upstairs come prepared the checkbook. it's expensive. how much is this gonna cost him? laura vivian, our warm animal, the massive amount of snow in the sierra nevada is actually a blessing for california. the accumulated snow in the mountains will provide water in spring in summer for the fields in the plains, which have been suffering from severe drought. but the record snow fall in the western u. s. is just one extreme. that the southern and eastern parts of the country are currently experiencing mild and even summer like weather, with the record breaking temperatures here too. oh, doc film is up next with a feature on legendary hotels. i'm michael oke, who in berlin. you watching d. w. take your time toward experiment about time. it can be measured precisely and yet each person experiences it differently as if there are different forms of

time. but dimension and illusion about time starns december 31st on d w ah ah ah jerusalem. a city say could to judaism islam and christianity time and again, it has been full, sofa, destroyed, and rebuilt a city that like few others, has long been the focus of utopian, oops, and dreams and

a flash point in the conflicts that have divided the middle east but it's also a city dotted with havens of quiet and peace, including the american colony hotel, uhm, and a waste of welcome open to every one. no matter the nationality, ethnicity, or religion. time has left his marks only lightly. here the hotel remains a haven of tolerance, jews, christians, muslims, israelis and palestinians all look side by side and share a common cause. it's a place of encounter both staff and guests. at men, my gun moses hotel is the safest place in the area. i know a place open to wall full door left to

a liquidity mess. i think that story of the hotel is it story? one crisis after now brittany and with miraculous savings. guests to book a stay in this 5 star hotel are looking for plants. the mood he is gentle and relaxed. the $94.00 rooms and sweeps in the hotel offer a place of tranquillity, instability in a city that is often anything bought. bought, it took decades to this historic building to be transformed into a prestigious hotel. it began a 150 years ago in a distant place. in the 18 seventy's, chicago was the hum of horatio. an honest spafford, horatio spafford was a prominent lawyer and the family. didn't thompson,

with the 4 daughters. this passes without protestants. in october, 1871. chicago was devastated by fire. hundreds perished. the spots helped as much as they could, but the great fire had claimed much of the family's investments. o 2 years later, the spaniards decided to visit europe and earn full ghouls went ahead. one night their ocean liner was rammed by a british vessel and sank within minutes. more than 200 people lost their lives, and a spot had survived. but her 4 daughters had drowned. blue anna and horatio tried to rebuild their lives after the tragedy. they had 3 more children, but their only son died of scarlet fever at the age of 4. some years later, when 1881, the spot was decided to leave chicago with their 2 youngest daughter's bertha and

grace joining a small pilgrimage that set sail to jerusalem to it was the liver. i declined that in less vinkadesh. jerusalem was a small city in a corner of the ottoman empire in a walled city. i considered wholly by all 3 monotheistic religions, highly. they all shared the belief that when the messiah returned, he would 1st appear in jerusalem annual silence. yes, count. oh, the small american congregation moved into a house in the old town in the muslim quarter. they had no desire to be missionaries. they were waiting for the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy, the 2nd coming of christ, ah, is bedford's milligan. i again, as it is backwards, formed their very own private and personal sex and were convinced that the messiah would come the following year at mr. austin,

they went up the mount of olives every sunday in case that christ had arrived on the mount of olives. and i think some of the community were quite prepared to accidentally run into jesus christ on the street in the 330 might just be walking around in the old city and you clarify each other. i'm out. gosh, i have to say, i find it difficult to describe anna's bafford to show me mildred, there's something i really like about her. i, i'll been, but many people were afraid of her, much a multi die. she was a strong one. that'd be love a nickel shebaway the american colony developed had a lot to do with her only a layer killer. you'd say, i'd say her religious ideas slowly took hold in the community. i don't like the new york a little bit submittal for celibacy, was introduced in 1886 i li, celibacy, probably because horatio and anna had grown apart. a community,

