Construction Projects in Bolzano and Street Lighting in Merano

Daily report.

Bolzano, 28 March. At the recent meeting with the k. k. Building Inspector Herr Erizzo, the gratifying result emerged that the local station for the projected railway can be placed very close to the town, offering the prospect of a direct connection with Weintraubengasse as well as with Johannplatz. On this occasion, the project for our new hospital building was also discussed, which enjoys the special patronage of our esteemed District President, Count von Fünfkirchen. As we understand, the engineers are actively working on the plan modified according to the newly chosen site, although several obstacles arising from rights of way encumbering the land may still need to be removed. For this reason, and because of difficulties regarding water drainage, it is not entirely clear whether it might not have been better to abandon the chosen building site for a third time and, following the proposal of the building committee, select the site below Ziegelgasse, which would certainly have meant significant savings on the purchase costs of the land. Many are also of the opinion that it would have been best and most advantageous to meet the need for expansion without purchasing costly new land by adding a wing to the old hospital, for which there is undeniably sufficient space. In any case, this project certainly deserves mature consideration as well, since, as is reported, a substantial subscription is to be raised in its support.

In any event, we now have many and important construction projects in prospect. Beside the hospital, work is underway on a major plan for the reconstruction of the Dominican barracks, now belonging to the town, the capacity of which is to be raised to 1,200–1,800 men. The expansion of the local main shooting range through a functional extension is already in progress, and the building plans for our upper gymnasium have been prepared, the execution of which must likewise be resolved if we are not to lose hope of retaining it. For the construction of the new gendarmerie barracks, plans have been submitted to higher authority, and the establishment of an elementary school (Trivialschule), for which funds are also available, is an urgent necessity. To this must be added the pavements long promised to us and the new railway station with its extensive associated works, which will likely provide employment for our builders for some years to come.

Merano, 22 March. If a disciple of the Lord were to come to the good town of Merano in these days between 9 and 10 in the evening, he could not help but think to himself: "Here the seven foolish virgins must be either lamp lighters or oil suppliers." For he would find nothing but lamps without oil. A peculiar melancholy feeling takes hold when one strolls through the town streets at the aforementioned hour, observing the lamps struggling between life and death, their final throes in agony; seeing in them how they sigh along with Schiller's Luise: "Still so young, and must I depart already?!" I believe Lewald mentions somewhere that the inhabitants of Merano display a great musical sense; it seems that this sensibility has also passed on to the city lamps, since walking through the streets in the evening one does not hear, but certainly sees, how the said lamps quite comfortably perform Haydn's Farewell Symphony. Some people did indeed think that the mild climate of Merano must have changed considerably, as the oil still freezes in the lamps now at the beginning of spring; but, as one hears, even the oil supplier does not believe that. No, no! He rather thinks that it is better this way, and that he wishes to contribute to Merano adhering to the principle of that old magistrate: "Decent people go home early anyway, and such wanton night owls have no need of light, nor will it hurt them if they bump their heads a little." J. Z. *)

*) Could this not also have been written for Bolzano? Ed.