No Place Like Home

Home is the best place to be at the end of a long day.  Saturday, after a short night's sleep, I woke up early to catch the train to Hamburg Airport.  My flight was a little late leaving Germany en route to Copenhägen, Denmark, but my travels weren't affected.  My layover in Copenhägen was plenty long enough (originally scheduled for around five hours).

 

Denmark is one of those countries, like Switzerland, who accept Euros in many places, but give change in their local currency.  I didn't change any money for just my layover, but ended up with a few Danish Krone in change from my relaxing lunch at the airport.  I made it through passport control and to my gate right on time for my originally scheduled boarding time.  I stress "originally scheduled" because, by the end, my flight from Copenhägen to Chicago was delayed almost two-and-a-half hours.  Thanks to the airports WiFi, I was able to let my family know of the delay, but sitting in the hallway (the gate was completely closed) got annoying by the end.

The "Expected" time kept getting later...

I wasn't able to sleep on the nine-hour flight across the Atlantic, so spent the time watching four in-flight movies (Harry Potter 7.2 and Get Smart in English; The Bourne Identity and Australia in German).  We made up a little time in the air, but still arrived late enough that O'Hare customs were operated by the smaller night-time shift.  Picking up my luggage and making it out to the arrivals lobby took almost two more hours.

Scandinavian Sunset

My grandma had come down for the weekend, to welcome me home and to see some of my brother's high school events.  I had gotten to talk with her on Skype late last week, so I knew she would be waiting with my family.  I was completely surprised to see my Michigan Tech roommate and his dad standing there as well.  They had driven three hours one way, then waited two more hours, just to spend a few minutes with me in the airport.  What a great way to be welcomed home!

With this post, the story of my life in Lüneburg draws to a close.  The past semester was truly amazing, filled with memories I will hold on to for the rest of my life.  I learned and saw so much, and there's so much more of Germany to experience!  That'll have to wait until next time, I guess.  Thanks for following along with my travels, and for supporting me during my time abroad.  As wonderful as life in Lüneburg was, and as fond as my memories are, there really is no place like home!

Auf Wiedersehen

Today was my last day in Lüneburg.  I spent most of it packing; I'm going home with more than I brought to Germany (wonder why...).  I cleaned up my room to get it ready for check out with my landlady.  This evening, I met one last time with my tandem partner to exchange Christmas gifts, and to thank him for his help with my German.  We spent some time at the Christmas market and in Mälzer.

Lüneburg also gave me something of a Christmas present: snow!  I'd been looking forward to it this entire holiday season, and it's finally here!  Not much is sticking now; morning might bring a white blanket, though.  Snow or not, morning is going to come really soon.  Giving myself plenty of time to navigate Hamburg Airport, check my bags, and go through security, I'm taking one of the first trains into the city.

Even as the Advent wreath on top of the Wasserturm (water tower) has been counting down the days until Christmas, it has shown how close my return to the States was becoming.  Well, now it's here.  This semester abroad has been absolutely wonderful, and I cannot say "Thank You" enough to everyone who made it possible!

Meine Familie Hauschild

Well, I've come to the week of lasts and goodbyes.  Monday was my last day of the USAC program: my final exam for Intro to German Literature.  Afterwards, I went and celebrated with some friends and their landlords, as they were going to be leaving Lüneburg very soon.  It doesn't seem like it should be time for people to be going home already...

I, however, don't fly out until Saturday.  In the meantime, I was honored to visit the Hauschild family in Osnabrück one more time.  I owe them a big "Thank You" for opening their home to me again, and making me feel like one of the family!  Because I came in the middle of the week, everyone's days were busy with school or work.  I was still able to spend time with family in the evening.  Tuesday night, I helped Steffi and Carola with their English homework (after I remembered how!) and hopefully made their end-of-the-year exams/work a little easier.  The rest of the evening included a movie (German audio, English subtitles) with everyone and then a game with Frau Hauschild: Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod (loosely, "The Dative is Death to the Genitve").  Based on a recent book by the same title, the game tests knowledge of proper German, covering grammar, word choice, and even common sayings.  It was educational for both of us!

