German Man Finds his Grandfather’s Message in a Bottle
Peter Brandt, a roofer in Goslar, Germany, was conducting maintenance on the town’s cathedral when he made an incredible discovery: An 88 year old message in a bottle. But this was not just any message from a distant stranger. This was Peter Brandt’s own grandfather’s message in a bottle. Willi Brandt signed the message on March 26th, 1930, and it remained hidden in the cathedral’s roof for 88 years, according to The Local Germany.
Goslar Cathedral, where Willi Brandt’s message in a bottle lay hidden for 88 years. Photo: By Tilman2007 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62673101
This discovery is one of the world’s oldest messages in bottles, and one of the most unique. In 2017, a Scottish man discovered a message in a bottle his father had written 83 years before. But Peter Brandt’s discovery of his grandfather’s message in a bottle stands alone, as no one else has ever found a message in a bottle from their own grandparent.
Reproduction of the 88 year old message in a bottle found in Goslar city Cathedral, Germany. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/Picture-alliance/DPA/AP
1930 Message in a Bottle Found in German Cathedral Wishes for Better Times
The message was cowritten by three laborers repairing the cathedral in 1930. One of them was Willi Brandt, Peter’s grandfather.
The message discusses the current state of Germany circa 1930, particularly the depressed economy. The writers state optimistically that “difficult times of war lie behind us,” and yet they end the note by writing, “We wish for better times soon.”
Sadly, it was not long after Willi Brandt signed this note that he signed up as a soldier for World War II, according to the Washington Post. After being captured and imprisoned by the Russians, Willi Brandt survived the war and returned to Goslar where he resumed his roofing trade.
Willi Brandt’s original message in a bottle from 1930, right, with reproduction, left. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/Picture-alliance/DPA/AP
Goslar is now in much better shape than in Willi Brandt’s day, “with an old town center that’s become a tourist hub and UNESCO World Heritage site,” according to the Washington Post, and “the unemployment problems that Willi Brandt described have largely disappeared, according to Goslar Mayor Oliver Junk.”
A New Message in a Bottle to the Future
After Peter Brandt discovered his own grandfather’s message in a bottle, the original message was placed in the town archives. However, Peter Brandt, along with Mayor Junk and town residents, placed a copy of the message along with a new message in a bottle to the future in the cathedral’s roof, according to the Washington Post. No one else knows what those messages say. But if we are lucky, perhaps Peter Brandt’s grandchildren will climb up there some day to find out…
Goslar city employee holding a reproduction of Willi Brandt’s 88 year old message in a bottle. Photo: DPA.
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Goslar Cathedral Porch. Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48486995
Hello Clint,
thank you very much for telling this nice story from my home country! 🙂
Goslar is really worth seeing. There are complete streets with handsome old houses in the inner city. Also the medieval emperors residence and silver mines can be visited.
Some slight corrections: The message wasn’t found in the cathedral itself but in the historical gatehouse of the episcopal estate arround the church.
The bottle on the photographs is the new one which replaces the old found. Maybe the new bottle with screwcap contained cheap Auerbach champagne. (According to the characteristical sealing they may have read my hints i presume.) 😉
As far as i know the original bottle (i guess it was a beer bottle) has been broken to get the letter out.
Best whiches from Germany
Peter
Lovely! I hope to visit Goslar myself someday 🙂
Alles klar re: the shiny new-looking bottle being the replacement, and not the original.
Where did you read that the message was not in the roof of the Cathedral itself? The Washington Post spoke with Peter Brandt directly, and in their interview with him they reported that the bottle was in the roof of the actual cathedral…
Here is the official press release: https://www.goslar.de/images/presse/stadt/pdf-dokumente/2018/180904_Flaschenpost_von_1930.pdf
The title “…unter dem Domdach…” (under the roof of the cathedral) is not wrong but not quite precise. The first line of the text reads “Domvorhalle” (entrance hall). The cathedral itself has been broken down unfortunately 1819-22.
– I wondered why i could not remember a cathedral in Goslar #-) –
The entrance hall ist the only part left. So i have to correct my comment above. Ist not the gatehouse of the episcopal property but a leftover part of the medival church.
Ooooh! That makes sense! I was wondering about “Domvorhalle” and thinking it had to be something like an entrance hall (I’ve also seen it called a “porch”). Vielen dank!