Why You Should Care About German History

It’s not unusual to think history is boring.  When most of us remember our history classes, we remember memorizing dates, places, names, and not much else.  (Few of us were lucky to have history teachers as fun and amazing as my mother-in-law, Lauren!)   Maybe it’s because we’re a relatively “new” country, but American culture just doesn't seem to have built-in appreciation for history, especially when going beyond the familiar confines of American history from the Mayflower to Vietnam.  

And I’ll be honest, when I moved to Germany, my knowledge of European history was pretty damn limited.  I’d had a brief fascination with Eleanor of Aquitaine as a teen (what, I’m a nerd!) and a similar obsession with Elizabethan England due to working at a Renaissance Faire (see early parentheses) but when I moved to Germany, I knew almost nothing about German history except, you know, Nazis.  

Oh look, another fachwerk house...

Oh look, another fachwerk house...

But when you live in Germany, you start hearing about all these amazing places to travel.  Esslingen!  Tubingen!  Heidelberg!  Rothenburg!  Weil der Stadt!  Herrenberg!  And so on.   The sad secret is that they quickly all begin to blend together.  Oh, there’s the marktplatz.  Hey, it’s yet another half-timbered house.  Over there is the gothic church.  Even ancient castles start to become a bit of a snore.

You find yourself feeling guilty - you’re surrounded by art, architecture, and really old buildings that initially thrilled you, and now you just really don’t care if you ever see another old city wall.

And this, my fellow expats, is why you need history.

History is what makes every charming village unique, and every cathedral meaningful.  History is how you place these buildings and villages in context, which opens up a rich and fascinating world to explore.  

You thought the Red Wedding was brutal?  Try learning about the Blood Court at Canstatt!

You thought the Red Wedding was brutal?  Try learning about the Blood Court at Canstatt!

If you like the drama and intrigue of Game of Thrones, you’d be well served to learn about the politics of the Holy Roman Empire, which George R. R. Martin drew much inspiration from when crafting his stories about conniving queens, bastard kings, murder and war.  Sure, there’s no dragons, but the real drama of history iis better than reality television - if you give it a chance.

Esslingen, while exceptionally pretty (even amongst other old German towns that survived the bombing raids of WWII), becomes that much more fascinating when you learn that for most of its history, it was a Free Imperial City, like Nurnberg and Regensburg. While it seems small and quaint today, during its heyday it was far more important and powerful than Stuttgart, and the militias from the town even destroyed the nearby ancestral castle of the Wurttemberg family in the 12th century.  

And it’s not just the older history that’s fascinating and will lend meaning to your explorations.  Stuttgart’s beautiful Alte Schloss becomes much more poignant when you consider that it was the childhood home of the Von Stauffenberg brothers, who were brutally executed for conspiring against Hitler.  

Where's my Heine fangirls at?!?

Where's my Heine fangirls at?!?

This isn’t to say everyone can develop a fascination with any aspect of history.  We’re all drawn to different things. My husband is kind of obsessed with Napoleon and his wars and I, well...yeah, not so much. Meanwhile my fascination with German-Jewish writers of the Romantic era has yet to enthrall him.  But there is probably some aspect of German history - be it a period of time (Celts! Romans!  Second Reich!) or a general focus (warfare! music! religion!) - that will interest you, and once you really dive in, you’ll realize that you’re surrounded by fascinating stories right in your own backyard.

Just learning a little bit about both local and German history is addictive, partially because it is so wide-reaching and complex.  A great start are my city walking tours in Stuttgart, which focus on over 1,000 years of fascinating and sometimes bloody history right beneath our feet.  Beyond Stuttgart, there’s a lot of great books and information online.  Here’s a few resources to get you started:

