The living history of East and West Germany

“I was a soldier in the East German army,” Danilo said, describing what he did in Dresden before the fall of Communism.

This hard, worn-looking fellow was the evening’s tour guide and owner of Nightwalk Dresden. Since our 24-yearold daughter had joined us for this part of our German adventure, we agreed that a late night, walking pub tour of the Neustadt (New Town) would ensure interactions with the locals, what we see as the path to travel’s greatest rewards.

As we sat on the patio of our first pub stop, Café Eckstein on Louisenstrasse, I asked, “So … you went to sleep one night an East German soldier and woke up the next day as … what?” … thinking to myself how incredible it was to be talking to a soldier who had been our “Communist enemy.” Danilo said, “Then nothing. I lost everything.”

The personal discussion, which ensued was not a planned part of the evening’s tour, but that night’s group was small, just the three of us and an older German executive and his wife from Dusseldorf, who had lived the reunification from the free, West side.

They kept quiet through most of the discussion, though visibly uncomfortable at times, as they clearly disagreed with Danilo’s account of much of what had happened as reunification took place. It was evident the transition had been hard for Danilo and his family, and to us, he still seemed haunted by his past. Thankfully, Danilo and the other couple agreed that what mattered most was that they were all still Germans, even after 40 years of separation.

We had just one night in Dresden, but this three-hour tour, booked at the last minute, certainly felt like the real reward of travel, connecting personally with someone across the globe and understanding, just for a moment, an experience so foreign to our own.

Experiencing a slice of life under Communism was the theme of another fascinating tour we took while in Prague. After a Google search for “the best things to do in Prague with young adults,” we chose the Communism and Nuclear Bunker Tour. Our guide was an intelligent, young man who described himself as “born free.” He told a brief yet poignant account of the history of Prague from the start of Soviet rule in 1945 through the peaceful “Velvet Revolution” for freedom 44 years later. A walk and tram ride took us to the i kova neighborhood, a real concrete jungle, with grey block buildings constructed under Communism.

As we entered a locked, wooden gate into what was a small beer garden only open at night, he led us to a padlocked door, which he pointed out had just recently been “decorated’ with graffiti. He unlocked the door, then easily pushed open the two-foot-thick steel entry to the nuclear shelter. We were led five stories underground into a cramped network of tunnels holding Communist era memorabilia, gas masks, weapons, uniforms and propaganda. We stepped back in time to the Cold War and lived a piece of history.

Our journey continued to Berlin, where we reunited with Shreveport friend and Jesuit alumnus Michael Burda, a professor at Humboldt University, who took us on walking adventures. In Berlin, we experienced a favorite hotel, the Adlon Kimpinski at the Brandenburg Gate. This luxurious hotel sits within steps of the location of historic political speeches and rallies and now is surrounded by the United States, French and UK embassies, just to name a few. The most surprising fact about Berlin was that only in the last 10 years since reunification has it been growing economically and culturally. This is a city not to be missed with the Reichstag Dome, the cathedral Gedächniskirche (left bombed out as a memorial to WWII), sprawling museums (we visited the Neues and the Pergamon) and several bohemian, former East Berlin neighborhoods like Prenzlaur. A walk along the East Bank Gallery to view the street art on the remains of the Berlin Wall is an experience unlike any other. And finally, just a 20-minute train north of the city is the sobering Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, which imprisoned, tortured and killed political dissidents, alleged criminals, Jews, Communists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and homosexuals.

Eight days earlier, we had started our journey in Dusseldorf, made a quick stop in Bonn to visit another college professor and Jesuit classmate of my husband. John and his family cooked us a traditional German meal of sausages and white stalks of spargel (asparagus) locally grown. We then took a train to Lindau in the south central part of the country and meandered by car for two days through the small byways of the German Alps (with a little time at 160 km/ hour on the autobahn). Bavarian favorite experiences included the Neuschwanstein Castle and the view at Zugspitze (The Top of Germany).

With 10 days in Germany and three in Prague, Czech Republic, we covered over 1,600 miles by train and car. The Deutsche Bahn (DB) train system is excellent, with a fantastic smartphone app where you can buy and track your travel. The trains are clean, safe and on time. There are no security lines, and you can arrive just 15-20 minutes before your departure and not feel rushed to board your train. Don’t be afraid to ask for help as almost everyone speaks English and is friendly, especially if you make an effort to say a few words in German. I recommend purchasing a data plan for your smartphone, as having access for train information, quick translations and maps can make life easier.

Our top hotel for the trip was the Goldenwell Hotel in Prague. This small, luxury hotel was like a private home located up a secluded, cobblestone walk, just below the walls of Prague Castle. It was a splurge but also a great value with unsurpassed service, unique art, luxurious and quiet quarters and special touches like “goodnight cakes” under glass next to our bedside each night.

There were many delicious culinary adventures to be had in Germany and Prague from the best schnitzel at Swiss in Lindau to goulasch at Ferdinand’s in Prague, and homemade Ethiopian at okra in Dusseldorf. However, the yummy theme wherever we landed was fresh, locally made bread and beer. The rewards of this travel for us were time with friends and a few strangers who took us back in time, shared their spirit and stories and left us wanting to spend even more time in the area.

Auf wiedersehen, friends – until we meet again.

– Katy Merriman