100 years ago: Premiere of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'

In the form of Robert Wiene's "Caligari," German cinema changed film history. Historians are still arguing about how to interpret the groundbreaking expressionist movie.


Strong black and white contrasts, a world of shadows and blackness. Angular studio buildings and monstrous signs on the wall. Oblique angles and perspectives. The world has gone off the rails. Performers flinch through the rooms, panic stricken, driven by visible and imagined horrors. This is the film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," first shown 100 years ago, on February 27, 1920, in the Berlin movie theater "Marmorhaus."

It must have been a disturbing premiere. A silent film flickered across the screen of a kind that had never been seen before: frightening and surreal, dark and seemingly hopeless. It was a noteworthy event — also because this German silent film changed many things. "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" turned out to be one of the most influential films ever made.


Sharp edges and contours: "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"

Director Robert Wiene's work is considered the early high point of expressionism in film today. Expressionism had already gained a foothold in the visual arts a few years earlier, and many German painters and graphic artists such as Ernst-Ludwig Kirchner and Max Pechstein influenced the style. Expressionist art was a counter-art: against naturalism, against impressionism, against soft lines. There were also expressionist developments in literature and music, theater and dance during that time.

Read more: How German film foreshadowed Hitler

Expressionist film puts Germany on the map

Film and cinema from Germany set standards, and the 1920s became the heyday of expressionism in movie theaters. Besides "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," works such as "Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror," "The Golem and How He Came Into the World" and "Dr. Mabuse" became all-time classics. Fritz Lang, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and comedy director Ernst Lubitsch were the most famous German filmmakers who catapulted local cinema to world fame, influencing European and especially Hollywood films. Like many other German artists, the three directors later went on to Hollywood.


A current exhibition in Berlin shows success and influence of the famous film

Director Robert Wiene may not have become quite as famous, but "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" had a lasting impact on fantastic cinema, horror films and film noir, and its influence is felt even today. In the 1960s the material was re-filmed in the US, and later-generation American directors such as David Lynch and Tim Burton were influenced by "Caligari."

Caligari's film aesthetic influenced Hollywood

How can that be explained? It was the merging of form and content: Sharp contrasts, jagged lines and buildings that continue into the sub-titles reflected the protagonists' state of mind. Dramatic-looking film buildings could be seen as psychograms of the characters. The film medium could not tell a better story in those days. It didn't even need language and sound, just images and music.

As for its content, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is complex; the framework story has to do with Dr. Caligari, a scientist who exhibits a sleepwalker at fairs, "controls" him through mysterious channels and has him murder people.

Read more: Venice Film Festival premiere: Did cinema predict Hitler's rise to power?

Fairground turbulence in the film

In the end the question arises: Who is insane here?

Two young men and a woman watch the goings-on. One is killed by the sleepwalker. Police and doctors try to catch Caligari, who turns out to be the director of a lunatic asylum. Are the others insane? Or is it Caligari, who perfidiously disregards reason and rationality and manipulates the world for his own gain?

Even today one can watch "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" as often as one likes without quite getting to the bottom of it, which makes the film so appealing. Critics and experts often grit their teeth over Robert Wiene's work, and countless meanings and interpretations have been advanced by the most famous publicists and film historians.


In the end the question arises: Who belongs in the straitjacket?

How much Hitler is in Caligari?

"From Caligari to Hitler" was the title of probably the most famous and sometimes influential German film book of the first half of the 20th century. Written by Siegfried Kracauer, it first appeared in English in 1947. Kracauer's thesis: In the early 1920s, Wiene and his screenwriters had anticipated the rise of the National Socialists. Films like "Caligari" laid out Nazi characters and methodology. Unconsciously, other directors and scriptwriters had also designed characters similar to those that became grim reality after 1933. Parts of this thesis were later contradicted.


The Caligari exhibition in Berlin shows influence in cinema, art and culture

It is nonetheless impossible to overlook how German cinema in particular filled the screen with figures of horror and terror in those years and how murderers and tyrants in movies incited others to violence and destruction. One can still debate whether Dr. Caligari's features are recognizable in Adolf Hitler and how his sleepwalker symbolizes the German people, steered within a few years towards mass murder.

The Caligari film also indisputably influenced works by later directors. An exhibition that opened its doors shortly before the beginning of the 70th Berlinale also examines that. "You Have to be a Caligari! - The Virtual Cabinet" is on view until 20 April at the Deutsche Kinemathek/Museum für Film und Fernsehen.


