Urbexart I Informationen Schlaraffia Crefeldensis I Schlaraffenburg I Krefeld I Männerbund I Humor I Freundschaft I Kreativität I Et Klöske I Kreative Fotografie I Bild Dokumentation I Historie I Geschichte I Samara Blue I Dreamtime Information Schlaraffia Crefeldensis registered association Infos Schlaraffen weiter lesen return Schlaraffenburg in the historic Krefeld Stadtbad This magnificent room used to be the relaxation room for the Roman-Irish bath in the old Krefeld municipal baths. On the left side there were 19 dressing rooms, in the middle of the room there was a long table with chairs, on the right side there were washbasins. The coffered barrel vault gives the room size and presence. Relocation from the old Krefeld Stadtbad to "Et Klöske" Story: In 1859 theater people, artists and writers founded the men's association Schlaraffia in Prague. After the director of the Deutsches Theater, Franz Thomé, tried to introduce a young bass player named Albert Eilers to the Prague artists' association "Arcadia", this request was rejected. Because of his poverty, he was considered a proletarian. Court singers and actors did not belong to higher society at that time. The men's association Schlaraffia was brought into being as a pastiche of the elite men's clubs of the 19th century . They mocked the very authoritarian society with deliberate satire and parody and made fun of it. They shifted their terminology to the 16th century and became knights, squires and squires. Officially there is no connection to the Freemasons, one clearly distinguishes oneself from the carnival associations. The term Schlaraffen is based on the Middle High German word “slur-affe”, which means mischievous prankster/joker (16/17 century) but also carefree connoisseur. In 1859 the first Cockaigne Club was founded in Prague, which at that time still belonged to the Danube Monarchy. The propagation of the Schlaraffen took place by so-calleddaughter reyche * instead of. In the years 1938/39 the clubs in which many Jews were members were banned in Germany and Austria. In Switzerland and overseas continued to be foundkinships * instead of. After the end of the Second World War, the club system revived and there were a few new foundations. According to statements by the gentlemen from Krefeld, the originally high level of educational demands on the members has been put into perspective somewhat over the past 30 years. General: To this day, men of all professions as well as professional artists and arm artisans have access to this association. There are around 270 Schlararaffen clubs worldwideReyche* named, who adhere to the same rules and procedures. The worldwide language is German. The approximately 11,000 members hold friendly values very high, they are extremely tolerant and friendships can be cultivated worldwide. The Schlaraffen speak German all over the world. The whole of the Reyche is thateagle owl * With the Schlaraffen everyone can live out their creative passion and just have fun. Emerging from the ranks of the actors, who mostly had engagements in the winter months, the weekly meetings took place and take place in the winter months (wintering *) (01.10.-30.04. northern hemisphere, 01.04.-30.10. southern hemisphere) instead. In the summer, events also take place with the women and children. The weekly meetings will bekinships * named. Characterized by a medieval-romantic atmosphere, knighthood is parodied and "man" can escape his everyday life for a moment in the game. The Schlaraffenburg is decked out in the style of a knight's hall, and the members dress in knightly fashion during their meetings. eachReych * has its own costume here in its own colors. Black, gold and blue are the colors of the local Cockaigne. The swords are mostly made of wood. They give themselves fancy names, but they are not just made up out of thin air, but always have a charming, sophisticated reference to the person and their idiosyncrasies or preferences. For example, the inner cockerel is called "Ritter Binschon vom bömisch Glase" because he (Rochus von Meyrswalden) already has a real knight's title. The dress code is a "neat" outfit with a tie. The knight's cloak is worn over it. A knightly headgear and a wooden sword complete the outfit. If you look at photos, you can see here and there quite colorful trousers or somewhat more profane shoes. Real daily life is not completely suppressed. As mentioned at the beginning, the aim and motto of the association is:The art of enduring friendship with humor. Politics and religion are in thekinships * deliberately left out. A Schlaraffe approaches his fellow knights with a positive basic attitude and organizes the evenings together with a wink, i.e. not with animal seriousness. So that an order can be maintained, the Oberschlaraffe is considered infallible. The weekly evenings are experienced as a cheerful knightly game and consist of different creative presentations. This can be a musical presentation, a recited poem that does not necessarily have to come from your own pen. A discussion can also be initiated, which does not necessarily have a deeper meaning, but is similar to an exchange of blows according to fixed rules, similar to a duel in a figurative sense. The vivid descriptions ofKnight Binscho n there is a knight who is able to spontaneously lead a heated discussion in rhymes. That was amazing for me, because I went into this interview without any precise ideas or expectations. This is how the statement of theintelligent nonsense , which the knights have written on their flag, for me as an outside woman an easily understandable meaning. One likes to practice the art of beautiful words. The speech duel begins with atit for tat *, you symbolically throw the glove in front of the opponent's stomach. The topic is determined by the Oberschlaraffe and the speech and counter-speech takes their creative, sometimes certainly eloquent course. According to the gentlemen, it can come from "stick to stick" and back again. The main thing is that there are no arguments and that fun and joy in beautiful words and intelligent nonsense are not lost sight of. The winner of the speech duel is determined at the end by the Oberschlaraffen. "The Golden Ball" has to fly, which means that as many cockerels as possible are included in the creative process, be it verbal or musical. The motto "Everyone can, nobody has to" applies. Own works are called fencing*, works by other authors are lectures. Anyone looking for the exacttypical course of a sipping * interested, read here. As a Cockaigne you are a welcome guest in every Reych in the world. Sassen with jobs that involve traveling have contact points in many places and can travel to the local as guest routeskinships * take part. You then ride there and are received by the local warriors with raised swords, the tunnel. I was impressed by the men's statements as to why the meetings and life as a member of a/this men's association is so important to them. Above all, it is the social component that keeps the gentlemen together. Naturally, there is a high proportion of seniors who live in theirReych * experience a community that gives each of them the attention and respect that is so important for humans. Many a widowed or single gentleman finds adequate social contacts here in a protected space. Anyone can present something, but does not have to. At the end of the lecture there is a badge (called "ancestors" in Cockaigne language) and a handshake as recognition. What happens when a cockerel on the rostra (lectern) falls in love with his fencing or lecture too much and runs out of time? Quite simply, he is given a large pair of scissors, beholdpicture series , the word literally “cut off” and he must stop immediately, also must not be offended. That's part of the silly game. The attention of everyone, however, is certain to be given to the speaker, and he is also shown respect and deference. The creative "machinations" certainly encourage the gentlemen to improve their skills in playing the piano, etc., in order to be able to continue to fox*` in a happy atmosphere. Even those who are older don't rest like that for a long time. The gatherings were sorely missed, especially during the pandemic. Since most men should now be vaccinated due to their age, they can, of course, in compliance with the current hygiene ruleskinships * take place again. In my opinion, this shows again that the motto "BEING more than APPEARANCE" applies here and not the other way around, as is often the case with "Appearance than being". Women: If you are wondering why there are no women in this game, you have to keep two reasons in mind. On the one hand, the jousting takes place true to the medieval template. There the women did not play a "role" in the knight games. The second reason can be seen in the value of friendship among men. To put it simply, friendship between men is different, perhaps easier without the female component. The men are not distracted in their game and cannot become rivals for the favor of a fair damsel. You don't have to worry about how your actions might affect the lovely femininity, who might come across better. However, women are not fundamentally excluded from the events. The value of the female environment is definitely seen. Therefore, soon after the founding, it was included in the statutes that in thewintering * a clanship with women of the castle has to take place. Also at many other festivals in thesummer sun G * Not only women, but also families are welcome. During this visit, I saw a very lively, intellectually demanding group of men. An association in which human and social values such as friendship and humour, but also tolerance and respect are lived and upheld. They may appear a little gaudy and whimsical to the casual observer, but I'm sure this club has an appropriate value in our fast-moving world. Schlaraffia Crefeldensis eV celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013. Schlaraffenlatein Schlaraffia - Latin Atzung und Labung = eating and drinking (verbs: atzen and refreshment) source = beer Lethe = wine Schaumlethe = sparkling wine smoke pot = tobacco pipe fuse = cigar lunette = cigarette Sipping = assembly Bangk = rhythmic homage paid to a Cockaigne Retourkutsche = invitation to a duel Pön = fine that is imposed if one behaves improperly or violates mirrors and ceremoniale (verb: pönen; from Latin poena, punishment) Petrol horse = car Gasoline elephant = coach Steam horse = railway baggage = family Burgfrau = wife Burgschreck = mother-in-law Burgwonne = girlfriend, partner Burgknaepplein = son Burgmaid = daughter hibernation = winter half-year Summer = Summer half-year Clavicimbel = piano Zinkenmeister = the one who operates the clavichoke. A "zinc ' was the original instrument on which the accompaniment was initially performed.