Selected Works

“EEdL-Radar Love” is about how we deal with love, lust, and passion in partnerships, friendships, and romances, and how even in rock music we cannot escape the idealization of love. “Radar Love” by Golden Earring is a rock song from 1973 that is characterized by its driving rhythm, distinctive bass line, and epic guitar work. It is considered a hard rock classic and was a big hit, especially in the USA.

The song tells the story of a man who sets off on a nighttime drive to visit his lover. Although they are physically separated, they feel connected by a kind of “telepathic connection”—known as radar love. This connection allows them to share thoughts and feelings across great distances.

The driver senses that his lover is calling him, and he drives through the night at high speed, accompanied by music on the radio and the rhythm of the road. The lyrics convey a sense of longing, speed, and an almost mystical connection between two lovers.

The last verse of “Radar Love” suggests that the connection between the driver and his lover continues even beyond death. The song describes how the driver drives faster and faster because he feels the call of his lover. Eventually, there is an accident and the driver dies. But even after his death, the “radar love” remains: the lover continues to feel his presence, as if their connection cannot be severed by death. The lyrics suggest that love and longing create a kind of supernatural, indestructible bond that survives even death.

In many cultures, swans are considered a symbol of fidelity and eternal love because they usually choose a partner only once in their lifetime and remain faithful to them. This lifelong bond fascinates us humans because it reflects an ideal that we also desire for our own relationships: consistency, reliability, and a deep, unshakeable connection. In a world where relationships are often characterized by uncertainty and change, the idea of a single, enduring love seems particularly comforting and desirable. Swans thus become a projection screen for our longing for a love that transcends time and even death—similar to what is described in “Radar Love.” The fidelity of swans represents the promise that true love does not fade, but remains – regardless of external circumstances. That is why we idealize such connections and tell stories about them in which love is stronger than anything else.

Although swans are often considered the epitome of lifelong fidelity, this ideal does not always correspond to reality. Even among swans, there are separations, new pairings, and even same-sex couples. It is particularly noteworthy that in many populations, male swan pairs build nests together and sometimes even raise young together—a phenomenon that has long been concealed or taboo, for example in Sweden. Such observations show that nature is more diverse than our romantic notions often allow. The idealization of “eternal love” in swans obscures this diversity and reflects human desires rather than biological reality. That is precisely why it is worth taking a closer look and recognizing the complexity of relationships – in animals as well as in humans.

Nature embraces diversity—perhaps swans are more honest than our romantic ideals. We often cling to the idea of eternal love, while nature has long shown us that genuine connection, freedom, and diversity can take many forms. Swans show us how it’s done—but even they don’t always live up to the ideal. Ultimately, we should shape our relationships in a way that suits us. Many people desire open or alternative forms of relationships – this is also diversity, even if it is not exemplified by swans.

An Epistemology of the Sacred – Eine Erkenntnislehre des Heiligen (EEdH)

At 1,009 meters, Donon is one of the highest peaks in the Vosges mountains and has been an important place of worship since Neolithic times. The Celts worshipped gods such as Teutates, Vosegus (after whom the Vosges mountains are named) and Taranis, the god of the sky and thunder. The mountain was a spiritual center for tribes such as the Triboci, Mediomatrici and Leuci. Particularly striking are the cup stones, menhirs, and energetic thresholds along the old pilgrimage paths. The Donon was considered a place of connection between heaven and earth—a portal to the otherworld. The Romans took over this place of worship and built Gallo-Roman temples, especially in honor of Mercury, whom they equated with the Celtic Teutates.

The so-called Devil’s Stone near Bad Dürkheim is an impressive sacrificial stone from the Celtic-Germanic period. It features a hollow with a blood channel and carved steps – clear indications of ritual sacrifices. There are other important Celtic sites in the area, such as the Heidenmauer, an early Celtic settlement with a ring wall, and the princely tomb of Bad Dürkheim, which contained Etruscan luxury goods – presumably diplomatic gifts. The Romans displaced the Celts not only militarily, but also culturally. They took over their sacred mountains and built temples there for their own gods – often in syncretism with Celtic deities. Thus, Mercury was equated with Teutates, Jupiter with Taranis. At Donon, there are remains of several Gallo-Roman temples, steles, and votive images. The Romans used the spiritual power of these places to anchor their religion and integrate the local population.

The cultural changes can also be impressively traced on the Heiligenberg in Heidelberg:
First, in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, the Celts built a mighty hilltop settlement with a double ring wall, which served as the political, religious, and cultural center of the region. The remains of these ring walls are still visible today and can be explored on the Celtic Trail. With the arrival of the Romans, the Heiligenberg continued to be used as a sacred place: they built a temple on the foundations of the Celtic settlement in honor of Jupiter, the supreme god of the Roman pantheon, who was often equated with the Celtic god of thunder. Finally, in the Middle Ages, a Christian monastery (St. Michael’s Basilica and St. Stephen’s Monastery) was built on the Heiligenberg, continuing the spiritual significance of the site in a new form. Thus, the Heiligenberg is a unique example of the superimposition and transformation of places of worship: from the Celtic settlement to the Roman temple to the Christian monastery.

Guide for Clever Avant-Gardists

The Wandelhallen (Peripathos) of the Eternal Thunder

Reflecting on God, life and the world seems to go hand in hand with wandering and walking; but where does modern man wander in the modern city when he is in the mood for philosophising? Ever since my childhood, I have been walking in the corridors of eternal thunder to philosophise. The large bridges in Mannheim cross the city’s rivers and canals and are ideal as modern corridors for the philosophical triathlon: walking, philosophising and photography.

For me, they are the Wandelhallen of eternal thunder, because Mannheim traffic seems to thunder there forever and ever. Peripatos is the Greek translation of Wandelhalle. Peripatos is also the name of Aristotle’s philosophical school, and so all the topics addressed have a direct or indirect connection to Aristotle’s philosophy. And the Peripatos is a walking path below the Acropolis in Athens, so walking also plays an important role. It all began with the image 12 M on May 24, 2010, and with the image Who will miss the door, the Aristotelian context was set and the idea of the Wandelhallen was born.

I actually wanted to limit the Wandelhallen des ewigen Donners (Halls of Eternal Thunder) to my bridges in Mannheim. In 2013, the Frankfurt bridges were added, and in 2016, I began Bullshit die Holzwege politischer Vernunft (Bullshit: The Wooden Paths of Political Reason) in Leipzig. In Leipzig, around the MDR high-rise and Augustusplatz, there are bridges between buildings and also (concert) halls, but they are only comparable to classic Wandelhallen to a very limited extent.

In the end, however, what remains is that all the images of the Wandelhallen were created while walking and reflecting on philosophical topics, and that the locations are given a narrative context that fits the Wandelhallen. The Wandelhallen thus stand as a symbol for the connections that the photo series is about. It would be silly to try to establish a direct connection between the images in the photo series and philosophical ideas, quotes, and thoughts, and yet a very personal connection emerges when wandering around, lingering, taking photos, reflecting, and understanding. This connection forms the narrative context of the Wandelhallen.