Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Every year there is a music festival at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park (or KWP) at Göttingen, Germany. I never knew where this place is until I found it by accident close to the Bismarckturm in the southeast of the city. It was a restaurant built in 1895 as a destination for hikers. In 1900 the place was renamed to Bürgerpark (citizens park) and it was named like that until it was torn down in 1970.
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Once there were 240 towers that were built to commemorate the imperial chancellor Otto von Bismarck. As Bismarck had studied in Göttingen, Germany for sure a tower was built here, too. It is 31 meters high and standing on the Kleperberg in the southeast of the city. In 1892 Bismarck gave his approval and in 1896 the tower was opened – you can still today climb up on weekends between 11am and 6pm.
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A small memorial on the square in front of the railway station of Göttingen, Germany reminds you of Charlotte Müller – the oldest street merchant in the world (as the writing underneath states and as it is written in the Guinness book of world records). But most visitors of the city won’t find the statue underneath the tree and behind those numerous bicycles standing around everywhere.
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The protestant church St. Albani at Göttingen, Germany is unfortunately one of these churches you typically won’t recognize – even as a local. It is standing next to a giant parking area belonging to the Stadthalle event hall, in an area of the city center you won’t visit that often. Most people see it just from the reverse side as it was once standing directly next to the fortifications of the city.
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The Albaniplatz at Göttingen, Germany is named after nearby protestant church St. Albani. It is a large parking area that many people use to go shopping in the city center or to visit an event at the Stadthalle next to it. But most people don’t know what happend here in 1933. By that time the place was called Adolf-Hitler-Platz and it became the place where the books of great authors were burned that the Nazis classified as degenerated.
Continue reading “Bücherverbrennung”
‘Extra Gottingam non est vita, si est vita non est ita.‘
– August Ludwig von Schlözer
It is one of the things people from Göttingen, Germany love to do on weekends: have a walk at the Kehr within the woods belonging to the city. There you will find deer and wild boars in two separate areas, you can buy some animal feed and take a round course which is approximately three kilometers long. Also a nice walk with children.
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It is a coffee bar and restaurant chain I always had ignored in the past: the Cafe Del Sol. They offer good breakfast, typical drinks and nice food. The restaurant architecture follows the design of southern US-American ranches. And they are always placed near motorways – that is why a passionate user of public transport like me never got close to them.
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The Freibad Weende at the city quarter Weende belonging to Göttingen, Germany was the outdoor swimming pool of my childhood. Our garden was nearby, for many years I had a season ticket and went here many times. Then it came to age and had to be refurbished – and it changed its character during this process. Continue reading “Strandhaus37”
Whether or not you like the German Kirmes tradition or not depends on where you grew up. It is quite typical for villages and as I was always living in a city it wasn’t common for me. It typically consists of a fun fair, concerts, a procession of the local associations and bands as well as a breakfast with lots of alcohol in a tent. Continue reading “Groner Kirmes”