Who is Samara Blue? Discover my creative, digital art, photography, working process, inspirations and the thoughts behind my art. 14.09.26 Und manchmal entdecke ich Ideen, Gedanken oder kleine Details aus meiner Arbeit an anderer Stelle wieder. Dann nehme ich es mit einem Lächeln. Offenbar war die Idee gut genug, um weiterzureisen. 17.09.26 Das „Reinfuchsen“ nehmen wir als weiteres Merkmal für „Einfach ich“ mit: Interesse führt bei dir nicht nur zum Ausprobieren, sondern häufig zum tieferen Verstehen, Weiterlernen und irgendwann zum Verbinden mit dem, was schon da ist. Wieder etwas, das wir später eher sichtbar machen als behaupten. My Way of Art | Just Me return Kerstin Ellinghoven aka Samara Blue Hi, I'm Kerstin Ellinghoven - better known online as Samara Blue. This name comes from my time as founder and dancer of the Moonlight Dancers, a group that combined oriental dance and fascinating fire shows. This creative phase shaped me and the name still accompanies me today on my artistic paths in digital and photo art as well as local photo reportages. How I got behind the camera My love of photography began indirectly with the search for cool pictures of my fire shows. That's when I met Dark Lord Ellia, a photographer and artist from Krefeld - and now my husband. I'm still waiting for the promised fire photos, but I discovered that my place is behind the camera and not in front of it. I dedicate myself to photography with a lot of passion and curiosity, am constantly learning new things and usually let my gut feeling guide me. My old Nikon D700, without automatic controls, is my favorite - it demands real craftsmanship and connects me more intensely with my subjects. Although I don't do photography professionally, I see it as my creative form of expression. I love capturing special moments for people - from emotional weddings and sensitive baby belly shoots to glittering oriental dance shows. Capturing emotional memories for dancers is particularly close to my heart. It fulfills me to give them pictures in which they like themselves - a feeling that for me goes far beyond my own time on stage. Lost Place Photography My entry into photography began with lost places - thanks to my husband, who initially took me to such abandoned places. My fascination for the stories and backgrounds of these places eventually led me to create my website “Samara Blue - Urbexart”. Even though my focus today is on digital art, this name reminds me of my photographic beginnings. My approach was never to cover as many spots as quickly as possible. I wanted and still want to feel the atmosphere of the places, discover their stories and bring them to life through my pictures. Every project is time-consuming: from discovering the places to researching, selecting and editing the photos. I consciously take the time to capture the uniqueness of each place and gather background information. Lost places, often forgotten buildings from recent history, are more than just backdrops for me - they tell of life that once was and stimulate the imagination, allowing us to participate in long-gone history. Lost Place Photograpy Streetart & Favourites I came to the subject of street art rather by chance. Many of my photos show colorful graffiti and urban artworks that were simply too good to gather dust on my hard drive. Fascinated by the stories behind these works, I began to research artists and find out their intentions. It gets particularly exciting when artists like Ben Mathis, Klaus Klinger or Karsten Breidenbroich share their insights. The Kiefernstraße in Düsseldorf with its beautifully colored houses remains a project close to my heart - a vibrant hotspot of urban art that is constantly changing. I am also always fascinated by the regularly recurring urban art events in Krefeld. They not only offer inspiring works of art, but also the perfect opportunity to get in touch with artists. These encounters give me a deep insight into their creative processes and enrich my view of their works. As a Krefeld native, my photographic heart naturally goes out to the regularly recurring urban art events. In addition to great pictures, there are also many opportunities to get in touch with the artists and gain a deeper insight into their creative process. I am also interested in unusual places with history or a special atmosphere. One example of this is the Schlaraffia Crefeldensis in “Et Klöske” - a fascinating place that I had the opportunity to photograph. It was a very special encounter, as women are not usually allowed in here. Projects like this give me the opportunity to make stories visible and capture places in a special way. Urban art and special places - for me, both combine photography and curiosity in their most beautiful form. Urbanart Krefeld 2023 Urbanart Krefeld 2015-2021 Dü-Kiefernstraße Favourites Digital Art, Photography & Words Today, digital art has become an important part of my creative work. Thanks to my husband, I discovered DAZ Studio, a creative tool that allows me to bring characters, animals and entire worlds to life. Much like photography, light, perspective and atmosphere play a key role in every scene. From many small ideas, images gradually evolve, often finding their way into little stories of their own. During the pandemic, this form of creativity became an important part of my everyday life and has remained so ever since. It opened up new ways for me to express myself artistically and to develop my ideas further. Some of my artwork is now also available as high-quality fine art prints, encouraging me to keep exploring new subjects, techniques and creative approaches. Images and words often belong together for me - but not always. Sometimes a picture naturally inspires a thought, a short text or even a small story. On other days, I simply enjoy experimenting with light, colour, perspective or new creative techniques. Not every image needs to tell a story. Some are created simply for the joy of the creative process or because I want to explore something new. It is exactly this variety that makes creativity so fascinating to me. In the near future, I would also like to share more about the way I work. From the first ideas and handwritten notebooks to storyboards, digital tools and Photoshop, many steps take place behind the scenes before an image is finished. Often, just as much creativity goes into the journey as into the final artwork itself. Digitale Art Art Print Publisher PRINTLER Homepage | Design The Story Behind My Website: The design of my website is just as much a part of my creative journey as the artwork itself. It was originally created to present my activities as a dancer. At the time, I had to decide whether to learn programming myself or use a website builder. I consciously chose the latter because I wanted to invest my time in creating content, images and stories rather than writing code. Today, I work with Wix. But even with a website builder, a website is never created at the push of a button. Layouts need to be refined, colours carefully coordinated, texts revised and images thoughtfully integrated. Different screen sizes, mobile devices and ongoing technical changes continually require new solutions. Over the past months, I have been redesigning large parts of my website step by step, fundamentally rethinking its layout, structure, translations and search engine optimisation. As my website is available in both German and English, I translate all content myself. I deliberately avoid automatic translations to ensure that not only the words, but also their meaning, tone and atmosphere are preserved. My website continues to grow and evolve, just as I do. It is not a finished project, but one that develops with every new idea, every image and every story. A comprehensive redesign like this cannot be completed within just a few weeks. To be honest, I still have no idea how long it will take. But I firmly believe the time is well invested. Step by step, I continue to improve the content, the design and the technical quality of the site. Despite all the challenges, I still enjoy every part of the process. Sometimes working on my website reminds me of the old sticker albums I loved as a child ☕ – just with a little more technology and considerably more coffee. Hobbys | More Than a Hobby My everyday life isn't just about my website, photography and digital art. Many small passions have been with me for years. They inspire me, bring me joy and are simply great fun - often in the most unexpected moments. Photography has been part of my life for many years and remains one of my greatest passions. I still love heading out with my camera, discovering new perspectives and capturing those special moments that often disappear far too quickly. Another passion of mine is digital art. With DAZ Studio, Photoshop and plenty of small ideas, images, illustrations and sometimes even entire stories begin to take shape. Experimenting with new techniques is one of the things I enjoy most about the creative process. Reading is simply part of my everyday life. Books open the door to new worlds, let my imagination wander and often inspire new ideas of my own. Over the years, my husband and I have built a small library together, which continues to grow. We also love browsing flea markets and second-hand bookshops, where you never know what hidden treasure you might discover. I also enjoy cooking and baking, especially when I can try something new or when not all the ingredients happen to be in the cupboard. A little improvisation is often part of the recipe, and sharing the result with my husband is half the fun. During the winter months, we occasionally dive back into the world of World of Warcraft. Although everyday life doesn't always leave much time for gaming, it's a wonderful way to relax, have fun together and escape into another world for a while. Whenever I get the chance, you'll probably find me in one of the cafés in my hometown. With a good cup of coffee and a slice of cake, my thoughts seem to sort themselves out almost automatically. New ideas often appear there, sometimes even the first lines of a story, and every now and then I end up having a lovely conversation with someone I might never have met otherwise. Those little moments are among the highlights of my day. I also hope to rediscover another long-standing passion: designing and sewing my own clothes. My sewing machine is finally ready again, and I'm looking forward to bringing fabrics, patterns and creative ideas back to life, one project at a time. There are still countless ideas, projects and stories waiting to be explored, and that's exactly what I'm looking forward to. What Does Creativity Mean to Me? Creativity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. To me, it has never been a goal or a skill that can be measured or reduced to a set of rules. It is a journey that keeps evolving - sometimes exciting, sometimes surprising - always inviting me to discover something new. As a child, I turned just about everything I could find into little creative projects. Cardboard boxes, paper, scraps of fabric or things I found in nature - somehow they always became something new. Later came creative workshops, new techniques and ever more ways to express myself. Of course, I had no idea back then where this path would eventually lead. Looking back, I see it as the beginning of a journey