Ideas & fun. Culture & beauty. My small world & the whole planet.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 4,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 7 years to get that many views.
Here it is: a blog which wouldn’t have much to say without such themes as Modena, Modena Football Club and Bob Dylan…The review nobody was expecting but somebody published anyway!
A very nice evening in Salzburg, almost a perfect show, which is not something granted at all if you consider that I have seen/heard 15 concerts already and that my beloved blue-eyed bad boy is giving a show almost every day. Dylanite-infected people know it: sometimes you are just scared that expectations and reality will not match, or that he is in a bad mood. This time I had absolutely no expectations and I barely read something on Expecting rain and watched something on You Tube (the Bonn gig, great stuff!) 2 days before the event.
Anyway, I wasn’t “touring” with Bob but just going to this single event, located outrageously 4 minutes on the motorway from my flat. And Bob is Bob. I was curious about the Grand piano and just a little worried that the set list could turn out to be boring. Nevertheless, I agree with many people on the ER Forum: a boring set list does not necessarily mean a bad and boring show. This was the case for this Salzburg gig. All songs I already heard, but in a new version: I don’t regret having paid the 105,50 euros plus some more for ticket office royalties plus 4 euros for the parking lot. (yes, that was the price).
The venue
Salzburg Arena, here we are!
I am not a huge fan of the Salzburg Arena. Austrian venues are not my favourite ones in general: seated places, strict security, unjustifiably high prices (twice as in Germany and in Italy, the bordering countries, all of them in the EU. Why?). Sure: the Arena is easy to find: there is a dedicated motorway exit, and a bus drives you from the centre and makes you hop off right by the entrance as soon as the driver gets the message from the Salzburger Lokalbahn “The crazy hippies and/or rockers are coming, switch to the concert-mode route!”. My experience here in 2008 was not good, anyway. I got a row right in the middle and I remembered a bad acoustic and/or sound. The 2008 bootleg and the 2012 experience actually proved me somehow wrong, and I still don’t know why. It could be that in 2008 my place was particularly unlucky, or that my mood was sooooo bad from the University seminar and from the storm, or that something has been changed. I remembered a parquet-ish floor cover and yesterday I noticed that it was white. Who knows? (if you have any idea, just say something in the comments 🙂 )
Salzburg would be a nice location for an outdoor concert, but the weather here tends to be quite bad. I had a lot of luck the first two years here, with long, warm and mostly dry summers. From 2010 on summers got back to the usual crap. I suggested on the ER forum that he could play in Leopoldskron, or in Hellbrunn, or in the Fortress, or on the Cathedral square, or even on a meadow in Grödig/Fürstenbrunn/Glanegg with the Untersber on the background. But this could lead either to a lucky gig with a magnificent background or to a catastrophe that would double the Udine 2001 experience: a disaster for which no joke about “Thunder on the mountain” or “A Hard rain is gonna fall” would make something to improve the mood. A flirting with disaster that you probably won’t manage to escape.
My short way to the concert…
No way. Each time I tell my self: “This is the last one”. I was serious about it in November. I even got a new job. But this is not my fault: he came to Salzburg! This time, I admit, I have been honest with myself. I will see him again, as soon as possible.
Thanks to the earthquake in Modena my rock summer has been messed up and I missed the Boss in Florence. Going home with a seismic sequence and with everybody still scared and nervous wasn’t a good idea, so I had to postpone my stay at home and consequently missed the gig. Two journeys would have meant paying twice for transports and using too much holidays, allo of which would have resulted in shortage of money and time to me, since I did not manage to marry a rich, gorgeous and gentleman Austrian widower and still have to work. This also made me skip the usual “spiritual preparation”, which consists mainly of permeating the atmosphere around Salzburg with the whole discography of the Duluth boy and with some bootlegs that I mysteriously found on my hard disk, thus contributing to the cultural and musical education of my neighbours and suggesting my front neighbour that he needs better loudspeakers in order to hear his/her opera tunes.
My outfits never happen for a simple twist of fate!!!
Boots of Mexican leather
Emotions are always there, buried somewhere, and I caught up with them by taking the usual 4 hours in order to choose an outfit and by driving without thinking for the 4 minutes to the Arena. I got a lot excited all of a sudden. And think that I saw him in November!
A lot of catching up to do. Arriving and meeting up
I arrived around 5 PM and soon the buses arrived as well. Some people were already there, more than it was in November for the Mark&Bob concert at 3 PM. Most important of all, I finally met Federica again, aka the “girl with the sign”!!! I was so glad to meet her after so many years. She remembered me very well from my “almost groupie” years. I had a lot of catching up to do with her about the “Italian hard-core fans” group. I got in touch with many others hard-core fans from all around the world. I socialised a lot in Innsbruck as well, but – you know – finding the “right ones” is a completely different thing. Along with having the right ticket, parterre and not some damn lodge, 11th row, of course!
I really miss being in that sort of “family” which is the “wanna-be-on-the-rail” part of the audience. I know I enjoyed my part of being on the road in my early twenties, but the Bob I got to see and hear then was not as good as this Bob of the last months.
Anyway, the “family” was one again there, including a lot of Italians who were not complete unknowns.
Shortly before 18:30 a crowd started to gather near to the gates. I noticed how some people seemed to come right out the “Salzburger Festival House”, judging from their outfits and their attitude. That could only mean business. Not that I hate classical music and that I didn’t enjoy my two concerts at the “House” (suckers!!! I have my acquaintances as well :-P) , but this was Bob and not a Karajan memorial or a Simon Rattle with orchestra. Different way of enjoying the whole thing. No way that kind of attitude was going to ruin our evening. This opinion was shared by many of us and we consequently planned some moves.
The concert
Shortly before 8 PM, plans for the conquering of the rail were made. I checked out my place, where actually somebody else was sitting. I stated that I would have taken my place in case I didn’t make it to the rail. You should have seen the fear and the disgust on the faces of all other people from the row!!! Federica suggested that I somehow sit in the 10th row middle with other true fans, just to make the thing smoother and just to be sure to have a better place in case our plan failed. As soon as the light went out, Federica started the run and we all followed. The security was really aggressive but I noticed almost all of us resisted. Here is to mention the fact that Freddy warmly and sweetly encouraged everything to stay there and to resist because nothing was going to happen. She really has a good heart! So, after a few seconds during which I was sure we would have been brutalised as I was told that happened in Ancona 2000, the situation was cleared. We were on the rail! And Bob was there, 2 meters away from us!
A lot of people from the wanna-be-high-society of Salzburg will be pissed off, but I am very proud of the way we stayed together and held the rail in front of the stage although the security screamed and pulled!!!! Thanks, Federica, for the encouragement and for giving me the first row after 8 songs 🙂 I was right where the grand piano was, first behind Federica, then on the rail!
I made acquaintance with the Grand Piano, which wasn’t there in November, and I saw again the Academy Award and Bob’s face (my VIP lodge in November was great for the sound but not for everything else). Bob entered wearing a white hat with a golden stripe. I loved his white and black shoes, very 40s, but as far as the jacket is concerned he has to wear either a more tailored one or a smaller size. Bob, the fact that you are over 70 and that you are not an underwear model by profession doesn’t allow you to disappoint us heterosexual girl fans! We want to appreciate you and your figure no matter what!
I have to repeat a lot of what I said for the November performance: this new chemistry with Charlie instead of the previous tense relationship, Bob’s moves and enjoyment instead of his mostly antisocial and stuffy attitudes that characterised his 2001-2008 performances are an acquired value for any set list. This is very important if we consider that there was no song I never heard before. So, Bob’s moves, expressions (oh, I missed them!!), piano riffs (I almost thought of throwing the organ away, just to be sure…!!) were the highlights of the evening. I would also say the chemistry in the band further improved, a fact which was remarkably clear – according to my humble opinion – in the exchanges among Charlie, Stu and Bob.
My favourite arrangements were Don’t think twice (a song I adore), Every grain of sand and Tangled up in blue ( a song which bored me to death for a long period and yet yesterday caught me completely in trance). Another great version was the melancholic Can’t wait instead of the more rhythmic one I usually heard. Tweedle Dee: I just love that song, so it was nice hearing it again (after my 2002 tour and Salzburg 2008, of course!). I didn´t expect Visions of Johanna: it was nice hearing it again! Talking about songs which are not new to be heard: Highway 61, with Bob trusting himself and the piano. Bob, the harmonica and the piano were the protagonists of the show: he experimented his riffs and solos and a lot of moves. Almost perfect in every note (I am a perfectionist, sorry for that 🙂 ) and move. The band was presented during All along the watchtower, which was performed nicely. The only critic from my side is: Bob, my dearest, I cannot hear Like a rolling stone and Blowing in the wind anymore, I am sorry. I even yawned during BITW!!! (shame on me!!!). Unless he performs like this, I would prefer to hear, who knows, Knocking on heaven’s door? Why not have Stu and Charlie embarrass Slash in a G’n’R-ish version and Bob getting more female appreciation than Axl in his good, old days? (the latter being probably already the case, at least in the bad girls club, a bunch of nice gals who would beat the average Axl-infatuated girl from 20 years ago without even trying 🙂 ).
There is an ongoing discussion about the new “thing” during High water, the crowd making a sort of controtempo shout or a dialogue with Bob’s harmonica. I don’t mind it at all, but I am not a huge fan of participation during Bob’s performances. I sense the boy likes to “do it” his own way and I tend to like it that way.
Little update about the lights: no “Eye” on the background, only lights and spots. It took some time to me to notice it! (I had to watch a video from Bad Mergentheim with the Eye making its display on the stage to remember it…). I must say: it was pleasant, and the crew did a good job with the lights. I have no idea if it was a technical issue or a precise choice. What do you think?
I had the impression that apart from true fans the audience sucked. I didn’t notice any felt participation during LARS, for example. I am totally fine with that, as stated above, because I hate hearing people singing along with “Him”, but …geez…move your ass a little, do something, don’t get melted with the chair! Maybe I am wrong?
