Along my recent preoccupation with the German Resistance, I came across Ms Kettelhake’s biography of the formidable Libertas Schulze-Boysen, a granddaughter of the Prussian diplomat Philip zu Eulenburg who in the early years of the 20th century became the centre of a scandal revolving around his alleged homosexuality.

Libertas grew up at Liebenberg Palace, 60 km north of Berlin. Her short life was a roller-coaster ride, as glamorous as it was exciting and, in the end, dangerous. But besides shedding light on the fascinating life of a fascinating woman, Silke Kettelhake’s book is one of the most intriguing accounts of everyday-life in Nazi-Germany as well as the complexity of the German Resistance.

It is a bonafide page-turner, a term seldom used for a history book. But Kettelhake has clearly done her homework, and more than that: The book is meticulously researched, brimming with facts, and well written to boot. If it wasn’t for the book’s awe-inspiring accuracy you could be forgiven for believing you’re reading a historical novel. It is a rare achievement to bring a historic person like Libertas Schulze-Boysen back to live and make the reader suffer with her, hope for her survival – and yet, we know, of course, that there won’t be a happy ending.

And therefore it is all the more relevant, especially in times like these, to remember exceptional people Libertas and to keep her memory alive.

Silke Kettelhake’s highly recommended book is published by Droemer and is also available as an Ebook on Kindle (in German only).

This show, which is a collaboration between London’s National Gallery and its Berlin equivalent, the Gemäldegalerie, finally opened in the German Capital last Saturday, is nothing short of a triumph!

For the two museums to cooperate and curate the exhibition together had partly to do with the fact that both museums have one of world’s largest collections of paintings by Andrea Mantegna and his brother-in-law, Giovanni Bellini. All – all! – it took, was to get some other notable institutions like New York’s Met, Washington’s National Gallery, the Louvre, not to mention the Queen herself, to temporarily part with their treasures, and some of these are the icing on this first-class Renaissance cake, among them „The Feast of the Gods“ (lent by Washington) or „The Triumph of Ceasar“ (lent by The Queen).

The insurance on these masterpieces alone must have been high enough to make anyone’s head spin! And too high, surely, to be carried by one museum alone.

The exhibition aptly highlights the rivalry between the these two giants, but also how they influenced each other and more often than not, painted the same subject-matter, each interpreting it in their own way. And so the exhibition uses these subject-matters – such as „Virgin and Child“ or „Landscapes“ – and juxtaposes Bellini’s and Mantegna’s versions of these, allowing for a direct comparison.

Presentation, space and lighting are world-class and the same goes for the background information provided. The exhibition can safely be regarded as a, if not the, highlight in this year’s Berlin cultural landscape. A must-see!

The exhibition runs from March 1 until June 30 2019, Gemälde Galerie/ Berlin, Cultural Forum at Potsdamer Strasse, admission: 14EUR

Image: Inforadio

One of the things visitors from outside Germany appreciate about Berlin is its liberal attitude towards anything that concerns people’s personal freedom, be that to be able to drink alcohol on the street or on the Underground, be that the non-existing closing hours for clubs, or be that the fact that smoking in bars is still allowed – unlike in most every other country in the Western hemisphere. Or: Be that the fact that in Berlin dog owners are allowed to walk their dogs without a leash.

Seems, exactly this „personal freedom“ is now coming to a rapid end when, on January 1st, a new law kicks in, requiring all dog owners to keep their doggies ON a leash! I’m under distinct the impression that due to a few „black sheep“ among the more than 100,000 dog owners in this city – I’m referring to those that are either incapable or too lazy to train their dogs accordingly – the rest of us, clearly the majority, will now have to pay the price for the irresponsible attitude of just a few.

But then, why not ban car-driving?

Or drinking alcohol?

Or – and that would,for once, be a really useful idea! – the possession of fireworks and fire crackers?

In all of the above listed cases there are countless examples over the course of one year, of accidents as well as irresponsible behavior that ranges from the untoward to the downright criminal. And yet, none of it gets banned. In some cases with good reason, in the case of the possession of fireworks and fire crackers I’m not so sure … … However, I can’t help thinking that the Dog Lobby is either not powerful enough or that else, the Berlin Senate doesn’t have any more pressing problems to deal with.

But hang on a minute … … wasn’t there something about an airport that should have been completed in 2011 …? Or a housing shortage which is about to reach fever pitch …? And so on … … the list is endless!