Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Thanks Nathan for making the geographics and history in my post more clear to the rest of the list - and to the rest of the list sorry for not provide those details in the fast hand ?-) ruben ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nathan Wajsman" <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 6:07 AM Subject: Re: [Leica] Leni Riefenstahl > Hi Ruben, > > Single malt...Humleb?k...you're on! No need to remove anything from your > book shelf either. > > For the rest of the list: Ruben's town, Humleb?k, is about 25 km north > of Copenhagen, on the coast. It is as close to paradise on earth as any > place I have ever been. The road to get there from Copenhagen hugs the > Danish coast with magnificent views of the Sound and the Swedish coast > to your right; it has been classified as one of Europe's 10 prettiest > drives. In Humleb?k itself, besides Ruben, you will find Lousiana, a > privately funded modern art museum of extremely high caliber, founded in > the 1950s by Knud W. Jensen. Every time I am in Copenhagen, I check what > exhibits are one there; Lousiana is a place where I have seen > Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton, and other photography blockbuster exhibits, > in addition to paintings and sculptures. If you ever find yourself in > Copenhagen, you owe it to yourself to visit Humleb?k (also easily > accessible by train). > > Nathan > > Ruben wrote: > > > Hi Nathan > > > > I am glad non of us hate Germans - half my family on my mothers side is from > > Germany and my great great grandfather on my fathers side left N?rnberg in > > 1747 with nothing but his name and came to stay in Danmark. Kaj Munk was > > stating an example and of cause not comparable with Riefenstahl but it is > > worth a thought that so many prominent, cultural intelektuals was fascinated > > by the nazis - just take Ole Wiviel the Director of the Largest Publsihing > > house in Denmark for many years and Knud W Jensen the founder of Louisiana > > museum of modern art in Danmark - both were very fascinated by the nazi > > ideologies and none of them ever appologied - and none of them were ever > > confronted with it while they lived! Anyway I respect you dislike for > > Riefenstahl and should you ever pass Humleb?k and stop by the publihinghouse > > for a single malt I will be sure not to flash my Riefenstahl books, but > > gladly lend you a copy of my grandfathers anti nazi manifest "Forbrydelse og > > Dumhed" :-) - ruben > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Nathan Wajsman" <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl> > > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> > > Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 7:29 PM > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Leni Riefenstahl > > > > > > > >>Hi Ruben, > >> > >>I don't know if she supported the Holocaust, but I certainly would not > >>compare her to Kaj Munk (for the uninitiated, he was a Danish priest and > >>poet who was executed by the Germans in 1944). While he did have some > >>sympathy and admiration for Hitler in the first half of the 1930s, as > >>did many intellectuals in Britain and the USA, at least from 1938 > >>onwards he was strongly anti-Nazi and once the German occupied Denmark > >>he spoke out against them very forcefully--that is why he was shot, > >>after all. Hamsun is a more difficult case, since his pro-Nazi > >>activities were extensive and continued all the way through the end of > >>the war and indeed afterwards. But at least with Hamsun I can read his > >>main works, like Hunger, and enjoy them as great literature that has > >>nothing to do with the Nazis. With Riefenstahl, her most important work > >>was directly in service of Hitler, such as her 1936 Olympics film. So I > >>think there is a difference. I will read Hamsun but I will not look at > >>Riefenstahl's films or pictures. > >> > >>BTW--I do not hate the Germans. My father, who lived through the > >>Holocaust and fought the Wehrmacht for 2 years, does not either. In > >>fact, he was married to a German woman before he married my mother, and > >>some of his closest friends are German. I have German friends, I speak > >>German, I enjoy going there etc. But for me Riefenstahl is off limits. > >> > >>Nathan > >> > >> > >>Ruben wrote: > >> > >> > >>>Hi Nathan > >>>I dont think Riefenstahl was a supporter of the holocaust, nor was Knut > >>>Hamsun - Norway, nor Kaj Munk, Denmark and many, many other artists of > >>>writing, fine art and photography. A lot of people have been seduced by > >>>strong ideologys and I do think that Riefenstahl was as good as any good > >>>artist that portais something that the artist really believes in. I have > >>>several books on her pictures and in a way I respect her for standing by > > > > her > > > >>>actions. She was a true believer in what she worked with but I don think > > > > she > > > >>>was a Nazi after the war - she just stod by what she did during that > > > > time. > > > >>>My family was engaged in the resistance and my grandfather was forced > > > > from > > > >>>his job as an editor on the newspaper Berlingske Tidende by the Nazis > >>>because he, since the early 30ties, had critisized what was going on in > >>>Germany, so I am in no way into revising history or anything like it - I > >>>just think there are far worse crooks then Riefenstahl! but few, in her > >>>time, as brilliant at staging her imagery. > >>>On the other hand I do respect your oppinion on Riefenstahl as do I > > > > respect > > > >>>any persons choice not to forgive what went on during world war two as > > > > well > > > >>>as what went on in Russia. > >>>ruben > >>> > >>> > >>>----- Original Message ----- > >>>From: "Nathan Wajsman" <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl> > >>>To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> > >>>Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 6:19 AM > >>>Subject: Re: [Leica] Leni Riefenstahl > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>>Marc James Small wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>>Are we to judge them as propagandists for the ideologies of the states > >>> > >>>in > >>> > >>> > >>>>>which they live or are we to judge them as technicians producing some > > > > of > > > >>>>>the finest cinematography ever made? We know little of Eisenstein's > >>>>>feelings but we do have a really good feel on Reifenstahl. > >>>>> > >>>> > >>>>To just look at the technical prowess of someone like Riefenstahl > >>>>without reference to her enthusiastic support for the Nazis is sterile. > >>>>She was not just someone who played along with the regime in order to > >>>>survive; she was a committed supporter. As such I reject her work > >>>>totally. I have no desire to have a book of her photographs on my shelf, > >>>>just as I have no need to have Mein Kampf there. > >>>> > >>>>Nathan > >>>>-- > >>>>Nathan Wajsman > >>>>Almere, The Netherlands > >>>> > >>>>General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com > >>>>Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>_______________________________________________ > >>>>Leica Users Group. > >>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>> > >>>_______________________________________________ > >>>Leica Users Group. > >>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >> > >>-- > >>Nathan Wajsman > >>Almere, The Netherlands > >> > >>General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com > >>Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com > >> > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Leica Users Group. > >>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > -- > Nathan Wajsman > Almere, The Netherlands > > General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com > Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information