Germany Lacks Grace Under Pressure
Katarina Witt, winner of two Olympic gold medals in women’s figure skating, is an anomaly. It’s like she’s from another planet.
It is no surprise that Ms. Witt won two Olympic gold medals and numerous other competitions as an East German. It is surprising, however, that she won her gold using techniques which are as foreign to Germans as home-grown citrus. Ms. Witt won because of her grace, not her power.
A formerly unknown picture by German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner entitled “Melancholic Girl” is projected on a screen during a news conference in Augsburg, southern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, abiut an art find in Munich . The hoard of 1,400 works of art found by tax investigators in a German apartment offers a treasure trove for historians, bringing to light previously unknown works by masters such as Marc Chagall Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Henri Matisse. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)
In case you are unaware, German authorities recovered over 1400 pieces of artwork recently. The works were thought to have been destroyed during WW II. They were discovered in a ramshackle apartment in Munich’s ‘art district’, two years ago. The authorities only came forward with this information a few weeks ago after a German magazine broke the story.
Germany could learn much from Ms Witt. Germany has bungled (as only they could) the opportunity to ‘make good’ on the returning of looted art (see here) from the Nazi period, back to the rightful owners, with grace and contrition. Instead, we have seen missed chances which have put darker chapters of German back in the limelight.
As the story of ‘Nazi Art’ continues to unfold, Germany has been placed in a most uncomfortable (for them) position. The authorities have been less than forthcoming, have compounded mistakes, and generally have exhibited a malaise that is truly mindboggling.
How could they sit on this for two years?
Yesterday, Germany announced that they had found another 22 works - and they found them in the apartment of a relative to the person that had allegedly had the original 1400. Hadn’t anybody thought to take a gander into the lives of relatives of the person sitting on all of these works?
My numerous German friends ask me how long must they bear the Nazi burden. I surmise it will be a long time. Part of the problem is that the Nazis went to such painstaking lengths to document it all. This makes for fascinating reading and study, allows Germany a chance to make amends, and keeps it synonymous with Germany.
Though the popular idea that Germans are ‘cold, calculated, and emotionless’ is mostly an urban myth, one can’t help but feel certain hints of these when looking at their handling of the ‘pillaged Nazi art’. Germany will always be forced to go the extra mile, and if they hesitate but for a moment, the catcalls will proceed.
If you think about the game of chess, it seems as if the mathematical intricacies and computations of the game would be perfectly suited to the German. This is not the case. Any illogical move is sure to set the German’s hair on fire. Thus the necessary creativity for chess can be found more often in places where spontaneity, flexibility and ‘gut instinct’ are rewarded.
Germany, be rash, be non-conformist, get crazy! It’s time to let your hair down. It’s your move.
Euro Converter
i too am dumb founded by the completely inept handeling of the case …the secrecy the bungled way only 1 art expert was hired no list was published they allowed cornelius gurliett to sell off another painting AFTER the art was seized …his bank accounts wre not frozen his house was not boarded up and siezed as well …he was allowed to go FREE ..aftrer he knowingly hide these STOLEN art works for decades a üpattern of criminal action ..and these germans are SO CLUELESS hey ! it ws your grandparents that killed EVERYONE including midgets -yeah even the little people ommpa loom pa’s …the germans had to IMPORT midgets for the willy wonka film shoot in munich in the early 60s …no midgets in germany the came from england—the PSYCHOLOGY of evil does NOT CHANGE from 1 or 2 generations …until you and your children are dust germans will always be known as a culture of EVIL …its in your superior aryan genetics -the evil gene as PROVEN by the obsfusticating actions of the bavarian authoritys who acted like thieves in the night in their attempt to hide the art and then made LAME excuses ..it was to protect the owners privacy? WTF-umm how would the owners even KNOW of the find unless a LIST WAS PUBLISHED ..head slap eye roll …like children caught in a lie who then lie more evil or perhaps just embarresingly STUPID