DW RECOMMENDS


German Expressionist cinema revival at the Berlinale

Screening 1920s Expressionist masterpieces "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Waxworks," and an adaptation of legendary Weimar novel, "Berlin Alexanderplatz," the Berlinale refocuses the cultural highs of the Weimar era. (25.02.2020)

Date 27.02.2020
Author Jochen Kürten
Keywords Caligari, Robert Wiene, silent film, film, expressionism, film history

https://p.dw.com/p/3YTpX



https://archive.org/details/TheHorrorOfAccumulationAndTheCommodificationOfHumanity

FILM
Tracing conspiracy theories in film

Oliver Stone's 1991 movie about the Kennedy assassination was a masterpiece of the genre. While many of these films come from Hollywood, there’s also a history of conspiracy films in Germany.

ALL MADE UP? CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN MOVIES
'JFK' (1991)
US director Oliver Stone has often dealt with conspiracies in his films. His 1991 movie "JFK" looks into the alleged cover-up of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Prosecutor Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) does not believe that a lone gunman killed JFK; his theory is that a widespread network, the "deep state," is behind the assassination.

Presumably, no one has ever postulated the following theory: that the coronavirus was brought into the world by the powerful lobby surrounding streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and others as a way to bring their competitors — the movie theaters — to their knees.

This is, of course, absolute nonsense. And yet, nobody can rule out that there's someone in the world would actually make such an absurd claim. No conspiracy theory seems to be crazy enough that it would not be written down on paper or spread indiscriminately on the internet.

Read more: Opinion: Conspiracy theories on the rise

Conspiracy theories are not theories at all - but irrational mind games

In these times, when conspiracy theories are running rampant in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, it is worth taking a look back at film history. But before we do that, we have to take note that the term "conspiracy theory" in itself is nonsensical. After all, we are not talking about actual theories, but instead about "myths," "narratives," and even "fairy tales." Those terms seem more appropriate because conspiracy theories usually have less to do with "theory" than with what they're actually directed at.

The Vietnam trauma encouraged conspiracy theories in the US: Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway in the paranoia thriller "The Three Days of Condor"

The assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963 led to a whole flood of conspiracy theories. At times, people claimed it was the CIA who had conducted the assassination; sometimes it was the Soviet Union, sometimes the Cubans or Cuban exiles. Then there is the theory that members of the mafia perpetrated the assassination; another theory is the later Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson or George Bush Senior were behind it.

And these are just some of the more "serious" theories — if you can use that adjective in this context at all. Some of the more bizarre "theories" claim that homosexuals or UFOs played a major role in the murder.

Popular films revolving around political-economic conspiracies: JFK

At some point, of course, the film industry began tapping into such notions. Since the murder of Kennedy still doesn't seem to be completely solved, authors, producers and directors have had plenty of freedom in concocting their own stories.

Where facts remain hidden, it's easy to speculate. Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK (see article image) is still the most popular film about the Kennedy murder today. Kevin Costner, who starred in the film, was at the height of his career at the time, as was US director Oliver Stone.

For all its cinematic brilliance, Stone's film fueled further speculations about the masterminds behind the assassination. Director Stone's focus was mainly on the arms industry. The idea was that arms producers were allegedly behind the assassination, as Kennedy aimed to end the Cold War.

The logic was that, with no threat of war and no arms race, fewer weapons would be purchased, resulting in declining revenue for the industry. According to the thesis expressed in the film, the person responsible for this development — President Kennedy — had to be eliminated.

Cinema and conspiracy theories — populist, entertaining, critical

Cinema has always enjoyed taking up conspiracy theories; as popular subjects they either reveal true conspiracies or only deal in speculation.

Some films have fueled conspiracy theories, with the anti-Semitic propaganda movies of Nazi Germany being a particularly grave example. Films that critically question conspiracy theories also exist.

Read more: Conspiracies are always 'theories of power'

Many films on the subject have been created in Hollywood, perhaps due to the powerful film industry there with all its creative possibilities and imaginative minds. But there are probably other reasons as well: In the current heated atmosphere in the US, where the president in particular deals in fringe theories, the climate for conspiracy theories appears to be flourishing.

