Western High School - Concept Yearbook (Auburn, MI)

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v. A Letter from Germany Regina-Palast-Hotel, Maximiliansplatz, Munchen, July 23, 1912. My dear Folks all:- We have just arrived in Munchen and we are in a hotel that is really a Palast. Now the news since I wrote on Sunday. We did not go out that evening tSunday, July 213, because it rai11ed so hard. This gave us a chance to rest and write some. The next morning we left Mannheim at 9:12 for Heidelberg where we were to stay until one o'clock. This gave us a chance to see the old town of Heidelberg with its old castle ruins in particular. We took the street car from the station and after a while transferred to a. cog wheel car. This is built in the form of a stairway and is meant for carrying people up hills. At the top of the hill we got out and walked through the Schloss garden. Most of this is fallen down in ruins. In other places there are only the walls left. Again some parts are still unbroken. This is all covered with ivy and looks like a beautiful picture. The walls are very lovely and there could be no better place in the world to go for a walk. At one side there is a platform, and from this we looked down on the city as it lay on the bank of the Neckar River. There is a song: Alt Heidelberg du feine Du Stadt on Ehren reich, Vom Neckar und vom Rheine Kein andre ist dir gleichf' We think we would like to spend a long time here. At one o'clock on Monday we left Heidelberg for Nurnberg, the city famous for the cheapest toys and for the sweetest Lebkuchen. When we saw this town We thought we were living no more in the year 1912 but far back in 1200 or so. This is due to the fact that there are so many houses and churches still standing and in use that were built at that time. ln the early days, when one city was always at war with another, the cities had to protect themselves by walls and towers. Here in Nurmberg, perhaps one of the three oldest cities in Germany, we still see the wall. It is very thickg I don't know how thick. On this wall at perhaps each of the four corners, were four large watch towers. At different places on the wall there were 365 small towers. Through the wall there were 12 gateways. Then, no doubt, there was a drawbridge teine Zug- brucke.J We still cacn see the moat or ditch that used to be filled with water to still further protect the city. It is old, old, and one feels like staying many days instead of just a little more than half a day. We went to dinner today in a little bit of a place built up against a church, called the Bratwurst Glockle. Here people have come to eat Bratwurst and Sauerkraut for many hundred years. The sausages were just about the size of my little finger. They were very good. In addition, we had buns and beer. We spent most all the morning shopping and were very happy in doing it. Our hotel was a first class one. In fact, they have all been that with the exception of the on in Mannheim. There are always two single beds in our room, and a large marble- top wash stand with two bowls and pitchers. Mirrors galore! We are very well taken care of, indeed.. We get tired occasionally from seeing so many things, but we are learning so much and are so glad to see all we can. We left Nurnberg at 1:24 for Munchen today, and arrived at 4:42. If one wishes to learn the geography of a country, he must travel and see it with his own eyes. I told you in my last letter we had been following the Rhine- the landof grapes and wine. Today we left Nurnberg, the largest hop market in the world. We could see on the railroad trip to Munchen that we would no longer be offeded wine by the waiters who would say to us, Trinken die Damen etwas? All around us were fields of hops in orderly patches. So finally we arrived in Munchen, the land of beer. I am sorry to say that it does not taste very good to me. I still have to shiver when I take a swallow of beer as well as wine. Tonight we go to the Hofbrau for supper. Wednesday, July 24. This is Wednesday. I wrote the last sentence last night. We went tg 9,

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is also, in many places in Germany, the large May tree, the village May pole. Here we have a real German custom. It also is, as a rule, a birch or hemlock, only an especially large one is chosen for this purpose. By common consent of the whole parish, it is brought out of the woods and placed in the center of the village or in the market place of the city. The tree must be carefully guarded since the neighboring village seeks to carry it away. If they succeed in this, then it must be redeemed and then be brought back in solemn proces- sion. Almost always this tree is robbed of its branches, only it retains its top. ln these upper branches, ribbons, handkerchiefs, cakes, sausages, and other things are hung which the boys try to get down by climbing the tree. Around the Maytree a festal dance is also performed, in which no maiden of doubtful character is allowed to participate. Frequently this dance takes place under the village linden. In many districts of Germany, the May king plays a prominent part on Whitsunday. He is generally chosen by the Village youths or by the young men from out of their own circle, he is covered with fresh green, or dry foliage and is brought in solemn procession to the village. At his side stand the different servants of the king. Two of the most prominent young fellows in stately garb with white staffs lead the procession, music accompanies them. So they march into the village where they halt at the appointed place or before the village inn, During the procession, gifts have been everywhere collected for the king, which consist mostly of fruits, eggs, and mealp There are con- sumed in the evening by those present, for here, too, a dance and a banquet end the festivities. Besides the Mayking, the German people also have a Mayqueen. VVhile the customs which prevail in connection with the Mayking are somewhat coarse the delicate poetry of the German people is seen in the processions of the May queen. The maidens choose out of their midst the most beautiful one to be the queen, they adorn her with flowers and carry her through the streets of the village as they sing. Before every house they stop, the maidens form a circle around the queen, sing time-honored songs, and receive gifts. So the whole day passes with singing and music. In other localities, the Mayking and May- queen appear together, they are then called the bridal couple, and are con- ducted likewise in festive processions through the village. The Mayking who has been chosen by the young fellows, chooses his lviayqueen to whom he must devote himself for a whole year. Then in solemn assembly, the other marriage- able maidens are given away to honorable youths. Each one has to provide for his maiden the whole year, he has to take her to and bring her back from all fastivities. That is the cucstom everywhere in Thuringia, Hessen, West- phalia, and in the Rhine country. There is another custom according to which the maidens are united for a year with the boys who are the biggest bidders around the glowing May fire. ln the evening a dance takes place under a linden, the funds raised at the auction just mentioned are spent in drink. The maiden can refuse her purchaser during the first dance by means of a curtsy, but if she fastens a flower on his hat, she accepts him for the year. Here, too, much is made of the honor and purity of youths and maidens. The least stain on their honor excludes them from the festivities. This the German people even in their days of rejoicing never forget what they owe to their time honored chastity. fTranslated from German.l MARGARET MOLYNEAUX. 'U

