A Ph.D. Tramp Abroad

Gary Keith (Heidelberg, Germany 2013)

I’ve always liked Mark Twain, the most famous author from my home state of Missouri (back in the United States). I spent five weeks traipsing the streets of Heidelberg and venturing out to parts of Germany, far and wide. Somewhere in the nooks and crannies I learned that Mark Twain’s 1878 journey through Germany, and the resulting book A Tramp Abroad, included numerous observations on Heidelberg—including its castle, the student prison, the Neckar River, and student life. So in the spirit of Twain, I offer my reflections on modern Deutschland, beginning with Heidelberg observations, then out and about around the country and its glorious cities, and finally my take on modern German culture.

Heidelberg

Meine Frau und mein Sohn, Jackie and Gabe, arrived with me in Heidelberg in late June, as I was to spend a summer term teaching at the UIW-European Study Center (ESC). It seems like every building in Germany has a colorful story. Here in Heidelberg, our university is in a “house.” But in Germany, many houses are huge, multi-function buildings. The old Krehl haus at 106 Bergstrasse was built as a family home just over a century ago. What that means, though, is that Frau Krehl wanted a home that her extended German-Russian family could comfortably visit for long stays with their entourage and luggage. Since money was no object in the old patrician family, the grand stone home was built, in a walled compound. Walking by the 12-foot stone wall, you come into the entrance foyer and climb 45 steps up a spiral stone staircase to the first floor. In the beginning of our stay, those 45 steps were exhausting, but after an experience in Köln (see below), those 45 became a light skipping exercise.

Today, the building can house about 40 students on the second and third floors, where there are kitchens, bathrooms, and showers in addition to the small dorm rooms. The main floor is now offices and classrooms (for the ESC and the language school housed here), but  in the beginning was dining rooms, living rooms, kitchen, library rooms—and Dr. Krehl’s medical clinic! There is a basement/ground floor with laundry, kitchen, storerooms, old servant apartments. And, of course, courtyards and a stone barn/garage. The home had a chaotic time with the two world wars, being used as a hospital in WWI, being confiscated by first one side then the other in WWII, being used for de-nazification interviews of local officials after the war, and even being considered for the seat of government. It was some time before the building was returned to its owners. When Charles DeGaulle kicked NATO out of France in the mid-60s, some of its offices got relocated to the Krehl house. Pieces of furniture in the offices and library still have US Army and US State Dept. plates on them (shhh…don’t tell them)! By the way, old European buildings are built on top of older buildings or ruins or graves. A plaque on the Krehl house notes that excavation for the building revealed about 55 graves from around 450-650 A.D.

The most famous structure in Heidelberg is the castle—Schloss Heidelberg. The story with most castles is similar: it’s hard to nail down when it was first started. More than a thousand years ago. Probably. It has been smashed, burned, rebuilt, expanded so many times it’s a hodgepodge. But a

fascinating hodgepodge! Most of it is ruins, but some is in use today (tourism). It houses the largest wine cask in the world, and summer theater productions are held at the Schloss. You can walk up the steep hill to the castle or you can take the amazing short train ride up the steep slope. If you stay on the train beyond the castle, it continues up the mountain to Königstuhl, where you look out over Heidelberg and the surrounding Neckar river valley for miles and miles, seeing almost to France. On the top and other side of the mountain is a web of trails, nature areas, and parks.

There’s also another castle in Heidelberg, within easy walking distance of the Krehl house—the Tiefberg. It is much smaller, also is in ruins but has had parts restored, and comes with the obligatory set of tombstones so old you can’t make out the years. Castles, of course, also came with surrounding land and protecting walls—even moats. It’s interesting to be walking a block or two from the Tiefberg (or other castles), in the midst of today’s city, and realize that the stone wall running between houses or along streets is the original castle grounds wall from centuries ago—still there!

Aside from the castles, the historic structures of note in Heidelberg are at the University of Heidelberg—the oldest university in Germany (1386). There’s not actually one campus—the University seems to be spread all over the city! But its roots are in Altstadt (the old city), just below the Schloss. What used to be the royal horse and hay barn is today a university classroom and office building. The royalty needed lots of horses and hay, so built gigantic stone barns. This one looks ancient—but also absolutely solid and sturdy. The adjacent Marstall—the troop garrisons—with its four corner towers, is now a university student union and cafeteria. Then there is the Student Prison. Yes, prison. In the 18^th

and 19^th centuries, miscreant students were locked up for a day or two or three for minor (?) trespasses. They spent their time drawing and painting the walls, so the cell rooms are completely covered—walls and ceilings—with names and colorful caricatures. Today, it’s a museum.  Much of the old university programs (and the great library) remain in Altstadt. The newer part of the university is… well, it’s a new modern campus across town, with world class science and medical programs.

