Concentration camp Bergen Belsen

 

 

I made a trip to Laboe, at the Ostsee, in the north of Germany. Driving back I decided to make a little detour to visit Bergen-Belsen. That is the location of one of the worst Concentration camps of the Germans. Anne Frank was brought here from Auschwitz, and spent a few misearble weeks here, before she died of Typhus, in March 1945, just a few weeks before the camp was freed by the Allied troops.

Even though there are almost no remnants from the former camp, it is still an eerie place, with large massgraves in a parklike setting. And a solemn and quite impressive musuem. I was glad I did the detour. 

 

Laboe harbour

Forgot to scan this drawing from Laboe, Northern Germany. I made this in the harbour, when I needed a break from the exhibition and library opening. Ink and gouache on toned paper.
 

U-boot U995, Laboe

 

Now this was something special! There was a 1943 German Submarine (the U995) on the shore of the beach in Laboe, just a few 100 meter from my hotel (and the exhibition). On the first day I drew the outside. The temperature was not too cold, but it was windy: my tripod with drawing board fell over a few times.

The next day I got permission to draw the interior. It was cramped, but I managed to sit on a bench/bed, not blocking the other visitors. Painstaking work to draw all these details, but I loved doing it.

Done with waterproof ink in a Lamy calligraphy fountain pen on toned paper, some watercolour and white gouache.

Exhibition in Laboe (Germany)

 

My first solo exhibition was opened last Saturday, at the opening of the new library in Laboe (northern Germany, at the sea). The exhibition shows 32 of my paintings, drawings and watercolours. It was organized by Anja klein of the local gallery Atelier1. There were a lot of visitors, like 200 or so; not all for me but also to visit the new library. The mayor gave a nice speach. Anyway, the exhibition is running to the end of June.

Exhibition in Laboe (Germany)

 

The coming few months there is an exhibition of my painting works in Laboe, Germany. 15 of my paintings (oil, acrylic and/or watercolour) are featured there.

It's up above Kiel, quite far from where I live, but in the good hands of Anja Klein (a friend and former collegue).

Raketenstation (Missile station)

 

2 pages from my sketchbook: drawing architecture at the "Raketenstation" in Hombroich (Germany). According to the rumours the NATO used to store cruise missiles here during the last years of the cold war. But since then the terrain with all its bulidings was converted into an artist area and museum park, with musuems buildt by renowned architects. Above: the Langen Foundation building by Tandao Ando. Below: the "Musikhaus" by Raimund Abraham. 

Actually, the museum was closed, but I managed to visit the terrain anyway.

Zeche Zollverein (2)

 

After te rain stopped, I went to this view, to paint the long rows of former coke ovens. I made a sketch years ago on the same location ( https://renefijten.blogspot.com/2017/05/zeche-zollverein.html ), tried it with gouache this time. A very complicated painting, I quite underestimated it. In the end I ran out of time, had to do some touchups at home.

Zeche Zollverein

 

Painting made in an old, abandoned cokes producing plant in Germany, Zeche Zollverein. It was raining outside, So I deceided to paint a detail in the interior.

Hillensberg (Dtsl)

 

It was very cold today, with a strong chilling wind, but I needed to get out and make a drawing somewhere. Sometimes I cross the border to do some shopping (som articles are cheaper, better or local specialties) and fill my tank with cheaper gasoline. By doing so, I usually cross a small village on a steep hill called Hillensberg (Germany). It had a small 13 or 14th century church I had never noticed before. A nice opportunity to make this sketch.

Aachen

I was in Aachen (Germany) last friday. A view from the terrace of the major bookshop there, Meyrische.

Aachen: Dom

Aachen, inside the Dom (Cathedral). The part where I am standing (the octagonal chapel) is the oldest, dating from 796 AD. Several (some 30) German Kings were crowned here. But the octagon was quite impossible to draw. So I tried for the choir. It features the golden Maria shrine, which should contain a piece of cloth of Jesus.

Aachen Rathaus

Aken / Aachen / Aix La Chapelle. I went there to draw the Dom and the city hall (Rathaus). Nice weather and a lot of people that chatted with me. Nice.
 

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Berlin, the view from our hotel window towards Alexanderplatz. Motel One. It was early sunday morning, so the square was still very quiet.

Berlin: Hackeschen Markt

 

We had a nice weekend in Berlin, with a group of friends. Arrived on Saturday, left on Tuesday. Roamed through the city, which was no ordeal as the weather was perfect: real early Spring.

I was not able to make elaborate sketches, if you are with a group, you have to adapt. This is a quick impression of one of the terraces at the station "Hackeschen Markt", one of the major S-bahn stations.

Herkerather Kapelle

 

This afternoon, even though it was cold, due to the lack of wind it was nice in the sun. This little chapel (dating fron 1883) is standing quite lonely in the middle of  barren fields. And quite inaccessible, as it is just across the border in Germany. Even though there are no real borders between the Netherlands and Germany anymore, that does not mean all roads and paths are running unobstructed.

Tagebau Inden

I went to an exhibition of the drawings of the French comic book author Moebius (Giraud) in Brühl, Germany.
On the way there I passed Inden, just behind Aachen. There are huge browncoal works there. I was able to get to the edge of the terrain, viewing into the deep open mine. The machine on top of the hill stands about 2 km away, and is about 65 meters high. Just to get the scale in proportion.

Schmallenberg

We had a nice long weekend with friends in a Hotel in the German Sauerland region. A weekend with good food (gutbürgerliche Küche), good beer, nice long walks through forests in autumn colours, and a lovely atmosphere. No time to sketch on location. But I made a picture of this scene in Nordenau, which I used for this sketch later in the hotel.

Harz

On the request of a client I made this watercolour of his parents house. A vintage woodwork building in the Harz, Germany. A lot of fun to do these drawings.

Simonskall

Simonskall, is a small hamlet just behind Aachen. You wouldn't say so after this picturesque scene, but this was the terrain of one of the worst battles of World War 2 (battle of Hürtgenwald). Americans fought for months against the Germans in this countryside with steep hills and severe winters. It was even worse here than the Ardennes offensive, which raged some 100km more to the south. The battle cost between 33.000 and 50.000 American casualties. And 28.000 on the German side. Quite a lot for a forgotten battle.
Forgotten, yes, it's about 50km away, and we know nothing about this battle. And I toured the district: there hardly anything left to remember.

Stolberg

Stolberg, just across the border in Germany.
It was just a daytrip, to escape the heat of my hometown and garden. We had 36-38 degrees here, an official record-breaking heatwave for these parts. In Stolberg, the Eifel, it was a few degrees cooler, just 30 degrees.