Germany trip continued
October 27, 2008 – 6:00 amAs I mentioned in the last blog, World War II was much on our minds as my daughter and I traveled through Germany.
Even while I was still at home before leaving on our trip, an elderly neighbor, who had served with the 4th Armored Division during World War II, and I were discussing my upcoming trip. When I mentioned I was going to Koblenz, he told me had crossed the Mosel near Koblenz and had liberated the town. He also shared his written memoir that tells of crossing the Rhine River on a pontoon bridge under cover of artificial fog, while German bombers dived down at them in an attempt to stop their progress. From his memoir, it appears that he spent a considerable amount of time in the mud.
When we arrived at Koblenz, we learned that the town had been almost totally destroyed during the war. The square where our hotel was located had been completely restored to resemble its appearance before the war. It was a lovely square surrounded by a variety of buildings - church, restaurants, stores, and our hotel.
Even though the majestic Cologne cathedral had received fourteen hits by aerial bombs, it remained standing while all around was rubble. Some attributed its good fortune to divine intervention, but others suggested the structure of the cathedral was such that it could survive these bombings.
One area that was severely effected was the country of Luxembourg. Many of the men were drafted for the German army, others were sent to concentration camps or prisons, 81% of the Jews living in Luxenbourg before May 10, 1940 died, and a third of the houses were completely destroyed along with several churches and monasteries. Seeing the modern city that has arisen, one would not have thought such devastation could have occurred.
And finally, the city of Trier was heavily bombed during World War II, but one would not realize that visiting there now. Many of its ancient building and ruins from Roman times are still standing, most famous being the Porta Negra, a Roman wall from the year 2000.
The amount of history these cities have recorded is astounding. We like to think of our historic cities – Philadelphia, Boston, and Williamsburg – and come up short when we realize they are only a few hundred years old. I don’t know how anyone can master the history of Germany, or many other countries, for that matter.
For World War II stories, please go to www.peggeorge.com.
