Regensburg Lives Up To Its Name
Regen in German means "rain," and that's exactly what we got when we visited Regensburg. We were docked from 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m., and we spent as much time on shore as possible. We chose the Jewish Regensburg tour (a "choice" tour from Uniworld), so our walking tour included an additional stop - the documentation center. That added an hour to our tour, and left us with just a few hours to see Regensburg on our own. We didn't let the rain stop us!
Jewish people had settled in Regensburg somewhere around the year 700 and lived peacefully for over 500 years (with the exception of 1098 when the Crusades passed through Regensburg and forced baptisms on Jews). They contributed to the ever-growing economy, because their merchants had an advantage over other Germans. When they traveled to the Near Far East to buy goods, they could liaison with the local Jewish community and speak a common language (Hebrew) to get them access to traders that couldn't deal in German. The Jewish community also provided much of the capital for the ever-expanding city through lending. In the late 1400's, the economy began to suffer and the climate became more hostile for Regensburg's Jews. Because they were the only people allowed to loan money and charge interest (thanks to the Pope banning Christians from lending in 1100), they were chosen as the scapegoats for the economic downturn. Emperor Maximilian continued to offer them protection, but his death on February 12, 1519 changed everything. Just a few days later, all Jews were evicted from the city with five days notice. The Jewish quarter was burned out, and the synagogue was immediately destroyed. 500 people (the entire Jewish population) left Regensburg on February 25, 1519. The townspeople also raided the Jewish cemetery and used tombstones as part of buildings throughout the town. The remains of the burned out Jewish quarter were used to construct a new church on the site of the destroyed synagogue.
Our tour spent a significant amount of time at Neupfarrplatz, which now stands atop the remnants of the Jewish quarter. The documentation center is underground and utilizes the remains of a Jewish merchant family's basement to tell the story of Regensburg's Jewish history.
There was not a significant Jewish population in Regensburg again until 1900. A new synagogue was constructed in 1913, but it was soon destroyed (I don't remember to context of it's destruction, unfortunately). Today about 1,000 Jewish people live in Regensburg (out of a total population of 150,000), and many of them are of Russian descent.
Here are some pictures from our city tour and visit to the documentation center:
We went back to the ship (where a staff member told Aaron that with his hat he looked like "a real German," as long as he didn't open his mouth) to dry off and get a hot beverage. Then Aaron and I ventured out one more time for a one-hour walk through the city. It was fairly uneventful, but served to reinforce the notion that we love Bavaria, and have dreams of retiring here someday.
Once we were back on the ship, we were treated to a lecture on the Main-Danube canal, which was excellent. We purchased the speaker's book, and I hope to put up a separate post about it at a later date. We really loved the lectures Uniworld offered onboard the ship.
Uniworld Tour: Jewish Regensburg
Our tourguide was actually an American, but he's been living in Regensburg with his wife for quite some time. He told the story of the history of Regensburg—built in the early second century as a Roman fortress, and later expanded with a second ring wall to accommodate the ever-growing, extremely prosperous city in 920. The wealth of Regensburg was displayed through the 90 towers dotting the skyline (60 private and 30 religious). Towers were expensive to build, and they were a sign of wealth. Twenty of these towers have been preserved in present-day Regensburg.Jewish people had settled in Regensburg somewhere around the year 700 and lived peacefully for over 500 years (with the exception of 1098 when the Crusades passed through Regensburg and forced baptisms on Jews). They contributed to the ever-growing economy, because their merchants had an advantage over other Germans. When they traveled to the Near Far East to buy goods, they could liaison with the local Jewish community and speak a common language (Hebrew) to get them access to traders that couldn't deal in German. The Jewish community also provided much of the capital for the ever-expanding city through lending. In the late 1400's, the economy began to suffer and the climate became more hostile for Regensburg's Jews. Because they were the only people allowed to loan money and charge interest (thanks to the Pope banning Christians from lending in 1100), they were chosen as the scapegoats for the economic downturn. Emperor Maximilian continued to offer them protection, but his death on February 12, 1519 changed everything. Just a few days later, all Jews were evicted from the city with five days notice. The Jewish quarter was burned out, and the synagogue was immediately destroyed. 500 people (the entire Jewish population) left Regensburg on February 25, 1519. The townspeople also raided the Jewish cemetery and used tombstones as part of buildings throughout the town. The remains of the burned out Jewish quarter were used to construct a new church on the site of the destroyed synagogue.
Our tour spent a significant amount of time at Neupfarrplatz, which now stands atop the remnants of the Jewish quarter. The documentation center is underground and utilizes the remains of a Jewish merchant family's basement to tell the story of Regensburg's Jewish history.
There was not a significant Jewish population in Regensburg again until 1900. A new synagogue was constructed in 1913, but it was soon destroyed (I don't remember to context of it's destruction, unfortunately). Today about 1,000 Jewish people live in Regensburg (out of a total population of 150,000), and many of them are of Russian descent.
