Last weekend I got to meet up with Frau Losch’s group in
Munich—the really big city! For May Term the group of students are studying
German at a language school in Marburg, and they travel to different cities on
the weekends. After a long day of travel, including an exciting (or not so
exciting) hour delay in Fulda, I met them at the Hauptbahnhof in Munich. Friday
night we enjoyed a Bavarian meal at the Augustiner.
On Saturday morning we had a walking city tour. This was
very informative, and it was a great way to get an overview of the history of
Munich. Our guide carried photos of what the buildings looked like in the past,
and she told stories about their background. Many of the sites were of
significance to the founding of the National Socialist Party. Points of
interest included the Hofbrauhaus and the glockenspiel.
The highlight of the tour for me was when we stopped at the
university where the resistance group the White Rose was caught distributing
pamphlets. In the building there were memorials for Hans and Sophie Scholl, two
young siblings who were part of the resistance group during WWII. I learned
about this group in my high school German course, so it was important for me to
see the place where the history took place. It was dangerous for people to
publish writings speaking out against the Nazis, so I admire their bravery and
the legacy they left behind.
In the afternoon we had a tour of the artwork at the Alte
Pinakothek. I love art museums because they offer such a unique perspective of
history, so this was an enjoyable part of the trip for me. The gallery featured
many religious pieces. Later in the afternoon we had free time, so some of us
went out to purchase Dirndls (traditional dress) in true Bavarian fashion.
Sunday was palace and castle day, featuring
Neuschwanstein—castle of King Ludwig II. We rode an English-language tour bus
on the way there, seeing the beautiful countryside of Bavaria. Once we arrived
at the site of Neuschwanstein, we had a nice hike up to the castle, and then we
hiked up further to the bridge for an awesome view. Photos do not even begin to
describe what it was like.
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