that took me through dance and photography before finally leading me to digital art. Whenever something sparks my curiosity, I simply get started. I have never spent much time wondering whether it really suited me or whether I was capable of doing it. Most of the time, my curiosity has been quicker than my doubts. That's probably why I have never drawn clear boundaries between different creative fields. Whether it's dancing, photography, digital art, writing or building a website - to me, they are all different ways of expressing the same creativity. Many years ago, while my husband and I were getting to know each other, he introduced me to the world of digital photography. That became another turning point in my life. Holding a camera suddenly changed the way I looked at the world. Light, perspective and atmosphere became something I consciously noticed and wanted to shape. Years later, DAZ Studio opened yet another door. For the first time, I wasn't just capturing what already existed - I could create worlds that had previously existed only in my imagination. Over the years, I have learned that creativity is much more than simply mastering techniques. I love discovering new software and learning how to use new tools. But technique alone does not create creativity. To me, it is a craft that serves the original idea and helps bring it to life. The truly exciting part begins when a mood, a thought or a story grows into something entirely its own. Unfortunately, creativity cannot be planned - or perhaps that's exactly the beauty of it. My best ideas rarely appear while I'm sitting at my desk. They are much more likely to arrive during a walk, in a café or in the middle of a conversation. They often show up precisely when I'm not looking for them. That's when it's time to grab a notebook and write things down. To me, creativity is a combination of curiosity, emotion, patience and openness. It needs space and freedom in order to grow. Over the years, I have also realised that creativity has the power to bring people together. A picture, a photograph, a story or a dance can quickly become a shared language. They can express emotions, awaken memories or simply bring a smile to someone's face. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why creativity means so much to me. I don't see my art as a competition, but as a part of my life. I want to keep learning, discovering and growing - not to keep up with others, but because I genuinely enjoy the journey itself. That, to me, is a part of personal freedom. Awards & Honors A selection of official recognitions for my digital artwork. Each entry links to the corresponding official competition or winners page. July 2026 – Honorable Mention, Renderhub Sexy Robot Contest III Artwork: Bionic Dreams - CNR-H4 Official Winners Page March 2026 – 1st Place, Renderosity - 6th Annual 2026 Pin-Up Contest Artwork: Sweet on Weels Official Winners Page April 2023 – 2nd Place, DAZ3D Contest - Great Render Challenge: Week 1 Artwork: Dreams Never Die Official Winners Page On My Way to Serenity In the digital world, impressions of people are often formed within seconds. They may not necessarily be accurate, while a person's true character has usually developed over many years. Not every statement reflects what really matters to me, because some feelings and impressions are simply snapshots of a particular moment. That's why I would like to share a few thoughts here that I know I can still stand behind with conviction tomorrow. 𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠. A life without dreams? Not my thing. I will always follow my own dreams, even when they are sometimes little more than a quiet whisper. 𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦. I don't need to publish something every day. When I have something I want to share, I do so with conviction. And when a project needs time, that's exactly what I give it. 𝑁𝑜 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ. There is strength in taking things slowly. I give myself the time I need. 𝑀𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ. There is always something new to discover at every stage of life. That's what makes the journey through life so exciting to me and keeps me moving forward, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. What matters is that I move at my own pace. 𝐼 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. That's where I find the place that feels right for me, where I feel grounded. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛. If I am happy with my work, that is the most important measure for me. Of course, I am delighted when other people enjoy my images too. But their value to me should not depend on how much approval they receive from others. 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒. Misunderstandings can arise quickly. That's why honesty, loyalty and respectful communication matter more to me than assumptions. 𝑇𝑜 𝑚𝑒, 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛'𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒. … is not defined by status, possessions or intelligence. It shows in the way they treat other people. 𝐼 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠. They are part of who I am. If there is something I want to learn, I will learn it. But I don't have to be good at everything or like everything simply because other people do. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. In my art, I don't believe in perfection, but in development. There is always something new to learn, discover or improve, and that's exactly what keeps creativity alive for me. 𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒. But no one else decides where my path will lead. 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡, ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑦, 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑦. To me, they form the foundation of how we treat one another and of every good relationship. 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒. Not everything can be planned or forced. Some things simply need to be allowed to grow. And learning to trust that is one of the greatest strengths for me. Perhaps that is my greatest freedom: being allowed to learn, to remain curious and to follow my own path at my own pace.Not because it is perfect. But because it is mine. With this in mind, have fun browsing and be patient if it takes a while for a page or a topic to be finished. It's my time :-). Your s Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellinghoven Krefeld in November 2023 Up

Photography, Digital Art and stories by Samara Blue / Kerstin Ellinghoven. Discover lost places, urban art, street art, poetry, DAZ Studio and special places in images and words. Samara Blue - Kerstin Ellinghoven Maintenance: For a short time, some pages will be unavailable. Maintenance: For a short time, some pages will be unavailable. Maintenance: For a short time, some pages will be unavailable. Welcome Welcome to my website. This is where photography, images and words, and little stories come together. At the heart of my work are special places, unusual perspectives, and creative pieces that bring images and words together. Discover lost places, urban art, street art, poetry, and other creative projects somewhere between documentation, imagination, and stories found along the way. Art for Your Walls Photography · Image & Words · Stories Discover LOST PLACES Abandoned places & transience DAZ STUDIO 3D art, imagination & storytelling FAVORITE PLACES Places, stories & memories STREETART KREFELD Art in public spaces STREET ART DÜSSELDOR F Colours, houses & stories LYRICS & IMAGES Where words meet images ART PRINTS Selected works as prints Some of my works are also available as Fine Art Prints. Here I share ideas for how they can work in different interiors. Discover art prints → Note: My website is currently being refreshed with a new, brighter design. Over the coming weeks, the DAZ Gallery will also be reorganized and given a fresh new look. During this transition, you may notice slight differences in the appearance of some pages. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy exploring my creative home! 🌿

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. Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfArt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

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 Continue

Schlaraffia Crefeldensis I Schlaraffenburg I Ritterburg I Et Klöske I Krefeld I Männerbund I Freundschaft I Humor I Kreativität I Kreative Fotografie I Bilddokumention I Historie I Geschichte I Urbexart I My Way of Art I Samara Blue I Dreamtime Schlaraffia Crefeldensis eV return In Arte Voluptas - Pleasure in Art From the care of art , the Friendship and humour During an exciting photo tour in summer 2020 through the oldKrefeld municipal baths I found out that the once magnificent relaxation room of the Irish-Roman bath served as a castle for the men's union of Schlaraffia Crefeldensis eV between 1983 and 2002. But where did the brave knights disappear to almost 20 years ago? And how have you been? Why did they just leave these magnificent rooms? Since just taking photos is usually not enough for me and I'm curious by nature, I started to find out more about this association of men. At the end of 2020 I sent my questions directly to the Schlaraffen here in kr Krefeld by email and received a little surprised, but also very pleased, prompt answer. Continue reading(...) "Et Klöske" - knight's castle in words and pictures Bildeserie sc weiter lesen How I, as a profane* woman, experienced the castle of a men's union. A documentation in words and pictures Slightly irritated, I read the sender of the mail:"Am already@..." . Well, what can I say, the answer was short and clear. They thanked me for my interest in their men's association, gave me the current address, printed in bold to be safe ;-) and told me that they would like to contribute information about their time in the old city baths. Of course everything Corona compliant. Everything seemed very well organized. The "coat of arms and noble marshal",Mr. Klaus Drenk , was immediately taken in cc. Now I have looked at the contact details of the sender, the deputy chairman of Crefeldensis eV."Rochus Kralik Knight of Meyrswalden" - an impressive name and as Doc Google quickly told me, a "real knight". Before the following phone call, my heart was already palpitating. What could I expect from a high-ranking member of a men's association? The concerns were unfounded, as it quickly turned out. An extremely youthful voice talked openly and friendly about the topic "creative men's association" in general and about details from their time in the old Krefeld municipal baths in particular. My photo from the Krefeld Stadtbad with the name boards, from which you can see a section, awakened and touched memories of an obviously good time in this place, says"Knight Binshon" . The panels with these names still remind visitors of the historic swimming pool of the activities of the jolly knights. Here, for example, a "Ritter Brasilio" from Oberhausen once made a donation that was lovingly and creatively documented. After the phone call, we arranged to meet on site. It was supposed to take a few more months before it came about, but in this strange pandemic time it's probably nothing special. We had an appointment together in May 2021 and, once again with palpitations, I packed my photo equipment. At this point it should be mentioned that the focus of this day was not on the photos as expected. The conditions on site were more difficult than expected for my experience in photography and my equipment. Rather, it was the conversation with the three older gentlemen that fascinated me. Not only that they would give me, as a completely unknown female being, a comprehensive insight into their creative work, they also gave me the feeling at all times that they took me and my (photo) project "Men's League" seriously take. That impressed and touched me. A visit to a special place, seen through the eyes of aprofane * Woman. Continue reading: (...) Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). You can find the newspaper article here: (...) Continue