[8th] sighing wood = violin Kniewinsel = cello minnewood = guitar chatterbox = phone emissary = letter Sendwich = postcard Crystalline = social get-together outside of the clans Vademecum = annual brochure containing all information and event information from the publishing Reyches. Root Role = Directory of Members Armor = helmet and sash, possibly knight's cloak Swallowtail = tailcoat Smoke skirt = tuxedo Reych = local group Fechsungen = own works Uhuversum = totality of all Reyche Annotation: Everything there is to know about the Schlaraffia is extremely extensive. My report is intended to convey a personal impression as an outsider and perhaps arouse curiosity about the values that are represented there. But he is far from treating the subject comprehensively and conclusively. There are enough other sources here to deal comprehensively with the topic. For me, however, it was an exciting experience, above all because I was treated with respect and openness as a completely unknown person. In my opinion, that only speaks for the Schlararaffen! Krefeld, August 2021 Sources: Wikipedia Schlaraffia Augusta Trevirorum WAZ from 03.10.2019 https://www.am-eysenhammer.com/ https://www.schlaraffia- lulucerna.ch/clubdesk/fileservlet?id=1000125

Graffiti I Streetart I Silk City Gallery 2021 I Seidenweberhaus Krefeld I Martini Pitture I Daniela Lazazzara I Beuys I Lifstye street art - Martino Pitture & Daniele Lazazzara/Italiy return Martino Anfang "Untitled" Martin: Facebook * Instagram Daniele: Facebook * Instagram Already on the stairs to the 1st floor you can see the strong blue tones of the Italian artists Martino Pitture & Daniele Lazazzara from Italy. You can find more information about the images below. (...) Artist information (...) Annotation: In this picture, the fascination for me at first came from the color "blue". This color dominated from day one and I kept scurrying by to see how the work would develop. In addition, two things particularly fascinated me. On the one hand, there were the exaggerated proportions of the two figures on the right. On the other hand, it was the kangaroo that, although it matched the two figures harmoniously with its coloring, was more angular and futuristic in style. However, the powerful image effect only became apparent after the removal of the scaffolding. Where am I looking? What does the rabbit mean? Questions upon questions I asked the two artists after the event. According to the artists themselves, the basic idea for their picture is nature and interpersonal relationships. The complexity of the interaction between nature and man should be presented. Daniele wants to bring people into the cities with his oversized kangaroo. The animals enliven a concrete landscape and Beuys will find (his) place in the kangaroo's belly. So far, Daniele provides his own idea, since the two actually want to encourage the visitor to write their own story. They specify individual elements, such as the rabbit. The rest is up to the viewer's imagination. I catch myself finding new ways of interpreting it the more often I look at the picture in the Seidenweberhaus or on the PC. For me, this picture is a very active picture, not only because I delved deeper into Beuys' life, but also because the two artists spoke very friendly and openly about their pictures. Martinos You can find verbatim explanations of his picture in the short interview below. According to the artists, the picture does not have a title, but it can be seen as a successful homage to Beuys. Short interview Martino & Daniele: Martino Pitture :"Hello Kerstin. The idea of the painting arose on a purely aesthetic level from Beuys' performance in which he showed pictures to a dead rabbit. But the core of my reflections concerns the human tendency to place themselves at the center of every thought. So I wanted to split up the characters by creating two symmetrical characters, the first of which has the live animal's point of view showing the world to a human skull. Then I like to give symbolic references in all my works without explicitly formulating a message, in order to leave room for interpretation. The stories the viewer makes up are often more interesting than those contained in the work." Question: Are the exaggerated proportions a sign of your special style or is the overly long neck of the figure on the right supposed to say something special? Yes, the characters in my oil paintings usually have these proportions. I try to combine aesthetic beauty with wrong proportions. Source: Martino Pitture personally Daniele Lazazzara: "The rabbit and the skull are the work of the great Martino Pitture. My drawing represents a surreal kangaroo, this animal protects the young in nature, in this case the kangaroo protects the structure and therefore the mystery of these spaces in others dimensions" Daniele is also a tattoo artist. The pictures he put onInstagram shows, I really like it :-). Source: Daniele Lazazzara personally * * * Martinos Erklärung mehr lesen Artist information M. Pitture/D. Lazazzara - Italy Martino Pitture is a self-taught street artist. He started painting walls with spray cans in 2000 and switched to painting wood and canvas with oil paints in 2006. In 2008 he started street painting and made a living from his studio and street painting skills in various European cities. With his oil painting and chalk art, he developed two different painting styles over time, which he tries to combine in a balanced way in his murals. For the last ten years he has often teamed up with Camilla Margarito to paint the streets. Source: official information of City of Krefeld Daniele Lazazzara is a self-taught painter, tattoo and graffiti artist. He lives in his native town of Acquaviva near Bari in southern Italy. He started painting murals in 2001, painting on canvas in 2006 and he has also been a tattoo artist since 2016. He enjoys learning and experiencing different techniques and likes to freely combine them. He works with oil and acrylic paints, watercolors, ink, pencil and ballpoint pen on canvas, wood, paper, skin and walls. In his painting he works figuratively, abstractly and surrealistically and likes the free combination here as well. Source: official information ofCity of Krefeld Künstlerinfos

Urbexart I Historisches Stadtbad Krefeld I Kaiserbad I Freischwimmer e.V. I Urbex Art I Lost Place Photography I Jugendstil I Samara Blue I My Way of Art I Dreamtime Seitenanfang Historische Aufnahmen Fliesen Tablett Einrichtung Seitenanfang Historische Aufnahmen Fliesen Tablett Einrichtung Lost Place - Old City Pool Krefeld return Here I summarize the experiences of a photo tour in this beautiful old Stadtbad Krefeld in June 2020 with the theoretical tour in July of the same year. So many interesting impressions, so many colors, so much information. A documentation where mainly the pictures should do the talking! You can find the history of the tiles here: (...) Historical recordings here: (...) Nachdem ich durch das bunte, für Krefeld Neulinge ein wenig versteckte Tor Einlass gefunden habe, fand ich mich im Hof des alten Stadtbades wieder. Viele Fotokolleginnen und Kollegen waren schon da und warteten auf das, was noch kommen würde. Abwartend schaue ich mich um. Während wir warten, platziere ich Samson junior, mein Fotomaskottchen, schon mal auf der Windschutzscheibe des offensichtlich auch schon in die Jahre gekommen Busses. Ein bisschen Spaß muss sein. Endlich kann jeder seinen Obolus entrichten, erhält einen Schutzhelm und die neuesten Corona Verhaltensregeln. Alles halb so wild, wird schon gehen, Hauptsache ich bekomme endlich etwas vor die Linse. Habe ich erwähnt, dass ich manchmal nicht sehr geduldig bin ;-). Wissenswertes aus der ca. 1,5 Std. dauernden kostenlosen, Spenden erwünschten theoretischen Führung: Die erste Sauna gab es wahrscheinlich um 70 nach Christi in Gelduba/Gellep, einem alten Siedlungskern, der von den kaiserlichen Truppen bis mind. ins 5.Jh. nach Christi genutzt wurde. Gelduba ist der heutige Krefelder Stadtteil Gellep und ein archäologisch wertvoller Fundort. Dann wird lange Zeit nichts "waschenswertes" berichtet. Erst später im Mittelalter tauchten Bäder/Waschhäuser wieder auf. Wie schon erwähnt, sind wir im Mittelalter: Hier wurden Waschzuber benutzt. Es gab Bader, die neben den Waschungen auch zur Ader ließen und andere körpernahe Dienstleistungen verrichteten. Da es hier auch zu geschlechtsübergreifenden Dienstleistungen kam, die der Kirche auf schärfste verpönt waren, geriet das Waschen an sich in den höheren Kreisen in Vergessenheit. Meist wurde hier ein Mensch nur einmal nass, und das war bei der Taufe. Das gemeine Volk ging in die Flüsse, um sich zu waschen. Im späteren Barock/Rokoko wurde die Körperhygiene mittels Puder und allerlei Duftwässerchen und anderer merkwürdiger Ingredenzien durchgeführt. Diese Zustände führten naturgemäß zu immer stärkeren gesundheitlichen Problemen. Um 1800 war Crefeld mit ca. 8.500 Einwohnern eher dünn besiedelt. Doch nach und nach kamen immer mehr Menschen auf der Suche nach Arbeit in die Stadt. Die ehemals freien Weber verdingten sich als Lohnarbeiter in der Textilindustrie. Aus dem Ruhrgebiet zog es viele Arbeiter in die Seidenindustrie, die ein angenehmeres Arbeitsumfeld versprach als der Kohleabbau und die Schwerindustrie. Explosionsartig stieg die Einwohnerzahl auf 100.000 Einwohner. Aber da die Stadt nicht mehr Platz bot, lebten sehr viele Menschen auf immer enger werdendem Raum. Um die hygienischen Probleme in den Griff zu bekommen, waren gravierende Änderungen von Nöten. Da die Stadt Krefeld auf Drängen der Handelskammer den Sitz des zuständigen Landgerichtes in das Stadtgebiet holen wollte, das preußische Justizministerium aber als Mindestanforderung eine öffentliche Badanstalt forderte, wurde ab 1882 eine öffentliche Badeanstalt geplant und am 