Wurzburg- through the ages

We had a new couple join our team.  They arrived on Tuesday to replace the Dye's who have gone home.  The Swenson's are from Salt Lake City.  He is an orthopedic surgeon and previously served a medical mission in Brazil and so speaks fluent Portuguese.  We decided to accompany them to Wurzburg which seemed like a good starting point for the newcomers.
It was to be an eventful day.  We started out at about 9 a.m. Saturday morning heading south on a planned trip of about an hour.  Well, the hour translated into 3 and a half by the time we got there.  We were never able to determine what kept slowing our progress.  Every five or ten kilometers there was some unexplained slowdown in the traffic.  The road we were on is typically slow given all the construction sites along the way but on this occasion our trip was notably delayed.  This was to be the beginning of a memorable trip for them and us as well.  After a quick visit to a church on route to the palace, the Swenson's decided to take in a tour of the palace in German and we made our way downtown, as we had already been through the tour on a previous visit.  We had lunch walked around the market and took some of the sites we remembered from our first visit.  When they were done their tour, we decided to hike up to the fortress overlooking Wurzburg.
After a twenty-five minute climb, we discovered that the area was being readied for a concert and we would have to walk around the fortress to the other side to gain access.  We started around and quickly realized that this was going to take far more time than what we had available, particularly in that we needed to arrive in 15 minutes for the only English tour of the day.  I went back to the site and pleaded my cause with the security people; they relented and let us walk through the gate.
We took our tour.  It was well worth it and then we went through the museum on site which also provided a glimpse into historic Wurzburg and the Prince Bishops whose home this was.
The trip down was even more of an adventure.  We could not go back the same way so we proceeded down via a roadway that we thought was heading us in the right direction.  Well, it did but in a rather circuitous way.  An hour later, four weary tourists arrived back at the parking garage to enjoy the luxury of a soft seat and the trip back to Frankfurt.

Wurzburg indeed has much to offer.  It is another university town,  the home of Dirk Nowwitzki the MBA player and the seat of some of the most powerful Bishops of Europe.  A number of churches are located within easy walking distance of the old town.  Wurzburg was 90% destroyed in March of 1945 in the space of 17 minutes during the allied bombing of World War II.  The citizens have rebuilt every historic landmark of the city.  The cathedrals and churches are resplendent in that the typical degradation of age is not a factor given this relatively new construction.
Many time periods are represented in Wurzburg including the Celts who were the original inhabitants of the fortress site, then the Romans and later the Franconians.  The citizens of Wurzburg recognized the rich history of their city and have maximized efforts to resurrect the vestiges of their past to our benefit.

Cochem A view of the Rhine

Cochem on the Moselle River was touted as being a charming, picturesque town of  5700 people - a favored attraction for tourists.  The scorching heat did not seem to detract the throngs of people.  Tour buses and visitors of an assortment of nationalities were represented.  I found the heat oppressive which took away from the overall experience.  Even on the river it was close to 100 degrees F.  We hiked up to the castle which brought into question our sanity. We persisted however and were rewarded with a marvelous view of the valley.  The tour of the castle was in German with an English script for us to follow.  We had been through enough castles to know what we were likely to see, so we opted just to enjoy the sites from this spectacular vantage point.

We are now at the half way point of our stay in Germany and beginning to bear witness of the principle of diminishing returns.
There are fewer and fewer things we haven't seen before or even heard before.  There are the often fascinating stories inevitably attached to the places we visit, but now I find myself often seeking out the hidden gems of information, about the people who inhabited these places.  Their life stories, their contributions, their deeds and exploits add to the contextual richness and diversity of this great country.

In 1688, King Louis XIV of France, during his invasion of the Rhine and the Moselle, swept in and captured Cochem Castle. His forces  occupied the area and on May 19, 1689, they destroyed Cochem Castle by setting it afire, undermining it and blowing it apart. The town of Cochem was almost destroyed as well.  The castle we see today was purchased and rebuilt in the 19th century.

