The Trip That Keeps Growing: Danube River Christmas Market Cruise - 15 December Nuremberg The End of our Cruise

14 December 2022 Nuremberg The End of the Cruise

We arrived in Nuremberg very early in the morning. The weather was damp and cold with a hint of snow in the air. This marks the end of our river cruise, but we will be spending 2 extra days here.

Nuremberg is the quintessential picture of a quaint German town with its narrow cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, an almost intact medieval wall, beautiful squares with churches and their towering Gothic spires standing guard like angels, and a castle perched on top of a sandstone hill. And to add to its beauty, the Pegnitz River runs through the center of the old town. With all its picturesque sites, it is a photographer’s dream. And to top it all off, Nuremberg is world-famous for its Christmas Market, which many call the best Christmas Market in Germany, if not the world. It is also a culinary delight for those who love gingerbread, sausages, and beer, with some Glühwein thrown in for good measure. And those are the reasons we are here.

Nuremberg’s official history began in 1050 AD, but the castle around which the settlement grew, was built about 10 years earlier by the German King and Duke of Bavaria, Henry III. As the settlement grew into a city, it gained its first charter in 1219 and soon became a free imperial city. A free imperial city was a term used by the Holy Roman Empire to denote a self-ruling city that had a certain amount of autonomy and was represented in the Imperial Diet (a deliberative body, but not a legislative body, whose members saw it as a central forum where it was more important to negotiate than to dictate). Nuremberg became an important trade center and by the late middle ages was considered the "most distinguished, best located city of the realm." In 1356 Emperor Charles IV named Nuremberg as the city were every elected ruler had to hold his first Imperial Diet, thus elevating Nuremberg as one of the centers of the Holy Roman Empire.

Nuremberg continued to flourish until the early years of the 19^th century when it lost its status as a free imperial city and became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. By then the trade routes that had been so lucrative in the Middle Ages had shifted from land to sea and the Thirty Years’ War had devastated the area. It wasn’t until the beginning of the industrial age and the development of the first German railway (1835) that linked Nuremberg with Furth that the city began to recover and grow as an industrial center.

But this new-found recovery eventually came with a cost. Because of the railway system that Nuremberg established and the fact that Nuremberg was regarded as “the most German of German cities,” Adolph Hitler chose the city to be the center for his propaganda campaign. Beginning in 1923 to 1938 Nuremberg was host to the annual rally of the Nazi Party. These rallies, with hundreds of thousand attendees, were held in the large outdoor Zeppelin Field on the outskirts of Nuremberg. Hitler also started, but never completed, construction of huge Nazi Congress Hall modeled after the Roman Colosseum. On 15 September 1935, during the annual Rally of the Nazi Party, two antisemitic and racist laws were enacted. The first, Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, forbade marriages between Germans and Jews and also forbade German females under the age of 45 from working in Jewish households. The second law, the Reich Citizenship Law, stated that only those of German blood or related blood could become Reich citizens.

When WWII broke out, Nuremberg was a favorite bombing target for the Allied forces. The most devastating damage occurred on 2 January 1945 when 521 British bombers dropped 6,000 bombs and 1,000,000 incendiary devices. Over 1800 residents of Nuremberg were killed and 100,000 lost their homes. The Old Town was almost destroyed, leading Nuremberg to be one of the most heavily damaged cities in Germany.

On 16 April 1945, the US 7^th Army began a five-day Battle of Nuremberg against Nazi Germany. After four days of fierce urban fighting, the United States captured the city, dealing the Nazis the huge loss of the city that was the center of the Nazi regime. What had not been damaged during the bombing was destroyed during this battle. However, like most of the other German cities destroyed during the war, Nuremberg rose like the Phoenix and rebuilt its city as it had been.

It was only fitting that, after the war, Nuremberg was the site that marked the symbolic demise of the Nazi Party. From 1945 – 1946, a series of military tribunals (known as the Nuremberg Trials) were held by the Allied forces of WWII to prosecute prominent members of the Third Reich. The first trial, held between November 20, 1945 and 1 October 1946, was the Trial of the Major War Criminals which tried 22 of the most prominent and important captured leaders of Nazi Germany. This trial resulted in the conviction and execution of 22 Nazis, the imprisonment of 7 more, and the acquittal of three. In all 12 trials were held in courtroom 600 of the Palace of Justice. The Palace of Justice was selected as the site of the trials as it was large enough and had not been damaged during the war.

