Nuremberg's Less Dark History

This last blog will quickly wrap up our last little time in Nuremberg and the end of the trip. 

While Nuremberg is mostly known to the western world for one period of history and its atrocities. Our walking tour guide summarized four distinct periods in Nuremberg history: the Holy Roman Empire period, the German Empire period, the National Socialist period and the modern day. I talked about the National Socialist period in my last post, so time to learn about the other times in their history! Unfortunately, about 90% of Nuremberg's Old Town was destroyed or severely damaged during bombing in WWII and has had to be renovated or reconstructed since.

While the city is technically part of Bavaria, it identifies more as "Franconian" and one can often see its red and white Franconian flag flying rather than the blue and white of Bavaria.

In the Hauptmarkt, they have a large church, the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), which has a glockenspiel similar to, but a lot less impressive than, its sister in Munich. It was built by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, in the 14th century. The glockenspiel, called the Männleinlaufen, shows the seven princes circling Charles IV.

We learned more things about this town, but I'm honestly information overloaded and walking toured out, so instead I'll summarize that we saw: the old hospital from 1496 (now a gorgeous photo op and restaurant), the Schöner Brunnen (which means "Beautiful Fountain" and has some good luck mythology tied up with spinning its rings), and an old entrance to the meat market, symbolized by an ox on top of its entrance.

Nuremberg Castle

We also decided to add in a quick tour (we are very tired) of the castle. Nuremberg's Altstadt is surrounded by a medieval wall and has a large, iconic castle on a hill overlooking the town.

The castle was both a military fortress and an imperial palace, although it wasn't the permanent home of one particular emperor. During the Holy Roman Empire, emperors travelled between different imperial residences, and Nuremberg Castle received them when they visited the city. It was also the site of numerous imperial assemblies and became one of the most important imperial castles in the Holy Roman Empire.

You can tell some of the original medieval stones by the small holes in them, which were used to lift the stones with special pincers. Many of the stones without these markings are part of the later reconstruction.

I quite liked the look of the cloister area, as well as the room that had impressive Germanic eagles adorning its ceiling.

As you walk through, you can see lots of metal armour and weaponry in the castle, as well as a copy of the "Golden Bull," which was a 1356 decree that established important rules for the Holy Roman Empire, including how its emperors were to be elected.

But, I was particularly impressed with a well they had on site, where every half hour they would lead a demonstration as to how deep it was. The Deep Well is nearly 50 metres deep and provided the castle with its own protected water supply, particularly important in case of a siege. They did two examples of demonstrating its depth. First, they poured water from a jug and you waited to hear it splash down (it took about five seconds), and second, they lowered some candles down to see how faint they got as they descended.

We ended our time in Nuremberg with two more delicious dining spots to recommend. First, Chai Roti Nürnberg was gorgeously decorated with delicious Indian street food and curries. As well, FIVE Diner had the best vegetarian burger I've ever had (I got the avocado and cheese) with a great €5.50 Aperol spritz happy hour to wash it down.

We caught the next day's train to Frankfurt Airport, spent the night in a no frills airport hotel and are heading home now. Not without finally getting my vegan currywurst from the bus station before leaving though, of course.

Tschüss, Germany! I'm happy I was able to practice some of my mediocre German speaking and translating skills, was able to travel with one of my closests friends and had a great time introducing "A Susan EuroSummer" to my boyfriend. I also greatly appreciate his patience and calm attitude when little things derailed me a bit on this trip. Instagram and blogs polish up most things to only see the shiny and we had our share of travel bickering, but I loved having him as my adventure partner on this trip. 

Thank you for following along. I will now be enjoying a glass full of free iced water as soon as I land back in Canada. Need a detox from the bier, just for a little bit. 😉

Nuremberg's Nazi Past

The last city I am exploring in Germany is Nuremberg. Not only does it satisfy my historical interests, but it turns out it's quite lovely too. Nuremberg's Altstadt is almost completely surrounded by its historic city walls, largely completed by the 15th century (and fixed up after the bombing in WWII). It wasn't too busy nor too hot, and we stayed in a very convenient Airbnb in the Old Town. We had amazing sushi & Thai curry at Moon Restaurant after our two-train journey here from Salzburg and split our exploration into a day about Nazi history and a day about the Old Town & Castle.

Nuremberg Trials

The Nuremberg Trials in 1945–46 at the Palace of Justice, were groundbreaking in international criminal law, putting leading representatives of Nazi Germany on trial before an International Military Tribunal on four counts: Conspiracy, Crimes against Peace, War Crimes & Crimes against Humanity.