a big land. sure. rush over and it wasn't purely out of spiritual motives. zeniah down a lawyer, i'm and e, me, spirit. while until william went enter, instructed the group to a top sexual abstinence one young woman lizzy page stood up to her. mm. lizzie, chicago, ha, lizzie, who was a good friend at anna's, would not accept the commandment of abstinence thing. i said, my spiritual relationship is as sacred to me as my relationship with my husband. he mcneally law amana did not like lizzy's resistance release, even then she banished the couple from the american colony, may, even after lizzie fell ill. he, he thought on, but she died of pneumonia, hold on me and lay by it. upon been calm after her death, her husband odus returned to the american colony, august havana,

american called him, the american consul was determined to disband to commune. he regarded its members, a charlatans, accusing them of loot behaviors. but he didn't succeed. unexpected continued her philanthropic work with zeal, and her door was remained open to the needy. the next generation of the family went its own way. horatio and anna's daughter, bertha married frederick vesta, a gym and swiss. she to fight her mother's policy celibacy and the couple had 6 children. there was also bertha who decided to take in more visitors to the commune . in asking actual pronouncing it took off with the 1st wave of tourists beginning in 19 o. $3.19 o 4. when the american company clark tours brought mostly wealthy american

travellers to jerusalem yesterday, that em cracked em. the financial groundwork for the hotel had been laid several years earlier in 1896 more than a 100 sweets drawn in by an spf, it's vision and ideas joined the community. the sweets contributed much needed practical skills and help boost to communities, economic prospects, agriculture and handy crafts became an important source of income. the american colony began to flourish and prosper blue by then, the community had more than a 150 members. the american colony was bursting out of its how surreal city, after the sweets had got there, they were very wealthy at the time they were looking for somewhere that they could expand and somewhere they could farm by now they had, they had pixel that cows,

they were looking for gardens to grow things, looking for space in ah, the grid moved to a large estate which would later become the american colony hotel. ah, at the time it was situated in the midst of olive groves outside the jerusalem city walls. a former palace with many rooms, a shady court yard and a magnificent garden, an estate with a special atmosphere that continues to this day. the move did not change the guiding principles behind the american colony. the members continued their charitable work and were valued as gracious hosts. they quite quickly became

influential or just that people came to them in the muslims and jews, and, and, and christians all came to sing with them even if they didn't speak the language. and they were very good singers, and they sang a lot and they sat around and they talked and they talked about life and they taught how to lead a good life. and, and they were not missionaries, they weren't proselytize. and so that people were not threatened by them. moses nozzle force on the beginning, they use their ability to speak arabic to network with the neighborhood. they initiated social projects, yet they found at a school that also accepted muslim children as well as jewish children who wished to attend i. so they were striving for integration from the start. i know that song often unforgotten, unclear for them. it doesn't matter what you were, because they themselves was strangers. they probably knew what it was to be a stranger, so they were the ones who took the men. when you have a philosophy of openness, then of course, does the precursor of hospitality,

isn't it? because he attends his open. so i think probably the hotel was a natural development of the philosophy. in under best, his guidance, the hotel flourished. she tastefully blended furnishings from europe in the mid laced, which lent the rooms a distinctive flare. she also had a passion for culture and guests enjoyed evenings of music and excursions to the surrounding area. original buildings still standing today. the ottoman architecture, the round arches and the stone walls have been preserved over the decades with careful restoration work. the original character of the state remains intact. there a subtle nonce to the past throughout the building. ah,

the decor off is the sense of comfort and ease. even the largest suite has a bathroom that is modest and unpretentious in design. history is still visible here. oh, tell trademark the hotel even has its own archive, which is tended to with care. it's opened guests who want to delve into the history of the american colony hotel. the swedish arrivals founded a professional photo studio which took tens of thousands of photographs. ah, the expansive collection is one of the kind document of the past. ah,

weed of the studios quality work spread quickly at the time. he sal gillman. yeah, we him, she me because of the kaiser vill helm. the 2nd, the german emperor visited jerusalem in february 18, 89. by that time, the american colony had already gained experience in photography, so young. it was an extraordinary opportunity to say, often, they accompanied the kaiser from the landing in haifa to his arrival in jerusalem, a actually yellowish lime vey. it piece. they sent the photographs all over europe . a. that was the project that brought them recognition there of the magazine will scream at some lay, click the title moved, but the photography studio was not their only selling point. by 1900 more and more wealthy americans began to visit jerusalem for the 1st time the american colony

