1.1 A happy event on a foggy day
A foggy day in May. Thick, heavy clouds are passing overhead. Everything is grey and drab ...
02.12.1804
Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned French Emperor in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
26.05.1805
Napoleon is crowned King of Italy in the Milan Cathedral.
02.12.1805
The battle of Austerlitz ends in glorious victory for Napoleon.
12.07.1806
In Germany, 16 states form the Rhine Confederation, leaving the federation of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
24.06.1812
With 675000 soldiers, Napoleon’s Grand Army, the largest in European history, crosses the River Memel.
A foggy day in May. Thick, heavy clouds are passing overhead. Everything is grey and drab. It’s been raining for hours and the wind is blowing. It’s the 27th May 1812. Balthasar Braun is standing across the road from his house on the waterfront and watching the slowly flowing Rhine. Every now and then, a low-lying barge floats by. Mighty draft horses tread out a path alongside the water, towing the barges behind them. But downstream, everything seems to glide along with the help of invisible hands.
Balthasar's mind is on his wife, Josephine-Christine, who is currently in labour upstairs. Dr. Anton Krone – a friend of the family – and the midwife are attending to Mrs. Braun and are at any moment expecting the birth of her third child. The Brauns already have two healthy children: a boy named Christoph and a girl named Josephine. The midwife is a small, slightly stocky woman who has already helped bring hundreds of children into the world. She has already told Balthasar not to worry, but he just couldn’t stay in the house any longer and has gone outside to the banks of the Rhine instead. As he stands here now, the rain pelts down on him, but he doesn’t take any notice.
The wine merchant, Balthasar Braun is quite a handsome man with a tall frame and a full head of dark hair. His father, who was a winemaker in a large winery, passed on the love of wine to him. It was only natural, then that Balthasar would take up the same profession. Little by little, he has established his own wine business, in which he acquires German wines in bulk and then sells them abroad – chiefly to Britain. He met his wife, Josephine-Christine in England. The daughter of wine merchant Simon Hill from James Street, London is a picture-perfect, slim blonde, and Balthasar Braun fell in love with her at first sight. Josephine liked Balthasar’s strong and attractive appearance. She was especially fascinated by his calm, reliable and determined manner. He also spoke decent English and was able to fit in just as confidently 'on the street' as in English high society. She finally fell head over heels for the young German. The pair married two years later and Josephine-Christine followed her husband to the Rhineland. Here in Mainz, the Brauns belong to the distinguished merchant class.
The pouring rain makes the river’s surface look almost as if 'Father Rhine' has goose bumps. Balthasar prays and asks God for a healthy third child. If it’s a boy, it will be named Simon-Balthasar. Simon for his grandfather in London and Balthasar after his father and grandfather from Mainz. If it’s a girl, it will be named Marie, after grandmother Mary in England.
A woman’s voice tears Balthasar away from his thoughts. “Mr. Braun, the baby has been born! It’s a boy, Mr. Braun!” calls Rosi - the 'shining light' among the servants. Rosi is a diminutive, dark-haired woman of delicate appearance. She’s in her mid fifties but has never been married. She has worked in the family household since Balthasar’s father’s time. She moved in at the age of seventeen, and the entire family has since grown very fond of her, thanks to her loving way of caring for everyone.
It’s only now that Braun realises he’s drenched through and through with rain. Nevertheless, his serious, worried expression softens into a smile. Quickly returning to his senses, he says, “Thank-you Rosi.” Stepping through the granite doorway, Balthasar Braun climbs the broad marble staircase with quick, long strides, heading for his bedroom.
Auguste the midwife comes towards him, “Congratulations Mr. Braun! It’s a boy.”
“How is my wife?”
“Everything is fine. Your wife is well, and so is the little one. Fifty centimetres long and around eight pounds!”
A smile forms on the new father’s face. “What a big boy!”
In the bedroom his wife lies exhausted on the couple's wide double bed with sweat on her brow. But, holding the newborn in her arms, she smiles at her husband. Dr. Krone stretches his right hand out while stroking his beard with the left, “Congratulations Braun. Unfortunately I must be off.” He takes off his gown, slips into his dark green jacket and says goodbye.
Balthasar Braun kisses his wife on the forehead. “He makes a strong impression, Josephine,” he says smiling.
“You’re completely wet! What happened?” Josephine-Christine looks at him questioningly.
“I was outside. I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. It’s pouring!”
“It’s all over now. We made it through without any problems,” answers Josephine-Christine.
I had now come into the world. At first I lay on my back; then I started to crawl and eventually I could walk. I can’t remember the first few years of my life. No, the more I think about it, the more I'm certain of that. All that I think I know comes from stories others have told me.
Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned French Emperor in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
26.05.1805
Napoleon is crowned King of Italy in the Milan Cathedral.
02.12.1805
The battle of Austerlitz ends in glorious victory for Napoleon.
12.07.1806
In Germany, 16 states form the Rhine Confederation, leaving the federation of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
24.06.1812
With 675000 soldiers, Napoleon’s Grand Army, the largest in European history, crosses the River Memel.
A foggy day in May. Thick, heavy clouds are passing overhead. Everything is grey and drab. It’s been raining for hours and the wind is blowing. It’s the 27th May 1812. Balthasar Braun is standing across the road from his house on the waterfront and watching the slowly flowing Rhine. Every now and then, a low-lying barge floats by. Mighty draft horses tread out a path alongside the water, towing the barges behind them. But downstream, everything seems to glide along with the help of invisible hands.
Balthasar's mind is on his wife, Josephine-Christine, who is currently in labour upstairs. Dr. Anton Krone – a friend of the family – and the midwife are attending to Mrs. Braun and are at any moment expecting the birth of her third child. The Brauns already have two healthy children: a boy named Christoph and a girl named Josephine. The midwife is a small, slightly stocky woman who has already helped bring hundreds of children into the world. She has already told Balthasar not to worry, but he just couldn’t stay in the house any longer and has gone outside to the banks of the Rhine instead. As he stands here now, the rain pelts down on him, but he doesn’t take any notice.
The wine merchant, Balthasar Braun is quite a handsome man with a tall frame and a full head of dark hair. His father, who was a winemaker in a large winery, passed on the love of wine to him. It was only natural, then that Balthasar would take up the same profession. Little by little, he has established his own wine business, in which he acquires German wines in bulk and then sells them abroad – chiefly to Britain. He met his wife, Josephine-Christine in England. The daughter of wine merchant Simon Hill from James Street, London is a picture-perfect, slim blonde, and Balthasar Braun fell in love with her at first sight. Josephine liked Balthasar’s strong and attractive appearance. She was especially fascinated by his calm, reliable and determined manner. He also spoke decent English and was able to fit in just as confidently 'on the street' as in English high society. She finally fell head over heels for the young German. The pair married two years later and Josephine-Christine followed her husband to the Rhineland. Here in Mainz, the Brauns belong to the distinguished merchant class.
The pouring rain makes the river’s surface look almost as if 'Father Rhine' has goose bumps. Balthasar prays and asks God for a healthy third child. If it’s a boy, it will be named Simon-Balthasar. Simon for his grandfather in London and Balthasar after his father and grandfather from Mainz. If it’s a girl, it will be named Marie, after grandmother Mary in England.
A woman’s voice tears Balthasar away from his thoughts. “Mr. Braun, the baby has been born! It’s a boy, Mr. Braun!” calls Rosi - the 'shining light' among the servants. Rosi is a diminutive, dark-haired woman of delicate appearance. She’s in her mid fifties but has never been married. She has worked in the family household since Balthasar’s father’s time. She moved in at the age of seventeen, and the entire family has since grown very fond of her, thanks to her loving way of caring for everyone.
It’s only now that Braun realises he’s drenched through and through with rain. Nevertheless, his serious, worried expression softens into a smile. Quickly returning to his senses, he says, “Thank-you Rosi.” Stepping through the granite doorway, Balthasar Braun climbs the broad marble staircase with quick, long strides, heading for his bedroom.
Auguste the midwife comes towards him, “Congratulations Mr. Braun! It’s a boy.”
“How is my wife?”
“Everything is fine. Your wife is well, and so is the little one. Fifty centimetres long and around eight pounds!”
A smile forms on the new father’s face. “What a big boy!”
In the bedroom his wife lies exhausted on the couple's wide double bed with sweat on her brow. But, holding the newborn in her arms, she smiles at her husband. Dr. Krone stretches his right hand out while stroking his beard with the left, “Congratulations Braun. Unfortunately I must be off.” He takes off his gown, slips into his dark green jacket and says goodbye.
Balthasar Braun kisses his wife on the forehead. “He makes a strong impression, Josephine,” he says smiling.
“You’re completely wet! What happened?” Josephine-Christine looks at him questioningly.
“I was outside. I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. It’s pouring!”
“It’s all over now. We made it through without any problems,” answers Josephine-Christine.
I had now come into the world. At first I lay on my back; then I started to crawl and eventually I could walk. I can’t remember the first few years of my life. No, the more I think about it, the more I'm certain of that. All that I think I know comes from stories others have told me.