There were 24 Nazis indicted, although only 21 were physically present for the trial. Some of the most famous defendants included Hermann Göring (commander of the Luftwaffe and one of the most powerful figures in Nazi Germany) and Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former Deputy Führer.

Of the 22 defendants whose cases ultimately proceeded, three were acquitted, seven were given prison sentences, and 12 were sentenced to death (one in absentia). However, Göring committed suicide using a hidden cyanide capsule the night before his scheduled hanging.

We went into the actual Courtroom 600 where the trial took place. It has been modified since 1946 (after being modified prior to the trial to accommodate such a large-scale production and all the international press), but retains many similar qualities from back then, like the marble doorways. The trial was also extensively filmed, allowing footage to be shown around the world. 

We watched a media presentation about the courtroom and explored the museum using an audio guide. It's quite an info-heavy museum (fewer artifacts), but was very interesting. Note: bring your own headphones and download the museum app in advance to avoid the 2€ fee.

There were few artifacts in the museum, but one of them was a document carrier. The OSS (Office of Strategic Services) had the task of searching throughout Germany for documents and evidence, and huge amounts of material were brought to Nuremberg to be used during the trials. The museum displayed one of the containers used to transport these documents, along with some original documents from the trials. The real benches that the defendants sat on were also exhibited.

Nuremberg Rally Grounds

We visited the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände), a museum located in the unfinished Nazi Congress Hall. The Congress Hall was never completed, with construction largely stopping after the outbreak of the war. The city is currently transforming parts of it into a new arts and cultural centre, including a future venue for the Nuremberg State Theatre, while still acknowledging and confronting its dark historical past.

The Documentation Centre gave an overview of how the Nazis used Nuremberg as a way to display their strength, propaganda and supposed unity during their infamous rallies, with the massive annual rallies happening between 1933–1938. Around 15,000 people took part in the Nuremberg rally in 1927, while by the final rally in 1938, around one million people came to Nuremberg over the course of the event. The planned 1939 rally was abruptly cancelled because Germany invaded Poland and WWII began.

The exhibition explored things like the involvement of the Hitler Youth in the rallies, where they would hold athletic events and participate in massive displays and pageantry. There was an example of a Hitler Youth dagger with the inscription "Blood and Honour" etched upon its blade. There were also toy soldiers whose arms could be lifted up to give the Nazi salute.

It also showed a book containing the racist and antisemitic Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jewish people of many of their rights. Among other things, they prohibited marriages and sexual relationships between Jews and people classified as being of "German or related blood".

The rallies were the biggest party, and later state, events of the year, carefully choreographed as massive propaganda spectacles. One of their most famous displays was the "Cathedral of Light," created by Albert Speer using more than 150 powerful searchlights pointed vertically into the night sky around Zeppelin Field. The beams created what appeared to be enormous glowing walls surrounding the crowds.

Speaking of Zeppelin Field, we went there after the Documentation Centre. Unfortunately, it was all closed off and undergoing major restoration work. The grandstand is expected to begin reopening to visitors in 2028, while the field itself is currently expected to reopen in 2031.

In the 1930s, Zeppelin Field was used as a massive parade and assembly ground during the rallies, with stone stands and a huge grandstand where Hitler would give speeches to the gathered masses. The interior field itself could accommodate up to 200,000 people. After the war, the site took on some very different uses. The U.S. Army used Zeppelin Field as a sports field and concert venue and later for major concerts, festivals and car races.

On this trip, I've borne witness to the rise of Nazism in Munich, the implementation of it at the Nuremberg Rally Grounds, Dachau and Obersalzburg/Eagle's Nest, and witnessed its judgement at the Nuremberg Trials. It's a heavy history, but an interesting one, and I hope this entry helped shed some more light on its story.

Sound of Music Tour

And now, the real reason I wanted to go to Salzburg is because... 🎶 the hills are alive with the sound of muuuuusssiiic 🎶.

The Sound of Music (the 1965 musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer) was filmed in and around Salzburg in 1964 (at least most of the outdoor scenes!) and remains a huge draw for international tourists. Our guide said there are over 350,000 visitors to Salzburg specifically for this reason, although few of them are German or Austrian, as the movie never gained popularity here. When it was released in West Germany, for example, they actually stopped the film at the wedding, cutting out the entire final act involving the Nazis, the Anschluss of Austria, and the family's eventual escape. I guess in 1965, only 20 years after the end of WWII, it hit a little too close to home.

