February 2007

THE ‘NEW’ BERLIN AND HISTORIC DRESDEN: ART & ARCHITECTURE

At the February meeting of the Farnham Decorative and Fine Arts Society the lecturer, Eveline Eaton, Freelance Lecturer in Fine Arts and Tour Guide, talked on “The ‘New’ Berlin and Historic Dresden – Art and Architecture.”  The lecture was linked to a forthcoming tour to Berlin and Dresden by FDFAS members in May 2007.

Berlin and Dresden are located in the Eastern part of Germany, with Dresden 2½ hours south of Berlin.  With its excellent slides and enlightening commentary, the lecture gave insights into:  the restored churches, many of which have been converted into museums and galleries; new government, ministerial and embassy buildings designed by the foremost architects of our time; and many of the wonderful art treasures that are displayed in the numerous museums and galleries.

The history of the city was explained putting the buildings and art into context.  Berlin was first settled in the 10th Century by the Slavs, has more waterways than Amsterdam, more bridges than Venice and half of the city is parkland.  The Elector Frederick William I from the 17th century encouraged the Jews, Huguenots and the Dutch to settle in Berlin, and his son, Frederick II, a patron of the enlightenment, made Berlin a cosmopolitan centre, which it still is today.  The wartime damage to the buildings and the divided post-war Berlin was described.

The lecturer proceeded on a fascinating journey through her home city of Berlin.  Transformed since unification in 1989, it is once again the capital of Germany and a treasure trove of artworks and new architecture.  The journey commenced on Museum Island and proceeded to Spandau, Charlottenberg and Potsdam.  The prime sights of Berlin were shown including the Reichstag building, being the pride of the city, the 12th century Julius Tower in Spandau, the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, and the Charlottenberg Palace.  Potsdam, a smart residential area for Berliners, has the Sanssouci Palace, with its terraces of vines and magnificent marble hall, and the Dutch quarter, with its cafes and restaurants. 

Slides of sights of historic Dresden were shown including the Augustus bridge, the castle and the cathedral, destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt from historic paintings .  A new Jewish synagogue has just been completed on the site of the old.  The Elector Prince Augustus gave Dresden its historic splendour, which has now been restored after the wartime destruction.  In the early 18th century kaolin was found, which led to the establishment of the Dresden china industry.

The lecture provided members with an overall view of two fascinating cities.

Frances Ashworth, the Chairman, announced that Christopher Lloyd has been appointed as the new President of NADFAS.  He has worked at the Ashmolean Museum and was the surveyor of the Queen’s pictures from 1988 – 2005.  Members were reminded that bookings were being taken for the:  Study Day on 19 April on “The Tradescants – Plant and Art Collectors and Gardeners of the 17th Century”; the visit around London City Churches on 24 April; and for performances of Aida and Tosca at Woking.