“Degenerate Art” scattered by Nazis back in German museum

by Sean McLachlan on

Back in the 1920s and 30s, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany, had one of the best collections of contemporary art in the world. The Nazis didn’t like modernism, though, partially because they didn’t understand it, and partially because so many Jews, liberals, and homosexuals were prominent in the art scene. It didn’t help that modern art questioned values such as nationalism and militarism. So out went the art, scattered around the globe and into collections that put taste before politics.

Now it’s coming back. The Folkwang just finished a major redesign and to celebrate they’re collecting many of the old works that the Nazis had branded as “Degenerate Art.” The exhibition The Most Beautiful Museum in the World runs from March 20 to July 25 and includes 1,400 works taken from the museum in 1936. Works by such prominent artists as Chagall, Gauguin, and Kandinsky will hang next to lesser-known works that attracted the ire of the Nazis.

Yet the Nazi connection doesn’t stop there. The 55 million euro ($77 million) redesign was supplied by Berthold Beitz, a 96 year-old German industrialist. Back during WWII he ran several oil refineries in occupied Poland to supply the German army, but he also saved the lives of 800 Jews by convincing authorities he needed them to work in his refineries and offices. Yad Vashem includes him in the Righteous among the Nations.

Besides the museum, Essen offers lots of green space, a historic city center, an elegant cathedral, a tour of a massive coal mine, and a wide variety of cultural events.

Hostel World names world’s best hostels

by Katie Hammel on

TripAdvisor recently released its list of the best and worst in the hotel industry. Now it’s the hostel industry’s turn. Hostel World just announced the winners of the “Hoscars“, their annual ranking of the world’s best and worst hostels, rated by cleanliness, location, staff, fun, security, and character.

Over 20,000 properties around the world were eligible for the awards, yet because most of the 900,000 or so Hostel World users who may have voted are from Europe, the world’s best top ten seems to be a bit skewed geographically. All ten are located in Europe. Five of the top ten are located in Portugal.

This year’s winner, The Traveller’s House in Lisbon, won last year as well and is the first hostel to win two years in a row.

In other locations – the US, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania – the top three hostels are listed. Additional awards were given out for categories such as best location, most fun, best character, most improved, cleanest, most secure, best small/large hotel, and best chain.

[via Guardian]

New glaciers discovered in European mountains

by Kraig Becker on

British geographers from the University of Manchester have discovered four previously unknown glaciers while on a recent expedition to the “cursed” Prokletije mountains of Albania. The discovery was published in the December issue of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, ahead of a full scholarly paper to be released later this year.

The newly found glaciers are located unusually low on the mountains,, beginning at roughly 6500 feet. But despite that, their existence has gone unnoticed for so long because the region has been embroiled in war and chaos for decades. Over the past decade some semblance of order has been achieved in the region, and it has allowed expeditions to explore the mountains more fully. The peaks are considered cursed by the locals, so few have ever ventured up their slopes.

The researchers from the university were completely surprised by their discovery. They suspect that other than a few local shepherds, no one else was even aware of the existence of the glaicers. They were also surprised to find them at such low altitudes and so far south. Glaciers at the same latitude are generally found much higher on mountains, but ample snow fall and cool temperatures all year long, help to feed these patches of snow.

By all accounts, the Prokletije mountains are said to be quite beautiful, offering good opportunities for trekking and backpacking throughout the area. The discovery of the glaciers is likely to make the region even more appealing to adventurous travelers looking to visit an area that has been mostly off limits for years.

Roman “Swiss Army knife” goes on display

by Sean McLachlan on

The Romans were an inventive bunch. They had running water, flush toilets, and mass media two thousand years ago. They also had their own version of the Swiss Army knife.

The curious artifact pictured here is part of the newly remodeled displays at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. “Discovering Greece and Rome” reopened today after a £950,000 ($1.5 million) refurbishment that involved eighteen months of careful research, conservation, and construction.

The Roman Swiss Army knife has a knife, spoon, fork, spike, spatula, and small pick. Archaeologists think the spike might have helped in extracting meat from snails, a popular Roman food, and the spatula in poking sauce out of narrow-necked bottles. The pick could have served as a toothpick. This isn’t the only Roman folding knife that’s been found, but they’re usually bronze and this one is silver and has a lot more gadgets. It dates to the third or fourth century A.D.

