Autobahn leads to a land steeped in history

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This article was published 09/08/2003 (8126 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MUNICH — A drive through European history from a Germanic point of view can easily be accomplished in a few days by heading west from Munich on the Autobahn and making short side trips to great centres of creation and learning.

Some of Europe’s most powerful family dynasties and greatest thinkers were at one time established in a relatively compact area in southern Germany between Munich and Stuttgart.

Munich doesn’t really need much introduction — it tops Berlin as the number one travel destination in Germany. The reasons for this are ample, even discounting the yearly fall pilgrimage to the Oktoberfest beer festival — the biggest public festival in the world.

Munich also captivates visitors with royal residences that border broad avenues, numerous art collections and a reputation for Bavarian friendliness. It boasts no less than 50 museums and art collections, more than any other city in the nation. The Alte Pinakothek, for instance, houses works by many of history’s greatest painters from the 14th to the 18th centuries.

An easy stroll down the famous Marienplatz is one of the best ways to see Munich’s architectural treasures. This wide walking boulevard is usually bustling with visitors and natives alike, who come to see, for instance, the Mary Column at the entrance to the Marienplatz. Unmistakable is the New Town Hall, with its clock tower and famous dancing figurines.

Augsburg is about a two-hour drive from Munich and is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria, at 2,000 years and counting. Duck south off the Autobahn for about 10 kilometres and enter a world of what was once a Roman fortress. Founded by emperor Augustus in 15 BC, it served as pillar in the empire for four centuries. There is an excellent Roman museum to prove it.

In the most recent millennium, Augsburg has spawned the likes of Leopold Mozart, father of Wolfgang; 20th century playwright Bertolt Brecht and engine designer Rudolf Diesel. The Renaissance was a high point of the city’s history, as it was a centre of architecture, music and painting at the time.

But the Reformation — the rise of the Protestant alternative to Catholicism — also played a major role in the history of Augsburg. Important sites, including those visited by Protestant champion Martin Luther, can be seen on a walking tour called the Confessio Trail. It follows the ancient Roman road, Via Claudia, which traverses the entire city.

Toy-like town

A visit to Augsburg should also include some exploration of the fuggerei, a toy-like town within the city that was founded in the early 1500s by the powerful Fugger family. This historic patch of homes is credited with being the world’s first example of social housing. It gave shelter to the impoverished for a token payment. In return, the operators asked only that their tenants be of the Catholic faith.

The fuggerei is still available to those who need it, and the rules for qualification still apply.

Some 70 kilometres west of Augsburg is the city of Ulm, a place blessed by its proximity to the Danube River. The river divides the city between Ulm and Nue (New) Ulm. It is also the border between the provinces of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, as determined by Napoleon in 1810.

Overseeing this split personality is Ulm Cathedral, the second largest church in Germany. More famously, Ulm Cathedral claims the world’s tallest church spire, at 161 metres. Construction of the cathedral started in 1377 but was not completed until 1890.

Some of the stained glass windows, dating back to the 1500s, were removed and stored for safety from the Allied bomb raids during the Second World War. Much of Ulm was destroyed by the attacks, but these windows were reinstalled after the war and are still there to be enjoyed.

It is possible to climb the 768 steps through the interior of the massive spire to a height of 143 metres. From there, excellent panoramic views can be had that include, on a clear day, the Bavarian Alps to the south.

Probably the least recognized place as a tourist destination on this drive is the small city of Tubingen, a few more hours west of Ulm. It is, however, well known to scholars, especially those with powers of political science.

The groundbreaking historian/philosopher George Wilhelm Hegel was a graduate of Tubingen University, an ancient seat of learning, whose first buildings were erected in 1477. It flourished from the start, as influential theologians and early scientists alike attended.

With roots that reach back even further, the town of Tubingen is distinguished by crooked cobblestone streets and shoulder-to-shoulder homes and businesses.

In stark contrast to this quiet and quaint place is Stuttgart, a short drive north on the Autobahn. Here, the modern captains of industry have established themselves under the banners of companies like IBM, Bosch, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.

Auto museum

Mercedes has enshrined its automotive accomplishments in a multi-level museum built on the factory grounds. Passes are issued at the gate to the factory; a shuttle transfers visitors to the museum.

Inside is essentially the history of the automobile, starting with the world’s first-ever set of wheels — a “vehicle with gas engine drive” by Karl Benz, built in 1886. The museum has been constructed sequentially, so that the history of Mercedes-Benz unfolds level by level. En route is the opportunity to see about 100 cars in total, including stately sedans, curvaceous sports cars and pure racing machines wearing the three-pointed star.

But Stuttgart is also the arts and culture capital of Swabia, the traditional name for the province of Baden-Wurttemberg. There are numerous museums and galleries, including the New State Gallery, which houses one of the world’s best Picasso collections, as well as works by Marc Chagall, Paul Klee and others.

On entering the steep valley perimeter of Stuttgart, it’s hard not to notice the many vineyards that creep down the hills and into the city. But there is nothing rural about the Konigstrasse, a broad walking avenue that is bordered by many high-fashion stores and stylish galleries for art of all kinds. It ends at the stately Schlossplatz, or New Palace.

A public gallery near the train station fills in the blanks. Its walls are filled with framed black and white photographs taken during and after the Second World War air raids that completely levelled the Stuttgart city centre. It is a sobering exhibition, for both visitors and for residents alike, yet it depicts just one of many chapters in the very long history of this region.

Ted Davis is a Vancouver travel writer.

See www.visits.to.germany.com

See www.germany-tourism.de

Photos

1) The historic riverfront buildings of Tubingen, in southern Germany, face the quiet Nekar River.

2) Crossing the Nekar River in the ancient German university town of Tubingen.