Boitzenburg and Prenzlau

I always knew I was a princess!  We stayed the last two days at the Schlosshotel Boitzenburg.  We arrived on Monday, and on Tuesday recieved a tour of the castle.  There is not a bad angle to the place, and the views of the surrounding countryside from the rooftop are stunning!  The main section of Schloss Boitzenburg was originally built in the 13^th century.  The newer addition was made in the 1500s by a wealthy Irish family who purchased the house.

During World War II, part of the castle was used as the Japanese embassy.  Later it was used to house refugees fleeing from the advancing Red Army.  This was during the winter, and many of the castle furnishings were burned for firewood.  After the castle was abandoned it was looted by the local populace, so none of the original furnishings remain.  Years after the war it was used as a typhus clinic, which kept the army disinterested in the property. Later it was utilized by the GDR army, but after reunification it was abandoned again. 




 

In the 1990s the abandoned castle was purchased by an investor for one Deutschmark.  Four years and 33 million Euro went into the renovation of the castle, turning it into a kinder and youth hotel.  The renovation was completed in 2004 and the hotel now hosts about 350 children and youth each summer who participate in a variety of water and craft activities.  This afternoon we went to Prenzlau, to Naturerlebnis Uckermark, an educational ecological station.  This place helps to educate children on sustainable practices and ecological conservation. 

They invite teachers and their students here and teach them about the environment and how to protect it, by giving them alternatives to current socio-environmental practices.  They also do experiments with nature. The director showed us to many parts of the preserve.  They have several gardens, including raised beds, and local schools are invited to grow their own produce here.  In the gardens are varieties of wheat and tomatoes that are nearly extinct in some parts of Germany, so the preserve is actually re-teaching people how to grow these crops.  A lot of the buildings here have green roofs, including the chicken coop, which allows the children to see each step in the process of how an egg becomes a chicken.  They take us to the butterfly garden and explain that they teach local people how to plant certain flowers to attract butterflies.  There is a water garden here so that students can study water habitats, and erosion boxes which allow them to do soil experiments.   Of course there are animal habitats of all kinds, including a petting zoo. 

There are also some very exotic animals such as ostriches and peacocks, and a Spanish breed of goat that was introduced to America when Columbus first came over.  Part of the property contains a lake that was created when the last Ice Age ended and the ice caps melted.    The last part of the preserve we visit is the energy station where they conduct experiments and teach visitors about the different methods of producing energy using solar, wind, and water power. Late afternoon we split into three groups.  I was with the group that visited a youth center and learned about how the center helps to provide a place for kids to go to after school and in the summers, and provides tutoring for those who need it.  After reuniting with the rest of the group at a local lake, we went to dinner in a lovely little restaurant in Boitzenburg that is located on the grounds of a former monastery. 




The ceiling of the hunting room.

 


The Grounds of Schloss Boitzenburg




The central staircase at the Schloss



Zempow

Today we went to Zempow to talk with the Laubenthals, a couple who spearheaded a peace movemnet in the 1990s. Zempow is located in the Northern part of Germany in the state of Brandenburg. This area was intended to become a bombodrome. The German military wanted to use this area as a testing site. Here we learned about the civilian resistance to the military plans. Beginning In the 1950s this area was used by the Russian Air Force for military purposes.  Located between Wittstock and Neuruppin it is 120 sq. kilometers in a former forest set up  between 14 villages. The area has fifty thousand inhabitants and thrives on tourism. The bombodrome area was set up during the Stalin era after several slash and burn events. In the 1990s after the Soviets left, they left behind a damaged landscape and lots of ammunition-- some of which is live. In 1992 the German  army presented a plan to continue using the area as an air to ground firing range.  They also wanted to use the area for nuclear training. The idea was to allow all NATO countries to use the area as a training ground.  Upon learning of the  military's plans in 1992, the citizens initiative FREIe HEIDe ( Free Heath) was formed. They had lot of local support and support from all of the affected communities. They lobbied against the plans in the government and filed court cases to keep the military from  going forward with their plans. There were more than 100 protest walks, some involving as many as 10,000 participants. There were also some acts of civil disobedience with citizens illegally going into the military area.  The court eventually ruled against the military in all 27 cases. Rather than appealing to a higher court the military gave up their efforts to use the area in 2009. The area now has national heritage recognition and can no longer be used as a possible test site. We then had a lovely lunch of organically grown food, before departing for Schlosshotel Boitzenburg.

Berlin, Sunday, July 14

Today was our first full day in Berlin.  In the morning I went with a few of the other fellows and Mary, our tour leader, to St. Hedwig’s Cathedral for 8 o’clock mass.

