A Stately Family Reunion

For the last several days, I have been unusually busy. On Wednesday, I went shopping for clothes; on Thursday, I bought a new pair of shoes; on Friday, I went to a dinner with my family; on Saturday, I attended a matinee, took part in a brief guided tour, and went to an opera; and on Sunday, I went to the unveiling of a newly restored grave site. It was all part of (or for the sake of) a reunion of the descendants of Moses Mendelssohn.

What follows is a brief article (entitled "Familientreffen von fast 300 Mendelssohns") from last Friday's Berliner Zeitung. I translated it as best I could.

This weekend, Berlin will be the site of a special family reunion. Berlin's Senatorial Office stated yesterday that nearly 300 descendants of Moses Mendelssohn, the Jewish merchant and philosopher of Berlin, will be present as guests of the Senate. The idea originated from André Schmitz, the Kulturstaats-Sekretär (Deputy Minister for Culture). The occasion is the now-completed restoration of the Mendelssohn family's grave site and stelae in the Jewish graveyard in Schönhauser Allee in Prenzlauer Berg. Today, the Präsident des Abgeordnetenhauses (speaker of Berlin's state parliament), Walter Momper (SPD), will greet the descendants of the philosopher (who died January 4, 1786, in Berlin) in a festive reception at the Rotes Rathaus. (dpa)

There is a lot to write about, so I think I'll post this first, and add details when I have the time and inclination. My hermit friend has already posted her own more timely and descriptive accounts of the activities, so feel free to read those in the meantime (here and here).