manker, an inventory of damages. Not
“went in, kicked in the high double doors, flung open” – no, “went in, kicked
in the high double doors, flung open the wings of the door with a
loud crash,” not just the door, Manker, “the wings of the door,” it’s a
door with wings, the door panels suddenly burst open – don’t drone on, Manker, “in
fear and unsettled I,” what are you doing, Manker, more precision, “IN FEAR AND
UNSETTLED – I…,” not so careless, “the green lamp thrust to the ground, its
gentle light extinguished in a flash,” what are you doing? “Thrust to the
ground, the green lamp, its gentle light extinguished in a flash,” why is
it so difficult, so difficult to put emphasis on the gentle light of the green
lamp, extinguished in a flash. The greener the lamp, the lamp on the table, the
gentler the light, the more sudden the extinction, is that so difficult to
convey, gentle light, green lamp, and suddenly – is that so difficult? Such
difficulties already within the first sentences, at the beginning of the first
sentence, the first bars! If we go on like that, it’s going to be a long story,
a lengthy dialogue, we will entertain a one-sided talk, I like to talk, very
much, and preferably at another person’s cost. But this hardly counts as
entertainment, not yet; but soon: we are entertaining ourselves privately. But
let’s go on, Manker – much noise, “where am I, to be murdered by him,” WHERE,
WHERE – not bad, Manker, suddenly retracting WHERE, WHERE, yes, that sounds good,
where, where, he, I – yes, excellent; but now, that’s much too fast, “taken from
the wall,” not enough involvement, taken from the wall, broken with a
single destructive movement, more slowly, Manker, largo appassionato – “broke
with a single destructive movement the heavy, cut-glass wall mirror” – more
slowly and the voice a little fuller, emphasis on the heaviness of the wall
mirror, the destructive movements, the heavy cut-glass mirror broken, in pieces
–“THE MIRROR IN PIECES.” For God’s sake, not so loud, why are you roaring like
that, control yourself, who told you to shout “the mirror in pieces,”
the mirror is already in pieces, why destroy it a second time. No forte,
Manker, nothing in fortissimo,
the-mirror-in-pieces, okay? Two-birds-at-swim, the-mirror-in-pieces,
like that, very simple. It could have been very simple, but no, you had to
shout and smash the mirror a second time! Seven years of bad luck, and that on
top of it; adding insult to injury. I know, I know bad luck rarely happens only
once, but a more respectful handling of the ruined mirror would have been
desirable, Manker. Radio play or not. THE MIRROR IN PIECES! Have you ever heard
anything like that, no one in the whole world has ever heard anything like
that, such a – oh, I don’t know what to call it. I was really looking forward
to the radio play and now this happens, already at the beginning, within the
first sentences, at the first strike, so to speak.
To be continued…
Sunday, 11 July 2021
#HOLOCAUST
VICTIM ANNA ANDORN – DIARY ENTRIES
Part
V: 1942-44
1942
– July 21 – We have been travelling now for 24 hours and we don’t know where we
are headed. We often travel on secondary
tracks in order to let transports to the front go ahead. They have given me a bucket and a cup. I am allowed to get out of the train at every
stop and am supposed to try each time to obtain water for distribution to the
“travellers”. The sliding door [of the
car] is [pulled back] to leave only a narrow opening, so that nobody can
escape.
Evening. An SA man from the troop escorting us speaks
to me when the train stops, asking whether I was nurse Anna from Bottrop? And what was I doing in this train. I explain the situation to him, and that 26
years ago, I was nurse Anna. I have a
glimpse of his eyes tearing up before he turns away and leaves.
At night we stop on an open stretch. They have placed us in an unlocked section so
that I can immediately proceed to look for water. But there is no house far or near.
The SA man comes back and says to
me: “Nurse Anna, I want to help you. I
know that you saved my life that time in Bottrop”. I answer him, that he can only help us, my
husband and me. We will not be separated
at this time of need.
He repeats that he can suggest a
plan for me. But the disappearance of
two people would endanger his own life, he says, and goes away.
Of course I tell Maier about this
strange encounter. He is angry with me
that I did not accept [the man’s proposal]: “If we are put into a concentration
camp, you can more easily do something for us and for our release from the
outside”.
At the next stop I right away look
for the SA man and declare that I am prepared to follow his plan. He should tell me what I need to do. The next station is Theresienstadt, our
destination, [he says]. Everybody would
be leaving the cars, only the dead would be left behind. They would be picked
up a little later by a squad and piled up here next to the track. “First you must hide somewhere and at the
right moment lie down among the dead.
The train will be taken to the camp and the bright floodlights will be
turned off. As soon as it is dark, run
away!”
It is known, he explained further,
that the Czech population there by the Eger was very hostile to the
Germans. “You will somehow be able to
keep alive, [whereas] in the concentration camp you will soon die of hunger.”
I was able to carry out the plan devised
by the SA man. I lay amongst the dead
probably for an hour, but when they shut off the floodlights, I ran off right
away. I watched the guards walking around
the high fence with fierce dogs, but they did not notice me at all.
Finally, I came to a river and
washed up. It was a wonderful, clear
summer night. All the stars were
shining. I was afraid of encountering
people.
1942
- July 22nd. Of course, I had
pangs of remorse, thought of Maier and how I could help him. Then from far away, the bells rang. I could see the steeple of the church. I went there, thinking I would thank the
Eternal One for my salvation and ask him to guide me further.
I knelt in the church, communicated
in my thoughts with the good Lord himself and asked him only to show me the
right way. There were only a few faithful
in the church. I just observed the
preacher, who at the end of the mass came towards me and enquired about me.
I immediately told him the whole
truth, but not that I was a Jew: “I fled from the train and my husband is there
in the concentration camp. I don’t have
anything to eat nor anywhere to sleep.”