  • Wikiepdia.com AND Wikipedia.de - While not an academic resource, the crowd-sourced online encyclopedia offers a great introduction to historical personages, battles, and general overviews of important historical events.  If you find that Wikipedia.com isn’t satisfying your desire for specific local knowledge, try the German site instead, using a browser like Chrome that can automatically translate the text.
  • Germania by Simon Winder - a hilarious, entertaining account of one Englishman’s travels through modern Germany, with a lot of good historical knowledge thrown in.  A must for any expat.  
  • Millenium: The End of the World and the Forging of Christianity by Tom Holand - The first book that made me really interested in the Holy Roman Empire.  Totally engrossing.  
  • The Three Emperors: Three Cousins, Three Empires, and the Road to World War One by Miranda Carter - Immensely readable, strangely humorous (turns out emperors and kings can be pretty weird) and extremely helpful in understanding the strange politics of an increasingly obsolete nobility at the dawn of a new age.  Highly recommended.
  • Anything by Barbara Tuchman.  Most famously, Guns of August is considered such a definitive account on the lead up to World War One that John F. Kennedy made it required reading with his staff.  She has other books on European history as well.
  • In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson - A history book that reads like a gripping novel.  The author is also famous for “Devil in the White City.”  Seriously, read this book before your next trip to Berlin.  
  • Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography by John Toland - If you have any interest in World War II, this book is essential.  It’s huge, but worth it.

Jewish Life - and Loss - in Stuttgart

Tomorrow, November 9th, marks the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of terror and destruction that is commonly regarded as the beginning of the end for Germany's Jews.   Being an American with an interest in Jewish history living in Germany can be very upsetting sometimes, but it's important to commemorate the full spectrum of that experience over the centuries - the good and the horrific.

Jewish residence in Stuttgart dates back at least to the 1300's, possibly earlier.  For most of the medieval era, Jews were not allowed to settle within the city walls, and were instead crowded into a ghetto on what is today Brennerstrasse in the Bohnenviertel, or Bean Quarter.  Early Counts of Wurttemberg were relatively tolerant of their presence, but the populace often wasn't, with numerous pogroms and expulsions taking place for the next two centuries.  Things got worse for the region's Jewish population in 1492, when Count Eberhard the Bearded of Wurttemberg issued an order expelling all Jews from the County.  This in spite of renowned Stuttgart priest Johannes Reuchlin, who was affilated with the St. Leonard's Church in the Bohnenviertel.  He was the first non-Jewish German to learn Hebrew and a great humanist, but even his influence could not save the Jewish communities of Wurttemberg from exile.  

 The exceptions were in Free Imperial Cities like Esslingen - cities controlled not by the local counts and dukes, but directly by the Holy Roman Emperor.  As a result, Imperial Cities almost always had larger Jewish populations than other capitals, and Esslingen was no exception.  There are far more traces remaining today in Esslingen of medieval Jewish life than there are in Stuttgart. 

Fortunes changed for the better in the the late 1600's, when small numbers affluent Jews were permitted to settle in Stuttgart, and throughout the 1700's several Jewish men and one woman served as economic advisers to the Dukes of Wurttemberg.  This period of relative harmony ended tragically in the case of Joseph Suss Oppenheimer, a trusted advisor to Duke Karl Alexander.  Oppenheimer was unpopular with the court of Wurttemberg, and when Duke Karl died, a mob arrested him and had him hung for treason.  Once again, the Jewish families of Stuttgart were exiled in 1737.  This story was the subject of a Nazi-produced antisemitic propaganda film Jud Suss in 1940.

Duke Karl Eugen Ludwig, founder of Ludwigsburg and otherwise known as the guy who built all the fancy palaces in the area (Neuesschloss, Ludwigsburgschloss, Schloss Solitude, and others) permitted again Jewish merchants to settle in Stuttgart, and after Wurttemberg was elevated to a Kingdom by Napoleon in 1806, conditions continued to improve.  This began the closest thing to a "golden age" the Jewish community of Stuttgart ever experienced, although it was not without widespread antisemitism from the public and setbacks.  Nonetheless, this period marked the beginning of integration into public life for Stuttgart's Jews, with an official city rabbi, a synagogue, ritual baths, and other elements of Jewish religious life appearing.  Bad Canstatt, now part of Stuttgart but then a separate village, also had an increasingly populous and influential Jewish community during the mid-to-late-1800s, and it was during this time that Albert Einstein's parents met in Canstatt and were married at the synagogue there.  Meanwhile, in Stuttgart, city Rabbi Josef Mayer was elevated to the rank of nobility by the King, in recognition for his contributions to literature, poetry, and religious texts as he was an important figure in codifying religiously liberal Reform Judaism.

