Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
When the Nazis took over power at Germany in 1933 they immediately prepared for war. Ammunition production was restricted by the treaty of Versailles and therefor they requested the German industry to create factories in rural areas that should be ready to be activated in case of war. One of these was the Sprengstofffabrik Hirschhagen (explosives factory) or Munitionsfabrik Hirschhagen (ammunition factory) of Hessisch Lichtenau.
Continue reading “Endless ferroconcrete”
A steep ascent from Retterode (Hessisch Lichtenau), a lengthy line of steps in the forest, a gap in a circular rampart and then you see it: the castle keep of the Burgruine Reichenbach. It was built in the middle of the 11th century CE and was important in the past as it is close to the border between the states of Hesse and Thuringia.
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The Odenberg is a 381 meters high mountain close to Gudensberg, Germany. It is fully covered with trees, and you can find some wild garlic in the northern part. Getting up there might be interesting for archeologists, as there are the remains of two circular ramparts. But for everyone it is worth hiking up because of the wooden tower standing there, the Odenbergturm.
Continue reading “Wooden ladders”
When Germany was divided, a seven-hundred-kilometer-long border from the Baltic Sea to the Czech Republic existed. Without human life, but with a chance for nature to recover undisturbed. After the German reunification nature protection organizations worked on keeping this area as a nature protection zone and as in important migration path for animals. They called it Grünes Band (green stripe).
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If you grow up in nowadays Germany you can’t imagine anymore that this country was once divided. That there was a well-protected and visible border through the country, visible as an illuminated stripe at night. That people were dying between BRD and DDR, along the iron curtain. There are some places throughout Germany where you can learn about this. The best I’ve seen so far is located south of Duderstadt: The Grenzlandmuseum Eichsfeld at Teistungen.
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If someone at Kassel tells you that he wants to meet at the Affenfelsen (ape rock) you should move towards the city quarter Vorderer Westen. The Rudolphsplatz there has been redesigned as an urban living room. People meet outside, sit down in this public area to talk, bring their own drinks and later move on to bars and clubs. And this all with a nice view towards the Herkules monument.
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Ebbelwoi is a big thing at Frankfurt am Main. Wine made from apples is produced in consumed in this area at least since the year 1600. By that time, it was a cheap replacement for wine made from grapes and produced in the cellars of the simple people. Today it is a traditional drink from everyone and in the city, you’ll find numerous Apfelweinlokale, special bars serving this booze.
Continue reading “An apple a day”
Amazing views await those, who are willing to hike a while through the Göttingen forest. The Hünstollen is a 423 meters high mountain in the northeast of the city, officially belonging to Bovenden. Because of high cliffs this place was easily made a fortification in earlier days. Since 1882 there was a protective hut and a restaurant at this place and later a wooden tower was created from which you can see the Harz mountains but also the Gaußturm on the Hoher Hagen mountain.
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In the year 1380 duke Otto the Evil gave the right to create ditches around the city of Göttingen to protect its borders and the people within. In addition to this protective system called Landwehr in German it was allowed to erect free-standing towers (Bergfriede) on mountains and fortifications (Warten) next to roads to control who is entering or leaving the city.
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If you’re living in Göttingen it is impossible to not know what the musa is. The biggest sociocultural center of the region has a history already dating back to the year 1977 and it is located since 1990 in the former military bakery at the Hagenweg, west of river Leine. This part of Göttingen is not the most popular one to live at, but the musa was always a good reason to cross the river and enjoy concerts there.
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