Capri … As you know, at the beginning of the last century, the petrel writer Maxim Gorky lived and worked on this cozy Italian island. He even hosted here the future leader of the world proletariat, Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin. This paradise of the Mediterranean had a special attraction for artists, poets, artists and other creative people from all over Europe. Around the same time, Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946), the future Nobel Prize winner in literature, finally settled on the German island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea.
Hauptmann’s first acquaintance with this island happened even earlier – in 1885 during a honeymoon trip and immediately after a two-year trip to Italy, of course, with a stop in Capri. As biographers suggest, it was then that the dream of another ideal island appeared in Hauptmann’s thoughts, which soon materialized. He first came to Hiddensee with friends from the neighboring island of Rügen, a larger and already popular holiday destination at that time. Beautiful companions did not accompany a friendly male company in this one-day outing. Apparently, they did not suspect any reasons for jealousy.
Fishing boat on the shore of Hiddensee Island
Hauptmann and Hiddensee. Love at first sight, under the singing of the lark and the sound of the surf. On the first night spent on this island, Hauptmann wrote one of his most romantic poems – “Moon Lark” (“Die Mondscheinlerche”). At that time, he did not yet think about a literary career, and later gained international recognition as a playwright, not a poet. In the meantime, he studied fine arts and called himself an artist.
Hauptmann and Hiddensee have been faithful to each other for more than six decades. The golden wedding in 1935 was celebrated solemnly and in all seriousness – with numerous guests and a magnificent feast. On this occasion and on behalf of the public, the island pastor and closest friend Arnold Gustavs presented Hauptmann with a flint sickle found on Hiddensee, so that, according to him, he would continue to harvest here a rich harvest. The family life of the writer turned out to be much more changeable. The secret marriage concluded in 1885 was the first for Hauptmann, but not the last.
He regularly came to Hiddensee in the summer – he rested, worked, received friends and colleagues, among whom were Thomas Mann and Albert Einstein. It was Hauptmann who first compared this island with Capri. By the way, in his novel “Endless Field” (“Ein weites Feld”, 1995), another German Nobel Prize winner, Günter Grass, calls the island of Hiddensee “Baltic Capri”.
Hiddensee, according to Hauptmann, of all German seaside resorts was distinguished by the most intense and rich spiritual life – “Hiddensee wurde das geistigste aller deutschen Seebäder”. Professor Sigmund Freud, artist Käthe Kollwitz, silent film star Asta Nielsen, legendary dancer Grete Palucca, poet Joachim Ringelnatz…
Gerhart Hauptmann walking on Hiddensee island
Hauptmann was considered the uncrowned king of Hiddensee – wayward, with a complex character, but boundlessly popular. Even then, its appearance caused a stir among residents and vacationers, nowadays comparable to the hunt for Hollywood stars.
The island served as an ideal stage for his heroes – superfluous people, lonely seekers. Here he is buried – in the village cemetery near the snow-white fisherman’s church. Hauptmann wanted to find the last rest in his native Silesia, but in 1946 after the war it was impossible. We will look at the writer’s museum in the next report – “Gerhart Hauptmann – King of the Hiddensee Island”, but for now we will look around on the spot, get used to it, enter the rhythm of island life.
Nature and landscapes of Hiddensee Island
The lighthouse on the Dornbusch hill (Leuchtturm Dornbusch) is one of the attractions of this small German island in the Baltic Sea. The lighthouse was put into operation in 1888. The height of its fire above sea level is about 95 meters
This view opens from the observation deck of the lighthouse. To climb up, you need to overcome about 100 steps.
This wooden booth was built so that you can watch the birds. Sometimes cyclists also come into view
Wild sea buckthorn is considered a symbol of the island. A lot of tasty and healthy things are made here from the berries of this plant. “Sand thorn” (Sanddorn) – this is how its German name is literally translated.
There are more horses on Hiddensee than cars…
House of Asta Nielsen (1881-1972) – Danish silent film star, widely recognized in Germany as well as in many other countries
Every year, about 25 thousand tourists spend their holidays in hotels and boarding houses of this island. Many also come here for one day, for example, from the island of Rügen or other resorts of Mecklenburg – Vorpommern
No traffic lights, no cars
Hiddensee until 1308 was generally part of Rügen. The strait between them arose as a result of a strong storm. It is assumed that its name comes from the name of the legendary Norwegian king Hedin – the hero of the Scandinavian epic.
In tourist guides and other books about Hiddensee, the German word entschleunigen is often found – to slow down, slow down, relax, take a break. All in one. The island, indeed, seems to be created for a meditative and contemplative pastime.