German Jewish New Year Greeting Card, 1920

Within 100 years, the population of Stuttgart's Jews went from 124 in 1825 to 4,548 in 1925, and they had fully equal legal rights under the law.  Jewish people in Stuttgart were teachers, professors, industrialists, judges, soldiers, and politicians.  It's hard to imagine all that progress could be stripped away less than 10 years later, with the rise of the National Socialists and the passage of the Nuremberg laws, which again codified legal discrimination against Jews into German law.

By 1939, the year after Kristallnacht, the Jewish population had been reduced to 2,413 as defined by the Nazi racial laws - which actually counted more people as Jews than previous censuses, as anyone with a Jewish grandparents was considered Jewish, regardless of conversion to Christianity or intermarriage, both of which were common in Stuttgart in the 20s and 30s as Jews continued to assimilate.  This number does not reflect well that as much as 60% of Stuttgart's German Jews, who were mostly middle class, had immigrated, mostly to the U.S.A or what is now Israel by 1939, many of them notable scholars, artists, musicians, scientists, and politicians.  Meanwhile, from the 1910s onward, poorer Jews from Eastern Europe, fleeing antisemitic pogroms, had settled in the area in those decades and lacked the funds to immigrate overseas to escape Nazi persecution.

 

The synagogue in Ludwigsburg burns on Kirstallnacht

The synagogue in Ludwigsburg burns on Kirstallnacht

Kristallnacht was a Nazi-organized, nationwide pogrom against synagogues, Jewish-owned business, and Jewish homes.  As with nearly every city, Stuttgart's synagogue and most of its holy objects were destroyed.   91 Jewish people died during the attacks, and many were rounded up and jailed under false pretenses.  The "night of broken glass" shattered any remaining illusions that German Jews may have held about attempting to wait out the Nazi regieme as they'd survived so many bouts of antisemitism throughout the centuries.  Those with the ability to immigrate did, but securing visas was difficult and even "friendly" countries like the United States and England severely restricted the number of refugees they would accept.  Nazi laws had made Jews stateless persons, with no legal rights.  For nearly all of Stuttgart's remaining 2,400 Jews, there was simply no way out.

It was under this situation that the first mass deportation of Stuttgart's Jews began on October 24, 1941, from the now-destroyed trade center at Killesberg.  Most Jews deported from Stuttgart went to the Theriesenstadt camp, or to Auschwitz.  Less than 10% of deported Jews from Stuttgart survived the camps.

Memorial to the deportation of Stuttgart's Jews

Memorial to the deportation of Stuttgart's Jews

Some of Stuttgart's Jewish population did manage avoid deportation, through hiding, often assisted by "righteous gentiles" who opposed the Nazi regime.   The vast majority of those who survived the war left Germany in the years immediately after the war.  

Stuttgart's Jewish community has never come close to fully recovering, although it is estimated that the population today is around 500 people.  A new synagogue was built on the site of the old one in the 1950s.  Many of Stuttgart's Jewish population today hails from the former Soviet Union, seeking refuge here to avoid persecution. 

Evidence of the slowly reemerging Jewish community is evident in the Jewish Culture Week, which takes place this year from November 4th through the 17th.  The program includes lectures, klezmer concerts, cooking classes, and tours of the city and synagogue.  A schedule (in German) can be found here.  

This is by no means anything other than an introduction to the topic of the Jewish history Stuttgart.  A trove of more detailed information exists online, and I highly recommend reading this history of Jewish life in Stuttgart as well as this harrowing description of Kristallnacht and the repressive laws that followed.