In the heart of Altstadt and the old university is a stone-covered empty lot where the old synagogue used to be, ‘til Kristallnacht 1938. Heidelberg’s Jews were rousted and deported, its synagogue burned. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps. While some made it to the west, most died or were killed. As you walk the sidewalks of Heidelberg—indeed of Berlin, Münich, many cities—your foot scrapes across “stumble stones”—brass stones, in the same shape and size as pavement stones, stating the names of the Jewish citizens who lived in the house there where you stand and what happened to them in the Holocaust. Just on our street, Bergstrasse, in the 15-minute walk down to the river you pass two sets of stumble stones. One notes six in the Liebhold family who were taken, most of whom were killed. A couple of blocks down, two were taken from the Blum and Blumenthal house and were also killed (at Dachau).

One day, Jackie and I trekked for an hour or two up behind the Krehl house, up, up, up a mountainside, zigzagging with the switchbacks, to finally find ourselves at the astonishing Thingstätte. Built by students in the Hitler era, it was a giant ampitheater for Nazi gatherings.  8,000 can sit on the terraces with room for 5,000 standing, facing the grand stone stages. Atop and beyond the terraced seating of the Thingstätte , hidden back in the woods a quarter mile, are Roman ruins and the ruins of St. Michael’s monastery. The sole grave marker has the inscription “1070”.

Not far out of Heidelberg is the Schwetzingen castle. For some in  royalty, one castle wasn’t enough. So, Karl III Philip and Charles Theodore had this castle as well as the Heidelberg castle (and another spare). It is the Schwetzingen grounds, though, that are striking. The sculpted gardens go on for acre after acre and are still kept up today. Hidden in the middle is a bathhouse, with a stone and marble sunken bath that any spa today would love to have!

Thomas Leibrecht and Ute Gleich hosted us at their castle home in Kleiningersheim (not to be confused with Grossingersheim), near Bietigheim-Bissingen, and Harald and Uli Leibrecht joined us for cake and coffee. The castle dates to at least 1313, when it was first mentioned in writing, and has housed various nobility over the centuries. Dr. Walter Leibrecht bought it in the 1960s and began Schiller College (named after famed poet Friedrich Schiller). For decades, students lived and studied there. Today, Schiller International University has several campuses, and the Heidelberg campus has become the European Study Center, associated with the University of the Incarnate Word (in San Antonio), where I teach. The Ingersheim Castle is now the headquarters of Schiller’s travel programs, as well as being the Leibrecht home. You look out over vineyards, the Neckar, and farmfields. Idyllic!

Berlin and Münich

We bought a Deutschland Pass, since we had failed to make the time to buy the Eurail Pass before we left. We found the Deutschebahn (DB) to be very comfortable, and only realized after a couple of hours that we were sitting in first class (with our second class tickets). So that’s what that “1” and “2” are painted on the cars for! But with our month-long passes, we never had to stop at a ticket counter again before heading from one city to another via train.

Berlin was awe-inspiring and haunting. We started on a rainy day, spending five hours in the well-kept, spacious Berlin Zoo. I like the German name for zoo: Tiergarten. Next day, the “Story of Berlin Museum” laid it all out—the glory of a vibrant city over the centuries, the take-over by Hitler, the Nazification of life, the horrors, then the war and bombs. Hitler held Berlin—indeed all of Germany—as shields for himself and his henchmen, and beautiful cities like Berlin, steeped in rich history, paid the price. The black and white pictures of bombed-out Berlin in May 1945 are shocking, sobering, distressing. Berlin’s surviving women picked up the rubble, brick by brick, and began the restoration.

Before the restoration could be completed, the frost of the Cold War blew through the city, and the Soviet/East German party apparatchik built the Berlin Wall to imprison the residents from the western world. West Berlin flourished and modernized while East Berlin rebuilt some, but not nearly as much. Out in the modern and re-united Berlin today you see the restored Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag (Bundestag), the pieces of the Berlin Wall with tributes to the murdered, and the campy Checkpoint Charlie; you hear the echoes of SS bootsteps as you walk through the blocks of concrete marking the Holocaust.

Wherever we went, I was struck by the multi-cultural nature of today’s Germany. This began with our Berlin visit with our Iraqi/Palestinian friend Bashar who is now a British citizen and travels Europe freely. One evening, Bashar took us out to Potsdam where we spent a nice evening and had a Palestinian meal in a friend’s home/studio. The nine of us at the table were American, German, Palestinian, Iraqi, Japanese, Indian, Polish—and various mixes of those nationalities. All over Germany, it seems, you see Asian, African, Middle East, European tourists, residents, travelers. Even occasionally a western hemisphere being.

