Exploring WW2 History in Eastern Germany

Resisting the seductive temptation of sleeping in, we were soon up and thrust into the soft morning glow. We quickly left our lodgings and took a short tram ride to the true reason we decided to stay in Leipzig in the first place: the Monument to the Battle of the Nations.

This monument was erected in 1913 on the 100th anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Leipzig/Battle of the Nations (the biggest battle of the Napoleonic Wars). The site holds more than just the monstrous concrete monument as it is said to have been the spot of some of the heaviest fighting of the 1813 battle and even saw additional action and bloodshed during WW2. It was truly a humbling and eerie experience in the morning silence as we stood dwarfed in the monument’s shadow, trying to imagine all the action and carnage that took place right beneath our feet centuries ago.

With the monument being our intended final goodbye to Leipzig, we planned to take a simple street car back to the train station and set off to Nuremberg. Unfortunately, time (and public transport) was not the most fortunate to us and we soon found ourselves in a mad race back to the train station to make the next train to Nuremberg. The moment our feet landed on our desired platform, we were able to just catch a disappointing parting glimpse of our intended train as it slipped off into the distance.

Now with an extra half hour back in Leipzig (until our next train), we set back off into the streets and took our time exploring more of the city center that we had skipped by earlier in the morning on our tram ride. Even though we were both pretty downtrodden due to our missed train and the new wrinkles in our itinerary due to this mishap, this small delay actually turned into a positive one. Without this delay, we would never have seen Leipzig’s St. Thomas church (notable for where Bach happened to be the music director along with being a spot where Martin Luther once preached).

After our brief exploration had concluded, we soon found ourselves back at the fateful train station waiting on our next train - now with several minutes to spare to ensure we did not repeat our previous mistake. After grabbing a small breakfast pastry from a local bakery stall (which dominated most train stations in Germany), we were soon on our train and racing towards the medieval town of Nuremberg.

Several hours spent staring out into the dark forests and rolling hilltops from our glazed train window, we soon found ourselves in the medieval fortress-like city of Nuremberg. The very moment we walked out of the train station and into the cold rain, we both instantly knew this city would be special.

Towering steeples sprouted out over the skyline in every direction and each passing building felt like it was pulled directly off the pages of a fantasy story. As we rounded a corner, we were greeted with a colossal ancient church with a small mob of Iranian flags and deafening cries from a loudspeaker. As we sidestepped the small rally, we took several moments to crane our necks and take in the city that lay before us.

Before long, we found ourselves squarely in the midst of a sprawling outdoor market. As we wormed our way through the maze of stalls and dodged cold puddles and overzealous vendors, we soon came upon a looming fountain adorned in gold and intricate statues and carvings. This fountain (Schoner Brunnen) dates back to the 14th century and miraculously survived heavy WW2 bombing and now stands tall as one of Nuremberg’s most visited sites.

With the fountain now in our rear view mirror, we ascended up the cobbled street towards the beaconing hilltop Nuremberg Castle. With the castle nestled upon a large sandstone ridge that overlooks the city, we had the unfavorable task of making the summit up unbelievably steep streets that were now dangerously slippery due to the afternoon’s neverending showers.

With our legs and knees now burning and sore, we finally made our way into the shadow of the historic Nuremberg Castle. Standing for close to a thousand years, this was once the residence of numerous Holy Roman Emperors, German Kings, and countless legends.

As we had purchased a Nuremberg Pass prior to our trip, this allowed us access to multiple attractions and access to free public transport within the city. Fortunately, our pass included entry to the castle and we were soon within its historic walls. We were swept through the interior chambers and were able to retrace the steps of the countless reigning rulers before us. Also housed within the castle were seemingly endless floors of artifacts, weapons, and armor - reminiscent of the Tower of London we previously visited. After it felt that we had explored every forgotten corner within the castle, we were soon snaking our way up the cramped steps into the dim tower.

Though the climb was rather torturous, the resulting views of the castle and the city below solidified its worth. With the icy wind now whipping us in our towering perch, we shuddered as we gazed upon the endless rows of red shingled roofs below. Our vantage point within the tower also gave us a brillant look back at the castle we had just explored.

After making the slow spiraling descent back down the tower, we took a last glance at the castle and started our slippery slide back down the wet streets into the city. Our journey took us to a small underground train station and we were soon racing across the city to our final stop in Nuremberg. We truly had saved the best for last and it wasn’t long before we were standing face-to-face with a historic brick building that housed arguably one of the most important court cases in human history. We were now about to enter the courthouse that held the infamous Nuremberg Trials during the conclusion of WW2, which held many high ranking Nazi officials accountable for their atrocious crimes the years prior.

Though again allowed entry due to the aforementioned Nuremberg Pass, this courthouse is still actively used and is often closed due to active hearings. Luck was shining on us as the courthouse lay vacant on this day and we were soon sitting in a row of wooden benches within the very courtroom that housed the infamous trials 77 years prior. As we sat on the hard wooden bench and listened to the small audio guide pressed up to our ears, we were truly transported back into history and could imagine the emotions in the room as the remaining Nazi leaders were finally held accountable for their actions while the rest of the world intently looked on and became aware of these horrendous crimes.

Finally finding the motivation to pry ourselves off the bench and out of the courtroom, we sped through the upstairs museum (as majority of it was in German) and soon found ourselves back into the cool afternoon air. We had a rather somber walk back to the train station as we spent the moment reflecting on this fascinating but sad part of human history. Before long we were back at the train station and saying our goodbyes to Nuremberg as we whisked down the tracks to our final stop for the day, Regensburg. Dozing off on most of the ride to Regensburg, we eventually skirted into the station late into the afternoon. With the last glimmers of sunlight as our guide, we made the short walk to our hotel (Ibis Hotel Regensburg City) and checked in.

As we had skipped lunch back in Nuremberg, we were now delirious and set out into the streets in a new quest for some nourishment. Even though our hotel was a short distance from the train station, it seemed like a geological oddity as all restaurants seemed extremely distant. With completely empty stomachs and a quickly setting sun at our shoulders, we set off down a maze of alleys and corridors as we lowered our expectations with each passing step.

Though fueled by our hunger and desperation, we found ourselves stopping several times to admire the surrounding architecture and urban landscape. Regensburg is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site for its historic and beautiful buildings and structures and it was clear to see why. However, we found ourselves stopping less and less to admire our surroundings as our hunger continued to build with each moment.

Just about to give up our search, we finally stumbled into a dimly lit restaurant (Burgerheart Regensburg) that was brimming with people. As we approached the host for a table, our joy at finding a restaurant was instantly dashed as he asked if we had a reservation. Heads hung low, we began to make our slow defeated exit. Though I do not believe the host spoke much English, I like to believe he saw our desperation and a brief moment passed before he grabbed us and sat us at a small table in the back. Beyond thankful for a table and finding a spot to eat, we quickly devoured some gourmet burgers and enjoyed some more local beer. With a new found source of energy, we sprang through the now dark streets back to our hotel, putting an end on our long day.

To see the previous day’s adventure, click here.

To move onwards with us along our journey, click here.