I also highly recommend watching this 30 minute documentary, in English, about the last two Holocaust survivors from Stuttgart.  It is incredibly moving and informative, and stresses how important it is that this history is never forgotten even when the eyewitnesses have ceased to exist

 

 

Two Holocaust survivors on the train from Stuttgart to Theresienstadt. Sharing memories of the deportation of the German Jews with a group of young people and artists from their former home town. www.swr.de

Stuttgart's Markthalle

 

When I found out I would be moving to Germany, the first thing I panicked about was food.  Or specifically, ingredients.  Germany’s food scene is not famous for being anything, but, well, German.  I had terrifying images of being able to buy only German ingredients to make dishes like Rostbratwurst and Kasespaetzle.  It was horrifying.

You see, I love to cook.  Mostly because I love food.  I’m self-taught, which was born out of necessity when I was a poor student. I couldn't afford to eat out at the delicious restaurants the Bay Area had to offer.  So I learned to replicate the dishes I loved at home.  As a result, I mostly cook Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian, and Chinese dishes, with a bit of “new American” thrown in.  These are the cuisines I love the most.  And I was really afraid I wouldn't be able to source the authentic ingredients I needed to make these dishes taste right in Southwestern Germany, which doesn't host large populations of immigrants from those regions compared to the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

I shouldn't have worried.  Stuttgart has a haven for international foodies, and it’s called the Markthalle. Luckily for us, it’s just an amazing place to shop.

Markthalle exterior

The first time I entered the historic, art-deco building, with it’s innovative curved glass roof and dozens of gourmet food stalls, I likened it to San Francisco’s famous Ferry Building marketplace.  My husband rightfully pointed out that the Ferry Building was more likely modeled on traditional indoor European marketplaces than the other way around.  Point taken.  That said, the atmosphere and offerings are anything but staid traditional German food.  The variety and quality of products are more in line with markets in world-class, international, modern cities.

Glorious, expensive produce.

Need some fancy French or Italian cheese?  Four different stalls have you covered, at prices that are quite reasonable compared to the U.S. The produce selection is both beautiful and amazing, but since many of the exotic fruits are imported (Germany has no warm-weather growing regions like California or Florida) the American shopper might experience a bit of sticker shock.

For the conscious omnivore, there’s organic and free-range butcheries, and a large selection of cured meats and yes, wurst to choose from.  Fresh French and Germany-style breads are also on offer, as a truly mouthwatering selection of truffles,stuffed dates, cakes, and pastries.

For those with international taste buds, there are stalls that focus on Spanish, Greek, Turkish, and Eastern European delicacies - many of which will be unfamiliar to even the most well-traveled American.  Happily for me, the Spanish booth also sells a good range of authentic Mexican products including dried chilies, black beans, and the best handmade tortilla chips I've had in Germany.  There’s also a spice booth that sells a large supply of key Asian ingredients from all over the continent.  Rounding out the supply are upscale wine stores, “made in Stuttgart” products, and a fishmonger.  

Being exposed to all this amazing-looking food can work up an appetite, so luckily there area several restaurants the occupy the periphery of the Markthalle as well.  When you visit, don’t forget to check out the exterior of the building, which is covered with colorful murals and fanciful sculptures of chameleons.

The Markthalle - inside, and out - is a regular part of the Stuttgart Steps tour.  If you’re visiting on your own, it’s most convenient to the Charlottenplatz and Rathaus U-bahn stops.

We're Back!

After a wonderful vacation in Greece, we're back and excited for our fall tour schedule!  You can check the schedule at our "City Tours" page, and you will always get announcements about upcoming tours if you "like" us on Facebook or follow our Twitter feed.  This week's two tours have a special focus on the Canstatter Volksfest, which is Stuttgart's answer to Oktoberfest.  It's the world's second oldest and second largest beer festival, and in my opinion, way more fun and less touristy than Oktoberfest.

Plaka Beach, Agios Ioannis, Greece

Both tours this week will end with an optional visit to the festival for no additional charge!  I'll also talk a little bit about the history of the festival.  If you plan on visiting the festival with us, please allow for an extra hour at least in addition to the roughly two hour tour time. 