Wednesday, after breakfast with Herr Hauschild, I got to spend over an hour playing the piano.  I hadn't been able to play since the last time I was in Osnabrück.  I watched another movie, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (German audio and subtitles), before lunch.  Herr Hauschild made pork chops, noodles, and cauliflower (with bacon and cheese baked over it).   In the evening, I accompanied Frau Hauschild to mass at the Osnabrücker Dom (cathedral), a candle-lit Advent service where she was singing in the choir.  Our time in the city ended with Glühwein and other Christmas Market treats.  By the end of the movie that night, only Steffi, the cats, and I were still awake.

This morning, after breakfast with Steffi, she took me back to the train station and sent me on my way, sending a scarf, Plätzchen (Christmas cookies), and a wonderful Christmas card along for the holidays.  On the way back to Lüneburg, I used my layover in Hannover to look around the Christmas market there and pick up a few last gifts.  Back in my apartment, I guess it's time to start cleaning and packing for my next trip: home!

All Good Things...

"It's that time of year" can mean a lot of different things: holiday celebrations, first snowfalls, final exams, and even goodbyes.  I guess you could call this weekend, my last in Germany (!), the beginning of the end.

Wednesday, after Star Trek with my tandem partner, was my last visit to Mäxx to watch Champions League soccer with friends.  Thursday was the last day of classes, and so we finished the Track II semester with a movie and home-baked snacks.  Friday, after my final exam for Composition II, I ate my last meal at the Mensa and turned in my card there.  I also received my final, graded review of my paper on German Holocaust Literature; it was really refreshing to see all my work on it pay off.

Photo Credit: Josh Lacey

Saturday morning, I was able to sleep in before I started cleaning up my room and packing up some of my textbooks, notes, and other papers.  In the afternoon, I went ice skating in Adendorf ("suburb" of Lüneburg to the north) with some friends.  The indoor rink, home to a small local hockey club, was open for skating, so we took advantage of both group and student discounts.  It had been a while since I'd been on ice skates, but everything went really smoothly, and everyone had a lot of fun.  The evening ended with Krosse Bratkartoffeln at Krone for dinner, as the farewell meal for one of my friends who left today.

Today was my last Sunday worshiping at St. Thomas in Lüneburg.  After the service, I was once more invited to spend the middle of the day with the Wilkens family.  This time, Herr and Frau Wilkens and I were joined by their daughter and her boyfriend for conversation, coffee (or tea), and a delicious meal.  Venison was accompanied by soup, brussel sprouts, green beans, red cabbage, potato dumplings, and peaches with cranberries.  Dessert was cherry yogurt, then plum cake and stollen (traditional German Christmas bread) a little while later.  I enjoyed meeting and talking with the younger couple, and spending a little more time with those who had helped me feel very welcome at church.

After skyping with my family and writing this post, it's off to bed for me.  I have one last final tomorrow afternoon, German Literature, and the studying part of this semester is officially over.  I don't know where the time went, but I've loved every minute that's flown by!

Ex(Celle)nt

Celle (pronounced "Sell-ah") is easy to miss.  The train station, a stop between Uelzen (on the way to everywhere) and Hannover, isn't very impressive.  But beneath the ordinary appearance lies a colorful, 700-year-long history.  Saturday, the last USAC excursion of the semester took us to the quiet little town with a lot to say.

The Children's Christmas Market in front of the Schloss

Right away, we went as far back in history as possible.  We visited the Celler Schloss (castle), the oldest building in Celle, with parts dating to the late 13th Century.  Most of the castle's interior rooms have been recreated, as closely as possible, to look like they did when the royal family of Lower Saxony lived there.  The ornate Baroque rooms feature detailed stucco ceilings and silk-covered walls, but not very much furniture.  When the center of Lower Saxony government was moved to Hannover, the ruling family naturally took most of their furniture with them to their new residence. (Celle, having "lost" the government, was allowed to choose to become either a court or university town.  Still today, Celle is home to the Lower Saxony Supreme Court.)  Visitors must don slippers over their shoes to walk through the restored rooms.