began to charge for room and board. ah, the american colony also began to attract, visiting writers. ah, m, bonham was selma allowed to live today is the author of the wonderful adventures of neil's whole gazande. ah, similar electric yellow, shall i embrace selma love. i love visited jerusalem with her friend sophie elkin in march. 1900. amy ho. some say they were a lesbian couple. so less be in the spirit. a evey selma had heard about the story of the swedish immigration and thought that it might be a good subject for a novel. sheila, a and the she knows the fleet di, has russia lives in effect. and she spent 2 weeks interviewing the swedes in

jerusalem. be able to line earlier in out on your should buy them better. why mean v a not hard to question one year after returning to sweden was she published the novel to jerusalem taylor all based on the ocean. i jerusalem. it was a best seller in 19 o 9. so milan off the can the 1st woman to be awarded the nobel prize for literature. the american colony hotel welcomed many prominent guests. john steinbeck and graham green stayed there for weeks at a time. the hotel was also popular with hollywood celebrities. the measure, the ama sermon and now when, oh my thurman came. it was all last minute. there was no will room left for her because she was travelling with her nanny and child alien when we sent the hotel manager to a friend's place and she got his apartments apple. hud nessa. edwin, would you the history of the hotel is closely into woven with the history of

jerusalem. its conflicts, competing interests and claims to power. jerusalem is wholly to muslims, christians and jews. ah, the city has long been both covetous and contested. ah, in the 19th century, jerusalem was a walled city in the middle of the ottoman empire and a turkish royal ah . during world war one, palestine also became a battlefield. the british wanted to put an end to turkish rule in the middle east . jerusalem descended into chaos. many people were injured or lost their lives. ah, the american colonies warden with off the american colony was assign tasks by jama

pasha, who was supposed to defeat the british in egypt, iowa lunchables allan like both tom, he came to jerusalem and ordered the establishment of the red crescent to care for wounded soldiers wounded toward and with a sang and the center of the organisation was at the american colony, the american colony ah, the commune, provided humanitarian aid to the red crescent, took his largest relief organization. members of the religious community cared for the wounded. they also organized soup kitchens for the population. after feminine epidemics began to sweep through the city, the american colony avoided all political engagement and insisted on remaining neutral, especially amidst the war. the community followed the lead of anna spafford and her daughter, bertha, who later wrote it was

a tense moment in which i asked for guidance. my answer was that we had offered to nurse neither friends nor foes, but humanity. and that our offer held good. mm . mm. late 1917. the push to control of garza jerusalem was surrounded. the ottoman troops surrendered without a fight. the turkish governor, he was passing. the american colony was told to put out what flat, which is very nice except he didn't have a white flag. so he went into the american calling, i took sheet from one of the beds, tore it, and 2, and walked out to find some british men to surrender to which he did. and the british who took it had no idea what to do with it, because they've never been in a position of accepting a surrender. and bearing in mind that one was a cook, a push officer, accepted the surrender. the historic moment was recorded by an american colony

photographer. this photograph is the only surviving document of the moment that spelled, the end of 400 years of ottoman rule was captured before the booty should have fishy announced victory. ah, the missionaries, miasma. in the end, it was mayor who seine, who informed the residence of jerusalem that the turks had surrendered. she was, and it was larson, of the american colony who documented it was amy valasics with anything ah, british general, edmond allenby, and to jerusalem, was deliberate understatement. dismounting and walking through the jaffa gate on foot, on april 25th 1920, the victorious allied powers transferred administration of palestine to britain.