Back on the DB, through the countryside. On the train, we sat across from a woman who teaches field biology at the University of Leipzig and was on the way home. I asked her about all the windmills and solar panels that we saw as we sped through the countryside, and she said that when the Green Party was in the government they got renewable energy policies adopted, but the subsidies were now being withdrawn, so there wouldn’t likely be more new ones. There sure are a lot of old, old churches! They dominate the skylines in village after village. I am surprised that Germany is not just one big dug-out quarry—so many castles, churches, cathedrals, walls, streets and homes are built of stone. How did they cut and transport all that stone centuries ago?

Our next trainstop was Münich, where we viewed the glorious Residence of the Bavarian monarchs, built and maintained over the centuries in grand style. I can only imagine what life for their overworked serfs must have been like! For Gabe, I think this was the most remarkable place in his

journeys, with its stonework, woodwork, portraits, gold, china and silver, statues, draperies. I met up with old friend Charles from my university days at Baylor, and we had German beers and meals and caught up on days past. Charles likes Germany so much that he has become a citizen and has not been back to the U.S. in years. Our trip out to Dachau brought us soberly back to the darker side of Germany’s legacy. Even with most of the buildings gone from the concentration camp, its ghosts are ever-present. The museum tells the stories and shows the pictures of the Nazis and their slaughters. And then there were those showers and ovens…

One of the most interesting spires and facades in Münich is the Rathaus. It’s just about a century and a half old (young by European standards), but is built in Gothic style. I got some nice color photos of the tower from the surrounding platz and down the streets. I was startled then to find, in the Dachau museum, a black and white photo of that same tower with a huge swastika banner draped over it. I’ve got to print a side-by-side of those photos.

Köln (Cologne) and the Rhein (Rhine) River

Jackie and I had a memorable trip up north to Köln. We took the train to Rudesheim on the Rhein River, then got on a cruiseship and had a 4-hour trip up the river to Koblenz, which is situated at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhein rivers. From there, after repast and a night’s sleep, we took the train on into Köln. For over four hours on the river, we kept seeing castle after castle. There’s a road east out of Heidelberg known as Castle Road, but this river cruise has got to be even more stunning. We must

 have seen two dozen castles. A castle around every bend. And, of course, an old church in the village below every castle. Some castles were ruins, some were in use. (You, too, apparently can buy a castle—all it takes is an iron-clad pledge to put money into restoring it and keeping it up!)

Jackie’s research had told us that something like 90% of Köln was destroyed in the WWII bombing. But, coming up out of the Hauptbahnhof onto the plaza, you look up into the grandeur of the Cologne Cathedral. Begun in 1248, the towers were added in the 19^th century, making it the largest cathedral in Germany. While it was damaged in WWII, it remained largely intact. Its main sanctuary is

awe-inspiring—then there are four or five side chapels. One of the priests, dressed in red robe, came scowling up to me when we entered and told me to remove my hat. Oops. On our second day, we went back to the cathedral and decided to pay the fee to climb the spire. Little did we know. It is a tight, tight stone spiral staircase up the inside of the tower—and the traffic is two-way (and heavy). After a hundred steps, you think you’re surely about there. After 200, you start questioning. After 300, you begin having serious regrets. After 400 you begin despairing (and huffing and puffing). After 500, you think you’re there. But No! It’s just a break in the construction, with an open space, then the steps continue on up. I took the wager and continued. Finally, after 565 steps, I made it to the top. (Then you have no choice but to fight the foot traffic as you go back down those same 565 steps.)

Behind the cathedral is the museum of Roman ruins. When the city started digging to put in the subway system, they kept unearthing Roman ruins. So, they stopped the construction and turned it into an archaeological excavation, then resumed the subway tunnels. And, oh, the ruins they discovered! The museum building houses those ruins and others they have brought in to depict life in the Roman era. I remember when we were in a Roman ruins museum in Portugal last summer (which also contained even earlier Moorish ruins). Both were experiences I’ll never forget.

We had heard that Cologne has the biggest Gay Pride festival in all of Germany, and we wondered when it was. Lo and behold, we turned a corner Saturday morning and found ourselves in the midst of the parade. Block after block after block of booths, musicians, costumed revelers. ‘Twas truly a gay scene! Old and young alike. From there, we drifted over to a huge open park (we later found it is called Hiroshima and Nagasaki Park). We found hundreds of people—singles, couples, groups, families—lounging in the grass with blankets and picnics, many with miniature grills. Bicycles, Frisbees, beer, wine. It was the kind of park scene that we used to see in the U.S. but don’t so much anymore, except on special occasions (but no beer in American parks!). We got the feeling this was an every-weekend-occurrence.