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restaurant, called Hofbrau for supper last night. It was a very large hall and tables filled it entirely. Flowering plants decorated the tables.- For the first time I saw a blue hydrangea. I think mother will know what that is. Before each place was a lare boquet to be worn by us. Mine was red-dark red roses and red carnations with green fern. 'The hall was all paneled in dark oak. On the one side was a large stove of dark tile-Kachelofen. I think there was a smaller one on the other side. On the ceiling were various verses. I remem- ber one as follows: Es haben in diesem Saale vielegegessen, die nie daran gedacht sich beruhmt zu nennen, Im Auslande sind sie eher beruhmt gedacht Worden als zu I-Iause. Ceilings and all is of dark oak. Two large chandeliers lighted the hall. These were in two large circles. First of all we were attracted by the waitresses -we never before have had Women waitresses. They dressed in the Bayerisch costume-colored skirts, a black waist, without sleeves, and a white waist under that fthe black one is called a Mieder.J Around their shoulders was a silk scarf embroidered in some color. Around their necks they wore wide necklaces. The Mieder was decorated with silver chains and coins. They wore little caps on the back of their heads. We had good food-veal roast, potato, salad, lettuce, and of course, beer in jugs tSteinSJ holding a whole quart. We could have lemonade, too. During the supper there was music, singing, and an address of welcome spoken by a young woman. After a While, we went to the hotel, for we were not able to wait until it was over with. The Germans don't mind drawing out their evening concerts until long after midnight, I imagine. This morning CWednesday, July 241, we met at 9:30 in the old Rathaus. This is another interesting building. The floor is of course made of oak and there is no plaster on the walls or ceilings. The ceilings are studded with large brass nails. Here again were two large circular chandeliers. We listened to a speech of welcome by the Oberburgermeister and then .followed a long speech by a man who is famous for his books on schools. For a dessert we had cheese and rye bread. This is very often our dessert. We have coffee only for breakfast. After the dinner, by the way, it is here called Fruhstuck, we went shop- ping. This is such a joy and pleasure. There are so many good and nice things that we can hardly tear ourselves away. Tonight we go to the Rat- skeller for supper. I'll tell you more about that later. U There is one thing, however, that I must not forget. We were told today that a high and unusual honor was to be shown us on the 31st of July. We will be in Cassel then and the Kaiserin will receive us at that time in her palace at Wilhelmshohe. We humble teachers are certainly highly honored. Friday, July 26. Yesterday we had a glorious day. At 8:20 we took the train for Prien, about two hours' ride from Munchen, and transferred to an electric train and then to a boat for a ride on the Chiemsee. On the train, We had a glorious view of the country. For the first time in my life I saw a mountain, the Bayerische Alpen. It was somewhat foggy on the way ou so the mountains were not clear. When we left Prien for Munchen, they were a little clearer, but later on a very heavy thunderstorm came up. We are told that these storms come up very quickly in the mountains. Chiemsee is a beautiful green- watered lake. It is eleven miles long and seven miles broad, and contains three islands, the large Herren-Insel, the Frauen-Insel, the Kraut-Insel. We visited only the Herren-Insel. When we got off the boat we went up a steep walk and passed das Alte Schloss. This used to be the palace of Konig Ludwig II. von Bayern, usually called the insane king. His only Wish in life was to build palaces for his own use, not that anyone else might ever get any good out of them. 'This old palace we did not get to see except from the outside. Here, to my surprise, I saw apple trees trained to climb up against the wall- like grape vines. There were also peach trees trained in the same way. From this old palace we had a walk of twenty minutes along a shady wood-path to the new palace. I have bought pictures of this so you can see for yourselves how very magnificent this is. I have never imagined that anything could be so grand. You see, the king was insane on the subject of palaces, later on all subjects, I think. He drowned himself in 1888, I believe. I have sent a view