June 25, 2014- It says quite a bit about a city, when one of its most celebrated citizens is a scientist and educator.  I decided to stop in Heidelberg, on the way from Strasbourg to Frankfurt, and spend time in the Universitat district.  Robert Bunsen, chemist and inventor, is the first prominent person identified with Heidelberg to be honoured with a statue. Although Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat was the first university in Germany, established in 1386, Dr. Bunsen,in his work at the University of Heidelberg, upgraded the institution to one of the top centers of scientific research in Europe.  Besides the Bunsen Burner, he achieved a wealth of success in electrolyte research, and in advancing the metallurgy of magnesium.  With Gustav Kirchhoff, he discovered cesium and rubidium. (Photo courtesy of de.academic.ru)

Today, the above statue faces the remaining hall of Ruprecht-Karls Universitat, also called Haus-zum-Riesen, still a center for Physical Sciences. (Photo courtesy of data: image/jpeg; base 64)

I debarked the train at Heidelberg Hauptbanhof, had lunch and gave myself three hours to meander around the university and walk a bit along the right bank of the Neckar River.  The train station is a fair distance from Altstadt, the Old City, with its narrow streets and energetic demeanor- which always comes with being near a university setting. So, I took the reliable and crowded, but pleasant, tram.

Here is the Hauptbanhof.  Although spare outside, I found it a relaxing enough place to enjoy a Wurttemburg-style bratwurst. (Photo courtesy of jaxstumpes.blogspot.com)

 

 

The tram deposits its passengers for Altstadt at Bismarckplatz. (Photo courtesy of stadtblatt-online, ww2.heidelberg.de)

 

The old campus of the University of Heidelberg is just off the Universitatplatz, where a group of British school girls were fawning over a bearded twentysomething German student, by the fountain seen below.  Some things are just universal. (Photo courtesy of  www.globopix.de)

 

 

Here is another view of the main building of Alte Universitat. (Photo courtesy of data/image; base 64)

 

After World War II, American philanthropists helped establish Neue Universitat, with its emphasis on the Humanities and the School of Medicine. (Photo courtesy of sccs 10.uni-hd.de)

 

Other sites of interest in the immediate university campus are its Library, or Bibliothek, a beehive of activity on the day I was there.  That’s not surprising,as it was a Wednesday, and summer session finals week. (Photo courtesy of http://www.reisdit.no)

 

 

Studentenkarzer was the place where unruly students were sent, if convicted of an offense, by the Student Court.  Eventually, it became a farcical place, given to partying.  The practice of incarceration was transferred elsewhere, but the building is preserved, as a reminder of how things were done in the 14th-18th Centuries. (Photo courtesy of media-cdn.tripadvisor.com)

 

 

You can see just how punitive things turned out to be, in the long run. (Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.travelswith divya.com)

 

 

Hexenturm, or the Witch’s Tower, is so-named to commemorate the cruelty of the Heidelberg Witch Trials of the Fifteenth Century.  It was originally used, however, to incarcerate thieves.  Part of the old wall of Heidelberg, it now stands on the grounds of Neue Universitat. (Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.pausanio.de)

 

 

Heidelberg honours its lesser lights, as well.  One of these was Friedrich Ebert, the first President of Germany, under the Weimar Republic, from 1919-1925.  He ruled largely in an autocratic manner, with a fair amount of help from the military.  This may well have made it easier for Hitler to rise to power, but to Heidelberg, Ebert is still a native son.  His life’s work is still examined at the Ebert Memorial Institute, just west of the University. (Photo courtesy of ww2.heidelberg.de)

 

 

Now, let’s have a look at three churches of Heidelberg.  The first is a Catholic church, St. Anna, also west of campus.  It was originally a hospital. (Photo courtesy of http://www.commons.wikipedia.org)

 

 

Somewhat larger, and to the south a bit, is Peterskirche, which is ecumenical.  This is the University Church, first built in 1192, even before the campus.  It was modernized in 1986. (Photo courtesy of ww2.heidelberg.de)

 

 

Below Photo courtesy of http://www.peterskirche.heidelberg.de)

 

 

Thirdly, here is Jesuitenkirche, or Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Ignatius, in the heart of the university campus.  This is the largest Catholic parish church in Heidelberg. (Photo courtesy of data:image/jpeg base 64)

Time was getting short, as my train to Frankfurt would arrive soon.  I ended this all-too-brief excursion to this regal little city, with a nod to the barons of Heidelberg, and a view of Kongreshaus, overlooking the Neckar. (Photo courtesy of web02.city-map.de_)

 

 

The barons who lived in Heidelbergschloss, the great castle, which I am determined to visit three years hence, built Alte Brucke, the oldest standing bridge over the Neckar, in this area, in 1788.  It is actually the ninth such bridge built on this spot- the first having been built in the 13th Century.  To the right, one may gaze at the tower of the Rathaus, or Town Hall. (Photo courtesy of image 1.masterfile.com/em)

 

 

Frankfurt, the majestic Lord of the Main, has its share of iconic sites, but no place has anything on Heidelberg. I have the sense that I have only scratched the surface on the land of my maternal ancestors, anyway.

