Jeffrey Hellmers Travels: Germany 2006


	After touring Konstanz and driving through Switzerland on the south side of the Bodensee, we arrived at Der Rheinfall, the largest waterfall (by volume) in Europe. On the other side of the Rhein River is the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.

	Schaffhausen retains much of its historical character, which we enjoyed despite a spring rain.

	Back in Germany, we stopped for lunch at the Café Gehri in the small Black Forest town of Bonndorf. Jeff posed us with our faithful Fiat. Bonndorf was delightful, like literally dozens of other German small towns through which we passed.

	We arrived in the university city of Freiburg in the late afternoon and checked into the delightful Hotel Oberkirch, so named since the front entrance of the hotel faces the great cathedral. Freiburg, founded in 1120, lies at the western edge of the Black Forest.

	Our hotel was located right at the Münsterplatz, the plaza surrounding the cathedral known as the Münster (Minster). To the left is an old Brunnen (well) and in the right background is the red Historisches Kaufhaus, the early 16th-century Merchants Hall. Much of the old city was damaged in World War II, but has since been rebuilt on its medieval plan.

	Freiburg is noted for its beautiful cobble stone paving and what must be among the most beautiful manhole covers in the world, displaying the Freiburg seal.

	The evening’s fare is posted at our hotel’s restaurant, the Oberkirchs Weinstuben. We had breakfast there the next morning.

	The front of the cathedral, the Münster Unserer Lieben Frau (the Minster of Our Beloved Lady). Construction on the church began about the year 1200. When the city was bombed in November 1944, the Münster was spared. Note the scaffolding; the church—made of fragile sandstone—requires constant repairs. A local saying goes: “When the scaffolding comes down, we’ll know it’s the end of the world.”

	Throughout the old city run a series of interconnecting "Bächle” (literally little brooks), built 600 years ago as a water supply and to fight fires. They are kept today to add to the Middle Ages ambience of the Altstadt (old city), along with the cobble stone streets and restored buildings.

	The Altstadt of Freiburg overflows with specialty shops of all kinds, such as this cheese shop. Jeff checks out the choices.

	Jeff had this photo (and some others) taken to delight his 5th grade class.

	Day 6 (Friday, 31 March) took us back into the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest), its hills darkened with evergreens. The overcast weather lent an air of mystery.

	The sign says: “Germany’s Highest Waterfall.”

	Germany’s highest waterfall is really a series of cascades. Rain and melting snow made the falls an exciting natural experience.

	Triberg is the gateway to the waterfalls and a charming Black Forest town. The building on the right (with a red ground floor) is the town’s Rathaus (or city hall).

	We stopped for lunch in Freudenstadt founded in 1599, which has the largest market square in Germany. Duke Friedrich I intended to build a palace in the center of the city, but upon his death the plans were abandoned, leaving Freudenstadt with the huge square. Between Freudenstadt and Baden-Baden we drove highway B500, said to be one of the most scenic routes through the Black Forest.

	We left the Black Forest and headed north through France to the small town of Rheinzabern, whose history goes back to Roman days. (Rheinzabern is in the German “state” of Rheinland-Pfalz.) There we met Alois Marz and his wife, Johanna. Alois is a distant cousin of Norm’s. He gave us a great walking tour of the town's historic sites. Many of the oldest buildings display “Fachwerk,” the half-timbered construction common in different parts of Germany.

	Some of Norm’s ancestors (the Geeck family) were members of this Catholic church, St. Michaelskirche, for hundreds of years. The bells of St. Michael 's Church can be heard here. Adjacent to the church (seen in the lower right) was the school, constructed in 1766.

	Alois showed us the historic ford crossing the Erlenbach (the Erlen brook), and then showed us the “Flax Market” area, where some of our ancestors lived. A new footbridge (the Erlenbachbrücke) crosses the brook.

	Before they emigrated to New Orleans, some of Norm’s ancestors lived in this house. Johannes Adam Geeck, his wife, and six children lived there with two other families. A barn is to the rear of the house.

	Our hosts, Alois and Johanna Marz, arranged a wonderful dinner for us at this restaurant, Gallo Rosso.

	Alois kindly invited some of Norm’s Geeck relatives to the dinner to share family history information: documents, charts, and photographs. We stayed overnight at the Gasthaus zur Sonne, in the heart of old Rheinzabern.

	On the morning of Day 7 (Saturday, 1 April), we enjoyed a personalized tour of a Roman-era archeological site protected as part of a school. The features are remnants of kilns used to fire the red pottery—Terra Sigillata—that was made in Rheinzabern and used throughout the Roman Empire. Our guide was Peter Hamburger, director of the Terra Sigillata Museum. Peter allowed us to handle some of the 2000-year-old pottery.

	Alois arranged for all of us to meet the Ortsbürgermeister (Mayor) of Rheinzabern, Gerhard Beil. The gracious mayor gave us tokens of our visit, including a music CD celebrating the 1950th anniversary of Rheinzabern. Family members from the previous night attended, along with a few more relatives. In the picture, taken on the steps of the Rathaus (city hall), Ortsbürgermeister Beil is to Pat’s left.