The movie is based on the true story of the Von Trapps, their family singing group, and their escape from Austria. BUT the movie is not a documentary... it's a Hollywood movie with jazz hands. For example, they changed the children's names, ages, and even genders (Liesl wasn't the oldest, it was actually a boy, and they had 10 kids, not just 7). They also didn't dramatically climb over a mountain to escape the Nazis; they took a train to Italy and eventually moved to the States.

But the bare bones of the film remain true: Maria was a novice at Nonnberg Abbey who went to work for Captain von Trapp, they fell in love and got married, the family sang together, and they eventually left Austria because of their opposition to the Nazi regime.

Marionette Theatre

We started our Sound of Music extravaganza with a show at the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. It was so good. Marionettes aren't specifically Austrian, but Austria has a long tradition of puppetry, and this theatre has been putting on  operas and performances since 1913. They create and craft the figures and stage sets in the theatre's own workshops too.

The puppeteers were so talented, and my mind was blown at how they didn't get the strings tangled up! The show was based on the musical stage production rather than the film (the addition of one song, for example) but kept a similar structure. They did a great job of using real-life actors and gloved hands to give dimension, and the performance was sung and spoken in English. If you ever go to Salzburg, 100% splurge on this ticket (they do other shows, not just The Sound of Music).

Sound of Music Bus Tour

The next day, we headed out on Panorama Tours' Original Sound of Music Bus Tour. I'm so glad Tarun voted for the air-conditioned bus rather than the bicycle tour, as we've entered another European heatwave. Biking in 35-degree weather did not appeal to this shade-worshipper. Also, bless this boy for indulging me in this. I made him watch the film right before we left, but unlike me, who had watched it about a dozen times in my childhood (memories of rainy days at the cottage!), he had seen it just that once.

And now he was about to spend 5 hours learning more about it. 😅

We drove around Salzburg and the Lake District to visit filming sites. Our first big stop was the Gazebo, which was restored in 1991 after vandalism. This one was used for the outside shots, but the inside shots were filmed in a separate one that opened up like a Barbie Dreamhouse.

We drove by Schloss Frohnburg, the house used for filming, but couldn't stop because it's now private property (a music school). We were, however, able to stop and take pictures at the lake used in the movie. In the film, it looks like the house has this beautiful lake in its backyard, when in fact that's just movie magic! They used Schloss Frohnburg for the house and then would cut to the grounds beside Schloss Leopoldskron for the lake. For example, in scenes where Maria and the Captain are talking, with one standing in front of the house and the other in front of the lake, they weren't even actually talking to each other. They filmed their parts at two different locations and edited them together.

We then drove past the real Nonnberg Abbey (from a distance) and stopped for about an hour in the town of Mondsee to see the church where Maria and the Captain were married.

 I also bought an apple strudel (with vanilla custard) from a home bakery, which was pretty fitting (🎶 Cream-coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels...).

We circled around the Lake District in the bus and learned more about how they used the town of St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang for some of the establishing shots in the opening of the movie. We also drove by the headquarters of Red Bull (in a tiny Austrian town). Absolutely nothing to do with The Sound of Music, but a cool fact!

Our final stop returned us to Mirabell Gardens, where Maria and the children dance through a montage to "Do-Re-Mi." I tried to recreate some of the more iconic parts!

Oh, and did I mention that our enthusiastic guide (shout out to Kylie!) had us singing along on the bus? It was fantastic, and I sang "Yodel-la-hee-hoo" loud enough for both of us.

...And got the rest of "The Lonely Goatherd" stuck in our heads for the rest of the day.

Salzburg

Salzburg is a beautiful town whose claims to fame include being the birthplace of Mozart, the Salzburg Festival, and, of course, the filming location of The Sound of Music. On our Guru walking tour, we covered the Old Town area, starting at the beautiful Mirabell Gardens.

Mirabell means "wonderful beauty," and our guide told us a dramatic story about the Prince-Archbishop who originally built the palace for his mistress, Salome Alt, with whom he had 15 children! When he was removed from power, he was imprisoned in the fortress overlooking Salzburg, where he was forced to look down upon the palace and gardens he had built for her. An 1818 fire badly damaged the palace, which was later rebuilt to what you can see today.

There's also a roughly 335-year-old Dwarf Garden (Zwergerlgarten) nearby, the oldest in Europe and inspiring future garden gnomes for years to come.

