September 6, 1958 This day one of the main characters of the novel, the architect Henry Femel, turns eighty years old. The anniversary is a good occasion to evaluate the life you have lived through. More than fifty years ago he appeared in this city, almost at the last moment submitted his project for the erection of the abbey of St. Anthony to the competition and – an unknown stranger – defeated the other contenders. From the very first steps in an unfamiliar city, Henry Fehmel is well aware of the future life: marriage to a girl from some noble family, many children – five, six, seven, – a lot of grandchildren, “five seven, six seven, seven seven”; he sees himself at the head of the family, sees birthdays, weddings, silver weddings, christenings, great-grandchild babies. Life deceives Henry Femel’s expectations. Those who are going on his eightieth birthday, literally on the fingers of one hand. This is the old man himself, his son Robert Femel,
his grandchildren – Joseph and Ruth, Henry’s secretary, Robert Leonor, Second son, Otto, who in his youth became alien to his family by joining those who took part in the “buffalo” (as in the novel belonging to the circles of German society, infected with the ideas of aggression, violence, chauvinism, ready to drown the world in the blood), went to war and died.
Henry Femel’s wife is kept in the “sanatorium”, a privileged hospital for the mentally ill. Without accepting the existing reality, Johanna allows herself to be very bold statements about the powerful, and to keep her, she must be kept locked up. (Though Henry Femel, having ceased to dissemble before himself, confesses that he agrees and always agreed with the thoughts and statements of his wife, but did not have the courage to openly state this.)
Robert Femel still as a schoolboy swears not to accept the “participle of the buffalo” and does not betray her. In his youth, together with a group of peers, he enters into a fight against fascism (the personification of fascism is served by the teacher
of physical education Ben Wex, for the attempt on which one of the teenagers, Ferdi Progulski, pays for his life) and forced to flee the country, severely beaten by scourges of barbed wire. A few years later, the amnestied Robert returns to Germany to his parents, Edith’s wife and Josef, who was born without him. He serves in the army, but his service turns into revenge for deceased friends. Robert is a demolition man, he “provides a shelling sector” and without any annihilation destroys architectural monuments, including the father’s built abbey of St. Anthony, blown up without any special need for three days before the end of the war. (” I would have given two hundred abbeys to return Edith, Otto or an unfamiliar boy. “Henry Fehmel echoed him.) Robert’s wife, Edith, dies in the bombing.” After the war, Robert heads the “office for static calculations,” he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora dispatches a few orders, he condemns himself to voluntary seclusion: on The red card that Robert once gave to Leonore is: “I’m always happy to see my mother, father, daughter, son and Mrs. Srella, but I do not accept anyone else.” In the mornings, from half past ten to eleven, Robert plays in billiards in the hotel “Prince Henry” in the public Hospitality e combat, Hugo. Hugo is pure and unselfish soul, is not subject to temptation. He belongs to the “flock,” as Edith deceased as her brother Shrella. to return Edith, Otto or an unfamiliar boy. “Henry Fehmel echoed him.) Robert’s wife, Edith, dies in the bombing.” After the war, Robert heads the “office for static calculations,” he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora dispatches a few orders, he condemns himself to voluntary seclusion: on The red card that Robert once gave to Leonore is: “I’m always happy to see my mother, father, daughter, son and Mrs. Srella, but I do not accept anyone else.” In the mornings, from half past ten to eleven, Robert plays in billiards in the hotel “Prince Henry” in the public Hospitality e combat, Hugo. Hugo is pure and unselfish soul, is not subject to temptation. He belongs to the “flock,” as Edith deceased as her brother Shrella. to return Edith, Otto or an unfamiliar boy. “Henry Fehmel echoed him.) Robert’s wife, Edith, dies in the bombing.” After the war, Robert heads the “office for static calculations,” he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora dispatches a few orders, he condemns himself to voluntary seclusion: on The red card that Robert once gave to Leonore is: “I’m always happy to see my