Hildesheim

The Marktplatz in Hildesheim is the city’s town square.  The Marktplatz has many stores, the town hall, and a couple guild buildings such as the Knochenhaueramtshaus (the butchers’ guild) and also the Bäckeramtshaus (bakers’ guild).  It is traditional for the Marktplatz to have an open air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Schuhstasse in Hildesheim is a pedestrian only street in Hildesheim that is lined with stores and is a popular tourist attraction.  The Schuhstrasse begins at the street, Huher Weg, and ends at the train station (Bahnhof Hildesheim).  By foot, it takes about ten minutes to get from one end to another without stopping.

The Deutsche Bahn in Hildesheim is the city’s central train station.  The Deutsche Bahn as well as the Euro Rail trains run at the station.  Some useful information that will be helpful in the future are as following: in Europe, the residents run on a 24 hour time schedule, so in order to not miss your train, you must know the 24 hour time chart, and also whenever you’re at the station and you see the word “Gleis” on your ticket or on stations, the word “Gleis” translates to “platform” in English, so that is very important to know in order to know where you should catch your train.

Some of the popular hang-out spots for the teenagers in Hildesheim are the Lindenbaum (tree) at the Goethegymnasium’s courtyard, the Marktplatz (city’s town square), and the Hindenburgplatz.

 Located in Hildesheim is a stature of a Huckup on a man’s back.  The Huckup is a creature that jumps on the thieves and acts as a conscience. 

The symbol of Hildesheim is the Tausendjähriger Rosenstock, which is located at the Dom.  The rose bush is so significant to those who live in Hildesheim because in March, 1945, during World War II, Hildesheim was heavily bombed but the Dom and its rose garden stay perfectly intact and the roses kept blooming.

 Some added information that will be helpful, while in Germany for the exchange , is that the Goethegymnasium is located on the Goslarsche Strasse.  Also, the meeting place in Germany will be at the PvH Platz (Der Hindenburgplatz).

Hildesheim - Goethegymnasium and Surrounding Towns

Located in Lower Saxony, Germany, lies the city Hildesheim.  Founded in the 9^th century A.D., Hildesheim is one of the oldest cities in northern Germany.  Hildesheim is famous for its beautiful market square and historical churches such as the Church of Saint Michael (St. Michaeliskirche) and Saint Mary’s Cathedral (Mariendom “Der Dom”).  The Roemer- and Pelizahus- Museum is also located in Hildseheim.  The museum is famous for its impressive 100 year old Egyptian collection.  Hildesheim also offers attractions for those who love to enjoy nature, such as the Hohnsen Lake recreation area where in the summer some people go swimming in the lake, while in the winter the lake turns into a natural ice-skating rink.  For those who enjoy a more peaceful vicinity, the Ernst-Ehrlicher Park is the place to go to.

The Goethegymnasium Hildesheim is located in, yes you guessed it, Hildesheim.  Founded in 1858, the Goethegymnasium is a public secondary school, and it currently has around 1,300 students enrolled in the school.  A gymnasium could be compared to a prep school.  Basically a gymnasium is like a high school only academically it’s much harder than a regular high school.  The regular classes there are about the same as the honors/AP classes here, and the final year students (year 13) have to take a very difficult test called the “Abitur”.

 In the district of Hildesheim, sits a town called Schellerten.  Schellerten is about 10 km east of the actual city Hildesheim.  There are around 8,000 current residents in Schellerten.  The town was named in 1244.  In 1837, a sugar factory was built in the town, but then in 1964 the sugar factory merged with another factory in the town of Rethen.  In 1974 the town expanded now has 12 different districts in it.  The following is a list of the districts in the town: District Ahstedt, Bettmar, Dinglebe, Dinklar, Farmsen, Garmissen-Garbolzum, Kemme, Oedelum, Ottbergen, Schellerten (county seat), Wendhausen, and Wöhle.     