The old man had a kind face and he thought immediately of how I could be
helped. He told me right away that aiding
someone to flee the concentration camp was punishable by death. So, we had to be very careful.
In the concentration camp there
weren’t only Jews. He could get in without any difficulty to offer the poor
people at least some spiritual help. He
[said he] would inquire about my husband and also, if there was a chance, bring
him some food. I could rest every night
on the sofa in the sacristy. Officially,
however, he did not want to know anything.
The church itself was dirty, the
floor had not been cleaned for weeks, so I tried to offer my thanks for the
preliminary rescue by thoroughly cleaning the church. The priest looked after my food and my
clothing and through him I was also in constant communication with Maier.
1943
– I have now been living underground for half a year. Last year it looked as if Germany was really
going to win the war. People talked to
me now and then, I answered only yes or no.
Nobody dares to ask questions about me.
They often bring me something to eat.
They probably suspect why I am here.
It is winter and it is very
cold. The preacher told me that Maier
has a bad cold. He is so kind to me, and
I put him in grave danger. I have taken
the decision to go soon to the camp with him.
He too thinks that that is possible.
He will get a nurse’s outfit for me.
I will have the Red Cross pin on me, so nobody will think anything of
it. But once in the camp, I will quickly
have to get a camp uniform.
We have followed the plan
exactly. We took the camp uniform from a
dead person. Maier is happy that I am
again close to him. Unfortunately, he is
very weak. Rumour has it that the Germans have had lots of losses on all fronts
and have to retreat everywhere. Will we live
to see our liberation?
My dear husband died in his sleep on
October 21s . He did not
suffer, it was a collapse of all his vitals.
Alone I cannot and I will not continue living in this hell. “
Translated from the German by Susi Lessing. The original text is at https://digipres.cjh.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE10164662
Tuesday, 6 July 2021
#HOLOCAUST
VICTIM ANNA ANDORN – DIARY ENTRIES
Part
IV: 1926-42
1930
– They have given me three weeks’ holidays.
People who can afford it travel to Switzerland, [whereas] I am going to visit
my siblings in the Ruhr region.
I met Vice-principal Maier
Andorn. He is a widower, has three
sons. He made me a marriage
proposal. Now that I have thought it
over carefully, I think I will accept.
He is 58 years old, but very sprightly, intelligent and jovial. He is vice-principal
in the Jewish school in Dortmund. I hope
however, that we will move to Essen soon after our wedding.
1933-
I get along well with my husband. I also
have a good, warm relationship with his sons.
Everything would be wonderful if Hitler had not come to power.
1937
– Hitler talks of peace every day. People
who hate should never be put into a leading position. They cannot think of
brotherly love, the sole principle of peace.
1938
– My husband has been [obliged to] retire.
We have moved to Essen and have a very nice house/flat?, almost
too big for the two of us, at Moorenstraße 19.
All our friends are emigrating.
Our oldest son has a position as rabbi in Holland. Berthold and Ludwig have gone to Israel. The children of my sister Mimi will also leave
very soon for Paraguay and the USA .
1938
– November. Why do we have to suffer
this? They set fire to all the
synagogues. All well-known Jews were
imprisoned, supposedly to protect them from the fury of the people. We have to wear the star of David on our
clothing and are not allowed to take public transit or sit on park benches.
Mimi came to us agitated on the
night of November 10th. They had knocked over all the shelves in the
shop and had destroyed or just taken all the goods. Alfred fled in his night-shirt to the
Philippusstift [a Catholic clinic]. The
nuns put him into a section for contagious diseases. Apparently, there are still kind people, who
are not infected or inflamed with blazing hatred.
Alfred and Mimi are going to move in
with us. They are too well known in
Borbeck and are fearful. My nephew
Walter was arrested by the Gestapo. But,
since he has all the papers to enter a technical school, they released him after
a short time, with the proviso that he must leave Germany within 72 hours.
1939
– August – My presentiments have not deceived me. We are at war again; people regard us Jews as
allies of the enemies. How will this
end? We are making a serious effort to
emigrate, but the world is closed to us.
We are studying English diligently.
1940
– We are going through a terrible time!
Both men are sombre and depressed, but Mimi and I laugh often and
sincerely and I am happy that we have not forgotten how to laugh in these
terrible times.
1941
– We had an air raid alarm. Everyone ran
to the bunker which had been prepared, but we were not allowed to do so. Food supplies are a slight problem, but there
are many good people here who slip us, who wear the star of David, a bit extra!
1941
– July – Alfred and Mimi received their immigration papers for the USA. I will go with them to Berlin. Surely I can help them with errands. All our friends congratulate us. Will we too
get out of this Nazi mousetrap? Alfred
and Mimi arrived safely in the United States.
Walter picked them up in an American soldier’s uniform.
1942
– April – We have been moved here to Holbeckshof and have to live as a group of
15 people in a barrack built to house five war prisoners who were supposed to
work here. Dina Peters and Milli Hüüsken
came and brought us all kinds of good food and a bottle of wine. We used it to organize a real Friday night in
our barrack. This good deed put both
women at risk. Thank you so much!
A week ago my sister Paula Levisohn
and her husband, who was the prayer leader in our community, and their daughter
were deported to Izbica. We are here
already three weeks, and they say we will be deported soon.
We were “shipped” on July 20th. In the camp and also at present, I wear my
red cross pin -- not to obtain some kind of advantage, but because I notice
that my instructions to sick people are followed more readily in this way. In Bottrop, wearing this pin, I saved the
lives of a number of people. I have stood
by so many people in need. If there is a
reward [for doing good], I should come in for it.
Translated
from the German by Susi Lessing. The original text is at https://digipres.cjh.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE10164662
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