Beckett in Hamburg - 7th October 1936

Wednesday, 7th October 1936

Altona. Klopstock's Grave. Pension Hoppe.

On foot beyond the city gates to the grave of poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
(1724-1803) at Christians-Kirche. Mysteriously, Beckett makes a note of the inscription on the gravestone of Victor Ludwig Klopstock, the poet's brother, a
merchant and publisher of two newspapers from Hamburg.
In the evening, move by taxi to Pension Hoppe, Schlüterstasse 44*.

Took Ringstrassenbahn to Millerntor & walked from there down to Fischmarkt (just on border between Altona & St. Pauli), then along Palmaille... to Klopstocks above. Then lunch in Altona Hbf.

Conversation after meal with one Martion, der Kaufmann lernt u. so ausseht... Explains all about »Leica camera Vergrösserungsapparat« & Gott weiss was sonst... Opines would be far better for me if I got living with a Lehrer oder Pfarrer auf dem Lande...

Herr Hoppe,
boarding-house keeper,
(at a later date)

Franz Peter Martion with younger brother

*From 7.10. to his departure, Beckett resides at Pension Hoppe, Schlüterstraße 44 (the Jewish quarter at the time). The house was totally destroyed in the bombing of Hamburg in summer 1943.
One of the fellow lodgers in Pension Hoppe often mentioned in the diary
is Franz Peter Martion, born 1912. He was a merchant-in-training and a passionate amateur photographer.

Altona station

Palmaille

Alter Fischmarkt

Klopstock's grave