01.05.1890 an der Neusser Str. eröffnet. Der Fokus lag naturgemäß bei Eröffnung des Bades nicht auf dem Schwimmen, sondern auch auf dem Bestaunen der technischen Neuerungen und der exquisiten Ausstattung. Das Bad wurde vom Architekten Johann Burkhart im Jugendstil geplant. Die Anlage befindet sich im verdichteten Stadtkern. Durch die Integration in die vorhanden Geschäftsstraßen, fanden Schaufensterfronten keinen Platz. Stattdessen wurde die Inneneinrichtung hochwertig und großzügig erbaut. Es geht hinauf im opulenten Treppenhaus mit seinen wunderschön geschmiedeten Treppengeländern. Staunend bekommen wir einen ersten Eindruck, welch prachtvoller Lost Place auf uns wartet. Ein erster flüchtiger Blick in einen der zahllosten Gänge. Schnell die Kamera genommen und den ersten Eindruck fest gehalten. Noch nicht wirklich ein Blick für die einstige Schönheit, sondern ein Empfinden von Traurigkeit ob der Unordnung und des Verfalls. Im Laufe der Führung soll sich der Eindruck ein wenig abschwächen. Vieles ist schon aufgeräumt, gesäubert und ein wenig für den Betrachter her gerichtet. Doch weiter in der Geschichte dieser faszinierenden Zeugnisse vergangener Zeit ... Im Vestibül, dem Treppenaufgang zum Herrenbad befindet sich ein in blau gehaltenes Kunstwerk des Theatermalers Fritz Huhnen. Der in Krefeld beheimatete Maler verewigte auf diesem Bild auf dem Beckenrand unten rechts sitzend die Krefelder Schwimmerin Wiltrud Urselmann. Sie hat bei den Olympischen Spielen 1960 eine Silbermedallie erschwommen. Wenn der Blick durch den sonnendurchfluteten Flur fällt, kann man sich für einen Moment in der Schönheit der vergangenen Tage verlieren. s. Link Wiltrud Urselmann unten rechts am Beckenrand sitzend. Eine außergewöhnliche Idee, eine Sportlerin zu ehren. Das Bild wurde 1969/61 erschaffen und 2002 zum letzten Mal restauriert. s. Link Durch Feuchtigkeit und Kälte hat dieses Kunstwerk enorm gelitten und 2017 wurde über einen Noterhalt in Höhe von ca. €950 – €1.200 debattiert. Laut Aussagen von Anke Drießen Seeger (SPD) handelt es sich um ein Bild doppelter Bedeutung, da es eine Homage an 2 Krefelder Künstler ist. Auch der bekannte Schauspieler Bud Spencer hat in seiner Schwimmkariere das Krefelder Bad beehrt. 1951 trat er unter dem Namen Carlo Pedersoli für Ratio Rom international an. Eleganter Treppenaufgang, lichtdurchflutet, lädt dazu ein, einen Moment der Ruhe zu genießen. Erstaunlich gut erhalten sind die Treppenstufen aus Holz. Edel, doch schlicht und zeitlos zeigen sie Stil und Eleganz. Die reiche Seidenstatt Crefeld wollte im deutschen Reich zeigen, was sie sich wert war. Das ist ihr mit diesem Bad mehr als gelungen. Streng getrennt nach Damen und Herren gelangten die Badegäste an ihren jeweiligen Ort der Ruhe und des Entspannens. Mit der 1877 ersten richtigen Wasserleitung war die Wasserversorgung gesichert. Hatten die Damen z.B. ihre Blechmarken für den Eintritt erhalten, konnten sie im Warteraum auf eine freie Badekabine warten. Es wird berichtet, dass oft ein ziemlich rauer Umgangston seitens der Badedienerinnen herrschte. Die geringe Bezahlung für die doch ziemlich anstrengende Arbeit mag ein Grund dafür sein. Innehalten ... wenn die Welt sich um einen herum dreht. Es gibt immer eine Möglichkeit, zur Ruhe zu kommen und für einen Moment einfach den Augenblick zu genießen. So tankt man genügend Kraft, um wieder in den Trubel des Alltags einzusteigen. (Pinterest) - Vielleicht war dies früher so ein Ort für die Besucher des Bades. Für mich war es so ein Moment, während ich versucht habe, das Gefühl mit meiner Kamera fest zuhalten. Deshalb konnte ich mich auch nicht entscheiden, welches Bild ich nehme ... Ein Damen- und ein Herrenbad sowie ein hufeisenförmiger Wannenbädertrakt vervollständigten mit medizinischen und römisch-irischen Bädern die Anlage. Dieses wunderschöne Stadtbad Krefeld zählte seinerzeit zu den größten Bädern im deutschen Kaiserreich. Es war 113 Jahre mit Unterbrechungen in Betrieb. Trotz Staub und Schmutz der Vernachlässigung ist die einstige Exklusivität noch gut erkennbar. Da wenig Grund und Boden für die Bebauung zur Verfügung stand, wurde die Badeanstalt auf engstem Raum in die vorhandenen Geschäftsstraßen integriert. In den heutigen Büroräumen gab es zu früherer Zeit ein Damenmodengeschäft, später einen TUI Reisveranstalter. Im oberen Bereich lagen die Wohnungen für die Bediensteten. Im Eingangsbereich gab es einen Kiosk, der so klein war, dass der Besitzer sich darin kaum bewegen konnte. Den Eingang zierte ein schmiedeeisernes Tor. Zur Eröffnung kamen ca. 1.400 Menschen auch um die erste elektrische Anlage zu bestaunen. Zur Absicherung soll es allerdings auch Gasbeleuchtung gegeben haben, um im Fall eines Versagens des neuen Stroms weiter über Licht zu verfügen. Die Bauweise an sich mit vielen großen Fenstern und Lichthöfen war noch zusätzlich dazu geeignet, das Bad in hellem Licht erscheinen zu lassen. Samson junior scheinen die schönen Muster der Fliesen ebenfalls zu gefallen. 1897 wurde die Brausen Abteilung eröffnet. Duschen kostete 10 oder 20 Pfennig incl. Handtuch und Seife. Es gab Baden 1., 2., und 3. Klasse, mit oder ohne Seife/Handtuch, Massage, Vitamin D-Behandlung, mit und ohne was auch immer. Danach mussten sich Männer und Frauen getrennt in ihre jeweiligen Bereiche begeben. Links die Treppe hoch gelangte Frau ins Damenbad. Im rechten Bereich lag die Wäscherei. Meist wurde die im Bad benötige Wäsche ausgeliehen, damit man sofort nach der Arbeit zum Baden gehen konnte. Die Fliesen im gesamten Bad gehören zu den damals teuersten erhältlichen Materialien. Sie wurden fugenlos verlegt, eine heute kaum noch zu findende handwerkliche Technik. Die Natur kehrt zurück, überall, wo es das kleinste Schlupfloch gibt. Erstaunlich, mit welcher Beharrlichkeit und Unaufhaltsamkeit dieser Prozess vonstatten geht. Im Kellerbereich befand sich eine Wäsche-U-Bahn, um die Wege möglichst kurz und schnell zu halten. Zur Eröffnung wurde sich mit einer Klingelanlage und Sprachrohren verständigt. Später wurde eine modernere Telefonanlage eingebaut. Im Bad arbeiteten einige wenige Beamte ein hauptberuflicher Maschinist, Masseusen und Masseure und ein Kassierer. Der Verdienst lag bei ca. 1.000 Deutschmark. Der Rest der dort arbeitenden Menschen waren Tagelöhner, deren Verdienst bei 4 – 6 Deutschmark/Tag lag. Die Eintrittspreise lagen je nach gebuchter Leistung bei 0,50 – 2,50 Deutschmark. Es gab die ersten Solarien, allerdings angeblich mehr zur Vitamin D Abdeckung, denn zur angenehmen Bräune. Geplant wurden Kosten in Höhe von 200.000 Deutschmark. Da man sich mit diesem Prachtbau ... ... auf Neuland begab, betrugen letztendlich die Kosten lt. Wikipedia 919.134,89 Deutschmark. Weil die geplante Übernahme dieser Kosten durch Investoren einer Aktiengellsellschaft nie zustande kam, musste die Stadt Krefeld allein für die Kosten aufkommen. Doch da die Ausstattung so überaus prächtig und ansehnlich war, geriet letztendlich niemand mehr in Staunen über diese hohen Kosten. Eine Mettlacher Fliesenfirma war 2 Jahre damit beschäftigt, alles benötigten Fliesen herzustellen. Im Salon Bad, auch Kaiserbad genannt, herrschte ein feudales Ambiente. Eine Liege, Korbstühle und ein Duschvorhang vervollständigten die Einrichtung. Über 3 verschiedene Klassen von Dusch- und Wannenbädern verfügte das alte Stadtbad, wovon das Kaiserbad das hochwertigste war. Die Fenster zum Flur hatten eine Blindverglasung, damit die Badenden vor neugierigen Blicken aus den Fluren geschützt waren. Im späteren Verlauf wurde dieser Raum auch als Familienbad genutzt. Die Fliesen stammen von Villeroy & Boch. Dieser Raum steht unter Denkmalschutz und es gibt Überlegungen, ihn komplett wieder herzurichten. In 2019 wurde durch vandallistische Übergriffe einiger Schaden angerichtet. So wurde ein Wannengriff ´raus getreten. Im ganzen Haus gibt es z.B. auch keine Kupfer o.ä. wertvolles Material mehr. Dieser Spruch (Herzensliebe.com) und die einst luxuriöse Ruhebank gehörten für mich sofort zusammen. So viel Zeit im Dornröschenschlaf vergangen. So viel zu planen, reparieren, erhalten und/oder zu verändern. Nichts, was in kurzer Zeit vollzogen werden kann. Geduld, Zeit, Initiative werden letztendlich zu einem tollen Ergebnis führen. Davon bin ich fest überzeugt, habe ich doch das Team der Freischwimmer als äußerst engagiert, kompetent und nachhaltig arbeitend erleben können. Nachdem das Bad in Etappen geschlossen wurde, hat es einige nicht wirklich erfolgreiche Versuche gegeben, mit Kunstinstallationen Besucher anzulocken. Ca. 7 Jahre bevor auch das Herrenbad endgültig geschlossen wurde, stellten z.B. 24 Krefelder und regionale Künstlerinnen verschiedene heiter-tiefsinnige, raumbezogene Installationen aus. Hierzu wurden die Räume unter Einbezug ihres Charakters genutzt. Siehe hierzu Link: Szenische Führungen durch das Bad sind eine der Aktionen, die vom freischwimmer e.V. zur Wiederbelebung des Bades durchgeführt wurden. Der Verein kümmert sich seit 2018 darum, das alte Stadtbad gemeinsam mit den Krefelder Bürgerinnen und Bürgern zu neuem Glanz und neuen Aufgaben zu verhelfen. Samson junior musste sich schnell mal in die Szene einschleichen ;-). Bericht zu den szenischen Führungen siehe folgenden Link: Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand... ein wenig Selbstdarstellung sei der Fotografin erlaubt :-). Gut zu erkennen sind hier auch die maroden Mauerwerke. Das Herrenbad eines der größten und schönsten Bäder im damaligen kaiserlichen Deutschland mit 26 m Länge. Später wurde es auf Wettkampfmaße (25 m) angepasst. Die hohen gewölbten Decken unterstützen den Eindruck von Großzügigkeit und Exklusivität. 1922 wurde mit dem Bau eines neuen Elektrizitätswerkes die Anlieferung von Warmwasser möglich. Eine 800 m lange Leitung leitete die Abwärme ins Schwimmbad, wo sie noch abgekühlt wurde. So konnte 1/3 Energie gespart werden. In den Hallenbädern fand auch der Sport ein Zuhause. Der Krefelder Schwimmverein wurde dort im Juli 1983 gegründet. Von Beginn an fanden hier Wettkämpfe statt. Neben Wiltrud Urselmann, gab es z.B. Martha Genenger und andere Olympioniken, Europa- und Weltmeister. Nach dem 1. Weltkrieg gehörte Schwimmen zum festen Sportunterricht an den städtischen Schulen. Bis zur Schließung des Damenbades trainierten hier auch ... ... die Rettungsschwimmer des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes und der Krefelder Wasserwacht. Sogar Wasserball fand hier seine Liebhaber. 