The state herald., 1908-08-14

>SSS8sSI Q8
A two hours walk from the capital
of Corfu, in southerly direction,
through very dingy suburb called
San Rocco. and past the little village
of Gasturi, brings the dust-covered
tourist within sight of one of the most
glorious architectural creations in ex-
istence. Thickly surrounded by clumps
of grayish.green olive-trees and yer.
dant orchards, the Achillelon, the
fairy castle of that restless, unfor-
tunate empress who was to die under
murderers steel, emerges like a
white phantom of the past The beau
ty of its outward form-a clever imi'
tation of the Pompeian styles only
matched by Its lavish and highly artl-
fetal innner decoration. on which
Empress Elizabeth is said to have
spent sl,250.000. and by the magnifi-
cent views II commands. The Achil'
leion was recently inhabited by the
German emperor. his consort, daugh-
ter, and full stan OF courtiers; and
the affiliations thereby created with
conceptions of Prussian soberness. cor
rectness, common sense. and other un-
romantic Brandenburgian attributes.
greatly take away from that castles
bewitching poetry. A thousand pities!
The Achilleion, then. is the forty
ninth addition to the residences OF the
German emperor. In ordinary German
parlance, every one OF these 40 struc-
lures, or estates, is called a Kaiser
liches Schloss." an imperial castle;
but the truth Ia that only few OF
ekem (amongst them the wellknown
and much-deplcted residences in Ber-
lin and Potsdam) are real castles In an
architectural sense OF the word, and
still fewer In historic sense. For
merly built as strongholds. perched
upon peaks, or squatted In the middle
OF marshes, In order to make them i'm.
pregnable and to render all approach
difficult, the castles gradually gave
way TO ambitious modern residences,
The historical situation In respect
10 castles and royal manors is not
analogous in Germany TO that In other
countries. The royal seats In Ger
many are not national. For this rea-
son, the restoration OF time'worn
castles does not go on according TO
large, liberal insight as to what is OF
the first importance; It goes on un-
systematically. according TO a dynasuc
feeling OF what may conduco TO the
dynasty's distinction. A comparative
ly unInteresting castle. like the Hoh'
konigsburg-to quote one example out
of many-is therefore restored. as the
outcome OF an imperial whim, At an
enormous expense. while seats OF over
whelmIng historic Importance, as for
instance Konigs sWusterhausen, are nj.
lowed TO rot They are too 'unpre'
tentious." One consequence OF this
system, or rather lack Of system, IL
that many OF these historically. or
otherwise. interesting places arc nj
most unknown outside OF Germany.
Only tho most conscientious or Eng.
lIsh tourists will acquire more than
Ruperflcial knowledge OF those quiet
nooks, many OF which were, in former
centuries, centcrs OF political or cultur'
nj Importance.
Tho German cmpcror's residences
aro mostly plain country seats or mere
shooting boxes, so that the startling
total. 40. loses much OF It's sensational
character when properly Ecrutinlzed,
Among his various Berlin and potsdam
pnlaccs the Royal Castle on the Spree
IL one OF the largest clty'rcsidenco
buildings. Of compact mass. In tho
whole of Germany.
Quito remarkable for beautiful sur
,oundlngs ls Bruhl castle. near Cologne.
which has not been inhabited for over
100 years. II Is handsome building.
erected In i72s. with n very fine
marble staircase and excellent fresco
,ain,Iprs by Cnrlloni. Marshal Da.
youst resided In II several years, and
4, vaa afterwards assigned TO the
fourth cohort OF the French Legion OF
Honor. Napoleon !. dwelt there for
day In September, 1904. For many
y,ara Il was abandoned TO decay, then
restored IN 1919. but even after this
the beautiful palace looked barren and
deserted. Like Bruhl, many royal
residences nre being ignored and neg
iected by their owners.
ono of tho fnvoritc roaortH OF EN-.
peror william and his family seems
10 be his domain Of cadincn, near
Elblng, situated In u most charming
forest landscape. II has become wide.