Through the Glass A pleasantly distorted view of the roofs of Nürnberg Altstadt from the City Museum Fembohaus, Nuremberg.
History is written by the victors.
So, how do the non-victors manage to tell their stories, especially to future generations who are looking back on conflicts with very different historical perspectives? How do descendants of those who were seen as perpetrators of crimes or atrocities reconcile themselves with their own histories? How do the future generations, who are often still seen as culpable – how do they move forward?
My strongest impression on my first trip to Germany, in the late 1970s, to visit my grandmother and other female relatives (all the men were dead and gone), was one of melancholy sadness. Today, most of that generation – the adults who survived World War II – is gone. How have their children and grandchildren come to terms with their ancestry?
Nuremberg, in the middle of Germany, has been at the centre of much of the political history of Europe. First established around 1050, by the early 1200s it was called the ‘unofficial capital’ of the Holy Roman Empire, because the Imperial Diet (Reichstag) and Courts met at Nuremberg Castle. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was a centre of the German Renaissance, adopting Protestantism during the Reformation in 1525. More recently, of course, it was home to many Nazi rallies before World War II, and to the famous Nuremberg Trials afterwards.
Last month, my husband and I spent a couple of days in Nuremberg – just enough time to get a brief glimpse of a diverse city with a long and rich history.
Schöner Brunnen When our bus driver kept making references to the “Beautiful Fountain” in the centre of the old city, we thought he was being overly-flowery in his descriptives. We didn’t realise that that was its name! Built between 1385 to 1396, the 19-metre high fountain is modelled on a Gothic spire.
Representatives of the Holy Roman Empire The colourful figures around the fountain would have been recognised by the faithful in the 14th-century as representing the prophets and other Roman Catholic worthies.
Brass Ring Legend has it that an apprentice goldsmith, in love with the master goldsmith’s daughter, embedded two brass rings into the iron fence around the fountain without leaving any seams to prove his worthiness.
Wishing on the Brass Ring Today, if you spin one of the rings three times clockwise, you will get your wish.
The Frauenkirche The Gothic “Church of Our Lady” was built between 1352 and 1362.
Frauenkirche Madonna Many heavily restored sculptures from the middle ages adorn the inside of the church.
Remembrance Candles In contrast with most of the interior, the wall with niches for placing lit candles is quite modern…
Frauenkirche Organ … as is the beautiful pipe organ built of blond wood and shining steel.
Gänsemännchen The “Little Goose-Man” is another famous Nuremberg fountain.
Nürnberg Rathaus The Nuremberg coat of arms are represented in the complex sculptures over the doors of the old city hall.
Diorama We spent some time in the City Museum Fembohaus, a museum in a preserved late-Renaissance house belonging to a prominent merchant’s family.
Diorama Visitors Models provided an overview of the ancient city.
Lock Glass cases display works for which local craftsmen were well-known.
Hall Beautiful rooms, ornately decorated with carved timber walls, inlaid floors and elaborate Baroque stucco ceilings, provide a glimpse into the lives of the rich.
Kitchen Other rooms illustrate the inner workings of the house…
Through the Window … and the lead windows give a view over the city.
Sebalduskirche St. Sebaldus Church, built from 1225, became Lutheran after the Reformation.
Nürnberg Courts From a bus window, we catch a glimpse of the imposing building which held the famous trials of Nazis after the war. (iPhone5)
Nazi Party Rally Grounds Our first stop off the bus is at the huge Nazi Party Rally Grounds…
Ralf … where our guide gives us some background and insight into the venue and its importance.
Nürnberger Burg Our next stop is Nuremberg Castle, built high on a sandstone rock at the north of the old walled city.
Castle Walls Predominantly renovated after World War II, the thick castle walls are part of what was considered one of Europe’s most formidable medieval fortifications.
Sinwellturm The modern German flag flies over old Sinwell Tower, one of the few parts of the castle to remain intact after the bombings.
Nürnberg Altstadt We get a nice view of the old city from the castle.
