early talents
1933
When in a family an artistic talent becomes visible, it is always the question, it is just by coincidence, a kind of genetic mutation, or is this probably rooted in the ancestors already.
Wilfried did not ask this question, because it was obvious his mother already was deeply engaged in art. Artistically talented, however, it was usual that upper class daughters either marry or become a teacher. Studying art was out of any question.
From the first day of Wilfried’s physical existence, she was feeding her little son with art. Already from her own childhood she had a huge collection of art books dealing not only with different art historical eras, but also ancient cultures. His mother was grown up with the German Expressionism and the French Impressionism, so it was not only classical, but also contemporary art, all the related artists soon became close family members.
But Wilfried’s creative abilities became obvious soon, as well, and there was no question, he had inherited that from his father’s own creativity, he had in the field of engineering.
When Wilfried visited his grandfather – the father of his mother, only called “Opa” – with mother and his siblings during the summer holidays in the 50ies of the past century, his mother took him always at first to the big dining room and was standing a while with her little son in front of a huge painting and another huge photograph which was showing, Uncle “Paul”, the brother of her mother, who was in Berlin a very successful painter during the Golden Twenties, and gay. “Opa” had the huge painting acquired in 1924 in order to support the young artist, influenced by the New Realism of Otto Dix. Little Wilfried overwhelmed by its dimensions, however did not understand the cryptic symbolism, yet.
But Uncle “Paul” had a very tragic life which remained always a family trauma. For the family, not the homosexuality was a problem, but the political direction uncle Paul was following which was standing in opposite to the liberal democratic position of his family – he was in higher social circles of Berlin, and the homosexual extravagance showed itself in the closeness to the “Stefan George Circle” – a circle of gay intellectuals sympathising with the fascist ideology (Stefan George was at that time in Germany an influencing literary figure) and the ideals of the Nazi secret societies, however he never entered the Nazi party, NSDAP. But he obviously was under way on a most explosive terrain…….
The scene reminds of the film “Cabaret” by Bob Fosse. People in Berlin are still celebrating the change of the year 1933-1934. It is a small shabby street close to the Kudamm, one bar after another, one gets the idea Berlin’s whole “hautevolée” was on its way, taxis are arriving delivering fresh meat in shape of young hookers and hustlers, people are coming and going, climbing up and down the underground bars, when Uncle Paul completely drunken appears climbing up from a gay bar where he was celebrating the 3rd day after another the change of the year with his buddies, supported by a young guy who is paid for his services. He is calling a taxi for Uncle Paul, and together they ride through the ice cold night of an empty Berlin which was sleeping in the morning of the 3rd January. Finally, the taxi stops in front of a noble Jugendstil building where Uncle Paul is residing. Despite Paul is drunken, he is wondering why the front door is open, but now it takes really some time until the young guy is carrying the drunken older man one step after another up the wooden staircase. Nearly arrived at the 2nd floor, the young guy is leaning Paul against the wall in order to open the door to uncle Pauls apartment, a huge and exclusive place with voluminous rooms, and at the end of the corridor another huge room shows itself as an artists studio, where an easel is carrying a painting portraying a young naked man.
While the young guy returns to Paul, two shots are fired from the darkness of the upper staircase, and Paul – hit fatally – slumps down leaving a neverending trace of blood on the ground and the wall. The young guy horrified tries to help Paul but in the middle of his movement another two shots hit himself and he is falling down in front of the open apartment door.
It is a picture of pure horror. The light goes out- and in the darkness footsteps of military boots can be heart, and one gets a slight idea, that the assassin is leaving the scene in a hurry.
There was never any doubt, the order for Uncle Paul’s assassination came directly from these secret societies instructed by Heinrich Himmler personally, the super gay and head of the Nazi SA.
Decades later, after Wilfried recovered from the coma and later other physical attacks, he consulted a psychologist due to post-traumatic disorders, and he learned how these and other prenatal traumata may have influenced his own genetic conditions making him survive all his own physical attacks later during his lifetime.