The museum has thousands of rare and one-of-a-kind artifacts from the Classical world, including a 3,000 year-old cosmetics box, intricately carved sarcophagi, elegant Greek vases, and everyday items from the civilizations that gave us so much of our own culture. Maps and a time line put everything into context.

During the refurbishment, museum staff removed a series of ancient stone inscriptions from one of the gallery’s false walls and discovered a time capsule placed there by the team that did the last remodel back in the 1960s. Inside was a copy of the Cambridge News dated Friday 10 May 1963, a selection of contemporary coins, and the names of the 1960s team carved into the cement. The Fitzwilliam didn’t say if they repeated the time capsule trick. The next team will just have to find out for themselves sometime in the future.%Gallery-45674%

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10 Reasons London’s Tube is better than the NYC Subway

by Annie Scott on


I’m a New Yorker. I spend plenty of time on the subway. At present, I’m in London, and I just can’t help but notice the staggering differences between the Tube and the MTA. Frankly, there is a lot we could stand to learn from the masterminds behind the Tube. I’m writing this from the UK, so as not to incur bad subway karma (you know, when you have a series of just-missed-the-train experiences) in New York. Someone, please put this into the hands of an MTA official — and tell them to give me a call next time they want to hike up the fare.

10 Reasons London’s Tube is Better than the NYC Subway

1. Full maps in the stations. Not decaying.

Unlike in NYC, where you’re scrambling to find a subway map within most stations, London’s Tube has clean, clear, updated maps posted in both stations and trains. This is a no brainer.

2. Lack of rats.
When I asked around, Londoners did admit to having seen a rat once or twice during their voyages. I don’t think they understand that it’s a daily experience for New Yorkers. Don’t tell!

3. Cushions.
A subway seat is a hard-won prize. The padding the Tube offers is icing on the cake. There are even padded spots to lean on.
4. Seat dividers.
Speaking of the seats, not only are they padded, but in many cases, actual armrests are provided between individual seats. In the rare cases that they’re not,the cushions are separate. Finally, a way to know where, exactly, to sit, and how much space one ought to take.

5. Train times on screens.
In New York, it’s just the L. In London, quite a few Tube stations, particularly in Central London, have screens telling you exactly when the next train is coming, and where that train’s headed. This is helpful information, people.

6. Signage.
The signage in London is better than New York’s by at least a thousand large points. First of all, in New York, when you want to see where your train is headed, you have to seek out some dodgy, dilapidated-diorama-framed paper on a post in the station. In London, when choosing East or West, North or South, a sign with all the forthcoming stops in either direction is provided in an easy-to-read, clear manner.

7. Signage 2.
Secondly, unlike in NYC, when broke-ass peach printed signs tell you that the C’s not running and they don’t necessarily make any sense, and then the C shows up, the Tube offers you a full map of every portion of the railway that’s under construction, with clear directions for detouring any problems. These are universally up to date — as though it’s someone’s job to let the public know their train is or isn’t running. Imagine that.

8. Announcements.
It’s like a revelation. Every announcement made is totally understandable. A recorded voice declares the stop and next stop to passengers in a crisp British accent, and there are no questions. Even changes to service and other station announcements are easy to hear. In New York, “Fourteenth Street, stand clear of the closing doors” often sounds like “Fotinsti. Stankle.”

9. Attractions.
The announcements aren’t limited to just station names. The Tube makes itself extra tourist-friendly by announcing major attractions at each stop. NYC really only does this for Rockefeller Center and Ground Zero. And, as I mentioned, you can’t really understand them.

10. Fewer ads, more maps.
I hear you, Dr. Zizmor, I do, and I know you could do amazing things for my skin, but I just want to verify my train’s route. I can’t deal with you right now. Frankly, NYC’s subway maps are usually old, damaged, or not there. On the trains, display cases are packed with ads and the one-per-car subway maps are often damaged or covered in graffiti. Not helpful.

So, good job, London. You win this one. But don’t get me started on food.

This trip was paid for by VisitBritain, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.