More Germany through our Eyes

The week of October 11-16, 2010 was a very busy one in the temple. Karen worked in the Baptistry and Don worked as assistant--meaning that we worked whereever he was needed. Don met a man who is the Grandson of Leonard Ault (Don went to highschool with Leonard Ault). It is very interesting to see who we meet up with in this temple. There is not usually a week that goes by that we don't we meet someone we know or that knows someone we know.

We also saw Sam and Lonette Bushman this week. They are distant cousins of Don's and we met them after we came to Germany. We have a great relationship with them and enjoy being with them very much.

On Monday, October 11, 2010 we with many of the other temple missionaries to Speyer and Worms (pronounced "Vorms). These two cities contain two of the largest cathedrals in all of Germany.

The first city that we went to is Speyer.

This Cathedral was built in Speyer by Conrad II in 1025-61 and was used as the burial place of Salian Emperors. It is one of the three largest Cathedrals in Germany. Of course there is an ongoing effort to rebuild and preserve this building. It is called the Dom zu Speyer.

It was interesting to learn that most of the very large Cathedrals that were built in Germany were built by the reigning royalty as for the purpose of their own burial place and the burial place of other royalty of the time.

It was a beautiful day for a trip--the first beautiful day that we had for many days--but it was a bit chilly!

This is part of the city wall that was preserved outside of the Cathedral.

We were very intersted in this statue display. It is Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is an extremely large display.

It seems like almost all of the cathedrals that we visit have scaffolding somewhere on the outside. The is a big effort to preserve these hundreds of years old buildings.

This Cathedral is quite plain inside, but this picture will give you some idea of

how big the building is. This is only one hallway--there is a large gathering place in the middle of the Cathedral with another hallway of equal porportitions on the other side.
This is the ruins of a Midieval Jewish Court, Synagogue and Ritual Bath and was the center of the Jewish habitat from the year 1104. It is a cold water bath and was/is Jewish law that the people go to the public bath house once a month.

More of the ruins of the Jewish Bath House.

Entering into the bathhouse down a long flight of stairs into a cave like building. The stairs obviously had been used for hundreds of years and were slippery and crumbling in places.

Karen going down the stairs to the actual bathing place. The water is still there today and people have thrown thousands of coins into the water.

Don and Kare sitting on the ledge above the bathing area. The window behind offers a place where a person can look down into the bathing area.

Don standing in the rat hause in Speyer (Rat Hause is City offices)

After leaving Speyer we went to the home of the Rahns. Brother and Sister Rahn were temple missionaries a few months ago. Sister Rahn was our tour guide for the day and they invited us to their home for a snack. A snack you say? It was more like a feast. We had a very enjoyable time.

After we were through eating Sister Rahn invited us outside where she and three of her friends put on a show of native dancing for us. It was very interesting and we loved it. Sister Rahn is on the right.

It was very energetic and fun to watch.

After they finished a few dances for us, they got some of the missionaries to join with them. The dance started very slowly and got faster and faster until the missionaries that joined them just could not keep up. It was great fun!

After leaving the Rahns home we traveled to Worms to see the sights there.

This building is a very old Jewish

Synagogue. It is called the Rashi-Synagogue. The leaves all over Germany are turning gorgeous colors and we especially like the beautiful vines that cover many of the buildings and houses.

We visited the Jewish Sector in Worms. This is where the Jews were first gathered during World War II. The sector was inside a big wall and there were thousands of Jewish people living there. There was no family that had an apartment or a home to themselves. There were just too many people. The Jewish people were not allowed to leave the Jewish Sector for any reason. The Jewish people were taken from the Jewish Sector to the Concentrations camps.

This picture is of part of the wall that surrounds the Jewish

Sector. Note the screened in part at the top of the wall. This was for the German guards to walk along the top of the wall. This wall was built right through the homes that lined the wall and the German Guards had keys to the doors that they could walk into a home or apartment anytime.
This is a picture of the outside of the wall that surrounds the Jewish Sector. The walkway for the Guards is the bricked in part with windows in along the top of the wall--and could enter the homes where the walkway butted up to the apartments.