Much of Cologne has been rebuilt. So, the buildings are 50, 60 years old. Just like in the U.S. Which is to say, not many were rebuilt in the old style, at least not as much as in many German cities. A stark scene, though was the old St. Alban’s church. It was bombed nearly to the ground, as so much of Cologne was. But rather than rebuilding, it has been left in ruins. It is haunting to look at the stone arches, knowing that there used to be a roof. Knowing that there used to be a colorful sanctuary. In the midst of the sun-drenched ruins now sit two statues—of weeping parents—and a plea for no more war.

Baden-Württemberg

            An early outing, before Gabe headed back to Texas, was to Karlsruhe, where Jackie had lived for three years in the ‘60s, as her dad was in the U.S. military and stationed there. Jackie was thrilled to find her old apartment and the church and school just across the lawn. We took lots of pictures, and now she has to dig through old records at home to find black and white’s from 50 years ago to compare them with. Later in the month, the whole group from the European Study Center went to Karlsruhe as well. Our second outing was hosted by a very engaging local tour guide. We came away convinced that Karlsruhe was, indeed, the center of all things good about Germany: a benevolent, if randy, king; the first true parliament; and a center for democratic uprising against the nobility in 1848.

          After that second Karlsruhe visit, Jackie and I took the DB on into the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) for a very full and interesting weekend. Her great-great grandmother was born in Kappelrodeck, then emigrated to the U.S.  Jackie knew from the family genealogical history that the old family names were Eckerle, Bäurle, Faisst, Hodapp, and Siefermann. We found all those names in the cemetery. We were puzzled, though, that we did not find graves older than about 150 years or so. Then we learned that, once your family stops visiting your grave and stops paying for it, it’s simply re-used by a later family. So much for thinking that folks would be reading my epitaph a thousand years from now! (“Here lies Professor Keith. How much longer will his family pay his grave rent?”) We headed to Freiberg, then up into the forest and mountains to Lake Titisee, a vacation/tourist resort.

           Just beyond Baden Württemburg to the east is the quaint medieval town of Rothenberg ob der Tauber. Built more than 1,000 years ago, the town and its guard towers is ringed by walls from various eras in concentric circles. It was well fortified! Many of the buildings have been preserved in states similar to what they were centuries ago. Rothenberg is the backdrop for some movie scenes (even Harry Potter!). The abbey has the oldest preserved kitchen in Europe, dating back more than 1,200 years. Our hotel sent us up the street to their second building. Immediately by the door as you go in is a well dating

to the 14^th century. We climbed to the 6^th (attic) floor for our room. Sticking my head out the narrow window, I looked up to see the medieval-era pulley that was placed at the apex of roofs, with a rope and bucket to raise and lower items for the residents.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see one of the sights in Rothenberg ob der Tauber that we had hoped to see—the mechanical re-enactment of a 14^th century mayor drinking a huge tankard of beer on a bet to save the town. One thing we did get to see, that I was repulsed at, was the criminal museum. It really was a museum of torture. Every device made and used by humans, on behalf of church, state, and community, to torture, cause excruciating pain, and kill people, is there. I refused to take pictures.

Keith’s Observations on 21^st Century Germany

During my sojourn here, I have jotted down things that I like about Germany, things I don’t like, and things I found particularly interesting or amusing, whether good or bad. So, I end this reflection by sharing the lists (with a few comments where appropriate). The lists of things I like and things I find interesting are much longer than the list of things I didn’t like. So, yes, I want to come back!

The Good

·         Beer and wine drunk openly

·         Dogs accepted anywhere—restaurants, parks, buses

·         Trains everywhere!

·         Bicycles everywhere—and people take bicycles right up on the bus or train. Many bicycle riders are elderly—they’re not just for the young.

·         Streetcars and buses everywhere

·         Bookstores are still open—small ones—in various parts of the cities

·         Hand dryers in the restrooms are so much more powerful than those wimpy ones that American restrooms have. These actually dry your hands so that you don’t have to wipe them on your clothes!