The Old and the Not-So-Old Over ninety percent of Nuremberg was destroyed by Allied bombers; much of this damage was in only one hour. Fortunately for us today, the community decided to rebuild things “as they were”. One of the houses on the road back down to the old town is original; the others are replicas. It is impossible for the uninitiated to tell the difference.
Dürer’s Praying Hands In front of a house where Albrecht Dürer once lived, Ralf reminds us of some of the most famous works by Germany’s most famous artist.
Nürnberg Roofs The roofs of the city hall and other buildings greet us as we walk back to town-center…
Tourist Kitsch … where my dreams of the famous Lebkuchen(gingerbread) are shattered! It is Sunday, and, except for the most garish of tourist shops, everything is shut.
On that visit to my family in 1979, my German wasn’t good enough to ask probing questions – not that it would have been appropriate – but occasionally anecdotes from the war years came up.
It would seem that, like Liesel Meminger’s foster parents (The Book Thief), many ordinary people found small ways to be subversive.
And, it would seem from the stories Ralf told us of his family, there is a new understanding that history has to be acknowledged so that the healing can continue.
[…] luxurious, floating hotel-rooms: a “Romantic Danube Cruise” from Nuremberg (see: Altered Views of History) to Budapest, and were docked in Regensburg, in the middle of […]ReplyCancel
[…] were lucky: my husband and I were enjoying a seven day cruise along the Danube, starting in Nuremberg and stopping in Regensburg, Kelheim and Passau. We’d spent the morning exploring Melk […]ReplyCancel
[…] the new boats that act as floating hotel rooms for tourists, travelling from Nuremberg (see: Altered views of History) to Budapest (see: Buda Castle Hill). With the exception of our cruise down the magnificent […]ReplyCancel
Le Château de Mont Orgueil ~ Gorey Castle Sitting on a rocky outcrop overlooking Gorey Harbour, Gorey Castle – lé Vièr Châté: the Old Castle in Jèrriais, the local Norman language – protected the island of Jersey against French invasion for some 600 years.
Exploring Jersey, that compact British CrownDependency just off the coast of Normandy, is like walking into a living history book. Every corner of the island tells a story of significant historical importance.
Take Mont Orgueil on the east coast, for example:
The Duchy of Normandy, which included extensive lands in what is now north-western France, as well as Jersey and the other Channel Islands,was first established under a 911 treaty between the Vikings (Northmen) and King Charles III of France. In 1066, Duke William II of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror, defeated Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon King, effectively making England and the Duchy of Normandy part of the same realm.
The Duchy was held by the Anglo-Norman kings of England until King John lost all his territories in mainland Normandy to France in 1204. Jersey, situated well south in the English Channel, was considered the last line of defence against further attack. So, utilising the rocky crag at Mont Orgueil, which had been the site of defensive fortifications from prehistoric times, the construction of Gorey Castle was started that same year.
The completed medieval fortress, first mentioned in 1212, protected the island until the development of gunpowder and cannon-shot made it’s position untenable. In the 1500s, Elizabeth Castle, built on Jersey’s south coast, replaced Gorey Castle in strategic importance (see: Elizabeth Castle History and Heritage).
For a long time, the castle continued to operate as a prison and a barracks before falling into disrepair. Since 1994, the site has been operated by the Jersey Heritage Trust as a museum. The Trust has done a wonderful job of turning the castle’s network of stairs and towers into an active treasure hunt for macabre art and fascinating history. Unfortunately, as the guide-books warn: the site is not suitable for people with mobility impairment, and I admit to having painful knees at the end of our visit!
Mont Orgueil Castle It’s a rather long, steep walk up to the castle from the bus stop in Gorey below.
Mont Orgueil Castle The castle was built nestled into the hillside. The beautiful original stonework has been carefully restored and/or maintained.
Ropes at the Ready
Mont Orgueil Castle The castle walls and towers are no less formidable close-up.
Ripened Rose Hips Many traditional food- and medicinal-plants can be found inside the castle walls.
Steps and Archways Corridors go off in various directions; it is actually quite easy to become disoriented.