Urbexart I Besondere Orte I Special Spots I Burgen I Museen I Historie I Geschichte I Fotodokumentation I Vergangenheit I Erinnerungen I Kreative Fotografie I Samara Blue I My Way of Art I Dreamtime Favourites - not only in Krefeld return 1a. Schlaraffenburg Crefeldensis e.V. 2. Doll Fountain Krefeld 3. Wild Horses of Dülmen Museums, monuments and other places steeped in history also offer the opportunity to explore the past, keep track of history and track down dusty beauties. Sometimes I am also asked to photograph and document special places. I am happy to share these vivid photo series if I am given permission to do so. In this way, I learn interesting historical facts first-hand and gain access to places that are not normally accessible to the general public. Please click on the image to view and read. Navigation Handy: Schlaraffenburg Doll´s Fountain Wild Horses 1. Schlaraffia Crefeldensis I Et Kloeske I Krefeld A look behind the scenes - where women don't normally have access Bitte zum Anschauen und Lesen auf das Bild klicken. 2. Doll's fountain I Krefeld Provisional report The Puppenbrunnen in Krefeld is located at Südwall 30-32, 47798 Krefeld . You can reach it as a pedestrian from the Hansa Center, walking along the pedestrian zone in the direction of Kaufhof. The Puppenbrunnen is located where the pedestrian zone, Neusserstraße, crosses the Südwall. (... ) Weiterlesen Puppenbrunnen The puppet fountain is a modern art fountain with six figures that move in different ways and all have a connection to Krefeld. In summer, when the water splashes lively, this is a good opportunity for children to let their companions relax for a while. Depending on how adventurous the kids are, it can be quite a wet and happy affair. For a long time, I couldn't find any direct evidence in my research that this beautiful fountain was the work of Bonifatius Stirnberg, who created a very similar fountain in Aachen at a similar time. Now I am all the more pleased that I was able to find a student of the artist who is still in contact with Mr. Bonifatius Stirnberg. So with his help, with the support of the family and the information I already had, I was able to put the complete history of the doll's fountain in Krefeld on paper. Ok, trust the internet ;-)- So follow me now together with the exceptional artist Bonifatius Stirnberg on a journey through the centuries not only in terms of fashion ... Krefeld in November 2023 | in May 2024 Anker 1 Geschichte hinter dem Puppenbrunnen The PUPPENBRUNNEN I KREFELD - Fashion through the centuries Von Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellingenhoven, Krefeld. 02.05.2024 The Puppenbrunnen in Krefeld is a counterpart to the fountain in Aachen and is located at Südwall 30-32, 47798 Krefeld. Pedestrians can reach it from the Hansa Centre by walking along the pedestrian zone in the direction of the former Kaufhof. The Puppenbrunnen is located where the Neusserstraße pedestrian zone crosses the Südwall, slightly offset to the right. It is a modern bronze fountain with six moving figures arranged around a rectangular cuboid. This is slightly larger than the lovingly crafted and detailed figures. The figures and cuboid are located on a round, slightly raised platform made of a kind of concrete, so that viewers can interact with the figures easily. The water drains into a circular depression underneath the fountain, which guarantees that the interacting visitor's shoes are reasonably dry. The name of the company that donated the fountain, Derichs & Konertz, and the dates 1926 and 1976 are apparently also cast in concrete on the side of the platform. It is assumed that 1926 is the year in which the two companies merged. 1976 commemorates the year the fountain was built. Once you have curiously walked around the fountain and taken a look at the various historical figures, you might ask yourself who was immortalised there and for what reason. As I was also very interested in this, I went on a little historical research. Starting with the Internet, which was not really informative about this particular fountain, I became aware of the doll fountain in Aachen. As it is very similar in style to the one in Krefeld, I assumed that it must be by the same artist, Bonifatius Stirnberg. However, I did not find any confirmation of this. But I did come across a gallery that represents the interests of the artist Bonifatius Stirnberg, the builder of the Aachen doll's fountain. I was able to make direct contact with a former pupil of the artist and learnt a lot about this remarkable artist and craftsman in telephone conversations. He confirmed that Mr Bonifatius was also the artist behind the doll's fountain in Krefeld, which took me a long way forward, and sent me a book by the artist. A fascinating book of fountains ... PLAY I CHANGE I UNDERSTAND... The illustrated book ‘Plastiken für die Stadt’ by Aachen artist Bonifatius Stirnberg begins with these interactive verbs. In order to gain a deeper understanding of this beautiful fountain and its significance, I would like to take a closer look at the fascinating artist and craftsman Bonifatius Stirnberg, starting with his biography: *He was born on 20/02/1933 in Freienohl/Sauerland (Meschede). *Only 15 years later, in 1948, he began an apprenticeship as a wood sculptor, which he successfully completed in 1951 with the journeyman's examination. *In 1953, he also completed the subsequent carpentry apprenticeship in the same year with the journeyman's examination. *In 1957, he passed his master craftsman's examination as a wood sculptor in Cologne. From 1953 to 1959, he studied interior design and sculpture at the Werkkunde Schule Aachen. *Even before completing his studies, he worked as a freelance artist from 1958. *From 1962 to 1966, he expanded his repertoire and creative skills by studying at the Düsseldorf Art Academy in the sculpture department under Prof. Josef Beuys. Prof Josef Beuys. *Since 1973 he has been working in his own studio in Aachen, which also includes a separate, well-equipped bronze foundry. All his works of art are produced in this studio, from the initial idea to the final touches. Even now, at the ripe old age of over 90, he can still be found in his workshop in Aachen every day. Stirnberg was obviously very interested in the nature of cities/his city. Houses, building facades, squares, places of interest, green spaces and much more are among the parts of a city that are accessible to all citizens and visitors and that can ultimately also be found on corresponding postcards. However, these cards often present a view that has been embellished with the help of wide-angle lenses and extreme photo editing. Bonifatius Stirnberg obviously has a divergent view of this, which is reflected in many ways in his art. After all, a city is represented by more than just such fair-weather views. Every city has its very own history, starting with its name, which has changed again and again over the centuries, just like its external appearance. We often judge the importance of a city by its appearance. If it is doing well, it is lavishly built and the city flourishes. Evidence of these good times can always be found in buildings and landmarks. Witnesses of the bad times, on the other hand, are often not on public display, but only preserved in special places. You have to explicitly seek them out if you are interested in these topics. It is similar with modern works of art. These, too, are often hidden/carried away in various museums, for which you often have to pay a considerable entrance fee. If you don't want to deal with them, you simply don't go near them. If this modern art then suddenly appears on the outside, e.g. on the walls of buildings, walls or bridges, it is often met with incomprehension. Yet this art could also be a living reminder of past times and historical aspects. Although they will be passed down for a while and told by older people in particular, at some point they too will be forgotten, like the smells of a bakery or the drape of a certain dress tailored according to historical fashion. Dead remains such as walls, stones, etc. often survive for centuries and therefore much longer, but they no longer have a living face. Only old trees can sometimes act as living witnesses to what a person once experienced with them. This is where Balthasar Stirnberg's works of art come in. His figures with lively faces and contemporary clothing are also intended to appeal to visitors with little artistic experience, e.g. children who like to look at, feel and try out the world with unbiased eyes. If public artworks are located in places with a lot of space around them, people often go to these places specifically because they want to see this particular work of art. Stirnberg's artistic fountains, on the other hand, are often found in rather obscure places, at crossroads, narrow alleyways or sometimes on the grounds of nurseries and schools. Inevitably, you come across them again and again in everyday life and they seem to cross people's everyday paths spontaneously. These fountains always have a special connection to the place and/or the city where they can be found. The figures have movable limbs so that the visitor can always move them into different poses and relationships to each other. A voyage of discovery into the past, not just for children, although they are always attracted by the various waterways. So that they don't have to get completely wet after their playful exploration tour, the streams of water in Stirnberg's fountain are designed in such a way that the cheerful water player realises that water is wet and makes them wet if they play too wildly, and can row back a little or flee the danger zone prematurely. Through this unbiased, playful engagement with historical figures, their stories and destinies, young people can often learn more and more easily than in history lessons. This is exactly what art in general, and Balthasar Stirnberg's art in particular, can/should do. The Krefeld Doll Fountain can also be found in the centre of Südwall 30-32, 47798 Krefeld, on the daily footpaths of the people of Krefeld. Although it no longer carries water in the colder seasons, the glittering drops of water quickly cast a spell over visitors hurrying along in the nicer weather. Again and again, someone stops and looks. They feel carefully, then a little more boldly, to see what they can move and how. Usually it doesn't stop with just one spectator. There are several