Flying... Fleeing

Ten days ago, I managed to leave London for Frankfurt. It was a very, very empty Heathrow and the departures board resembled one at a small provincial airport. Many of the few people were wearing masks. Quite a few Asians were wearing full protective clothing. 

The first flight that I was booked on, had already been cancelled, but they put me on a later one on the same day. I arrived early at Heathrow, just in case there would be more bureaucracy. There wasn’t and all the coffee shops and food places were closed. I had nothing to do but hope that they don’t cancel the flight.

At some point, the young chap, who sat next to me waiting for his flight to Athens, put on a face mask. He wore it for about 15 minutes and then took it off again. I asked him why he had put it on and then why he had taken it off. He explained, that he did not really believe the masks were necessary but that he had promised his parents to wear one. He laughed when I asked whether 15 minutes made him feel that he has kept his promise. Then he added, “this Corona only hits old people, anyway”. “You are just talking to one”, I said, “Oh”, he said, “I didn’t mean it. I am sorry”. 

Here’s someone spotted waiting for his flight:

The flight wasn’t cancelled. I have never flown in such a clean airplane. Nevertheless, I disinfected the seat-handles and seat-belt. The woman next to me wore a mask. People were very quiet. No one coughed. No one even got up to go to the toilet.

I expected strict measures to regulate entry. I expected to be quizzed about my movements or perhaps even be instructed to self-isolate for 14 days. Having read about arriving passengers in New-Zealand and in the Maldives, who had been quarantined in beach-front luxury hotels, I was fantasising about something similar. Nothing of the sort. Much to my surprise, there were no special measures at the Frankfurt airport. Just the usual: passport control, luggage and out. 

Relaxing in Frankfurt

Germany seems more relaxed than Britain, at this stage. On my daily walks, often by the river, many people can be spotted sort-of keeping to the rules. Haven’t seen any group picnics yet, but I expect that as the weather will get warmer, younger people will not adhere to the admonishments constantly being broadcast. 

I especially liked these two men, standing smoking their cigars and drinking red wine from real wine glasses: clearly business class, not economy.

Frankfurt II - Who should run the Städel?

Can one blame politicians for being populist? The answer is yes. In 2001, Frankfurt’s then mayor Petra Roth, met a fundraising assistant at the Guggenheim in NY and brought him to Frankfurt. She first gave him the Schirn exhibition hall to manage, then made him Director General of Frankfurt’s most important art museums, the Städel and the Liebieghaus.

Hollein is a marketing man and ran his museums accordingly. Big, crowd-pleasing exhibitions and constant publicity. Not least, self-publicity. Now that he is leaving, Frankfurt should seriously consider going back to the academic model of art museums. Museums should, after all, be more than exhibition halls with fanfare.  

This will not be an easy decision, as publicity is a drug and Frankfurt got used to it. The mayor who will decide to opt for an academic, an art historian, rather than a marketing man, will have to bear the accusation that “nobody mentions the Städel anymore”.

Frankfurt I - Petra Roth

Petra Roth was the mayor of Frankfurt until 2012. A couple of weeks ago, on April Fools’ Day, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) ran an almost half page story reporting that Frankfurt airport would be renamed after Roth (as in Charles de Gaulle or nearer home Franz Josef Strauss).  

Here’s the email I did not find:

From: Roth

To: FAZ editor

For 17 years, I was constantly in the papers. I even managed to get someone to put up my name as candidate for German President (but then again, they also suggested Bubis). Nowadays, all I get is a pathetic story when I turn 70.

Here’s the plan: You will run an April Fools story suggesting that the Frankfurt airport be named after me. This, sadly, will not happen, but it could start a public discussion about the urgent need to honour me by naming something after me. A university would be nice but a bridge would also do.

Over the years - as I hope you still remember - I fed you many stories and gave you many scoops. How about some payback?

This response was also not to be found:

From: FAZ editor

To: Roth

OK. We will do it.

PS: Colleagues suggested naming the flea market after you. They are particularly aggrieved by the dirt and the many traders and visitors who pee in their gardens on market days.

Die (katholische) Kirche, die Juden und der Tod

I will talk about the Catholic Church and the Jews at a day of Jewish learning Limmud in Frankfurt, on Sunday, 29 August, at 10:30.

The lecture will be held in German and you can register through Limmud's website if you are interested.