Anand Singh Bawa, the honorary secretary of the Federation of Indo-German Societies in India, talks about the relevance of the Prussian prince in the Indian context
Did you know Prince Waldemar of Prussia was obsessed with travelling and harboured a curiosity about distant countries beyond the boundaries of EuropeIJ Or that he had a penchant for soldierly bravery and created 22 lithographic paintings of three Anglo-Sikh warsIJ He had even given a detailed account of these wars in German, way back in 1853 as he was hosted by our royals. On the Indian subcontinent, his destinations included Patna, Kathmandu, Banaras, Delhi, Nainital, the Himalayas, winding up with lahore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Indore and Mumbai.
You can follow his trail at Travels of the Prince at IIC. It has on display selected lithographs that provide an opportunity to relive Prince Waldemar’s journey and see native cultures through his lens. An artist with an eye for details, his lithographs in muted shades range from the matter-of-factness of battle scenes to the serenity of nature and the empathetic everydayness of life.
Waldemar was the nephew of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. Alexander von Humboldt, world renowned explorer and scholar of the Americas, inspired the young prince — in line with the “knowledge project” of the enlightenment era — to make a journey to India. Equipped with an inquiring mind and the latest scientific devices, Prince Waldemar started his expedition from Berlin in September 1844. It was at the age of 27 that he started his expedition to India and reached Calcutta in January 1845. The destinations of his field studies included Patna, Kathmandu, Banaras, Delhi, Nainital, as well as the regions of the Himalayas up to Tibet and finally lahore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Indore and Mumbai.
The outcome of this journey to India comprised valuable first-hand observations and innumerable sketches, drawings and water colours. After his early death in 1849, this visual material was published and highly admired, also by Alexander von Humboldt. With these lithographs, beautifully reproduced by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, we are able to see an “old India.”
“We are the Federation of Indo-German societies and Prince Waldemar was a German. Also, it was a subject related to India and Germany — he was drawn into the battles of the Anglo-Sikh war of 1844-45. It was suggested to us by the Punjab government to bring the history to the people and we agreed,” said Anand Singh Bawa, the honorary secretary of the Federation of the Indo-German Societies in India (FIGS).
While such initiatives make people aware of one’s own history, it’s the lack of interest that bars one from becoming aware. “If someone goes to any exhibition, he/she is bound to take something away from it. Unfortunately, we don’t have a culture of visiting museums. We also have the National Museum in Delhi which is full of history, but how many people go voluntarilyIJ We have schools taking kids out there but if we look around ourselves, how many people will we find who are genuinely interested in visiting such placesIJ”
In a blog post on the website of the German Embassy in India, art historian Dr Jutta Jain-Neubauer, who also contributed a foreword to the album, writes about how the royal did not like the extra security that was provided to him while in India and preferred exploring the region on his own, anonymously.
“When once he tried to sneak out of his room to stroll through the ‘native’ bazaar in Calcutta on his own, his butler caught him and suggested that he make horses and carriage ready for him. The Prince requested to be left alone, but his guardian insisted on doing his assigned duties. Waldemar angrily shouted at him, which had the desired effect, followed by his guardian’s contemptuous and scornful glances. Prince Waldemar writes: ‘I was more than happy to get rid of this useless attendant, and enjoyed going out anonymously. It is such a pleasure for me to stroll around in unknown towns and to observe the hustle and bustle in the local streets and markets. And if this appeals to me in Europe, how much more in this country, where I encounter hundreds of new exciting images at every step.’”
Waldemar returned to Berlin in June 1846, by which time he had not only sketched his experiences of India but also compiled his copious notes and essays. He took back some Indian armaments and a dried and pressed compendium of Indian herbs.