Another exhibit housed in the castle are the rooms of the Danish Queen Caroline-Mathilde.  She was banished to Celle in 1772 by her brother (the King of England; the whole family was or was married to royalty).  The Danish king suffered from schizophrenia and required constant care, provided by one Dr. Struensee.  The doctor gradually assumed more and more control of the country, but went "too far" when he fathered Caroline-Mathilde's child.  Dr. Stuensee was beheaded, and the Queen was sent to Celle, permanently separated from here daughter.  The child was raised as a Danish princess, but was fully aware of who her real parents were.

Scale model of the Schloss, showing its mix of
Renaissance and Baroque styles (note the towers).

The most-impressive part of the castle is the chapel.  Famous for its large collection of original, early Protestant-era paintings (identified by their German text; before the Reformation, it would have been Latin), the chapel is the only church north of the Alps with perfectly preserved Renaissance furnishings. A ban on photography (flash or not) helps keep the chapel looking so impressive.

An ornately-decorated half-timbered school

The same guide who lead us through the palace continued our tour into the city.  Celle is similar to Lüneburg in that both cities have many well-preserved historical houses and building.  But while almost all of Lüneburg's architecture is Brick Gothic, Celle is filled with Fachwerkhäuser (half-timbered houses).  No two houses are built the same; each is ornamented or decorated differently, usually to reflect the profession of the original builder.  Celle showcases the differences between houses built in different eras.  For example, Renaissance houses feature their ornamental decoration on the beams and exposed timbers.  Some are decorated with fairy tale characters, some with secular proverbs, others with Scripture passages.  Baroque houses, on the other hand, have relatively plain timbers but very ornate doorways.  A trademark of all half-timbered houses is that their top story is larger than the bottom.  Taxes used to be charged based on the land used for building (i.e., the house's footprint).  It was in the best interest of a builder and owner to make the ground floor as small as practical, then gradually expand the upper floors to gain more living space.  Both styles, too, are almost always built with a plaster-covered brick wall facing the street, while the other walls are made from cheaper materials.  A extremely wealthy person was "stone rich," because they could afford to build all walls from brick.

Right to left: Half-timbered houses from the
16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries

We weren't able to go inside the Stadtkirche (City Church), due to a rehearsal for an Advent concert.  Nevertheless, we saw the 74.5-meter-tall tower from the outside.  Twice a day, a trumpeter climbs to the top and plays a fanfare in all for cardinal directions.  Like many churches, the Celler Stadtkirche has been renovated and rebuilt multiple times since its consecration in 1308.

Just south of the Stadtkirche is the Stechbahn, in modern times a square that hosts farmers' markets.  Formerly, the space was used for jousting tournaments.  A horseshoe set in the cobblestones marks the spot where Duke Otto der Großmütige died in a 1471.  Today, its purpose is cheery: wishes made when standing on the horseshoe are said to come true.

After saying a big thank you and goodbye to our tour guide, we had a some time to explore the Celle Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) on our own.  We didn't stay too long, because a warm, dry train sounded better to almost everyone than the cold rain we'd had all day.  Despite the weather, the beauty of Celle's history was not dampened, and we all left with big smiles.

Photo Credit: Maggie Yoder

Go East, Young Man

This past weekend, I took my last big trip of the semester.  Through the Lüneburger Auslands-Studium Studierenden Initiativ (Lüneburg Study-Abroad Studying Initiative, abbreviated L.A.S.S.I.), I spent three days traveling to two of the most-important cities in the former East Germany: Dresden and Leipzig.