The venue was everything but full. Accurate research from my side (in other words: some facebook gossiping) explained the very small audience with the great amount of peasant and village parties on the same week end. I went to the ATM prior to the show and witnessed a carriage loaded with people in Trachten, who were staring at my not-so-typical outfit 🙂 A local radio deliberately ignored Bob’s concert after listing Bryan Adams (who played there on the 6th) and those feasts as the highlights of the week end!! Could you believe it? There is no religion anymore! 🙂
Another remark to the audience, especially to the youngsters: I understand that the excitement of uploading your own video made with your expensive i-Phone and of sharing it with the world within minutes is too much to resist, but why do it when leaning on the rail, where inevitably the security comes every 2 minutes and asks you politely to stop? It is quite annoying for you and for us, old people who just want to enjoy His Bobness. Thank you for your understanding. We already have good tapers, let them do their own job!
For the “bad girls club”: Bob making moves while sitting at the piano, opening his legs in my direction. Bob’s eyes. Bob’s sweat. Bob’s expressions. Boy, I swear that when I came home I was damn hungry, even though I had my Frankfurter with Semmel right after the show. I am not a smoker, so I usually get very hungry (and then sleepy) after…you know what…! I really felt like I had sex with Bob! I think the excitement of being 2-3 meters away (with him opening his legs in that not so gentlemanly but definitely not unpleasant way) from him made the trick to my brain. Who knows, maybe in the ocean of sweat I was floating in I even smelled him! 🙂
Little update, always for the bad girls: I forgot to write that I totally approve Charlie’s new look with the beard!!!!
Can’t wait to see what I will see next! Is my rock summer over? Will I ever meet Bob? Will I stop seeing him, as I promise every time to my bank account and to my ? Will I fly to the States to see him?
I leave you with a few pics. The ticket is dedicated to the tapers (do a good job!!! ;-), especially to the one who then took the picture of me with my mobile, see below) and to the people who “mysteriously” got a front seat card “in the first minutes of the on-line sale” while I got an 11th row and then had to deal with my big fat Modenese ass instead.
More info about the concert from more serious people than me – then, further below, my pictures:
http://www.boblinks.com/dates.html#070712
Ticket, poster and notebook to post the usual nonsense on the web
[I know, I should be writing about Bob, who is coming to Salzburg…unfortunately, it is quite difficult to enjoy the waiting after the earthquake in my Modena. I only promise I will be there in the Salzburg Arena and enjoy the concert!
Ich weiß: Ich sollte eigentlich gerade über Bob schreiben, der nach Salzburg kommt…leider finde ich sehr schwierig, die Wartezeit nach dem Erdbeben in meiner Modena zu genießen. Ich verspreche nur, dass ich dort in der Salzburg Arena sein werde und das Konzert genießen werde!
Lo so che dovrei scrivere di Bob in realtà, che viene a Salisburgo….purtroppo mi risulta piuttosto difficile godermi l’attesa dopo il terremoto nella mia Modena. Prometto solo che sarò là nella Salzburg Arena e mi gusterò il concerto!]
I would like to introduce two young artists and their solidarity projects to you ! Ich möchte zwei junge Künstler und ihre Solidaritätsprojekte euch vorstellen! Vorrei presentarvi due giovani artisti ed i loro progetti di solidarietá.
http://alexfioratti.blogspot.co.at ALEX FIORATTI
www.dinamorivoluzione.com SIMONE POLETTI
You can break up our land but not out courage – Du kannst unser Land brechen, unseren Mut aber nicht.
Alex Fioratti is an artist from Mantua who worked for several years in Ferrara. Right after the severely damaged Province of Modena, which lists as number one among the most affected territories, Mantua and Ferrara are the “second” most hit by the May earthquake provinces.
Alex Fioratti ist ein Künstler aus Mantua, der für einige Jahre in Ferrara gearbeitet hat. Gleich nach der stark beschädigt Provinz Modena, welche an der Stelle eins der am meistens erschütterten Gebiete steht, sind Mantua und Ferrara die “zweiten” von dem Mai-Erdbeben am schlimmsten getroffenen Provinzen.
Alex Fioratti è un artista di Mantova, che ha lavorato per alcuni anni a Ferrara. Queste province – immediatamente dopo la gravemente danneggiata Provincia di Modena, che figura al primo posto fra i territori maggiormente danneggiati – sono fra le più colpite dal terremoto di maggio.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Fioratti-Artista/207458585951873
http://alexfioratti.blogspot.co.at/
He developed and donated what I believe it is among the most beautiful image about the tragedy. Now there is a t-shirt you can buy. It has been named “The courage of Emilian people” and is the medium for a fundraising action from which several volunteer associations will benefit. (Official press release by the Modenese voluntary and humanitarian services association here in Italian and here in English)
Er hat dasjenige kreiert und spendiert, was ich unter den schönsten Bilder über die Tragödie halte. Jetzt gibt es ein T-Shirt, welches ihr kaufen könnt. Es wurde “Der Mut der Emilianer” genannt und ist der Mittel für eine Spendenaktion, aus welcher verschiedene Freiwilligenvereine unterstützt werden. (Offizielle Pressemitteilung aus dem Modenesischen Verein der freiwilligen und humanitären Dienste hier auf Italienisch und hier auf Englisch).
Ha ideato e donato quella che credo sia una delle immagini piú belle fra quelle legate alla tragedia. Adesso é disponibile una t-shirt che potete comperare: si chiama “Il coraggio degli emiliani” ed è il mezzo con cui ha lanciato una raccolta fondi il cui ricavato andrà alle associazioni di volontariato di Modena. (Comunicato stampa dell’associazione servizi per il volontariato Modena qui)
La t-shirt “IL CORAGGIO DEGLI EMILIANI” maglietta, veicolo per una raccolta fondi destinata alle oltre 150 associazioni di volontariato, di Protezione civile, di promozione sociale e altri soggetti del terzo settore operativi sui territori devastati dal terremoto e per sostenere progetti da loro promossi relativi, in particolare, alla ricostruzione di un senso di comunità e aggregazione che il terremoto ha provato a mettere in crisi.
http://www.facebook.com/IlCoraggioDegliEmiliani
http://www.slamjam.com/2012/07/04/you-can-break-our-land-but-not-our-courage%E2%80%9D/
Here is the baby! Hier ist das Baby! Ecco la piccola!
If you want to buy it (man or woman tee disposable), click “coraggio” on the Page “Il Coraggio Degli Emiliani” or click here.
Wenn ihr es kaufen wollt (Modelle für Männer und Frauen abkömmlich), klickt “coraggio” auf der Seite “Il Coraggio Degli Emiliani” oder klickt hier.
Se volete comprarla (modelli sia da uomo sia da donna), cliccate “coraggio” sulla pagina “Il Coraggio Degli Emiliani” o cliccate qua.
My other favourite image is this one by artist Simone Poletti from Reggio Emilia. He donated this creation to the project “IO NON TREMO”. You can buy the poster as well, just follow the links!
Mein anderes Lieblingsbild ist dieses von dem Künstler Simone Poletti aus Reggio Emilia. Er hat seine Kreation dem Projekt “IO NON TREMO” gespendet. Ihr könnt das Plakat ebenfalls kaufen, einfach Links folgen!
L´altra mia immagine preferita é questa dell´artista Simone Poletti di Reggio Emilia. Ha donato la sua creazione al progetto “IO NON TREMO“. Potete comperare anche il poster, seguite semplicemente i link!
I don´t quake/Ich bebe nicht
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinamo-Innesco-Rivoluzione/192417129362
http://www.dinamorivoluzione.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/IO-NON-TREMO/465153306844173
CREATIVITY – KREATIVITÄT – CREATIVITÁ 2
Earthquake – Erdbeben – terremoto 0
Work in progress!!!! 20.05 first quakes/Erste Beben; 29.05 new big quakes after a week of afterquakes/neue großen Beben nach einer Woche Nachbeben!!!!!!! Updates/Aktualisierungen http://gazzettadimodena.gelocal.it/ —-> terremoto. Help&Videos —>below/Hilfe&Videos—>unten
As many of you probably already know, an earthquake hit the Provinces of Modena and Ferrara and some Municipalities in Mantova, Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Rovigo. The Northern districts of Modena are hardly hit. Wie viele von euch wahrscheinlich schon wissen, wurden die Provinzen Modena und Ferrara und einige Gemeinden in Mantua, Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Rovigo von einem Erdbeben betroffen. Die nördlichen Bezirken in Modena sind stark betroffen.
When I travel home for a while, coming from Salzburg, I usually take the train. The German-Austrian EC München-Bologna crosses the Po river in Ostiglia and then enters my homeland in Mirandola, nevertheless travelling far away from the beautiful city of the Picos. Finally the train crosses San Felice sul Panaro. Wide, open, fertile fields and the warm and beautiful centre of San Felice with the church and the castle used to be my welcome home. Not anymore, I guess. Wenn ich ein bisschen heim sein will, fahre ich mit dem Zug ab Salzburg. Der DB-ÖBB EC München-Bologna überbruckt den Po-Fluss in Ostiglia und kommt dann in meine Heimat in Mirandola, obwohl er weit von der schönen Stadt der Pico fährt. Endlich durchfährt der Zug San Felice sul Panaro. Breite, offene, fruchtbare Felder und die warme und schöne Altstadt von San Felice mit der Kirche und dem Schloss waren in der Regel mein “Willkommen heim”. Nicht mehr, befürchte ich.
Thousands lost their home. Tausende haben ihr Daheim verloren. Migliaia hanno perso casa.
Industries, shops, farms are closed due to damages or even destructions and thus we are not able to work in order to pay for repairing or rebuilding using our own wages. Industrien, Geschäfte und Bauernhöfe sind aufgrund der Schaden oder sogar der Zerstörungen geschlossen und deswegen können wir nicht arbeiten, um das Geld zum renovieren oder wiederaufbauen zu verdienen.
A huge part of our cultural heritage is gone. Castles, towers, the church where the famous Humanist Pico della Mirandola’s parents were laid to rest are destroyed or damaged. Ein großer Teil unseres kulturellen Erbgutes ist verloren. Schlösser, Türme, die Kirche, in welcher die Eltern des berühmten Humanist Pico della Mirandola begraben wurde, sind zerstört oder beschädigt. (Update: Church/Kirche San Francesco destroyed/zerstört)http://www.linkiesta.it/chiesa-san-francesco-mirandola
Effects/Auswirkungen:
How to help? Wie kann man helfen?
1) Buy products from Modena and Ferrara, so that we can rise again! Produkte aus Modena und Ferrara kaufen, so dass wir wieder aufstehen können!
