May 2 Keeping It Real

We had a long pause this morning when our ship could not pass under a low bridge.  The water is very high and the deck chairs and equipment have all been flattened for a few days making the upper deck unavailable for our use.  This was not anything we missed during our rainy days!  The crew scrambled to put down the remote steering counsel which was no small task, and after about 45 minutes of frantic effort we were able to proceed on to Nuremberg.  

Once on the tour bus, we went past the still-used courthouse in the newer section of town where they held the Nuremberg trials and then we drove on on to the Nazi Party Rally Grounds which now stand huge and empty. Our guide showed us photos of Hilter at the Rally Grounds along with thousands of troops and vehicles all parading in honor of Der Fuhrer.  This was the first time on our tour we've heard a frank discussion of the horrors of the Nazi regime and it was highly sobering to see for ourselves the places where Hilter rose to power. Nuremberg was described as the site of the fanatical party rallies, the beginning of the boycotts of Jewish businesses and the enactment of the Nuremberg Laws that outlawed Jewish citizenship in Germany.  

We were disappointed that we were not allowed to stop at the courthouse or the Rally Grounds to take photos but the tour emphasized the medieval part of the city which was largely destroyed during the war and has since been rebuilt for the enjoyment mainly of tourists.  We did have an option to pay for a WWII tour that in hindsight I wish we would have done.  The old town is beautiful, the shops fun and the food good, but I think we were ready for a deeper look into what happened here that affected the lives of millions of people then and now.  I think of what my dad experienced as a young American soldier liberating the death camps.  My sisters and I found interesting documentation about this with his papers after he died and I wish I would have talked more with him when I had the chance.  

Nuremberg is a fascinating city and the second largest in Bavaria.  It was literally flattened in early 1945 by the allies and has been almost totally rebuilt using the original stones for the old town areas when possible.  You can see the stones that were original in the buildings (they have a hole in them) and the new ones that were added.  The old cobblestones streets are uneven and rough while the new sections are even and easier to walk on but blend nicely with the old.  You do get the feeling that the German people put a great deal of focus on getting past the war years and what befell them under Hitler and are anxious to move on.   The reunification of East and West Berlin has apparently been economically and sociologically challenging as well, but the country is pretty amazing for what it's gone through.  Neat, tidy, things running smoothly, and quite a lot of care taken with natural resources.  Friendly people and excellent English speakers.  Impressive.