75th Anniversary

 

Photo of the front page article from the daily
newspaper "Die Welt" from May 23, 2024

Last Thursday, May 23^rd, marked the 75th anniversary of Germany’s ‘Grundgesetz’, which translates as ‘Basic Law’ (you can find the English translation here) and is Germany’s constitution. Its name derives from the fact that it was passed by a legislative convention that included members from only three of the then occupied sections of Germany, the American Sector, the British Sector, and the French Sector. Representatives from the Russian Sector were not included as the Cold War was already in its beginning stages, a unified Germany was not in the interest of the Russian occupiers. The convention declared a continued interest in aiming for a unified Germany, therefore this linguistic specification.

The document included paragraphs that left open the option for the other parts of Germany to join the union, two different possibly ways to achieve reunification were outlined, and the Federal Republic of Germany with a clear West-orientation was on its way.

The Russian Sector passed a separate constitution a few months later, leading to a de facto separation of the two German states that would last forty years, until just a few months respectively weeks after the celebrations of the 40^th anniversaries of the two different documents, when dissatisfaction, demonstrations in the Eastern part of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Empire led to the opening of borders in November 1989 and political reunification in October 1990.

The Grundgesetz aimed to improve on deficiencies of the constitution of the Weimar Republic, learn from other democratic countries and their experiences and was worded explicitly to make it impossible to have developments such as the destabilisation of democracy as had happened during the Weimar years that then led to the dictatorship of Hitler and his Nazi regime.

We were taught to be proud about the Grundgesetz, and although I have always had an emotional difficulty with calling myself (and being) German because of the historic load that comes with it, I have indeed always been patriotic about the intentions expressed in that document. I must not be the only one with this condition as there exists a special term for this feeling, "Verfassungspatriotismus", i.e. patriotism for the constitution. As a political constitution I think it is really pretty darn good. Even if there are flaws in its execution in some areas, and I do not agree with some of the changes that were made in later years. (A two-thirds majority is needed in both chambers of parliament to enable a change in the wording, and there are a few articles that are not open to attempts at alteration.)

I made a quilt that runs the text of the first (unalterable) article, “Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar” (‘Human dignity is untouchable’). 

 

Part of the text messages series: Article 1

It was part of the SAQA Europe-Middle East exhibition “Made in Europe” a few years ago, and on display at FoQ, and it sold recently. So it got out there, and it’s maybe having some impact now.

These words were also one of the driving motivations behind my long and intensive involvement with refugees, which is still ongoing on a smaller level, even though I don’t talk about it much anymore. (I might, once the current bout of uncertainty is over, but only, if it turns into success.)

Likewise, my love and appreciation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is grounded on these words, as they were drawn in part from that document. UDHR has been influential in several of my quilts, the words appear as the quilting and title of “Everyone has the Right” and “#UDHR” from a few years ago.

My strong feelings about justice, equality and human rights has made it rather difficult to live with a peaceful mind in the last years as more and more wars are erupting in so many different areas of the world, social justice seems to be eroding in developed countries and the countries that developed countries have been exploiting, climate and plastic crisis is increasing and so on and so on. I don’t know how to deal with all of this. And I don’t know whether making a quilt about that will help. So perhaps there won’t be any more ‘political’ quilts of mine? Who knows. I have no clue whether it makes sense to make quilts expressing a political opinion, what do you think?

It didn't feel right. And it still doesn't.

It’s been a terrible week. I have been under shock from hearing about the riots in the US. I felt as if I was choking myself when I read the transcription of the words George Floyd said before he died. Yet when I saw black squares appearing on Instagram on Tuesday, in a lot of feeds, to me it did not feel right. Because a black square with a #blacklivesmatter does not really say anything, and it does not direct anybody’s attention to any black life worth noting. It is a puff in the air, I felt. I did not declare solidarity with Charlie Hebdo when their office was bombed either. It didn’t feel right to me then, and it didn’t feel right to me now. Because ‘black lives’ does not include Hispanics, Native Americans, …

I have absolutely no expertise in saying anything about institutionalized racism in the US, and I feel completely incompetent talking about racism anywhere else in the world, even my own country. I have experienced racist remarks from Germans when I was about in the streets with refugees – even when walking with a Greek guy, many years ago. And when I was an exchange student in the US and tried to get in touch with black students I met with resistance and a clearly pronounced ‘no interest – you are white’. It is too complicated an issue for me to write about.

I believe I have always tried to treat people as humans, no matter what their color of skin, and my efforts at helping refugees have never made a difference regarding skin color. However, I learned that there is a lot of racism amongst refugees against each other. We all have a lot to learn.  Respect. Solidarity. Compassion. Letting go of our ego. Reducing consumption – Greta Thunberg’s fight is the same fight as the fight for racial equality.

This picture from Instagram is more like what I want to post for my statement:

Screenshot from Instagram

So the entire week I have been ‘under the riots’, one could say. And it is not over yet, because my Senegalese friend told me about experiences she had this past week which are clear signs of racism in the hospital administration where she is training. But she would not give me the person’s name to interfere on her behalf. Which is why I can't include this post in the 'diary of recovery' I am trying to keep.

Yet I finally returned to my private Spanish class, went there by bike and had a really nice round trip.

A lovely apple orchard on the way where they grow hundreds of different kinds
of apples.

Zooming in on the orchard's meadows where memories reside...

A short rest for a drink of water after the last, and steepest climb on the way
back up. Landshut in in the valley (here you see Geisenhausen) and going
home is decidedly more exhausting than going in!

But I was completely flattened out upon my return. Fitness is something else…

70 Years: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

As I was driving in the car this morning I listened to a short historic report on the 70th anniversary of the UDHR. I hadn't known that the committee had been chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt. So I have already learned something today.
My textile activities this year were not knowingly shaped by this anniversary. But it was my theme this year. Two quilts completed this year that explicitly use text from this declaration. One was already completed last year, though using a variation from the German constitution.

text messages 12: Die Würde des Menschen

And even although the current state of the world is not as peaceful and as harmonious as this document is setting out to make it, it gives me hope that such a document was written. Perhaps we will learn, after all. And it is worth keeping fighting for that. So I am also happy to say that a new ship of the organization Sea-Eye is already nearing Spain and will be active in Mediterranean waters. I donated to make this possible, and although I can't go an be part of the team right now, I am following their progress.

Naming the Baby

After a few weeks break on and distance to the project that I was working on during the textile artist symposium due to vacation, teaching and another absence with mytrip to the island I have come back. It was taking its time, and although I wasn’t sure why I listened to my inner voice that kept telling me to wait before continuing. During that process I decided not to stitch the contours on the remaining three articles that are rather fine in the handwriting.

Backside view of the Thai script, one of the articles I decided to not give a contour.

I also decided against putting the finished piece onto a wooden frame, which had been my original thought. Mostly because I have never put a quilt of that size onto a wooden frame, my experience is constricted to smaller sized pieces, and I did not want to risk anything with this piece.

So today, after finishing the side facings and attaching the fabric that will be the lower tunnel, I sat down with my husband for a bit of brainstorming while he was watching the first quarter final of the World Championships. The working title ‘text messages 18’ is just not expressive enough.

And I arrived at the decision to call it “#UDHR (text messages 18)”. 

Now I can finish the remaining steps, and am planning to take it to be photographed on Monday, and deliver it to the city authorities.