From Germany With Love…
Every so often, the Sketchbook team receives an invitation to an unusual event, which ordinarily would not fall within our usual areas of coverage/’expertise’. So when we opened our inbox to find an invitation to enjoy an evening of culture courtesy of the German Touris Board held with the aim of raising awareness of the range of beautiful UNESCO World Heritage sites that can be found in Germany, I found myself thoroughly looking forward to the evening ahead.
The event was held in Wellington Arch on Hyde Park Corner – having been unaware that this monument was in fact a building, it was quite exciting to be allowed inside it. It was very enjoyable to stand on the balcony, sipping champagne and gazing out across London. Wellington Arch was certainly a very fitting venue for an evening that revolved around stunning historical sites.
A presentation was given, in which the speaker began by assuring us that Germany was not “all about beer and bratwurst” then going on to describe some of the many UNESCO sites that the country boasts. Of course there were plenty of delightful medieval buildings, along with the sort of chocolate-box Bavarian towns you might expect to find in Germany. I was very tempted by the traditional Christmas markets, which can be found in historical towns like Lübeck during the festive season.
I snapped out of my gingerbread and glühwein fantasy when a man ran into the room, shouting about his wonderful marzipan-making experiences in Germany and throwing heart-shaped samples into the crowd. Of course he was an actor employed to illustrate the presentation, which worked very well and was made a lot more comical by the fact that one audience member did not realise his entry was planned and started berating him for interrupting the talk.
The actor made several more appearances throughout the evening, most notably during a discussion of the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door, bringing about the Protestant Reformation. Wittenberg is also said to be where Shakespeare’s Hamlet studied. Suddenly a scull was in the actor’s hand, and that famous Shakespearean soliloquy beginning “To be, or not to be” was pouring out of his mouth.
It was interesting to learn that some very English history and culture is so intertwined with Germany. UNESCO also protects the Bauhaus sites, Sketchbook’s favourite in this historical line-up. Founded by architect Walter Gropius in 1919, the Bauhaus school played a pivotal role in the modernist movement across the art, architecture and design worlds. The inclusion of the Bauhaus buildings makes for a rounded set of heritage sites, from tradition to modernity. Sketchbook thought there was something for everyone, and maybe there really is more to Germany than hop-related beverages and sausages.
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Words & Images by: Imogen Webb