In 1521 Martin Luther was called before Emperor Charles V and refused to retrace his writings - "for this would be contrary to his conscience captured in God." When he was tried they asked him to retract his writings--he said, "Here I stand and I cannot deny it. May God Help me." This statue honors his hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God".
This is inside the Cathedral and St. Peter and St. Paul. It is one of the greatest monuments of medieal German architecture--the Imperial Cathedral of Worms. The building of this Cathedral started in the year 1130. Of course, parts of it has had to be rebuilt and there is an ongoing effort to preserve the building.

This Cathedral is one of the most ornate that we have visited.

This is a model of the Cathedral when it was first built. We marvel how they could build such huge, elaborate buildings in those days.

Don needs to get into every tree he can get into!

This plaque is on the grounds of the Cathedral. Translated it means:

Here stand before Emporer and Empire Martin Luther 1521.

We hope that you enjoyed this part of Germany through our eyes!

Idar-Oberstein

On Monday, October 4, 2010 we visited Saalburg-a Roman Fort. This is very close to Friedrichdorf where we live. This fort was first built somewhere around 15 B.C. Of course, it became ruins and parts of it have been restored or rebuilt between 1898 and 1907. The Roman Empire extended through most of Germany during these early years and in many parts of Germany influences of the Roman Empire can be found in castles and walls.

This statue stands in front of the entrance to the fortress.

This is the outside of the walls of the fortress--it is called the Walls of the Limes. The hump in the middle of the grassy area is called the Limes, an earthen rampart and ditch. It is well preserved near the Saalburg and can be traced for many kilometers through the Taunus forests.

This was the Quartermasters living area. These vines that are turning to bright red can be seen all over the area--in the forests and in the towns.

Some of the colors of the leaves--the forests are turning quickly and are really beautiful.

Inside the Museum were display of actual tools that were found. We were interested to see that many of the tools that were used before Christ's birth look very much like our modern day tools. In the picture below is some of the keys that were used.

This picture is of the oil lamps that were used in those days. These are probably like the ones used by the Ten Virgins.

Some of the excavating that is an ongoing process.

As we were returning home this motorcycle came up behind us--we were especially interested in the passenger in the side car.

On Monday, September 27, 2010 we visited Idar-Oberstein. This has a Church that was built into the side of a mountain.

Don and I at the resturant that we ate lunch at. They served the best steaks that we have ever eaten. The steaks were marinated and then cooked over an open wood flame. Yum!

Inside the Resturant

Our lunch cooking

We were really enjoying our meal!

A walk through the town to the Church in the mountain. The name of the Church is Die Felsenkirche. Legand has it that there were two brothers that were in love with the same girl and so one of the brothers threw the other over the cliff. Later on in life his

conscience got to him and he built this church in 1482. It became the symbol of the city. It was actually built right into the rock and the back walls of the church are rock. If you look at the picture closely you can see the ruins of a castle on the top of the mountain.
Where else is there a church that can only be entered through a tunnel which was dug into the rocks? Where else does a spring bubble in the middle of the church aisle?

Looking down the tunnel from the church.

Inside the Church

We climbed up to the top where the bell tower is and were able to see the bells.

Both of these pictures are from the church overlooking the city.

Going down from the Bell Tower

The Castle ruins on the top of the mountain--and yes Don and Karen climbed to the top to see the ruins. It was a very looooooog climb and very steep--when we got to the top we discovered that we could have driven up to it. We were not amused!

Looking up to where we were going--at this point we were pretty much out of breath!

We made it! There are the walls!

Looking into the entrance

Inside the ruins

The tower of the castle--this part has been rebuilt!

Just us inside the castle ruins--the balcony above us has obviously been rebuilt!

We went into the town to a museum and this is a model of the castle that is inside the museum.

The city is the home of semi-precious stones. There is a mine nearby and the museum holds many beautiful rocks and semi-precious stones. This picture is of a waterwheel that they used to run the machines to grind the stones to the desired size.

Replicas of the crown jewels of the Queen of England