1893 – A photo print dated 1893 shows the visitor platform and fishing bridge at the Ugleisee near Eutin in Germany. © Mark Zanzig/Zanzig.com/Photo: Alb. Giesler
The story behind the image
I have been able to obtain another awesome shot by photo pioneer Albert Giesler. It shows the visitor platform and fishing bridge at the Ugleisee near Eutin in Germany. The print is dated 1893 in the lower right corner and is in superb condition, compared to other prints of that period.
I think it is remarkable that this place exists almost unchanged today. Just the furniture has been removed, and it’s called Ukleisee today (with a ‘k’.) But the benches are still there, and it’s still a place for getting carried away by dreams.
According to legend, Knight Count Albrecht swore eternal loyalty to the Uglei mermaid here:
The legend of Lake Uglei
Where the water is now silent over a bottomless abyss, a beautiful meadow once spread its green carpet embroidered with flowers. In the midst a wreath of sacred Wotan oaks has risen and in their shadow a brighter, louder spring has sprang up. It was guarded by a fine, dainty nymph, whose blond hair shone like gold in the sun at high noon and shimmered like silver in the moonlight at midnight. She knew nothing of humans and lived in blissful sisterhood with trees and plants.
One day a young knight in shining armor strode across the meadow, boldly penetrated the wreath of sacred Wotan oaks and snatched the trembling nymph up into his arms, so that her heart suddenly flared up like a human heart with joy and sorrow. In response to his stormy wooing, she confessed to him that she could belong to him if he would remain loyal to her for twelve moons.
Twelve moons flowed away from her in fear and longing, then he returned to her and she looked in his guilty eyes at the strange human woman to whom his heart had clung in the outer world. She cried all day long, and heaven and earth, trees and flowers cried with her. When the sun rose again over the high treetops the next afternoon, the dark sea of tears mourned in the depths below and its gently moving surface rocked the corpse of the knight, whose wide-open eyes stared up at the sky.
Courtesy Prof. Dr. Hagen
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | 1893 |
| Photographer | Alb. Giesler |
| Location | Eutin, Germany |
| Image Source | Albumen print from a glass negative, mounted, Cabinet format (c. 10 x 15 cm), photographer stamp on verso |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 13577 x 8670 Pixels |
| Copyright | Mark Zanzig/Zanzig.com/Photo: Alb. Giesler |
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