Day of Reflection and Remembrance

The pictures shared yesterday was from our tour of Dauchau Concentration Camp northwest of Munich.  This was a first-time experience for both of us touring a death camp.  How quickly a country and their people can get swept up into a national dream that's all a lie.  The time was ripe for Hitler and his killing machine to set up shop and destroy hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives.  The brutality, violence and unabashed killings were so very disturbing.  We had actually taken a tour while in Nuremberg that showed us how Adolph Hitler started building his "blood and soil" empire.  So many lies and so many duped. There were literally thousands from all over the world visiting the camp the day we were there.  Millions have visited the death camps in Germany and Poland since they have opened to the public.  There were those who lost loved ones in this war through the violence and brutality of these camps that were on opposite sides of what to do with the camps following the war.  Right away, many wanted them destroyed never to remember them again.  The side that won however were those who wanted to preserve the camps, those who wanted to tell their story and show the world what happened in hopes of keeping this from ever happening again.  Remember, this event happened less than a hundred years ago.  That's really not all that long ago and there are still dictators in countries and regions around the world still trying to rule by force and wreaking violence and brutality on humanity to this very day.  Our tour guide claimed that one of his wife's relation was in the room next to Hitler when he took his life.  That was the catalyst that got him interestested in studying and teaching about WW1 and WW2 for the majority of his life.   

In the afternoon we took a second tour in Munich which was proclaimed the "capital city of the movement" during those horrible years when Hitler came to power.  The tour guide was actually the grandson of those who were among those who lived through that horrendous time.  He remembers the resentment, the shame, the prejudice and anger that the German people lived with for two decades following that war.  Jewish families who could trace their families back centuries in Germany, fighting alongside other fellow Germans in many wars lost absolutely everything, including their lives when the Nazi regime took over.  While we were actually in Munich, they had just completed a memorial located in the square made famous by all the thousands of Nazi soldiers hailing their evil cheif Hitler.  The memorial was the place in the square where Hitler had burned any books from the city library that were contrary to his ideals and movement.  Having this memorial is something a greart number of German people have been wanting to do for decades and now, today if finally happened.  At the end of the tour we were shown a memorial for the liberators who came into Munich and liberated the people from the clutches

of the Nazi war machine.  If there is any "heil-Hitler" gesture or any language that demeans other nationalities in Germany it could mean a fine or if you're very intentional with your gestures and language you will serve jail time. 

Art piece of people caught in wire at the camp.             Memorial marking where books were burned.

"Where's Pastor?!" 

Even though we look like we may be in Italy, we are actually coming out of a restaurant that we discovered just across the street from our hotel in Munich.  Today was a travel day to our last German city Frankfort.  We are taking a few days to ourselves as we prepare for our trip to Romania on Friday. We'll try to get back to you on Saturday.  So, please stay tuned.  

End of Luther Tour in Germany

 So, yesterday was the last place we visited that was impacted by Luther.  In Augsburg, there were two important events involving Martin Luther.  The first event was the examination of Martin Luther's teaching by Cardinal Thomas Cajetan from the Roman Catholic Church. This happened in 1518.  This meeting followed he 1518 Diet of Augsburg which was a gathering of the German princes and dukes.

Luther stayed at the St. Anne's Cloister Church. Luther's interview with Cardinal Cajetan took place athe the then newly buile house of Jakob Fugger in Augsburg. The purpose of the meeting was simple.  Luther was to recant all of his teachings that were contrary to the Catholic Church, especially what he said concerning indulgences, justification by faith and the authority of the Pope.  Luther refused to recant .  Cardinal Cajetan's instructions were that if Martin failed to recant. that he was to be arrested and sent to Rome.  Well, Luther'a supporters got wind of this and helped Luther to escape.  He returned to Wittenberg a hunted man.

The second event in Augsburg was also very important. Charles V convened a Diet to meet at Augsburg in 1530 to address unresolved religious issues. Phillip Melanchthon was Luther's representative at the meeting and a primary author of the Augsburg Confession (of faith) which was written at the Bishop's residence in Augsburg. The Augsburg Confession is the definitive statement of faith for Lutherans.  Many of the churches in Augsburg and the surrounding area became Protestant or Lutheran.

So, we will be taking a couple of days of rest and relaxation in Frankfort beginning tomorrow as we prepare to move into the second phase of our sabbatical--Romania and the Confessional Lutheran Church that is growing there.  We will not be continuing on this blog until we reach Bucharest, Romania on Friday or Saturday.  Thanks for joining us through Germany.  We hope you'll stay tuned as we begin our journey through Romania.

Oh yeah, we also added a pic of Leopold Mozart the father of the famous Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart.  Augsburg is actually the home of Mozart and of his son. 

"Where's Pastor ?"

Again, we are finished with the Luther tour.  But today we had a very sombering journey.  Can you guess where we were?

Final Lutheran Quoto of the Day

"We are nothing with all our gifts be they ever so great, except God assist us."

Can You Say Munchen!

