Dave the Nomad

Munich, unlike other cities, has taken a very different approach to remembering the darker side of its past as a city of the Third Reich. There are monuments dotted around in remembrance of the Jewish community, but they are subtle, untranslated, and sometimes cryptic in meaning. They are a bit hard to find, but if you look for them you can find them. As for the city; take a free tour. I was so impressed with the free 3 hour tour, that I decided to take the city-provided Dachau tour the next day.

Dachau was the first concentration camp to be opened by the Nazis, and the only one to remain open the entire 12 years. My introduction to this camp involved walking through the same gate that every person incarcerated there passed through. On it were the infamous words: “Work will make you free;” the first of many lies made by the regime. This is not a place by which one rushes and snaps a picture; the atmosphere is a heavy blanket of remembrance and humility I have never experienced before. As I walked along the gravel path, with only the sounds of feet scuffling on gravel and a slight breeze rustling the poplar trees lining the path, I found myself struggling to fathom what had happened here.

Ignorance was upheld at all costs to make sure inmates never knew what was happening. From entering through the gate to when they took a walk along the stream (often said to be gray from the ashes) and through the woods to the “shower house”. Area residents were shot on sight if found anywhere near the camp, and as such never knew what was happening. Many inmates silently waited, hoping just to live the next ten minutes. As I looked through the museum, barracks, and crematorium I find myself realizing although I am here, although I have seen where, and walked on the same piece of earth, I will never know what they lived through. I do know it is my duty as a member of humanity to know that this happened; to resist the ignorance like that imposed by the Nazis on citizens even just miles away.

Seeing Dachau, I find it disheartening and sad to realize as much as we look backward at memorials to days of liberation over a horrid regime and nostalgic quotes by Winston Churchhill which say, “We must never forget.” we struggle to find a small amount of time to look forward to what is happening around us and remember what it is we are being asked not to forget. Everyday life can sometimes be so compulsive and engulfing we neglect our obligation as citizens, and more basely humans; to challenge questionable acts by few, and to use the speech we are allowed.

There is a place in Munich between two lions in which Hitler especially loved to give his rousing speeches to the crowds below. One with mouth open, one with mouth closed, and if Hitler had known their significance he would have had them torn down. The lion pointing towards the government offices has his mouth open, and the one with it closed towards the church. They were put there as a symbol to the Bavarians that you should never speak out against your God, and always be able to speak out against your government. Only blocks away from the lions was the start of a movement started by several University students who found out what was happening at Dachau and printed flyers and left them in public places for people to read and understand. These students were eventually caught and executed, but their fight was not lost. One flyer made it to England, and it was reproduced over and over and dropped all over Germany. This group called themselves the white rose.

“We are the white rose, we are your guilty conscience, we will not be silenced.”

Well, until the last couple of days, this was one of the only German phrases I know. “Please call an ambulance.” Thank you Damon for that one, and I do apologize the rest of you aren’t included in the inside joke. I took a bus from Amsterdam to Cologne, and stayed the night at a nearby campsite. There is one thing that stands above all else in Cologne, the largest cathedral in Germany. Sorry, Amiens, but these high gothic towers win. The cathedral was one of the only buildings left standing during the carpet bombing campaign of the allies in WWII for one major reason, they used it as a guiding beacon since radar was still a new technology. Ironic way for a church to be a guiding light, but this really is a masterpiece of architecture. The blackened stones from weather give this gothic building even more or an ubiquitous presence, and Cologne doesn’t hide it as your eyes are flooded with its presence right out of the train station. Besides this, Cologne and the surrounding area are known for several things, Kolsch style beer, white wines, and the Rhine Valley.

If you get the chance, take the extra couple of days and take a river cruise down the Rhine to Mainz. Its about twice as much as a train, and well worth the money as long as the weather holds. I however, was blessed with liquid sunshine (thats rain for those of you who don’t camp), and took the train. I was hoping the weather would hold out for the second (and better half) of the Rhine Valley from Koblenz – Mainz. It is more scenic and has a lot more castles. After checking out the city and resigning to getting back on the train I stopped in Bacharach for the night. What was the appeal to stopping in this small town? Well, I stayed in a castle.

This section of the Rhine is dotted with vineyards, and nearly every peak has a castle or the ruins of one with a small quaint town by the river straight from a model train landscape. The castle in Bacharach has been transformed into a youth hostel. Besides having amazing views, it also had the best breakfast I’ve had on this trip yet! Really cool to walk around the castle, and pretend your king of the world….err at least until the nearest castle. There is one downside to the whole experience, the children. The place was swarming with school children, and I have to say right now. Thank you to all my teachers along the way. Your patience and commitment are unmatchable. Thankfully, they keep some rooms away from the 5th graders so you can sleep in peace.

I finished my ride down the Rhine into Mainz and took a train to Nurnburg to visit a friend that I met in Fort William after hiking the highlands. Camilla was a great host, and showed me around the city after a night on the town. It was the first time I really saw the sun since being in Germany, and it was a welcome change. The old city is almost entirely pedestrian traffic only with shops and cafes dotting the street. Most of the old wall and moat (now a grass park with walkway) are in tact. On the hillside inside the north wall lies the Imperial Castle. The castle was impressively large, and had a great view of the city. Well, its time for the main event, next stop, Oktoberfest!