more, so sometimes it wasn't easy to take photos of just the fountain. ‘Fashion through the centuries’ is the title of the Krefeld doll's fountain. A theme that the residents of the velvet and silk city could relate to when it was erected in 1975. It was the intention of the artist and probably also of the donating company Derichs & Konertz that not only the residents could identify with his art in their city, but also that visitors could take something interesting home with them. This fountain is one of Balthasar Stirnberg's earlier works and will be almost 50 years old in 2024. It has already lost a few feathers during this time. Shortly after its construction, a figure was stolen and it was only found again by chance during a police operation almost 20 years later. Unfortunately, there is always some fool who thinks he has to immortalise himself on the work of art by splashing paint on it. In the meantime, the ravages of time are also gnawing away at this work of art and fine moss is spreading here and there. The wooden parts are also not forever immune to wind and weather. But even if Krefeld can unfortunately no longer be regarded as a city of velvet and silk from my point of view, this fountain still stands in its place and demonstrates a piece of immortality, indeed history, with its valuable, basically resistant material. History for the former velvet and silk town on the Lower Rhine and also a piece of artistic history from the life of the exceptional artist and craftsman Bonifatius Stirnberg. Personally, I would be very happy to see the fountain renovated, not least because it is a piece of history for me, but also because the valuable and resistant bronze material used stands for durability and endurance. -Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellinghoven. Krefeld in March 2024 Quellen: Galerie-am-elisengarten.de:Bonifatius Stirnberg - Galerie Petzold - deutsch (galerie-am-elisengarten.de) Plastiken für die Stadt von Bonifatius Stirnberg Emile Paes (a former student of Stirnberg's) Krefeld in November 2023 | in May 2024 3. Wildpferdefang 2019 - Dülmen/Merfelder Bruch Continue About the special honor of being a catcher While looking for 2-3 animal pictures for another project, I stumbled across my folder with almost 900 pictures that were taken in 2019 during a visit to the wild horse capture in Dülmen with my sister. As it's naturally not easy to choose from so many pictures and, as a horse girl since childhood, the wild horses in Dülmen are a particularly magical place for me, these beautiful, wild horses have their own section in my collection of magical places. Enjoy impressions of a wild rodeo around the corner in my native Westphalia. Information about the little horses can be found in the pictures and here (... ) Info Wildpferde weiter lesen Profile: Size: approx. 125 - 135 cm height Origin: Westphalia/Germany Color: Predominantly grey and bay, also black-brown Characteristics: Original pony, frugal, calm, robust Suitability: Riding and carriage pony Use: Children's riding and carriage pony So that the texts do not become too long, I have added further information to the individual pictures. More information Wild horses Dülmen Every year, a spectacular wild horse capture takes place on the wild horse track in Dülmen. Located just west of Dülmen/NRW, wild horses have been living in a herd of around 400 in the wild for what feels like an eternity, without care or human intervention, except for this one day. The day they were caught. The area in which they live is called Mehrfelder Bruch and was first mentioned in a document in 1316. At that time, the habitat covered an area of several thousand hectares, which was continually reduced in size through cultivation and appropriation, so that today, with the Mehrfelder Bruch, they only have around 400 hectares at their disposal. The Duke of Croy's family thus created a reserve which, with around 400 wild horses, is the only one left on the European continent. Even if this sounds small compared to earlier times, it is far more space than is available to the average horse today. Habitat The area, which consists of moorland, heathland, coniferous and oak forests, offers the animals a varied diet all year round, so that they are only fed hay in some places in winter. Otherwise, the wild horses are left to their own devices. They can rely on their instincts, feed themselves appropriately and cope with all weather conditions. They find protection from extreme weather conditions in the forest areas. This way of life means that only the best-adapted animals prevail and can pass on their predispositions/genes to their offspring. This is how the small Dülmen wild horses were able to survive as a healthy and resistant breed through natural selection. Nature reserve wild horse track in the Merfelder Bruch The main purpose of the Merfelder Bruch nature reserve is to preserve nature and the herd living there. Everything necessary is done to ensure the long-term preservation of the herd. The aim is to preserve the habitat in its existing form in the long term, as changes to the biotope would otherwise also change the type of horse through natural selection. The question is repeatedly asked as to why the Dülmen wild horses are being bred rather than conserved. There are two inseparable criteria for successful breeding. People (can) only breed according to measurable and/or visible characteristics. These can include jumping ability, speed, stamina and much more. The second goal is to anchor these traits in the gene pool of the animals so that these traits can be passed on to the offspring as reliably and retrievably as possible. In this way, characteristics such as robust health and natural instinctive behavior can be slowly pushed back from the genetic make-up. In this way, special and valuable original genetic material would be irretrievably lost. This highlights the importance of preserving the original breeds in their natural habitats, as they are subject to ongoing natural selection. These original breeds are called "primitive breeds", which does not imply a negative aspect, but rather refers to the natural value of these species. Since there are only very few herds like these that live almost completely without human contact, behavioral researchers also have a large field of activity here. Appearance and appearance of the horse breed Most of the wild horses are currently bay or brown. They have an eel line running down their backs, which is an indication of the breed's originality. The emerging zebra markings on the legs of some animals also point to their wild origins. At the beginning of the 20th century, wild horses still looked very different. All colors could be found as well as white markings. Due to the small number of individuals, there was a risk of inbreeding and in order to increase the herd as healthily as possible with fresh blood, breeding was continued with various pony breeds. Crossbreeding with Welsh ponies, Mongolian ponies and Polish Koniks expanded the gene pool. No color selection was made here until 1960. It was not until 1984 that care was taken to cross only grey stallions, which led to the fact that most horses today are gray ponies. Theoretically, all colors except grey can still occur today, although the pure chestnut is very rare. The animals have a rectangular body shape, less pronounced withers and sloping shoulders. Their neck is of medium length and slightly curved. The medium-sized head has a broad forehead and small ears and a straight or slightly concave bridge of the nose. Strong hindquarters with small, hard hooves may also be the result of their almost wild lifestyle. In contrast to the Norwegian horses, the Dülmen wild horses have a hanging mane which, like their tails, is very luxuriant. The animals are described as very robust, intelligent and capable of learning. In addition, they have a balanced character and a predominantly good-natured nature if they have a suitable relationship with people, which makes them so valuable for dealing with children. They are rather undemanding in terms of keeping and feeding. They can reach an advanced age of 30-40 if kept in a species-appropriate manner. For these reasons, there are rather few animals of this original horse breed available. Most of them are sold online, even worldwide. Depending on age, pedigree and level of training, these animals can easily cost € 2,500 - 3,000. Another type of purchase are the annual auctions at the Wildpferdefang in Dülmen, where the one-year-old stallions are auctioned off after being caught from the herd. Some information on this can be found in the pictures. Capturing wild horses In order to avoid rivalry with the young stallions, they are caught from the herd every year. This popular event has been held every last Saturday in May since 1907. The exception to this were the years in which social life was practically paralyzed by the coronavirus pandemic. These yearlings are auctioned off at the end of the event. As these robust little horses quickly lose their shyness in front of people and are also known to be smart, good-natured and frugal, they quickly find new owners. Due to their calm character, they are often used as riding horses for children and as carriage horses. Necessity of catching yearling stallions As sexually mature young stallions try to compete with their rivals and form their own herds with the conquered mares, which ultimately also claim their own living space, which is not available in the Merfelder Bruch despite its size, humans must intervene to regulate this. Predators such as wolves and bears no longer exist in our domesticated latitudes and are therefore unable to intervene naturally to regulate the populations. They are driven into the arena with their herd and separated there by hand without any aids in order to keep their first contact with humans as gentle as possible. Although they lose their freedom of the Merfelder Bruch when they are sold, they get used to their new home and their new roommates very quickly if they are kept in a species-appropriate manner. -Samara Blue/Kerstin Ellinghoven Krefeld in April 2024 QueQuellen: Wildpferde im Merfelder Bruch/Herzog von Croy´sche Verwaltung www.ehoreses.de Comment : In 2019, almost 5 years ago, my camera and I were often overwhelmed by the lighting conditions and the fast movements. However, as this day and its images are very close to my heart, I reworked them as best I could. Unfortunately, the quality couldn't always be saved. Krefeld in April 2024 Quellen/Recources: Ein Herz für Tiefe - Dülmener Wildpferde: Dülmener Wildpferd | Alle Infos im Rasseporträt (herz-fuer-tiere.de) Zeitschrift Welt : "Die Herde bedeutet alles" - 25.05.2022 von Andreas Fasel www.hallo24.de Wildpferdefang in Dülmen: Alle Infos für Besucher (hallo24.de) www.die.glocke.de: Wildpferdespektakel: 34 Junghengste gefangen | Die Glocke (die-glocke.de) www.dzonline.de: Wildpferde und Fänger unter sich (dzonline.de) Meine eigenen Eindrücke vor Ort/My own impressions on site Continue "The historian is a reporter who wasn't there wherever something happened." (William Sommerset Maugham ) I'm not a historian, but researching and documenting the history of a place with the means at my disposal is not only a lot of fun for me, it also broadens my horizons immensely. Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-).