Today Nuremberg has returned to its pre-war splendor. After the war there were proposals to build an entirely new city, but these were rejected in favor of rebuilding as it had been. Using pre-war pictures and maps and what rubble could be salvaged, the town patched together monuments, Gothic churches, and the medieval half-timbered homes that had characterized Nuremberg. When it was not possible to simply repair a building or a bridge, a new one was constructed using the architecture of the Middle Ages. This rebuilding took 38 years, but finally, with the reconstruction of the half-timbered chatelain’s house in the Imperial Castle complex, Nuremberg was whole again.

As we again begin our tour of this beautiful city, here are a few interesting facts regarding Nuremberg that have nothing to do with the Nazis or the war. During its prime as a cultural center of Europe and the cradle of German Renaissance, Nuremberg was responsible for the invention of several significant items – the clarinet, the geographic globe, and the first pocket watches which were called the Nuremberg eggs. Nuremberg is also known for its red beer, but I will cover that in a later blog when we visit the Red Beer Cellars. One thing our trip leader strongly impressed upon us was not to call the citizens of Nuremberg “Bavarians.” Although they belong to Bavaria (not by choice if you ask most citizens), they are Franconians. Nuremberg was once part of a region called Franconia, with its own dialects and traditions. But during Napoleon’s rule, they were forced to become part of Bavaria, and many still wish to belong to Franconia (which is not a state of Germany, but rather a region within the state of Bavaria).

After breakfast we departed on a bus tour of several of Nuremburg’s sights. Our first stop was to the Rally (or Zeppelin) Fields where Hitler held his Nazi Rallies each year. Driving to the Field we passed the partially constructed Congress Hall, but we did not stop. At the Rally Fields we were able to walk along the road or parade ground in front of the bleachers while Stefan pointed out some of the buildings that make up the Field. The road where we were walking in front of the Reviewing Stand is now a drag course for car racing enthusiasts. The city has built several sports arenas in the area across the field and the field was lined with bunker-type buildings that are still there. They were, however, not bunkers, but toilets for the thongs that gathered for these rallies. This area has also been the site of several major concerts over the years. Although the city has tried to repurpose some of this area, it still remains as it was during Hitler’s regime, but it is also in need of some major repairs.

From the rally grounds the bus took us to Hauptmarkt, the site of Nuremberg’s fabulous Christmas Market. The first thing we saw (outside of all the booths) was the Schoner Brunnen or “beautiful fountain.” Originally built in the 14th century, what you see today is a 100-year-old copy. In the center of its octagonal pool is an intricately carved spire. Both the pool and the spire are decorated with 40 colorful figures from the Bible, philosophy, the arts, and politics. It is said that you will have good luck and your wish will come true if you spin the ring located on the wrought-iron gate three times. The ring has a fascinating story behind it. The master who built the fountain had an apprentice and a beautiful daughter. They fell in love, but the master would not let his daughter marry the apprentice as he was not good enough. When the master took his daughter on a trip, the apprentice made a brass ring and inserted it seamlessly into the railing of the fountain. He then left Nuremberg sad and lonely and never to return. When the master saw the ring he was so impressed that he changed his mind about the marriage. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending – there was no way of determining where the apprentice had gone, so the daughter was left sad and crying. However, I did turn the ring three times, so maybe I will return to Nuremberg (just like throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain to return to Rome).

Stefan then took us to the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) that dominates the Hauptmarkt square. Built between 1352-1362, the Gothic Frauenkirche sits on the site of a Jewish synagogue that was destroyed during the 1349 pogrom that followed an outbreak of Black Death. The outside façade of the church includes gothic sculptures, intricate brickwork, and a symmetrical design that tapers upwards to a central tower.

It was built at the request of Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor at that time who wanted to use the church for imperial ceremonies which explains the porch with a balcony. One of the first such celebrations was the baptism of Charles’ son Wenceslas in 1361. In addition to its many sculptures and Middle Age works of art, including the 15th century Tucher Altar, it contains the coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, the seven Electors, the town of Nuremberg, and the city of Rome where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned.

