Category Archives: lives of others

May 5th, 1988

Posted on 04/05/2018 by kcosumano

The postcard arrived in his mailbox on the 4th. This was it. It was now happening. The last few years might have been like a dream, but the months leading up to this moment had been like the day of … Continue reading →

Posted in assimilation, Bavaria, Germany, history, lives of others, memory, travel | Comments Off on May 5th, 1988

Rilke’s Ammersee flirtation

Posted on 27/04/2018 by kcosumano

Between 1914 and 1916, Rainer Maria Rilke was involved romantically with the (married) painter Lou Albert-Lasard. In 1915 he found himself somewhat stranded in Munich, waiting to learn whether he would be drafted into the Austrian Army. While there he … Continue reading →

Posted in Bavaria, culture, Germany, history, literature, lives of others, travel | 1 Comment

A story of changing times

Posted on 27/03/2018 by kcosumano

Once upon a time, there was a miller who lived in a small town. This miller was quite successful, and had expanded his business into a large commercial bakery. There had always been a mill by the river — in … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, history, lives of others, memory, travel | 2 Comments

“If the Baiuvarii on the Lech don’t block your way”*

Posted on 15/02/2018 by kcosumano

My husband knows that I have this fascination with local maps and roads and routes from long ago. In a recent acquisition of used books he stumbled across something he knew I’d like — “Die Alpen in Frühzeit und Mittelalter” … Continue reading →

Posted in Bavaria, culture, Germany, history, literature, lives of others, Mountains, reading list, Roman roads, travel | Comments Off on “If the Baiuvarii on the Lech don’t block your way”*

Discovering Curt Bois

Posted on 27/12/2017 by kcosumano

We happened to be surfing around TV stations this evening and stumbled over a 1980s comedy series called Kir Royale, which had been filmed in Munich. Tonight’s episode was “Adieu Claire”, about a fictitious famous composer named Friedrich Danziger, very … Continue reading →

Posted in America, culture, Germany, history, lives of others, theater, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Discovering Curt Bois

In Via: Raisting

Posted on 29/01/2017 by kcosumano

* If one is interested, as I am, in the routes of the Roman roads in southern Bavaria, then one has probably heard of Raisting; the north-to-south road from the Brenner Pass to Augsburg (Via Raetia) and the southwest-to-northeast road … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, Bavaria, Germany, history, lives of others, Mountains, nature, Roman roads, travel | 2 Comments

The Jewish Cemetery at St. Ottilien

Posted on 26/07/2016 by kcosumano

Near the Ammersee lies a Benedictine Monastery named for St. Ottilien, or St. Odile of Alsace (A recounting of St. Odile’s life on Wikipedia reads somewhat like a season wrap-up of Game of Thrones.) If you find yourself near the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bavaria, Germany, history, lives of others, memory, travel | 2 Comments

In via: Abodiacum

Posted on 28/05/2016 by kcosumano

There’s more to Epfach, an unassuming little village along the Lech, than first meets the eye. It’s a very, very old settlement, in fact. Older, even, then most German towns — Munich, for example, was first established in the 12th … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, art, Bavaria, Germany, history, lives of others, Roman roads, travel | 3 Comments

A Love Story Told In Books

Posted on 14/09/2015 by Marcellina

There may be eight million stories in the naked city; there are at least that many in the antiquarian business, especially if your business involves buying up collections from private estate sales. Through the transactions, through remarks, through the books … Continue reading →

Posted in assimilation, Germany, Life Abroad, lives of others, science | 1 Comment

Note to self: find more cheerful subjects for blog…

Posted on 10/04/2015 by Marcellina

Over two weeks have passed since that Germanwings pilot deliberately crashed Flight 9525 into the French Alps, taking 149 passengers and crew with him. The news cycle is mostly done with the speculation over the pilot’s illness, motives, personality disorder, … Continue reading →

Posted in current events, Germany, lives of others, opera, singing | 2 Comments