Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA

  

For et par uger siden så jeg et program i fjernsynet, som vist nok handlede om arkitektur, men jeg hæftede mig mest ved den del, der handlede om Eastern State Penitentiary, som da det blev åbnet i 1829, var det mest moderne fængsel i verden. Hver fange var isoleret i sin egen celle med tilhørende gård, hvor der var en times udgang om dagen. Lyset kom fra et koøje i loftet, som fangerne kaldte guds øje og det eneste de havde at læse var biblen. Man mente, at de kriminelle bedre kunne blive rehabiliteret ved ikke at omgås de andre fanger, de fleste blev dog sindssyge i stedet, hvorfor mon? Det skulle eftersigende også være et at de mest hjemsøgte steder i verden. Jeg ved ikke hvorfor, men jeg kan ikke lade være med at synes, at gamle forladte steder er vildt fascinerende på trods af, at det jo også er tragisk og en smule deprimerende, at det bare får lov til at forfalde.

A few weeks ago I saw a program, which I believe was about architecture, but I mostly focused on the part about Eastern State Penitentiary, which, when it was opened in 1829, was the most modern prison in the world. Each prisoner was isolated in his own cell and courtyard. The light came from a porthole in the ceiling, which the prisoners called the eye of God and all they had to read was the Bible. It was believed that the criminals could be better rehabilitated when they were isolated from other criminals. However most of them went insane instead, I wonder why? It is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world. I've always found abandoned places wildly fascinating in spite of the fact that it is also tragic and a bit depressing that these places/buildings are left to their own decay.