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Even though the time of emperors
and kings is a thing of the past in most
European countries, even though this kind
of society and hierarchy does not exist any
more, many people nowadays can afford
something that used to be reserved for
aristocrats and the very privileged: a journey
of the highest level of comfort and security.
Gottfried Rieck recognized that the wish for
luxury, inherent in all of us, the wish for a
cheerful and romantic version of everyday
life, is common to so many people – our
world has become too sober, with so little
room for dreams. This is why the "Majestic
Imperator" appeals to people of widely
varied groups with completely divergent
needs – but what they all have in common
is the wish to step out of their daily lives
for a few hours and experience something
completely out of the ordinary. Gottfried
Rieck and his train certainly appeal most to
those with a sense of history and tradition
who want to experience some of the flair
of a bygone era. But it also has great
appeal to those who know that style and
high-mindedness could be very beneficial
for their business and those who know
that a certain kind of romance – short of
becoming saccharine – is important to many
people. Many of us yearn for a slower
pace in these hectic times; jetting from one
continent to another as quickly as possible,
circling the world in a few days, many end
up in indistinguishable conference halls and
impersonal hotel rooms that look the same
in Hong Kong as in Miami.
Gottfried O. Rieck
(SG)