·         Castle and historic preservation

·         A modern multi-lingual multi-cultural society

·         Local breweries and wineries

·         Wind and solar farms across the countryside

·         Solar panels on rooftops of homes and businesses

·         Wasser mit oder ohne Gas

The Bad

·         Germany still has a smoking culture! It’s hard to eat at a sidewalk café because you’ll be engulfed by your neighbor’s cigarette smoke

·         Loud cell phone conversations on trains, buses, and platforms

·         People wear clothes with English writing on them

·         Pay toilets

·         No water fountains

·         No AC

·         No ice (or hard to get)

The Interesting, Different, Quirky, or Amusing

·         On streetcars and buses, you are rarely asked for your ticket (but if you are caught without one, there’s a big fine)

·         Many streets are so narrow that trucks just stop in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, while they unload their goods. People wait.

·         Streets are so narrow that cars park with one set of tires up on the sidewalks

·         Sidewalks sometimes narrow down to nothing and disappear, squeezed by the building on one side and the street on the other, forcing you to hop out into the street, with feverish glances over your shoulder.

·         Transportation is truly multi-modal, with 3 or 4 kinds of lanes. There’s the rail running down the middle of the street. There’s a bike lane (either in the street or on the sidewalk). There’s a sidewalk (sometimes). You can see a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a car, and a train all going alongside each other and (usually) managing the twists, turns, change of lanes, blending of lanes, without wrecks or confrontations.

 #30#

Yummy...Food!

Find important questions and answers concerning Meals and Food below...

1. Is there a restaurant at the European Study Center?
No, but there are plenty of places within walking distance to grab a bite to eat.

2. Are there vending machines in the European Study Center?
There is a vending machine with drinks available at all times.

3. When are we dining out?
There are a few group dinners already included in your program fee (ex: welcome dinner, farewell dinner, Thanksgiving or Easter). Your coordinator will remind you when the dinners will be.
Generally, drinks and tips will cost extra and are not included. The meals will be arranged indifferent restaurants to offer you a variety of meals.

4. What options are there for meals?
You will be able to use the shared cooking facilities at the European Study Center at any time. Several bakeries and grocery stores are within a few minutes’ walking distance making it easy to cook and eat at home. You will also have access to the SRH and University of Heidelberg student cafeterias. Different main dishes are offered every day and many locations feature a buffet with a wide variety to choose from. There are also numerous student cafés located throughout Heidelberg for students to grab a quick bite.

5. Can vegetarian and vegan diets be accommodated at group meals?
Of course. It won’t be a problem to accommodate vegetarians and vegans. No matter what your
concerns are, the Heidelberg team is happy to accommodate your dietary restrictions during group
meals, as long as you have informed your study abroad office before you leave for Europe. Last minute changes to pre-ordered groups meals can not always be guaranteed.

6. What is the proper etiquette when leaving tips in restaurants?
In Germany gratuity is already included in the check, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t leave a tip on top of that because the wait staff generally doesn’t receive the added gratuity directly. It is customary to round up to the next full Euro and add a Euro or two (for example, if your bill is12.55€, it would be appropriate to pay 13-14€ total). When you are eating out in a nicer restaurant, you should leave 5% to 10% which is usually given directly to the waiter.

7. What kind of food can you recommend to eat in Heidelberg?
Step into any German bakery (Bäckerei or Konditorei) and you will find an assortment of high quality breads, rolls, pretzels, and pastries that are sure to delight your taste buds. All grocery stores have a wide assortment of deli meats, sausages and cheeses and spreads that go nicely with the good bread. One sweet Heidelberg treat that can be found in specialty stores is the Studentenkuss-(Student’skiss) made of chocolate, nougat and crispy wafers.

New Students: Want to know what it's like to live in Germany?

Here's Spring 2013 student, Rocio Castillo, reflects on her living in Heidelberg:

Personal Development

So far I have been living comfortably here in Germany. I absolutely love the city, and I am getting more accustomed to my new life here. Sometimes I do feel a little homesick because I miss my family and friends and I especially  miss being able to dance salsa, meringue, and bachata, but I do realize that this is a new experience and I am trying to culturally immerse myself as much as I can. Besides the fact that the clubbing/dancing culture and experience here is different, I really like Germany because it has become easy for me to get accustomed. The food is not so different and most people here speak English.  The only one thing that I do wish is that I could make more friends and be able to meet more locals and be able to hang out and see what they like to do. I am beginning to recognize more faces when I go to the library or Haupstrasse which is good I guess because that would never happen to me back home.

            I joined the local women’s American football team here and Heidelberg and I truly enjoy going to practice. I attend practice every time because I am able to spend time with Germans and I also enjoy the sport very much. I think it is quite ironic that I ended up playing American football in Germany. The girls in my team are all very nice but I am still considered an acquaintance rather than a friend. I guess that is just the German culture but I wish that sometimes they would be more open with me or invite me to hang out with them. When I go to practice they are really nice and we joke around but they never ask about my life outside of football. I think this is very different from the United States because there, most of the people on the team would’ve probably invited me to a party already or at least asked about my life outside of football.