Perhaps it also has to do with the size of the US, the relative independence of the states, the citizens' love of freedom and the physical distance to the capital, Washington DC, from most parts of the country. A lack of education always fosters conspiracy theories — an issue which may also apply to parts of the US.
A German silent movie with a conspiracy theme: Fritz Lang's "The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse"

But German cinema has also contributed a great deal to the subject. Even during the heyday of Weimar cinema, when people acted in silent movies, the topic of conspiracies was repeatedly addressed, such as in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Fritz Lang's Mabuse films, as well as his masterpiece Metropolis, — all of which look atconspiracies in one way or another.

It's also easy to imagine that in just a few years, there will be a whole new wave of conspiracy film thrillers dealing with the subject of the coronavirus.

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'Pandemic populism': Germany sees rise in conspiracy theories

With the COVID-19 crisis sparking uncertainty, conspiracy theories are booming in Germany. Right-wing activists in particular are trying to stir up hatred against politicians and the democratic system, a new study warns. (26.04.2020)

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Conspiracy theories are coming in hard and fast during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of them even sound plausible. So it's important to know: what makes a conspiracy theory? And why are they so popular? (19.05.2020)

All made up? Conspiracy theories in movies

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, Germany abounds with conspiracy theories. Movies have for decades been devoted to all kinds of conspiracies — including those that actually exist. (19.05.2020)


Date 19.05.2020
Author Jochen Kürten (als)
Related Subjects Fritz Lang, Oliver Stone
Keywords conspiracy theories, film, movies, Oliver Stone, Fritz Lang, John F. Kennedy

Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3cTeY

Viktor Orban expands Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ measures

Under Viktor Orban, Hungary's government has further limited rights of transgender and intersex people with a new law. It is the latest example of Orban's extreme intolerance of people who do not fit his worldview.

 

With a two-thirds majority in parliament, this week Hungary's governing coalition passed a law that prohibits transgender and intersex people from changing the gender was registered in their birth certificates. According to the law, identity is now determined forever "by primary sex characteristics and chromosomes."

At the end of March — in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic — Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, had announced that his government would abolish the possibility of changing one's gender on identity documents. Protests by opposition politicians who pointed out the serious consequences for those concerned were ignored. In April, Imre Vejkey, a parliamentarian from the Christian Democratic People's Party, a partner in Orban's coalition, said "the opinion of those affected plays no role."

Rights groups have sharply criticized the law. David Vig, the director of the Hungarian branch of Amnesty International, said the decision "pushes Hungary back towards the Dark Ages."

Read more: Is the Eurovision Song Contest too 'gay' for Hungary?

'Extremely problematic' law

Tamas Dobos, from the LGBTQ+ organization the Hatter Society, told DW that the law was "extremely problematic." Dobos said it means, among other things, that trans people would now have to reveal their transgender identity every time they conduct official business.

The law has also triggered massive criticism internationally. The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic described it as a "blow to the human dignity of trans people." She said it contradicted the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The United Nations, the European Union and LGBTQ+ organizations across the world have also condemned the law. On social media, opponents of the law launched a protest campaign under the hashtag #drop33 — a symbolic dropping into the wastebasket of this amendment to Article 33 in Hungarian law.

Arduous legal action

As the law is consistent neither with the Hungarian constitution nor with European human rights standards, it will be combated "with every means," Dobos said. The Hatter Society has called on Hungary's president not to sign the bill into law and to submit it to the Constitutional Court for review. But the president and the judges at the court are all loyal to Orban and, as a rule, do not oppose the government in its legislation. 

Another option would be to lodge a complaint with the ECHR in Strasbourg, Dobos said. But he is not optimistic: "A final decision will take years, whether in Hungary or Strasbourg. Until then, transsexuals will not have the chance to have their gender legally recognized, which will expose them to discrimination and possibly even violence."

Opposing Orban's worldview

In the past few years, officials in Hungary have shown increasing antipathy toward LGBTQ+ people. The parliamentary speaker, Laszlo Kover, compared the adoption of children by homosexual couples with pedophilia. Not long afterward, Istvan Boldog, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary party of Orban's Fidesz, called for the abolition of Budapest Pride. And the pro-government journalist Zsolt Bayer even proudly announced: "Yes, we are homophobic."

Dobos said the government made such statements to appeal to voters after seeing how well official homophobia has performed as an elections strategy for the government in Poland. In Hungary, as in Poland, LGBTQ+ people do not fit in with the conservative Christian worldview of the government. Orban has emphasized several times that in his eyes, Hungary is an illiberal state, i.e., a state in which people are not meant to be able to live the way they want to live.