Next up:  Playgrounds Along the Main.

September 2, 2014-  I will do my level best, in an hour or two, to write about Heidelberg.  It’s a storybook town, which has also given the world a great deal.

Right now, though, my heart is heavy.  I have read a lot of thoughts expressed by someone about whom I have come to care deeply.  I have thought a lot about that person, and about others, for whom I also have come to care deeply, over the past few days.  Our lives follow different paths, and are unlikely to naturally converge anywhere other than through our online exchanges of ideas.  It’s similar with my real time friends.  Each of us has either a full schedule, or is top heavy with self-initiated projects and activities.  Being semi-retired, in terms of employment, I am in the latter category.

My heart is heavy, not because of any of the people for whom I care.  The weight comes from knowing that the world, right now, is divided, in terms of leadership, between those who hate and would ravage their fellow people and those who are indifferent, dithering and self-absorbed.  It seems that only the Pope in Rome, and a smattering of Heads of State, have not subscribed to one or the other of the above categories.

My heart is heavy because of the lack of concern for the common man.  It has always been so, however.  The Bystander Effect is well-documented, throughout history.  Now, however, we see the Bystander Effect emanating from the highest levels of power.  Abraham Lincoln, tired as he was and conventional as his thinking often was, nevertheless recognized his power to do what was best for the common man, and for posterity- and he pulled himself together, left what passed for his comfort zone, and did it.

Franklin D. Roosevelt overcame his antipathy towards Jews, his relative apathy towards Blacks and poor Whites and the self-loathing that stemmed from his crippling disease- and did what was best for humanity, both at home and abroad.

Winston Churchill snapped out of his fear-driven depression, scrapped his written letter of surrender to Hitler, and sent the British Lion roaring, alongside the American Eagle, into the maw of German power, rendering it useless.

We are in the year of the miasma- a river of blood in the Levant and Mesopotamia, a swelling of viruses in West Africa, a puffed-up would-be Czar for our times testing the resolve of his neighbours, whilst projecting his self-image of invincibility upon the world.  The response of our leaders is to dither, to equivocate, and to project an image of indifference.

Perhaps my heart is heaviest, though, when I read, see or hear hateful comments by adults directed towards children. There seem to be a spate of these lately.  I’m not talking about overwhelmed, put-upon mothers, who need, and richly deserve, relief.  I am not talking about people trying to impart character to impressionable souls, occasionally slipping and using coarse language.  I am talking about those who have forgotten what it was like to be a child, who are so wrapped up in their own experiences, casual relationships, accumulation of wealth, that any intrusion upon these is grounds for retribution.  Those who would ban public breastfeeding, no matter how discrete; who would physically beat a child- or better yet, kill the “little beast”; those who yell at parents for bringing their children onto a public conveyance; those who gaze at images of little people being coerced into sexual activities- and worst of all, those who buy and sell children, for whatever nefarious purpose they have in mind.  I could sloganeer, and shout that there is a “War on Children”.  Hyperbole, though, does next to nothing to improve a situation, in the Age of the News Cycle.

No, we just need to recognize the overall miasma- The tide of indifference that runs through the arteries and veins of too many.  We need to shout but one word:  ENOUGH!; then we each begin to turn back the tide.

 

June 24, 2014- Of all the cities in France I visited this summer, Strasbourg presents itself in the most modern of lights, and, by a small margin, it is the cleanest.  There is not an appreciable difference in ethnic make-up, nor are there that many fewer apartment dwellers here.  Perhaps the presence of the European Parliament, on a day-to-day basis, leads to more social consciousness.  There is also a more Germanic sense of order here, than elsewhere in La Belle France. Strasbourg was ruled by German royalty, throughout the Middle Ages and again from 1871-1918.

The first signal that this city was going to be different came at Gare Centrale, the train station. It’s covered by a plexiglass dome, resembling a  crystal dirigible. (Photo courtesy of fr.wikipedia.org)

 

(Photo courtesy of http://www.geodruid.com)

 

I got directions to my hotel-LePetit Trianon.  It is not, outwardly, a palace.  It is on a narrow side street, though close to the commercial centre.  The manager is only 25, but has a very shrewd business acumen, and will no doubt rise quickly, in a keenly competitive market.  She looks like Keira Knightley, but talks like a kinder, gentler Leona Helmsley-nobody’s fool.  I like Le Petit Trianon. (Photo courtesy of Hotels.com)

 

I had limited time to explore Strasbourg, before attending a Baha’i spiritual gathering, similar to that which I attended in Rouen, earlier in my sojourn.  This was not hard, though, as the city centre is compact, and there is a reliable trolley.

First was the largest of Strasbourg’s many Calvinist churches:  St. Pierre Le Vieux. (Photo courtesy of http://www.commons.wikipedia.org)

 

Once again, I did not venture inside any  of the churches, save Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.