            I also sometimes worry about my mother and hope that she is fine because I left right after she got out of the hospital. Coming here was extremely hard because I knew that I was leaving my family behind, and that I wasn’t going to be fully involved in my mother’s recovery. I, however; do not regret coming to Germany. I can personally see how much I have grown, learned, and experienced so far. I feel like by sticking to my decision of studying abroad has taught me that I have a really strong character and that I am willing to take risks in life. I am learning how to cook, I walk more, I am opened to new ideas, I criticize less, I’ve become more analytical, and I have learned about politics, religion, and other cultures by just being here and talking to the international students from the language school. I am really looking forward to the next couple of weeks in Heidelberg because I know that I still have a lot to discover about this wonderful city, and I have a lot to learn about myself and the German culture.  

Looking Back at My Time in Germany

Spring 2013 student, Shane Knight, reflects on his time in Germany:

My Journey in Germany

            I have made so many great memories while studying abroad in here in Germany, and have truly met some great friends that I keep in contact with and have a relationship later on in life as well. I mentioned in my very first paper that I chose to study abroad because I wanted to be able to travel around and see different parts of the world that I would not have had the chance to do so otherwise. I have had the opportunity to travel to multiple places since my stay has started here in Heidelberg. The first trip that I took was to Munich to see Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the castle that inspired the Disney castle. It was a great experience and being able to walk around Munich the day after was a lot of fun as well. A couple weeks later I was able to travel to Brussels with everyone for Isabel’s birthday weekend which was a great experience because we were all together for the first real trip experiencing a different part of Europe. I have some great memories of Brussels beginning with the nightlife we all experienced, the great seafood, and the casino where Eric and I won quite a bit of money! I did lose a phone, but I still loved it.

            Paris was probably my favorite trip that I took this semester. We were able to visit all of the popular tourist attractions that you always see in movies and pictures. We went to see the Arch of Triumph, which was built by Napoleon in order to commemorate his triumphs throughout Europe. The Eiffel Tower was truly as big as it seems in the movies. It was hard to get a picture with the whole tower actually in the picture! I was able to see Notre Dame, which is probably the greatest church I have ever seen. Just the size of the church alone really opened my eyes to how they could build something that massive and have it stand for over 800 years. The greatest part about the Paris trip was being able to visit the Palace of Versailles. My parents have always told me about how they went to Paris on their honeymoon and loved Versailles so much. I was so happy I finally got to visit a place that is widely known as possibly the best palace in the world. The inside of the palace was truly breathtaking and the gardens were absolutely amazing. The size of the entire place was humongous and I have never seen a palace/garden of such a size. I am truly blessed that I was able to visit such great places such as Paris. I also was able to travel to Portugal, Amsterdam, Berlin, Austria, and many places throughout Germany.

            Throughout the semester I was able to accomplish many goals that I had when I first arrived here in Germany. I wanted to experience the various historical sites throughout Germany and Europe. I was able to see such great castles and palaces that were built hundreds of years ago and are still beautiful even today. I was able to see some great ruins of buildings that had been built a couple thousand years ago, such as the monastery right here in Heidelberg, and even the ancient Roman wall that was built to protect this land from the barbarians in the 400 B.C. One goal that I also wanted to accomplish was to be able to understand a little more of the German language while I lived here. I believe that I accomplished this is some way because I can somewhat understand what people are saying or asking me while I am shopping, walking around the town, or ordering food. I wish I could have learned a bit more, but I think in the few months I have spent here, it just simply was not enough time to learn what I wanted to learn. I plan on pursuing the language when I get back however.

            Another goal that I feel like I achieved and am very comfortable with is the public transportation. I actually have gotten to the point where I feel comfortable using any public transportation system now that I have gotten accustomed to them during my stay. I am now able to travel on any bus, tram, or train and be able to figure out which way I need to go and get to where I need to be going. I actually had to drive a car for a couple days during the Medical Symposium. The tram drivers were on strike because they wanted a raise on the salary so I had to borrow the ESC van in order to run a shuttle service. It was a great experience because it was exciting, yet nerve racking at the same time because it was my first time driving outside of the U.S. Luckily the trams weren’t running so I did not have to worry about getting run over by one of them! The only reason I had to drive was because I was only student that knew how to drive a standard (stick-shift).  It was a great experience even if it might have been a little illegal!

