München

Freunden, 

I left Italy for the weekend and visited the country of my maternal ancestry. I was extremely excited, as a 20th century history major to visit the birthplace of the Nazi regime. Truly, the birthplace of Hitler's reign.

Marienplatz in Munich, Bayern

Day 1: Jessica and I flew Lufthansa on a non-stop one-hour flight from Bologna to Munich. It was nice to not have to fly Ryan Air, but of course, that meant it was much more expensive. Thankfully, we were staying with her college friend Kelly, so we were saving money on a hostel. The flight was delayed for an hour because both Bologna and Munich were getting heavy amounts of snow, but we eventually reached Munich at about 3pm and were ready to begin our adventure.

Upon arrival, we had to buy a metro pass (20-something euros for 2-5 people) that would allow total access to all modes of transportation. This expensive ticket would only be necessary 2/3 days because it allowed us to take the S-BAHN to the airport. Within the city itself, you only needed to take U-BAHN trains, which had convenient stops all over.

Setting of Hitlerputsch (November 8-9, 1923)

We dropped off our things in Kelly's apartment in the Studentenstadt (literally meaning "student city") and it being already about 4pm (it was a long S-BAHN trip from the airport), we decided to get right to the sight-seeing. Shaunna, Kelly's friend took us to Marienplatz, which is currently the center of shopping and cuisine for Munich, but was the setting of Hitler's first attempted coup in 1923 (known in America as the Beer Hall Putsch, but referred to as the Hitlerputsch in German). This was pretty exciting for me, who has studied Hitler's rise to power numerous times.

See the bronze? (...and my camera strap?)

We did plenty of sight-seeing that evening, but my favorite spot would have to be the bronze stones on the path once used by those who resisted walking on the main road. The main road (photo above) was always guarded by Nazis who expected citizens to perform the Hitler salute upon passing them. I seriously love learning about the resistance movements and I love that Munich honors them so dearly. Basically, standing there gave me goosebumps.

 We were finally hungry and extremely cold because it was snowing very hard at this point, so we decided to head to a Bierhalle (Beer Hall) to have an authentic German dinner. Unfortunately, it seemed as though all Germans were hungry and out at the same time, so we weren't able to finally sit down to eat until about 8 at the fourth restaurant we attempted. It was a scavenger hunt that resulted in a delicious Wiener schnitzel and a half-liter of Franziskaner weissbier. It was probably the best beer I have ever tasted, but that is not in the least bit surprising.

The rest of the evening consisted of a German bar, where I witnessed the lack of German rhythm and coordination first-hand and then the inflation of an air mattress that would slowly deflate as I slept through the night.

Day 2: We did not wake up very early, but we did eat breakfast and finally make it out of the apartment in time to enjoy Marienplatz during the afternoon. The snow had finally ceased, but the cold remained. We ate a typical German pretzel, which was incredibly delicious and then visited Milka Welt (Milka World) where I bought more chocolate than I care to admit. Let's just say, Hershey's ain't got nothing on chocolate from the Alps.

Schweinebraten (an authentic Bavarian pork roast)

We then made our way to an early dinner where I tried Schweinebraten, another pork dish that proved to be quite heavy, but delicious. German cuisine is very heavy and intense, I was always very overwhelmed by how filling a pretty simple dish made me. I actually did not eat the skin of the pork, but enjoyed how soft and moist the meat itself was. Also, that bit that looks like mashed potatoes is actually called Semmelknödel, which can be made of bread or potato. This particular one was a bread dumpling and was so compact, I could barely make a dent before feeling like I'd explode! Of course, I was excited to eat something traditional and I was not at all disappointed. That being said, I preferred the Wiener schnitzel and ate that again on Sunday evening.

That evening, we simply watched movies in the apartment and slept early enough for Jessica and me to get an early start for our final day in Munich.

Day 3: This day will probably be one of the most memorable days of my entire life. It is one of those days where every second that passed will be remembered as though they had only just happened. On this day, Jessica and I visited the Dachau memorial -- the incredibly well-preserved concentration camp where Hitler imprisoned (to say the least) political criminals. This camp was opened a mere 51 days after Hitler took power of Germany in 1933 and would stand until its liberation in 1945.

Here is something I wrote in my Munich photo album on Facebook, I could not say it any better today than I did a week ago: 

"It was an unforgettable experience, but I couldn't take pictures. It was allowed, but it just didn't feel right. I am glad it has been preserved and that it is open for the public. I am glad there is proof that these events occurred. I hope it ensures that this history will never repeat itself and that we never become desensitized."

I honestly believe that visiting memorials like this one and Auschwitz, though difficult to fathom and overwhelmingly depressing, are undeniably crucial for the sake of our humanity. Studying something in a textbook is one thing, but to tangibly witness the horrors of the Holocaust are crucial elements for fully understanding what happened. Though, I don't believe humanity can ever truly fathom how something of this degree could have actually happened. But, the thing is, it did happen and it cannot happen again. 

Furthermore, my trip to Munich was unforgettable, enjoyable and life-changing. I will always remember the people I met, the beers I drank, the landmarks I saw and the tears I shed.

Resistance pamphlets preserved near the University

I'm grateful to the German government for so gracefully accepting its history and displaying both sides of that horrific time by honoring the resistance and commemorating the lost lives in the camp.

For example, the university in Munich has honored the students involved in the resistance by preserving their pamphlets right outside the main building. Even after a day of heavy snow, this area is always cleared. I find it so inspiring to see how young people stood up and died for what they believed in. I hope, wherever they are, that they know that they did actually make a difference and will be immortal to the city of Munich and to the citizens of Germany.

Finally, I also saw some pretty spectacular churches. They were very different than your typical Duomo in Italy. I found them to be very elegant and graceful.

New Town Hall in Marienplatz

I was very excited about this trip and it did not disappoint. I'd also LOVE to visit Berlin! I touched on WWII, now I'd love to see some of Cold War Germany, as well.

Meet Shaunna, Munich's best unofficial tour guide!

Cheers, freunden (friends)! xoxo