During World War II, the operations staff of the underground subcamp Zeisig of the Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages Bruttig and Treis was located here.  At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned and provided slave labor for Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs under brutal conditions.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part was the trip through the German countryside.  Well kept little villages, each with their centuries old churches at the center provided a memorable image of these idyllic settings.  This is the image of Germany that will likely remain with me.  Part of the cultural heritage is linked to their rural roots and the simple life it exemplified.

A little extra  ice cream seemed like a good idea. 

The Taylors are our regular companions on these trips.

Lohr - Mirror Mirror on the Wall

In a secluded valley in northern Bavaria is a  lovely castle (Mespelbrunn) that somehow escaped the ravages of war and remained intact through the centuries.  The oldest part of the castle is the tower dating back to the thirteenth century.  In the fifteenth century, a knight - Herman Echter, started the construction of the castle proper and it remains in the family to this day.  Part of the castle is occupied by Countess Marie Antoinette von Ingelheim.  Included in the castle are the collected heirlooms of succeeding  generations of this family, including portraits, gifts of all kinds, furnishings, armor and accouterments of knighthood.

Given the significant value of the possessions, a guided tour is the only way to view the site.  The assorted displays provided a rich visual of one family's involvements covering five centuries of occupation.  There is a literal tug of the senses, as one takes in the picturesque setting, the beautiful moated castle, the quaint little chapel, the immaculate grounds and combine this with the realization that a living history of one family's experiences covering generations is represented.  It somehow ties the past to the present with a common thread making the link more real.

Our day was not done.  We decided to take a back road, travelling generally in a direction back to Frankfurt.  We thought we would take in whatever sites captured our interest.  It turned out to be town of Lohr on the Main River.


Although originally built as a military fortified castle in the 14th century, within 100 years it became an imposing residence.  Feudal lords took over the residence and it eventually acquired the look and form we see today.  It now houses a museum which was given a new concept in 1980: a permanent exhibition entitled "Mensch und Wald" which means "Man and Forest."  It attempts to depict the life of the common man and woman of the middle ages.  This theme and focus aroused our interest and prompted us to have a look.
In the past, life of the inhabitants was mostly one of poverty and misery. The museum contains examples of the many crafts and trades which bear witness to how their ingenuity and skill helped them survive.  Stone cutters, potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, shipwrights, cartwrights, joiners, glass makers all took advantage of local resources to produce not only basic commodities, but also luxury goods for the upper classes.

This is one of the fabled locations of Snow White's birth.  In the nearby forests, the notorious poverty required individuals of very small stature to navigate the tunnels to exploit the mineral resources.  Additionally, many were able craftsmen in the working of glass.  Lohr has for centuries been associated with fine work in glass and mirrors, thereby explaining Snow White's glass coffin. However  'la piece de resistance' was on the third floor.  There hangs the 'magic mirror that always spoke the truth.'

Heidelberg - The Philosopher's Path

The name Heidelberg has a ready association with beer, ancient man, a famous castle, a prestigious university and an inseparable connection with German romanticism which is what likely draws its 4 million visitors each year.  Old Heidelberg is tucked on a narrow conduit of living space along the Neckar River.  Mountain ridges rise precipitously on either side, making for a picturesque setting with a rather elongated town layout.  The romantic charm is apparent  throughout this idyllic setting.

The castle is propped up on a ridge and is accessible
by a tram that negotiates the 37.8% grade in less than two minutes. It was a warm day so we opted for the easy route.  Entry was five euros, so I was expecting a little more than average.  I was not disappointed.  The castle has undergone several rebuilding phases,  each representing different architectural influences.  The grounds and gardens have extensive greenbelts.  The gardens were regarded as a masterpiece of their time.  They were built upon a number of terraces consisting of flower beds, mazes and arbors, sculptures, a heated greenhouse with orange trees, large fish ponds, waterfalls and a man-made grotto for musical water arts.
Attempts have been made to reconstruct older parts of the castle and construction was taking place while we were there.  This was, by definition, a castle complex, intended to provide all the accouterments of power and wealth.  Of note on this site was the addition of an apothecary, now expanded into a museum devoted to the history of pharmacy and dispensaries.  The collection includes over 1,000 raw drugs from plant, animal and mineral sources of the 17th through to the 19th century.  The tools, instruments of measurement, laboratory, manuscripts and pharmacopoeias illustrate the energy devoted to managing the illnesses of their times.