The Wounded Man In a dark corner, we come across the first grizzly artwork: the huge ‘wounded man’ statue, showing all the ways in which a medieval injury led to almost-certain death.
Mounted Knight In a courtyard, a knight sits tall and proud, carrying a lamb. The Agnus Deior Lamb of God was used as a symbol of Jesus by the Knights Templar during the 12th and the 13th centuries.
The Long Cellar Known as the Chapel of St George in the 1830s, this corner of the castle is set up as an old altar.
The Prisoners Agitators and political prisoners were among those held in the old castle until the end of the 17th century.
Tudor Gun Symbols of a later period: a tudor gun …
Tudor Gunner … and a stylised statue of a gunner from the late 1400s.
Courtyard From the battlements, it is a long way down to the inner courtyard and Gorey Harbour below.
Mount Orgueil Castle The upper reaches of the castle seem to extend just as far the other direction.
Dragon In one dark chamber, a mythical creature ‘flies’ above.
Mediaeval Kings and The Tree of Succession
Elizabeth and Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh, long-time favourite of Queen Elizabeth, was for a time (1600-1603) the Governor of Jersey.
Rocky Coast Below
Gorey Harbour Shimmering in the late afternoon light, Gorey Harbour seems a long way away.
Gargoyle This little gargoyle on a cottage fence looks as tired as I felt after descending from the castle, walking half-way across the island, and waiting for a bus that never came…
Even though we got back to our lodgings very tired from our walk through history, it was a day well spent. And certainly, we had it easy compared to those medieval soldiers protecting the island from their vantage points high up on Mont Orgueil.
I am compiling a photobook for my family after a recent trip to Jersey with my siblings, which was just wonderful, especially for my older siblings who grew up in Grouville and Fauvic and who had no been ‘home’ for years. We now all live in Australia.
Our trip obviously included the castle at Gorey, where I was very much taken by the Tree of Succession sculpture. The sculpture is fabulous, however, I neglected to get a pamphlet to identify the various kings and queens depicted.
Is there any way you can help me with this? I took some close-ups but they don’t mean much without identification. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sue,
Your project sounds interesting.
I had a look at my photo files, and I did not take a picture of the information signboard that was in front of the Tree of Succession. I had a quick look on line, and I couldn’t see it. If you are still searching for identifiers, I’d contact the Jersey Trust. (http://www.jerseyheritage.org/uk). They’d be able to put you in tough with the Arts Curator.
Good luck and Happy New Year!ReplyCancel
Carol Lewis -July 31, 2018 - 7:41 pm
I recently visited the castle and we had a guide who mentioned that there was a time when some exiles of Napoleon were housed at the castle. Can you tell me a little more about that. I have an ancestor that fought with Napoleon and ended up on the Isle of Jersey as an “exile”. Any information would be greatly appreciated including any names in a historical record and dates.
Hi Carol,
What a fascinating history your family has! Like you, I was just a visitor; I suggest you contact a Jersey historical society for more information.
Cheers, UrsulaReplyCancel
The Walkers Mid-morning on a sunny Sunday is a perfect time for walk around Pfäffikersee (Lake Pfäffikon) in Kanton Zürich.
“You do know, don’t you, that we don’t live in the mountains? Zurich is in the “Low Country!” my friend exclaimed.
We were making plans for our summer visit to their Swiss home, and I was day-dreaming about Johanna Spyri’s Heidi, high-mountain meadows, and hiking in the alps amongst cows and goats with bells on. And, of course, Switzerlandis all that (watch this space!), but much of the country is significantly lower down and urbanised.
Kanton Zürich, home to the nation’s largest city, is located in the large plateau north of the Alps, and is well down in the elevation-rankings of Swiss Cantons. The verdant landscape features three decent-sized lakes and several smaller ones; shallow river-valleys with waters heading north to the Rhine; and countless Protestant churches on gently sloping hills dotted with pretty houses.
