Nuremberg

NOTE: click title above to see the kickass site, with photos and narration.

What do most people think when the city of Nuremberg is mentioned? Here most people said “ The war trials”. Perhaps the movie “Judgement at Nuremberg “ is one that many of us remember. The Germans get their come-uppence for the chaos that brought us World War II. and caused the death of millions and destruction of cities throughout Europe.

We learned a great deal about the city today. In Nuremberg , Nazis found the ideal setting in which to carry out their activities; it was here that the fanatical pary’s rallies were held, and the boycott of Jewish businesses and the infamous Neuremberg Laws outlawing Jewish citizenship were enacted. Later, the painful reconstruction—using the original stone—of almost all the main buildings including the castle and old churches, returned the city to some of its original glory. Although Neuremberg was nearly destroyed in 1945 by Allied bombers, the remaining medieval city walls stretch some three miles and feature original gateways and 80 original watchtowers.

Our tour of the art of Nuremberg began at the castle, as we climbed up for a view of the city.

At the top of the hill, we looked down for the view of the city.

You can see the city today, and how it was destroyed in 1945, below. Check out the four houses in the front.

Today’s tour took us down into one of the main squares where we entered what was originally a brewery, and went down into the underground tunnels that encircled the city. These tunnels turned out to be useful during the war as air raid shelters. At the beginning of the war, Hitler said that Germany didn’t need any protection since there was no doubt in his mind that Germany would easily win the war, as they marched through other countries, taking them over without much effort. However, as Allied forces gathered stronger m it became clear that this was not the case; it was then that Hitler started building air raid shelters for his people and, just as Londoners fled to the underground during the blitz, German citizens fled to the tunnels during Allied bombing raids.

Also during this time, the citizens of Nuremberg began worrying about their own artwork, and took pains to protect their cultural treasures in situ, by building barricades around them. Other art works were taken and stored in certain walled off areas of the tunnels, with guards guarding them 24/7. The photo above shows the guards’ office and sleeping quarters.

After having a tour of the tunnels, we visited St Sebaldus Church, a medieval church which was damaged heavily during the war. It was originally a Catholic cathedral but became Lutheran during the Reformation. The shrine of St Sebaldus, seen below, remained undamaged and the hidden stained glass windows were restored.

This is the shrine to St Sebaldus, which was not taken, but protected on site. Lots of lumber forming a box was placed around the structure.

We ended our tour at the market square, where we indulged in some gingerbread at one of the bakeries around the market square.

This was one of our most strenuous tours: four miles of walking, little sitting, and cold underground temperatures made this tour a challenge, but we didn’t regret doing it.

if you haven’t seen the movie “The Monuments Men”, check it out to see how Allied commanders after the war returned the works that the Nazis confiscated from Europeans. It’s a fascinating period of time.

Tomorrow we will spend the day cruising down the river. No tours! We’re good for every other day. It’s important to know ones’s pace.