Tag: Germany

Closer, hold me closer …

014 narrow b (480x640)

To get away from clogged highways we stopped for lunch and a walk in the small town of Günzburg in northern Bavaria.  The old centre of town is crisscrossed with little narrow streets and alleyways.  It’s by necessity that one ends up arm in arm!

014 narrow c (480x640)014 narrow e (480x640)014 narrow d (480x640)014 narrow a (480x640)

For more photos of roads, alleys, driveways, paths … go to Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.

Remembrance

Many German towns have a Judengasse (Jewish street).  In this wikipedia.de article it is explained how these came about, usually in the Middle Ages.  The corresponding English wiki article is more about Jewish ghettos in Germany, and generally in Europe.  In my hometown the street is in the middle of what used to be the quarter where tradesmen and farmers lived.  The photos are from the town of Worms in the Upper Rhine valley. The street ends in a place in front of the old town wall which has been named after a Jewish teacher who became the head of the Jewish school in Worms when the German Nazis expelled Jewish students from “German” schools.  She was murdered in a concentration camp.  As is often the case in Germany when streets are named after a person a short explanation is attached to the street sign – which is a good way to learn about history in general, and people in particular.

More photos of paths, streets, alleys can be found at Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge.

My home is a castle

142 favourite (640x480)

I was truly privileged as a child.  We lived in a modest house but the back garden bordered the high wall surrounding the castle grounds.  In my father’s day this park was off bounds for the townspeople (except on Easter Sunday or Monday, for a couple of hours).  Nowadays the park is public and the castle is the town hall.  To me, it was always the playground just behind the house.

For The Daily Post where Cheri asked to share a favourite place. More favourite places can be found here.

How much is a Lothar?

On 26 December 1999 a winter storm or hurricane called Lothar raced across Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Black Forest in Germany.  The devastation was vast.  After clearing up all the mowed down trees, reforestation was tackled but in a particular area in the Black Forest a section of the woods was left untouched so that one could see how nature recuperated  if left alone.  A walkway was constructed to allow access without damaging the re-growth.

38 devastation c

38 devastation d

Ten years later one can still see the swath of destruction of the hurricane.

38 devastation e

The walkway leading over the small bushes and trees starting to reclaim the soil.

38 devastation b

38 devastation a

38 devastation

The trees which had been uprooted were left lying where they fell and their roots were exposed to the elements.

38 devastation f

We didn’t live in Germany then but we visited the “Lotharpfad” (Lothar path) ten years later.  My husband in particular enjoyed the trip as he is called Lothar.  He also enjoyed the headline of a tabloid a year later which read: “How much is a Lothar?” with the article tallying up the cost of the storm.

For One Word Sunday with the topic devastation.

Running on green

44 green.jpg

Memories of a St Patrick’s Day are necessarily blurred.  I remember it was fun … And so will be this year’s – even if the Main in Frankfurt won’t be running with green beer, we will be running on beer (and it might even be green).

For more  Paddy’s Day entries on A Photo a Week, have a look here.