1996 gab es einen Umbau, bei dem u.a. Finnenrinnen eingebaut wurden, die mit Wasserumwälzungen zusammen zu verbesserten Hygienebedingungen führen sollten. Aber auch diese Maßnahmen konnten den Niedergang nicht aufhalten. Da das Schwimmbad in Fischeln bedeutend billiger war, wurde für das Jahr 2000 die Schließung geplant. Im August 2000 jedoch gab es einen Unfall im Bockumer Badezentrum mit 46 meist jugendlichen leicht Verletzten. Aus ungeklärten Ursachen brach die Unterdecke im Schwimmbereich ein. "Das Wunder von Krefeld" betitelte die Presse damals dieses Ereignis (vgl. Link). Das Bad wurde geschlossen und das Herrenbad für kurze Zeit reaktiviert. Die Schulen und Vereine mussten dieses Bad nun nutzen, so dass die Öffentlichkeit nur ca. 2 Stunden zum Schwimmen hatte. Durch die zum Teil sehr veraltete technische Anlage musste das Bad manchmal ganz geschlossen werden. Die marode Heizungsanlage fiel häufig aus, so dass das Wasser kalt blieb. Neben dem bald instand gesetzten Bockumer Badezentrum eröffnete im Stadtteil Königshof ein weiters Schwimmbad. Nicht nur die immer wieder auftretenden technischen Probleme, sondern auch die mittlerweile ausreichende Versorgung im Bad- und Schwimmbereich waren der Grund für eine endgültige Schließung des einstigen Prachtbaus. Am 24.01.2003 verließ der letzte Badegast die heiligen Hallen. Seitdem befindet sich das Bad in unverändertem Zustand. Ein Blick durch die Glaskugel sei mir erlaubt ... Glänzend und auf den Kopf gestellt erscheint das Herrenbad. Ein Zeichen für eine vollkommen kontroverse aber nicht desto trotz strahlende Zukunft? Warten wir es ab ... Die Gänge zu und zwischen den Bädern waren mit Kokosmatten ausgelegt. Der Hauptaugenmerk bei Eröffnung lag in erster Linie beim Baden/Waschen zur Köperhygiene, weniger beim reinen Schwimmen. Hatte man den jeweiligen Eintrittspreis gezahlt, hat ein Badediener die Tür aufgeschlossen und das heiße Wasser eingelassen. Die Uhr wurde auf 0,45 Minuten gestellt. Danach musste man das Bad verlassen. Wurde das versäumt, musste nachgezahlt werden. Die großen Mengen Wasser, die das Bad benötigte, wurden mit Hilfe großer Mengen Kohle aufgewärmt. Mehr als 19° schafften die Hallenbäder damals allerdings nicht. So musste das Bad zur Zeit des 1. Weltkrieges, als Kohle zum ersten Mal knapp wurde, zum ersten Mal schließen. Wasseraufbereitung oder spezielle Desinfektion war zur damaligen Zeit auch noch nicht möglich. Vor allem im Sommer war trübes Wasser die Folge. Bei hohen Betrieb musste das Wasser bis zu drei mal in der Woche ausgetauscht werden. Spinnweben und Taubenkot bedecken nun Stufen und Treppengeländer der vormals so prachtvollen Badestätte, erinnern mich an die oder andere verbotene Location bei Harry Potter. Der einstige Glanz aber blitzt an vielen Stellen durch und lädt ein, auch die wunderschönen Kleinigkeiten wahrzunehmen. Wo bitte ist die Toilettenfrau geblieben? Dieses Bild berührt mich. Vielleicht weil es so einfach und unspektakulär ist. Aus jeder Perspektive beeindruckend, lässt sich trotz des allgegenwärtigen Staubes noch sehr gut die hochwertig farbige Verarbeitung des Fußbodens erkennen. Immer herein spaziert ... Neben dem normalen Regelbetrieb war es schwierig, das Wettkampftraining zu integrieren. Morgens erschienen die Frühschwimmer, danach die Schulen, am Nachmittag fand der Normalbetrieb statt und abends hatten die Vereine Trainingszeiten. So blieb für die Leistungsschwimmer nur der frühe Morgen oder später am Abend. Zu Spitzenzeiten gab es ca. 500.000 Besucher im Stadtbad, zum Schluss waren es gerade mal 8.500 Besucher. Eine traurige Bilanz. Bin gleich zurück ... scheint das verwaiste Kassenhäuschen dem vorbei schlendernden Besucher zu sagen. Wäre schön, wenn das wahr wäre, würde sicher so mancher Krefelder sagen, der hier schwimmen gelernt hat. Glaubt man den Ur-Krefeldern, so hat hier fast jedes Kind das Schwimmen gelernt. Vor ca. 1,5 Jahren wurden Teile des Mauerwerkes restauriert, weil sich der gemeine Hausschwamm dort breit gemacht hat. Da im Laufe der Jahre Efeu durch die Fenster gedrungen ist, wurden in Teilen neue Fenster eingesetzt, einige Fenster sind z.Zt. mit Sperrholzplatten verschlossen, letztendlich auch um den fliegenden Ratten /Tauben den begehrten Zugang zu verwehren. Weitere Informationen zu Sanierungsmöglichkeiten siehe Link: Ein Licht am Ende des Tunnels ... Eines der zahlreichen großen Fenster, die dem Bad zu guten Lichtverhältnissen auch ohne Strom und Gas verholfen haben. Außerdem eine Perspektive, die mit oder ohne Mensch zu einem der beliebtesten Fotomotive der alten Lady geworden ist. Zur Eröffnung tat im Frauenbad ein Bademeister Dienst. Dieser kam allerdings dort nicht wirklich zurecht. Bald wurde eine Bademeisterin eingestellt, deren Anstellung jedoch erst nach längeren Diskussionen genehmigt wurde. Das Becken war 16 m lang und das Wasser war meistens trüb. Es wurde 2 x in der Woche gewechselt und wurde mit ca. 22° warmen Wasser aus dem Kesselhaus beliefert. Die meiste Zeit hatte das Wasser allerdings nur 19°. Das Wasser bei den Herren wurde häufiger gewechselt als im Damen Bad. Aus diesem Grund kam es zur einer Eingabe, dass auch im Damen Bad das Wasser häufiger gewechselt werden sollte. Nach intensiver Prüfung der Sachlage gab es Annahmen, dass die Trübung des Wassers aufgrund der Tatsache herrühren könnte, dass es die Damen würden mit der Hygiene nicht so genau nehmen würden. Offensichtlich war es nicht einfach, die Wasserhygiene zu gewährleisten, 5 Liter Chlor, an einem Ende ins Becken gegeben, mussten auch erstmal am anderen Ende ankommen. Das Damen Bad war teuer zu beheizen, was letztendlich mit zur Schließung geführt hat. Zur Blütezeit fanden im Damen Bad alle 2-3 Monate sogar Taufen der Zeugen Jehovas statt. Ende 1992 wurde das Damen Bad letztendlich wegen der zahlreichen Schäden des Erdbebens am 13.04.1992 geschlossen. Das Erdbeben hatte eine Stärke von 5,9 auf der Richterskala und war das stärkste der Region seit dem Dürener Beben von 1756. Das Epizentrum lag 4 km südwestlich von Roermond. (Quelle: Wikipedia und vgl. Link) Allein der Nachweis der hieraus resultierenden gravierenden Schäden wurde offenbar nie nachweislich geführt. Hier sind noch einmal die wunderschönen Originalfliesen zu sehen. Auch die übrigen Treppenhäuser des alten Stadtbades Krefeld zeigen ihren gediegen zeitlosen Charme. Nach 38 Jahren schließt der Frisör im Stadtbad seine Türen. Selbst meinem Mann ist dieser Salon noch in guter Erinnerung, ist er doch oft dort zum Haare schneiden gewesen. Verschiedenen Aussagen zur Folge betrieb der Frisör seine Laden die letzten 5 Jahre ohne Heizung, da die technischen Anlagen marode waren. Auch soll er seinen Salon in gleichbleibender Art und Weise betrieben haben, ohne den Strömungen der Zeit zu folgen. WAZ 30.12.2008 Die Ära von "Babier Stefan", dem wohl bekanntesten Frisör der Krefelder Innenstadt, endet hier an einem Mittwoch um 13.00 Uhr. Generationen von Krefeldern hat Stefan Sczesniok gestylt, geschoren und zurechtgemacht. Egal ob Politiker, Künstler, Sportler oder einfacher Bürger, willkommen war ihm, der jeden Kunden duzt, jeder: "Erst meine Kunden haben den Laden zum Kult gemacht. Allein hätte ich das nicht geschafft." Chic der 50ger Jahre, braune Holzvertäfelung, 3 rote Frisierstühle, an den Wänden Ansichtskarten, Karikaturen, Fotografien und sonstige liebevolle Erinnerungen. Ein Salon, von und mit den Kunden gestaltet. Wehmütig erinnert sich Stefan Sczesniok an die längst vergangenen Zeiten, in denen er als "Babier" im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes für die Manneszier mit einer fachmännischen Rasur dienen konnte. Sie hierzu auch folgenden Link: Nach 1945 wurde schlicht und funktionell r, im 50ger Jahre Stil eben. Schwimmen sollten die Krefelder*innen hier, so erklärte es auch Peter Borg, mit über 80 Jahren der älteste noch lebende Bademeister des Stadtbades. Ein Zeitzeuge, der hier unbedingt zu Wort kommen soll. „Man sollte vor allem an die Kinder und Jugend denken, wenn man für Krefeld etwas machen will“, schreibt der ehemalige Schwimmtrainer dem Krefelder Oberbürgermeister Frank Meyer ins Poesiealbum. (Interview siehe Link) Am 01.08.1955 begann Peter Borg sein Ausbildung im alten Krefelder Stadtbad. Ca. 65 Mitarbeiter gab es zu jener Zeit. In der Werkstatt arbeiteten ein Installateurmeister, ein Maurer, ein Schlosser und ein Schmied. Man war also weitgehend autark. Heizer arbeiteten im Kesselhaus an der Gerberstraße, wo das Wasser mit Hilfe von unzähligen Kohlelieferungen angewärmt wurde. Etwas traurig die Atmosphäre der verlassenen Dusche, erinnert sie mich doch an so manch eher ungeliebte Schulschwimmstunde. Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm. Dazu erzählt Borg von den Frühschwimmern "Morgenröte", bestehend u.a. aus einflussreichen Geschäftsleuten und Politikern, machte sich eine ca. 150 Mann starke Gruppe jeden Morgen um 6:30 Uhr auf ins nasse Element, Spaß inbegriffen. Konrad Grundmann (CDU 1959-1966 Arbeits- und Sozialminister NRW) z.B. ließ sich im Dienstwagen aufs Gelände fahren und von seinem Chauffeur die Türen aufhalten und die Handtücher anreichen. Wenn Peter Borg dann von einem Amtsleiter erzählt, dem von einem Zahnarzt mahnend ;-) ein Stück Seife im Wert von 20 Pfennig nachgetragen wurde, fragt sich, wer da zuletzt lachte. Arbeitspläne, fein säuberlich mit der Hand geschrieben, geben einen flüchtigen Einblick in damalige Arbeitsplatzbeschreibungen. Der Weg zu den Umkleiden durch die Türen wurde Stiefelgang genannt. Zur Seite zum Becken hin, durch Vorhänge getrennt wurde der Gang Barfußgang genannt. Leider sind auch hier die Duschköpfe u.