The Last Nazi Rocket Scientist

[Inger H. Dalsgaard]

Erm. . . yes, (as Dave Monroe suggests) I doubt Disney will be cooperative 
in providing copies of von Braun's Shows, if approached by researchers. On 
the Other hand, though von Braun's halo may currently be under attack from 
scholars and in BBC documentaries etc, the web site you provide is an 
example of how the charisma, not so much of VB, the Man, as V2, the Rocket 
itself keeps attracting buffs who desire its reconstruction. Sounds like 
Gravity's Rainbow, doesn't it? Von Braun escapes overhead again, while the 
Forces and individuals scramble around on the ground looking obsessively 
(and opportunistically)for the vehicle.

Another interesting development is the way official NASA websites present VB 
more openly and admiringly these days. I honestly think the Rocket Baron is 
acquiring the sort of eternal life which he claims for himself (with the 
help of a Franklin quote)in the longer version of the text Pynchon uses as 
his preface - even though this is also a time when personal memories (e.g. 
by Beon and Garlinski) of the 'holocaust' aspects of the rocket program (are 
allowed to) surface.

Gravity's Rainbow takes an interesting position, then, in the midst of 
history (re)writing - personal and public. Something which became clear from 
talking to the director of the Gedaenkstatte DORA at Nordhausen. In 1993 
(when Gravity's Rainbow was translated into German)they arranged a 
conference of literary scholars and survivors from the camp, as I understood 
it. There's a Conference Proceedings Publication I'd love to read!


Inger H. Dalsgaard


>Thanks!  Those von Braun installments of "Walt Disney Presents" were on the
>Disney Channel on cable television here ca. last Christmas (of course), 
>but,
>unfortunately, I stumbled in on the first one during a "free preview" week, 
>and
>with a VCR which DOESN'T record anymore.  Never caught 'em coming back 
>around.
>Not sure just how cooperative the Disney people would be if you approached 
>them
>about those shows, but ... but both installments were about space 
>exploration,
>the fisrt in particular about building a space station, complete with nifty
>special effects depictions thereof (top-shaped seven-armed personal 
>construction
>capsules and so forth).  But keep the references coming, and this website 
>was
>just forwarded to me as well: http://www.v2rocket.com/ ...

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