            As far as doing business in Germany I have learned a lot. We had an excursion to a German multinational company that is very involved in the development of countries and huge projects are being done in other countries. ABB is in fact involved in the Texas oil drilling that has been going on the past couple of years. I learned how they conduct themselves in the business world and how so many people constantly apply to become an intern for their company because they know that the German economy is on the rise. We also went to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, which is one of the biggest in the world. I learned how the system of the stock exchange works and how you can buy certain stocks, at certain prices, and at which quantity. It would be great to come to work for a big German corporation, due to the fact they are constantly on the rise and becoming some of the biggest companies in the world today.

            I have accomplished so much since living here for a semester. I have been fortunate enough to be able to study in a place that is right in the heart of Europe, where there are so many countries that are only a couple hours train ride away. I have seen some of the oldest architecture and buildings that are still standing in this world today. I am a huge history buff, so I have really enjoyed everything here in Europe because everything is so old compared to where I am from. Everything in the United States is only a couple hundred years old, where as there are so many places here Germany and throughout Europe that are more than 500 years old, and even in some cases a couple thousand years old. I have no regrets as far as picking Germany as my destination to study. The language barrier was a little difficult at times, partly because I had never been exposed to the barrier before. I have experienced great times and memories with some great friends that I have met along the way. The students that I have studied with have truly become some of my best friends. We spent every day together and I really enjoyed everyone’s company and getting to know everyone these past few months. Unfortunately, everything has to come to an end, good or bad. I will never forget my friends and great people that I have met here, as well as my travels. I am just so thankful that I was able to spend my last few months as a senior in a place that has truly been magical to me in my life.  

Going to Paris While You're Here?

Here's what Spring 2013 student, Jessica Lozano, had to say about visiting Paris on her own, 

 Paris . . .

Our weekend to Paris was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had so much fun and I loved being back in Paris for at least a weekend. When we first got there, it was a little inconvenient. We arrived to the hotel we had booked but it was a very bad hotel. We couldn’t stay there so we started to look for any other hotel that was available. We ended up in an Ibis, which was a lot better than the first one. Once we got to the Ibis and checked in and settled down, we went to eat because we were starving. We headed to Champs Elysees to have some lunch there and just walk around. We shopped a little but then it began to rain so we had to head back to the hotel. Our plan was to nap for a while and then go out at night, but we were tired so we just stayed in and slept. The next day we woke up early for breakfast and to try to make the most out of the day because we only had Saturday. We headed to Champs Elysees again and walked to the Eiffel Tower. We bought tickets for a hop-on hop-off that took us to the Notre Dame Cathedral. We went in there and saw how amazing it was. There was mass happening so it was hard because we had to be quiet but it was very beautiful. The weather was not really great so we didn’t really like the buses because of how cold and rainy it was. Gladys really wanted to go to a bookstore called “Shakespeare and Company” where she wanted to stay in forever. We went with her for a while but then we headed back to continue our tour. We went to the Eiffel tour again but didn’t climb it because of the waiting time. We just took many pictures. After that we went by the Louvre but nobody wanted to go in since it was going to take a long time to see so we just took pictured outside of it. We also went to the love bridge, which is where couple put a lock on the bridge and promise to love each other forever. I thought it was very romantic and loved the idea. It started raining again so we had to take a taxi back to the hotel. It was very funny because the taxi driver told Shane that he looked like Matt Damon and told us that we should get married, that we would make a good couple. We both thought it was awkward. We got to the hotel and we napped for a while. By the time we woke up we realized it was too late to actually go out, but we wanted to see Paris by night so we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower just to look at it at night. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was already off and everything was closed so we just headed back to the hotel. We slept because on Sunday we had great plans. We woke up on Sunday very early, ready for our last day in Paris. We had breakfast and headed out. We went to Versailles. Versailles was the most amazing thing ever. The gardens and the palace are so grand that words cannot even begin to explain their beauty. Besides all that, the day was very sunny and beautiful. WE got so lucky to have such great weather in Paris during this time, because we were told that it had been raining all week and that it was going to continue raining all the next week. We saw the Versailles gardens and that’s what I loved the most. I had already gone to Versailles but I really wanted to go again because I went in the winter and the flowers weren’t there and it was very restricted because of the cold. I think that now that I went it was way better because it was sunny and it was just beautiful. I really enjoyed this trip and even though it didn’t start out very good, the rest was perfect. Throughout the whole trip I kept saying this one quote that I feel that it summarizes out trip: “We will always have Paris”. 

A Visit to Schwetzingen: A Spring Student's Perspective

Written by Spring 2013 student, Christine A. Sandoval

On Wednesday, April 17, 2013, the European Study Center took an excursion to Schwetzingen led by Lena.  This was an interesting trip to say the least.  Schwetzingen is located southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim. 