Streetart I Graffiti I Murals I Dokumentation in Wort und Bild I Documention in words and pictures I Streetartphotography I Italien I Babio Maria Fedele I international streetart I Vergänglichkeit der Zeit I Leben I Zeit I Menschheit 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 street art - Fabio Maria Fedele/Italy return "The Old Man and the Time " Fabio Anfang Facebook * Instagram In the stairwell from the 1st floor down you look into the eyes of an old man by Fabio Maria Fedele. Artist info (...) Infos Fabio Annotation: For me, this picture was not easy to photograph. That's why the photos don't have a really good quality. I apologize for that. But because I was very fascinated by this work of art, I tried different sections and perspectives. I gave the title of the picture myself because I had no other information. As I was working on this, the questions below ran through my head. Fabio Fedele was kind enough to answer them. Thanks a lot for this. My question to Fabio why he portrayed the old man with wings t: "The wings are symbolism to make the character transcendent. Angels belong to a religious or New Age context, the wings on humans belong to a secular or pagan symbolic context. The old man has wings because he's not human , but the embodiment of the idea of time. And we know that time flies." My first thought was that the blue color symbolizes water: "Blue is a melancholic color, it does not represent water but the sky." The old man is holding an old stone with a picture of a fish skeleton: "The fossil represents an imaginary tropical fish. It doesn't represent the decay of nature. It represents the decay of human expectations, human presumption, but also our simple life, our honest feelings. Everything that is important to us becomes shortly after our death disappear. It is a reflection on the vanity of our existence. Nature will go on undisturbed even after our extinction." My question about the possible reference to current natural disasters: "I'm aware that meteorological disasters and bereavement are a significant concern at this time, but I didn't take them into account in this work. I admit you can see it there, which would make it even more welcome, but that's what I had to do unfortunately not thought of in the design phase." Artist and picture information Fabio Maria Fedele Fabio: "The building will be destroyed and with it our paintings. The old man represents time and is holding a fossil. The fossil represents what we will leave behind in our future. Like the building and the works, our life will be destroyed, and what remains of it, of our feelings, of our actions, will be small and unexpected to us." Thank you, Fabio, for explaining your picture for Krefeld. Source: Pabio Fedele personally * * * Fabio Maria Fedele studied architecture as well as the history and preservation of architectural cultural assets. In 1993 he started street painting as a Madonnari artist and since 2006 3D street painting has also been part of his repertoire. He has won numerous prizes at international street painting festivals and has painted in Italy, Croatia, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Arab Emirates and the USA. In Italy he was awarded the highest titles for his street paintings: "Maestro Madonnaro" in Grazie di Curtatone and "Magister Madomnaris" in Nocera Superiore. In addition to street painting, he also works as an illustrator for archaeological museums. His art is based on drawings that depict his flow of thoughts, which he likes to improvise. The location of the painting is an important source of inspiration for his mostly figurative paintings, in which he also likes to play with geometric shapes and decorations as compositional elements. For him, decorations are an expression of his constantly changing imagination and elevate his art to a pure, sensual and aesthetic concept. He likes to build contradictions into his artworks, which symbolize the boundlessness of the art of self-manifestation. “Images are very important to me because they serve as a means of communication and can transport many messages at the same time. I think it's the artist's job not only to create beautiful, communicative images, but also to teach the public how to look at art properly. Figurative art is a language. Understanding them helps us better understand the world and appreciate the things we see. In my eyes, art is based on natural aesthetics, which is why the artist has to study and observe for a long time in order to know the laws of nature. Being an artist is a serious business that cannot be mastered on the fly. For me, art is not a hobby, but a science that finds its best teachers in nature itself and in one's own sensory perception." Fabio Maria Fedele Source: official information ofCity of Krefeld You can find the newspaper report here(...) Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfArt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

Streetart I Graffiti I Murals I Dokumentation in Wort und Bild I Documentation in words and pictures I Streetartphotography I Alina Orav I Deutschland I Internationale Straßenkunst I Gefährdung der Natur I Silk City Gallery 2021 Krefeld I Krefelder Perspektivwechsel I Kultur I Kultur in Krefeld I Kuratorin Fredda Wouters I Samara Blue I Seidenweberhaus Alina Anfang street art - Alina Orav/Estonia "Reduplicated Entrance " return Facebook * Homepage * Instagram Hidden, hidden, not visible. A small picture at St. Antonstr. Easy to miss. But very interesting when you hear about its meaning. Artist info (...) Annotation: Alina's picture was something special for me. Located on St. Anton Strasse, it was completely covered by scaffolding through the company sign. That's why I only became aware of it during the week. All I could see was an intense red color and I couldn't really see anything. Despite all my attempts, I couldn't take any sensible photos of the "making off" with me. Following this action, Alina was kind enough to provide me with detailed information about her painting including some photos. For me, these were insightful conversations with Alina Orav, who is remarkably multilingual with English, Estonian, Italian and Russian. We then agreed in English. I decided to reproduce the conversation 1:1 here in the hope that this would best explain what Alina said about her artwork. I will go into more detail on one or the other in the series of pictures, even if this makes the report a little more extensive. This little work of art deserves it! Especially at heart I want the home page der put. It documents the extreme versatility of the still young artist, who is not only concerned with street art. The title of the picture comes from the artist herself. A very big thank you to Alina for her support. I value that as appreciation for my projects :-). * * * Alina Info Alina Orev to her picture Alina 08/05/2021: As you can see in the last photo - the black frame or border is part of the work. Also the windows of the upper floor continue the black frame... There are portals in other portals that are represented in the architecture of the building. Alina 08/05/21: There is also a precise vantage point from which I can photograph my work. It's across the street from the white footprints. You can also zoom in (depending on the camera). But the important part of the work is also above the painting. I play with the architecture of the existing building. Alina 08/10/21: I admire the geometric architecture of the silk weavers house. The line where the architecture ends and my painting begins is optically merged. The painting continues the architecture. The shape of the building from a bird's-eye view is reminiscent of a step pyramid, which adds a lot of historical context. Following this idea, I have depicted portals within portals on the surfaces of the structure. The painted image can be perceived as a counterpart to the step pyramid. According to Carl Gustav Jung, houses in dreams can represent the psyche of the person who perceives them. In this sense we have reached the inner child - the heart of the building - fragile, immaterial, almost fading into the wall of its heavy, robust, physical, protective concrete temple. * * * Questions to Alina 08/10/21 as a supplement to her explanations Question: Do you have a title for your picture or did I miss it somewhere? ;-) Yes. The title is "Reduplication of input". I interpret the title to mean that Alina fitted her painting into the structure of the building's facade, so to speak, and thus created a new, additional entrance. Question: A remarkably sensitive and thorough explanation of your image. I'll have to keep that in mind a few more times as I edit. I also found it fascinating that your picture was the only one that could only be seen properly after the scaffolding was removed. My feeling is that you hid while painting until everything was finished. I don't think that was on purpose, was it? Alina : Yes, the scaffolding situation was given. It was not planned. I myself first saw the work from the photos when the scaffolding was being dismantled. That's why I would be very happy about photos of the work. Question: Can you also tell me something about what the baby is holding? and what does the red ball a little to the left mean? Alina: "The baby is holding a small blue sphere in his hand. If a tunnel is a void, then a sphere is a round object that can be given different meanings depending on the context. The red ball is set in motion by the handrail of the stairs. The red ball is painted red similar to the child. Therefore, they could be related. They also create horizontal movement in the composition of the painting. The ball that the child is holding is of a similar color to the vertical cavities. Therefore, they too may be related or have a similar origin. The blue parts of the painting (including the blue sphere) create vertical movement in the composition. The