Shortly after taking office 10 years ago, Orban had the constitution changed to fit his views. Now, it reads: "Hungary protects the institution of marriage as a union of man and woman … and the family as the basis for the survival of the nation."

Orban has found a battle cry for everything that does not keep with his view of the world: gender. Hungary's government has denied proposals for research in the field and has forbidden gender studies as a university course.

Hungary'ss government has refused to ratify the Council of Europe's 2011 Istanbul Convention to combat violence against women and domestic violence, charging in a statement that it promotes "destructive gender ideologies": "We have the right to defend our country, our culture, our laws, traditions and national values, which should not be threatened by ... gender theory that goes against the beliefs of the majority of the population."

• Date 21.05.2020
• Author Felix Schlagwein
• Related Subjects LGBT rights, Hungary, Viktor Orban, Budapest
• Keywords Viktor Orban, Hungary, LGBT+
• Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3caoD

Germany: Over 4,000-year-old skeleton discovered

In a "rare and exciting find," archaeologists in Brandenburg uncovered the skeleton of a woman who died thousands of years ago. Researchers want to know how she died and why she was buried in an unusual position.

    

The skeleton was discovered during excavation work for a wind turbine in the district of Uckermark, located around 102 kilometers outside of Berlin. 

The woman is believed to have been buried between 2,200 and 2,500 B.C., Christof Krauskopf from Brandenburg's state office for monument preservation told German news agency epd. 

He added that the unusual way that the woman was buried makes the makes the find of "a high scientific significance."

'Never made a find like this before'

Archaeologists Philipp Roskoschinski and Christoph Rzegotta, who made the discovery, said that the skeleton was found posed in a crouched position in a pit near a settlement, not in a cemetery.

Roskoschinski told epd that the discovery was a "rare and exciting find." The woman was laid to rest on her right side with her legs and arms pulled in, with her head positioned to the east with her gaze pointing north. 

Read more: Who lived near Pömmelte, the 'German Stonehenge'?

"I've never made a find like this before," Roskoschinski, who owns the archaeological firm Archaeros, told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.

He and his colleague believe that this indicates the woman was purposefully positioned this way and was not simply put in the grave.

Researchers are now carrying out tests to get a better idea of how old the skeleton is as well as how the woman died. 

"Unfortunately, there were no other finds in the grave that could tell us more about the woman's life," Roskoschinski told Tagesspiegel newspaper. "But the site was lovingly surrounded by fieldstones."

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

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German archaeologists unearth massive mammoth tusk

Archaeologists in Bavaria had been out to find remains from medieval settlements when they stumbled across a much older and very rare find. "A complete stroke of luck," one expert said of the mammoth discovery. (28.03.2020)  

'Lovers of Modena' skeletons were both men

The famed "Lovers of Modena," skeletons discovered hand-in-hand, have been revealed to be two men after an analysis of the remains. The pair could have been fellow soldiers, siblings or cousins, said researchers. (13.09.2019)  

Archaeologists uncover biggest known child sacrifice in history

Some 227 skeletons have been found in the coastal Peruvian town of Huanchaco. Researchers believe the children were sacrified to bring an end to the El Nino weather phenomenon. (28.08.2019)  

• Date 21.05.2020
• Author Rebecca Staudenmaier
• Related Subjects Archaeology, Brandenburg
• Keywords Brandenburg, Uckermark, skeleton, archaeology
• Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3cZyM

Dozens of mammoth skeletons found under future Mexico City airport

A team of archaeologists have found the remains of more than 60 mammoths at the site of a new airport being built to serve Mexico City. Excavators have also found animal and human bones in the area.

    

A team of archaeologists working near Mexico City has discovered the remains of more than 60 mammoths at the city's future airport.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said the bones, found at the construction site of the planned Felipe Angeles International Airport, date back some 15,000 years.

The remains were uncovered close to the spot where the airport's future control tower is to be built. INAH excavators have been working at the site – some 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) north of the capital – since April last year, seeking animal remains from the Pleistocene era.

The team reported in December that that it had found the bones of a far smaller number of animals at the old Santa Lucia Air Base, a military airport being converted for civilian use.

Read more: Furry head of ice age wolf found in Siberian permafrost

The area was formerly submerged under the Xaltocan Lake, part of the Mexican Basin and a focal point of the country's pre-Colombian civilization. Traps for the hunting of mammoths, thought to have been dug soon after the lake dried up, were found at the site last year.

Almost all of the giant skeletons are thought to belong to the Colombian mammoth species.