Parmigiano-Reggiano from the Province of Modena/aus der Provinz Modena (especially/besonders Mirandola, San Felice sul Panaro, Finale Emilia, Camposanto, Ravarino, San Possidonio, Cavezzo, Medolla) and from the Municipalities of/und aus der Gemeinden San Giovanni in Persiceto and Crevalcore. I should get in touch with some farmers who should deliver, so just comment here to show your interest. Ich sollte einige Bauern kontaktieren, die liefern können dürften, so einfach hier kommentieren, um in Kontakt zu treten. >>>This production is experiencing an EMERGENCY!!! Diese Produktion ist in NOT!!!<<< Photogallery damages/Schäden http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.437074152984163.103877.100000447450493&type=3
Grana Padano, prosciutto, salumi:try to check that they come from/bitte Herkunft möglichst kontrollieren: Mirandola, San Felice sul Panaro, Finale Emilia, Camposanto, Ravarino, San Possidonio, Cavezzo, Medolla (Prov. Modena), Crevalcore, San Giovanni in Persiceto (Prov. Bologna), Bondeno, Sant´Agostino (Ferrara).
Fruit, jam, sauces/Obst, Marmelade und Soßen
Aceto Balsamico di Modena
Biomedical equipment/devices and so on from/Medizintechnische Geräte aus Mirandola, Medolla, Concordia, Cavezzo, San Felice sul Panaro, San Possidonio, San Prospero, Carpi.
Books/Bücher
other products (see origin above)/andere Produkte (Herkunft oben ansehen)
Information:
Confcooperative Modena http://www.facebook.com/confcooperative.modena
Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano http://www.facebook.com/parmigianoreggiano
Biomedicale/Biomedical production/medizintechnische Produktion (Gabriele Testi – Linkiesta) http://www.linkiesta.it/distretto-biomedicale-mirandola-terremoto & (Annalisa Dall’Oca – Il Fatto Quotidiano) http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/05/28/terremoto-emilia-ginocchio-aziende-forniscono-ospedali/243896/ & (Marco Sarti – Linkiesta) http://www.linkiesta.it/terremoto-cavezzo-artech
Epicentres/Epizentren + Info (Main quakes/Hauptbeben: 20.05.2012 = Finale Emilia, Modena, 4:04 GMT+1; 29.05.2012 = Medolla, Modena, 9:04 GMT+1)
INGV BLOG —-> http://ingvterremoti.wordpress.com/ —->terremoto pianura padana emiliana
Photogallery http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3789783635029.289448.1590250517&type=1
Scientific information/Wissenschaftliche Information (The Po plain in the surroundings is now 15 cm higher and 3-4 Richter quakes continue every day! Die Po-Ebene in der Umgebung ist jetzt 15 cm höher und 3-4- Richter Beben gehen weiter!)
http://www.ingv.it/primo-piano/comunicazione/2012/05200508/
http://www.terra.unimore.it/crisi-sismica-201205.php
The Fould/Die Verwerfung http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.389505684434135.108255.172757972775575&type=1
2) Information (Italian)
http://www.provincia.modena.it/page.asp?IDCategoria=6&IDSezione=1613&ID=100151
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Città-di-Mirandola/200112844612
http://www.facebook.com/groups/383149371732020/
A nice blog whose concept says: ” In a time of crisis and problems we believe that Italy can manage her way out of troubles by using her human and natural resources, the beauty of her territory, the richness of her products”. Great idea! It features many proposals from the damaged territories: http://sosblogger.wordpress.com/
3) Contact me!/Mich kontaktieren!
We are going to organise several initiatives (i.e. in Salzburg and surroundings) you can help with or make a small donation for you can afford. I am a simple girl from the Modenese people, so you won´t have to fear that your efforts get wasted in political tricks. Our idea is: make industries and shops work again, so that we can rebuild houses and start rebuilding monuments with our own efforts, then funding reconstruction of monuments. We want them as they used to be, or even better. Wir werden verschiedene Initiativen organisieren (z.B. in Salzburg und Umgebung), in welchen ihr helfen könnt oder für welche eine kleine Spende möglich ist, die keine finanzielle Belastung wird. Ich bin ein einfaches Mädchen aus dem modenesischen Volk, also muss man nicht befürchten, dass eure Bemühungen in politischen Spielen weggeschmissen werden. Unsere Idee ist: machten wir Industrien und Geschäfte wieder produktions- oder arbeitsfähig, so dass wir die Wiedererrichtung der Häuser und teilweise der Monumente mit unseren Löhnen/Gehältern selber bezahlen können. Dann Wiedererrichtung der Monumente unterstützen. Wir wollen sie, wie sie früher waren, oder sogar besser!
I am able to work with several groups on location(I plan to travel home on the 19th June). Especially people living around Salzburg could comment here in order to get in touch with me/Ich kann mit verschiedenen Gruppen vom Ort aribeiten (Ich habe geplant, am 19. Juni heim zu fahren). Besonders Personen aus dem Raum Salzburg könnten hier kommentieren, um mit mir in Kontakt zu treten.
Some information about helping several autonomous camps in the city of Rovereto sulla Secchia
http://campochiesanord15.wordpress.com/avremmo-bisogno-di/
4) Offerte/Donations/Spenden A) – S) choose! auswählen; H)- O)= single municipalities/einzelne Gemeinden
(you may ask me for further information)/Sie können mich zusätzliche Informationen fragen):
a) Banca Unicredit, piazza Grande 40, Modena.
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber: Amm.ne provinciale di Modena Interventi di solidarietà
IBAN IT 52 M 02008 12930 00000 3398693
BIC/Swift code UNCRITM147Y
Causale/Payment purpose/Verwendungszweck: Terremoto maggio 2012
b) Or/Oder click here/hier http://www.kapipal.com/fdf20a6b48af4d95a60b46dab6a0ec54
c) Or another account from the/oder ein anderes Konto aus der Partito della Rifondazione Comunista ((for workers who cannot work/für Arbeiter, die nicht arbeiten können)
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber PARTITO DELLA RIFONDAZIONE COMUNISTA – COMITATO REGIONALE EMILIA-ROMAGNA
Via Menganti 8 – 40133 Bologna
IBAN: IT 06 L 02008 12932 000003118146
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck: cassa resistenza terremoto
d) or another account from the/oder ein anderes Konto aus der “Movimento 5 stelle”:
IBAN: IT 76 N 02008 02460 000102085251.
BIC: UNCRITM1NT6
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber Gruppo Assembleare Movimento 5 Stelle-Beppegrillo.it Emilia-Romagna
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck Aiuto alle popolazioni colpite dal terremoto in Emilia-Romagna
e) Caritas Diocesana di Bologna c/o Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber: Arcidiocesi di Bologna
IBAN IT27Y0538702400000000000555
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck: terremoto in Emilia Romagna.
f) Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber + Banca: EMIL BANCA
IBAN: IT 06 L 07072 02404 000017741960
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “Emergenza terremoto Emilia”.
g) PARTITO DEMOCRATICO
IBAN: IT02 N031 2702 4100 0000 000 1 494
UNIPOL BANCA
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck EMERGENZA TERREMOTO EMILIA-ROMAGNA
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber: Partito Democratico Emilia-Romagna
h) Comune di Mirandola (beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber)
http://www.comune.mirandola.mo.it/news/per-i-bonifici
IBAN IT87N0503466850000000005050,
SWIFT code BAPPIT21405
causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “terremoto maggio 2012”.
i) Comune di San Felice sul Panaro (Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber)
IBAN: IT84X0503466980000000000100
SWIFT: BAPPIT22
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “terremoto maggio 2012” (or a thought from you/oder einen Gedank von Ihnen)
l) Comune di Finale Emilia (Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber)
IBAN IT82E0611566750000000133314
SWIFT Code: CRCEIT2C
http://sos.comunefinale.net/10-aiuti/13-quali-sono-i-c-c-messi-a-disposizione-per-raccogliere-fond
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “SOS emergenza terremoto”
m) Group from the/Gruppe aus der Comune di Rovereto sulla Secchia (NOT/NICHT Rovereto di Trento!!!!!!!!)
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber Bianchini Roberto per associazione “Rovereto insieme”.
IBAN IT 03 B 05034 12802 000 000 009 170
All Municipalities here on the right side of the home page/Alle Gemeinden hier rechts auf der Anfangseite
http://www.dtazzioli.blogspot.ch/
n) Novi di Modena-Rovereto- S. Antonio in Mercadello
Banca Unicredit
IT 38 N 02008 66903 000100560218
Swift UNCRITM10J3
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Novi-Rovereto-SAntonio/275334032565390
o) Comune di Concordia sulla Secchia
Beneficiario/account holder/Kontoinhaber: Tesoreria del Comune di Concordia sulla Secchia
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck: Emergenza Terremoto Concordia Maggio 2012
IBAN: IT 57 H 05387 66730 000000944949
Bank: Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna, Filiale di Concordia
http://www.concordiaterremoto.it/?page_id=6
p) If you live in Germany, you may consider this opportunity. The city of Ostfildern has a partnership with Mirandola and therefore opened a dedicated account/Wenn Sie in Deutschland leben, können Sie vielleicht diese Möglichkeit wahrnehmen. Die Stadt Ostfildern hat eine Partnerschaft mit Mirandola und hat deswegen ein Konto eröffnet:
http://www.ostfildern.de/Spenden+f%C3%BCr+die+Erdbebenopfer+in+Mirandola+erbeten.html
q) Rock no war ONLUS (no profit)
Beneficiario/Account holder/Kontoinhaber “Rock No War Onlus”
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “Terremoto Emilia 2012”
BANCA INTERPROVINCIALE – Agenzia di Formigine
IBAN IT13 Q 03395 66780 CC00 2000 3842
or buy their tees http://www.rocknowar.com/index.php/news/archivio-news/item/902-maglietta.html
r) Save art and monuments! Kunst und Denkmäler retten!
Intestatario/account holder/Kontoinhaber “I viaggi nella storia”
IBAN: IT33 T033 5901 6001 0000 0067 385 –
Swift code: BCITITMX
Causale/payment purpose/Verwendungszweck “Adotta un monumento, Terremoto Emilia”
s) Buy T-Shirts or posters for fundraising!/T-Shirts oder Plakate zwecks Geldsammlung kaufen
http://www.facebook.com/IlCoraggioDegliEmiliani
http://www.facebook.com/pages/IO-NON-TREMO/465153306844173
http://www.rocknowar.com/index.php/news/archivio-news/item/902-maglietta.html
Grazie! Thanks! Danke!