On one of the last days of our three-week visit this summer, we joined the large number of Swiss holiday-makers, walking briskly with their double-walking-sticks and sturdy boots, and took a walk through the protected grasslands around the third-largest lake in the Canton: the Pfäffikersee – Lake Pfäffikon in English.
Water Lilies A pond filled with delicate water lilies greets us as we set off on our circumnavigation of the lake.
Wanderweg All over Switzerland, the direction of the “Wanderweg” or “Walking Path” is well marked.
Walkway Wooden walkways lead over marshy grasslands. Benches are placed at regular intervals.
Signboard The walkways through protected lowlands are well signposted with visitor information. Of course, it is all in German – the official language in the Zürich area.
Fisherman Piers lead out over the lake for those who want to fish in the deep waters.
Berries The trees are heavy with ripe berries.
Birch Tress
Grasslands Much of the lake is bordered by grasslands; mountains retreat in the distant mists.
Pears This is a region of temperate fruits: apples, pears, plums and zwetschen; …
Berry Picking … and berry farms with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries.
Clover The wet ground is rich in nitrogen-fixing clover. One passing walker was lucky enough to find a four-leaf variety!
Fishing from the Pier Fishermen come in all sizes.
Die Badeanstalt There are areas – complete with changing-rooms and toilets – that are designated for swimmers.
Outdoor Exercise
Church on the Hill Another hill, another village (Seegräben), another church.
Gentian
Purple Grass
Tiered Waterway
Spent Thistles
Wild Meadow Flowers
Dog Everywhere we went in Europe, large dogs accompanied their owners.
Kastell Irgenhausen The Kastell Irgenhausen (first mentioned in AD 811) was built by the Romans to secure their trade route through the area.
Kastell Irgenhausen Today, the ruins are a popular picnic and barbecue site.
Flowers in the Garden Part of the walkway is very close to suburban housing.
The Bench Shady trees and grape vines are everywhere.
Another Young Fisherman
Quiet Waters At the town of Pfäffikon, boats are moored on the quiet waters.
Having walked full circle under the blue skies, we were ready to leave the lake and enjoy a late lunch – knowing we had earned it.
[…] Alas, being geographically challenged as I am, I didn’t realise how much of Switzerland is actually the rolling, lake-filled central plateau, or Mittelland. Like two-thirds of the population, this is where our friends have their home: “You do know, don’t you, that we don’t live in the mountains? Zurich is in the “Low Coun… […]ReplyCancel
[…] Rail Passes and had already enjoyed making extensive use of them to get around the country (eg: Wanderweg around the Pfäffikersee; Balade Des Fontaines, Aigle; Château de Chillon; Schaffhausen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall; […]ReplyCancel
Bagan under Lights It is still dark as we leave our hotel in Old Bagan. On the way to our sun-rise viewing point, we drive past the beautiful Ananda Temple, flood-lit against the night sky.
And, it is amazing how much you can pack into a single day around Bagan – if you get up long before dawn, and return to your room well after dark.
The city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan: the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later become Myanmar as we now know it. In the mid 9th century, it was the central power base of Burmese Buddhism under King Anawratha. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, especially, the kingdom flourished, and over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were built. “It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 sq km plain in central Myanmar…” They were lovingly decorated with paintings, carvings and engravings depicting stories from the life of the Buddha, and filled with flowers and fabrics and examples of Burmese crafts.
Many of the religious buildings were constructed of wood – and those buildings have not survived. Even those built of clay and brick have been damaged by earthquakes and the passage of time. Still, the roughly 2200 temples and pagodas that remain today in various states of disrepair are a magnificent sight dotted over the plains in the ever-changing light.
With the benefit of a small bus at our command, and a guide (Mr MM) to get us to the right place at the right time, Photo-Tour leader Karl Grobl, myself and my nine companions, crammed a lot of activity into our limited time.
We started our day before sunrise at Pyathada Phaya (also spelled Pyathadar, Pyathatgyi, or Pyatthada). Pyathada Pagoda is a popular viewing spot – especially at sunset – because its open terrace and upper deck allows a 360° panorama over the plains.
