RE: [Cz-L] Eine versunkene Welt- der Mythos von Czernowitz

Wolf....why do you say the "nicely painted fronts of the old houses in today's Czernowitz are often only Potemkin facades". I have been inside quite a few houses and have not found this. Cornel

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-72649734-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-72649734-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of W.A.Terner
Sent: 02 February 2013 11:13
To: Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu
Subject: [Cz-L] Eine versunkene Welt- der Mythos von Czernowitz

Dear Mimi,
Thank you very much for your very nice and emotional translation of the
article in the “Die Welt” from 12.01.13 .
I have gone trough the whole German text with great interest. It is always
nice to see articles or books related to Czernowitz.
It is to be regretted that the author presents mainly the Austrian period
(1775-1918) although, from his horizon, perhaps understandable.
Our Czernowitz (Zerwone in the 1500 hundreds and Chernovtsy today )
received its city privileges in 1408, a few “moments” before the discovery
of the American paradise. The United States independence declaration came
the same time as the Austrians entered Czernowitz.
It was of course very fortunate that emperor Joseph decided to transform
Czernowitz into a show case in the most eastern part of his empire. Perhaps
the Italian renaissance construction of the town of Zamosc (not far from
Lublin) , by order of count Zamoysky, around 200 years earlier , gave some
impulses.
The article mentions only 3-4 minorities in the area. It is a well
documented fact that the area had around 20 different ethnic minorities with
their own newspapers and small magazines connected to the different national
or interest organisations. That Czernowitz was an unique melting pot
important to study is acknowledged by many.
The “idyllic” coexistence was of course often disturbed by different
“incidents”. The very nicely painted fronts of the old houses in todays
Czernowitz
are often only Potemkin facades, as illustrated and commented by many of the
fellow members of the Czernowitzer list. But nevertheless they convey
something to the soul.
The almost 370 years before the Austrian rule can not be forgotten or
dismissed as unimportant for the development of the town of Czernowitz and
its surroundings. It would be as if concluding that civilisation arrived to
Italy first after it was blessed with Mac Donald's and Coke and ignoring ,
among many many things, that the first opera house in the US came into being
thanks to an Italian Jewish immigrant, Conegliano, known even by the name
Da Ponte, friend of Casanova, protégé of emperor Joseph, famous libretto
writer of many of Mozart operas, among many other achievements.
Rewriting or adjusting historical details has often been used in order to
achieve different goals, “ important “ for the moment, to cover sensitive
realities.
Mr Spielberg has, in his latest very successful film “Lincoln”, forgotten to
mention the name of the real primus motor in the fight against slavery,
Frederick Douglass, an African-American friend of the president, replacing
him with a white assistant of Lincoln. The issue is, perhaps, still
sensitive.
I permit myself to believe that, it is important, for us who feel attached
to Czernowitz, to try to learn as much as possible about the real facts
behind the exaggerated or mythical descriptions of Czernowitz.
With thanks,
Wolf.

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Received on 2013-02-02 11:25:25