Also sitting east of Hildesheim is the small town called Einum.  Einum is around 4 km away from Hildesheim.  There are currently around 1,000 people living in the town of Einum. The first recorded documentation of Einum is from 996.  The town is heavily influenced by the church and agriculture.  Half of the residents are Catholic, while around a third of the residents are Protestants.  Some of the attractions in Einum are the Lady Chapel, which was restored in 1875, and the Catholic Church of St. Mary is also another attraction.  The stone in the Church of St. Mary dates to around 1325.

Hannover and Bergen Belsen

Hannover is the capital of Lower Saxony (Neidersachsen) that was founded sometime before the 13^th century. Hannover is the home to the world’s largerst marksmans festival and was the host city for the 2000 New Millenium World’s Fair. In the 14^th century the main churches and a city wall with three gates were built. In the time of World War 2 the Lord Mayor and all city officials were members of the Nazi party which led to the expulsion of Jews. Many Jews settled in Hannover from nearby Bergin-Belsen after the war. The Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen are one of the city’s most famous landmarks. They are baroque style, very geometric gardens. The palace that once stood was unfortunately destroyed by Allied bombers, but has now been rebuilt. The gardens are separated into several sections. In the Nouveau Jardin section stands the largest fountain in Europe. The symbol of the city is the New Town Hall. Inside the new town hall there are four scale models of the city at different points in its history.

Bergen Belsen was a POW camp, exchange camp, and finally a concentration camp founded in 1940 and liberated by the British 11^th Armoured Division on April 15, 1945. Inside, there were 53,000 prisoners half starved and dying. Another 13,000 dead bodies were laying about, unburried. The most famous prisoners in this camo were Anne and Margot Frank who died in March of 1945, only one month before liberation. Their burial sites are unknown as they were buried in a mass grave.There is a monument grave on the grounds in there memories. From 1941 to 1945 over 50,000 prisoners died there, 20,000 of them being Russian and the other 30,000 were various others; including Jews. Even though there were no gas chambers here, many died from torture, malnutrition, and disease.  Former guards of the camp were forced to load the bodies of the dead onto trucks for a more respectful burial after liberation. 

The Harz - Goslar and the Brocken

A cliff in the Harz Mountains with a house nestled at the base. The Harz Mountains were used by infantry soldiers and tanks during the cold war to protect and patrol boarders. The trail, Der Brocken, was a tank road that spanned most of the mountain

Market street in Goslar. This picture is an unusual monochrome photo from the early 1900’s showing how little has changed over time.

 A view of the cityscape of Goslar in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) at the base of the Harz mountains. Goslar is a totally midievel town dating back to Saxon times. During the second world war the town was spared from bombing. During cold war times it was occupied by British troops and barracks were constructed. It is considered a world heritage site.

A large house in “Fachwerk” (Half timbering or, British Tudor style) in Goslar. This style was popular throughout Germany in the middle ages, as it was easiest to build. It is built by using timber framing and filling it in with a mud mixture. Many buildings in Germany were built in this style, but during the Second World War, they were destroyed by allied bombers. Goslar and Hamelin were two of few cities that weren’t completely destroyed.

Wolfsburg and the VW Factory

On May 28th, 1937, the Volkswagen was founded by the Austrian-German automotive engineer, Ferdinand Porsche.  The word “Volkswagen” translates to “people’s car”; however, at first, (in the early 1930s) the company was called Porsche Büro, and Porsche Büro was having trouble selling its cars due to the fact that the common German citizen was unable to afford having a car.  But then in 1933, Adolf Hitler stepped into play and gave the idea of the “Volkswagen” and had Porsche design a car that was basic, affordable, could carry 5 people, and be able to go 100 km/h (62 mph).  Thus the Porsche Type 60 was born.

