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29.01.1819
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds a harbour and settlement at the fishing village of Singapore for the British East India Company.
22.02.1819
Spain sells Florida to the USA.
01.01.1820
Coup d’état in Spain. The country becomes a constitutional monarchy.
07.09.1822
Brazilian declaration of independence.
17.03.1824
The Treaty of London resolves disputes between Great Britain and the Netherlands in East India. Sumatra is allocated to the Dutch.
Surprise, underestimate, appreciate
Darkness shrouds the night in silence. But not in the Braun family house, which is in uproar. It is almost 8 pm and Simon, the youngest child of the family, still isn’t home.
“Balthasar, what if something has happened to him?”
“Oh, I expect he has probably just forgotten the time again.”
“But an eleven-year-old boy shouldn’t be out on his own so late.”
A short creaking of a door – Josephine gestures to her husband to keep quiet, pricks her ears, jumps up and moves swiftly to the door to open it as quietly as possible. On the marble stairs a gentle tip-tapping of a child’s feet can be heard; and there he stands before them, completely petrified.
“Simon, where have you been?”
“I’m sorry, Mummy!” Eyes wide in surprise, Simon looks up at his mother.
“Are you insane? Do you have any idea how worried we have been? An eleven-year-old boy still out on the streets at this time of night!”
“But Mummy, I am nearly twelve!”
By now, Balthasar had also reached the door and said in a calm but firm voice: “Whether you are eleven or twelve years old is neither here nor there. Think about what you would do if your little boy didn’t come home until so late. We will discuss this matter again tomorrow, by which time I will have thought of a suitable punishment for you!”
Grumbling to himself, Balthasar Braun retires to bed. He still has much to reflect on concerning his youngest child. Whilst Christoph is spending every spare minute he has in his father’s wine cellar and enthusiastically tries his hand at every task, some time ago Simon began exploring the vineyards and wine cellars of the surrounding area. He loves roaming through the vineyards with their varieties of grape, enjoying the view and talking to the people he encounteres. He is also interested in everything surrounding the fruit of the vine and wants to learn even more - to hear what other people think - and what they do differently to his father. During his excursions in the area around Mainz, Simon has adopted the habit of looking in on various vintners and wine cellars. It has quickly became apparent to him that, because of his friendly character and courteous manner, he is always a welcome visitor. Since his father is a respected and well-known merchant, Simon’s curiosity is always gladly catered for.
Balthasar rises very early the next day. Rosi has prepared his breakfast and serves it to him in the parlour. By 6.30 am Balthasar is sitting in his Landau carriage drawn by two Trakehner horses. His long-serving chauffeur, Joseph, drives him to town. He has a number of administrative matters to clear up at the town hall in Mainz.
At around midday, on the return journey, the Landau carriage practically 'floats' over the cobbled high roads with its leaf-spring suspension. Joseph, an experienced driver, has the energetic Trakehners firmly in his control so they make speedy progress. It has turned into a glorious, sunny day. Balthasar is now wearing a wide-brimmed hat as the sun is shining straight onto his brow. He leans forwards towards the coach-box: “Joseph, please make a stop at the Gielings, it’s practically on our way!”
“As you wish, Mr Braun.”
After a couple of miles, the Landau carriage takes a right-turn at an ancient wayside cross onto a paved road which climbs through the vineyards leading to a small vintner’s house. Joseph halts the carriage, and the horses, snorting, come to a stop. He leaps down from the coach-box, whilst holding the bridle with great care. He then, with what could almost be construed as tenderness, strokes the brows of “his” temperamental Trakehners.
Balthasar Braun crosses the courtyard in the direction of the front door. A farm-hand is already coming towards them to approach Joseph, for the horses would need water.
“Good afternoon, Mr Braun.”
“Good afternoon, is Mr Gieling at home?”
“Yes, he’s in the kitchen, I believe you know the way.”
“Thank you.” Balthasar goes through the front door and enters a dark hallway with the kitchen immediately on the left. He knocks politely on the half-open door.
“Come in, Mr Braun, I already saw you in the courtyard!”
