Munich, Germany: Day 14

Our first full day in Munich threatened to be the first where we needed our raincoats. Before heading out on the town, we stopped in the hotel lobby for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was great- a coffee maker that made Café Lattes and enough meat and cheese to make sandwiches for lunch. We left the hotel with our rain gear packed in a backpack along with our picnic lunch.

The first order of the day was to take a look at some of the many churches that are in the old town part of Munich. Many of them were badly damaged in World War II, but all were rebuilt to their former specifications. We were interested in the pictures displayed in each of the churches that showed them prior to the war and after the war. In keeping tradition with our experiences in other cities this trip, we walked the 400+ steps up to the top of St. Peters Church which is just off the square. It was fun to see the city from above in the same way we have see all the cities we have visited.

Just as we were heading up the tower of the church it had started to sprinkle, but as we came down, the sun came out and it began to look like it was going to be a nice day. Our weather luck was continuing! We headed back to the train station to find our train- for a day trip out the city of Dachau- the site of one of the Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

It was easy to use the subway and then bus to get out to the former concentration camp, but a little bit more difficult to go in. Although we were there on a day that had turned out to be sunny and nice, and although the surrounding area was pretty, the grounds had a eerie silence and chill to them.

Upon entering we first watched about a half hour introductory movie, with mostly information we already knew, but shocking footage of the camp at the end of the war when the allies liberated it. It was hard to watch, even thought I have taught about it for many years, the reality of it happening only 50 years ago in the place I was sitting was a little too much for me. I was in tears during and after the movie, so frustrated that something like that can happen just because people are close-minded, want power, or are unwilling to try their best to understand others’ differences.

We took our time for the rest of the afternoon on the grounds of Dachau, listening to the audio tour about the different buildings, reading about the ways the prisoners lived, and how the Nazi’s controlled most everything about the camps. I’ve thought it before, but I was again reminded by how chilling the Nazi’s efficiency and perfectionism was in their seeking of the “final solution”. We also spent time looking at the different religious memorials on the sight, and stayed until the museum closed at 5:30.

I think everyone should visit and take time to understand the absolute cruelty that humans can inflict on each other. It was a hard day to let go of, I felt sad for a long time after our visit, but I think there are important realizations that come out of it.

We returned to our hotel in the early evening to take a little break and try and recoup from the afternoon. Around eight, we decided to take in a little Munchen (Munich) night life and so we headed down to the Hofbrauhaus for dinner and a liter of beer and a lot of revelry in the biergarten.

We did finish our liter of beer (it was good- also very heavy to pick up) and had a pretty good dinner sitting between two German groups at the table (I somehow ended up ordering a Pig's Knucle?). I was amazed to watch people put back liter after liter of beer (it was good, but, wow!) and just keep on going. Although, as a side note, I have to say that I have gotten used to drinking beer with just about every meal here. It is the same price as water, and it is fun to drink it with the salty food here. I am sure the calorie counters must be shuddering at the thought, but I have enjoyed it. I think my tolerance (and husbands) is increasing because of our beer with every meal policy.

Anyways, it was a very festive and college-reminiscent way to finish the night off before heading off to bed pretty late at the hotel.