Germany                         Görlitz                 8 September 2024


   Yesterday, I finally had the chance to visit the city of Görlitz.
   This place is particularly notable as it was one of the filming
   locations for the fictional city of Lutz in "The Grand Budapest
   Hotel."  As my train pulled into Görlitz station, the soundtrack
   "Daylight Express to Lutz" was playing in my headphones.  Görlitz is
   located on the border with Poland.  According to the Potsdam
   Agreement, the city was divided into two parts: the German side and
   the Polish side, which is called Zgorzelec.  It's a small town, home
   to about fifty thousand people, though I must admit, it felt even
   quieter during my stroll.

   The city was spared from destruction during the war, which is a
   blessing.  After my recent visit to Magdeburg, this small town felt
   like a breath of fresh air.  There's hardly any visible trace of the
   GDR here, except maybe in the tram adverts and the Hauptbahnhof
   building, which is not in the best condition.  However, to be fair,
   it is undergoing renovation, and the progress is quite encouraging.
   What's great is that you immediately find yourself in the Altstadt
   (the historical part of the city) right after exiting the station.
   It's incredibly charming here.

   You can also find the building where they filmed the interior shots
   for "The Grand Budapest Hotel."  It's the Kaufhaus Görlitz ("Zum
   Strauss"), built in 1912-1913 by the merchant Louis Friedländer,
   inspired by Berlin's Wertheim department store.  In the 1920s, it was
   considered one of the most beautiful department stores in Europe.
   During the film's production, the creators of "The Grand Budapest
   Hotel" transformed the interior twice: once for the 1960s, with a
   more modern, yellow-orange palette, and once for the 1930s, with a
   vintage, pink-red aesthetic.

   All in all, my impressions of the city are overwhelmingly positive,
   and I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance to enjoy its
   wonderful architecture.  On my way back, I popped into a souvenir
   shop, as I often do, and picked up five or six postcards, which I've
   already sent off to friends.  I think I'll be visiting this city
   again - particularly around Christmas.  While I was there, I filmed
   some footage and put together a short video, which I'd be happy to
   share if you drop me an email.





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