“Good afternoon, August.” With a slight creaking of the hinges the door opens and Balthasar enters the rather small, but cosy, kitchen. The vintner August Gieling is sitting next to his wife at the kitchen table, his right arm tightly bandaged from hand to upper arm. His wife looks up to their guest. “Please take a seat with us, Mr Braun. May I offer you a cup of fresh coffee?”
“Yes, I would be glad to accept, the coffee smells delicious.”
Balthasar sits next to Gieling. “August, I wanted to ask you if it would be possible to increase our contingent of Riesling wine – at the same price. Demand from England and Scandinavia is high. But what has happened to your right arm? It looks to have been recently splinted.”
“Didn’t Simon say anything to you at home?”
“I left home very early this morning, and last night he once again came home very late and had some trouble with Josephine and myself.”
“Simon often drops by here when he is on his wanderings through the vineyards.”
Balthasar raised his right eyebrow: “Oh really?”
“Simon asks many questions about the work here at the vineyard and also looks over my shoulder in the cellar. You have a son who is very interested in wine-making, Braun. How old is Simon?”
“As he emphasized yesterday: Almost twelve years-old! What do you mean, he often drops by here?”
“I know from friends and neighbours that Simon wanders through the whole region; he’s sure to become a world traveller when he’s older.”
August laughed and then carefully raised his broken arm. “This, by the way, happened yesterday. I wanted to tap some white wine and pump it into another barrel. I attached the pump and placed the other end of the hose in the empty barrel. Then I climbed up the ladder to the full barrel. It would appear that I hadn’t really placed the ladder very firmly when it started to move and the next thing I remembered was waking up lying on the floor. I was quite dazed and had a dull pain in my arm. As I was unable to move the arm, I assumed that it was broken. Whilst considering how I might be able to stand up, your son poked his head round the corner. He grasped the situation immediately and helped me to pull myself up. Simon then fetched my wife, but my most pressing problem was the job I had started. I really couldn’t leave it unfinished! Simon then offered to pump the wine for me. Indeed, we only have a small hand pump, but when my wife and I returned from the doctors a few hours later, the wine had been pumped into the other barrel and everything left spick and span. You have a wonderful son, Braun! Since evening was drawing in and Simon still had the long walk home, my wife persuaded him to stay for dinner. The journey home would be easier on a full stomach!”
Balthasar Braun had not said a word during the vintner’s tale but had listened closely. He now sets the hot cup to his lips and takes a careful sip of the wonderful coffee. Mrs Gieling looks on and adds: “Simon will make his way in the world. And it’s not the first time that I have heard of him lending a hand when needed. Mrs Dietzenberg from the Berghof Vineyard recently told me how young Braun helped her husband harvest the grapes when it started to rain heavily on a harvesting day. Simon covered the harvested grapes that were on the wagon with a sheet to help protect them from the rain and then drove the wagon with both horses into the vineyard. He’s got a good hand with the horses, Dietzenberg said.”
Balthasar is astonished: This is something he would never have presumed Simon was capable of. “It is easy to underestimate people, even one’s own son!”
“Indeed, Braun, but back to business! You want to trade wine, more of my best Riesling than was originally agreed. Well good, I have another three cart-loads of barrels available. However, I am sure you can imagine that I also have some other responsibilities.”
“August, I’m sure we can make a deal! Tell me – each cart-load contains thirty ohms, correct?”
“Yes, thirty Frankfurter ohms!”
Balthasar quickly calculates in his head: Thirty times 1.43 hectolitres equals 42.90 equals 4290 litres. “August, I’ll give you an extra five on top of each hundred!”
“It’s a deal, Braun, and you’ll be sending someone to collect the three cart-loads.”
“Very well, consider it done.”
Balthasar Braun offers his sincere thanks to August Gieling and his wife and then bids them farewell to take his place again in the Landau carriage. He puts on his hat and leans his head back so that the beaming sun shines directly onto his face. His thoughts are on Simon. “Joseph, is Simon often with you in the stable?”
“Yes, Mr Braun.”
“Does he go riding?”
“Yes, Mr Braun. He does ride the odd horse now and again.”
“Are you telling me that he rides around the area for hours alone on a horse?”
