Fünf Fotos für Opus

Fünf Fotos des 11. September habe ich ausgesucht für das Opus-Kulturmagazin.

Der frühe Morgen des 11. September

Der letzte Sonnenaufgang zwischen den Twin Tower

Die Katastrophe von 9/11

Der Staub verhüllt Manhattan

Der erste Sonnenuntergang einer neuen Zeit

Copyright für alle Fotos: R. Karger

Die Fotos habe ich von Bord des Segelboots “Manitou” aufgenommen, das zu diesem Zeitpunkt in der “Liberty Landing Marina” lag (auf der Landkarte).

Als Erinnerung werden sie bleiben!

Vor genau 40 Jahren, am 4. April 1973, wurden die World Trade Center eröffnet – sie wurden nur 28 Jahre alt. Natürlich gab es kontroverse Diskussionen unter Architekten, aber die Twin Tower prägten die Skyline von Manhattan – und als Erinnerung bleiben sie in den Köpfen! In den 80gern war ich ein einziges Mal im Restaurant in der 106. Etage des Nordturms – Windows on the World – das Essen war gut, die Stimmung aufgekratzt, die Perspektive unfassbar urban. Aberwitzig grenzenlos war der Blick über das nächtlich glitzernde Manhattan.

“Eine Woche im September 2001” als eBook mit 10.000 Downloads

Ein Jahr nach der Veröffentlichung hat “Eine Woche im September 2001” die Marke von 10.000 Downloads überschritten. Bis 24. Februar erreichte die deutsche Version 8709 Downloads, die englische wurde 1923 mal runtergeladen. Mittlerweile sind beide Ausgaben in 50 Ländern erhältlich. ”Eine Woche im September 2001“ ist als kostenloses eBook verfügbar. – “A Week in September 2001“ is available as a free eBook in the iBookstore. Requirements: “This book can only be viewed using iBooks 2 on an iPad. iOS 5 is required”.

9/11, Sunday, September 16th, 2001

Sunday, September, 16th 2001

Sunday. The last day of my journey. Around lunchtime my brother took me to Newark Airport.

On the plane there were plastic spoons, plastic knives. The forks were still made of metal.
The next morning the plane landed almost in time in Frankfurt.

Sunday, September, 16th 2001

 

 

Sunday, September 16th, 2001, Flickr

“A Week in September 2001“, the English Version as a free eBook in the Apple iBookstore

“Eine Woche im September 2001“, die deutsche Version ist als kostenloses eBook im Apple iBookstore erhältlich

9/11, Saturday, September 15th, 2001

Saturday, September 15th, 2001

Saturday was a warm fall day.

I spoke to the airline, they confirmed my flight for Sunday. Everything booked and confirmed. They asked me to get to the airport a little earlier.

Saturday, September 15th, 2001

 

 

 

In the afternoon we visited a friend of my brother´s, had a walk by the Atlantic shore and dinner in the evening. Many cars flew the American flag on the Garden State Parkway.

At night I saw bright lights at the club opposite the marina, music echoed across the water.

 

Saturday, September 15th, 2001, Flickr

“A Week in September 2001“, the English Version as a free eBook in the Apple iBookstore

“Eine Woche im September 2001“, die deutsche Version ist als kostenloses eBook im Apple iBookstore erhältlich

9/11, Friday, September 14th, 2001

Friday, September 14th, 2001

The sky was dull, grey, misty on Friday morning. The air was cold. The water of the harbour black. It was raining. Still clouds of dust arose.

The world was almost without color.

Later it cleared up. The city appeared red and golden during sunset.

 

Friday, September 14th, 2001, Flickr

“A Week in September 2001“, the English Version as a free eBook in the Apple iBookstore

“Eine Woche im September 2001“, die deutsche Version ist als kostenloses eBook im Apple iBookstore erhältlich

9/11, Thursday, September 13th, 2001

Thursday, September 13th, 2001

Late summer blue sky on Thursday. The cloud of dust moved uptown. Disbelief remained. At the stop for the watertaxi to Manhattan I saw firefighters with dusty uniforms and grey shoes. Continue reading

9/11, Wednesday, September 12th, 2001

Wednesday, September 12th, 2001

 

On September 12th the sky was cloudless. Smoke and fumes settled on the city and darkened the rising sun.

Wednesday, September 12th, 2001

 

The first sunrise.

 

 

Wednesday. I stayed on the boat the whole day – lethargic, dizzy and looking across mesmerized.
Below deck the TV was on. I had a word with some other people on the surrounding boats.

 

Continue reading

9/11, Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

Früher Morgen, New York, 11. September 2001

Early morning, Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

I woke up early on Tuesday – before seven o‘clock. My brother and I had breakfast in the stern of the boat. Viewing Manhattan. The morning was calm, the day promised to be hot and the weather excellent.

 

 

 

I wanted to meet my step-brother Steve, in Manhattan. We had not agreed on a time and place yet, but had an arrangement to call by 10.00 a.m.

The sun rising between the World Trade Center towers, September 11th, 2001

Joachim went to work. I sat down with a book on deck until the sun was too hot.
Then I went into the cabin, maybe around a quarter past eight. Lying down with the my book so that I could see the blue sky through the top hatch. The boat was rocking gently.
I read for a little while and fell asleep for a short time. The phone rang. Steve and I had a chat about the plans for the day. We discussed where we could meet and which subway I should take. I wanted to smoke a cigarette. With the phone in my hand, I climbed onto deck.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

First I saw a cloud in the south, shaped like a cigar. Turning my head I saw that the cloud ended at the World Trade Center and realized that it had started there. “The Towers are burning.” The people on the surrounding boats were looking towards Manhattan. The couple on the nearby boat had a television. They said, it was terrorists with airplanes, both towers had been hit, no accident – an attack.

Steve was ok but we didn´t meet up this summer.

Die Katastrophe, New York, 11. September 2001

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

The towers smoldered, behind some of the windows it seemed to be burning. Parts of the facade were falling off. The sky was bright blue.

The South Tower collapsed with a dark rumbling sound. The most evil sound I‘ve ever heard in my life. The collapse continued.

 

When it died down, a cloud spread out the streets, covering the surrounding houses, covered the lower part of Manhattan. Radiating stunned disbelief.

The South Tower was gone. The North Tower stood alone in a cloud of dust, steel and smoke. The North Tower stood smoldering. The situation seemed to ease.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

Dull and grinding the North Tower collapsed. A column of smoke formed the silhouette in the sky.
Then the cloud swallowed Manhattan.

 

 

 

 

Manhattan disappeared in an apocalyptic cloud and took the 20th century with it.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

A steady fresh breeze pushed dust and smoke from the streets to the south into the port of New York. The twin towers had dominated the skyline. The other buildings are high, but there is no comparison, none scrape the sky.

Sonnenuntergang, New York, 11. September 2001

Gradually the skyline showed its new contours.

The sky was cloudless. The sun set, painting Manhattan in a golden and reddish light, leaving a deep exhausted perplexity, anger, grief and despair.

My brother returned late, the streets still blocked, traffic jams and street controls. Continuing reports, pictures, interviews on TV. Soon they were talking about the names of suspects, speculating on their motives, numbers of victims and possible consequences. Something had come to an end, no one knew what had begun or what would happen.

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001

Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, Flickr

“A Week in September 2001“, the English Version as a free eBook in the Apple iBookstore

“Eine Woche im September 2001“, die deutsche Version ist als kostenloses eBook im Apple iBookstore erhältlich