For further information or for ideas, contact me! Für weitere Informationen/Anregungen stehe ich gerne zur Verfügung!
Information (Press/Presse)
– especially/besonders Mirandola (neglected but severely damaged/vernachlässigt aber stark beschädigt) – click and surf ModenaToday http://www.modenatoday.it/cronaca/municipio-mirandola-crollo-terremoto-finale-emilia-san-felice.html
http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/earthquake-destroys-italy-s-historical-heritage-1.130107
3
http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/welt/759420/Erdbeben-in-Norditalien_5000-Menschen-obdachlos
Please, ignore stupid comments or contents about pasta and insurances. The tragedy is that many people cannot work if their activities don´t sell these products, don´t have warehouses anymore etc…! /Bitte, dumme Kommentare oder Inhalte über Pasta und Versicherungen ignorieren. Die Tragödie ist, dass viele Personen nicht arbeiten können, wenn die Betriebe diese Produkte nicht verkaufen, kein Lager mehr haben usw…!
The nightmare/Der Albtraum
20.5.2012 5.9 Richter (2nd one features the horrible roar/der zweite enthält das fürchtbare Dröhnen)
20.5,2012 Aftershocks/Nachbeben
29.5.2012 5.8 Richter
29.5.2012 2 Aftershocks/ 2 Nachbeben
We will manage it alone with a smile…/Wir werden es allein mit einem Lächeln schaffen… (Alberto Mattioli) – MODENESI
Only a few days ago I was sharing joy, happiness and passion by writing about my beloved Modena F.C., and now….here I am, remembering a tragedy. Nothing new, actually, since I write mainly about wars, crises and pandemics as an historian (and still manage to make humour when I see the potentiality…have a look at my essay about the Spanish Flu, unfortunately only in Italian at the present time!).
Actually, I mentioned even in my Modena Centenary post that tragedy was in the air (Italian-Turkish war, Titanic itself, Great War). Remembering the Titanic disaster as a human being and as an historian lead me to some thoughts I would like to share. (yes, I also know that everybody will be googling Titanic in the next hours and therefore many poor people will pop on my blog mislead by some evil search engine, so I don’t resist the occasion of being under a spotlight 🙂 )
La Stampa, 19 aprile 1912 - Archivio on-line la Stampa
I did not learn about the Titanic thanks to Cameron&DiCaprio (Leo was and is not my type!). I learned about the tragedy because of my “middle school” English book, named Flying start. One unit had an article with pictures about the Titanic disaster, in order to teach us “sink, sank, sunk” – in other words, to introduce us verb patterns. The “scuola media” is a kind of school every Italian kid attends from age 11 to 14 and at that time (beginning of the 90s) it used to be the school where a foreign language, sometimes even two, was first introduced. The sad story of the 3rd class sacrifice, of the missing lifeboats, of the “women and children first” rule caught my attention. This lead to two consequences: the first one is that I rarely make mistakes in English verbs since I learned patterns as a sort of song, while I never really got motivated to learn long lists of German verb patterns. (I am grateful to be an Italian native who used to love Italian grammar and literature, because I would hav never learned all those complicated Italian verbs with the same efforts and motivation I faced German ones 😀 ). The second one is that along with my World Wars stuff I started to read about the 1912 Titanic wreck as well, so that by the time Cameron’s colossal came out, I wasn’t a newbie to the topic.
Just a small digression: yes, I saw Cameron’s Titanic 2 times. I was going on fifteen, so cinema was one of the few free time activities I was allowed to do (times change, don’t they?) and the film is anyway very good, even though the romance in the beginning is not well developed (why do they fall in love? Just because he represents the freedom she is longing for?). No one can deny you “sink with the ship” as you watch Cameron’s Titanic. The first time I saw it, right in 1997, was after removing one of wisdom teeth. I did not cry a single tear because of (or thanks to) some Novocain still circulating through my face. Nevertheless, I DID cry when I saw it in English a few weeks later. There was a cinema where films were played in the original language and I had a listening comprehension test to pass. So I caught the opportunity, and, boy, did I cry my eyes out! My school mates made fun of me for days because of my state! Actually I was sadder for the poor Neapolitan immigrant, Fabrizio, than for Leo/Jack. Of course, the width of the tragedy and the final scene made me cry as well. (I recently watched the finale on you tube and I still cry my eyes out, but my favourite character is always Fabrizio and not Jack. I mean, he is sexier, funnier and didn’t even got the girl!)
As a human being and as an historian, I am very fascinated by the complexity of this story. I know that there have been worse tragedies. Hell, I research about worse tragedies! Nevertheless, I could not resist the charm of this particular one.
My romantic side – the human being – is fascinated by tales about couples who decided to stay together on the ship instead of separating. That is true love, the one I am looking for. (…yes, stop laughing, I am single and yes, I know this kind of expectation is not going to make it change…but I better have it this way than being stuck in a relationship without love!). I know that many marriages at that time had little or nothing to do with love, so I perfectly understand that some women jumped into (half-empty) lifeboats and then decided not to “risk their lives” by searching for their husbands. But…reading that even in that era there were true couples that did not part makes my heart warm. I hope they are somewhere still together! So, sometimes people have luck in love and love exists. For those who never loved, I would like to clear one thing: if you really love somebody, losing him/her is a terrible, unbearable pain. So, it is only natural that you choose to 99% die together with your beloved partner instead of some-percent-survive and 99% never see your love again. (I keep estimates flexible because in accidents like that everything and everything contrary is likely to happen).
I am also fascinated by the elegance of that ship. Especially externally. I mean, compare it with the shape of one of the Costa ships…there is no comparison. Titanic-like ships (its “sisters” and similar ships as well) are elegant, attractive, beautiful. I cannot say anything about interiors, but I’d wish ships were still built like the Titanic externally!!!
Then, the historian comes out. By having a look at the Encyclopedia Titanica, I got the umpteenth evidence of the strong phenomenon of the Italian immigration characterised by successful stories and less successful stories that ended up together in the same abrupt stop. Not that I ignore or neglect the relevance (and sufferings) of other nationalities and other immigrants, but as an Italian young woman and an historian working on social history those are the names and stories I notice the most. Many of their names are as usual misspelled or sometimes even willingly anglicised. I was also very impressed by the – very clever – supposition I read somewhere (I forgot where, anyway it is not mine!) that families such as the Goodwin family (see the story of “Our babe“) stayed together because a mother with children but without husband and older male children would have missed the needed financial support – as hard as it sounds, it could be plausible.
I also made some spontaneous remarks . The tragedy happened in 1912, in an era when on the one side modernisation was taking a huge acceleration, on the other side there were so many remains from the previous world. So, the striking contrast between the hyper-optimistic and positivist assumption that finally unsinkable ships could be built, and the strongly observed, old-fashioned “women and children first” cavalry rule is remarkable. I know that there were men who were not “keen on observing the rule spontaneously”, but nevertheless there are evidences that the captain, some officers and even some passengers believed in it and complied with it. Some of them even used a gun to “make it get observed”. The contrast and the contradictions modernity/modernisation/cavalry/tragedy seem to mirror the constant state of the Western society between the Second Anglo-Boer war and Hiroshima: positive and dark sides of modernisation, resistance towards modernity, nostalgic attitude towards the past. Also, the metaphor of positivist enthusiasm and of dreams of a better life crashing against an iceberg reminds me of the stormy era 1914-1945 (especially the First World war is often seen as a rupture characterised by harsh disillusions). The same goes for the “Titanic lesson”, and I mean by this the improvement of safety measures on ships after the tragedy. After each tragedy of the 20th century we tried to “learn a lesson”: partly we succeeded, partly not, sometimes we only dreamt of learning and improving something just to be harshly disappointed … and then we have – or had – to start again. And here we are in the 21st century…well, I am letting you draw your own conclusions. (keywords: wars, crisis, tragedies, wrecks, epidemics…). Interesting to see that people from professional fields other that history draw other conclusions about “Titanic&learning lessons”, such as in this article you can click. An interesting perspective for my “other” job as trainer and lecturer!
Reading, reading, I found out that one of the survivors of the Titanic also escaped internment in Fossoli and the harsh situation of WWII’s Italy (hunger, bomb attacks, terror). Fossoli was the concentration camp set up for several categories of prisoners, including civil prisoners, located near Carpi, Modena. I am currently trying to understand more about the civil prisoners and the labour forces departments of the camp. The woman’s story is incredible – if you are meant to live longer, you will, even through a wreck and two world wars- , and the “ethnocentric-egocentric” side in me also makes me think how small the world is.
Alright, enough writing, I am closing my post with this article about the recovered baby corpse. I loved because it is so well written, really touching : http://thechronicleherald.ca/titanic/86496-our-babe-titanic-s-tiny-soul;
with two linked images that symbolise the tragedy according to my sensibility, two grave markers (two paired shoes do not happen to reach the ocean floor together by chance): Titanic shoes debris by NOAA magazine and Titanic shoes by titanicstory.com . (Update: I add a third one – read the related Daily Mail article also). About this, I think these two three first linked pictures are “human remains” without any doubt and are heart-wrenching, while this picture – click here – makes me doubt a little more: I cannot see the second boot, and the amount of things and the shape make me think more of a half-destroyed suitcase or trunk. What do you think? (Historians develop also a few forensic skills, as long as they deal with tragedies…)
and my personal soundtrack for the evening, Simple Minds: a group I love, especially for their Someone somewhere in summertime and Mandela’s day. I was in the mood for Simple Minds, and of course I “knew” they wrote a song called Belfast child. So, that was my choice: a Simple Minds/Big Country/other NW groups compilation featuring Belfast Child. The Titanic was a “Belfast child”, so even though the song has nothing to do with the wreck, I find it a good soundtrack. Not that I don’t like James Horner’s heart-wrenching tunes, but New Wave will always be a great love of mine!! Call it “artistic licence”!
Rest in peace, all of you victims (and survivors who joined you afterwards, since nobody is still living).