Today, the Volkswagen industry is still going on strong. They are currently some of the most popular and safest cars. The Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft) is headquartered in the city Wolfsburg (which is 6^th largest city in Lower Saxony, Germany).  At the headquarters in Wolfsburg, vehicles are designed, engineered, assembled, and sold.  Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Prosche, SEAT, Skoda, and Volkswagen cars are old sold by Volkswagen Group.  Ducati brand motorcycles are also sold by Volkswagen Groupe         

German Fashion

Fashion in Germany and in most of Europe is similar to the fashion in America, but Americans are slightly more casual.  Americans tend to not accessorize as much and wear brighter colors, while in Europe, the Europeans dress in more neutral colors.  Also the brands and the stores in America differ from those in Germany.  For example, some of the popular clothing stores and brands for teens in America are Hollister, American Eagle, and Abercrombie & Fitch.  Meanwhile, in Germany, the popular clothing stores and brands are H&M, Zara, Vero Moda, and Mango.  Some popular clothing stores in Germany, such as H&M, are also in Amercia; however, the stores aren’t quite as popular and are harder to find.  

T

he climate and weather differences between parts of America and Germany factor into play whenever it comes to fashion too.  In Germany, scarves are a very popular accessory, while in America it isn’t as popular partially because in some parts it’s just too warm.

German Food

Schnitzel is a popular german food made by coating a thin cutlet of meat in bread crumbs and frying it. It is made from anything from veal and turkey to pork and chicken. Wiener schnitzel is an Austrian invention. Schnitzel has variations in most countries around the world.

 Bratwurst is a typical german dish that is literally just fried sausage. Bratwurst was first mad ein the early days of Germany’s inhabitation. During the cold winters, food was scarce, and the people didn't want to waste any part of the animal. They began using the intestines as casings for the parts that people generally didn't eat. This made these parts more appealing to eat, and thus the sausage was born. Many say that sausages made in Germany and other northern countries are better than those made in southern European countries, such as Italy. Also pictured is sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is a very typical Austrian dish made from cabbage. Sauerkraut directly translates to “sour cabbage”. It is often served with bratwurst and schnitzel.

Pumpernickel bread is very popular in Germany and also available in America. It is a slightly sweet rye bread. In the middle ages it was associated with peasentry, but in recent years has been associated with delicatessen eatery. 

Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate open. When the gate is open, it is a symbol of unity, peace, and hope. When closed it is a symbol of separation and fear. It was built in 1688 and reconstructed in the late 18^th century as a triumphal arch. It was commissioned by Fredrick Wilhelm II to represent peace in Germany. 

The Fernsehturm in Berlin, built between 1965 and 69. It was built by The German Democratic Republic to be viewed as a symbol of Berlin. It is the tallest building in Germany and the 4^th tallest in all of Europe.

 Berlin’s skyline at night with the Fernsehturm clearly visible in the background. Berlin is a very typical German city, most unlike many others around the world. Berlin is Germany’s largest and most populous city.

The new German Parliament (Reichstag) building with a glass dome atop. The original was burnt in the 30’s. It is unknown who burnt the original; however Nazi’s remain the main suspects for the arson.

 The Berliner Dom is a Lutheran church in Berlin. It is one of the most recognizable churches in the city. The cathedral was erected in 14511. The Berlin Cathedral has never actually been a cathedral since it has never been the seat of a bishop. However, it is still considered a cathedral. It is a major tourist attraction in Berlin and one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. 

Hamelin

Stores in Hamelin in the typical Fachwerk style found in northern Germany. Hamelin was founded in 851 A.D.  as a monastery. The town is best known for the Pied Piper tale, which may have actually happened but in different context. During the Second World War the Hamelin prison was used as a detention center. Around 200 died there.

   

A moving statue of the Pied Piper leading the rats from Hamelin on a clock in the city. Legend has it that the city was overrun by rats. A man came into town and offered to help, for a large sum of money. The mayor agreed and the man went into the street. He began to play his flute and the rats followed him to the river, where they continued to march and drowned. He then returned to town and demanded his pay. The mayor had tricked him and refused to pay. The man returned to his street and played his flute again, a different tune this time. This time, the children ran from where they were and followed him to the same river. They too continued to march as he played, and marched into the river, drowning as well.

A typical street in Hamlin with “Fachwerk” buildings