under the british mandate, jerusalem developed into a modern city, attracting ever more tourists and business people, as well as our than jewish immigrants. edmund alan b, who'd been promoted to field marshal, became one of anna spotted welcome guests. business at the american colony hotel was booming. the colony had, by that time more or less for come or toe, you can imagine coming him from england. you defeated the germans in the turks and you find, oh, these people are living slightly westernized style life at the american colony, the cities cultural classes rub, shoulders ah, one of the most famous guests was thomas edward lawrence, best known as lawrence of arabia and astute observer. brilliant writer, an avid teller of tales

blue, $923.00 and especially died. lulu has all she carried on her spirit through her work and faith, bringing people together in creating places of refuge for her biggest concern. went to the cities disadvantage children. in 1925, she opened an orphanage was the orphanage would later become spafford children's center, a charitable institution that still occupies the original location in the old city . the foundation provides health, social, and educational support to palestinian children and families in east jerusalem. the seats of the charity were planted on christmas eve in 1925. when beth spafford, vesta encountered a bedouin, his sick wife,

and their baby hospitals were closed. and the family had no place to stay. ah, as beth eliza rose in her memoirs, he before me stood a rustic madonna and bab. and metaphorically speaking, no room to then in even better arrange for the family to receive medical attention. but the next morning the father came vis his baby and said, my wife died. and i don't know how i can take care of this baby because i live in a case a so and down to take to baby and barrett of was that he moved. of course she took the baby golden airs bolted he had in this building in one or 2 weeks time war babies for tommy because a story like this gets around fatty fast. mm

hm. so this became a baby and especially baby home ah also supported mothers offering help wherever it was needed most regardless of the recipients background or faith. mm. with the help of the american donations faster soon expand to the orphanage into a children's hospital. busy ah ah the

19 says he's tensions began to rise. the british had promised support for national home for jewish people and also promised the arabs independence. both sides felt betrayed. ah, the escalating violence put the american hotel which did not want to take sides to the test? the situation became increasingly tense. in 1936, the arab revolt began palestine was on the brink of civil war, caught a false exit, isaac this 9 from 1936 to 1939 during the arab revolt. the american colony, which was right on the border, was very anxious to maintain strict neutrality and avoid conflict or trouble with any party. and young conflicts got hot over the aca to become.

in 1933 jews began to flee germany for palestine by 1969, some 200002 the arrived arab nationalists began to carry out attacks against the jewish immigrants in the british administration. the american colony hotel found itself in a precarious position during the 2nd world war. there was fighting here in the courtyard, hand to hand fighting between the arab legion and the israelis. i was and there was more to us, blew up part of the lobby. the entrance lobby and rigid the old palm tree that we had in the in the summer barstow had bullet holmes on it. at the same time, i mean the bertha was still going to bridge parties still left the staff at vista was widowed in 1942 by then she was well known as a hotel manager. but the hotels hopes for revival after the war would dashed. the

conflicts in the city remained unresolved, and visitors stayed away. ah, on may 14th, 1948, the british mandate expired. that same day doth had been goody, and proclaimed to state of israel. ah . the next i am military coalition of arab states, attacks jerusalem again became a battlefield. the american colony hotel was turned into a field hospital, situated directly the front line. ah bat, us baffled cut in standish the adopt bertha spafford bag the arab army not to

occupy the house. they didn't want the house to be considered arab territory because of course they never knew what would happen next gate. when the fact that their request was complied with, must have been due to their good relations with the arabs. fields. if it hadn't been for those good relations, neither side would have granted any consideration to the request as fixed can on venice, which is equal to potemkin meta ha. in 1949, a truce was reached between israel and the arab states. the holy city was divided. israel received the wisdom pers, jordan, the east border controls, became commonplace in the city, the med in colony hotel fit for its future. the night the hotel was cutoff from israel. it was in the, our part of town and the wall made things very difficult for it because it was

a war zone and the american economy was on the edge of the was it sort of a sudden it became a rather economy, bad thing for the american con on the fact that this a new border how to erupt it plus, of course it lost all its contact with these weighty site, which was probably at the time the site was doing more business with by now, the american colony was a business lost a lot of its clients, so out of its suppliers. so it was a big show shock and also a culture show. the face of the sea, he anti tell when linked in the coming years. the hotel was on the brink. oh, the problem was that we weren't and that reached ahead in a dot 1960 and that's when my father had to come out when the hotel was faced with bankruptcy. ah,