For further reading, the web is plenty…so visit blogs and sites in the languages you know: a lot of people did a good job 🙂 honour them and their efforts! Some links are hidden in my text and pics (Italian newspapers above, for example), then search on engines and Facebook. Here below, an Austrian newspaper (link to the on-line archive);
Die Neue Zeitung 17. April 1912 - ANNO archive - (Austrian Newspaper Online) by the Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Biblioteca Centrale dello Stato Austriaco)
I recently found two blog entries I appreciated. As an historian and as a curious human being, I was asking myself a few questions (about preservation, salvaging, and the time), and I found these:
http://aelizabethwest.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/memories-rms-titanic-april-14-1912/
http://awesometalks.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/what-time-did-the-rms-titanic-really-hit-the-iceberg/
I immediately “liked” them! So, check them out…and never stop looking for anything! (said the PhD student who was drowning in sources instead of quickly finishing her duties because she never stops looking for them…).
5th April 1912: Modena Football Club was born.
5th April 2012: in the morning, supporters, fans, ultras are already setting up the party!!! In the evening: the party is up!
100 years without interruption, bankruptcy and always with our glorious canary-yellow tricot!!!!
Poster-Manifesto-Plakat
Modena F.C. was born at the end of the “Belle Epoque”and in the middle of the radicalisation of the Italian society during the Italian-Turkish war, from the union of two pre-existing teams. It was still the former capital of the Duchy, now a small town in the Kingdom of Italy with scarce industrialisation, where the petty bourgeoisie “ruled” the whole city. This petty bourgeoisie was also the main agent in the foundation of this football club (university students and military personnel included). Only after the Second World War the “people” would come nearer to this “gentlemanly” born sport, and during the Seventies even left-oriented symbols made their appearance among fans :-). Time can change everything, indeed!
A few days after the foundation, tragedy struck – as if the ongoing Libya war and the other prodromes of the First World War showing up in other parts of the world were not enough – : the “unsinkable” Titanic did sink in the Atlantic, bringing along more than 1500 lives.
Back to today, a lot of us fell in love with the team wearing “our” colours, and prove it every week-end by supporting the team at the Braglia or on-line ( as some of us had to migrate somewhere else…).
Il mio amore per te è durato più delle mie relazioni con gli uomini: auguri!!!!
My love for you has lasted longer than my relationships with men: happy birthday!
Meine Liebe für dich hat länger gedauert, als meine Beziehungen mit Männern! Alles Gute!
(which is not really a compliment towards men 😀 )
I never got to go to the stadium before my 18th birthday (my parents did not agree with terrace culture, so I wasn’t allowed to go) but I used to live near to the Braglia and my parrish church was right behind it. So I remember a lot of “nice things” from the ultras and fans during the 80s and the 90s…such as protests, running away from the police and hiding in the parish locals …I finally bought my first ticket in 2000 or 2001. I saw a match in the 3rd league. I later got to see the Second and even the First league with my “canaries”, but Serie A never raised the same warm and gemütlich feelings in me I still connect to my 3rd League memories: authenticity and family-like environment, probably a different society (the world changed a lot between the 90s and the 2000s). Even though I was there when Modena defeated Roma in Rome in 2002 or 2003! 🙂
My public photo album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3669856429762.168712.1375400943&type=1&l=52b25da0ab
My playlist – some videos are by me, some others are not – : http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCB583E0B5964FA9D
A blog about Modena F.C. History http://calciofilimodenesi.blogspot.it/search/label/1910%20-%201919
Reblogging a post by a friend(IT) http://prandinoprandinimetereopatico.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/buon-compleanno-modena-calcio-storia-di-una-squadra-una-citta-famiglie-vie-e-vicoli/
Storify page by a friend http://storify.com/AleMazzoli/il-modena-f-c-compie-100
Some press articles:
http://www.modenanoi.it/100-anni-video-annullo-filatelico-al-circolo-tassoni
Targa commemorativa - Plaque - Gedenktafel; Caffè del Collegio, via San Carlo, Modena
http://gazzettadimodena.gelocal.it/sport/2012/04/05/news/buon-compleanno-modena-la-ga
zzetta-vi-regala-l-inno-ufficiale-1.3777290
http://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/modena/sport/2012/04/05/692668-cento-anni-modena-passerella-leggende-calcio-anniversario-palapanini.shtml
http://www.tuttomodena.com/?action=read&idnotizia=3231
http://www.modenanoi.it/100-anni-questa-non-e-casa-nostra
http://www.modenatoday.it/sport/centenario-modena-5-aprile-2012-festa-palapanini-corteo.html
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥
If you love your home town, its cuisine, its language, its warmth, its beauty, you have to love your local team as well!!! My love for my Modenese essence matches my love for our colours. even though I also love the so called ultras mentality, a misunderstood way of life that deserves to be discovered (putting aside stereotypes and prejudices) and that opens the door to real passion and friendly ties.
Tìn la squèdra dla tò zitè! Tifa la squadra della tua città! Support your local football team! Unterstütze die Mannschaft deiner Stadt!
(work in progress!!!)
Once again I abandon my policy of writing in English. At least for now, because I really don’t have the time to write also in EN and DE. Here it goes: somebody is spreading voices about genocides…that never happened! People should learn history, politics and languages THEN write….but nowadays you just need an account et voilà…tip everything you want!
In quanto storica (MA) e scienziata politica (BA) dell’Europa, con particolare interesse per Italia del Nord, Austria e Baviera, ho ricevuto negli scorsi mesi una segnalazione da un amico telematico, Alessandro De Vecchi, un triestino doc. Un qualche forum nazionalista italiano aveva aperto una discussione molto interessante…cavoli, vuoi dire che noi tontoloni chiusi nella torre iburnea dell´università ci siamo lasciati sfuggire un genocidio avvenuto proprio sotto i nostri occhi?
“Il genocidio asburgico. 1866-1918, Come il governo di Vienna progettò e portò a compimento un genocidio di Italiani http://patriottismo.forumcommunity.net/?t=42882887
Un post del 2011 riporta (utilizzo il copincolla):
Il cosiddetto impero austriaco (austro-ungarico dopo il 1866) si è reso responsabile nei confronti della nazione italiana di una gran quantità di crimini e violenze.
È noto come esso abbia contribuito in modo decisivo a perpetuare a lungo lo stato di divisione dell’Italia, il possesso coloniale d’ampi suoi territori sotto dominio straniero, la condizione di sfruttamento economico, repressione culturale, oppressione politica e discriminazione etnica dei suoi sudditi italiani. È invece meno conosciuto come esso abbia progettato e portato a compimento dopo il 1866 un autentico genocidio a danno degli Italiani residenti nei propri possedimenti.Una valutazione obiettiva e veritiera della natura dell’impero asburgico, fondato sul principio dell’egemonia dell’elemento etnico austriaco, può essere introdotta ricordando la verbalizzazione della decisione imperiale espressa nel Consiglio dei ministri il 12 novembre 1866, tenutosi sotto le presidenza dell’Imperatore Francesco Giuseppe. Il verbale della riunione recita testualmente:
“Sua maestà ha espresso il preciso ordine che si agisca in modo deciso contro l’influenza degli elementi italiani ancora presenti in alcune regioni della Corona e, occupando opportunamente i posti degli impiegati pubblici, giudiziari, dei maestri come pure con l’influenza della stampa, si operi nel Tirolo del Sud, in Dalmazia e sul Litorale per la germanizzazione e la slavizzazione di detti territori a seconda delle circostanze, con energia e senza riguardo alcuno” [La citazione della decisione imperiale di Francesco Giuseppe di compiere una pulizia etnica contro gli Italiani in Trentino-Alto Adige, Venezia Giulia, Dalmazia, si può reperire in Die Protokolle des Österreichischen Ministerrates 1848/1867. V Abteilung: Die Ministerien Rainer und Mensdorff. VI Abteilung: Das Ministerium Belcredi, Wien, Österreichischer Bundesverlag für Unterricht, Wissenschaft und Kunst 1971; la citazione compare alla Sezione VI, vol. 2, seduta del 12 novembre 1866, p. 297]
La decisione governativa, presa al più livello dall’imperatore Francesco Giuseppe e dal suo consiglio, di procedere alla germanizzazione e slavizzazione delle regioni a popolamento italiano, Alto Adige, Venezia Giulia e Dalmazia, “con energia e senza riguardo alcuna”, attesta in maniera inequivocabile la natura discriminatoria ed oppressiva dell’impero asburgico nei confronti della minoranza italiana: si ricordi comunque come questo sia solo un esempio fra i molti della politica anti-italiana dell’Austria.
Tale atto di governo, preso direttamente dall’imperatore stesso, esprimeva la chiara volontà di condurre un genocidio anti-italiano, il quale fu poi effettivamente realizzato in Dalmazia ed intrapreso in Venezia Giulia e Trentino-Alto Adige: soltanto la guerra e la vittoria italiana poterono impedire che anche in queste due ultime regione la presenza italiana fosse cancellata, come era avvenuto in quella dàlmata.Questo progetto, elaborato consapevolmente dalle più alte autorità dell’impero asburgico e per manifesta volontà di Francesco Giuseppe stesso, fu sviluppato contro gli Italiani con una pluralità di modi:
1) espulsioni di massa (oltre 50.000 espulsi dalla sola Venezia Giulia nei soli primi anni del Novecento)
2) deportazione in campi di concentramento (oltre 100.000 deportati)
3) impiego di squadracce di nazionalisti Slavi nell’esercizio massivo della violenza contro gli Italiani (con migliaia di atti di violenza, attentati, aggressioni, omicidi ecc.)
4) repressione poliziesca
5) immigrazione di Slavi e Tedeschi nei territori italiani favorita in ogni modo dalle autorità imperiali
6) germanizzazione e slavizzazione scolastica e culturale (chiusura delle scuole italiane, cancellazione della toponomastica ed onomastiche italiane, proibizione della cultura italiana in ogni sua forma)
7) privazione o limitazione dei diritti politici
8) limitazione dei diritti civili
Ora, così a naso, la cosa mi sembrava parecchio strana. Possibile che nessuno storico avesse parlato di questa “voglia genocida”? Come mai, ricercando con google, l’intera galassia nazionalista italiana stava riportando allarmata la vicenda, con le stesse parole su tutte le piattaforme di discussione su internet? D’ altronde, però, finché la cosa rimaneva sui forum nazionalisti, poteva essere ignorata. E’ chiaro che ognuno ha diritto a fare le proprie scelte riguardo alla militanza politica, e a cantarsele e suonarsele fra simili secondo le proprie convinzioni, cosa che facciamo quasi tutti quando prendiamo posizione su un tema da “esseri umani” e non da professionisti. Al massimo avrei potuto fare chiarezza in vista della discussione della mia tesi dottorale in tutta calma e tenere i risultati per me e la cattedra di Storia Europea dell’Università di Salisburgo.
