This picture is a little confusing. Even though the emphasis is on the riverfront and the church, the description talks about the structure on the hill in the upper background.
The description on the back translates as follows:
Castle Cat
Wall and towers, floating high above,
The main boldly lifting into the clouds,
Catle Cat looks proud to rich country,
She has to citizen use and profit
Adopted the royal residence here
On vine-wreathed Fensenwald.
— From the epic “Defiance-Cat” by Jörg Ritzel
This is number 129 in the series.
Category: Postcards From Another Millennium
Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Kasier Wilhelm Monument
This is a rather ostentatious monument to the man who ruled over Germany in the latter half of the 19th Century. Though it is called the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, there are several hundred such monuments of various types dedicated to him.
Too bad his son wasn’t a particularly good leader or military commander, since it meant the end of the monarchy in Germany along with the destruction of its empire. The text on the back of the card translates as:
The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument at the German Corner, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel, is one of the buildings that was built in honor of Emperor Wilhelm 1 of Germany. Two Berlin artists are its builders: Professor Bruno Schmidtz and the sculptor Professor Hundrieser. The monument was inaugurated in 1897.
It is number 128 in the series.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Boppard
This image is of the riverside town of Boppard.
The description on the back translates roughly as follows:
Boppard. Town with 6500 inhabitants, is characterized by a particularly versatile environment and very scenic location on the river. In Boppard flow six lovely streams into the Rhine. It is the starting point of Hunsrückbahn [a now partially abandoned traction railway].
Population is now close to 16,000, 80+ years after this postcard was purchased.
This is number 127 in the series.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: House in Bacharach
This week begins with an illustration of the old Bacharach House instead of the Rhine itself.
The description on the back translates as follows:
The old house in Bacharach is one of the most beautiful gems of old German architecture on the Rhine. The house, dating from the 1368, is of high architectural significance, proved by the fact that it was repaired in 1897 by state and provincial funds.
It is number 122 in the series.
Ft. Riley, Kansas and Environs, 1950
This is a folio collection of postcards from the Army General School at Fort Riley Kansas. My family lived there in the mid-1950’s and my elder sister was born there during my father’s assignment to the base. However, Fort Riley doesn’t have much to interest the normal tourist, so the folio consists more of photos of Manhattan and Junction City, Kansas than it does of the Fort Riley base itself.
As indicated on the front of the folio, this was printed in 1950. My family purchased this as a souvenir in 1954 before my father’s transfer to Fort Ord, CA in 1955.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Assmannshausen
The week finishes with a view of the artist’s home town of Assmannshausen.
The description on the back of the card translates (crudely) as:
Assmannshausen with the artist’s home “The Crown” of Bushels, Freiligrath, Geibel. Knight House is famous for its fiery red; directly on the Rhine with a view of Swiss House, Rhinestein and Falkenburg.
It is number 116 in the series.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Cologne (Köln)
Here is a sunset view of Cologne, Germany featuring the famous cathedral as seen from the far side of the Rhine.
The description on the back of the card translates roughly to:
Cologne
In the Rhine, in the beautiful river
as Reflected in the waves
with his Big Dome
the Great Holy Cologne.
It is number 113 in the series.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Godesburg Castle
Here is a view of the romantic ruins of the Godesburg Castle.
The description on the back of the postcard translates as follows:
The Godesburg
The castle dates from the 11th century, was destroyed in 1503, completely devastated. Only the 30m tower beautifies the area and still provides a magnificent panoramic view.
This is number 110 in the series.
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: The Lorelei Rock
This time we see the massive rock along the Rhine known as the Lorelei.
The legend on the back is from a German poem, translated crudely as follows:
The Lorelei
The Lorelei waved from fading Stone,
Performance floods down her veil
And contributes to the listening land into
The gold melting blood of her songs.
She has sung in my lonely hour
Of home and hope and love;
There the words out of her mouth
Remain forever in our hearts.
— From the epic “Trutz Katz” by Jorg Ritzel
This is No. 105 in the series
Rhine Tour, 1930’s: Mouse Tower
Next is a view of the “Mouse Tower” a keep in the middle of the Rhine river on a small island.
The description on the back of this card, translated from German:
The Mouse Tower on the Rhine near Bingen received its present form in 1856, but has existed since the mid 13th century. The grisly legend, the scene of which it forms, Rutland tells in his book Tell Rhine. Today the Mouse Tower serves as a signal light for shipping. About Rudesheimer against the mountain we see the glorious ruins of the castle rock.
This is number 103 in the series.