Some of you were asking yesterday "Where's today's blog!" The hotel we are staying at had very poor internet service and so we weren't able to post yesterday.  So, there will be two posts today.  In fact, I'm in the lobby of the hotel right now trying to get these done and posted.  Thanks for asking.  So, yesterday's and today's post will be dated June 25.  

We left Nuremburg for Munich yesterday and arrived safe and sound in the afternoon.  When we went into the city to eat at that famous Haufbrahaus, we were greeted by a parade of around 250,000.  Another festival.  Munich is the English spelling for the German word Munchen.  Munchen with an umlaut over the letter "u" is the German spelling for the English translation "Munich."  Anyway, after our meal we went to see the bigger-than-life glockenspiel at St. Peter's Church in the Marienplatz or what we would call the Marian Plaza.  After a day of packing, traveling and unpacking we decided to take the rest of the day off to rest. 

"Where's Pastor?!"

Luther Quote of the Day

"How soon not now becomes never."

The Mysterious Face - Albrecht Durer

The painting of the young handsome man is a self-portrait by Albrecht Durer.  The other image I attached yesterday is one of his woodcuts called Resurrected Christ.  I have always admired his paintings and fabulous woodcuts.  He is a contemporary of Luther and artist Lucas Cranach the Elder and Younger.  His master woodcuts are some of the best ever created.  

Years ago I was priveleged to see an exibit of Durer's woodcut prints at the Concordia Historical Institute on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.  I was captivated by his woodcuts in his Small Passion and Life of the Virgin series which first appeared in book form in 1511, which were on display at that time.  His woodcuts primarilty depict biblical scenes. Praying Hands is one of most well known works.  So, I was elated to see the house where he lived and created most of his masterpeices. 

Albrecht Durer lived righ here in Nuremburg.  Several of his paintings and woodcuts are attached below.  These are just a small sample of his work.  Enjoy

"Where's Pastor?!"

Luther Quote of the Day

"An unjust law is no law at all."

Luther in Nuremberg?

There is a direct or indirect connection with Luther and most of the Protestant and Lutheran Churches in Thuringia and Bavaria, even in Nurmberg and surrounding communities.  The printing of books and pamphlets played an important role in the spreading of the reformed theology.  Luther and the other reformers used the media and technology of the day to their advantage.  Book printing was big in Nuremberg.  The writings of the reformers Luther and Melanchthon, quickly reached the hands of the public.  Nuremberg was considered a center for humanism and art.  The Catholic community was transformed into a Protestent city church system based on the Wittenberg model.  The effect the Reformation had on Nuremberg also spread to the surrounding towns and principalities. 

Some historians have reported that Luther actually stayed in Nuremberg in 1518 and had won over a number of supporters who had been reading and hearing his teaching about the Bible being the sole norm of faith and life. So, even though Luther did not really spend much time here, only traveling through now and then, the writings of his theology and teachings were embraced.  

One of the largest Lutheran churches in Nuremberg is also the oldest as well.  The Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche or St. Lorenz Church in Nuremberg was built as a Gothic Basilica in 1250 and enlarged in 1439 to 1477 with the addition of a hall choir area.  The church officially became Lutheran in 1525 after embracing Luther's teachings concerning justification and good works. They boast of the largest organ installation in a Protestant or Lutheran Church in all of Germany.  The upkeep of the church is close to $800,000 US dollars per year.  Enjoy the images of the church below. 

We also visited the Imperial Castle in Nueremberg.  The history of this castle is way too much information to include in this blog.  Still, we felt in only right to include a couple of shots of the castle as well.

have included a couple of those pics as well. 

"Where's Pastor?!" 

Luther Quote of the Day

"Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense and understanding."

Double Dipping

Speaking of double dipping. One of the popular treats in Germany is "eis" or what we call icecream.  What they put on a waffle cone actually looks like and has the texture of gelato, which is what the treat is called in Italy.  No matter what you call it, all I can say is it really tastes great on a hot sunny day.  Of course, how would I know since I no longer eat "real" icecream.  Jo Ann assured me it was great.  She's done very well.  That was her first "eis" since we've been here.  

So, yesterday, we were packing up to move on to Nuremberg, Germany.  We realized that we had actually not had an opportunity to walk through the grounds of the Augustinian Cloister in Erfurt and so returned for a second visit.  We learned a bit more about the history of the Monastary and life there.  During the Middle Ages theological books were copied mostly at monastaries such as the one in Erfurt, much like the scribal communties did when copying the Hebrew texts of the Old Testament.  They also did a lot of reading and studying of the books they were copying.  They used to have a very large library but many of the books were destroyed in the bombings of World War II.  

Martin Luther recieved a Bible when he joined the order of the Augustinians, but he had to hand it back when his probitionary period as a novice was over. Jo Ann and I also discovered Martin's cell where he lived at the monastary.  You will also see a picture of the courtyard which is a serene place in the middle of the monastary grounds.  Enjoy the images.

"Where's Pastor?!" 

I've already given it away that we left Erfurt today and came to Nuremberg.  But do you know where in Nuremberg we were today?  I've given some pretty good hints.  And did Luther ever visit Nuremberg? Hmmmmmm??

Luther Quote of the Day

"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."