The Naumburg Treasures
After we left the cathedral, we walked to the other side of the cloister to have a look at the so-called treasures held by the cathedral. And who would not call them treasures after seeing these exquisite paintings and carvings? Consider the centuries that have passed since these objects were created. The fact that they …
A Difference of Opinion
When my grandfather returned to Kentucky after living in France for two years, friends asked his impressions of life abroad. His reply, “If you’ve seen one cathedral, you’ve seen them all.” There are days when I would agree with him, but today was not one of those days. I’m going to skip ahead a bit …
Karwe at last
Late in the day, our meandering course took us to Karwe, a village on the banks of the Ruppiner See. Once again, we find ourselves at a former large farm. Same story. Post-GDR the property is restored to a buyer with sufficient funds. Maybe the family of the pre-GDR owner, maybe not. In the case …
Lunch with the Classics
While in Rheinsberg, we had lunch at a fish restaurant beside the lake. For reasons that no one could explain, local artists have constructed a scene from the Odyssey along the lake shore. Here we see Odysseus struggling to resist the sirens’ song.
A Journey… (cont.)
Let’s have a look at another way that private property was reused by the GDR. The village oh Rheinsberg is best known for Rheinsberg Palace and it’s surrounding park. Like many palaces, this one has housed a lot of privileged people. The ones that most interest us are Prussian Crown Prince Frederick, later King Frederick …
Amplemann
I first met “little traffic light man” while cycling through the GDR in 1990. He’s the equivalent of the Walk/Don’t Walk signals at home. Amplemann is hard not to like, with his jaunty walk and his hat. I was not the only one to take a liking to Amplemann. He is one of the few …
A Journey to the East
It’s easy to think of Germany as a single country. Reunification happened a long time ago, right? Imagine your country forcefully divided, each half operating under very different forms of government. Children grow up with different values, different expectations. These differences don’t go away because a treaty was signed. They take generations to erase. On …
Livin’ High
You say you’ve dined at the Jules Verne in Paris? They know you by name at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans? You yawn when the duck is served in Beijing? Bah. Your life is not complete until you’ve had currywurst at Curry 36 in Kreuzberg.
Treptower Park
Soviet troops were the first to reach Berlin during the war and it cost them dearly. This immense memorial was built to honor their sacrifice. Over 9000 are buried here in anonymous graves. To the cynical Western eye, there seems to be quite a bit of propaganda to promote the Soviet socialist ideal. But we …