sphere could also be interpreted as floating in the air due to its vaporous halo." Question: I heard that you recently became a mother :-). maybe it has something to do with your choice of subject? Alina: "The motherhood experience definitely influenced my decision to paint the child." One more thing about the child: if the building is a dream house, then the baby is a fragment of it. It is a symbol of new beginnings, birth of new ideas and also refers to future human generations. Meanwhile in the context of a human psyche - it could be a movement in the opposite direction - back to our childhood, the encounter with our own inner child. However, if the building is demolished, the baby will symbolize the inevitable passage of time - growing up. Also erasing memories." Source: Alina Orac personally Artist information Alina Orav Alina Orav born 1989 is an Estonian visual artist. She is a member of the Estonian Artists and Painters Association. She received her master's degree from the Estonian Academy of Fine Arts in 2017. She has also studied at universities in Florence and Vancouver and practiced anamorphic illusion art in London 2013 and Amsterdam 2015. She also did an internship in animation (2018) in Volda. For 16 years she has presented her works nationally and internationally at various solo exhibitions. She also showed her art at group presentations and street art festivals in Estonia, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Russia, Latvia, Iceland, Canada, Japan and the USA. Alina Orav has also been a curator of various group exhibitions in Finland and Canada. In 2017, Alina received a grant to develop the Polyview image - a painting that can be viewed and interpreted from different specific perspectives, each time showing a different individual composition. In 2018 she presented her invention at a world congress of the International Federation of Theater Studies in Belgrade. In the same year she presented her first multi-perspective animation at Tallinn Art Week. Alina's work can be found in private collections in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, England, Iceland, Russia and the USA. Source: official information o f City of Krefeld You can find the newspaper article here:(...) Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfAt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

Down Town Gallery I Street Art I Künstler I Urbex Art I Samara Blue Photo Art Artist information - Down Town Gallery 2019 return Edgar Müller, Bad Ems - Human dignity is inviolable Home page In Edgar Müller's opinion, our imagination does not suffice to imagine the extent of our struggle for survival. For this reason, our actions and actions are inhuman. We disregard nature and The situation refugees. In order to understand that what people do and/or do nothing ultimately also affects them, there will first have to be a big bang. Many of the global catastrophes are due to human misconduct, caused by greed for profit, materialism and the need for economic growth. Artificial intelligence and the extremely fast-growing information technology that paralyzes free thinking, the Binds people's energy and threatens them with far too much unnecessary information in their natural being, is a sign that "his generation" has failed. It remains to be seen if anything will change. Gregor Wosik, Mönchengladbach - One Wall, Two Worlds Facebook * Instagram * Homepage Gregor Wosik takes up the always topical issue of refugees. He depicts the situation as a parallel world. On the one hand there are the desperate people looking for help, whole families often with small children, who are looking for a way across dangerous oceans to a supposedly better world, on the other hand the sailing regatta, well organized, public , well guarded. Gregor enthusiastically used the partially dilapidated underground to recreate a broken atmosphere with his colors and hands. A closer look reveals the fine details that force me to look more closely. Fabio Fedele, Rovigo, Italy - Unknown Psychodrama Facebook * Instagram Darkness and gloom surround a bright center like a cave. This cave represents evil thoughts, violence and fear. Selfishness, superficiality and uncompromising adherence to ideological and/or religious principles appear frightening and threatening to people. The bright scene in the background with the happy girl playing with animals in a beautifully colored nature, appears in bright light, thus representing good thoughts, love, tolerance, understanding and respecting the environment . The surrounding darkness seems to be overpowering and has a negative effect on us humans. But everyone has the freedom to determine their own behavior. Good thoughts can be a way out, out of the bunker. Actually quite simple. Even when threatening things and actions surround us, we have it in our hands to find the direction into the light, towards love, understanding and justice. Ruben Poncia, Uetrecht, The Netherlands - Reflex Facebook * Instagram * Homepage With this picture, the artist wants to draw attention to the fact that there is still a danger from nationalism and populism. The tiger depicted represents wisdom, mystery and domesticity. He leaves the eagle as a symbol of the Nazis for nationalism and populism. Such a beautiful animal as the eagle, like populism, attracts people, embodies power. But nobody knows when he will attack. Out of his own concern, Ruben wants to draw people's attention to the dangers of nationalistic ideas. He appeals not to forget the consequences, which are sufficiently documented by history, and to be aware of what such slogans can do. The overpoweringly large and aggressively portrayed eagle makes the danger seem very vivid to me. Victor Splash, St. Petersburg, Russia - Alive Surface Facebook * Instagram * Homepage The wall itself is the key element for Victor Splash. He lets himself be guided by the overall environment and wants to steer the visitor into his emotional world when entering the rooms. He perceives the peculiarities of the space made available to him and integrates this into his artwork. Here in the bunker, he is fascinated by the heaviness of the concrete pillars, which he softens into softer, more flexible forms through his 3D representation. In this way he seems to abolish the laws of architecture and construction and transforms himself without violence and aggression thickest walls and structures. Stressed.es, Krefeld, Germany - clip open Homepage The graphic designers Sebastian Saffenreuther and Clemens Brück symbolize the idea of protection with the help of brackets. With these brackets you can include or exclude things and/or influences. They connect the inside with the outside, one thinks: "Am I inside or outside? Am I under the protection of the bracket or is it more like a wall that hinders me?" It seems to be a question of one's own perception whether I perceive a situation as positive or negative. It's my decision whether I get involved in a situation and maybe talk to other people about it. Similar to, for example, the intersections in set theory, I capture this work of art with a geometric feeling. Something that has been very familiar and vivid to me since school. They also use colour, form and composition in a playful way. The daylight that falls on the picture at this particular point reinforces the connection between inside and outside. Adry del Rocío, Guadalajara, Mexico - A house to dream of Facebook * Instagram * Homepage The artist from Mexico worries about the difficult living conditions in refugee camps. Can they hope for protection and a more comfortable life? Do they have prospects of a secure future, of a house to dream of? Already in her childhood, the artist was sensitized to this subject by her father. He supported street children in Ecuador, a problem that in Latin America is causing many families to leave their villages due to the drug wars. Her artwork is to be understood as an illusion of a happier, more peaceful world. The intense coloring and happy faces of the children depicted make it easy for me to follow the illusion, for a blink of an eye... Alex Maksiov, Kiev, Ukraine - Shelter Facebook * Instagram * Homepage It depends not only on the person himself whether his head can offer humanity a protective space, but also on his environment. Both have an impact on the situation. The ceiling and floor hold the concrete head captive. It stands for a person who has lost all humanity. This head can no longer offer protection to humanity that defective. But_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ Everyone has to make their own decisions for or against humanity and thus protect their heads from external attacks. This work of art has a disturbing effect on me. I can't grasp it all at once. What is where? Where does it belong? Alex Weigandt, TUBUKU, Krefeld - Last man understanding Facebook * Instagram * Homepage This scene, which depicts a bar, seems dreamily unreal. It stands in stark contrast to the life situation in a bunker during wartime. People, guests with heads made of lightbulbs, these may stand for thoughts and ideas. Alex thinks back to his student days and plays with the transparency of the colors used, creating different lighting situations and exposing his figures to different life situations. In difficult life situations, bars often become a place where you can get help or at least a distraction. Sometimes the visit ends in alcoholic free fall, which many a bartender, as a supposed friend, likes to support. But what is reality? who is my friend Do I have a "real" friend? How necessary are social contacts? ... and where can I find them during the Corona period? For me, this question is particularly explosive at the moment. Maria Kudasheva, St. Petersburg, Russia - Shelter in my head Facebook During the war, a bunker was a protection for the life and limb of the population, but for mutual