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" Extraordinary!  How else would you describe an 8-day trip discovering the vicissitudes of Nietzsche's life by visiting famous Nietzschean sights in Germany, Switzerland and Italy - where he was born and is buried, where he met Wagner, where he studied & taught and where he wrote "Thus Spake Zarathustra" - in the company of a Ph.D. in Nietzschean philosophy who organized and then lead the amazing trip.  But that is exactly what happened and it truly was extraordinary.

And so, between May 15th and May 23rd, 2010, I accompanied Yunus Tuncel, Ph.D., philosophy teacher and Nietzsche scholar, together with my wife, Suzanne, and retired financier and philosophy buff, Michael Pollack, as we wound our way from Liepsig to Turin, with  side trips to Buchenwald and Bayreuth, and learned such things as Nietzsche's near blindness apparently caused by opiates prescribed by his doctors for a plethora of physical and emotional ailments from which he grievously suffered on a daily basis to the point that he had to teach himself how to write without looking and could only read for 30 minutes a day, his depression when "The Birth of Tragedy" was rejected by his colleagues in the philology department at Liepsig University and his immaturity when compelled at the tender age of 23 to attend social functions necessitated by his professorship.  If anyone can legitimately be classified as an ubermensch, it must be Nietzsche, who overcame crushing disabilities and shortcomings to evolve into a world renowned philosopher with his provocative theories of the will to power, eternal return, the death of God and perspectivism.

Thank you Yunus for a lifetime memory and for the opportunity to learn of Nietzsche the man and how his life shaped his philosophy. " - Howard S. Davis

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Newsletter     Volume I-1    Nietzsche-May2010

Basel

 

In April of 1869 Nietzsche moved to Basel to take up his post at Basel University. In addition to his duties as the Greek philologist, he had to teach at the Padegogium. Nietzsche’s teaching life lasted for about 10 years with interruptions. On the evening of May 20th we arrived in Basel and met with Dr. Anton Bierl, who now occupies Nietzsche’s chair at Basel University (the Department of Philology is no longer housed in its old building where Nietzsche used to teach, which is located right on the Rhine). Dr. Bierl was kind enough to host us and have a discussion with us on Nietzsche’s relationship with philology. The following morning we met with Dr. David Marc Hoffmann (we had already met him the previous evening at the University), the current president of the Nietzsche Haus in Sils Maria, who gave us a tour of Nietzsche’s residences in Basel. He is also the editor of Schwabe, a publishing house that publishes, among others, many books on Nietzsche. The first house where Nietzsche lived on Schützengraben is located just outside the old city walls the removal of which had started in 1860s. Nietzsche used to walk from his house to the university, passing through the old tower, Spalentor. As we thanked Dr. Hoffmann for his time, we parted from him in front of the Weinstube where Nietzsche used to dine and had lunch there.



Bayreuth




Nietzsche was present at the foundation of Wagner’s Festspielhaus in Bayreuth in May, 1872. But later he was repulsed by the crowds in the festival of 1876. In Bayreuth Wagner put into practice many of his ideas on festive and grand artistic spectacle, what he called “music-drama.” The festival takes place every summer, in July and August. During this time many of his operas are performed. During Wagners’ stay in Tribschen, Nietzsche was a frequent visitor. Both Richard and Cosima Wagner enjoyed his visits. However, after the Wagners’ move to Bayreuth Nietzsche saw them only a few times. Nietzsche’s last encounter with Wagner took place in Sorrento, southern Italy, in November, 1876.

 

Eze


Nietzsche would visit Eze, a little village on the coast, during his stay in Nice. The bay is enveloped by mountains with steep summits. Nietzsche hiked here to reflect on his thoughts. The view of the Mediterrenean from high up is impressive; it must have been more impressive in Nietzsche’s time without the technological layer.

 

 

Jena


After Nietzsche went insane and spent some time in Basel, he was brought to the mental clinic in Jena. He was treated by Dr. Biswanger and his team and spent about a year at this clinic. Dr. Stephan Lorenz Sorgner was generous with his time to take us to the mental clinic, which is under renovation now, and to give us a tour of this historical city where Hegel, some of the Romantics, and other historical figures once lived.



Rocken




Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was born on October 15, Tuesday, at approximately 10 am in Röcken. His parents were Karl Ludwig (1813-1849) and Franziska (1826-1897 maiden name Oehler). Nietzsche is named after the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, as a demonstration of loyalty but also because of the coincidence of his birthday with the king's. He was baptized on October 24. Röcken was a small, quite rural village, roughly midway between Naumburg and Leipzig. Although Nietzsche’s family lived here only for five years, the family are buried here: Karl Ludwig (1849), Franziska (1897), Nietzsche (1900), and Elisabeth (1935).



Schulpforta




In 1858 Nietzsche moves to Schulpforta, about an hour's walk from Naumburg. Formerly a religious institution Schulpforta was converted into a gymnasium in the sixteenth century during the Reformation; the site may have earlier pagan significance (especially the cemetery is noteworthy to see). The school, which produced many of Germany’s writers, has some 200 students in Nietzsche’s time. The regimen at Pforta was strict and traditional. A typical day might go like this: 5 am wakeup; 5:30 morning prayer and a quick breakfast; 6 am classes commence; noon the main meal with prayer at 12:30; 2-4 pm afternoon classes; 4:15-5 reading hour; 5:15-7 homework; 7 evening meal; 8:30 prayer; 9 in bed with lights out and dormitory doors locked.




Sils Maria




Nietzsche spent most of his summers in 1880s in Sils Maria. Here in the Swiss Alps he found inspiration for many of his books, and many insights came to him in his walks in the mountains and around the lakes. This is the predominantly Romansch region of Switzerland; the locals speak a dialect called puter. Nietzsche’s landlady was also a Romansch. It is highly unlikely that this was a language Nietzsche mastered (without language Nietzsche could get along with people, especially with the children of the household). On the morning of May 22nd our group met with Dr. Peter André Bloch at the Nietzsche Haus in Sils-Maria. He gave us a talk on Nietzsche’s life and then guided us through the Haus. One room is dedicated to an extensive collection of books and other material from Oscar Levy’s estate, donated to the Haus by his daughter and her husband. After we were done with the Haus, Dr. Bloch showed us around, took us to the cemetery where Giacometti is buried. Dr. Bloch and his wife hosted us at their beautiful house in the Alps, before we left for Turin.




Turin




Nietzsche collapsed in the plaza in Turin in early January of 1889. His friend, Franz Overbeck, came to Turin and took him to Basel shortly after. When we were there on May 23rd, Saturday, the plaza was packed with tourists for a religious celebration. 


Weimar


In July 1897 Nietzsche’s sister, Elizabeth Förster-Nietzsche, moved him to this house in Weimar where he lived until his death on August 25th, 1900. As the Nietzsche-Archiv it once housed Nietzsche’s manuscripts, which were relocated to the Goethe-Schiller Archives. Right now it houses the Nietzsche Kolleg led by Dr. Schmidt-Grepaly. The Kolleg organizes events with Nietzsche scholars on contemporary issues. We are thankful to him and to the researchers there to show us around. Although we could not meet with Dr. Schmidt-Grepaly at the Kolleg, he visited us at our hotel where we had a discussion with him over coffee.