Other types of fauna, including bison, camels and horses were also found, as well as bones of humans buried in the pre-Hispanic era and various artefacts.

"The main challenge is that the richness of fauna and relics is greater than we had considered," Pedro Francisco Sánchez Nava, INAH's national anthropology coordinator told Mexico's Excelsiornewspaper.

INAH says the discoveries are not intended to put a brake on the building of the airport, and that they had little impact on the building work.

"It would be a lie to say that we have not had an influence on the work being carried out, but we are working in coordination with those responsible," said Sanchez Nava. "We are able to continue at our own pace without having too much influence on the times of the work."

• Keywords mammoth, Mexico, paleontology, archaeology, Felipe Angeles International Airport
• Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3cau6

German archaeologists unearth massive mammoth tusk

Archaeologists in Bavaria had been out to find remains from medieval settlements when they stumbled across a much older and very rare find. "A complete stroke of luck," one expert said of the mammoth discovery.


Bavarian authorities announced Friday evening that archeologists had found an unusually large, ice-age mammoth tusk during an excavation.

The tusk, measuring nearly 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length, was found southeast of the city of Regensburg as archeologists were looking for remains of a 15th-century town, Bavaria's Regional Office for Cultural and Historic Preservation said in a press release.

"With its 2.45-meter length, including tip tooth, this tusk is an extraordinarily complete find. An absolute stroke of luck," said Gertrud Rössner, the head of the state's geological and paleontological mammal collection.

Read more: Stone-Age 'chewing gum' reveals human DNA

Mammoths lived in Bavaria, Germany's most southwest state, until 20,000 years ago. It is not usual for mammoth remains to be unearthed in Bavaria, but finding such a long and complete tusk is extremely rare, the office said.

Testing will need to be done to conclude the precise origin of the tusk. Experts believe it may have belonged to a full-grown bull.

Another piece of a bone was found nearby, though it was unclear whether it came from the same animal.

Read more: Sensational archaeological find is likely Germany's oldest library

Preserved in water?

Bavarian archeologist Christoph Steinmann theorized that both bones had been immersed in water a long time ago. This would explain why the outer layers of the tooth remained intact, even though the inside substance had cracked over time. Had the outside been exposed to the air, it would have crumbled immediately, Steinmann added.

The excavation, which is now completed, also turned up a fountain, waste remains, an oven and shards of pottery dating to the Middle Ages.
Date 28.03.2020
Author Cristina Burack
Keywords archeology, Regensburg, ice age, mammoth

Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3aABl

This Woman Made A Huge Sparkly
Sculpture Of A Clitoris Called "The Glitoris"
And It's Really Something
“Maybe some day we’ll have as many clits graffitied on toilet walls as penises. That will be a good day.”


by Brad Esposito
BuzzFeed News Reporter, Australia
18 Jan 2017

Alli Sebastian Wolf is an artist from Sydney, Australia. Here she is with her latest artwork:

Alli Sebastian Wolf

Named "The Glitoris", Alli's latest sculpture is a 100:1 scale model of a clitoris, painted gold and covered in glitter and sequinned "nerves".

Alli Sebastian Wolf

Wolf says "The Glitoris" was made to educate people on a part of the body that is still greatly misunderstood.

"It's political and feminist, but also a celebration," she said.

"It's a hell of a lot of playful fun. Under the surface it's so much more. It's a glorious spaceship-looking creature with 8,000 nerves that can swell to three times its size in moments."

Wolf's "Glitoris" is set to be exhibited in Sydney bar and art space The Bearded Tit. The exhibition will also feature performances by a group of "Clitorati", described by Wolf as "bejewelled priestesses of the clit".

Alli Sebastian Wolf

The world will be a happier, healthier place when this shape is as familiar as the old John Thomas,” Wolf said.

Alli Sebastian Wolf

“Maybe some day we’ll have as many clits graffitied on toilet walls as penises. That will be a good day.”

A White House Butler Who Worked For 11 US Presidents Died Of The Coronavirus"His service to others—his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched—is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit," former first lady Michelle Obama said.

Posted on May 21, 2020

National Archives Catalog / Via catalog.archives.gov



Wilson Roosevelt Jerman

People around the world are remembering family and friends who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. BuzzFeed News is proud to bring you some of their stories. To support our coverage, become a member and sign up for our newsletter, Outbreak Today.


