Weimar Germany

 
 Being a specialist of this town, I finally gave in to Janine’s begging (kidding: kind asking) for me to write a blog post. Seeing how much time and energy she invests to keep you all on track of her traveling life, this is probably the least I can do.

Some basic facts about Weimar: It is considered one of the most important cities in Germany concerning history, making it a top destination for school trips with bored pupils. First, important German authors and thinkers such as Goethe, Schiller and composer Liszt lived and worked here. The Bauhaus school was partly founded here. And, sadly, it also was a very important place for Hitler and lots of Nazi activities took place here.

 


 But before we get to this, Weimar is also the place were I lived for one year and a half during my bachelor studies and where my parents met. Thus a very special place! Luckily it also is a very nice small town full of artsy students, music students, covered by a huge park and pastel-coloured little houses. I love showing people around there, as they usually love it. Today was a very calm Sunday, and also extremely warm.

The original point of going was a visit to the concentration camp Buchenwald, which used to be one of the biggest in Nazi Germany. Seeing the memorial tower every time I step on my balcony in Erfurt, I have to admit that I never went, even if I planned it very often. Knowing that Janine’s interest in the Holocaust is unlimited, we took a bus up the Ettersberg and into the forest. The sun was shining and with all the flowers around, it looked a bit too idyllic. We even found a cat! We met a nice older couple from Rotterdam and talked to them a bit. I was really happy to find Dutch people to talk to who travel the not-so-famous region of Thüringen!

 

 Equipped with an audio guide, we went to discover the territory of the former concentration camp. Even with the nice weather we could sense the sadness of that place. Especially in the crematorium, it was hard to hold back our tears. I think they made a very good job with the former camp, adding an exhibition and also an art gallery of prisoner’s paintings and works of art. It was good to see how many people make the effort of going to a concentration camp during their holidays. Reading about it so much, hearing about it so much is good enough, but the real terror that happened and the sadness and humility and shame it should inspire us can never really be grasped. Such a visit brings it a lot closer though, making it so real.

 

 A bus brought us back to the city center of Weimar. We felt a bit bad feeling so hungry after having visited a concentration camp. Grocery shopping was planned but not possible due to German Sundays = closed shops, dead city centers. Janine was lucky to have her first Thüringer Bratwurst and really appreciated it. We went to the Ilmpark, which is located directly in the city center. Next to the river we sat and chatted.

Anne, a good friend who just came back from Erasmus in Modena/Italy, joined us and it was great to have her since I haven’t seen her in months. We used to study in Weimar together. Anne also has some relatives in Canada so the connection could directly be established. After the “picnic”, we showed Janine around the city center and university buildings. Unluckily, our favourite Sushi place is closed on Sundays, so we opted for the Turkish restaurant Divan. We sat in the court and had a nice dinner, way too much for my skinny friends Anne and Janine. Saying goodbye to Anne, we made our way to the train station through the alleys of Weimar, seeing a wine fair. And now we’re back in Erfurt, sitting on the sofa, blogging, listening to Andrew Bird and I have to admit: La vita è bella. Or in German: Das Leben ist schön.