Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Where the Streets Have Names.
I've noticed that the Germans have a tendency to name streets after historical figures. Where we are currently in Mannheim, there's Bach Strasse, Franz Liszt Strasse [composers, natch], Albrecht Dürer Strasse [artist], ...American street names are boring. Main Street. Broad Street. First Street. Second Avenue. Or they are named after the developer's kids: Amy Street. Julia Drive. Bleh. Worst case is some developer that used to take acid and thinks he's some kind of Ginsberg -- Blue Stars Way and crap like that. Some neighborhoods near where I lived in Columbia, Maryland went a little extravagant [read: apeshit] and named entire developments after the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (Hobbit's Glenn) or the works of Oliver Wendell Holmes (Dorsey's Search) [more about Columbia street names].
We currently live on Otto Beck Strasse. A fine question. I don't fucking know either. I've been researching that very question since I moved here. I can't find jack about him. So, the next best thing is to improvise the truth. In other words, make shit up that sounds interesting.
Christian thinks he used to be mayor of Mannheim. Y-A-W-N. I say Otto Beck founded the Beck's beer empire. Yep, we live in party central. Cheers, matey!
We're moving to Lessingstrasse. Apparently Lessing was a famous conehead. Look at that noggin! It's huge! It's like a planetoid! [Name that film for extra credit]. Evidently , Lessing also was a famous author in the 1700's who wrote "Nathan the Wise". I've picked up a copy of it [in English] and I'm going to read it to see if Nathan was so wise because he had a big old head like Gotthold Lessing. I can't. Get over. The size. Of his head! Can you take your eyes off it?
Seriously!