After church our entire tour group took a bus tour of Berlin with our new guides, Martin and Rodrigo. They met us at the train station when we arrived yesterday. Berlin is a city- state in northern Germany that is completely encompassed within the state of Brandenburg.  Berlin has existed for 750 years.  Germany as a country has only existed for 150 years.  It was formed from many different regions and dukedoms. The area that is now Berlin used to be part of Prussia.  There is a lot of regionalism in Germany. National pride is not as prevalent. Berlin has several city centers due to the nature of how the city developed.  The first area we exited the bus to explore was the Berlin Wall.

It's hard to describe my emotions upon seeing and touching it. The Berlin Wall was built to keep citizens from leaving East Germany. The wall was constructed in one night in 1961. It was West Berlin that was walled in, not East Berlin. The Berlin Wall was actually two walls- one inside the other. So if you made it past one wall you would then find yourself trapped in between the two walls. The only section that wasn't "double walled" was the area backed by the river.   of Berlin after World War 2. The graffiti has been preserve as a piece  of history.  It has been sealed so that it cannot be removed.  The Bundestag library contains over 1.3 million volumes and is linked to the Reichstag by a long tunnel- like hallway structure. The offices of the members are housed in a third building that is also linked by a long hallway.  Parliamentary meetings, committee meetings, and roll call votes are mandatory. Any member who does not attend will be fined.  After leaving the Reichstag we went on a walking tour of some German memorials and monuments.  First we stopped by the memorial to the Sinti and Roma who were murdered during the Holocaust. It is both hauntingly beautiful and simple. This poem, written by a Roma poet, surrounds the memorial:

 Next we went to the Brandenburg Gate.  The Brandenburg gate was originally constructed during the but has been damaged several times. It was last rebuilt during the 1800s after its destruction during the Franco-Prussian war.  The sculpture on the top was brought from Paris in 1840.

Next was the memorial to the murdered Jews, which opened in 2004.  This is by far the largest of the memorials depicting Nazi era terrorism, covering an entire city block.  It is made of hundreds of free-standing stela of various heights. Lastly we went to the memorial to the murdered homosexuals, which was erected in 2008.  Accessible by a delineated dirt path and partially obscured by a clump of trees, it is symbolic of the persecution felt by homosexuals during the Nazi regime.  We later visited Checkpoint Charlie before heading to lunch.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews

Checkpoint Charlie

July 12

On Friday we visited Villeroy and Boch, the famous German pottery.

We had a guided tour of the grounds and the museum, but visitors aren’t allowed to go into the factory for safety reasons. Located in Mettlach, Germany the pottery is very close to the borders of France and Luxembourg. The company was founded in 1758, by a Frenchman and a German. The families eventually intermarried and there has always been a family member at the head of the company. It is housed in a Benedictine abbey that was built in the 18th century. The abbey was once used as a family residence and was partially destroyed during World War 2. Interesting side note: This company produced the tiles that decorated The Titanic. Some of the tiles from the same batch are decorate the entrance into the main building.

The company made four different styles of tiles for The Titanic. Some of the tiles from the wreck have been recovered and are in the museum. In the afternoon we went to the Franco- German University, which technically isn’t a college campus. It contains administrative offices that coordinate between a network of 170 universities in France and Germany. Students study in both countries and earn a dual degree from two universities. Schools in the network must pass a rigorous evaluation of their programs (this is done every four years) or they will be removed from the network. The school has been in existence for 15 years and has grown from 1500 students to 5500 students. Half of their time is spent in Germany and half in France. Instruction is in both languages. They must speak both languages as well as be fluent in English before being accepted into the program. When students are completing the portion of their studies that requires them to go to school outside of their home country, they are paid a small stipend by the university. The university fosters and promotes dual degree programs between France and Germany. A third of the students are not from France and Germany, but from Southern or Eastern Europe or countries where French and German are the native languages. Saarbrucken was chosen as the headquarters of the administrative offices because it is so close to the French border. The university receives financing from both governments but they act independently of both governments. There are some difficulties with the dual degree track. Students must adjust to different teaching styles and expectations—mainly based on cultural differences-- during their time in the two countries. There are also some administrative issues: the languages required for admission in the program are not necessarily the first foreign language taught in schools. (Traditionally, only about 15% of French students are taught German in school, and vice versa.) Also the current financial crisis has impeded upon education funding, and the school is now having to seek private funding.