The next stop was three bridges down the Lill Canal.  Here was Place de la Republique. (Photo courtesy of http://www.ratestogo.com)

This is a monument to Those Dead in Winter- an homage to all who died in the harsh and combative winter of 1944-45. (Photo courtesy of http://www.commons.wikipedia.org)

On the west side is Palais du Rhin, a structure built by Wilhelm I, after Germany seized Strasbourg during the Franco-Prussian War.  It is now a cultural center of Alsace.  It is the structure seen in the photo above.  On the east side of the park are two structures.  First is La Bibliotheque Nationale d’Alsace. (Photo courtesy of generys.services.com)

 

Adjacent to the Library is La Theatre Nationale d’Alsace. (Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.en.strasbourg.eu)

 

I crossed the street, and the bridge, to L’Opera Nationale. (Photo courtesy of http://www.commons. wikipedia.org) The statue of the golden horse attracted a few homeless people, but they didn’t hang around long. I saw fewer homeless here than elsewhere in Europe, in fact.

 

 

This area, Place Broglie, is bounded on the east by Strasbourg’s City Hall (Hotel de Ville).(Photo courtesy of http://www.prixfacone.com)

 

Strasbourg, like Metz, has a Temple Neuf.  This served as a hospital, in the early medieval period.  It lies at the south end of Place Broglie, directly west of Strasbourg Cathedral.(Photo courtesy ofhttp://www.commons.wikipedia.org)

 

 

Notre Dame de Strasbourg casts a majestic air to what is otherwise a spare concrete desert.  This Gothic giant is the main remnant of Catholicism, in what is a largely Protestant enclave of Alsace. (Photos courtesy of http://www.commons.wikipedia.com)

 

From here, I briefly visited Palais Rohan.  This has nothing to do with The Lord of the Rings.  It housed the Bourbon kings and queens, on their visits to Alsace.  Today, it houses Strasbourg’s major art museums. (Photo courtesy of http://www.visiterstrasbourg.com)

The entry way is framed by an arch, on the west flank.(Photo courtesy of francoisclaude.wordpress.com)

 

The courtyard evokes Versailles, sans gold. (Photo courtesy of http://www.commons.wikipedia.com)

Along the Canal de Lill, I came to Corbeau, and the old Customs House (Hotel de la Douane). (Photo courtesy of http://www.panoramie.com)  As you might guess, the canals take the place of parks, as the center of social life in Strasbourg.

 

Nowhere is more crucial to this than La Petite France, the area of three covered bridges, built by the edict of Louis XV. (Photo courtesy of http://www.shutterstock.com)  Then, as now, this was France’s window on the Rhine.

 

La Terrasse Panoramique was the Bourbons’ window on the great river, and was built by Sebastien de Vauban, the great military strategist. (Photo courtesy of JM Rauschenbach @http://www.clipimage.net)

 

It was time for me to leave the crowds at La Petite France behind, and join my Baha’i friends at their centre, on Rue des Veaux.  It is in a densely-populated, but well-lit neighbourhood.  Alsace has been a forward-looking area, and I felt a welcoming spirit here.  (Photo courtesy of http://www.espaces-commerces.fr)

So, my time in France wound down on a very sweet note.  My thanks to all the Baha’i friends in Strasbourg for the uplifting Spiritual Feast, and to all, across the areas of Alsace and Lorraine who made these two days richer and more informative than I had anticipated. It would shortly be time to return to Germany, for four quick days.

September 1, 2014-  I read a rather inane discussion, a night or so ago, as to how to deal with an unruly child.  The writer was venting his frustration with parents who don’t teach their children respect for others, from an early age.  One person. also a friend of mine, came on with a Jonathan Swift-style “modest proposal”.  Knowing this individual, it was completely satirical and sarcastic.  Another individual advocated extreme physical punishment- of the child, as he “detests children”.  Most likely, that individual had the childhood from Hell.  I didn’t.  In fact, despite my autism and tendency to wander, my family life was supportive, joyful and stable.

As our expectations rise, and our fears do not subside, there is a tendency to show intolerance of anyone who’s different- by age group, ability level, economic status, sexual orientation, marital status, race, gender- one here gets off scot-free  Each of us bothers someone else and each of us is bothered, in like manner.  The speed with which we live our lives, leaves no room for discomfort or adjustment.  So, who has the issue?

I have to own my issues.  I have made my family and friends cringe, when I have owned up to a serious mistake or foible.  My reasoning has been, this is the only way to atone, or to rectify the error.  Usually, that has left me vindicated in the long run, though it has made for short-term discomfort, especially financial.  People are very intolerant of anything that costs them money.

I am no longer intolerant of others, by and large.  I will not brook abuse of those weaker than the person who is striking out, especially if it is physical or sexual abuse. There are basic standards of decency. Differences which rankle, though, are presented to us by the Universe because to each of us is given the task of becoming more clearly, part of an organic whole. In my case, the answer has, so far, been patience.  Most of those who have annoyed me,  or who have attacked my views, both passively and aggressively, have come back around, so long as I don’t indulge in a counterattack. Maybe, that’s the bottom  line.