We boarded the train in Lüneburg at 6:30 Friday morning, a little too early for most of us.  The group of around 25 students was almost entirely ERASMUS (a European exchange student organization) students; I was the only USAC member, and the only American.  Four-and-a-half hours later, we arrived at the Dresden Hauptbahnhof.  After checking into the Hostel Mondpalast (even nicer than the Sunflower in Berlin, and there was hot water for the showers!), we took the S-Bahn (for Straßenbahn, "street train") into the city for lunch at the Sophienkellar cafe, in what used to be the basement (German "Kellar") of the Taschenbergpalais.  L.A.S.S.I covered the food, which for me was Sächsiche Sauerbraten (roast beef), Rotkohl (red cabbage), and a large Kartoffelknödel (potato dumpling).

The Frauenkirche
The dark stones are from the original building.

Having finished our delicious lunch, we walked through the Altstadt (Old City) to the Frauenkirche.  Originally constructed in 1743, the Frauenkirche was among the first large Protestant churches in Germany.  Today, a statue of Martin Luther stands outside one of the entrances.  Like almost 80% of Dresden, the Frauenkirche was destroyed on February 13, 1945, during the Allied bombing attack on the city.  The ruins remained until 1994, when the reconstruction project started, funded by over 20 nations.  The exterior was rebuilt historically correctly, using photographs and sketches as guides, and even incorporating some of the original stones.  There were no such depictions of the historical interior, however, and so that part of the Frauenkirche has been lost.

Measured to the top of the cross atop the cupola (German "Kuppel"), the Frauenkirche stands 91.23 m above the Dresden Altstadt.  At 67.06 m is an observation platform, reached by an elevator and stairs that spiral around the cupola, offering views of the sanctuary.  At the top, the view of the city was gorgeous, especially because we were blessed with sunny blue skies.

We returned to the hostel for a while, so those who hadn't slept on the train could get a little rest.  Later that evening, we visited the Dresdener Striezelmarkt, the oldest Christmas Market in Germany.  Since 1434, people from the Dresden area have met at the Striezelmarkt to eat, drink, and be merry.  Dinner for me was two Kartoffelpuffer (fried potato pancakes) covered in Apfelmus (applesauce).  Drinking the requisite glühwein (spiced wine, served hot), I also sampled lebkuchen (German Christmas gingerbread) and stollen (iced bread made with nuts and raisins).

After the hostel's breakfast, our Saturday program started with a walking tour of the historic Altstadt.  We each received headphones, and our tour guide spoke using microphone over a specific radio channel.  That was really nice for hearing everything, even when I stopped to take a picture there was another group in the area.  Our first stop was the Zwinger, the "party palace" of Frederick Augustus I (Augustus the Strong), elector of Saxony and king of Poland.  Built in the early 18th Century, the palace is now home to muesums.  Renovation is a constant process at the Zwinger (like painting the Golden Gate Bridge).  The stone's natural lead content oxidizes, turning the beige stone black.  One wing or another is always covered in scaffolding, cleaning the oxide away to reveal the Baroque-style beauty beneath.  Much of the Zwinger, too, was reconstructed after World War II in its original style and form.

We then walked along the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes) towards the city center.  Made of over 24,000 ceramic tiles, the 335-foot-long mosaic depicts all the rulers of Saxony from 1123-1904.  We passed the Frauenkirche, but were unable to go inside.  We stopped briefly at the Albertinum, also home to art museums.  Dresden is know in as the "Florence on the Elbe," because the monarchy there collected nearly as much art of all kinds as the Medici family did in Italy.  A stroll along the Brülscher Terrace (named for its designing architect) offered wonderful views of the reconstructed Baroque city.

The Fürstenzug

View from the Brülscher Terrace

Our tour ended in front of the Semperoper (Semper Opera House).  The only theater in Germany to be called by its architect's name, the house was built in the 1870 according to the plans of Gottfried Semper, and was rebuilt in 1985.  Across the square is the Katholische Hofkirche (Catholic Cathedral).  The largest church in all of Saxony, the Hofkirche was built in the mid-18th century as a private basilica for Dresden's nobility.