La cosa, però, è arrivata sulla Wikipedia italiana. Fra la possibilità che fosse un tema rilevante per il mio lavoro e la curiosità, ho anticipato i miei tempi d’azione.
Da brava dottoranda, sono andata diligentemente a consultare i protocolli ministeriali presso la facoltà di Scienze della Società e della Cultura di Salisburgo. Ho trovato i volumi relativi al gabinetto Belcredi e li ho letti attentamente, confrontandomi poi anche con gli studi che ho fatto e continuo a fare per le mie pubblicazioni.
Sperando che la casa editrice non si arrabbi (bitte keine Anklage!!!Ich habe kein Geld! Fair Use – Studienzwecke!), riproduco il pezzetto della discordia…è una porzione piccolissima che riproduco per motivi di studio – diciamo così – ed è reperibile in tutte le biblioteche universitarie dell’Austria, nonché – suppongo – anche in altre biblioteche nel mondo.
Si tratta sicuramente di misure molto dure, ma del tutto limitate alla sfera burocratica: parliamo di un “ordine imperiale” di favorire l’occupazione di cariche ufficiali, burocratiche o di possibile influenza sulla popolazione (quali maestri di scuola) da parte di persone che non subissero l’influenza “italiana”, cioè che non facessero propaganda per la riunione di tutte le terre di lingua romanza/neoromanza sotto il Regno dei Savoia. Questo per il Tirolo del Sud, la Dalmazia ed il Litorale (interessante la non menzione del Welschtirol, il Trentino, ma solo quella di Südtirol. Questo rimane un punto da chiarire. Da aggiornamento del luglio 2012 rimango ancora stupita dall´uso di quest´espressione che ho sempre e solo trovato in fonti non ufficiali nel periodo prima della prima guerra mondiale. In un documento diocesano salisburghese del 1917 ho trovato l´espressione “sudtirolesi” rivolta proprio ai trentini, come modo per definire semplicemente la gente del Tirolo del Sud). Ora, è bene sottolineare subito che stiamo parlando dell’immediato post-1866, cioè del dopo “Terza guerra d’indipendenza”, per usare la definizione abbastanza etnocentrica che viene utilizzata nella didattica e – spesso – anche nella ricerca italiana. I problemi concreti della Duplice Monarchia erano legati ai segni di cedimento e disgregazione, che provenivano innanzitutto dagli ungheresi ed ovviamente dai Walsche militanti (non il popolo trentino, per esempio, piuttosto freddo rispetto alle idee nazionalliberali italiane…), che ora avevano un possibile stato nazionale a cui guardare. Negli stessi anni e negli anni successivi le strategie della Duplice Monarchia compresero, non a caso, uno stretto controllo sulle attività della Pro Patria – dal 1890 della Lega Nazionale – ed un sostegno ai croati – l´elemento croato all´interno della Duplice Monarchia – in funzione anti-ungherese. Ora, però, la ricerca non si può fermare qui. C’è da contestualizzare ed approfondire. La stessa edizione dei protocolli aiuta, in questo senso.
All’inizio del volume i curatori offrono un commento alla situazione della Duplice Monarchia, che contiene anche una sorta di glossa per questo punto dell’ordine. La trovate nello stesso tomo, alle pagine LI e LII. Il punto arrivò all’ordine del giorno a causa degli sviluppi poco sereni degli ultimi mesi, in un odg troppo lungo e completamente pieno. Il gabinetto mandò due giorni dopo una missiva alle autorità distrettuali di Trieste e del Litorale che invitò a pianificare coerentemente il controllo dell’ “elemento italiano”. Qualora fosse stata applicata conseguentemente – così i curatori – una simile direttiva avrebbe portato ad una modificazione sostanziale dell’ordinamento elettorale in vigore col precedente cancelliere, il liberale Anton von Schmerling, ordinamento che aveva come scopo il favorire nel Litorale l’elemento italiano-urbano rispetto a quello slavo-contadino. (Ma tu guarda…). Le direttive non furono applicate (e d’altronde, aggiungo io, non poteva essere diversamente, dato che la situazione cambiò parecchio per l’Austria – poi Austria-Ungheria) se non in due casi dove pare di poter vedere un tentativo di dar seguito alla politica di controllo sulle possibili influenze italiane. Uno dei casi è lo sforzo di porre fine all’uso dell’italiano come lingua di trattativa ufficiale (in affari o a livello amministrativo e burocratico, così si traduce il concetto di Geschäftssprache!) a Trieste, Gorizia ed in Istria. Nel punto successivo dell’ odg si evincono altri elementi interessanti: si discusse se applicare l’amnistia in seguito al trattato di pace al segretario del Consiglio comunale di Gorizia, Carlo Favetti, “pericoloso agitatore” e sudtirolese. Per molti, fra cui la suprema autorità distrettuale di Trieste, non era da amnistiare in quanto “pericolosissimo agitatore”, e dello stesso parere era il cancelliere, che era al corrente della sua militanza per un Sudtirolo italiano. Il Ministro degli esteri era invece per la clemenza. Favetti fu poi però amnistiato nel febbraio del 1867 in seguito a richiesta del ministro della giustizia.
Insomma, dopo un po’ di lavoro appare che non solo non vi fu genocidio (se no, perché non cominciare con Favetti?) ma che perfino le misure di controllo dell´”italianitá” furono accantonate, fermo restando la vigilanza sugli attivisti Pro Patria – Lega Nazionale e la punibilità di reati come attentati, diserzioni (cose comuni in ogni stato, perfino nelle democrazie liberali del 20° secolo). Il confine fra promozione della lingua e della cultura italiana/romanza e l’attivismo politico anti-Aquila a due teste non era facile da discernere in alcuni casi; nonostante ciò gli italofoni-Volksitaliener continuarono a poter vivere come Volksitaliener qualora evitassero di incorrere nelle maglie della giustizia penale (leggi pericolo per lo stato) o amministrativo (leggi non essere in possesso dei requisiti di residenza o cittadinanza necessari). Insomma, i punti elencati dai nostri visionari patrioti sono prodotto di fantasia. Dopo i Protocolli dei Savi di Sion, in effetti, sentivamo la mancanza di un qualche protocollo immaginario, e questa volta ce li siamo trovati “compilati” a partire da dei Protocolli reali – anzi, imperiali!
Il gabinetto Belcredi fu caratterizzato da politiche volte, conformemente alle idee dello stesso Belcredi, alla conservazione dell’Impero “Austriaco” (Kaiserreich, da non confondersi con la Duplice Monarchia Austria-Ungheria), eventualmente alla sua trasformazione in senso federalista, e alla sua difesa dall’elemento “italiano” o “prussiano” o “ungherese”. Non a caso le trattative con l’Ungheria prima ed il compromesso poi nel 1867 videro la sua uscita di scena dalla politica. I tempi stavano cambiando e Belcredi ritenne di non essere più un attore adatto per il nuovo palcoscenico, probabilmente. Sulla sua figura vorrei ricordare anche che proveniva da una famiglia nobile di origine italiana, pur essendo lui moravo di madrelingua tedesca. Un bell’esempio della complessità dell’Impero Austriaco.
Nessuna misura di repressione (tanto meno di pulizia etnica o genocidio) contro gli italiani in quanto tali da parte della Duplice Monarchia è stata finora da me riscontrata nelle fonti e nella letteratura, esclusi gli anni della guerra mondiale quando, ovviamente, vi furono rifugiati, internati civili, prigionieri di guerra (come in tutti gli stati coinvolti). Per ora so solo di alcuni ordini di vigilanza del 1907 (vedere nota bibliografica alla fine) rivolte ai Reichsitaliener (italiani regnicoli) lavoratori immigrati nel Tirolo e nel Salisburghese, quindi in un’ altra epoca in cui gli equilibri di potere in Europa e nel Mediterraneo si stavano spostando ed era in preparazione la guerra. Non a caso le misure stesse erano da intendersi come direttive finalizzate al non farsi trovare impreparati in caso di mobilitazione bellica. D’altronde anche leggendo alcune opere (Una storia balcanica, a cura di Lorenzo Bertucelli e Mila Orlic; Strategie educative dei ceti medi italiani a Trieste tra la fine del XIX sec. e il 1914, di Vittorio Caporrella – un’opera decisamente “italianissima” ma che non nasconde la situazione di autonomia degli italofoni triestini-, Das Deutschenbild Alcide De Gasperis(1881-1954), di Michael Völkl, per citare le prime cose che ho sulla mia scrivania fisica o virtuale) si percepisce come le comunitá di lingua italiana/veneta, friulana, ladina avessero tutte le libertá previste dalle leggi austroungariche, ed in lingua italiana si potessero gestire scuole e corsi universitari.
