The Iron Chancellor

A couple of weeks ago, one of my colleagues here, Uta Roepcke, suggested I might be interested in seeing the Otto von Bismarck museum near her home outside of Hamburg. Bismarck led the creation of the modern state of Germany in the 1870s through a series of wars and negotiations. Naturally, I was interested.

At top is his mausoleum. Next is his coffin on the left (with flowers) and his wife's on the right. The lighting was very bad. In a beautiful tavern/restaurant/bier garten in a nearby place, the walls are lined with the trophies of deer that Bismarck himself shot. Etched into the central piece is the date at which the animal was taken. At bottom, Uta and pose in front of the museum.

The museum is an interesting collection of memorabilia but what is perhaps more valuable is an historical institute established in connection to the museum to study the life and time of the Iron Chancellor, as he was called. The city of Bismarck, North Dakota, has provided a series of gifts and proclamations to the museum which are on display. I'm sure I am unusual among visitors to the museum in that I've actually been to Bismarck, ND.