support it was also a place where one was/was locked up . Are we really free today in peace ? Maria wonders if you don't have your own prison in mind today, walls built around to protect one's mind from the abundance of information and outside influences? Rapid changes make it difficult for us to separate the important from the unimportant. Everything is in constant change. Can we come with you? What helps us keep track? Your plain person appears to be seeking this meditation. iVann Garc, Guanajuato, Mexico - Flexible battle Facebook iVann seemingly reverses the nature of war. With the little dark-skinned girl, his picture embodies the future of minorities. The soldiers, transformed into toys, stand for a possible peace in the world. For iVann, his Jewish great-grandfather, who fled from Berlin to Mexico as a Jew, exerted a strong influence . He knew little of his German family history. Only on his trip to Krefeld, during a street festival, did he find out that his family with the name 'Hirche' was wealthy and well-known in Berlin. What would have become of him if there had been no persecution of the Jews? Again, the nonsensical nature of violence and wars becomes clear, but also the inevitability. A steady cycle of power posturing, greed for profit, intolerance and arrogance. It repeats itself again and again, such as the relationship between the USA and Mexico. Floya Jam, Toulon, France - Le reve de Annabella Facebook Floya Jam posed for her niece in this beautiful color image. The little one plays peacefully and apparently completely relaxed in her own imaginative world. In her mind, butterflies fly freely around her. Floya Jam wants to express hope. Hope for a peaceful coexistence of all people. The sunflower in the background provides the vital light, symbolized by the little girl's peaceful face, which becomes the focal point of the magnificent blossom. The picture evokes calm in me as the viewer, lightness and peace. She describes this painting style, which is typical of Floya Jam, as improvisation in mediative painting flow. Danila Shmelev, Moscow, Russia, Fragility Facebook * Instagram Physical and psychological violence and aggression bother Danila (@SSHHOZZY). Hidden behind shredded paper, cardboard and plastic, an eye tries to find protection and security from just this. But paper offers no protection against these attacks. Danila himself was able to grow up without these bad influences, but he was not spared frightening examples. Achieving success through physical violence and aggression is possible, he says. But that can't be the right way, even though many people experience it every day. I am very touched by this delicately designed picture. It was only during editing that the individual inadequate protective devices became apparent to me layer by layer. Details that I didn't really notice when visiting the gallery. This picture speaks later... BeNer1, garbs, Germany - Bayeza abafana abancane Facebook * Instagram * Homepage Patrik Wolters aka BeNer1 looks back on more than 20 years of development in art and graffiti. For Krefeld, he has taken up the still current problem of political and social injustice in South Africa. Through his time in Johannesburg, where he and his girlfriend took photos in the township and offered a graphic workshop for children, he always stayed connected to the country and its problems. His picture shows there s South African township Gugulethu, which has suffered greatly from apartheid, from the point of view of the residents, not from that of the tourists. The mountains Table Mountain and can be seen in the background of the picture. The situation is framed by the national flower of South Africa, the protea. The main character is a boy with a red crown on his head, a stylistic device used in graffiti art to emphasize something special. This emphasis applies here in the very graphic depiction of a song text from 1989, the end of apartheid: "One man one vote" by Johnny Clepp & Savuka. Carlos Alberto, Guadaljara, Mexico - A future that breathes Facebook A young girl looks proudly and powerfully, still innocently, into a hopeful future. It is meant to symbolize a new generation, more confident than the previous one, in tune with the difficulties of the present and a realistic vision of the future. The beautifully colored birds, individually rather weak and fragile, symbolize the strength that can emanate from a group. Applied to humanity, the desire for togetherness becomes clear here, without differences of origin. Hope for a functioning shelter earth. Unfortunately some of the last pictures are missing. I wasn't able to look at them on the day of my visit. As a result, my report remains incomplete, the story does not find its end, at least not here. I hope to get another chance to look at the missing pictures. Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). Sources: The information used here comes largely from the documented interviews by Fredda Wouters, which she conducted for the association effective eV with the participating artists for the opening of the Down Town Gallery 2019 in Krefeld. The use of this information for my reporting has been agreed with Ms. Wouters. SamaraBlue - MyWayOfArt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

Streetart I Graffiti I OLDHAUS I Kerim Musanovic I Seidenweberhaus I Silk City Gallery I Samara Blue Urbex Art I Kreative Fotografie I Beuys I Hommage an Beuys street art - Oner OLDHAUS/D & Kerim Musanovic/BIH "The Beuys can ... " return Anfang Oldhaus Facebook * Instagram "Art is in crisis. All areas are in crisis." (Beuys) - Artist info(...) Info Oldhaus Artist information Oner OLDHAUS & Kerim Musanovic After it was clear that they would work as a team, the graffiti artist decidedoner OLD HOUSE from Neus andKerim Musanovic from Bosnia-Herzegovina to stage a typical "OLDHAUS can". You see the controversial artist Beuys lying in a transparent spray can in the honey and sleeping peacefully. Anyone who deals with the art of OLDHAUS will find that the spray can is his trademark, his "signature". He is, so to speak, a master of the can, meaning that he likes to arrange the elements he uses in a transparent can. Although he comes from the graffiti direction, he not only works with this can but also uses mixed media. To round off this scenery, OLDHAUS added a few elements or exhibits to his box, which he himself associates with Beuys. For example thechildren's bath (first publicly displayed in 1968 or 1969) , which OLDHAUS says was cleaned by mistake. The unbelievable story about 2 women who wanted to wash glasses in this same tub during an election campaign. It is definitely worth reading them again, no matter what your opinion of these works of art is. In a conversation with an elderly lady the week after completion, I met an elderly couple with whom I enthusiastically shared what I had learned so far . They talked about the different aspects of this picture and the lady said that it was a normal tub. Well, at the time I wasn't sure either and we decided to ask Doc Google. This is how street art works :-). You start a conversation about a picture and experience a few moments of lively exchange of ideas with strangers. I think Beuys would have liked that. I've had a lot. Perhaps some guided tours of these amazing works of art would be a good idea. Even the most inconspicuousTV is full of Beuysian symbolism. In the endless loop "jajajaja" and "neeneeneeneenee" he gives the viewer scope for their own interpretations. Beuys recorded this curious audio installation, which is currently kept in the Pinakothek in Munich, in 1968 in an edition of 100 pieces. Two fundamentally different explanations are provided for this. If you like, you can read more under the above link and maybe find a completely different interpretation of the current zeitgeist or your personal life situation. Here on the back side of the Seidenweberhaus we see a work of art that in many ways makes direct contact with Beuys. On the one hand with the very authentic representation of the artist himself, then with a direct, even physical reference to honey. Its shown at Ducumenta 6 in Kassel in 1977" Honey pump at work " shows an apparatus extending over several rooms, through which 150 kg of honey were pumped through a hose system. In other exhibits, too, honey appears again and again as a theme. Honey is considered life-giving. In his artistic activities he used many unusual objects and materials in order to create lyrical and emotional connections with them. Honey in connection with bees and their queen appear again and again as a theme in his works of art. The bees in Kerim connect directly in the picture with the honey, which is their vital food. But the context for the overall work of art Seidenweberhaus is also created with these insects, among other things. These insects, whose "dwellings" are the honeycombs, the honeycombs that can be seen from afar can also be found on the front of the silk weaver's house. According to OLDHAUS, the quote from Beuys mentioned above was specifically selected by him at this time for this event because it perfectly reflects the current pandemic situation. Annotation: This picture is so self-explanatory that I don't need any excessive attempts at self-interpretation. Here, two experienced artists with different styles and focuses have created a clear and colorful image that attracts and fascinates visitors. Personally, I found the best access to this image by researching some typical Beuys installations on the Internet, relating these findings to the information provided by the artists, and at the same time taking my own perceptions seriously. The only difficulty for me was that you can't just look at this picture completely because of the green vegetation. I'll check back in the winter. I tried out many perspectives with my camera and didn't shy away from lying on my stomach ;-). My intensive way of dealing with this work of art. Thanks guys for this opportunity. Source: Oldhaus personally, Wikipedia, swr.de, freddart.de * * * Since 1998 isOLD HOUSE thecan technology expired. From 2008-2014 he studied design, with a focus on illustration, at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. In addition to numerous art events and exhibitions in Germany, his art has mainly been seen in Western Europe. Specializing in character design (figurative painting), art drove him to Belarus, where he won a juried, international contest as 1st place in the graffiti category. In 2019, OLDHAUS first came to light as a curator and initiator when he and three other artists created the cross-city Home Street Home Urban Art Festival. His last trip took him to the Queen's Kingdom - he has already exhibited several times in London. In the metropolis he has been represented by the Bickerton Grace Gallery since 2020. In addition to his large-scale graffiti, OLDHAUS also uses mixed media to paint on canvas, on which he likes to process the problems of his synapse chaos. Source: official information ofCity of Krefeld created by freddart.de More information about Kerim Musanovic you can find here: (...) You can find the newspaper article here: (... ) Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfAt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