Stefan then explained its most notable feature – the Mannleinlaufen, a mechanical clock that sits above the main arched entrance to the church and shows the Holy Roman Emperor seated below the clock with the prince-electors surrounding him. The clock commemorates the Golden Bull of 1356* and was installed sometime between 1506 and 1509. At noon, the clock is activated, and you can watch an animated procession of the seven Prince Electors paying their respect to the Emperor Charles IV. While we did not see this procession today, we did watch the next day during our own tour of Nuremberg.

*The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by Emperor Charles IV, as the head of the of the Imperial Diet of Nuremberg, that fixed for a period of more than 400 years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire, including the manner in which Holy Roman Emperors were elected. Its intention was to eliminate papal interference in the political affairs of Germany and to recognize the importance of the princes, especially the electors, of the empire.

Stefan told us the bus would be returning in about 1 ½ hours to take those who wanted to go back to the ship, or we could stay in Nuremberg and take one of the several shuttle buses that would run between the ship and the market in the afternoon. For those going back to the ship, there was another tour to the Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials were held, for those that were interested. We elected to go back to the ship and then take the afternoon tour.

But for now I was on a mission. I wanted to find the booth that was selling Zwetschgenmannle, which are little prune boys, items that are unique to the Nuremberg Market. These are 6” figures made of dried figs, prunes, raisins and nuts that are one of the most popular German traditional handicrafts and are considered a symbol of good luck. Although they were originally only prune boys when they were first made in 1790, they were eventually joined by prune girls and now there is a whole community of prune people. Their bodies are made of figs, with prunes for their arms and legs. Their hands are raisins, and you sometimes find peanuts (in their shell) for feet. Their heads are painted walnuts. They are then dressed in scraps of fabric in many different ways to reflect their individuality, such as grandmothers with their knitting, guitar players, chimney sweeps, and priests. Mission complete – I found the booth! Now for a mug of Glühwein and my trip to the Christmas Market will be complete.Snow finally began to fall as we were walking through the Market. By the time the bus came to pick us up, we were cold and wet from the snow, but it gave the whole area a wonderful Christmas atmosphere and I am so glad we got to see it in the snow, with the huge white fluffy flakes. Once back on the warm bus, we returned to the ship for lunch and to get ready for our tour of the Palace of Justice.

The Palace of Justice was built between 1909 to 1916 and today houses the appellate and regional courts as well as the public prosecutor’s office. After WWII, it became the site of the Nuremberg Trials, a series of military tribunals by the Allied forces of WWII to prosecute prominent members of the Third Reich.

When we were first in Nuremberg in 2008, there was not much to see expect the outside window of Courtroom 600. It was still an active courtroom and visitors were not allowed. Today it is part of the museum that was built in the Palace of Justice. On our visit, we were given audio phones that would explain the displays that are located on the third floor of the museum. We only had an hour to visit the 3^rd floor, so it was not possible to spend a lot of time on each display. Basically you had to pick and choose which ones interested you the most. It was very well done (other then it was all in German), but it gave you a very good overview of the rise of Nazism, Hitler’s regime, and the war crime trials of the 22 Nazi leaders that were indicted. After the hour, we were all taken down to the actual courtroom where the trials were held. There they had a remarkable 15-minute presentation detailing the layout of the courtroom, where the defendants sat, and how the trial was conducted. It used the latest video technology and was quite an impressive production.

After our tour we returned to the ship for a debarkation briefing and to announce the winner of the gingerbread contest that had been ongoing the entire cruise. There were four groups on our tour – red, blue, yellow, and green. Bill and I were in the red group. They had setup a room on the ship that had 4 plain gingerbread houses, items to be used as decorations, and each day the chef would provide fresh icing. Whoever wanted to participate was welcomed. Although Bill and I did not participate, we had some very creative members of the red group. Below is our gingerbread house which won first place!

We then all went into the dining room for a fabulous farewell dinner to include a procession of all the people who brought us such wonderful food all trip – the chefs and waiters and all the staff that supported them. The meal ended with a flaming baked Alaska dessert. It was then time to say goodbye to our travel companions and return to our room to finish packing. We had to be out of our rooms by 8 AM tomorrow morning. In spite of the cold and damp weather we had, it was a fabulous cruise – one that we really enjoyed. As proof, we returned with 14 mugs that once held glühwein and a carry-on bag of chocolate goodies that they kept putting in our cabins! We had already finished off the bottle of champagne that was gift for being a frequent traveler with OAT/GCT. But for us the trip is not yet over. We have several more days in Nuremberg and Munich before flying home.