Putting pressure on the gas (beschleunigen) will not work here, both literally and figuratively, even if you really want to. With the exception of an ambulance and a few electric vehicles, there are no cars on Hiddensee. Autofree Insel! Officially, it is considered free from cars. You can move around on horse-drawn carts that run around the island like buses around the cities. A bicycle gives you more freedom. Rental points are open at the marinas. But it is best to walk around the island, enjoying complete freedom, away from continental worries.
From a bird’s eye view, and there are many native and migratory birds here, the island looks like a funny seahorse turned on its side with a big question mark. That’s how it heats up. Good location chosen: Hiddensee is one of the sunniest parts of Germany. From its nose to tail – almost 17 kilometers. “Waist” – very narrow! Only 250 meters … The resemblance to a skate was noticed long ago. And he even got on the island coat of arms.
Meadows and wastelands, lowlands flooded with water, sandy spits, hills, beech and pine groves. The island is considered an important resting place for migratory birds on their way from Northern Europe to Africa. An ornithological observation post operates on Hiddensee. People, even inspired by the atmosphere of the island, do not fly like birds. A little over one thousand people live here permanently. Winter on Hiddensee is a hard time. The tourist season starts at Easter.
House with a thatched roof (Reetdach) – traditional for the islands of the entire region
There is no bus station on the island, but there is a horse station
Beach baskets at the end of the summer season
inhabited island
Hiddensee resembles a whole continent in miniature – its landscape and nature are so diverse. Contrasts, alternation, dramatic tension… There is a flat part with almost Hawaiian beaches – wide and covered with the finest white sand. The sea, however, will be colder. Already at the end of the century before last, in some of its places, ladies preferred to swim naked, which especially pleased Hauptmann and annoyed some of his friends who reported the Baltic nymphs to the police. In turn, Hauptmann did not hide the fact that he enjoyed watching such beach scenes and even emphasized that without them he would hardly have written his novel The Island of the Great Mother (1912).
Unlike the resorts of the neighboring island of Rügen or the Baltic coast of Germany, there are no walking miles on Hiddensee with restaurants, shops and other entertainment establishments – there are no embankments crowded with vacationers who regularly fulfill their difficult tourist duty, as if they came here not to relax, but to work. No discos and other nightlife, no neon advertisements and other tinsel.
Day at the end of the world
Most tourists come to the island for just one day. The fastest way to get there is from the pier in the town of Schaprode (Schaprode) on Rügen (Rügen) – on a pleasure boat in half an hour or a speedboat in about fifteen minutes. Paid parking lots are equipped in Chaprod, from which a resort steam locomotive runs to the pier, although it is only two steps away on foot. At one time, when Hauptmann (alone or with companions) stepped on the ferry, no other passengers were taken on board! He insisted on it. The voyage steamer turned into a royal yacht …
You can also get to Hiddensee from Stralsund, a Hanseatic city on the Baltic coast. The boat trip will take more than two hours – this time is enough to slow down before setting foot on the enchanted island. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, Lufthansa hydroplanes flew on Hiddensee from Berlin with several intermediate landings.
Church on Hiddensee Island
Island church (Inselkirche Hiddensee) – a former monastery church of the XIV century
This Baroque altarpiece was installed here around 1780.
Ceiling painting in the temple on Hiddensee Island
Carved baroque angels
For most tourists, acquaintance with the island begins with the village of Vitte. Its name comes from an old German word that was used for fish markets. The village was first mentioned in 1513. A pier, a souvenir kiosk, several restaurants and a hairdresser’s… Many people make their first stop at a picturesque windmill, devoid of wings and converted into a residential building.
The traditional route for day trips to the island leads further along the coast to the older village of Kloster. From 1296 until the Reformation at the beginning of the 16th century, there was a Cistercian abbey here. Hence the name. Kloster means monastery in German. In Kloster there is a house-museum of Gerhart Hauptmann.
Next – climb to the lighthouse on a hill with a prickly name Dornbusch (Dornbusch). The lighthouse has an observation deck. Talking about what a picturesque view opens from above, perhaps, is unnecessary. In any case, from the lighthouse you can take a look at the entire island and, after consulting the map and clock, plot a further route or simply return to the pier.
A poem on a wooden beam above the entrance to the church
The quintessence of island life on Hiddensee, perhaps, can be considered a poem by the German writer Eva Zeller, carved on a wooden beam above the entrance to the church. The door is low, with high growth, words appear unexpectedly almost at eye level:
Postscriptum
What else I wanted to say / if I may / give you a tip / I mean / I beg you / for everything in the world / and against your better knowledge: / don’t hold yourself harmless / lose out / let something / escape you
What else did I want to tell you / If I have the right to give you advice / I want / I beg you / Against reason: / Do not be afraid of wounds / Do not be afraid of defeat / Do not be afraid to miss, let me slip away