We stood outside both the birthplace and later residence of Mozart, the Michael Jackson of classical music (he didn't have much of a childhood thanks to an overbearing father who pushed him towards musical genius). Mozart allegedly didn't like Salzburg that much because the Prince-Archbishop placed limits on the music he could make, particularly church music and its length. He was happier and more productive in Vienna, where he moved at 25 and remained until his young death at 35.

We walked by the birthplace of Christian Doppler (the physicist behind the "Doppler Effect," meaning that a sound coming towards you has a higher pitch than one moving away). 

We also ambled through Getreidegasse, where metal signs, some over 400 years old, line the street. These signs traditionally indicated what was being sold underneath... i.e. scissors and ribbon for a dressmaker (but now a Mango clothing store).

After our walking tour, we went to Augustiner Bräu Mülln Biergarten for some Munich-style refreshments. It was really cool: you bought your beer and got a ticket, then picked up a stone mug, washed it yourself, and gave it and the ticket to the bartender, who filled your mug from a wooden barrel. On our walking tour, we learned that when Biergartens were introduced, they became so popular that restaurant owners got upset, so rules were introduced limiting what food Biergartens could serve (mostly bread and beer!). The law has since been lifted, but the tradition remains, so we indulged in bread and beer just the same.

Every city deserves a side quest, and mine was finding the "Gurken" statues (thanks to Instagram travellers for the inspiration)! There are five pickle statues near the university library made by avant-garde artist Erwin Wurm (whose art was featured in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' music video for "Can't Stop"). According to Wurm, just like humans, each pickle has a different shape, curve, and size, but at one glance, you know what it is -- its a pickle. Humans though always looking different, are still humans. 

Tarun's favourite meal of the trip so far was a fire-roasted Margherita pizza at Pizzeria Ciro that we grabbed near our accommodations (Numa Salzburg Vogelweider). I was happy because when I tried to order in German, the server was surprised and asked if I spoke German. Proud moment for me! My favourite meal, however, was the Austrian Spinatknödel, a spinach dumpling made with spinach, cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs.

As we wandered through the Old Town, we noticed signs for an open-air opera on Saturday in one of the main squares. Tarun begrudgingly agreed to go, but when we got there and realized it was a filmed version projected onto a big screen rather than live singers, *Carmen* unfortunately did not win out. 😅

We also had two very dramatic moments in Salzburg involving emergency services! One (less worrisome) was that our entire hotel had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm, and we got to see firefighters coming in to check the alarm system. Nothing like standing around outside in my PJs.

The second was that we had to call an ambulance for an older man who drove his bike into a wall! We were walking back from the bus in our very deserted suburban area when we heard the crash and saw him lying on his back. But we didn't have phone data, so Tarun had to run and flag down some random people walking by to ask if they spoke English and could call Austria's 911 (Note: it's 112!). We waited for the ambulance and police, but luckily I think the man was going to be okay. They took him away on a gurney, and from the police officer's attitude and the fact that they made him do a breathalyzer, I think alcohol may have been the culprit. He wasn't able to move after hitting his head, though, so I think we definitely did the right thing.

And as for the other famous thing Salzburg is known for? IMMA GONNA DO A WHOLE FANGIRLY POST ON IT NEXT... ;)

Berchtesgaden, Eagle's Nest & Königssee

We are headed to Berchtesgaden next. Known for being "idyllic and atrocious" in the same breath, it has some of the most gorgeous Alpine views in Germany... and was also home to one of the main seats of Nazi power in the 1930s and '40s.

We stayed just across from the Hauptbahnhof in a very pretty Alpine-style hotel called Hotel Grünberger. It's definitely a tourist town, attracting both nature and history enthusiasts. On our first night, we explored the town of Berchtesgaden and luckily came upon "Musik Montag" (Music Monday), where various musicians were performing throughout the town centre.

We grabbed Turkish dürüms (döner for T and falafel for me) and a bench to listen to a beautiful singer perform soft versions of English songs like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Mamma Mia." We wandered through the town centre with ice cream later and were treated to a big brass oompah band playing in the market square. Traditionally dressed band members came around selling shots of schnapps, and we donated a few euros for the sweet treat and to support the musicians.

Eagle's Nest / Kehlsteinhaus

Kehlsteinhaus, also known by its English name, the Eagle's Nest, is located 1,834 metres high in the Berchtesgaden Alps. On a clear day, you can even see Salzburg, Austria!