July 11, Saarbrucken

I took a walk around Saarbrucken today to explore the place where we will be staying for the next few days. I'm not as enamored with This city as I have been with the last two. The buildings are much more modern; there's not as much traditional German character in the architecture here. We took an hour long bus ride to Gershiem to the Spohns Ecological Training Center. This school encourages sustainability and green principles in daily life. Students and their teachers come there for a week to learn how to make better choices for our environment and become conscientious consumers. The school consists of three buildings, including the work space and the dormitory. We take part in a lecture and a question and answer session with the instructor who is in charge of the training program. We have lunch in their lunchroom, indulging in locally grown seasonal produce. The food here is delicious. As part of their green beliefs, they purchase mostly free trade and organically grown products. They also have their own garden and compost pile! In the afternoon we visit EURES to learn about cross border mobility in the European Union. We attend a presentation hosted by two advisors of EURES who explain both the benefits and difficulties involved with commuters who live in one country and work in another. EURES is a free service that will provide you with advice and assistance to help you find a job in another EU member country. There is free movement of labor in the 28 EU countries as well as the European colonies. Citizens of EU member countries have the right to live in the country where they work. The Saar- Lor- Lux region consists of six regions in four countries: Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium, and involves about 213,000 commuter workers. After we returned to Saarbrucken, I walked with a small group to the schloss. It wasn't quite as impressive as Schloss Heidelberg. We went to Spicheren, France and had dinner in the French countryside. I have never had this much wine to drink before in my life! I freely admit that I was a little past tipsy, but since there is no video or photo evidence, I will always have plausible deniability. (I wish I could remember the name of that wine, though. It was fantastic!) We were supposed to have dinner with a member of the European Parliament, but at the last minute she was unable to make it. For dinner I had blanc de poulet, creme et champignons- which is chicken with mushrooms in a white sauce, and creme brûlée for dessert. I also tried frog legs, which I know is a southern thing, not just a French thing, but I had never tried them before. I wasn't quite brave enough to attempt the escargot, however. Everything was delicious. In between dinner and dessert we took a short walk among the historical monuments in the countryside. I was thrilled to discover a left over bunker that was part of the Maginot Line tucked off among some trees.


Dinner at Woll Restaurant in Spicheren, France

  
 


Portion of the Maginot Line

  

Spohn's Ecological Training Center



Dormitory at Spohn's

   



Strasbourg, France

We spent today in Strasbourg, France. We left Heidelberg very early, and after two lovely train rides (one of which we spent in first class on a very fast train) we arrived in Strasbourg. There we met up with our new Goethe guide, Nicholas. In the morning we visited the European Parliament, learning about the structure of the organization and how they operate. It was very interesting. I think I may have gotten a lesson idea from the visit. And trust, me I asked a LOT of questions.

We then went to lunch before touring the Notre Dame Cathedrale of Strasbourg and the lovely historic area called La Petit France. We had a very knowledgable tour guide for this part of the tour. The cathedral took over 260 years to build and was completed in 1439. Parts of it were damaged by American and English bombs during World War 2, but they were reconstructed during the 1980s. Apparently the site was once the site of the Roman military, due to it being the highest point in the area. Once the Germans took over, they gave it the name Strasbourg (or rather the German version of Strasbourg. The cathedral was orginially supposed to have two towers like Notre Dame in Paris, but the foundation, which was built in the 11th century, couldn't support the weight of two towers. Our day ended after a two hour bus ride to Saarbrucken, Germany, where we will be spending the next three days.

Heidelberg

Today we toured Heidelberg Castle, an imposing ruin overlooking the city of Heidelberg.

We split into two groups to get there. My group took a bus to the funicular, which is a type of tram that goes straight up the mountain on which the castle is situated. Our fantastic tour guide was Julian. Heidelberg Castle was originally built by King Rupert, but other kings added on to it over the years.

The latest addition was made in the 1600s. It was destroyed by King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. He also destroyed the city, which was rebuilt in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, during a revival of romanticism, there was a renewed interest in Heidelberg and in preserving its history, and it became even more famous. This is the King's Hall, which was used for banquets and small forms of entertainment. Heidelberg had an elective monarchy, not a hereditary monarchy. The seven states of Germany would choose a new king whenever the old king died. The electors were not above taking bribes to choose a certain person as king. The King's Hall was originally all stone. The wood was added during the Nazi regime. Hitler gave speeches here before WW2.

This area is called Friedrich's Building. It was reconstructed during the 19th century when tourism picked up in the area. The statues are those of electors of Heidelberg. The statues on the facade are reproductions. We learned later in the tour that the originals are inside. Friedrich was the king who originally built this section of the palace. He died at age 36 of alcohol intoxication. We were not supposed to take photos inside Friedrich's Building. Our tour guide did allow us to take a few, but asked that we not post them in a public forum, so unfortunately I can’t show you how beautiful it is. If it’s any consolation, the interior is all reproductions. We later went to the Rathaus, or city hall, and learned about the E-Team project. This is an environmental partnership between the city government, the schools, and various other organizations. So far 20 out of the 36 city schools participate in the project. There are two goals of the program: 1)To raise awareness for climate protection and motivate young perople to behave in an environmentally conscious manner, and 2) To save enery in schools and reduce CO2 emissions. The project focuses on changing behavior rather than making building changes. The program operates with financial, material, and education support that the city provides to the schools. We had some free time before dinner so I did some souvenir shopping in the lovely section of Heidelberg called Old Town.



Julian.  Next to him is Karin, one of our Goethe tour guides.