Il problema è che troppo spesso gente a cui mancano i fondamentali di storia, scienza politica, diritto , lingue (ragazzi, col Macaroni-English o col Macaroni-Deutsch non si va da nessuna parte!) ha oggi il diritto di scrivere, e questo non su una propria pagina ma su un’enciclopedia come Wikipedia. E qui la nuova segnalazione di Sandi, che mi fa notare come una serie di cagate pazzesche (cit. Fantozzi) siano state recepite un tanto al braccio e sbattute lì. Già che c’erano, mi fa notare Sandi, è stato pure messo il povero Konrad zu Hohenlohe, da sempre impegnato nella mediazione proprio con gli italiani, specie in funzione di controllo sugli slavi, come mostro anti-italiano. Forse il povero principe è finito sulla lista nera a causa delle sue simpatie per le rivendicazioni dei lavoratori? Sandi mi segnala anche che è di dominio pubblico fra i triestini il fatto che i “provvedimenti di Hohenlohe” fecero licenziare i Reichsitaliener: non, cioè, i Volksitaliener cittadini austroungarici, ma i regnicoli – dipendenti del Comune di Trieste. Difficilmente un’istituzione permette di occupare cariche ufficiali senza la cittadinanza, anche nelle democrazie liberali! Di nuovo, quindi, nessuna deportazione e nessun genocidio. In merito ho trovato la voce enciclopedica curata dall’Accademia Austriaca delle Scienze che conferma quanto affermato da Sandi: http://epub.oeaw.ac.at:8000/oebl/oebl_H/Hohenlohe-Schillingsfuerst_Konrad_1863_1918.xml
Intendiamoci, lo stesso dico degli altrettanto incresciosi episodi di dalmati di lingua veneta/italiana/romanza/come vi pare “trasformati” in croati sulla Wiki inglese, una falsificazione ed un anacronismo insieme. (qui la fonte da cui sono venuta a sapere della cosa, in particolare consiglio la visualizzazione dell’articolo sui dalmati dimenticati http://www.storiainrete.com/4773/medio-evo/marko-polo-esploratore-croato-lennesimo-scippo-storico-di-zagabria ) D’altronde sempre di nazionalisti si parla…e proprio per un nazionalista sembra difficile accettare che vi furono, nella storia, realtà che cercarono di far convivere diverse identità linguistiche e culturali, che esistettero stati non corrispondenti agli odierni con una cittadinanza che non era necessariamente collegata alla lingua madre, ecc… Sulla liceità e sulla fattibilità di una simile progettualità politica non intendo discutere in questo post, per separare il discorso politico da quello storico. Qui vorrei solo ricordare che gli anacronismi da nazionalista del 19° e primo 20° secolo sono veramente ridicoli e spesso sono mirati più al giustificare l’odierno che allo scrivere la storia in maniera scientifica. Un esempio che a me sta a cuore? Raimondo Montecuccoli ed il Muratori, modenesi come me, citati come italiani dalla Wiki italiana, il Montecuccoli citato come austriaco dalla Wiki austriaca. Non sono in preda ad un delirio campanilista, parlo dei Ducato di Modena, stato indipendente fino al 1859 e con una storia molto particolare mai sufficientemente valorizzata come é successo con quella del Libero Comune, alla quale la prima é strettamente connessa(sugli anacronismi assurdi segnalo anche un altro post del mio blog, quello sulla mostra per il 150° dell’Italia…).
Detto questo, le campagne basate su falsi storici sono cose che danno fastidio a me che sono una professionista del mestiere. Rimango del tutto irritata dal dilettantismo mili-tonto spacciato per storia, nonché dal bisogno di arrabbiarsi con la morta e sepolta Austria-Ungheria per presunti torti anti-italiani (in realtà semplici rivalità con lo stato savoiardo, una cosa ben diversa) nell’anno di grazia 2012. Posso immaginare quanto sia poco gradito tutto ciò dai poveri triestini, che mi hanno gentilmente segnalato queste vicende, triestini per secoli austriaci (eh, già, a scuola in Italia non lo insegnano che Trieste si era offerta agli Asburgo alla fine del 1300…vero?) e negli ultimi decenni confusi con veneti, friulani, istriani, dalmati e vittime di continue falsificazioni della loro storia.
Per ulteriori info: a destra trovate i link a due miei libri, in cui affronto in parte la storia dell’Austria; nei libri di storia militare troverete che nella Marina Imperialregia l’italiano era una lingua molto comune; spero quest’anno di finire e difendere la tesi di dottorato in cui, fra i tanti temi, affronto il tema dei profughi e degli internati trentini, triestini e dalmati a Modena e Salisburgo; se conoscete Sandi (Alessandro De Vecchi), potete accedere alla sua nutrita e curata documentazione sui falsi storici di stampo revanscista-nazionalista, per la quale sono grata; le pagine di Wikipedia su Trieste, Dalmazia ecc…riportano spesso i falsi storici e lasciano visibile l’eventuale discussione sulle modifiche. Le misure del 1907 citate sopra, da in Hans Haas, Salzburg in der Habsburgermonarchie. Nationalbewusstsein, Patriotismus und Krieg. Der Krieg, in Heinz Dopsch, Hans Spatzenegger(hrsg. von), Geschichte Salzburgs. Stadt und Land, Bd. II, Neuzeit und Zeitgeschichte, 2. Teil, Salzburg, Universitätsverlag Anton Pustet 1988, p. 1007 e seguenti. Cito anche gli atti di una conferenza, Die Donaumonarchie und die Südslavische Frage von 1848 bis 1918, editi da Adam Wandriszka, Richard Georg Plaschka e Anna Drabek. Alcuni temi sono stati da me affrontati nei papers presentati da me ad alcune conferenze: cito in particolare il paper http://independent.academia.edu/FelicitaRatti/Talks/47939/Modena_and_Salzburg_during_and_after_FWW._The_case_of_mobilization_of_urban_elites_and_bourgeoisie_during_the_world_and_in_the_aftermath . Un articolo interessante è anche questo di Stefan Wedrac per la Rivista «Storia e Futuro», L’ Ira dell’Aquila, nonostante metta nuovamente Raimondo Montecuccoli come italiano 🙂 http://www.storiaefuturo.com/it/numero_19/articoli/1_lega-nazionale-litorale-austriaco-trieste~1224.html#1 con le versioni in italiano e tedesco nonché un riassunto in inglese.
Il cartello che segnò il confine a Borghetto fra Regno d’Italia e Duplice Monarchia d’Austria-Ungheria fino alla sua poco delicata rimozione nel maggio 1915 – Foto Felicita Ratti – Museo italiano della guerra
Sul problema Welschtirol/Trentino/Südtirol, ammetto che nella
maggior parte dei testi accademici i trentini vengono chiamati sudtirolesi, mentre in alcuni documenti da me analizzati nell´Archivio Diocesano di Salisburgo i trentini vengono chiamati proprio “sudtirolesi”. Nelle fonti prevale l’ambiguità terminologica rispetto alla relativa chiarezza della letteratura accademica di qualità. La questione rimane aperta, ma molto probabilmente si intendeva l’intero Tirolo del Sud fino al Borghetto.
(continua – da rifinire – commenti costruttivi per una storiografia europea di livello sempre ben accetti, commenti distruttivi = si cercherà di volgerli in chiave costruttiva)
EDIT E AGGIUNTA/PRECISAZIONE 2024:
sono stati rimossi alcuni idiomatici usi di terminologia italiana non corretta seppur popolare, cercando di privilegiare la terminologia scientifica che si basa sulla traduzione dal tedesco (Duplice Monarchia al posto del più popolare e premiato anche in ottica SEO/SEM ma scorretto Impero austro-ungarico ecc.).
Ovviamente alcune delle persone citate nell’articolo si sono mobilitate politicamente in questi 12 anni: non è comunque un segreto che pure molti commentatori fossero militanti di altri movimenti politici né che si siano divertiti a spammare di commenti il blog. Si noti però che qui ci sono diverse fonti e diversi ragionamenti, che si possono anche rifiutare per convinzione personale, ma che sono basati su fatti.
Ovviamente questo blog è pressoché abbandonato a causa del cambio di carriera dell’autrice, e, salvo alcune modifiche per correggere errori di battitura o imprecisioni rilevate in 12 anni di ulteriore carriera, non si prevedono altre aggiunte contenutistiche.
L’autrice è però disponibile per corsi di lingua, storia e cultura di Austria e Germania in ottica comparata, nei quali spiegherà le differenze nella storia come materia di scuola e nella storia scientifica nei vari paesi, i punti di tensione e contrasto, le problematiche che sorgono sia nella storiografia sia nella politica: atypicalitalian.com. Preparazione esami di tedesco B2+/C1 inclusa per chi fosse interessato, se no si parlerà di Österreich vs. Österreich-Ungarn, di quale sia il “vero” tedesco (se esiste), di Krankenkasse vs. Sozialversicherung ecc. Allo stesso modo, è disponibile per traduzioni di manuali di storia e politica. I profili LinkedIn e i profili come A-Typical Italian sono i nuovi punti di riferimento per contenuti storia, lingua e cultura comparata di società e medicina. Grazie!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,500 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 25 trips to carry that many people.
Click here to see the complete report.
Even the stats say that the most remarkable highlight of 2011 was the Bob & Mark gig 🙂
Something new will come soon…to you all, euch allen, a vuèter, a tutti voi
Happy new year, ein gutes neues Jahr, bòun àn nòv, buon anno nuovo!
One of the things I do for living (being Italian grants for studying, well, rather of the non-existent type…and being Austrian ones off limits for me unless I marry one of them…which is not going to happen soon…) is translating into Italian from English/German and teaching Italian. I teach privately or in small groups; I teach children, teens and adults. Some of them follow a real course, some others just take the so-called repetitions or want to deepen their knowledge.
There are many stereotypes about the Italian language and Italians. I totally agree: our language sounds very beautiful. But… every “beautiful” thing brings a sort of curse with itself, a “but” (exactly: how did I begin this sentence?). Many teachers or trainers, including myself, develop strategies in order to avoid or postpone real difficulties in learning. Intuitive learning, learning by heart, imitating, simplifying…
The “but” is very simple: although many people come to “us” with passion, interest and love, they face a lot of difficulties. For German-speaking people this is particularly awkward. Being our neighbours and among our biggest admirers, they idealise Italy and Italian, they often hear things they interpret freely or read/hear horrible commercials with mistakes, thus originating what I call “Kartoffel-Italienisch”, potato-Italian. (Not that Italians don’t eat potatoes: Kartoffel is simply one of the words normally associated with German-speaking people in the Italian popular culture and this seemed to me a good counterpart for the term indicating the equally horrible “Macaroni-Deutsch”, macaroni-German). Somehow they are lead to think that German is one of the most difficult languages in the world because many people complain about the wide use of declension. These complaining people never heard about Russian or Polish (as far as I know). Of course German is far more difficult that English. Also, possibilities to practice Deutsch are less than for the simpler Germanic brother. For example: no one would watch a TV show in German (I know I don’t. It really hurts: the dubbing is pretty horrible. Sorry, folks 🙂 ). Getting friends is very difficult and one gets confined in the “acquaintances-zone” for… I still don’t know how long. I got to know other Italians living here now, after four years…and they had to settle for having Italian friends. I was quite stubborn and clever and stayed away from my “fellows”, so my German is very good and I even understand dialects. (Nevertheless my proofreader says I write very poorly. I agree: I find German too strict to use creativity in writing and I get bored. But I love speaking it, especially the Austrian variant!).