Predawn from Pyathada Pagoda Pagodas on the Bagan Plains stand out against the pre-dawn sky.
Sun Rising from Pyathada Pagoda The skies are dramatic as the light creeps over the horizon.
Pink Skies from Pyathada Pagoda The light rises quickly…
Dawn from Pyathada Pagoda … changing the appearance of the surrounding pagodas dramatically.
Mr MM Our guide surveys the horizon from Pyathada Pagoda.
Tripod Shots Mr MM watches as a group participant sets up a shot.
Pyathada Pagoda At ground level, the ruins of the temples make wonderful surroundings. With more time, it would be interesting to explore the plains further on foot.
Pyathada Temple was started during the later period of temple building in Bagan. This huge, Indian-influenced pagoda features impressive arches vaulting over broad corridors and halls
Caretaker On the ground floor of the temple, we met the man who looks after the shrines…
Pyathada Buddha … and the buddhas sheltered in the stone-arched vaults.
Pagodas on the Plains Late afternoon, we returned to Pyathada Pagoda to watch the light fade over the plains. Shinbinthalyaung and Shwesandaw Pagodas stand out from the flat lands in the late afternoon sun.
Cows on the Bagan Plains
Dhammayazika Pagoda on the Horizon Golden in the afternoon light
Sulamani Temple
Towards the Irrawaddy River
Tourists on the Roof
Across the Bagan Plains
Sunset Over The Plains
Pyathadar Temple Moon sliver against a dark sky,
All too soon, it was too dark to see.
We turned on our flashlights and headlamps before making our way carefully down the ancient steps and heading home for the night, after a richly rewarding day.
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
By the way, in my most recent blog post about Battambang, I linked back to your excellent reportage on the Bamboo train, and in doing so I re-read and re-lived the fun we had that day! Cheers, KarlReplyCancel
Woman and Goats In the heat of the Bagan afternoon, everyday life goes on around the ancient temple ruins.
It can be risky travelling through Southeast Asia during the southwest monsoon season: – daily rains can almost be relied upon, and when they come, they tend to be sudden and torrential. They make getting around difficult, especially for tourists who are not necessarily used to wading through the deep, dirty waters that often come with routine flash-flooding, and who don’t have the right wet-weather protection for their expensive belongings. Smelly gutters overflow, disguising potholes and other hazards, and traffic often grinds to a halt when visibility is reduced to zero by the onslaught of the monsoonal downpours.
There are, however, upsides: there tend to be fewer tourists, so prices may be lower and places are less crowded; temperatures are still warm – less stiflingly-hot than summer, but warm enough that a sudden drenching is not unbearable; rains are often short-lived and may even be predictable, and so can be avoided by finding an interesting place to visit during the afternoon thunderstorms; and, because of the warm temperatures, effective rain-protection can involve cheap plastic rain coats – which are readily available – or even shower caps and garbage bags.
And, there are regions which are protected – even during the height of the rainy season – from the worst excesses of weather.
Bagan is in one of these regions.
The magnificent, pagoda-studded plains of Bagan(A Living Landscape) sit in a curve in the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River, in a rain shadow between the low coastal ranges to the west and the Shan Plateau to the east. This relative ‘dry zone’ experiences, on average, only 30 percent of the annual rainfall received by Yangon.
Not only is this microclimate great for visitors, it is one of the reasons so many of the pagodas have weathered the tests of time. Even so, I tucked my plastic camera-protectors into my camera bag before joining Photographer Karl Grobl and local guide Mr MM on an afternoon’s exploration of Ananda Temple and the fields around Pyathada Paya (Pyathadar/Pyathatgyi Pagoda) Temple – just in case of sudden rain.
Ananda Temple Called an architectural wonder, Ananda Temple is one of the most famous temples in Bagan.
Temple Porches Ornate gabled porches project out from each face of the temple’s central square.
Ananda Temple Built under King Kyansittha in 1105, Ananda Temple is a fusion of Mon and Indian architectural styles. Layed out in a cruciform shape, the corridors lead to a central cube, which houses four standing Buddha statues, facing in each of the four cardinal directions.
