Alexander Pschera

Alexander Pschera, born 1964 in West Germany, studied German, Philosophy and Music in Heidelberg. He is an author, publicist and translator.

Endangered gestures:Saying Farewell
In the age of WhatsApp and Instagram, we have forgotten how it's done

We don’t like to be reminded of the final farewell.

Endangered gestures:Drinking a Sundowner
Marking boundaries in life is important

If everything is relative, drinking becomes dangerous.

Endangered gestures:Saying Grace
Invokes community

Grace can only be said where there is still a commonly used table.

Endangered gestures:Singing While You Work
For rhythmical co-ordination and other reasons

Today, we listen to Spotify instead . . .

Endangered gestures:Airing Clothes
No more need for purification

Silent witnesses of nocturnal escapades are disappearing from view.

Endangered gestures:Grinding Coffee
Turning the crank liberates thoughts

What do you do if you run out of coffee in a village which has not seen a Nespresso maker yet? Help is at hand. Literally.

Endangered gestures:Turning One’s Hat at the Brim
A suitably protective convention

Individual replacements become pitfalls.

Endangered Gestures:Flipping the Bird
Replaced by a much coarser sign

Appropriateness and a sense of proportion are no longer generally recognized virtues.

Endangered Gestures:Giving a Light
Creating the magic of encounter

Fire enables moments of intimacy and felicity.

Endangered Gestures:Raising the Hat
A practically extinct habit.

Why does no-one raise their hat anymore? Come to think of it, what hat?

Endangered Gestures:The Kiss on the Hand
Disappearing along with hierarchies, order and politeness

The greeting ritual has been replaced by something ‘pseudo-democratic.’