the other Germany(s)

Dear Friends,

I apologize. I've been too busy with my other "major" adventures to tell you about the ones I've had right here in Germany! #firstworldproblems

I have loved having the opportunity to get out of Berlin and explore a little more of my host country. In the past three weeks, I've been able to see Leipzig and Dresden - the two most populated cities near Berlin. Both cities are very beautiful and historical, and my visits there successfully reminded me that when one thinks of Germany, one cannot think only of Berlin. As I've heard many Germans say, Berlin is an anomaly. While I cannot attest to that statement per se, I have found that Berlin is unique among its German "peers." From my admittedly limited experiences in other German towns, Berlin is much more diverse in many senses of the word - in terms of people, art, food, architecture. That said, I've found it much easier to forget that Berlin is a German city. It is a very tourist-oriented city, and it's definitely possible to get around only speaking English. Berlin is no less authentic than these two cities, don't get me wrong; however, I found it really interesting and rather gemütlich (friendly, cozy, charming) to be truly immersed in a German setting that is at once so similar and different from my daily life here in Berlin.

I visited Leipzig back in the middle of November with three other friends of mine. We hopped on the regional train and got there in about two hours. The town was incredibly quaint and we had a great time going on the self-guided walking tour of the city. The Weihnachtsmarkt was just being set up and there were a lot of people mulling about the center of the city all trying to get the first Glühwein (German mulled wine sold at these Christmas markets) of the season. Leipzig is known for its churches and as the place where Bach conducted many an organ concert in the St. Thomas Church. We meandered about the town, admiring the beautiful buildings and enjoying lunch at Kartoffelhaus #1 (Potato House 1) and just taking it all in. Leipzig looks like this:

A large and in-charge art museum

The library at the Universität Leipzig

"Das Weiße Haus" (The White House) at Occupy Leipzig. Please note the large crowd.

I went to Dresden last Wednesday, and frankly, found it much more interesting than its Saxonian counterpart. My whole German conversation class (three of us) plus my Politics of Memory class (a different three) went with my German professor for the day, courtesy of Hans George Will (wealthy sponsor of the Berlin program). Those of us in the German conversation class were each delegated to choose a location in Dresden to give our final referat (formal, memorized presentation). My friends chose the New Synagogue and the Military History Museum, while I chose the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). Because the Military History Museum is closed on Wednesdays - random - we did not go there, but we did visit the Synagogue and the Church. Both were so fascinating and impressive to see. The Church that I presented about was completely destroyed in the Allied bombing of the city in February 1945 and was essentially left in complete ruin until the end of the GDR government. After German unification, there were many massive grassroots efforts to rebuild the church and restore its pre-war glory. The church was only finished in 2005 - 60 years after its destruction. It is now a very prominent symbol of peace and reconciliation in German society. The church also raises issues in terms of remember the German suffering during the war. Many scholars question the validity or morality of memorializing the innocent German victims of the war, including a professor of mine who asked, "At what point is it no longer appropriate to acknowledge that, in comparison to the suffering the Germans inflicted, their (non-military) hardships are relatively minute?" I would love to have a long conversation with you about such issues in person, but not over the interwebs. Instead, here are some photos from Dresden, including the medieval Christmas market in the center of the town.

The dome of the Frauenkirche

Wines made from various fruits (from Strawberry to Lingonberry) at the medieval market

The New Synagogue of Dresden

Wooden Stacking Dolls at the Christmas Market

In light of all these adventures, I am not surprised by how quickly the time has flown. Next week, I'll be back in California (weather permitting, fingers triple crossed!) with only some gingerbread, stollen (traditional Christmas bread), and some photos to remind me of my non-Berlin adventures :)