Germany

An imposing memorial on a hilltop stands as a vivid reminder to the horrors of Germany’s dark past.  In a pretty beech forest just a few kilometres outside of Weimar, a town famous for its cultural life and ironically where Germany’s first democratic constitution was signed, the Nazis established the concentration camp of Buchenwald. In July 1937, Buchenwald became the first and largest of the concentration camps on German soil.  Between April 1938 and April 1945, some 238,380 people of various nationalities and groups were incarcerated in Buchenwald. The camp was operational until its liberation in 1945. Between 1945 and 1950 the former camp was used by the Soviet Union as a special camp for Nazis. On 6 January 1950, the Soviets handed over Buchenwald to the East German Ministry of Internal Affairs who then demolished most of the buildings.  Today the remains of Buchenwald serves as a memorial and permanent exhibition and museum.

I must admit I had mixed feelings about visiting a concentration camp. In the end, I decided it was important to face this part of Germany’s past.  The first thing I noticed when we drove into the memorial site is how isolated and densely wooded the area is.  It would be easy to carry on all kinds of atrocities in secrecy here.

After collecting our audio guides and maps, we headed off in the direction of the camp for a self directed walking tour.  The whole camp was dismantled in 1950 except for a few buildings that stand to this day:  the main gate, the crematorium, the hospital block, and two guard towers.  Passing through the main gate, you enter into the camp compound which today is a large field of rubble outlining the foundations of the barracks since all prisoner barracks and other buildings were razed. It is eerily quiet and disturbingly peaceful.

As I walked through the camp, listening to the audio guide information, I was overcome with emotion as I heard about some of the most  outrageous acts of cruelty imaginable.  In fact, it is quite unimaginable. It is beyond me how human beings are capable of such horrors. Technically speaking, Buchenwald was not an extermination camp.  It was a forced labour camp and yet about 56,000 people lost their lives here.  One of the primary causes of death was illness due to the harsh camp conditions.  Starvation, disease, malnourishment not to mention the fact that many were literally “worked to death” under the Vernichtung durch Arbeit policy (extermination through labor).  Many died as a result of human experimentation such as testing new vaccines.  Others were simply murdered.

As I walked through one of the few remaining buildings next to the crematorium, I was surprised that one room looked like a clinic.  Rather than get medical treatment here, I was shocked to learn that this was where prisoners were brought  to be killed.  Apparently, the appearance of the room was a mere ruse to keep the inmates calm and unsuspecting when they entered the building.  The inmate would be asked to stand against the wall next to a measuring stick under the guise of measuring his height.  Meanwhile, in a hidden room behind the wall, a guard was posed to shoot the inmate in the nape of the neck. This was just one example of the cruelty meted out at Buchenwald.

The room with the measuring stick.

Behind the wall with the measuring stick from where the prisoner was shot.

There are two museums within the camp perimeter, both of which were closed on the day we visited.  Apparently, museums are closed in Germany on Mondays and that just so happened to be the day we visited Buchenwald.  I’m sure we would have seen more graphic examples of the horrors of the camp.  Honestly, I think I had seen and heard enough through the existing displays and the audio guide.

Throughout the camp, various memorials have been installed commemorating the different groups of people who perished.  The largest memorial is the one mentioned earlier, located on a hilltop which can be seen from miles away.  It is a grim reminder of some of Germany’s darkest moments.

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From literary giants to world class optics to international cookies, Jena and the surrounding region has been full of surprises.  We had no idea this area had so much to offer.  Throw in a comfortable home base, the use of a car, home cooking, and generous hosts and it has added up to a relaxing and enjoyable visit.

Jena itself is a charming little city with a population just over 100,000. It is located in the Thuringia State in central Germany.  Thuringia is nicknamed “the green heart of Germany” because of the dense forest that covers its terrain.  Jena is tucked away in the Saale Valley, surrounded by limestone cliffs and hills that are dominated by many kilometres of well groomed and well posted walking paths.

Our knowledgeable tour guides: Mellie (left) and Theresa (right)

Detlev’s 16-year old daughter Mellie and her friend Theresa gave us a tour of the city one afternoon.  The girls were well prepared with Wikipedia notes and seemed to welcome the opportunity to practice their English as we walked through the downtown core.  From atop the highest building in Jena (26 stories), we were treated to a birds eye view of the city and the girls eagerly pointed out all the prominent points of interest.

We learned about  Goethe and Schiller, two renowned German writers, who spent time here.  More recently, Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott who are well known for their collaborative work developing optical instruments really put Jena on the map in the 19th century and onward. The Optical Museum in Jena is the only one of its kind in Germany.  The Zeiss-Planetarium which opened in 1926 in Jena is the oldest continuously working planetarium in the world.

A pedestrian street in Jena with many outdoor cafes.

