Today we begin our drive through a region of Germany that
includes the Fairy Tale road. For those that remember the famous Grimm Brothers
Fairy tales, it was the many towns along this route that inspired the brothers
to write tales such as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and The Pied Piper.
The brothers were born in this area and based their stories upon ancient
legends handed down by word of mouth over many centuries.
In sharp contrast, however, we will also be visiting the
Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp where Amsterdam’s Anne Frank (The Diary of
Anne Frank) was imprisoned and ultimately died, and Ravensbruck, a WWII
all-woman’s work camp during Hitler’s regime.
Other highlights of this six-day trip segment will be
staying in the small town of Fritzler, the birthplace of modern-day Germany,
touring Goslar’s Rammelsberg Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quedlinburg,
the birthplace of the German nation, the old town of Hann-Munden, known for its
700 well preserved half-timbered 14th century houses, and visiting the Wartburg
Castle, high on a mountain above Eisenach.
Wartburg is where Martin Luther was hidden and provided refuge
following his excommunication by the Pope Leo X in 1521. He had also been
condemned as an outlaw by then Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for refusing to
retract his writings opposing some practices of the Catholic Church. Here, over
a ten-week period, Luther translated the Bible from Greek to the language of
the German people.
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| Wartburg Castle...Martin Luther's hiding place. |