The picture on the right depicts the effects of a major fire caused by a lightening strike.  The heat weakened a fissure in the rocks resulting in half the superstructure breaking away.  In addition, this castle fell victim to a number of other destructive forces.  The Thirty Years War saw many castles in Germany, including this one, destroyed.  The resilient spirit of the Germans has repeatedly reclaimed formerly destroyed sites and masterfully rebuilt them, often back to their former splendor.  Curiously, Heidelberg was not destroyed during the WW II.  Some historians suggested Heidelberg escaped bombing in WWII because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war.  As Heidelberg was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub, it did not present a target of opportunity.  


After passing back through the Old Town and across the cobbled Old Bridge over to the other side of the Neckar, you will find the beautiful Philosophers' Path (Philosophenweg).  Said to  
be the most beautiful panorama north of the Alps, this winding path, 200 meter high, offers a fantastic view of Old Town Heidelberg and the ruins of Heidelberg Castle.  It was named after renowned poets and thinkers who came up here to wander, ponder and gather their thoughts.  There is also a  collection of beautiful and exotic plants from all around the world to be enjoyed along the Path.
This last insert is a quote which describes what it is to "truly understand the meaning of what is popularly called the "Heidelberger Dreiklang" (the three "tones" or aspects of Heidelberg):  The Old Town, the Neckar River and the romantic hills surrounding them."

Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum

This blog entry takes a rather different tack from my normal entries.  We were planning on heading to Ulm to see the world's tallest cathedral and the birthplace of Albert Einstein.  We got a little sidetracked.  Heading south on the autobahn, we approached the city of Sinsheim.  I remembered Elder Dye, the Area Medical Advisor telling about this place.  On the spur of the moment, we decided to have a look and ended up spending the whole day there.
In brief, this city has what must be one of the most comprehensive exhibits of planes, jets, military equipment, automobiles, tractors, trains, motorcycles, racing cars, bicycles and other various and sundry mechanized machinery every collected in one place.  The exhibit covered acres and most of it was indoors with the exception of the planes and military equipment.   They claim in their literature that it is the only place where both a Concorde and a Russian supersonic jet Tupolev Tu- 144  are displayed together. The story of how they got them there alone is quite intriguing. This link has a good cross section of the scope and variety of the exhibits.
Of course, I enjoyed the tractor exhibits.  Those who know me know my penchant for tractors.  The museum would appeal to most everyone, although Arendje did not rank this day trip very high.  It reminded me of the day  we took in an Easter egg exhibit. This I thought was a fair trade.

There were old cars, new cars, fast cars, i.e Lamborghini's and Ferrari's, luxury cars, mini cars, classics, and specialty cars and a few one of a kind automobiles.  German ingenuity and craftsmanship was apparent in the design and features of the the
older automobiles particularly.  Mercedes Benz,  Porsche and other reputable names were well
 represented in the displays.  Many collectors obviously stored their vehicles there.

Spread throughout the 30 thousand square meters of exhibit space were huge train engines, some of which
seemed too big to fit on any track.  Outside was a large collection of military armaments, including tanks, heavy artillery, troop carriers and missile launchers.  Inside were smaller military vehicles, communication devices, examples of every conceivable uniform, guns and personal supplies.  If a picture is worth a thousand words then a lot of books worth of information is contained in this museum.

We took the scenic route back to Frankfurt.  We stopped in a little town of Bad Wimpfen, climbed one of the 12the century city gates and enjoyed a spectacular view of this quaint medieval town.  Every four or five kilometers there is another village or town and many of them warrant a visit.  Each has its appeal, from  the cobblestone streets, to the half timbered houses to the rustic city gates.  The mix of old and new is somehow harmoniously maintained through careful planning and preservation.  You have to love those Germans!

Rheinfels Castle

Among the many fortresses dotting the Rhine there are a select few that stand out for aesthetic reasons, sheer size or their turbulent history.  The castle ruins of Rheinfels lays claim in history as one of the mightiest fortresses in the Middle Rhine region.  The ruins are all we see today.  In spite of its much diminished state, it leaves ample evidence of its impressive battlements and sprawling  dimensions.

