Thomas Mann’s novel “Lotte in Weimar” is a fabulous piece of literature that has only one flaw: the story does not take place in Munich. But that is the fault of Goethe, who ignored Munich throughout his life save for a brief visit in September 1786, the highlight of which was the purchase of a few figs, which he found overpriced and “not overly good”. Not even the “magician” Thomas Mann could have knit a decent story from this flying visit, which is why his Goethe novel is unfortunately set in Weimar.
In it he describes how the 63-year-old widow Charlotte Kestner took quarters in the famous inn “Zum Elephanten” in the hope of meeting Goethe. The woman is not just anyone. Her maiden name is Charlotte Buff, she was the great love of the young Goethe and the role model for the Lotte who drove Goethe’s hero, Werther, insane. Now, a good 40 years after the romance, Lotte is visiting her former admirer in Weimar. Maybe there’s still something glowing, maybe there’s still a flame burning. But Goethe remains cool. With practiced politeness he prevents any approach. Lotte’s visit to the old love turns out to be a disappointment.
It goes without saying that the thought of the ill-fated Lotte Goethe affair leads straight to the Rolling Stones. Yes, they too are an old love. And now they are coming back to Munich, at the beginning of June to the Olympic Stadium. What a promise. The Stones were for us what Goethe was for Lotte, well, at least something like that. Blessed are the hours in which we listened to Mick’s voice coming out of the record player while doing our homework, not to mention the heart pounding at the first meeting.
It was September 1973 and the Stones were playing at the Olympic Hall. Cheap seats, much too far away to catch Mick’s eyes, but he only had an eye for women, if at all. Keith Richards roared on the guitar, Charlie Watts’ drumbeats drove your bones so that you started dancing even though you always looked stupid when you danced, and before long your body was in that state of intoxication that puts lovers in a loony bin. In short: the evening was as life should be.
So now, after almost 50 years, would be the opportunity to tie in with the old days. Weren’t we, Mick, Keith, Charlie and their Munich admirers, all on the same side back then? God knows it wasn’t a peaceful time: the Cold War, Vietnam, the Middle East and so on – but we, it seemed certain, would sooner or later create a better world.
Something must have gone wrong then. And now the war is very close, and anyway: Only fools still believe in a better world. Why then the visit to the old love? Is there anything else glowing? Charlie Watts has died and Mick and Keith are at the age where humans are targeted pharmacy magazine counts – by the way an interesting newspaper, we don’t read anything else anymore. It could well be that the reunion is as disappointing as with Lotte. No, we’re not going to the Stones concert.
PS: Or maybe it is.