Tram Tuesday - Wiesbaden

Although there is no close-up of the tram, this card really gives you an idea of what it would be like to be standing on the street in Wiesbaden at the turn of the century.  But for the sulfurous spa waters, I would love to  be transported there. All three of these cards show the same street, the Wilhelmstrasse, named after Kaiser Wilhelm. Sadly, Wiesbaden eliminated its tram system in 1955.

 Here are the backs of the cards in  reverse order. The first one sings the praises of Wiesbaden and particularly the beautiful Wilhelmstrasse (la rue Guillaume) and its shops and foreign banks. The writer also mentions a casino along the promenade that people may visit after a concert in the park.

Inspired by the message on this card, I went to look for more information on the casino, which is still there. It seems that the casino was every bit as much of a draw as the spa and attracted all sorts of people, including Dostoyevsky, who gambled away everything he owned here in 1865. Rumor has it that both Crime and Punishment and The Gambler were written under duress to cover gambling debts.