We took a self guided tour, reading our way through different sections, visualizing the grandeur of this medieval fortress.  My imagination required little additional support, as around every corner we saw something which bespoke its once proud past.  In some places the walls were 4 meters thick.  Beneath this superstructure is a labyrinth of tunnels, cellars and vaults which held armories, soldier housing and food supplies.  Of course, they also had their wine.  In 1587, a huge barrel was constructed to provide safe storage for 200,000 liters of wine.  This invariably boosted moral and offered some compensation for the cold, damp living conditions the soldiers endured.

Within ten years of construction, in 1245, the fortress was subjected to its first test.  For a year, it withstood a siege before the attacking forces gave up.  In the centuries that followed, it gained importance as a customs castle, reaping the benefits of tolls, taxes and duties of those passing this treacherous part of the Rhine River.  The wealth, power and strategic location of the castle proved it to be a prized possession of the counts, nobles and landgraves, and ultimately it become one of the strongest fortresses in Germany.

In 1692, Louis XIV sent a powerful army to try and take the
castle.  He too was unsuccessful.  The turbulent history of the castle came to an end in 1794, when it was handed over - without a struggle - to the Revolutionary French army.  Sadly the walls and inner castle were destroyed by the French and rocks carted off for projects elsewhere.  A hotel, museum and a few other sundry shops now occupy portions of this grand structure.

St. Goar is the small town that lies at the foot of the castle and is a
key stopping point for cruise boats going up and down the Rhine. We made it a day with about 15 other couples taking in a relaxing Rhine cruise past the fabled Loreley.  Arendje took advantage of the extra people to get a picture.  She said she wanted a bear hug and I was nowhere around.  I was looking at cuckoo clocks.

On the boat we were serenaded by a throng of German tourists, doing what good Germans do, celebrating a beautiful day in their beautiful country, by singing songs and otherwise having a good time.

Messel Pit - A Fossil Site

Ranking high on the world list of fossil sites is Grube Messel, just south of Frankfurt Germany.  In what was once a crater lake, near perfect specimens of 47 million years ago were preserved in the fine sediment later to become oil shale.  Designated as a World Heritage Nature Site by Unesco in 1995, paleontologists have been continuously unearthing remarkable specimens of plants, animals, insects and birds.  The Messel Pit is particularly noted for the intricate detail of the species which are retained in the fossil record.  Stomach and bowel contents, hair, feathers, color patterns, even parts of the skin were left intact.  Speculation exists to the this day as to the factors which enabled such preservation.  One of several likely theories suggest that gases emanated from fissures in the lake    
bottom periodically anesthetizing those unfortunate enough
to be nearby.  They also suggest the lake was near stagnant as evidenced by the type of fish that inhabited the lake.  The mud fish I saw in Ontario is virtually a living fossil as it as been around for close to a 100 million years.  It breathes through a lung blister and can survive indefinitely in oxygen deprived environments.  With little oxygen, the bacterial breakdown would be much slower, allowing sediment to cover the remains before they deteriorate significantly.

At this site one of the most spectacular finds of all time was made.  She was affectionately named Ida.  This primate was touted as a possible link in the  evolutionary chain.  Much has been written about her contribution to scientific research.

The wealth of information to be found in Messe

 seems to be inexhaustible and covers an unbelievably wide spectrum.  Conclusions and debate about climatic conditions, continental drift, species migration

 and plant and animal diversity have all spawned from specimens retrieved in the shale.  Several museums in Germany and throughout the world now  have sections devoted to the finds from this site.

Another notable contribution are the numerous examples
of the predecessors of the modern day horse.   The image to the right is typical of a host of equally preserved finds.  This horse was approximately  30 - 35 centimeters at the shoulder,
about the size of a fox terrier.  Wherever you see a fossil specimen of a horse check to see if it came from Messel.

There is an interesting story not only about the site, but its history as an open pit mine and later as a proposed garbage dump site.  The heated and protracted discussions about its destiny went so far as to become an expensive litigious affair costing millions when all was said and done.