Esther Kinsky’s poetry collection *Schiefern* explores the analogy between human memory and metamorphic rock—a sensory quest for the inanimate.

The poetry collection “Schiefern”

On the map, they appear as small specks off the west coast of Scotland—so small that it’s easy to overlook them. You have to seek them out specifically to find them. You don’t just stumble upon them. Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, an archipelago at the northernmost tip of the United Kingdom, are a popular travel destination. Those who come here yearn for the unspoiled, the wild, the rugged. For the salty wind that tangles itself in your hair and clothes, making them stiff. For the Atlantic, whose waves crash against the black rock. Gneiss. Granite. Basalt. Slate.

Esther Kinsky, a translator and poet who was awarded the “Hain. Geländeroman” in the fiction category, has dedicated a collection of poems with the simple yet evocative title “Schiefern” to slate and to the region where this sedimentary rock was quarried for centuries.

The quarries on the Slate Islands are still there, as are the remnants of an industry that has since been shut down. Kinsky embarks on a journey of discovery and captures her observations of nature in words that are enigmatic to decipher and sweep the reader away into the remoteness of the Inner Hebrides, to the black, roaring sea, above which the reader drifts, like an invisible figure floating in the space of thought that Kinsky weaves with her words.

It is precisely there, in this space of the imagination, that the analogies between something thoroughly lifeless and the human can be found. Few people appear in this three-part volume, yet it is by no means lacking in humanity. It is, in fact, quite astonishing how sensually one can write about waves carrying spray and “rocks with a / surface like petrified, gentle ripples” without slipping into kitschy romanticism.

“Nature Writing”

Since the 18th century, nature has inspired writers to make it the central protagonist of their works. In the English-speaking world, “Nature Writing” refers to the expansive literary descriptions of trees, meadows, flowers, and downpours. In German, the terms “Naturpoesie” (nature poetry) or “Naturlyrik” (nature verse) have become established. Esther Kinsky has stood out in literature for years with this kind of nature poetry.

In 2013, in *Naturschutzgebiet* (Nature Reserve), she wove together four cycles of poems about decay and growth, taking a neglected city park as her starting point. If one were to classify Kinsky’s work as “Nature Writing,” she would be quick to disagree. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, she once said that she did not see herself as part of the tradition of nature writing. The term is too vague, she said, and too broad in what it encompasses and what it does not. “Nature writing” can be anything, she says. Why not her latest work, *Schiefern*, one might counter?

The Layers of Time

Early on in *Schiefern*, the word “memory” appears—“as a space of absences, moved by the transparent hand of unpredictable synapses and incalculable shifts of deposits in the slowly formed and deepened furrows and folds of the brain.” Kinsky is concerned with the layers of time that accumulate over memories. First very gently, then more clearly, she draws linguistic parallels between human memory and the history preserved on the surface of boulders, over which the tides and the passage of time have swept for millions of years.

The past lies preserved in the STEIN; it need only be read from its folds, as if the STEIN were an old, beloved elder whose weathered face bears the traces of life. Kinsky writes of “signs without hand or foot / in STEIN that no one / can make sense of / except as the greatest possible past.”

“Schiefern” could be the modern sequel to Adalbert Stifter’s 1853 collection of stories “Bunte Steine” and join the ranks of “Granit,” “Kalkstein,” and “Turmalin.” But as deceptively idyllic as Stifter’s detailed, Biedermeier-style depictions of nature are, Kinsky’s descriptions of the Slate Islands are anything but charming and cozy. The chill of the surroundings seeps through her words. There is a harshness in them that one would not want to imagine away.

Information about the book

Esther Kinsky: Schiefern.
Price: 24.00 euros
Austria: 24.70 euros
CH: 34.50 Swiss francs
Published: March 23, 2020
Hardcover, 103 pages
ISBN: 978-3-518-42921-1

One of Lusatia’s most famous landmarks has been freshly renovated. The spectacular bridge structure is a highlight in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park in the east of Saxony.

One of Lusatia’s most famous landmarks has been freshly renovated. After years of renovation, the Rakotzbrücke is shining again. The spectacular bridge structure is an important highlight in the large azalea and rhododendron park in the east of Saxony.

The small village of Kromlauhas just over 300 inhabitants . Nevertheless, it can be seen in many photos. To be more precise, it is not the village that is the subject of the photos. Rather, it is the spectacular Rakotzbrücke bridge that fascinates. It is located in the middle of the large azalea and rhododendron park. The striking arch of this stone bridge is breathtaking. Today more than ever. After years of restoration, the bridge is once again visible.

Kromlau is a district of Gablenz in the district of Görlitz. Hardly anyone would know the village if it wasn’t home to the largest rhododendron park in Germany. It attracts many plant lovers. But many are also drawn there because it is home to the famous Rakotzbrücke bridge. The Kromlau Azalea and Rhododendron Park covers around 200 hectares. This large landscape park is the largest rhododendron park in Germany. Visitors do not have to pay admission. The Rakotzbrücke bridge and other stone sculptures are also accessible at all times.

