Comment du Jour

German Life and Architecture in 19th Century New York

A fascinating Exhibit traces the path of German Life and architecture in the 19th century through  engravings and pictures of an early immigrant community.

Compiled by Dr. Ilona Stolken, a German historian and author of the book "Das Deutsche New York" the presentation overviews the cultural, religious and commercial footprint of the once large German community in New York.

By the late 19th century New York hosted the largest group of German immigrants in the USA.

Union Square and the German Savings Bank (since demolished)

Before it became trendy, Union Square, St. Marks Place and Tomkins Square were hubs of German/American activity.

Interestingly the exhibit shows so many places on the Lower East side "Klein Deutschland" .

The German "Vereine" the clubs for singing, sport and gymnastics were a community staple.

While Yorkville on the Upper East Side is probably best known for the German community, this presentation underscores mostly forgotten neighborhoods in the city. 

And there are surprises: The German Hospital on 77th Street later became Lenox Hill Hospital!

T

Brooklyn Breweries 

Once a staple in New York German breweries were in Bushwick.

In recent years Brooklyn breweries have made a big comeback!

Eurichs brewery grounds also had a shaded beer garden, another New York institution.

Serving the growing community of German brewery workers, Most Holy Trinity Church was built in the 1840's just around the block from the brewers row in Williamsburg.  It's still there!

An important theme of the exhibit is the role of the New York City Landmark Law, a vital tool to protect buildings of historic, aesthetic and cultural heritage. Many of the surviving structures have gained Landmark status, but most have been lost to time and the tide of development.

The exhibit is located at the German Consulate General in New York at 871 UN Plaza (First Avenue and 49th Street. The exhibit will be open until June 10.   
Opening hours: Monday-Friday; (9:00-5:00 PM).

Comment du Jour

British Conservatives Sweep Back to Power/Defy Naysayers

Defying dire polls, deflating many media pundits, and derailing a left-wing lurch from the Labor Party, Prime Minister David Cameron Conservative Party swept back into power for a second term with a shock election win and a reinvigorated majority.   Cameron’s victory was all the sweeter as it precluded his party from having to enter the messy business of coalition politics and the political “horse trading” which could have hampered him for weeks.

The resounding victory by Mr. Cameron, comes amid both political kudos and dire warnings.  On the one hand the Conservatives won 331 seats in the 650 seat House of Parliament, a commendable feat in any election.  Yet part of the victory comes by default from the Labor party itself who swerved Leftwards under Ed Miliband and reminded people more of the socialist tub-thumping Old Labor of the 1950’s than of what had become the successful New Labor under Tony Blair in the 1990’s . 

Indeed on economic issues, most voters see the Conservatives as better stewards of  growth and revived prosperity than the statist and socialist Labor. 

But ill winds still blow in Scotland where the separatist Scottish National Party (SNP) swept the table winning all 56 parliamentary seats at the expense of both the Tories and Labor.   Had Labor won, they would have been likely dependent on the graces of a party which wants to dismantle the country.

“The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country” boasted a key SNP politico. Though Scots resoundingly rejected an independence referendum last September, the political genie is out of the bottle and the issue is hardly resolved. 

Europhobia remains a key challenge for many Conservatives who have a love/hate relationship with the European Union (EU) and especially some of its uber-bureaucratic trappings.  Despite the often nanny state rulings from Brussels, Britain is far better being inside and an active player in Europe than she would be looking across the Channel with an “I told you so” pique.  A referendum on the UK EU membership may be in the cards by 2017.

Britain’s role in the world is no less important.   As a staunch American ally (though the Obama Administration seems not to notice) and as a key player in the United Nations with its permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the UK still punches politically above its weight and size.  Britain proudly remains a major donor of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to needy countries.

The Conservative victory comes on the 70^th anniversary of VE Day, the victory over Nazism in Europe in which a Conservative Prime Minister Winston Churchill played so vital a role.   But that was another era.

Mr. Cameron is heading back to 10 Downing Street after all.  We wish him well, but now he must deliver.   This may be tougher challenge than the election.