For a background of my very first impressions of a beer fest, from nearly 3 years ago, please check out this post on my blog.

Happy festing and hope to see you on the tour! 

 

What's A Fest?

So the long, horrible, terrible, and again, very long winter is nearly here Southern Germany.  In accordance with ancient tradition, fest season is upon us.  But the term "fest" and the huge varieties of fests are a little confusing to the auslander.  I'll attempt to explain.

Most Americans have heard of Oktoberfest - that giant beer festival that takes place yearly in Munich (confusingly in September).  But what we tend to know of Oktoberfest is giant mugs of beer and lederhosen, the iconic leather pants.

Truth is, Oktoberfest, while a huge draw for international tourists, is actually a fairly specific regional party.  It originates from a wedding celebration for King Ludwig I in 1810 and has morphed into the world's largest fair with 6 million participants annually.

But Oktoberfest is far from the only fest in Deutschland.  Fact is, despite their reputation as a humorless and efficiently boring lot, Germans love to party. As a result from April to October, there are numerous fests held in every city and village throughout the country.  (Not to mention the Christmas markets or the Karnival celebrations that take place in February - subjects for another post.)  You don't have to travel to Munich in September to have a good time - in fact, many Germans avoid Oktoberfest, because it's seen as an event for foreign tourists. 

biertrinken.jpg

Truth is, a fest can be something as small as a few dozen people on benches at a local platzdrinking beer and eating wurst, or it can be thousands of people dancing on benches in unison at the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest which happens to be the world's largest Spring beer festival.  For the purpose of this post, I'll concern myself with that particular fest, because it was the first we ever experienced.

We'd only been in Germany a couple months, and while I'd heard about the famous German beer fests, I have no idea what I was expecting, but whatever it was, my preconceived notions were blown away upon entering the Wasen.

For starters, I knew it was a beer festival, but I didn't realize it was also basically a carnival.  Midway games and spinning rides that seem designed to separate beer from the enthusiastic consumers dominated the scene.  Aside from the hordes of young people wearingtrachten - the traditional Bavarian dress of lederhosen and dirndl -  it at first glance it could pass for an American state fair.  Except instead of cotton candy and fried twinkies there's chili mandeln(sweet, spicy almonds) and mandelbrot (gingerbread) and yes, plenty of wurst

As we wandered through the midway, we happened upon a rustic-looking faux village area, the centerpiece of which was a rotating bar.  Seriously, a circular bar that spins, albeit quite slowly, allowing passengers to slowly survey the strange scene in front of them. This area is called the Almhuttendorf, or roughly, "Alpine Village  and contains Disneyequse huts selling smoked salmon, traditional sweets, lederhosen, and incongruously, caipharinas.  A band - no, that's generous - a solitary man sings traditional schmaltzy fest songs (schlager) with recorded back-up, but occasionally breaks out into the biggest German fest hit ever - "Country Roads".  Yes, that "Country Roads."  Also "Sweet Home Alabama" is a huge fest hit.  Germans love those songs, I mean, truly adore them.  I still don't have any idea why. 

So imagine yourself rotating slowly, surrounded by people in Lederhosen and Dirndls, with fairground concessions and vomit-inducing rides in the background, watching Germans genuinely go absolutely nuts over a guy with a mic singing "Country Roads."  My husband turned to me and quoted Hunter S. Thomspon's classic line about the Circus Circus casino from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas",

"...what the whole hep world would be doing every Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war. This was the Sixth Reich."

I have to be honest, it was bewildering, slightly terrifying, super confusing, and yet totally fun.  

prost.jpg


At that time I didn't realize we'd only sampled a tiny bit of what the Wasen had to offer.  Namely, the beer tents themselves, the centerpiece of the whole bizarre experience.  I'll write about that more next time, as both the Stuttgarter Volksfest and the Munich Oktoberfest are almost upon us!  Are your lederhosen ready?