beth his son horatio vesta was living in london. he decided to return to help site . the hotel horatio had grown up in jerusalem, but left to london at 17. he became a lawyer and married a high spirited axis. when he returned to jerusalem ratio promised his wife valentine, that he would stay only 6 months. he reorganized the whole structure of the hotel and he started to try and build it up as a, as a hotel with more commercialized um facilities. and he convinced my grandmother that we should have summer to have drinks a kind of bah. because before that you were, you could, we were allowed alcohol, but on if you had it in your room. when the sunsets in jerusalem, the hotel turns on its lights. in the summer, the garden bar is

a favorite gathering place. it welcomes israelis and palestinians, locals and tourists from all over the world at the hotel, the mood is one of hospitality. 20, one crash vista managed to avert bankruptcy. but he felt he was still needed at the hotel. his wife joined him with a heavy heart living in the living. our hair is great for horatio as a native arabic speaker and just felt was coming home. and it was not such fun for people who didn't really like it here and was very fond of england. so as tough valentine refused to give up. eventually she found a new passion. the hotel's garden. oh, she plunged into her project with enthusiasm, designing the landscaping, composing the flower beds oh,

if it's paid off. today, the grounds are known as one of the most lovely of the world's hotel gardens. only. but the mag, you know, in wars shall geena, blew her, but i knew nothing about gardening. when i started here goblin, they were only olive trees. here telemachus read this there, but val was very tough. she explained everything to me or she gathered all the seats, the self behind him. she loved flowers and collected them from all over the world. come ransom vowed told me to use lighter colors so you could see them at night. i am at lunch them seemed to behold white or pink, and bright red in your closet. let me come out of limbo, la mamma, chromosome nook subway, born in 1967,

the situation again, grew tense. the arab states began to mobilize, fearing an attack on 3 fronts. israel decided to launch a preemptive strike. on june 5th, 1967. israel began an air attack against its neighbors, egypt, jordan, and syria. during what became known as the 6 day war. israel also captured east jerusalem the marine no or what the defer i lo, we're that the, the hotels right on the front line. ms. let a few rockets hit the square in front of the hotel. i mean that there were no casualties who i am latoya the measuring my country a giraffe. well, but when the israelis captured east jerusalem early in the,

her will no problems for the hotel. and here, man, everything went on as normal. a muscular lie that a little more lip of it. oh is rallied secuity tree. it now rolled over a 1000000 palestinians in the west bank garza and east jerusalem. the american colony hotel remain neutral lou for this beth advanced to died in 1968. the hospitality warped had succeeded in transforming the american colony into the american colony hotel for. ready his son horatio and his wife valentine, took over the helm slowly, transforming the hotel into

a luxury establishment. they installed a swimming pool and fitness room to accommodate the wishes of a new generation of tourists. ah. busy we started to get a reputation for food and so they both started to come out, juice started coming out from tel aviv to eat non cursor food. we went, the only place that we were, we were importing lobsters. so the israelis could come on a lobster, the american i asked when she asked my father, i cuz they used to keep the last is in the fraser. and i asked my, so i sort of nobody's lobster. i knew his, i said, how did you deal with the loves? he said, we get it out of the free as we go through out of the fraser every day. and i said, well, what if nobody, it's a lobster, though we put it back in the fraser these

days. there's no re frozen lobster on the menu, but you won't find hoard cuisine and 5 star shifts in the kitchen. he either the menu is unpretentious in international featuring fresh fish and vegetables. med sir and club sandwiches. the now planning to add more organic products to the menu for hotel news with the times and the wishes of the guests. in the 1980s the swiss hotelier became general manager, perhaps yet another not to the principle of neutrality. don't go dexter geopolitics . they'll kill your a to spit in see during the geopolitical context. especially here in jerusalem. besides, i think it was very wise to turn to switch management because switzerland plays a neutral role all over the world and none of holiday aquarella morning ursula bell,

