Arrival in Berlin

Berlin, May 1920

 

Rose paused on the steps of the Alexanderplatz Bahnhof or station. She had arranged for her luggage to be delivered directly to her hotel. She had a number of stops to make first.

Alexanderplatz was a large public square and transportation hub in the center of Berlin. A former military parade and exercise ground, it was now the home of large department stores, small shops, and busy restaurants.

Rose had been to Germany in the years before the Great War but much further to the south. She had passed through Ulm, Ausburg, Memmingen, and Kempten, retracing the steps Paracelsus had made across Swabia in 1536. This, however, was her first time in Berlin. 

The years following the end of the war were tumultuous in Germany. The country was plagued by hyperinflation and violent political extremism.  The abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II had brought an end to the empire. Political factions from the left and the right now fought – often in the streets - for control.
The Spartakusaufstand or Spartacus Uprising of January 1919 was one such eruption of the struggle between the fledgling republic and the far-left.  The German National Constitutional Assembly had begun meeting in Weimar after that.

In March 1920, nationalist and monarchist factions attempted to overthrow the government in the Kapp Putsch. This was successful; but only for four days, when large sections of the German population joined a general strike and civil disobedience.

A General Election was now scheduled for June 6. Rose hoped to have her business in Berlin concluded by then.

Rose stopped at a stationary shop across from the train station.  Here she purchased a postcard showing the Brandenburg Gate.  She would need this later. She also took a few moments pricing some new luggage. While she had begun her trip with one small bag, she was accruing a number of items on her journey. 

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The small book shop was located on the trolley line. The sign above the door read Buchhandlung. A newspaper stand sat outside on the sidewalk in front of a large window. 

The small bell above the door chimed as Rose entered. A young woman appeared soon after from behind a curtained doorway. 

Rose introduced herself and stated her business. She was here to pick up a parcel from Herr G. 

Herr G was involved in the book selling business. It was in this capacity that Rose had dealings with him. However, Herr G was also involved in politics and this led him to be placed under arrest in March during the Kapp Putsch. He was being held in the Lehrter Strasse prison.  As a result, Rose had to go through an intermediary to conclude their transaction.

The clerk had a pleasant manner. Rose was expected and would she kindly wait while her parcel was retrieved. The clerk then hurried off behind the curtain.

Rose took a moment to appraise the shop.

Books lined the shelves. Additional volumes were stacked on tables. Framed prints and etchings decorated the walls. There were comfortable couches for use by the patrons. And yet, with all this, there was a light, uplifting feeling. It was a good use of space, not as oppressive as some bookshops with every meter consumed by merchandise scarcely organized. 

Rose was suitably impressed.

The young woman reappeared with a parcel neatly wrapped in kraft paper and tied with twine.

Rose handed the young woman an envelope of papiermarks of the agreed upon sum. Mindful of the difficult economic times, she also presented the clerk with a second envelope containing a small gratuity. 

It was only when Rose was seated in a backseat of her taxi did she open her parcel. The package contained two books and a short dossier.

The first volume was The Land Beyond the Forest, by Emily Gerard, published in 1888. It was a collection of cultural traditions and folklore from Transylvania. Rose flipped through the pages and read a selection from chapter fifteen.

"More decidedly evil is the nosferatu, or vampire, in which every Roumanian peasant believes as firmly as he does in heaven or hell. There are two sorts of vampires, living and dead...."

Yes, she thought, this will do.

The second volume was a bound copy of the case files of Dr. Martin Hesselius, collected and published in 1872 by Sheridan Le Fau under the title "In a Glass Darkly." This book included a detailed narrative concerning the Countess Mircalla of Karnstein. It would make a fine comparison, Rose reflected, to the collection of papers by the associates of Professor Abraham Van Helsing concerning a certain 15th-century Wallachian prince.

The dossier was most curious. It consisted primarily of an offprint of an article first published in the pages of the Occult Review in 1909. Entitled "An Authenticated Vampire Story." The article was written by Dr. Franz Hartmann, medical doctor, occultist, and noted Theosophist. Rose was aware of his German translation of the Bhagavad Gita. She was also familiar with Dr. Hartmann's writing on alchemy. This was something new indeed.

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It was a short taxi ride from Alexanderplatz to Pariser Platz. Rose signaled the driver to stop a few blocks in advance of her hotel. There was a dress shop she had seen from the road. She still had some shopping she wished to do.

She had reserved a room at the Hotel Alton, a luxury hotel near the Brandenburg Gate. It was costly. It was a far cry from the humble artist’s flat that had been her retreat in Paris. That said, the Hotel Alton was frequented by international journalists and diplomats. Rose felt she needed current information on the political situation if she was to travel any further east.

Germany was not the only nation to be experiencing violent political uncertainty.  A civil war raged in Russia. There was fighting in Poland. Romanian troops had only just withdrawn from Hungary two months before. The Great War may be over but numerous conflicts still burned across the continent like aftershocks following an earthquake.

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By the time she reached her hotel, as she had planned, her luggage had already arrived. Her bags were waiting for her in the lobby under the close watch of the hotel staff.

Rose signed for her room.

The concierge took note of her name. He exclaimed softly, “Ah, einen Moment, bitte.” He then handed Rose a telegram with a courteous smile. It was from Professor Serendipity.  

As Rose reviewed the message, the concierge produced a key, summoned a hotel porter to attend to the luggage and lead the way to the room.

Ms. Arcana,

Am arriving to Dresden, then to Berlin by rail. You may address further communications to my good offices via Humbolt University. Have your notes prepared for review and your research plan ready to present.

Professor Ubiquitous Serendipity