Which facts and things seem to nerve poor Italian learners, especially in my “environment”?
Of course, no one should scare the hell out of people by listing difficulties with a threatening tone before even starting the course. At the same time, saying that everything is fine and that there won’t be any problem is a terrible lie one can maybe tell if doing a course “Italian for travel”, where the learner just learns by heart/imitation. Pupils who are going to learn Italian for five years or people who seriously consider developing intermediate/advanced skills, maybe even a certificate, won’t move forward if they are not aware of these things.
So, dear teacher/trainer/whatever, it’s up to you! 😉 And you can, if you want!
Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan in Innsbruck, 8th November 2011 seen by a sort of a researcher and a music junkie.
So, here I am, thinking a lot, still drowning in emotions.
I had to eat a lot of chocolate, drink a lot of coffee and force myself to get up. The 50 E-mails I received in 30 hours of being off-line also helped a lot. After all, it’ s true: I have to earn the money for rock concerts and answering to that mails or reacting accordingly is one of the necessary steps in order to reconnect with reality!
Introduction to the humble user posting her opinion in the following lines:
Mark Knopfler is one of my fav guitar player and I love him as a guitar player. That was my first time I saw him. I know almost all of his songs as solo career and Dire Straits star but I am not the 200% expert
I love Bob, period. Even though I know I miss the necessary culture to understand him fully, I just love him. That was my 14th gig.
I was in the VIPs places, so I saw everything, except for small details, and enjoyed a high quality sound. I only missed Bob’s facial expressions and eyes a lot (to explain this: I was 12 times out of 13 always in the first row + I fancy blue eyes…) and I could not appreciate Mark’s fingers on the strings (this fascinates me as well). Nevertheless it was like listening to an album with a professional stereo!!! Mark’s and Charlie’s hands sliding on the guitar neck had to suffice!)
Things to have with in Ibk with Bob&Mark
I travelled by train. At the main station I picked up one of the free newspapers you usually find there, noticing a big face on the cover. I was sure it had to be Bob. Imagine my disappointment when I saw a huge Berlusconi’s face instead making its display on the main page of the free issue of the Tiroler Tageszeitung. I got to the Olympiahalle around three PM. The buses had arrived a few minutes ago, but I had no luck. Still, I immediately changed my facial expression into a girlish smile and all my emotions kicked in in spades. I spent the previous evening checking out the live set list on the Expecting Rain forum and listening to I want you, Tunnel of Love(DS), Learning to fly (Tom Petty), Slow Train coming (the latter being a dangerous choice, knowing I had to go by train and being aware that I would not have appreciated a slow train to the Tyrolean capital:-D). My best fantasies of Prince Charming could not accompany me into Morpheus’s arms, no way. And Prince Charming was suddenly wearing Texan boots, a cowboy hat, a black leather jacket and played guitar as only a God could. 🙂
Deciding not to cause troubles in the backstage (upsetting Bob and Mark is not the way I want to be remembered), I had a stroll around the place. Who knows, maybe I could have gotten an opportunity to get my Infidels cover signed, maybe I could have found some old acquaintances to talk with or to organise the stage-rush… with our best greetings to the security…
I made acquaintance with a nice couple from Graz I immediately recognized as Gleichgesinnte, as sharing the same wishes and tasks I had 🙂 We had a coffee at the Sport bar, heard some chords and riffs from what I believe was Mark’s soundcheck, made a security guy nervous with our smiles, our stares and my childish attempt to have a look behind certain glass doors…
18:30, admission.
After trying for half an hour to get to the stage and finding closed doors (be glad I did not turn on any alarm! 
) or – worse – security guys explaining me where my place was and refusing any kind of corruption 😀 , I decided to enjoy the advantages of my VIP place. I did not even try to get to the stage for Bob because in the time I had to spend climbing down I would have been too far away already.
Mark opened with my fav song of his solo career, What it is, so I was already pleased! Unfortunately he played only Brothers in arms from DS then closed with So far away. Dreams are dreams and I dreamt of MANY DS songs 😉 My emotions were already out and I appreciate the calm seat neighbours for not throwing me down!
He is awesome, there is nothing more to say. He is perfection! His band is great as well! No wrong note. He is calm and passionate at the same time when playing. Great BiA and Sailing to Philadephia, awesome.
Then HE came.
Mark played for 4 songs and added a great edge. My notebook says: “THC Mark great, great arrangement” and “Mississippi, Mark and Charlie set up an awesome guitar dialogue”.
Bob was awesome. Maybe he did not sing that good in Germany, but yesterday he was really great and expressive. One could hear the lyrics quite clear. Of course we all know his voice is not this one anymore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUWowN5XlJgl …but boys, he still has it! I also loved the way he seemed to enjoy the stage and the way he moved. (moving, dancing, living it! My last gigs were quite awful: Bob stuck by the keyboard and almost not moving 
)
He took my breath away during Shooting star: the way he sang and moved. I also appreciated the way Mark’s guitar and Bob’s harp “made love” ( which is also one of the reasons I love Infidels!!!)
I also marked Honest with me as a great version. My faithful yet full of sweat notebook reports: “Bob guitar. Great riff”.
Visions of Johanna: wow. Sung and played in a way I never heard. Wow. TUIB: “Bob dances”. Summer days: good arrangement. Please note that I heard the whole Love and Theft album live more than anything else…so my appreciation comes from the fact that they really had chemistry, the played with passion and tried something “new” (to define “new”: I did not see Bob since 2008!). Charlie Sexton: another wonderful surprise. I always remembered him as quite tense. Yesterday he was great and I noticed a great feeling with Bob!!!
(yes, I missed Bob’s gig for a while, I know!)
I made acquaintance with some nice Austrian fans before, during and after the show and that was a nice plus for the day.
The ones who were sitting near me were very patient, considering that I danced (really danced) the whole concert and I called out BOOOOOOOOB after almost any song. The one on my right even encouraged me to express myself further and I answered: “If I really shout out loud Bob, I love you, I can forget being the researcher and start being the patient!”.
If anybody of those acquaintances reads this: I hope you appreciate my thanks for the company and my fondest greetings!
The return train to Salzburg (or Linz-Vienna) at 1:14 was full with “concert survivors”. We had to wake up everybody in order to sit (we were very sorry!). Once again, I enjoyed the moment: there were some very young fans, full of enthusiasm, talking about Bob, Tom Petty, The Boss, Dire Straits….Oh, I wish I had such kids! Moreover, our devastated faces at 1 or 3 in the morning on the train in our outfits (and sweat! Boy, it was HOT!) made a very rock ‘n roll picture!!! Another tidbit I am glad to put in my biography! 
Of course this could not seem the right tour to follow date after date because it could get repetitive, and of course my fantasy about them playing Infidels after a Tunnel of Love with Bob on organ intro stayed a fantasy..but….it depends. I was so glad to be there and If I had time and money I would have followed him/them. This night I dreamt about London. So…draw your conclusions! 
Reflections (for the press reviews and some “allowed” pictures, just skip this part and have a look below!)
My bank accounts are clear, my life is everything but dreamy and my conscience is aware of the fact that I did a lot of wrong choices and that I am paying for them. But yesterday I felt so alive, as only music always made me. Music always made me feel better. I realised that I did made a lot of mistakes, but spending time for live gigs was never one of those, no way. I am afraid that Bob is going to quit soon (please, correct me ANY TIME!). Now I am able to tell my nieces I saw him 14 times. Hell, I even flirted with him in Strasbourg ( I checked out, it was Strasbourg 2002!). I am able to tell them I am full of vibrations any time I hear a good riff or solo and that I have been in the same hall as a guy who made alone 50% of the best solos and riffs on this earth. I am able to tell them I did my small deed to support friends starting their serious musical career.
My e-mail account screams I should start again with economic crisis and historical epidemiology…you know, the fun stuff. Now it is the time. I just must not forget that I can be everything but alone as long as I can bring my memories with me and play my music. I forgot it quite often. The couple from Graz also remembered me that I have an artistic side inside of me. They did it by showing me some of their creations. I was not exactly educated to boost my artistic side, because my family knows how hard it is to earn money even by dirt working and always suggested to keep it as a nice spare time occupation. They are right, but my creativity should encourage me to find the right place for “the other side”. I am plenty of ideas! 😉 (My PhD dissertation features quotes from With God on our side and Brothers in Arms, hoping that the supervisor and the dean do not force me to remove them!)
The title quotes a verse from “I want you” and the title of a DS song. It was just meant as a tribute and I hope it does not sound as disrespectful, since I “shaped” the words till giving them a quite subjective meaning, which has nothing to do with the original lyrics. This is especially true for His Bobness, whose lyrics are something above my writing standards, even in Italian, and whose stanza and line refer to a quite different situation. I was listening to the songs and the idea simply took form.
Check out the official websites and the on-line fan communities of Mr. Dylan and Mr. Knopfler. I am only a passionate but inadequate admirer!
http://www.nicolamenicacci.com/bd/
The last ones are my favourite resources I use to understand more of Bob’s world.
The “press” about the concert: best articles in my opinion!
http://www.salzburg.com/online/nachrichten/kultur/Dylan-und-Knopfler-begeistern-in-Innsbruck.html?article=eGMmOI8Vf8VW9NV6CQ7kh8DBhvOHAJnBVWtTab6&img=&text=&mode= from the Salzburger Nachrichten ( a well known Austrian newspaper based in Salzburg which often features interesting things about Bob. There has to be a fan! 🙂 ). Appreciates both, very positive comments. Mark the “conservative” with mastery and Bob the “revolutionary”.
http://diepresse.com/home/kultur/popco/707266/Auf-der-Strasse_Bob-Dylan-in-Innsbruck?_vl_backlink=/home/kultur/popco/index.do from Die Presse, along with Der Standard the most important (also internationally) Austrian newspaper. More Bob-centred: “The best and wildest band”. Sure it was like that on Tuesday!
http://www.tt.com/csp/cms/sites/tt/Freizeit/3741938-2/die-zeiten-haben-sich-ge%C3%A4ndert.csp from the Tyrolean newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung, a lively report ( or should I say Bericht? 🙂 ) of the evening.
All of us agree: that was a GREAT evening!
The poster (Bob hot, Mark cute!!)
The ticket
Felicita Ratti's Blog 
