That big house on the hill is the Schiller Nationalmuseum. Friedrich Schiller was a poet and playwright, and like many of his kind, he was also politically active and often used his writing to accuse (openly or veiled) the misdeeds of the ruling class, namely the then Duke of Wuerttemberg (Wuerttemberg wasn't a kingdom yet at the time). This got him into trouble more than once, but did not stop him.
Schiller lived from 1759 to 1805. He was born in the small town of Marbach, situated near my hometown. Here, in Ludwigsburg, he spent most of his childhood and youth. I won't tell you the whole story of his life here - you can read a lot about him on wikipedia. Let it suffice to say that he became famous and to this day continues to be considered one of Germany's most important poets and playwrights. You all know the "Ode to Joy", don't you? The music is from Ludwig van Beethoven, but the lyrics were Schiller's, written when he was 26 years old.
Back to the main topic of this post now:
90 years after Schiller's death, in 1895, it was decided that a museum dedicated to the works of this great son of Marbach was to be built there. In 1901, work began on the building you can see today.
In 1955, the Deutsche Literaturarchiv (German Literature Archive) was founded there. The necessity of more space soon became apparent. Other buildings were added on the top of the hill above Marbach, and nowadays, it is almost a small town in its own right, with the beautiful white building at its centre.
To the left (not really visible in my photo) is the 1970s-built complex of the actual archives and offices (there are more offices in the attic of the museum). To the right is the "Literaturmuseum der Moderne", opened in 2006 (click here for the English wikipedia entry). A bit further down the hill, to the right of the museum, is a hostel where students, authors and professors can stay while doing research work in the archives, sometimes for months.
Inside the hill, underground, is a maze of archive storage rooms, vaults and walkways, connecting all the buildings except for the hostel.
It is a fascinating world, and a changing one, too. The times when literature largely happened in print are long gone. Nowadays, no museum or institution about literature can give a comprehensive overview without a multimedial approach, and Marbach is no exception. Not everybody is happy about this, but we can't stop or reverse the development. Still, I think the archive and museum people are doing a good job of incorporating the new with the old, without allowing the new to completely take over at the risk of losing the old.
Yes progress and/or change is relentless and inevitable but it is interesting that whilst electronic media has changed dramatically and, in some cases, become obsolete, the written and printed word soldiers on.
ReplyDeleteTrue, and I suppose it will do so far into the future.
DeleteAnd I hope the written/printed word continues to soldier on. I for one here and now declare I will never succumb to e-readers! I've not yet done so, and I shall not do so!
ReplyDeleteBack in 1974 at the end of the wedding ceremony of friends the bride's brother sang "Ode to Joy" as the bridal party walked back down the aisle out of the church. It was a wonderful few moment.
The written/printed word is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, which is good. But it is also good that we can use ereaders if we want to - and I definitely don't want to be without mine anymore.
DeleteIt has become my trusted travel companion and goes with me on every trip to and from work, keeps me company in doctors' waiting rooms or at the hairdresser's, and of course I won't go on holiday without it. I rather carry that than a heavy suitcase full of books, on top of the case or bag I need for my clothes when travelling :-)
Also, it saves shelf space, and helps cutting down on the not-so-environmental friendly production of paper.
What a nice memory you have connected with "Ode to Joy". Thank you for sharing it!
I am another one who counts Ode to Joy as a treasure part of many celebrations - joyful and sad ones. Somehow it is always apt.
ReplyDeleteI will always treasure the printed word over the electronic, but if it is the electronic that keeps people reading, and thus writers writing, I will embrace it too.
Many, if not most, writers write electronically, and transmit their "manuscripts" (which of course aren't actually manuscripts anymore) to their agents and editors electronically, who will do their work in turn electronically, too... Then the words will be electronically transferred to paper. So, actually, a printed book today exists electronically long before it takes its physical shape. What matters really are the words and the ideas behind them, not what medium they are on, I think.
DeleteStill, there is nothing like a library full of physical books to browse! That will hopefully not change anytime soon.
Books in paper seem to be making a comeback.
ReplyDeleteI did not know Schiller wrote the lyrics to the Ode to Joy. I love it!
Several times in recent history, predictions were wrong: The advent of TV caused people to foresee the complete disappearing of cinemas, which has not happened... the same forecast was repeated when videorecorders and later DVD players were introduced, and we still have cinemas, although maybe not as many small ones as before...
DeleteAlso, when TV became available to nearly every household, it was predicted that nobody would read anymore - this has not happened, either...
People will always love a good story, independently of how they can consume it, and there will always be those who prefer reading over watching, and those who (like me) enjoy both.
There was quite a long article in the Seattle Times a couple of weeks ago, about the resurgence of sales for actual books, as opposed to electronic ones for Kindle and Fire Fox. A hopeful sign for sure. However, anything that gets (and keeps) people reading is aplus in my estimation. Personally, I prefer the actual printed page. I find it very tiring to read off the screen for any length of time, and it can also be difficult to re-find my place after I've put the device down. But maybe that's just me! A lovely introduction to the Schiller Museum, anyway. Thanks, Meike.
ReplyDeleteReading off a screen for more than a few minutes is not something I enjoy, either. But a kindle screen has not much in common with a computer screen; it has no backlight and no frequency (which is what puts the strain on our eyes). In fact, it is even more pleasant to the eyes in direct sunlight, when the white paper in a book can be blindingly bright.
DeleteDepending on the book, I still much prefer the printed versions: For instance, I don't want coffee table books, cook books, travel guides and the like any other way than printed.
I agree it's sometimes nicer to just look at the objects without the distraction of multimedia, but that very much depends on what the objects are, doesnt it?! The big museum in Cairo, where the fabulous Egyptian relics are, is almost Victorian in atmosphere. It's wonderfully atmospheric, and slick multimedia presentations are quite alien to it. But there again, with the treasure of Tutankhamen, who on earth needs multi media?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, some museums where the exhibits themselves are just books or everyday objects could be very dry and dull without films and photos and models to stir the imagination.
The old part of the museum (the one that focuses mainly on Schiller, his life and times and his works) has a more traditional approach, with only a few bits where modern museum paedagogics come into play. But the LiMo next door (Literaturmuseum der Moderne) shows literature in all its forms - and that is not only the printed page.
DeleteI do like a classic museum atmosphere, too, but as you say, it depends on the objects as well.
We don't have many museums here, maybe two or three. I'm not much of a museum goer but I admire people who love art and museums.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it has a lot to do with how one grows up. Our parents took my sister and me to museums and galleries and to visit churches and palaces from a very early age. They always made sure it was a pleasant experience for us - never boring. At the same time, they also made sure we were out in the woods and on the fields as much as possible, learning about nature just like we learned about history and culture.
DeleteI notice that The Museum of Modern Literature was designed by the brilliant English architect - David Chipperfield. Looks like he did a great job and recognised that his design would have to pay homage to the earlier buildings. Interesting post ma'am.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Neil!
DeleteYes, the LiMo is an interesting building. I have not been in it as many times as I've been in the other parts of the whole complex, but it hosts some very interesting exhibitions well worth seeing, on top of its permanent exhibition.