Did you know? The park and flower festival has been held in the Kromlau Azalea and Rhododenron Park since 1965. Well over 30,000 visitors come to the annual festival, which takes place at Whitsun. By comparison, only just over 300 people live in Kromlau itself.

The beginnings at Gut Kromlau

A contemporary of the famous Hermann Ludwig Heinrich Prince von Pückler-Muskau acquired the Kromlau estate in 1842. Shortly afterwards, he began planting the first native and exotic trees and shrubs. He was also known as the little Pückler. As such, he spared no expense. He had ponds created on almost 800 acres and hills heaped up, which he crowned with oak trees. Rare trees and shrubs, mythological and rococo statues and basalt grottoes were created. The famous arch of the Rakotz Bridge is also one of them. It is made of boulders and basalt stone. The lord of the manor had this material brought in from various quarries in Saxon Switzerland and Bohemia. Ox carts mastered the transportation.

New owners, new activities

Friedrich Herrmann Rötschke exchanged the Kromlau estate with its Rakotzbrücke bridge for other building plots some 30 years after acquiring it. In the years that followed, ownership changed hands several times. It was not until 1889 that peace returned. Count von und zu Egloffstein-Arklitten acquired the site. He commissioned the horticultural inspector Georg Eichler to maintain the grounds. He added rhododendrons and azaleas to the existing trees and shrubs. Planted on a large scale, they contributed to the harmonious appearance of the park. The garden designer also planted certain flower varieties for sale. These generated welcome additional income. These in turn benefited the further development of the park. After the Second World War, the landscape park with the famous Rakotzbrücke bridge became public property. It was not until the mid-1960s that it received renewed attention. The park was once again maintained and reconstructed. The Rakotzbrücke bridge remained a special attraction.

You can see more impressions of the bridge in this video.

The Rakotz Bridge

Alongside Kromlau Castle, the Rakotz Bridge is one of the most important structures in the park. Its stone arch is unusually round. When its semicircle is reflected in the lake, a perfect circle appears in the water. Built from basalt and fieldstone, the bridge spans the Rakotzsee lake below over a length of 35 meters. Although numerous hiking trails cross the park, the bridge may no longer be entered.

Did you know? Only when the water level in the Rakotzsee is right does the reflection on the surface of the water complete the Rakotzbrücke into a perfect full circle. To prevent the water from gradually seeping into the ground, the lake bed was sealed with bentonite sealing sheets during the bridge renovation.

Rakotz Bridge equals Devil’s Bridge

The roots of the village of Kromlau lie in the Sorbian language. It is therefore not surprising that the name of the bridge is of Sorbian origin. Rakotz means crab in the Sorbian language. This is why the Rakotz Bridge is also known as the Devil’s Bridge. People used to believe that only the horned Beelzebub could build such a filigree bridge arch. Today, the bridge attracts photographers from all over the world. The photos usually also include the sculpture behind the bridge, the organ. The Rakotzbrücke’s reflective round arch made its biggest appearance in the fairytale film “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”.

Renovation of the Rakotzbrücke

The municipality of Gablenz is now the owner of the landscape park. In 2018, it was awarded funding from various federal, state of Saxony and EU programs. Since then, a lot has changed at the Rakotzbrücke bridge and in the rhododendron park. Various types of construction work have been carried out. In addition to the renovation of the Rakotzbrücke bridge, a group of basalt columns and the grotto between the Rakotzbrücke bridge and the flight of steps, which collapsed in 1956, were also renovated. The repairs have now been completed. The construction fence has been removed and the associated lake has also been filled with water again. The scaffolding around the Rakotzbrücke bridge was removed in November 2020. After the bridge was renovated, the lake was sealed. Because only a constant water level can bring out the mirror effect perfectly.

Did you know? The renovation of the Rakotzbrücke bridge initially went according to plan, but had to be interrupted due to an unexpected visitor. Two protected bat species, the greater mouse-eared bat and the pug bat, were hibernating in their hiding places on the bridge, which is why the renovation was suspended for a few months so as not to disturb the animals.

In addition to the famous Rakotzbrücke bridge, other sculptures have been given a new lease of life. The Richterstuhl stone group and the historic bridge on the island pond in the west of the park have also been renovated. Although it was not possible to hold a park festival in early summer 2021 due to the coronavirus, many visitors came to the reopening of the park. The entire park was upgraded over a total of four years. This includes 8.5 kilometers of park paths. Forgotten paths around the island pond were also rebuilt. A fountain ensures that the pond is filled with water again. The new Asian Bridge is now reflected here. New plants have also been planted. The main parking lot at the entrance to Kromlau has been given an information point with public toilets. This important cultural site has now been secured for the coming decades.

Fancy another bridge? Let us show you one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world – the “Arouca 516” in the Arouca Geopark.