Category Archives: Summer

Summer Berlinale 2021

Summer

https://www.berlinale.de/en/photos-videos/berlinale-trailer/festival-trailer.html

Berlin is in summer motion among squealing S-trains, yet rewarding film moments at the Museum island, see https://www.rbb24.de/kultur/berlinale/beitraege/2021/berlinale-summer-special-museumsinsel-aufbau-berlin.html

Walking along the newly opened entrance to the Humboldt Forum, the James Simon Gallery is a must-see, as the entrance next to the New Museum and the entire landscape of museums between Pergamon, Bode and the old national gallery is in his name, see https://www.museumsinsel-berlin.de/masterplan/projektion-zukunft/

James Simon, a philanthropist who died poor (1851 – 1932), was a German of Jewish descent whose father moved to Berlin from Pommern to run his trade as tailor and cotton king during the late 19th century. The young James equally learned his textile trade and quickly became No. 07 on the rank of Prussian millionaires and so-called “Kaiserjuden” of the time. Burried at the jewish cemetery at Berlin’s Schönhauser Allee, Simon belonged to the inner few at Emperor Wilhelm II. whose liberal views to fight antisemitism made him defend the Weimar Republic. It was James Simon, under the German Emperor’s protectorate, who was crucial in setting up the ‘Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft’ and kept the colored bust of Nofretete at his private desk.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Nefertiti_30-01-2006.jpg

 

berlinsights Sand-Pendel Juni 2020: times do not yet change.

Summer

berlinsights.de is back in Berlin, after more than a year working in South Africa. When we looked at our former premises Unter den Linden (UdL) 40, we found that the 10.000 sqm between Mittelstr. and UdL are currently being completely refurbished, works tasked to the David Chipperfield group by investor Harm Müller – Speer from Hamburg. He had made the deal for the “French Palais’ in 2014, winning the bid from among 350 potential parties interested in the historic building. The same investor of the Spreedreieck (near Friedrichstr.140), the former and famous ‘Tränenpalast’ and the ‘Hackesche Höfe’, among others, is said to expand office space by up to 17.000 sqm. His shame came with Berlin’s municipality that first opposed partial damage of the historic site: monument protection is ‘holy’ for Berliners, or at least he had to wait a bit for the building permit. By now, mid-2020, people hardly realize that works are speeding up. As for now, media stay silent, although ZDF is right next door. Who wants to know more, tours can be organized.

Moon Eclipse July 27, 2018

Summer, Uncategorized

Moon eclipse this Friday, July 27, 2018, in Berlin’s eve around 20 – 22 p.m.
… a great place to linger around these days is the ‘House of the World’s Cultures (HKW), the former Congress Hall at John-Foster-Dulles Allee, D-10557 Berlin. Typically named the ‘Pregnant Oister’, Water Music is on right now until August 18, 2018: ‘Goodbye UK – and Thank You for the Music’!

Developing Myanmar tourism with 120 local stakeholders

Summer
Developing Myanmar tourism with 120 local stakeholders means to acknowledge military presence and governmental power in a process of change.
At the beautiful “Royal Nadi Resort” in Nyaung Shwe close to Inle Lake, nobody talks about the “Blue Lake” whose colors seem to have turned muddy brown. Environmental degradation confirms the effects of human exploitation and commercial impact. International development efforts not yet grasp sustainable methods for impact in favour of ‘blue sky’ visions. Yet, it is not yet too late to move towards joint leadership.

MYA_NadiResort_07_2015
Susanne with workshop participants on tourism development, Myanmar, 07/2015.