Beyond Jena, we explored the capital city of Thuringia, Erfurt which has a beautiful historic centre.  Aside from the prominent Cathedral or Dom, the Krämerbrücke, a bridge crossing the Breitstrom, a small tributary of the Gera River is probably the most interesting sight. The bridge is covered with 32 inhabited buildings. It was built in 1325 with a church on either bridgehead, one of which, the Ägidienkirche, is still functional.  This was my third visit to Erfurt over a span of 39 years (my that makes me sound old!).  My first visit was as a young girl when I came to Germany with my mother.  At that time, Erfurt was part of East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic.  Although I was only 11 years old, I vividly recall the Dom being very dark and sombre and actually quite a frightening place for a young girl to visit.  I was, however, fascinated by the Krämerbrücke which at the time was lined with colourful little houses.  These have been replaced by tourist shops and cafes today.  My last visit was in 2004 when I visited Germany with both my parents and my youngest brother, Jim.  Not much seems to have changed in Erfurt since that visit, at least not that I noticed.

The Dom in Erfurt.

Weimar is another city of interest located about halfway between Jena and Erfurt.  It is famous for its cultural heritage dating as far back as 899.   Not only was this the place where Germany’s first democratic constitution was signed after the First World War, but it was also the focal point of the German Enlightenment and home of the leading literary characters, the writers Goethe and Schiller. We spent an afternoon wandering through the historic centre of this town, admiring the architecture and monuments.

Our trip to Jena was not only focused on culture and history. Located in such beautiful surroundings, nature was an integral part of our visit. Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes (Feengrotten) are abandoned underground mines dating back to the 16th century that have been transformed into a tourist attraction.  A fairy-themed playground and a museum are all part of the attraction making it a very family-oriented venue.  We were interested in the mines/caves which we could view by guided tour only.  Unfortunately, the tour was only in German, but we did have audio guides in English to offer a little bit of information along the way.  The caves were interesting although not nearly as impressive as caves we have seen in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, USA.

We did several hikes in the surrounding hills of varying lengths and difficulties.  One hike ended with a visit to a cookie factory which reminded us of the Hershey chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Here you could buy all kinds of cookies and chocolates at a fraction of the regular price.  After sampling many cookies and buying more than we should have, we met the factory manager from whom we learned that this cookie factory is the supplier of the Kirkland brand of cookies at Costco. These are the special boxes of cookies that come out for Christmas.  So next time you’re in Costco, you can be assured that those cookies are authentic German made – we can vouch for it!

Our physical fitness was put to the test with a visit to a zip lining park called Kletterwald Hohenfelden.  This was no mere zip lining.  The park consisted of several courses of varying degrees of difficulty which tested your physical abilities as well as your fear of heights.  It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, an equal mix of sheer panic and exhilaration.  The highlight was doing the course called “Qualification” which was a pre-requisite in order to do the most advanced circuit.  Kai, Detlev and I courageously faced our fears and conquered the course….Chris, on the other hand, chickened out and kept his feet firmly on the ground, opting to take video instead.

Video: Ziplining in Germany
 

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Champagne and sunshine welcomed us to Germany where we are visiting my cousin Detlev and his family for a couple of weeks.  Although we arrived in Leipzig quite late in the evening last Saturday night and we had to travel about 100 km to Detlev’s home in Jena, the family popped open a bottle of champagne to celebrate our arrival.  What a warm reception!

Our first few days in Jena have been sunny and warm, in fact, it has been the nicest weather for quite some time.  Rather ironic that our home town Ottawa has experienced perhaps one of the hottest, driest summers on record and we have been “enjoying” one of the wettest, coldest summers in the UK.  The warm weather here in Germany has been a welcome change.

Eating famous Thuringen bratwurst while visiting EgoPark, Erfurt.
We also enjoyed the beautiful dahlia gardens.  Check out the video created by
my cousin for his marketing business. 

Detlev, the grill master – our first BBQ this summer.

A visit to Wartburg Castle on a warm, sunny day.

My cousin Detlev was well prepared for our visit.  In his limited English, he explained the full program he had created for us with activities covering history, education, sports, and relaxation.  He is eager for us to have a good time and to see all that this region of Germany has to offer.  We have the use of a car at our disposal so that we can explore the local sights while he and Sylvie, his wife are at work.

Detlev and Sylvie showing us the sights.

The only problem for us right now is that we are tired of travelling and sightseeing. All summer we have been dealing with a serious case of travel fatigue. A comfortable home base for five weeks in England wasn’t enough to cure us.  I think our absence on the blog this summer is a reflection of how we’ve been feeling.   I hope you understand.  As we approach the first year anniversary of our departure, we are questioning our immediate future.  Should we continue to travel for the next year?  Should we go home?   Should we just settle down for a few months in one place?

For the first time in a year, we don’t really know what to do or where to go next. A high level warning issued by the Government of Canada against unnecessary travel to Egypt has caused us to re-think that destination.  Nepal offers a unique culture, natural beauty and challenging trekking opportunities.  India is another option.  Thailand would be a good, cheap place to stay put for a few months while we recharge our travel batteries.  What to do?  What to do?  We’ll let you know once we’ve figured it out.  In the meantime, we’re going to enjoy our time in Germany, and take in the sights as best we can.

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