Visiting Germany in the Time of Trump

I love river cruising. My husband and I had been on two of them, one on the Danube and one on the Rhone. They were both fabulous trips. I wanted to go on another but most of the others sailed through Germany. I hesitated to go there.

I knew that the German government had atoned for their sins of the Holocaust. I knew that they had been giving reparations to refugees from Germany since the 1960’s. I knew that their children were taught about the Holocaust in all their public schools. I also knew that Germany has some of the strictest laws against hate speech and Holocaust denial. Still I hesitated. I had grown up among too many people with numbers tattooed on their arms and I couldn’t let go of that memory.

Then on August 12, 2017, Charlottesville happened. I watched in horror as neo-Nazis marched through that town carrying torches and chanting “Jews will not replace us.” 

Even worse, I watched the President of the United States insist at his news conference that many of the neo-Nazis marching were “fine people.” I felt that my country had abandoned me. Realizing that no country we would visit could be worse than what America was becoming, I was ready to make reservations for another river cruise.

Now that we have come back, I’m really glad that we did this cruise. We started from Basel, Switzerland and stopped in Colmar and Strasbourg, France, ended in Amsterdam and yes, stopped in Breisach, Koblenz, Heidleberg, Rudeisheim, and Cologne all in Germany. The towns in Germany were nothing like what I imagined. I don’t know what I imagined exactly but they were nothing like it.

in Breisach

Rudesheim town square

Heidleberg

Heidleberg

All the small towns and villages where we traveled were beautiful. Of course, a tour would show off the scenic places. As such, we sailed through the Loreley section of the Rhine in the morning. Designated as a UNESCO world heritage site, it took my breath away.

A scene on the Rhine

In Cologne, after the cruise’s walking tour, we met up with a German friend whom we had met in the intensive language school in Costa Rica where we had studied Spanish in the winter. We spent the afternoon with her seeing parts of the city away from the tourist areas where residents of Cologne actually spend time. Our friend is a very progressive woman who has experiences living throughout the world and it was great seeing her town through her eyes.

in Cologne

in Cologne

Except in Cologne, the only Germans we talked to extensively were the tour guides so I know to take everything that we saw with a grain of salt. One of my German friends here in America reminded me to do that. I had my moments when I saw plaques to the Holocaust and unused synagogues, but I also saw that most cities had Holocaust Museums.

In Cologne, our friend told us that there was some Nazi sentiment in some areas of Germany. There is some of that sentiment in the United States also; five Republican Congressional candidates are running as avowed Nazis and Holocaust deniers in this year’s election. Most Germans seem more aware of history than most Americans are. It was good to see a country that had recovered from Fascism but we know the horrors that happened before that recovery. We have to do whatever we can to make sure that America doesn’t repeat that history.

Oh No! The French Have Taken the Statue of Liberty Back!

We were so lucky to be able to take a cruise on the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. On the second day, we docked in Breisach, Germany. In the morning, we did a walking tour of that lovely village. In the afternoon, we did a bus tour to Colmar, France. We crossed the Rhine by bus - less than a kilometer’s distance - and had thus crossed from Germany into France.

The Alsace region has been fought over by Germany and France over the centuries and has changed nationality several times. Its culture is an interesting blend of the two ethnic groups. About 20% of the population speak the Alsatian dialect. Our local guide, who seemed to be in her 50’s, told us that this dialect can only be taught in the home. It has no written language and she is probably in the last generation to speak it. This would be tragic because when a language – or dialect – dies, some of the culture dies with it.

Our first stop in Colmar was the Statue of Liberty. What first came to my mind was that the French had taken it back, deciding that we no longer deserved to keep it. While current American immigration policy makes this true, we were only viewing a replica. It was put there by the village of Colmar in honor of their native son, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who was born in Colmar on April 2, 1834 and designed the statue that up until now has been a symbol of America’s welcoming of immigrants from throughout the world. It was a poignant moment for me to see that symbol of freedom and know that it no longer expressed the values that made America truly exceptional.

replica of the Statue of Liberty at the entrance of Colmar

Next, we went into the center of Colmar. It was founded in the ninth century and much of its style has been retained. Its dramatic pitched roofs, pastel stucco and distinct French shutters with geraniums in all the window boxes make it a unique place to visit. Its Little Venice is something special to see.

good example of Colmar building

a street in Colmar

a typical sign

in Little Venice

I would have loved to stay longer and visit Colmar’s museums and other points of interest, but it was onward to a wine tasting. Colmar is in the center of the Alsatian wine region. The area has a special micro-climate perfect for growing grapes. The area is noted for its Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, and several others. I’m no connoisseur of wine so they all tasted good to me. To go with it, this family winery served a kuglehopf, a cake typical of Alsace that went very well with the wine. Our guide told us that she has no time to cook Alsatian dishes and only eats them at her mother’s house. I told her to learn these recipes before it’s too late. When a culture loses its language and cuisine, what else is left?

the winery

Having these regional cultures enriches a nation and it would be tragic to lose it.

After Colmar, we spent the next day in Strasbourg about 70 miles away. Besides being a government center for the EU, it is also a center of Alsation culture. It’s an area well worth visiting. I feel so fortunate to have been there.