First, you take a city bus from the Berchtesgaden Bahnhof (free with the visitor's pass you get by staying at a hotel in the region!). Then you pay for a ticket (ideally in advance, although you can alter your time to a later bus if needed) and take a special coach up a 6.5 km mountain road, about a 15-minute ride.

You enter a long tunnel, go up a golden brass lift and enter... the Eagle's Nest. The view is absolutely amazing. The historical significance... horrifying.

From 1933–45, the Obersalzberg area was the second most important centre of power for the Nazi regime after Berlin. Hitler had his Berghof residence here and spent a significant amount of time in the area, where he and other high-ranking Nazis made decisions about war, persecution and genocide.

The Eagle's Nest itself was built in 1937–38 as a prestigious reception building high above the Obersalzberg. Interestingly, Hitler didn't actually spend that much time up here and visited relatively rarely. It was used more often by members of his inner circle and to impress diplomatic guests. He entertained Mussolini here (the fireplace is rumored to be a gift from him). Eva Braun suntanned while Goebbels and Goering drank on the terraces. 

It's an absolutely beautiful and stunning view. It's surreal to be in this place as a historical tourist, 81 years later.

We took a teeny hike a bit farther up to get a really beautiful view of Lake Königssee and the mountains surrounding us. We had a beer and radler on the patio of the now-functioning restaurant before heading back down.

Afterwards, we went to the Dokumentation Obersalzberg, an incredibly interesting museum that highlights the history of Obersalzberg (the area above Berchtesgaden). It was laid out incredibly well, with an English (and other languages) audio guide showcasing how the area went from a small farming village and holiday destination to Hitler's heavily guarded, off-limits compound, and then eventually back to a recreational and holiday getaway.

Three artifacts in particular were of significant interest to me:

● A "Cigarette Photo Collection Book" from 1936. Adults used to collect these photos from cigarette packages and pass them on to their children to put into albums, and people would trade them. Think Spice Girls bubble gum stickers from the late '90s, but with Nazis. 😬 This was a highly effective propaganda tool, with millions of these albums produced.

● A map showcasing the battle on the Eastern Front (Russia). The one they had on display showed November 21, 1942, when Hitler gave the order from Obersalzberg that forbade the 6th Army to retreat from Stalingrad, which proved to be fatal for German troops.

● A baby "gas mask" cot. Germany developed these awkward machines to protect babies in case poison gas was used against German civilians. However, as the museum placard noted, "there were no Allied gas attacks and the cot remained unused. The only use of gas in World War II was by the Germans - to murder people in extermination facilities and camps." 😬

Afterwards, we explored remnants of the bunker system that existed beneath Obersalzberg. Upon defeat, the SS burned documents in these bunkers (you can still see one room darkened from soot) and the people living in the countryside ransacked the abandoned buildings for useful items.

I've seen the Churchill War Rooms in London, and now I've seen a similar kind of experience in Germany (bunkers, war maps, etc.). I am putting this history degree to good use.

Lake Königssee

To cleanse the palate from this dark history and enjoy the natural beauty of the region, we did a day trip to Lake Königssee. You can hike, take a boat tour, or ride a gondola up Jenner mountain. We opted for the boat tour.

A tip for those going in the future: book early! We booked the morning of, and the earliest boat we could get was 1:45 p.m. We subsequently had two hours to kill when we got there, so we explored the little lakeside attractions (overpriced food & souvenirs), snacked on a surprisingly fresh pretzel, and did a short mini-hike to the Malerwinkl lookout for a great shot of the lake.

We boarded our boat and floated leisurely across the lake. We passed an "Echo Wall," where the guide played a trumpet tune and the sound echoed back to us. In older times, they apparently used to shoot guns toward the wall to hear the echo.

The boat stopped at two locations: the Church of St. Bartholomä and the end of the lake at Salet. We skipped the church because we wanted to get to Salet and do a short hike to another lake for a swim.

Lake Obersee was a lot less busy, and we were so hot that a cool mountain-lake swim sounded perfect.

It really was.

We had a little swim and then headed back to Berchtesgaden by boat and bus in the evening. We totally missed the solar eclipse as we were getting ready for dinner, oops!, and enjoyed a delicious Indian dinner at Noor E Panjab, "the finest (and only) Indian Cuisine" in Berchtesgaden. 

That wrapped up our time in Berchtesgaden and we are off to Salzburg next!