Ä. Alles geklaut. Nachdem Tauben 20 Jahre lang hier eine Bleibe gefunden haben, wurden nun die Fenster zugemacht. Nur noch vertrockneter Vogelkot und ein paar zerzauste Federn erinnern an die Zeit der "Flugratten". (Ich mag Tauben übrigens ...) Seinerzeit war diese Anlage sicherlich modern und leistungsfähig. Jetzt gibt sie diesem Bad einen maroden Anstrich verbunden mit nostalgischen Erinnerungen ... Im Aushangbereich wurden Ankündigungen der verschiedenen Bereiche und Vereine veröffentlicht, auch Siege der hier trainierenden Leistungssportler konnten hier bewundert werden. Dieser prächtige Raum war der Ruheraum zum römisch-irischen Bad. An der linken Seite befanden sich 19 Umkleidekabinen, in der Mitte des Raumes befand sich ein langer Tisch mit Stühlen, an der rechten Seite gab es Waschbecken. Das kassettierte Tonnengewölbe gibt dem Raum Größe und Präsenz. Bis 1963 war diese Saunaanlage in Betrieb. Da mittels Fernwärme nicht genug Wärme erzeugt wurde und in Bockum ein Badezentrum geplant war, wurde diese Anlage außer Betrieb genommen. Nach 20 Jahren im Dornröschenschlaft fand dann hier von 1983 - 2002 der Männerbund Schlaraffia eine neue Burg. 1859 gründeten Theaterleute, Künstler und Literaten in Prag den Männerbund Schlaraffe nachdem sie von den klassischen Männerbünden abgelehnt wurden. So wurde die Vereinigung auch gedacht als Persiflage der elitären Männerclubs des 19. Jahrh. wie z.B. Lions-Club oder Rotary-Club. PRAGA - zeitgenössische Darstellung des Gründungsorte. Bei den Schlaraffen kann jeder seine kreative Leidenschaft ausleben und einfach Spaß haben. Entstanden aus den Reihen der Schauspieler, die meist in den Wintermonaten Engagements hatten, fanden und finden die wöchentlichen Treffen in den Wintermonaten (01.10.-30.04. Nordhalbkugel, 01.04.-30.10. Südhalbkugel) statt. Man hält freundschaftliche Wert sehr hoch, sie sind ausgesprochen tolerant und Freundschaften können weltweit gepflegt werden. Im Sommer finden Veranstaltungen auch mit den Frauen und Kindern statt. Die wöchentlichen Treffen werden „Sippungen“ genannt. Hier ein Blick in die Räume des Heißluftbades, noch zu erkennen, die besonderen roten Fliesen an den Wänden. Diese wurden extra für diese Räume entworfen. Kreiert wurden diese Fliesen von Otto Eckmann, einem Hauptvertreter der floralen Richtung des Jugendstils, dessen Werke u.a. im Kaiser Willelm Museum in Krefeld zu sehen sind. Das fröhliche Spiel erfolgt nach festen Regeln und wird ergänzt durch originelle Namen, kuriose Titel und manchmal bizarres Vokabular. Alles geeignet und zum Zweck der zeitweisen Loslösung vom Alltag. Heute haben sie ihre Burg in Uerdingen im et Klöske. s. Link Die Tafeln mit ritterlichen Namen erinnern noch heute an das Treiben der lustigen Rittersleut. Geprägt von mittelalterlich-romantischer Stimmung wird jedoch das Rittertum parodiert und „Mann“ kann so im Spiel seinem Alltag für einen Moment entfliehen. (Quelle: Schlaraffia Augusta Trevirorum) Schlaraffia Crefeldensis feierte 2013 den 100 Geburtstag. Die Schlaraffenburg wurde nach Vorbild eines Rittersaals ausstaffiert, die Mitglieder kleiden sich während ihrer Treffen in ritterlicher Manier. Blick aus den hinteren Räumen in den Ruheraum der ehemaligen Sauna. Der Saunabereich war mit einer Dampfgrotte, römisch-irischen Bädern und einem Tauchbecken ausgesprochen aufwändig ausgestattet. 3 Mitarbeiter waren dort für die Massagen zuständig. Die Jockeys der Krefelder Rennbahn schwitzen hier, in Gummisäcke verpackt, überflüssiges Gewicht ab. So verfügte die Samt- und Seidenstadt Krefeld über einen Wellnesstempel, als der Rest der Welt davon noch nie gehört hatte. Doch das Stadtbad stellte im Laufe der Zeit auf Fernwärme um. Das war der Anfang vom Ende, vermutete Herrn Borg. Da nun das hauseigene Kesselhaus nicht mehr genutzt wurde, konnten die notwendigen 50° nicht mehr erreicht werden. Hier zu sehen eines der wenigen Hinterlassenschaften von Sprayern, aus der Zeit als das Bad noch ein echter Lost Place war. Leider kein besonders beeindruckendes Kunstwerk. Auch hier einer der hinteren Räume. Der Fußboden mit den wunderschönen Intarsien Mustern und die Wände klassisch in blau-weiß gehalten. Auf dem Weg nach draußen schnell noch ein letzter Blick durch trübe Fensterscheiben auf die allgegenwärtige Natur und dem Verfall anheim gefallenes Mauerwerk. Es gab zwei große Schwimmbecken, die von der Gerberstraße aus erreicht werden konnten. Zum Abschluss nun noch der Weg in Freie ... Das 1925 eröffnete Freibad wurde von Ludwig Lubszynski und Walter Bollert entworfen. Springbrunnen, Säulen mit Emporen und Wasserspiele vervollständigten das imposante und verschwenderische Erscheinungsbild. Das größere der Becken im Freibad hatte Wettkampfmaße, so das hier auch internationale Wettkämpfe stattfinden konnten. Im Oktober 1944 zerstörte mindesten eine Sprengbombe das Freibad. Nach dem Krieg fand 1946 eine zweckmäßig einfache Instandsetzung statt. Das komfortlose Hinterhofambiente führte dazu, dass die Badegäste es sich mit ihren Badetüchern einfach auf den Betonflächen bequem machten. Allerdings tat dieser Umstand der Beliebtheit des alten Krefelder Freibades offensichtlich keinen Abbruch. Historische Bilder siehe unten ... Wiltrud Urselmann, die 1960 als Olympiazweite über 200-Meter-Brust wurde, soll ihren Weltrekord hier im Freibad auf der 33,3 Meter langen Bahn aufgestellt haben. Martha Geneger, am 11.11.1911 in Krefeld geboren, die 1936 eine Silbermedalie über die selbe Disziplin in Berlin gewann, hat ebenfalls an der Neusser Str. trainiert (vgl. Link). Offensichtlich war Krefeld seinerzeit eine Hochburg des Schwimmsport in ganz Deutschland. Wie ein beschaulicher Teich präsentieren sich die ehemaligen Schwimmbecken mit zahlreichen Seerosen dem neugierigen Besucher. Es bestehen Überlegungen, diese so zu belassen und der Natur einen Raum zu geben. Offensichtlich haben schon verschiedene Fische hier ein neues Zuhause gefunden. Wie ein Mahnmal aus längst vergangenen Tagen erhebt sich der alte Sprungturm mit üppigen Efeuranken aus der noch verwilderten Natur des Freibades. Für mich hatte der Anblick etwas Märchenhaftes ... Weniger Märchenhaft sondern eher zupackend und wirklichkeitsnah ist die Arbeit des freischwimmer e.v. Diese verfolgen ihr Ziel, das alte Stadtbad neu zu entdecken und mit kreativen Aktionen in einer Art Zwischennutzung zu beleben. Hierzu finden unterschiedlichste Aktionen statt. Siehe hierzu Link: Auf eigene Gefahr ist auch ein Besuch an diesem außergewöhnlichen Ort. Er macht süchtig. Süchtig nach mehr Fotos, nach mehr Zeit dort zu verbringen und noch mehr verborgene Schätze aufzuspüren. In den Sommermonaten buddeln sich hier bis zu 40 ehrenamtliche Helfer durch die wild wachsende Natur und schaffen so grüne Oasen für die Krefeld*innen. Mehr dazu siehe Link: Ein wenig bizarr macht alte Sattelitenschüssel auf sich aufmerksam und erinnert den Besucher an früheres buntes Treiben, an heiße Sommer und für viele Krefelder Bürgerinnen und Bürger an längst vergangene Kindheit. Die weitläufigen Außenbereiche des alten Krefelder Freibades werden zu neuem Leben erweckt. Die freiwschwimmer e.v. starteten ab 'Ende Februar 2020 eine gemeinsamen Bad-Initiative. Es wurde sozusagen die Bad Saison eröffnet. Unter dem Titel Frei-Tag z.B. fand jeden Freitag von 17-20 Uhr auch unter Coronabedingungen ein freies Picknick statt. Die Krefelder Bürger*innen konnten mit wieder belebtem Strandfeeling erholsam ins Wochenende starten. Schön, dass du es bis zum Ende geschafft hast :-). Ich nehme es als deine Wertschätzung. Wertschätzung ist eine der schönsten Formen der Anerkennung. (Ernst Ferstl) Old oneStadtbad Krefeld also onFacebook Old Stadtbad Krefeld - historical recordings Zerstörtes Freibad Krefeld Okt 1944 Freibad Krefeld Saison Eröffnung 10.05.1960 Freibad Krefeld Saison Eröffnung 10.05.1960 Freibad Krefeld Saison Eröffnung 10.05.1960 Freibad Krefeld Saison Eröffnung 10.05.1960 Ende der Freibad Saison in Krefeld 22.09.1961 Freibad Krefeld 1968 - Fachleute unter sich Barbier Stefans Reich im alten Stadtbad Krefeld Historische Aufnahmen Villeroy & Boch - mosaic factory in Mettlach on the Saar The history of the tile Fliesen I would like to take this opportunity to thank Villeroy & Boch for their kind support in researching the history and manufacture of the beautiful wall and floor tiles. With the exact designation together with the description of the production of the famous Mettlach floor tiles you get an impression of the complexity of the production and the exclusivity of the tiles. A special specialist was found in Wilhelm Joliet, who in 1962 passed his master's examination as a freelance tile, slab and mosaic fitter and initially settled in Oberpleis/Siegkreis. He developed special manuals for training and led specialist seminars at master schools in the new federal states. Im Weiteren ist er als Gutachter tätig und verfolgt als_cc781905 -5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ Fliesenforscher in Europe the traces of the old hand- Color layers filled according to the pattern specification. After the metal template has been pulled out, the backfilling compound made of coarser, undyed stoneware clay powder is poured in. Then the high-pressure pressing takes place at approx. Furnace at 1,100 - 1,200 °C. The manufacturing process is described in the original Villeroy & Boch price list (01/1896):"All our plates are made dry-pressed from dust with the addition of feldspar and burned in incandescent heat so that they form a fused and vitrified mass." Under §1 of the price list you will find the quality of the stoneware tiles manufactured since 1852 as follows:“The plates are made of hard-fired mass of stone so hard and durable that they give off sparks on the steel and withstand all the effects of the weather. The colors are burned in to a depth of 2-3 mm, so they do not bleed even with the heaviest wear. The durability of the masses, the beauty of the coloring and the great care taken in sorting ensure the preference of the slabs over all similar material.” According to information from the Villeroy & Boch company, the tiles for the municipal pool were made in Mettlach around 1890. In the directory of the larger buildings, in which Mettlach mosaic and wall panels, facing bricks and pin mosaics are listed, it is noted that Crefeld received 190 m² of floor tiles in 1889. Information about the amount of wall tiles can not be found here. Some of the patterns used can be traced back to the Villeroy & Boch pattern book from 1886. See the gallery below. (www.geschichte-der-fliese.de) Mettlach wall and floor panels/Original Stadtbad Krefeld & sample Tablett Einrichtung A special thank you goes to the tile specialist Mr. Wilhelm Joliet, who not only supported me at short notice in the search for special patterns that were used in the Stadtbad Krefeld, but also allowed me to publish them in my report. The folder with the sample sheets is in the Württemberg State Library in Stuttgart. This is an interesting and important part of dealing with abandoned places, but also time consuming.