many events were held in the hotel book, including many meetings of diplomat will in all dollar delaware locals oracle motel, a got more of the luggage glasses. as chris i tell group took the management of the american colony hotel for the staff is who remain involved in all major decisions. many, it's a hotel start a palestinians. they work prospects in jerusalem a limited. and anyone lucky enough to find a job he intends to stay? ah, ah, the hotel exists amidst a state of uncertainty. israeli military roadblocks and violent unrest, unknown uncommon when egon done for follow that this bank up get eagle food when there was any sort of incident and the west bank was sealed off and i had employees

who had to travel 3 to 4 hours just to get here for c vosta for them, it was really critical because they weren't supposed to be here. she had to meet, he is on duty than if they had been caught and they would have been legal consequences. her tissue list, she consequence and he gave no, they take a lot on themselves to keep the hotel running will allow for to hold the american colony hotel has succeeded in what remains elusive elsewhere in the country. a peaceful coexistence and no bother her with another daughter who no, i can really say that the management takes very good care of the entire staff of yahoo . it doesn't matter if they're jews, christians or muslims them the matter they care about us. and also about our economic situation was of the i $900.00 m swaim gun. many employees live under difficult circumstances. misha, withdrawal from my home and,

and noticed very sure high up about a year. ah, the situation to palestinians grew more difficult in the 1980s. young palestinians resolved to fight against these railey government and the occupation in 1987. the 1st intifada, which was soon dubbed the war, the stones began, the conflict brought with violence and death ah. in 1993 secret talks began between the 2 hostile parties in norway, which became known as the all slow peace process bought negotiations will also held in jerusalem in room 16 if the american colony hotel is to move this war to get brought us citizens. this room was booked as

a meeting room the oven us, but i cashed out of the we noticed when the cars pulled up that it was a mixed delegation and the commission delegates, yuma, israeli, palestinian and international into not to no one of the journalist lea, a norwegian cast invite a car came over and spoke to me. come down to me on south and you know what's happening was had no clue. ah, it's historical lou negotiations in room 16 continued for days would began to get out. ah, knocked him by the act, the humidity for after that we became the local meeting point to thought of all know up. i made my private apartment available for board meetings and,

and we became very close unconscious. as in our son, it was an incredibly exciting time, and it's a time of hopes and dreams from your health. toppled. now, when gusta and mal am, i opened the back door of my shop and made my carpet storage room available. every few again, is to me or an aside. all the negotiators gathered there for 2 to 3 hours that it was happening right before my eyes. janet and im in there. mary quinn darling, she had a new of many secret things about tyler the and we had the strong feeling that the results would be good for both people that love the law. ganley's s o e in or cooler their unit there is by v. the shabby ah, on september 13th, 1993. the eyes of the bold watching is ready, prime minister, yitzhak rabin, and yasser arafat head of the palestinian liberation organization,

met in washington dc. ah, yes, our fat and shimon peres then is ready for a minister at signed the interim agreement of the os level codes. the 2 sides had come together. piece seemed within reach. anybody that does it during the oslo accords we palestinians were very happy because we thought the piece would happen and conditions would improve. ross silhouette, the ha, those hopes have yet to come to fruition. the dream, everlasting pace is still but a vision. the political situation remains fragile, changing from one day to the next. for the american colony hotel, a hotel spanning 2 worlds. there is only one choice to remain a place of hospitality and welcome open to every one. the environment only live it is changing all the time and the was the outside can change and if people

don't trust each other on either side, we can't help. we can only hope people continue to trust us and people will continue to come to the hotel knowing that we're above it. ah ah ah ah, their importance to the economy is huge. but getting hold of them is often a dirty business. critical commodities make us mobile,

make our smartphones smart. how can today's global hunger for lithium cobalt and more? the satisfied made in germany in 30 minutes on d. w. will landscape a reflection of a turbulent history. the cities, the mosaic of different people and languages. v ron's mountains reveal unparalleled beauty. ah, a special look at a special country, iran from above in 75 minutes on dw, ah, the fight against the corona virus pandemic. how has the rate of infection been developing? what measures are being taken?

what does the latest research say? information and context with the corona virus update the coding scheme, special monday to friday on d. w. ah ah, this is d, w. news live from berlin, another independent voice shane hong kong is silenced. the website stand, news says it's closing down after being rated earlier today. police made arrests in confiscated documents and other assets.