„Hi! I’m Amalthea, in German they call me a Weingeis, or Goat of Wine, but as my Greek name says, I’m a spirit of conviviality and of people being drawn together. Where ama is a coming together, an amala is a „ship“ and as you can see, at Museum Krems I am a float that was once paraded through the streets at the beginning of autumn in celebration of the harvest. Etymologists will tell you that thea means as sight and a spectacle and that is what I am. But thea also means „goddess“ and when I lower my horns, nothing stands in my way. But don’t worry, I’m benevolent and should you be in search of the secret and the hidden, I’m the perfect guide! Although it doesn’t say so in The Bible, it was because of me that Noah came to invent wine. Woven around the scenery, life and culture of the Wachau Valley in Austria, Reloading Humanism celebrates the history of a region and rejoices in the sights, sounds and tastes that the valley offers in abundance. The aim of the site is to search for and share with others, enduring insights on an enchanting valley, that enrich what we see and experience, so afterwards memories remain, pointing to that which is genuinely beautiful, meaningful and enduring. So let us set off on a journey together!

Along the way, you’ll meet Mrs W. and Saint Vitus who will share their secrets with you. In addition Basil, another friend of mine, has prepared a Krems and Wachau E-Zine for you. If you ask nicely, Seraph, Cherub and Ophan  will guide you through the picturesque towns of Krems, Stein and Dürnstein. In In vino veritas, the cultural and technical histories of wine and wine-making are expounded and I attempt to explain to Jesus‘ grandmother, Saint Anna, how in wine, there is truth and why her grandson had to die.

After being initiated into the secrets of wine, a monkey, a lamb, a lion and a pig will teach you the dangers of drinking too much. As you may know, for those who throw caution to the winds, wine causes the world to spin and turn like a kaleidoscope and herein there is also lies truth, for at Reloading Humanism, truth is seen as something fragmented and fractal. Here the oldest figurative sculpture in Austria, Fanny of Gallows Hill, will be your guide and will introduce you the twisting tuns of an endless labyrinth. Thereafter, although adrift on a raft, Shippers will share with you you some tricks that will enable the hidden rocks and dangerous rapids of doubt and uncertainty to be avoided. In this way, a glass of wine enjoyed on a summer’s evening, leads back to the days when the world was young and Ice Age hunter-gathers following the River Danube up from the Balkans, first discovered Central Europe. However should you prefer reading printed pages, or rather follow my float from the safety of your favorite armchair, the book, Rediscovering History in Krems and the Wachau, will take you in more detail along the same route. For a preview see the Reloading Humanism Books & Music page.“