Wilson Roosevelt Jerman — who worked in the White House as a cleaner, butler, and maître d' for 11 US presidents over more than half a century — died Saturday from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, his family said.

Jerman was 91, his granddaughter Shanta Taylor Gay said in a Facebook post.

"My grandfather is a family-loving, genuine man," Jamila Garrett, another granddaughter, told Fox 5 in DC. "He was always about service, service to others. It doesn't matter who you were or what you did or what you needed."

Jerman last worked in the White House for President Barack Obama and his family, who honored him with a plaque and 11 coins, each representing every US president he worked with.

"With his kindness and care, Wilson Jerman helped make the White House a home for decades for First Families, including ours," former first lady Michelle Obama said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "His service to others—his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched—is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit. We were lucky to have known him. Barack and I send our sincerest love and prayers to his family."

Shanta Taylor Gay

on Tuesday

✨ ✨ Turn in tonight at 10pm on fox 5 new! My Grandfather (Wilson Jerman) story will be shared. On May 16 my grandfather passed 🕊💔due to Covid-19. He was the oldest Butler/Matri D for the WHITE HOUSE alive since Former President Eisenhower administration, he retired in 2012 with Former President Obama. Fox5 News was his favorite station. His legacy will live on!! RIP GRANDAD

-0:38

Facebook: shanta.taylorgay

Jerman began working at the White House in 1957 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a cleaner, then was promoted to butler under President John F. Kennedy.


Garrett told Fox 5 her grandfather was promoted in part thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

According to the White House Historical Association, Jerman worked full-time in the White House from 1957 to 1993.

He worked part-time beginning in 2003 and left the White House in 2012 under President Barack Obama.

Director Lee Daniels made a 2013 film, The Butler, about Eugene Allen, who also began working in the White House in 1952 and served under multiple presidents.

During his career, Garrett said he fostered relationships with the families of past presidents, particularly the Kennedys, the Bushes (during the administrations of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush), and the Obamas.

A 2009 photo of the Obamas inside an elevator being operated by Jerman was included in Michelle Obama's book, Becoming.

Samantha Appleton/White House via Getty Images

His granddaughter Shanta Taylor Gay told CNN her grandfather had a stroke in 2011, and the Obamas looked after his well-being and sent flowers.

Garrett said despite working for US presidents, her grandfather's focus was service for others.

"I want the world to remember my grandfather as someone who was really authentic, always being yourself," Garrett said. "That's what he taught our family."

Salvador Hernandez is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
Contact Salvador Hernandez at salvador.hernandez@buzzfeed.com.

Wilson Jerman: Ex-White House butler dies of coronavirus

SAMANTHA APPLETON

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman with Michelle and Barack Obama

A former White House butler, who worked for 11 presidents in a career that spanned five decades, has died of coronavirus aged 91.

It was Jackie Kennedy who noticed Wilson Roosevelt Jerman while he was working as a cleaner in the White House.

The then First Lady had him promoted, and from then on he worked as a butler.

"She was instrumental in ensuring that that happened," his granddaughter, Jamila Garrett, told Fox 5.

Decades later Mr Jerman was commemorated by another First Lady, appearing in a photo in Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming.

Paying tribute after his death, Mrs Obama said her family were "lucky to have known him".

"With his kindness and care, Wilson Jerman helped make the White House a home for decades of First Families, including ours," she said in a statement to NBC News.

"His service to others - his willingness to go above and beyond for the country he loved and all those whose lives he touched - is a legacy worthy of his generous spirit."

He died with coronavirus last weekend.

COURTESY OF FAMILY

Wilson Roosevelt Jerman began working at the White House in 1957

Mr Jerman's family members say he stood out not just to the Kennedys, who were in the White House during 1961-63, and the Obamas, who lived there from 2009 to 2017, but others he met in his roles.

Mr Jerman's career began in 1957 during the Eisenhower administration. In his last position, he served as a maître d' in the Obama White House.

He left his position in 2012, and President Obama honoured him with a series of plaques, one that represented each of the presidents he had served, Mr Jerman's granddaughter Shanta Taylor Gay told CNN.

He remains an important figure for those who study the history of African Americans and their role in political life.

Like other African-American men of his generation, he showed dignity while serving in one of the few positions that was available to him at the time, said Ohio State University's Koritha Mitchell, author of From Slave Cabins to the White House.

She said he must have found it satisfying to end his career in the way that he did.

He was working for Mr Obama, "a dignified president who was also African American", she said, adding: "That must have felt like a victory."