Here are some pictures from our city tour and visit to the documentation center:
This is the old stone bridge that entered the city. It's a hallmark of Regensburg, and it's currently undergoing restoration.
One of the many privately-owned towers in Regensburg, a sign of wealth in medieval times.
One of the tombstones from the Jewish cemetery that was used in construction throughout the city. They were proudly displayed, and the city has decided to leave them there so they don't forget their history.
These little gold plaques are all throughout the city. They're installed in front of homes where Jewish people lived that lost their lives in the holocaust.
The stairs leading down to the basement of a merchant's home in the Jewish quarter. It was destroyed in 1519, but the area below ground was excavated for the documentation center.
This was the entirety of the basement, where Jewish families would store spices, silk, and other valuables. This particular basement is now a viewing area for a documentary about the Regensburg Jewish quarter.
This little alcove was for the candle or lamp that the family would use to light the basement. It was kept in this protective area to guard against fire. Ironically, the Jewish quarter was eventually destroyed by fire, but the basements remained even after the neighborhood was demolished.
Oskar Schindler, whose story was portrayed in the film Schindler's List, lived in Regensburg. A plaque marks the house he lived in.
A full view of the house.
Visiting Regensburg's Historic Sausage Kitchen
After leaving the tour, we went to Wurstkuchl, said to be the oldest sausage house in Germany. We each had a plate of six sausages and kraut, which was almost enough to fill us up ... but not enough for us to say no to dessert!The Wurstkuchl on a rainy day, before it opened.
One of the cooks getting ready for a long day of serving sausages. The kitchen is quite small, and all the eating areas are outside (some parts are protected from a rain by the tent).
We got the smallest possible order: 6 sausages with kraut for a cost of 8,40 Euro.
We we clearly happy customers, even if it was still raining!
Dampfnudel-Uli: Regensburg's Hidden Gem
We headed over to Dampfnudel-Uli. Our cruise manager told us (after our visit) that they have the best dampfnudel in Regensburg. Our guide had said something similar, and we had been disappointed with the dampfnudel we had in Munich, so we decided to give it another shot. I'm so glad we did - these fluffy pillows covered in vanilla sauce were a revelation. By the time we left, the small restaurant was packed and we appeared to be the only tourists in it (I was thankful for my limited German in this restaurant). The walls of the restaurant are decorated with the photos of famous people that have been there, but I don't care if it was a hole in the wall—I'd recommend it to anyone that has a chance to visit. The hours are fairly limited: Wednesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., closed Sunday - Tuesday. Let's just say I'm glad we happened by the place around lunchtime on a Friday.Delicious, lovely dampfnudel
Cathedral of St. Peter
Our next step was St. Peter's Cathedral. Our guide said they don't like to let tour groups into the church, but it's free entry if you go on your own. They have helpful pamphlets at the door pointing out the interesting sights in the church. Yes, this was just another cathedral, but for some reason I was enthralled by this one. The architecture and stained glass was beautiful. We also went downstairs to the crypt, where bishops have been buried for hundreds of years. We spent maybe 20 minutes here, and it was definitely worth our time.The interior of this beautiful gothic cathedral.
View from the entrance to the alter.
Opulent silver alter flanked by stained glass windows.
Names of all the bishops from Regensburg that were buried here.
The cathedral towers over the square.
Aaron Completes His German Look
Our last stop before heading back to the ship was Der Hutmacher, a famous hat store that's provided headwear for royalty and Pope Benedict XVI. Now Aaron owns one of their hats. He's anxious to wear it to Milwaukee's Oktoberfest celebrations.Aaron showing off his hat.
Mom showing off Aaron's hat.
We went back to the ship (where a staff member told Aaron that with his hat he looked like "a real German," as long as he didn't open his mouth) to dry off and get a hot beverage. Then Aaron and I ventured out one more time for a one-hour walk through the city. It was fairly uneventful, but served to reinforce the notion that we love Bavaria, and have dreams of retiring here someday.
It was great to warm up with a cup of tea...swiftly provided by the amazing Uniworld servers.
Once we were back on the ship, we were treated to a lecture on the Main-Danube canal, which was excellent. We purchased the speaker's book, and I hope to put up a separate post about it at a later date. We really loved the lectures Uniworld offered onboard the ship.
Another Excellent Uniworld Dinner
Then, it was time for another delicious dinner. Aaron and I chose to eat alone at a table for two this evening, and we had our favorite server, Ogy. He treated us well, we enjoyed our meal as always, and we were the first to leave the dining room. That gave us time to discuss our next vacation (more details on that later if we finalize it). Suffice it to say, we loved what Uniworld had to offer and would like to travel with them again.The server asked if I wanted red or white, and the answer for tonight was, "both!"
Appetizer: creamy chicken mushroom ragu in a puffed pastry shell
Soup: cream of Bavarian mustard
Entree: roasted duck breast with red wine cranberry sauce, apple red cabbage, romanesco, and potato dumplings
Dessert: warm hazlenut chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and orange compote
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