Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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