The Kassapa (Kashyapa) Buddha The south facing Buddha is one of two depicting the dhammachakka mudrā, a Bagan-style hand position symbolizing the Buddha’s first sermon.
Kassapa Buddha … but the closer you get, the sadder, or more contemplative, it looks.
Kassapa Buddha This Buddha is unique: at a distance, it appears to be smiling …
Koṇāgamana Buddha The east facing Buddha stands with both arms hanging at the sides with palms stretching out. This is a mudrā not seen in traditional Buddhist sculpture outside this temple.
Koṇāgamana Buddha The east facing standing Buddha is holding a herb, which symbolically represents the gift of dhamma (Buddhist philosophy) as a cure for human misery and distress.
Out the Arch A grated archway looks out of a Ananda Temple corridor.
Buddhas in a Niche The corridors are full of stone images – some guilded and painted; others faint and worn.
As the afternoon drew on, we crossed the main road away from Ananada Temple, to the network of dirt roads that criss-cross the fields and plains. It was time for the herders to bring their flocks home for the night.
Temple in the Afternoon
Cows at the Waterway
Goats and Cows Sulamani Temple, the “Crowning Jewel”, stands in the background as a goatherd and cowherd stop for a chat.
Across the Furrows I am amazed that the dry, dusty furrows stay in such good shape with herds of goats crossing them twice daily.
Shepherdess
Bicycles on a Dusty Road There is a local network of unsealed dirt roads around Pyathadar Pagoda, where we were headed to watch the sun set.
Goats in the Dust The passing animals raise clouds of dust in the golden afternoon light.
Goatherd
Cows at Pyathadar Temple The late afternoon light turns the path and the temple warm with colour as the cows travel home through the dust and rubbish.
Setting Sun The sky turns crazy colours as the sun goes down over the plains …
Pyathadar Ponycart … and a ponycart-driver tries to get tourists home from the temple before the purple twilight goes dark.
Pyathadar Night Sky The sky changes colour from moment to moment over the Bagan Plains…
Last Light … before the light vanishes completely.
When the last light is gone, we make our way home in the dark.
It’s dusty and hot – but dry. No rain today on the Plains of Bagan.
Beautiful photo’s to compliment the storylineReplyCancel
Dietmut -August 11, 2014 - 5:23 pm
I have read just all your blog entries of the last weeks with interest. As always interesting reports and nice photos. Slowly I try now to put an end to my “summer break”, of course I would like to see the summer still long continuing. I love the heat and my muscles as well. As said I try to pick up the thread again slowly. I have spent the last weeks personally, lots of great things, but the terrible things that happened in recent times are not insensible passed away to me.
I will post something on my 3 blogs again soon. Dear greetings, DietmutReplyCancel
Dear Dietmut,
I am glad to hear you had a good summer – although we are indeed living in difficult times. We are summering in Europe at the moment; England, Switzerland and the Danube… although my Asian and North American photos still wait for me! 😀
Best regards, UReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
It would seem that, like Liesel Meminger’s foster parents (The Book Thief), many ordinary people found small ways to be subversive.
Even though we got back to our lodgings very tired from our walk through history, it was a day well spent. And certainly, we had it easy compared to those medieval soldiers protecting the island from their vantage points high up on Mont Orgueil.
When the last light is gone, we make our way home in the dark.
A great lead into the start of our European cruise
[…] luxurious, floating hotel-rooms: a “Romantic Danube Cruise” from Nuremberg (see: Altered Views of History) to Budapest, and were docked in Regensburg, in the middle of […]
[…] were lucky: my husband and I were enjoying a seven day cruise along the Danube, starting in Nuremberg and stopping in Regensburg, Kelheim and Passau. We’d spent the morning exploring Melk […]
[…] the new boats that act as floating hotel rooms for tourists, travelling from Nuremberg (see: Altered views of History) to Budapest (see: Buda Castle Hill). With the exception of our cruise down the magnificent […]