“Errr … yes, Mr Braun.”
About an hour later, the Landau carriage with Balthasar and Joseph drives through the avenue and approachs the Brauns’ Villa. Rosi sees the carriage stop at the entrance and runs out to open the door for Balthasar.
“Thank you, Rosi.”
“Good afternoon, Mr Braun, I hope you had a pleasant journey.”
“Wonderful weather, a great carriage and a good journey.” He climbs out of the carriage and turns on the wide steps towards the front door. “Is my wife at home?”
“Yes Mr Braun, in the sitting-room.”
Balthasar steps through the dark, heavy, front door into the reception hall and climbs the broad marble stairs past the oil painting depicting scenes from the vineyards of the “Red Slope” in the Rhine region. Josephine smiles at him and strokes his short-cut beard with her tender, well-manicured fingers. “How was it at the town hall?”
“Everything was conducted to our satisfaction. I let Joseph take me to visit the Gielings. I managed to acquire the amount of Riesling we need. You can rely on August Gieling.”
“Darling, what shall we do about Simon? I’m really very worried. Rudolph Vonecken told me that the boy was, as always, very good in class today. Christoph is in the wine cellar with two of the neighbours’ boys, Josephine with Leni Rückert. But it would seem that Simon is out and about again, even Rosi doesn’t know where he is!”
“Josephine, to me, Simon appears to be like a puzzle, and we have to fit the pieces together. It is true that he is 'almost twelve', but if everything is true that I have heard today, then…”
Balthasar relates to Josephine everything that he had learned from August Gieling, Gieling’s wife and the chauffeur. His wife sits with eyes wide and her mouth open. “And now? What are we to do?”
“Darling, on my way home, I had an idea. I do not think it is going to be possible to keep the boy at home for much longer. We should listen to his version of events and perhaps we can find a solution together …”
After dinner, Simon, Josephine and Balthasar sit quietly together in the sitting room. Simon is prepared for a serious telling-off. How could he explain the reason for his late homecoming? Of course, the matter with August Gieling is a good excuse, but it wasn’t the only reason. What if the explanation sets off a chain reaction and brings much more to light than he really wishes to have to explain? No, better to keep his mouth shut and take his punishment!
Balthasar addresses his son: “Simon, your mother and I have talked this afternoon about you and what happened last night.”
“Yes, Daddy, I’m sure you have thought of a suitable punishment for me. I will accept it!”
Simon’s answer reveals to Balthasar that the boy is taking a gamble. He would only admit to what they could prove. Well, sonny, let’s see, almost twelve and already a sly old dog!
“Simon, your mother and I don’t have anything in principle against you helping Dietzenberg to cover his grapes when it rains, or driving his carriage to the vineyard. Also, we’re not angry that you have at various times taken horses from the stable to ride around on. And Mummy and I are proud of you for helping August Gieling when he broke his arm and that you tapped his wine for him.”
“How do you know all this?” Simon looks as if he has been seriously affronted. They know everything, he thinks to himself.
“However, Simon, your mother and I would be very pleased if in future you would tell us yourself what it is you intend to do, and not to tell us later what it is you have already done!”
“Mummy, Daddy ...” The concept of gritting his teeth and waiting for his punishment being no longer an option, Simon explains to his parents everything that has happened. Josephine and Balthasar listen intently. “And what about if you are not at home?”
“Simon, when neither your father nor I are at home then you are to inform Mr Vonecken, Rosi, Joseph or Wilhelm in the wine cellar what you are planning! If you can manage to do this for the next couple of months Daddy will be taking you with him to visit your grandparents in London, as he did last year with Josephine and Christoph.”
“Oh yes! That would be great!” Simon leapt up and embraced his parents.
“So, now follow the others up to bed! I’ll be looking in on you shortly,” Josephine orders, smiling to him as he leaves the room.
I was very impressed by my parents’ attitude: No shouting, no beating and no confinement. What they told me I understood, and what I have remembered is this: Always tell the truth, for you can never know for sure what the other person knows! London, England, was an exciting prospect for me. London – the “capital of the world”, the capital of the great British Empire!
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