mother, father, daughter, son and Mrs. Srella, but I do not accept anyone else.” In the mornings, from half past ten to eleven, Robert plays in billiards in the hotel “Prince Henry” in the public Hospitality e combat, Hugo. Hugo is pure and unselfish soul, is not subject to temptation. He belongs to the “flock,” as Edith deceased as her brother Shrella. – echoed him and Henry Femel.) Robert’s wife, Edith, dies in the bombing. After the war, Robert leads the “office on static calculations,” he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora sends out a few orders. He condemns himself to voluntary seclusion: on the red card, which Robert once gave to Leonora, is: “I’m always glad to see my mother, father, daughter, son and master Srella, but I do not accept anyone else.” In the mornings, from half past ten to eleven, Robert plays billiards at the Prince Henry Hotel in the hotel battle society, Hugo. Hugo is pure soul and unselfish, not subject to temptations. He belongs to the “lambs”, as Edith died, as her brother Shrella. – echoed him and Henry Femel.) Robert’s wife, Edith, dies in the bombing. After the war, Robert leads the “office on static calculations,” he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora sends out a few orders. He condemns himself to voluntary seclusion: on the red card, which Robert once gave to Leonora, is: “I’m always glad to see my mother, father, daughter, son and master Srella, but I do not accept anyone else.” In the mornings, from half past ten to eleven, Robert plays billiards at the Prince Henry Hotel in the hotel battle society, Hugo. Hugo is pure soul and unselfish, not subject to temptations. He belongs to the “lambs”, as Edith died, as her brother Shrella. office on static calculations, “he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora sends out a few orders.” He condemns himself to voluntary reclusion: on the red card that Robert once gave to Leonora, it says: “I am always glad to see my mother, father, daughter, son and master, but I do not accept anyone else. “In the mornings, from half-past ten to eleven, Robert plays billiards at the Hotel Prince Henry in a hotel fight company, Hugo. Hugo is pure soul and unselfish, not subject to temptations He belongs to the “lambs”, ak deceased Edith, her brother Shrella. office on static calculations, “he employs only three architects, to whom Leonora sends out a few orders.” He condemns himself to voluntary reclusion: on the red card that Robert once gave to Leonora, it says: “I am always glad to see my mother, father, daughter, son and master, but I do not accept anyone else. “In the mornings, from half-past ten to eleven, Robert plays billiards at the Hotel Prince Henry in a hotel fight company, Hugo. Hugo is pure soul and unselfish, not subject to temptations He belongs to the “lambs”, ak deceased Edith, her brother Shrella.
Srella is a friend of Robert Femel’s youth. Like Robert, he was forced to leave Germany on pain of death and returned only now to see Robert and his nephews.
The sixth of September 1958 becomes a turning day for both Henry Femel and his son. On that day, realizing the falsity of following the logic of his own far-fetched image, he breaks with his long-bored habit of visiting the Croner café daily, refuses to accept a gift from the fascist Greek, the owner of the butcher’s shop, and symbolically brings the knife over the cake from the cafe as an abbey Saint Anthony.
Robert Femel on this day shows his former classmate, Netlinger, a devotee of the buffalo, that the past is not forgotten and not forgiven. On the same day he adopts the “lamb” Hugo, assumes responsibility for him.
And for Joseph Femel, the grandson of Henry and the son of Robert, the young architect, this day becomes decisive. Seeing his father’s notes on the ruins of the walls of the abbey of St. Anthony, a clear handwriting familiar to him since childhood, inexorably evidencing that the abbey was blown up by his father, Josef is in crisis and eventually refuses an honorable and advantageous order, from the management of the restoration work in the abbey.
Johanna Femel, who is released from the hospital on the occasion of a family holiday, also takes a decisive step – she shoots a long-prepared pistol in the minister, Mr. M. (who has a “snout like a buffalo”), shoots like a future killer of his grandson.
The results of the past life are summed up. And for those gathered in the workshop of the old architect (here, besides the owner, Robert with the newfound son of Hugo, Srell, Josef with the bride, Ruth and Leonora) a new day begins, on September 7.