Streetart I Graffiti I Straßenkunst I Silk City Gallery I Seidenweberhaus I Krefeld I FreddArt Streetpaining I Sonja Mazareel I drawer thinking I Freude bereiten I Samara Blue street art - sonjA MAZEreel/Belgium "Creative thinking in pigeonholes or all or nothing " return Anfang Honigwabe youtube Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram "Beautiful memories are on demand for a lifetime and are helpers for days when we are not doing so well."(Marliese Zeidler) A beautifully colored suggestion from sonjAMAZEreel :-) - Artist info (...) Artist information sonjAMAZEreel Annotation: One of the pictures that was finished first, but also one of the pictures that I couldn't really explain. I just thought it was beautiful (colorful). So I thought back and forth about what was going on here and for the time being I gave the picture the title "Puzzle" because it reminded me a little of my sons' wooden puzzles, which is a very nice memory for me. The explanation that Sonja gives for her picture is a bit different, but it also consists of many colorful parts. Drawers for natural history objects spontaneously went through Sonja's mind when looking at the silk weaver's house, she tells the film crew. Butterflies, beautiful stones and much more are lovingly stored in these drawers to hold on as positive memories. A bit like my own "memory box" in which I keep my children's first shoes, for example. For me personally, this is the connection/interpretation to Sonja's artwork. This way I can "think in pigeonholes" and visualize personally positive memories. Definitely a contrast to usual rather clichéd thinking in many situations. So I can follow the motto of the curator Fredda Wouters "Shape society through design " give an interpretation and application that I can easily understand. The fact that your picture is directly opposite the media library also fits the picture for me, since there is a wealth of literature in the library there, for example about nature. Stylistically, Sonja doesn't want to commit herself. She loves working with colors. She is fascinated by the old masters and likes to communicate and interact with people. Her work of art for Krefeld is completely different from what she would otherwise paint. In any case, it is worthwhile to look at the diverse images of the Belgian artist on the various social networks. You can find out more about my thoughts on this work of art in the small series of pictures above :-). Sonja Mazereel's stage name has always been hidden in her name itself:sonjAMAZEreel. AMAZE - the English word for "to inspire" - then fits perfectly with her art, with which she repeatedly surprises and inspires thousands of viewers. Born in 1967 in Poperinge in Belgium, she studied visual arts in Leper, monumental art in Ghent and completed a 3-year apprenticeship as a draftsman in Antwerp, where she also worked in an architect's office. Today she lives again in West Flanders and since 2010 she first made huge copies of well-known masters on the street pavement according to the Italian Madonnari tradition and over time she has developed into a representative of modern street painting with optical 3D illusions. She has won numerous awards and has shown her street art in the USA, Germany, England, Italy, France and the Netherlands. Source: official information of City of Krefeld created by FreddArt Streetpainting Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment in my guestbook :-). Info Sonja

Streetart I Krefeld I Downtown Gallery I Freddart Streetpainting I Streetart Photography Street Art - Down Town Gallery return Information bunker and artist Bunker Chronicle 1942 - Construction of the bunker for 78,000 inhabitants 1945 - 12,000 people from Krefeld live in the bunker 1949 - Planning of a large garage for 100-150 cars, bunker should have windows 1965 - Planning of cladding for the concrete block, further planning of parking spaces on the roof 1967 - Idea to cover the bunker with ivy 1972 - Planning of a high-rise building above the parking garage, parking garage awaits Realization, color dress for the bunker tower, colorful striped concrete monument 1974 - Planning of additional parking spaces with the help of a prefabricated steel construction 1976 - Bunkers in Krefeld become rehearsal rooms for musicians 1980 - bunker car park under construction 1994 - Planning of a cinema with 2000 seats 1997 - Opening of the Cinemaxx complex with 10 cinema halls and 2,228 seats (Source: several editions of the magazine "Die Heimat") These artists showed their work in the bunke r, see link: Adry del Rocio, Mexico; Alex Maksiov, Ukraine; Alessandro Oldhaus, Germany; BeNeR1, Germany; emphasized.es: Clemens Brück and Sebastian Saffenreuter, Germany; Case, Germany; Carlos Alberto, Mexico; Cuboliquido, Italy; Danila Shmelev, Russia; Edgar Mueller, Germany; Fabio Fedele, Italy; Fredda Wouters, Germany; Gregor Wosik, Germany; iVann Garc, Mexico; Jamila Hamida, France; Kerim Musanovic, Bosnia Herzegovina; Ketty Grossi, Italy; Marya Kudasheva, Russia; Remko van Schaik, Netherlands; Steffen Mumm, Germany; Tubuku: Jaroslaw Masztalerz and Alex Weigandt, Germany; Victor Splash, Russia The works: Human dignity is inviolable * One Wall - Two Worlds * Unknown psychodrama * reflex * alive surface * clip open * a house to dream * Shelter * last man understanding *Shelter in my head*Flexible battle * Le rêve d'Annabella*Fragility * Bayeza abafana abancane * A future that breathes * It's that time again * Revival * Dream poppin' * Aesthetic Education * Disconnected * Conclusion

The Araberhaus at Kiefernstraße 12 in Düsseldorf: the story behind its creation and a personal portrait of artist Karsten Breidenbroich, aka MalKarsten. Karsten Breidenbroich return Anfang MalKarsten Kiefernstraße 12 | Araberhaus Hi, would you like to know something about “my Araberhaus” on Kiefernstraße? “Sure :-). Can I call you back this evening?” It was that easy to get in touch with Karsten Breidenbroich, the artist behind Kiefernstraße 12. It took another couple of days before the phone call actually happened. Nikon D3500 | 15.04.2021 | F/11 | ISO 200 | 1/100 | 18mm | © Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellinghoven In an open and relaxed conversation, Karsten told me not only about the making of his house, but also a little about himself, his way of painting and the fact that he was born in Krefeld and lived there for many years before moving to the other side of the Rhine, to Düsseldorf. If you would like to learn a little more about MalKarsten, who set out to paint the world in bright colours, have a look here: "I just want to paint" You can find the history of the origins of the "Arab House" in the picture gallery. Simply click on the pictures. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank photographer Jürgen Wintermantel-Menze, who documented Karsten’s work on “his” house on Kiefernstraße at the time and kindly allowed me to use his photographs for this article. Without these images, this report would not have been possible. Karsten Breidenbroich, a Multitalented Artist in Multicolor “Having an opinion of my own, colors and daylight, those are important to me.” says MalKarsten in an interview with NiederRhein EDITION ONLINE. How Karsten Became MalKarsten His smallest painting, he says, is 70 x 100 cm. Well, that is already pretty big. So the huge facade of the building at Kiefernstraße 12, which he painted in September 2016, almost seems like the logical next step. Karsten paints people and animals, but also abstract motifs. I had read in several interviews that he was difficult to get hold of. He wants to be found. Constant presence and availability are simply not his thing. You cannot just find his works at the touch of a button on the World Wide Web. He would rather pack up his artwork and take it to someone who is interested. Okay, I thought. My actual aim is to find out more about the artworks on Kiefernstraße. Who painted what, why and when? Can't be that difficult, I thought. Almost all the houses have a sign beneath the house number which includes the names of the artists. So I thought I would simply ask politely. Maybe I would be lucky. With Karsten, as I mentioned above, it was incredibly easy. Sometimes the unexpected happens :-). So I was not only able to put together the “Making-of” of Kiefernstraße 12, but also learned quite a few personal things and simply had an interesting, friendly conversation with a very special person. But who exactly is this MalKarsten, whom you apparently often encounter wearing clothes splattered with paint? Born in 1972 and raised in Krefeld, Karsten Breidenbroich already showed his creative side in primary school. Musically, he started out with a xylophone and later moved on to the guitar, which he apparently still enjoys playing today. As he grew older, he gradually realized that he wanted to turn his artistic talent into a profession. At the University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf, he first studied business administration and then interior design. After graduating, he moved to Düsseldorf, where he worked with great enthusiasm as a self-employed interior designer for ten years. Then, around eleven years ago, his father developed cancer. Karsten accompanied him through this difficult time, began reflecting on his own life and realized how important it is to let the people who matter to you know how much they mean to you, rather than waiting until it might be too late. At around the same time, Karsten heard about Zombie Boy, a well-known Canadian performance artist and model who had also faced a serious blow in his life. Like Karsten’s father, he had been confronted with a serious illness. Zombie Boy had been diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 15. After his recovery, he gradually had large parts of his body tattooed. Impressive ... It was around this time that Karsten decided to leave his regular working life behind and devote himself to art. Fortunately, his father had recovered by then. Sadly, Zombie Boy died after falling from his balcony in August 2018. Karsten regrets that he never had the chance to meet him in person. Zombie Boy had, however, liked Karsten’s pictures on Facebook, apparently one of them just a day before his death. His face, tattooed to resemble a skull, served as the inspiration for one of Karsten’s darker paintings. Kindred spirits among artists ... Karsten Breidenbroich became MalKarsten, who apparently is still surprised when, for example, someone approaches him in a Düsseldorf pub and asks to have a photo taken with him. MalKarsten is actually much better known than he seems to realize himself. Krefeld, June 2021 "Someday I’ll Paint the Whole World" One of the first headlines that caught my attention mentioned that his clients included Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke and Cher. Of course, that made me curious. Karsten tells me that he had exhibited his paintings in a bar in his neighborhood, where a fashion designer involved with Fashion Week noticed him. His paintings were to line the catwalk, and backstage he was supposed to paint jackets. Silvia Fritz, Sylvester Stallone’s fashion designer, was impressed by Karsten’s work. Stallone had launched his fashion label “Sly Inc” in 2012. She simply sent Sly a few photos, and he promptly called Karsten, invited him to L.A. and introduced him to the local art scene. A jacket featuring Sly’s portrait was a gladly given gift in return. For MalKarsten, it was of course a fascinating encounter, although he admits that his heart was pounding. The fact that he happened to be in L.A. on his 45th birthday made the trip even more exciting. Nina Hagen, who shares the same birthday, was also there when the jacket was presented to Sylvester Stallone. At Fashion Week, Karsten was able to enjoy complete artistic freedom. Under Sly’s wing, he explored the L.A. art scene and decorated quite a few pieces of clothing with his art. Sly passed on another painting commission to Cher. Jackets for Katy Perry, Mickey Rourke and Ralf Moeller followed. As the acrylic paints he uses are waterproof and washable at 40 °C, there is nothing to prevent him from creating more individual designer pieces, an original “MalKarsten”, after all. Not exactly cheap, perhaps, but extraordinary and still affordable for ordinary people. I particularly love his paintings with their incredibly vivid monkey portraits. On Mother’s Day 2021, Karsten visited Krefeld Zoo to study the nature of these fascinating animals, as he openly told me on the phone. I was welcome to join him. Unfortunately, I was unable to accept this special invitation because of a private appointment. But it shows how open he is towards his audience. ... and what inspires an exceptional artist like Karsten from Düsseldorf? Life itself, he says. With him, everything sounds so simple and unpretentious, and yet his works are fascinating in so many different ways. On his way from one place to another, he finds plenty of inspiration, he explains. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t, but that’s not such a big deal either. Working out a painting and its meaning through an accompanying text is not really his thing. “If I want to say something, I talk. Language is quite unambiguous for that.” I absolutely love this statement because it gives me the opportunity to approach a work of art in a more relaxed way. MalKarsten thus became something of an insider tip, and not only in the American art scene. Karsten lives on the third floor of an old building in central Düsseldorf. The building has a beautiful courtyard and a hall that was once intended for master students of the Art Academy. Originally, four floors were used by artists. At the time, two floors were still being used this way. Alongside Karsten Breidenbroich, a close former associate of Düsseldorf artist Jörg Immendorff also lived there, while the remaining apartments were occupied by people who were not professionally involved in art. He paints his pictures with a 3D effect, and his feelings are intense. “Even stretching the canvas over a wooden frame gives me a feeling of happiness. When I paint, I feel that I’m alive. Someday I’ll paint the whole world.” He has already painted his way as far as America. He’ll manage the rest as well. His first pair of trousers splattered with paint may have been an accident, but by then this colorful design had become his trademark. Ultimately, that is exactly what makes him happy, Karsten tells me. Painting, not money. Sure, his unique pieces of clothing probably bring in a fair amount of money, but ultimately it goes back into paint and materials, creating new art and new joy. If money were the most important thing to him, he would simply paint himself some, he explained in an interview with Petra Verhasselt for NiederRhein Edition Online the previous year. His partner Spoo, herself an artist, advertising professional and communication designer, sums it up perfectly. The money earned is merely an “intermediate medium”, something without which artistic work would not be possible. After all, canvases and paint do not grow on trees. But the art Karsten creates is lasting. The appreciation people show for his art is what matters most to him. He makes it clear that, for example, the established art market is pretty much irrelevant to him. He paints, and that’s that. Krefeld, June 2021 Revised edition: August 2026 (language revision and adaptation to the current website design). He also paints for you and me, a wall or a T-shirt. Get in touch with him. It will be a special experience worth every cent. A saying that is often attributed to Albert Einstein spontaneously comes to mind: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” I have nothing more to add :-). Krefeld, June 2021 Sources / References 1. Telephone interview, Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellinghoven, 17 May 2021 2. Interview, Blog&Art, 17 February 2020 3. NiederRhein Edition Online , 02/2019, text by Petra Verhasselt 4. The Guardian , 3 August 2018: “Zombie Boy Rick Genest, tattooed muse to Lady Gaga, dies aged 32” 5. Bureau du coroner , Gouvernement du Québec, 28 October 2019: “Death of Rick Stephan Genest – The Coroner Reveals her Conclusions” 6. Gerald Krieghofer , ZITATFORSCHUNG, 21 May 2019: “Kreativität ist Intelligenz, die Spaß hat.” Albert Einstein (angeblich)

DAZ Studio and digital 3D art by Samara Blue: fantasy, cyber art and other visual worlds shapes by experiments, creativity and storytelling. DAZ-Studio return 1001 Ways to Create an Image DAZ | The Cards Are Being Reshuffled Give it a try! 😃 I’ve been working with DAZ Studio since the pandemic. Back then, I never would have imagined that this particular 3D program would one day take up so much space in my creative world and even become a true passion project. So I experimented, learned, tinkered, rendered and collected the images I created here with quite a lot of joy and, yes, a little bit of pride. Well ... enthusiasm has side effects. 😄 A few images became many, many became even more, and at some point my little DAZ corner started to resemble a well-filled attic rather than a small gallery. So right now, I’m doing a little sorting, tidying up and rethinking. In time, this part of the website will open its doors a little wider again. Until then, the door will at least stay slightly ajar. 😊 In the meantime, feel free to visit my galleries on these platforms: DAZ Studio | Facebook | Instagram | Renderosity | Renderhub | Deviant

Haus am Park I Urbex Art I Samara Blue Photo Art I Lost Place I Urbex Art Photography I Urbexart I My Way of Art I Samara Blue I Dreamtime Lost Place | Haus am Park return An old, abandoned place, yet far too little time to explore and photograph all the furniture and personal belongings left behind. Even so, it was a fascinating adventure. You can find the complete story here: (...) Haus am Park | Entrance Still dazzled by the sunlight, we find ourselves stepping directly into the living room. Apparently, there is no entrance hall at all. Haus am Park | Kitchen An almost surreal atmosphere of gentle sunlight and fine dust surrounds us. In the dim light, the charm of a traditional old German home slowly emerges. Haus am Park | Kitchen The kitchen still feels as though someone had been living here not so long ago. Dust settles gently over the furnishings, while the disorder is the only thing that disturbs this quiet moment frozen in time. Haus am Park | Kitchen A small red heart❣️ in the window. Once a charming kitchen decoration, today a quiet reminder framed by a weathered window. Haus am Park | Kitchen Torn out cupboard doors reveal a small supply of everyday groceries. Apparently, there was no time to take them. Haus am Park | Garden View Through the cloudy windowpanes, battered garden furniture and the remains of numerous flower pots become visible – silent witnesses to a once lovingly tended garden. Haus am Park | Living Area Heavy, dark living room cabinets dominate the room. Even the bar compartment, with its almost complete collection of glasses, looks as though it is still waiting for its next guests. Haus am Park | Living Area Only a few things remain: floral tableware, old VHS tapes and, right in the middle of the clutter, a beautiful dust covered doll. Was it placed there by the last urban explorer? Haus am Park | The Doll Forgotten memories. Was she once the favourite doll of a little girl or a treasured collector's item? Silent, she keeps her secret. Haus am Park | Celling Lamp Still hanging from the ceiling, the old lamp seems to have outlasted everything around it. Perhaps it was once the pride of its owners, bringing light and warmth to their home for many years. Haus am Park | Living Area There, on the sideboard, I found the highlight of the day: family photographs, almost all in black and white. Faces filled with memories of people I never had the chance to know. Their stories will remain their secrets forever. Haus am Park | Memories Carefully arranged. Some photographs are already very old. Different faces, different fashions, different dreams and hopes. As diverse as life itself. Haus am Park | Smile from the Past Among all these memories, a young man smiles proudly at the camera. I wonder what became of him. Haus am Park | A Smile Remains As I walk on, my eyes wander one last time across the cluttered sideboard. The sadness of the disorder slowly fades, but the young man's smile stays with me. Haus am Park | Little Sister The little sister of the slightly kitschy ceiling lamp. My grandmother would certainly have liked it. Haus am Park | A Snapshot Unfortunately, I still had my telephoto lens on the camera, and there was no time to change it. So, I wasn't able to capture the shots I had hoped for. Haus am Park | Guest Bathroom The guest bathroom... complete with a step ladder. Any questions?😂 Haus am Park | One Last Look One last glance lingers on the pinboard. So many traces of a life once lived, and so many questions that will probably remain unanswered forever Haus am Park | A Spontaneous Adventure Info Haus am Park One warm summer weekend, the three of us spontaneously decided to head out on a Lost Place adventure. Our destination was this unassuming apartment building in Germany's nearby Eifel region. It had stood abandoned for decades, was hardly known and, remarkably, had not yet been vandalised. One of my colleagues planned to make her way through the extensive gardens to reach the back of the house and let us in through the front door from the inside. We didn't really want to know any more details than that... The moment the house came into view, a man suddenly sat down on a nearby wall. His dog seemed perfectly used to this and did... absolutely nothing. It simply lay there. Was this really such a good idea? After all, we only wanted to have a look. So we strolled through the beautiful little park first. The only odd thing was this man with his dog, who now walked towards us, giving us a long look from head to toe. To be fair, our sturdy hiking clothes probably didn't make us look like ordinary park visitors. Maybe we'd better observe the situation a little longer and look for a parking space closer to the house. So... back to the car. Our instincts were quite clear. "No... this doesn't feel right." "Let's leave and find another place to park." After dropping off our local expert at the right fence, the two of us took another relaxed walk through the park. I happily photographed its peaceful atmosphere while my partner kept an eye on the mysterious man with the dog, who didn't seem to know exactly where he wanted to go either. Everything felt perfectly relaxed. For the moment... ________________________________________ For a short while we split up so we wouldn't lose sight of him. When we met again, a postman suddenly stopped beside us. What were we doing here? He'd already seen some "photo people" around earlier that day. So I casually showed him the latest pictures on my camera. Naturally, the ones I had just taken in the park. Apparently he liked them, because within moments he enthusiastically started telling us stories about the area. About local history, groundwater levels, the people who lived there... and all those things you never really expected to learn. ________________________________________ As we passed the house once again, the front door suddenly opened. Our colleague had obviously managed to fight her way through the undergrowth and was now letting us in from inside. So, against my better judgement, and completely innocent of course, I entered the house. I do enjoy these little human encounters... By now our attentive citizen seemed to have disappeared, so I cautiously began my first, still fairly relaxed, tour. ________________________________________ While we were quietly taking in the atmosphere, a message arrived from our third team member. "Our good citizen is standing on his balcony." Well... let him. It's his balcony after all. An almost surreal atmosphere of sunlight and drifting dust surrounded me. In the dim light, the charm of a traditional old German home slowly emerged from the shadows. I was captivated instantly. The place was untidy. But nothing had been vandalised. Nothing had been covered in graffiti. What could have caused its former residents to leave so suddenly? ________________________________________ Our third man remained outside. We tried to take as many photographs as possible. But first things first. Where exactly was the escape route? Ah... The bathroom. With a step ladder. Apparently another ladder was waiting outside. Well... that sounded like a plan. Still, it was a shame to have to work under pressure. ________________________________________ Where should I even begin? Very little time. Very little experience. No chance to change lenses. Poor light. Pretty much a typical working day for an urban explorer. ________________________________________ After several rather hectic attempts, I suddenly discovered them. Old family photographs. Black and white. Smiling faces. Precious memories. Exactly the things that inspire me. Don't think. Raise the camera. Press the shutter. Then quickly on towards the staircase. There were supposed to be several more floors. Who knew what treasures might still be waiting for us? ________________________________________ It's a pity I wasn't much better at photographing in low light back then. Take a deep breath. Start again. Maybe the flash will help. It does. Unfortunately, flashes can also be seen from outside through half closed blinds... ________________________________________ Once more my eyes wandered across the ground floor. Reluctantly, I tore myself away. ________________________________________ But we still wanted to explore at least one more floor... ________________________________________ One last look back towards the front door. Bathed in the evening sun, everything suddenly seemed strangely peaceful. ________________________________________ Then our colleague came running from the back of the house. She hurriedly gathered her equipment. "Someone's at the front door. They want to come in. They expect us to open it." Needless to say... "Maybe we should have..." 😉 Oops... Where exactly was that escape route again? As so often in situations like this, first impressions can be wonderfully misleading. ________________________________________ Backpack on. Camera around my neck. My monopod dragging somewhere behind me. No mercy for the equipment. After all, my last relay race at school had been quite a few years earlier. Window open. A little small... ...but manageable. Now where on earth was that promised ladder? Oh... About one metre away from the window. Not happening. Quick glance down. About two metres. That'll be faster. So I probably fell out of the window more than I jumped. No. Thorn bushes have never bothered me very much. ________________________________________ Only our colleague knew the exact way back. From somewhere behind me she loudly directed me through the overgrown back gardens. Maybe just a little faster... It's amazing how large and labyrinthine these hidden gardens can be in the middle of a town. A brief stop. The camera has to go into the backpack. The old Nikon certainly isn't to blame. Quick check. Everything's there. Nothing broken. Nobody following us. Just a few more steps. The final fence. I somehow manage that one too... ...although with rather shaky knees. ________________________________________ Well... what can I say? It was pretty cool. 😄

