I drove around Germany, I had been a little worried about driving on the Autobahn, but with my love of driving fast, I fit right in! I was fortunate to catch the beginnings of Octoberfest in several of the towns and cities I visited. I was surprised to see so many people walking around in lederhosen and dirndl.
Leipzig
The Old Town Hall of Leipzig is on the Market Place. The cornerstone was laid in 1552. Since 1909, this beautiful building has housed the Museum of City History.
Leipzig
This is the epitaph of Nickel Pflugk, an advisor to several dukes and electors. It is now in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. The tombstone was originally in the Pflugk chapel of St. Pauli.
Dresden
The glass dome of the main building of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts is also known as the Lemon Squeezer owing to its ridged form. While it was built between 1887 and 1894, it has been heavily renovated. Parts of it was reconstructed due to destruction of the building during WWII. The golden figure on top of the Dome is Pheme. Pheme is the goddess of fame in Greek mythology, she is also a great gossip.
Dresden
The Frauenkirche in Dresden survived war and riots until WWII. In 1945, Dresden was heavily bombed and left in ruins. This altar was damaged, but not destroyed. The church was rebuilt between 1994 and 2005 using fragments salvaged from the rubble whenever possible.
Berlin
The Berliner Schloss (Berlin Palace) is on Museum Island in Berlin. It was originally constructed starting in 1443 and completed in 1894. It was then damaged by bombs in WWII and demolished by East German officials in 1950. After reunification and much discussion, it was reconstructed between 2013 and 2020 and now houses the Humboldt Forum Museum. Museum Island is located in the Spree River.
Berlin
Berlin's Victory Column commemorates Germany's victories against Denmark, Austria, and France in the late 19th century. The gold vertical lines on the column are gilded cannons from the three victories. The gold statue at the top is Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.
Munich
I spent a day in the Marienplatz in Munich. This was a busker performing in the middle of the plaza. He would poke people with his cane or pat women on their butt or tap someone's shoulder. Otherwise, he would stand still. In the Plaza is a restaurant called Wildmoßers, the food was excellent.
Munich
Munich's Altes Rathaus or Old Town Hall is also on the Marienplatz. In 1874, the city administration moved to the New Town Hall. The Old Town Hall is another building that unfortunately was damaged during WWII. During reconstruction, preservationists focused on the original building from the 15th century. Today, it houses a toy museum, and the ground floor has been converted into a passageway from the Marienplatz.
Nuremburg
On the front of the Frauenkirche in Nuremberg is the Männleinlaufen. This is a mechanical clock and glockenspiel that runs at noon. The horns, flute, bell, and drums play first, then two figures ring the church bells while seven electors file past and turn to pay homage to Emperor Karl IV sitting on his throne.
Nuremburg
All I knew about Nuremberg was from the Nazi era and the trials. In fact, it's much more. It's a very charming, walkable town. The Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce is situated on the main market square. In excavations during the construction, fragments were found that date back to the 9th century. I liked the mural of explorers on the building along with a sundial at the upper right.