First of all we were late leaving the European Study Center so by the time we got to the Heidelberg train station we only had like 5 minutes to get something.  I just said I’d wait for the bus and pass on getting something for fear I would running late and miss the bus, not that anyone has ever missed the bus.  Well, some of the other still decided they wanted to grab something before getting on the bus and then they told Isabella they would meet her at the door.  Well we were waiting for Isabella on the bus and then she never came and the bus left without her.  She was waiting at the wrong door, poor thing, I felt so bad for her.  So someone finally calls her and tells her that the bus left without her, and then she gets mad at Shane when she talked to him on the phone.  Personally, this was not my best excursion because earlier in the day I had gone to the dentist to get some dental work done and the doctor said I needed to be on painkillers every 8 hours.  Well, the whole time I felt like a drunk person, which is odd because I don’t drink and I’ve never been drunk before.  What’s worse is that after the tour we had free time so I decided that I would get the bus a little earlier to be able to go back to the ESC and take a nap to sleep off the medicine.  Well, when I got on the bus it was the one going in a different direction, I was heading towards Speyer not Heidelberg.  As I finally get on the right bus we get to the stop that left us at Schwetzingen and I just see the whole gang getting back on the bus. 

Now the tour of the palace was really interesting.  Our tour guide spoke great English and I could understand everything he said and what made it better is that he was really engaging and knowledgeable and I think that’s how I survived the tour.  In the palace we saw all the rooms that were used as bedrooms, meeting rooms, lounging rooms, rooms for visitors, and we even got to see one of the bathrooms.  The design of the palace was really beautiful; every room had different furniture and different curtains that were of very high quality.  The palace belonged to Karl III Philip who was forced into marrying his cousin due to the fact that they wanted him to have a male heir with a certain bloodline.  It was apparently a very unhappy marriage, it took them 17 years to have a child and when they did it was a tragic story.  The baby, who was a boy, was sick and died and the mother would never be able to have children.  But Philip did have children although they would never see royalty; his wife was now expected to be fine with accepting 7 children that he had with other women.  I honestly didn’t expect to learn this very historical story of a royal family, but the way the story was told, you couldn’t forget these details. 

After the tour ended we were able to go out and see the gardens which resembled a smaller version of the gardens at Versailles.  The gardens were beautiful although only after taking a few pictures that’s when I decided to leave back to the ESC.  

Spring 2013 Student Writing: The European Parliament

Written by our Spring 2013 student, William Bradshaw

            The European Parliament was a trip that I had been excited about since hearing about the European Study Center program. I was very thrilled to actually see were the Euro Zone decides its legislation and where they deal with the massive issues clouding the European Union. It was even more interesting when one factors in that the issue with the Cypress banks had just occurred shortly before we arrived at the European Parliament building.

            The first thing that I really noticed about the European Parliament building was the construction and architectural details of the building itself. I was a very impressed with the design of the building. The first area that we came to was a circular tower where most of the offices for the Parliamentary administration were located. The circle was lined with murals indicating historic moments for the European continent. After viewing the office complex, we met our tour guide who led us into the building that contained the seating area for the European Parliament. The building that housed the European Parliament was totally glass, in keeping with the theme of governmental transparency, and hugged the enormous tower structure. At its center was a ball shaped room that held the legislative heart of the European Parliament. When we entered it really dawned on me how large the building was. I have seen the congressional building in Washington D.C., I have also now seen the Reichstag, but the European parliament building was just so much more massive. We all sat down on a viewing platform above. Our tour guide then began to tell us about how the European Parliament works. I had done a short report on the Parliament so I already had a rough idea of how the parliament worked. However, she explained it in person in a way that made me understand the inner workings far better than the sources I had read did. We talked at length about the current issues surrounding the European Union and what measures the European Parliament was doing to turn the crisis around. After we toured the rest of the room, which did not take long, we left the parliament ball and bid our tour guide farewell. On a funny note when we arrived at the gift shop, I was able to purchase a Cypress flag. As stated the drama in Cypress was just heating up. So as we left the European Parliament, I lifted the flag in the air and waved it over my head. The security guards at the entrance both pointed and laughed. That was definitely a warm end to the excursion.

            All in all I felt that I gained a lot from the European Parliament. Personally, I feel like I gained a lot from learning about the European Parliament. I feel that as an American I do not pay enough attention to how other democracies work and operate. I feel that I most certainly gained in that respect. As well academically, I feel that I learned a lot about the Euro Zone and how it operates.