The Puzzle House on Düsseldord´s Kiefernstraße: street art by Ben Mathis and the MaJo Brothers- Photography, background stories and unique details. Anfang Puzzle Kiefernstraße 17 | Puzzle House/Trailer Ben Mathis/MaJoBrothers return The façade of the Puzzle House on Kiefernstraße was created in 2007 as a collaboration between Ben Mathis and the MaJo Brothers , also as part of the (5mal5 ) project organised by Farbfieber e. V. Düsseldorf . With this project, in which the final five houses were also designed by various well-known street art artists, an entire row of 14 houses had ultimately become a Gesamtkunstwerk, a complete work of art. One reason for me to look at each of these houses individually and give it space for a story of its own. Puzzle House & Trailer Kiefernstraße | Photo: Samara Blue | Kerstin Ellinghoven “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek and find me, for I have not forgotten your commandments.” Psalm 119:176 How often do we lose our way in the turmoil of life? Lose ourselves in the demands of everyday life? Silently search for help, trying to rediscover and hold on to a small part of who we truly are? Especially in these unreal times ... Puzzle House Kiefernstraße with Trailers | Photo: Samara Blue | Kerstin Ellinghoven Although the façade and the trailers are beginning to show their age, the original artwork is still clearly visible. For me, the trailer still blends harmoniously into the overall design today. Kiefern 17 Before the 2007 Transformation | Photo: Joe Henning | Editing: Samara Blue The Time Before This is how worn down Kiefern 17 looked before the house became a canvas for Ben Mathis and the MaJo Brothers in 2007. Many thanks to Joe Henning of the MaJo Brothers for providing me with this “historic photograph”. The transformation becomes all the more striking when you compare the before and after ... Puzzle House & Trailer Kiefernstraße | Photo: Samara Blue | Kerstin Ellinghoven “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek and find me, for I have not forgotten your commandments.” Psalm 119:176 How often do we lose our way in the turmoil of life? Lose ourselves in the demands of everyday life? Silently search for help, trying to rediscover and hold on to a small part of who we truly are? Especially in these unreal times ... 1/17 The Story Behind the Puzzle House and the Trailers Ben Mathis was responsible for creating the grid, while the MaJo Brothers created a large part of the figurative elements. Cogwheels of different shapes and sizes alternate with robot-like figures in the individual sections. Robotic arms seem to emerge from windows, moved by a mechanism invisible to the viewer. The grid, rendered in various shades of grey and white, is given striking accents by the additional use of an intense orange-red. During a phone conversation, Ben explained to me, when I asked about it, that this colour provided a good contrast to the neighbouring house and was therefore used. If you look closely, you can see that in the transition area towards house No. 19, the elements blend together in several places, creating subtle but carefully considered transitions to the neighbouring house. Another way of expressing togetherness. To make sure that the façade was not populated solely by figures from the MaJo Brothers, Ben Mathis added some of his own. They can be recognised by their more angular shapes. Since the construction trailers standing in front of the house could not, or were not allowed to, be moved while the façade was being painted, they were simply incorporated into the design. After all, no distracting foreign objects were supposed to appear in the final photographs. But what were the construction trailers needed for? That was a question I first asked myself and then Ben Mathis. At the time, the construction trailers were used as a kind of church. Among other things, they were intended as a place to maintain contact with the residents. Coffee and sandwiches made sure that their physical well-being was not neglected either. As a visible sign of their purpose, portraits of Jesus can be found on the fronts of these trailers. Rumour has it that the clergyman responsible was not particularly pleased with the figurative depiction. Nearly 15 years later, I was unable to find out exactly what was considered wrong with these colourful images of Jesus. Perhaps the lamb’s expression doesn’t look quite as innocent as it should. ;-) For me, they evoke a hint of flower-power feeling. Unfortunately, I’m a little too young to have experienced that era myself. But sometimes I regret that I never had the chance to experience that feeling first-hand in my youth. It is one of the reasons why the Kiefernstraße as a complete work of art fascinates me so much. Krefeld, Juni 2021 Sources:thedorf.de ,40grad-urbanart.de , benmathis.de, farbfieber.de Telephone interview with Ben Mathis June 21 When one of my images suddenly ended up in a book This image later took on a life of its own. Silvia Bolatzki discovered it and asked me if she could use it in her book “Preisgegeben und wunderbar geborgen”. It appears on page 469 as image 22, where it is associated with a sense of calm, peace and comfort. I was especially pleased to see my photograph used in this context. When I took it, I certainly never imagined that one day it would find its way into a book about pastoral care for the effects of trauma and stress. Silvia Bolatzki: “Preisgegeben und wunderbar geborgen”, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, p. 469, fig. 22.

Nimm Kontakt zu mir auf. UrbeyArt freut sich auf deine Nachricht. Contact | Samara Blue - My Way Of Art return Do you have an idea that you would like to implement photographically? Do you have a question about a location or a street art project? contact me I'm looking forward to your message. Gladly via email or contact form. "Creativity is when something comes to mind when you see something." -Gehard Uhlebrock, physician and aphorist Kontakt | Samara Blue - My Way Of Art * E-Mail-Adresse Nachname/Surname Vorname/First Name Betreff/Subject * Dein Text/Your text Einreichen/Sent Kerstin Ellinghoven | Email: lady-sahmara-photo@gmx.de

Streetart I Graffiti I Mural I Dokumentation in Wort und Bild I Documentation in words and Pictures I Streetartphotography I Tiberio Mazzochi Italien I internationale Straßenkunst I Koyote I Hommage an Beuys I Silk City Gallery 2021 I Krefelder Perspektivwechsel I Kultur I Kultur in Krefeld I Kunst I Kuratorin Fredda Wouters I Samara Blue I Seidenweberhaus I aktuelle Situation der amerikanischen Ureinwohner Tiberio Anfang street art - Tiberio Mazzocchi/Italy "Coyote " return youtube Facebook * Instagram Beuys, an Indian, a coyote, more Indians? What might these creatures have in common? Artist info (...) Tiberio Infos Annotation : With this artist, too, one can see that he understood the difficult situation of the people on the theater square and that it depresses him, that he considers a visual representation to be necessary, even essential. The title comes from the artist himself. Artist information Tiberio Mazzoccchi Tiberio: "KOJOTE Street Art work made in KREFELD (Germany) July 2021freehand drawing Beuys' most emotional performance: In 1974 the artist was locked in a cage with a coyote in New York for several days. He only has a felt blanket and a stick, which he describes as "Eurasian". Beuys' goal was to establish a relationship of trust between himself and the animal, a symbol of reconciliation between man and nature, but the work can also be read in a political sense, as a rite of reconciliation between modern-day Americans and their persecuted ancestors and imprisoned on reservations, symbolized by the captive coyote. In my work entitled "COYOTE" I wanted to draw a parallel to Beuys' work and his political message: the marginalization of Native Americans. So I saw that things have not improved to this day.... the people who routinely roam this place called "The Silk Factory" are vagabonds, desperate, drug addicts.... Marginalized and forgotten by society, just like the Native American tribes of North America were persecuted and marginalized." Source: Tiberio Mazzochi FB page/personal * * * Tiberio is a Maestro Madonnaro and musician who studied art and music in Milan. He plays classical guitar and violin and has enchanted audiences with street paintings at festivals in Italy, Germany and the USA. He has won numerous prizes and awards. He received the title of Maestro Madonnaro in Grazie di Curtatone in 2017, after having already won the categories Semplici (Easy Madonnari) in 2013, and Qualificati (Qualified Madonnari) in 2017 with first place. He also won the audience award as the highest award at the International Madonnari Festival Kevelaer in 2019. Source: official information from the city of Krefeld

Discover inspiring quotes, sayings, thoughts and words of wisdom from around the world, together with original texts by Samara Blue. A collection to make you smile, reflect and find inspiration. Quotes | Wisdom | Inspiration | Motivation return A collection of more or less clever quotes, sayings, thoughts and words of wisdom – some written by myself, others gathered from around the world. A small collection to make you smile, reflect and perhaps even share with others. Timeless Thoughts Did you like this page? Happy to leave one comment (...) Up Childhood Wisdom Cheeky Childhood Wisdom "A child's mouth speaks truth" Continue Lil'Daisy and Woody B. rock life. Lil'Daisy is a delicate porcelain doll that looks rather cute and harmless. Nobody really trusts her to stick her little porcelain nose into anything she finds interesting. Since she is so reserved and (... ) Facebook * Instagram * Artprints ©PRINTLER Weiter ... Although she seems nice, she is often overlooked and thus gains insight into many adult things that are not really suitable for such delicate beings. She is always critical of her surroundings and is not easily fooled. Together with her wooden friend Woody B., she rummages through many an adult life, experiences all kinds of adventures and uncovers one or two inconsistencies that we grown-ups might not like to hear. Even if both kids seem nice and harmless at first glance, they also have their dark sides, which they regularly pursue. A little precocious perhaps, but mostly appropriate, the two of them share their childhood wisdom with us. As life for two can get a bit boring in the long run, other funny, strange or obscure characters and animals, preferably cats, appear over time to expand and complete the Child Hood menagerie. Sometimes characters from the human or fantasy world will also be guests, if they have something interesting to say. Basically, the intention here is not to be completely serious. The pictures and figures are meant to be viewed with humor and a smile. If here and there a personal nerve is struck, then that's just the way it is, not meant maliciously and everyone should take the statements as they see fit and how they want to interpret them for themselves at that moment. Just drop by from time to time in the funny, but sometimes not only children's world. weiterlesen lyrics weite lesen Childhood Wisdom Did you like these pictures? Feel free to leave a comment :-). Up Info Design Zitate Behind the Artwork I use photos that I have captured with my camera, 3D graphics that I have created with DAZ Studio and images that I have generated with various Ki apps as the basis for my slogan images. Even though I am still a little ambivalent about the use of Ki-generated images, they are now part of my art. Since art and creativity in general never stands still, but is an interesting path for me and is constantly evolving, I'll see where the artistic journey will take me. This collection will grow steadily and the look will continue to evolve, just as life writes the stories. Just drop by again!