REGENSBURG, Germany
We awoke in a fog, but not due to the excellent margaritas
on the ship, but rather the environment. On shore, the guide assured us there
was a 12th century stone bridge right ahead and very famous. Sure…..
It reminded me of our comments to houseguests who visit us during the rains
while we list the mountain grandeur they’re missing. The two-hour walking tour
by Sylvia Seifert M.A. was freezing, fog-filled and excellent. Regensburg was
not bombed during World War II. However, Nazi oppression is a shadow presence
hanging over the destroyed Jewish Quarter. During the sixteenth century and after
500 years of peaceful coexistence, the economy tanked, so the Jewish lenders
were exiled never to collect their debts. Thanks to a small organization here,
tiny brass plates note the houses of deported and murdered Jews during the Nazi
oppression.(www.shalom-in-regensburg.de) A simple, beautiful plaza stands as a
reminder of the former Synagogue and what was lost with an invitation for all
kinds of people to gather there. The old town is designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage site. I was grateful for the laughter of children in the adjacent
Christmas Market as a reminder of the present tolerance. There are many lessons
for us in this hometown of Pope Benedict XVI.
We
passed some buildings, like City Hall, that have sections from various
centuries. It gives us an authentic view of life in the Middle Ages. There are
towers with a purpose and towers with the sole purpose of impressing one’s
neighbors.
St. Peter’s Cathedral, begun
in 700 AD, is impressive in scale. It is filled with multicolored stained glass
windows reaching to the sky. The symbol of crossed keys adorns other buildings,
as St. Peter is the patron saint of this historic town, later converted by
Luther during the Reformation. The home of Oscar Schindler, of movie fame and
the savior of 1200 Jews during the Nazi reign, is a highlight on the tour.
Napoleon is also featured having been wounded during a nearby battle and who spent
time in recuperation here. The oldest section is the fortress built by the
Romans in 179 AD that housed the Legion protecting this side of the river from the
barbarians the occupied the other.
From
1663-1806 there was a Perpetual Diet (meeting) of regional government leaders.
Originally to last a few days, it went on and on. For some of us, an interminable
meeting is an awful prospect!
This
was our coldest day of the trip with a trace of snow. We hurried back to the ship for an afternoon
of rest, recuperation and warming.
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