Streetart IGraffiti I Seidenweberhaus I Silk City Gallery 2021 I moments I feelings I artist life I making off I Der Weg ist das Ziel I Fotodokumentation I Krefeld I Perspektivwechsel Silk City Gallery 2021 - In the middle & all around return Anfang Honigwabe Impressions, snapshots, unimportant things on the side ... A little patience, little by little more pictures will come :-). Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfArt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue

Silk City Gallery 2021 I Seidenweberhaus I Perspektivwechsel Krefeld I Streetart I Graffiti I Luisa Estrada I Black an White I Blumenstraße I Samara Blue Urbex Art I Samara Blue street art - Luisa Estrada/Mexico "Flower Street - BlackAndWhite " return Anfang Honigwabe Facebook * Homepage * Instagram Luisa Estrada's street looks almost like a city within a city. Simple but concise in black and white, it presents "our flower street". Artist info (...) Anote: Theflower street in Krefeld, Luisa Estrada used a long piece of the facade as a model for her "black and white" design. If you take a look at the corner of Blumenstrasse and Moerser Strasse on Google, you can easily see their exact position. With the silk weavers who worked on their looms in the houses there, she not only creates the connection to the velvet and silk city of Krefeld, but also directly to the silk weaver house. Short interview Luisa Estrada Luisa: "Hello Kerstin, thank you for your interest in my work in Krefeld. I'm happy to answer any questions you have about my painting." I would like to know why you chose the flower street. Luisa: "II was looking for something characteristic of the city, although I don't know Krefeld, I like to work with what I perceive as typical for the respective location from my own perspective. In the cities there are always very typical things, for example in the architecture. This can vary greatly in different countries. Different colors and architectural styles show typical country features. In addition, the individual functionalities are important for the cities. The creativity of the inhabitants of these cities is also reflected there. In this case, while checking Google Maps, I found the Flower Street attractive and interesting and decided to depict it. In the end it stops being that place and the painting becomes a reflection of the city itself, it's decor, a reflection of those who live there." Annotation: This intention surprised me a little. Luisa easily transports a "simple" streetscape into an interesting, decorative work of art and encourages me, as a newcomer to Krefeld, to delve into the history of the city of Krefeld once more. Did you choose the location for the photo yourself? Luisa: "Yes, I found this position suitable for my project." Could you get to know Krefeld a little better? n? Luisa: Not really, just the route that took us from the hotel to the building where we painted. I was looking forward to visiting the Josep Beuys Museum. I like to ask the artists about anecdotes, mishaps, special moments and sometimes what color they paint/spray with. Luisa: Perfect. When you attend events where multiple people work together, everything is an anecdote, every moment becomes relevant and part of that story. At the beginning, when everything starts, you gradually approach others with great curiosity to know who they are and what they do. For me it was the first time I used scissors or a crane. I was a bit nervous but luckily everything went well and I enjoy using this machine. In general, I really enjoyed painting and I was satisfied with the result. I have only painted walls very few times before, so it was a special experience for me to be invited to this event. I used a range of shades of gray for my rendering. I usually work like this when engraving, so I reduced the landscape, which actually had purple colors, to this area. If I understand your answer correctly, your picture has no direct relation to Beuys, does it? Luisa: The picture has something to do with Beuys, maybe a little more far-fetched. I rely on Beuys' statement that anyone can make art. With his social sculpture, he also said that art is a possible tool of social transformation. Under these two premises, I think it is possible and interesting to be able to see your city, your street, your house from a different point of view and/or from a different perspective. In this case from the perspective of the foreigner and from above. Everything is possible, something new, different and maybe even beautiful. So we not only see the same old Krefeld, but the creativity of those who build is in it. Those who inhabit these peculiar and original spaces, the result of an artistic construction. A construction that has formed over time. If we go further and think of a distant future where we may not be anymore but there will still be some ruins, we will see all of this as a reminder of past lives and it will be that the architecture or remains of it at the the end is art." I really like your style in black and white. Someone said you always paint like this. What made you do it? Luisa: "Well, I'm not a real painter. I am an engraver. I engrave on linoleum, foamed PVC, metal etc. . I have painted in public spaces other times, but more than painting, I have made large-scale drawings. I can say that I really painted for the first time in Krefeld. Since I was able to work through the topic in shades of gray that were easily accessible to me, I really enjoyed this exercise." Annotation: I liked this idiosyncratic, classic depiction of the flower street right from the start, when the first outlines were sketched. The black and white representation is so different from the other partially colorful representations. It is amazing and remarkable that the artist does not necessarily come from the street art direction. She gives us Krefeld a piece of Krefeld as art and gives the viewer the freedom to associate this picture with Beuys or simply find it beautiful. Is there a title for your picture? Luisa: "Not really. It could mean "black and white flower street". Source: Luisa Estrada personally Annotation: Finally, a little bit of history about the Blumenstraße in Krefeld. There are probably no reliable findings as to where the flower street got its name from. It is believed that the name refers to the gardens outside the then city walls relates. The street has existed since July 18, 1837. There were several houses with in-house weavers on Blumenstrasse. The importance of home weaving was last seen at the time of the Franco-Prussian War. Poorer weavers from the area moved to Krefeld and urgently needed cheap housing. Among other things, 40 blocks of houses were built on Blumenstrasse between the West Wall and the Ringstrasse. Behind the elaborately decorated facades of the so-called three- or four-window houses were small, open apartments without water and sanitary facilities. 5-9 families are said to have lived so cramped in these houses. Since the weavers needed good light, the looms were placed by the windows. At the beginning of the 19th century, with the advancing industrialization, the importance of home weavers decreased rapidly. A steel mill was built in front of the town and a port was built. Krefeld became an industrial city. A little of the former charm of the Blumenstraße has been preserved in a few listed buildings. Source: WAZ 16.11.2012. Thanks to Wolfgang R. Krefeld for his support in researching Blumenstrasse Info Luisa Artist information Luisa Estrada Name: Maria Luisa Estrada Sanchez (Luisa Estrada) Luisa Estrada is a visual artist based in Mexico City. The inhabitants and everyday life in the big city inspire her. In her work she tries to capture the dynamism and unique character, enormous scale and unnatural landscapes of cities. Luisa favors a graphic technique in which she manually engraves reliefs in PVC material, linoleum and wood and prints them on handmade paper. She studied at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma in Mexico, (UNAM), 2002-2008, and at the National University of Colombia (2005). She received her Masters in Visual Arts from the Academy of San Carlos UNAM in 2012. She is co-director of the Ruta Grafica Mexico collective and a member of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores in Mexico City. Source: official information of City of Krefeld You can find the newspaper article here (...) . Add comment: (...) Did you like this report? Feel free to leave a comment :-). SamaraBlue - MyWayOfArt/lady-sahmra-photo@gmx.de Continue