Semperoper

Given some time to explore on our own, I also visited the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross).  Built in the early 13th century as the Nikolaikirche, the church was renamed in 1388 upon receipt of a supposed piece of Christ's cross and the discovery of a cross of unknown origin in the Elbe River.  Destroyed or severely damaged five times in its history, the Kreuzkirche was completely rebuilt in 1955, when the interior was purposely left rough and unfinished.

Our next scheduled visit was to the Festung Dresden (Dresden Fortress), under the Brülsche Terrace.  Guiding with a personal auto tour, the museum shows the progression of Dresden's protective fortifications.  Originally constructed in 1180, the city walls continued to grow and expand until 1593.  Preserved under today's Altstadt are one of the city gates (the Ziegeltor, "brick gate," not for its construction material, but for the carts of bricks that regularly passed through it), guards' quarters, parts of a foundry, and even the remains of a drawbridge.

Our last group event of the day was a walk through the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault), where what remains of Augustus the Strong's treasure is on display.  Security at the Green Vault is understandably very high: a limited number of visitors are allowed inside at one time, the entrance is a double-door airlock to reduce dust, and of course no photos are allowed.  The exhibit is divided into nine rooms, each featuring a different medium: amber, ivory, white silver, silver gilt, precious objects (ostrich eggs, nautilus shells, rock crystal), copper coats-of-arms, jewels, bronze, and Renaissance bronze works.  The treasures, many of which are displayed without protective glass (as the vault would have existed in the days of Augustus the Strong), are described by a personal audio tour guide, and represent only a fraction of the Elector's former wealth.  The Green Vault is housed in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), along with other historical and art museums.

The Residenzschloss, as seen from the Zwinger.

The Residenzschloss courtyard

I returned to the Striezelmarkt Saturday night, to do a little Christmas shopping and get another helping of Kartoffelpuffer.  There, I met a few German girls, friends from the area who had met at the market.  After noticing and making fun of my American accent, they invited me to spend the evening with them.  Even though they all spoke English well, we conversed in German about music, TV, music, and differences in Christmas traditions between Germany and America.  I even got to learn a little Sächsisch, the regional dialect.

Sunday morning we took the train to Leipzig, about an hour-and-a-half away.  L.A.S.S.I. hadn't planned any activities for the whole group there, so we were free to explore on our own for a few hours.  I followed my Daytrips book to the city's top highlights.  My first stop was the Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall), and the Christmas market in the square out front.  Originally built in 1557 in German Renaissance style, it was given a clock tower in 1744, and rebuilt in the same style (with new materials) in 1907 as it prepared to house the Leipzig City History Museum.

Just around the corner is the Mädler Passage, which leads to Auerbachs Kellar.  The 16th-Century tavern figures prominently in Goethe's Faust, probably the most-famous German literary work.  The entrance is flanked by statues of scenes from the work.  Today, Auerbachs Kellar is an attractive, classy, and expensive restaurant.

The main attraction in Leipzig for me was the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas' Church).  Constructed in 1212, the Thomaskirche boasted Johann Sebastian Bach as its cantor from 1723-1750.  The composer is now buried under the altar, and honored with a special exhibit in a side chapel, as well as a stained-glass window.  The church's organs, though not the originals used by Bach, were built to imitate the organs of Bach's 18th Century.

The Nikolaikirche (Church of St. Nicholas) is the oldest in Leipzig, dating from 1165.  Though its exterior is relatively plain, inside the church displays beautiful columns topped with palm branches.  All of the interior, in fact, is exquisitely ornate.  The Nikolaikirche was the starting place of the 1889 Peaceful Revolution, which led to Germany's reunification the following year.

After only a few short hours in Leipzig we were back on the train to Lüneburg.  I finished reading Visitation, Susan Bernofsky's English translation of Jenny Erpenbeck's Heimsuchung, and wrote a couple postcards.  I spent most of the time talking with the other exchange students on the trip.  Checking in with my family on Skype was a great way to end another wonderful weekend in Germany!