Beckett in Hamburg - 11th October 1936

Sunday, 11th October 1936

Marching Band. Reeperbahn.

At 11.30, concert by SS in the Ufa-Palast in support of the Spanish refugees.
Despite it being the 1st "Eintopfsonntag" ("Stew-Sunday") of the season, Beckett
eats sausages and fried potatoes after the concert. In the evening, Reeperbahn
again..

Went to concert SS Blasekapelle, bit of documentary film (Moskau droht), speech from one Lorenz (I stretched out the wrong arm to Horst Wessel & Haydn), then more blasts from the Kapelle.
Did not wait till end.

Comment on Hitler's and Goebbel's speeches on the radio:
Apoplexy. They must fight soon (or burst). (6/10)

Beckett did not witness any Nazi march-pasts while he was in Hamburg, and it would be a mistake to look for holocaust prophecies in his diary. What he did feel – and comment -, however, was the anti-spirit that these people emanated, and their violation of language for propaganda purposes.

In the Hamburger Fremdenblatt newspaper the following day: "In support of the Spanish refugees, the SS chapter XV of the NSDAP organised a morning concert in the Ufa-Palast and boasted substantial financial success thanks to a full house. The marching bands of the SS-Standarte gave fine-sounding and disciplined renditions of concert music and marches (...) SS-group leader Lorenz held a speech thanking the audience …"

Marching up on Heiligengeistfeld

Ufa