Exploring Meck-Pom a Stark Wedding and a Special Trip
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip to Potsdam and through MecklenbergWest Pomerania from May 28-June 12, 2019. Photos by Susan Hanes, c. 2019 Cover: The Baltic from the Binz Promenade
Exploring Meck-Pom a Stark Wedding and a Special Trip May 28—June 12, 2019 It was back in October 2018 when I first learned from Dagmar and Klaus Stark that their son Anselm was going to marry
Michaela Philibert. I was thrilled to share this happy news. I have known Anselm since the early 1980s when the Navy moved our family to Stuttgart and I had asked an American friend to introduce me to a German woman with children the same ages as my own sons. She arranged for me to meet Dagmar and the friendship that began that day in 1983 has continued for nearly 40 years. In that time, we have made visits to each other on both sides of the Atlantic and exchanged children more than once. And we have written letters; hundreds and hundreds of letters that now fill more than 15 volumes on our respective bookshelves. So it was with great joy that I learned of Anselm’s forthcoming marriage and that I was invited to be a part of it. For months, as Michi and Anselm planned their wedding, Dagmar and I made our plans too. It was decided that I would arrive a few days prior to the wedding in order to get adjusted to the time change, and that Dagmar, Klaus and I would make a trip together for a couple of weeks afterwards. Little did I know that this trip would be so extraordinary. The wedding was one of the happiest occasions I can recall, and the trip that Dagmar and Klaus planned for me was perfect in every way. We would drive from Potsdam through magical cities in Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the Polish city of Szczecin where Anselm is stationed with the Bundeswehr. There we would spend the final days of the trip in his apartment. For two weeks, the three of us shared happy experiences in a part of Germany that few Americans—or even Europeans—are familiar with. We explored 13th century Hansa towns where we were awed by remarkable Brick Gothic churches and charmed by impeccably-restored houses. We enjoyed fish fresh from the Baltic and good German wines. We indulged in cream-filled cakes and colorful eis cones. And we savored a rare opportunity to share experiences that we will never forget. 1
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Wednesday, May 29
Potsdam, Germany
I’m finally up and dressed at 6:30 a.m. after going to bed yesterday at 3:00 in the afternoon. I am hoping that 15 hours of sleep has helped the worst case of jet lag I can remember. The cold that I had been fighting off since I left Chicago on Tuesday finally kicked in about half-way across the Atlantic, and in spite of my comfortable Business Class seat and a healthy dinner of herbed salmon and salad, it came on with a vengeance. But this morning I awoke to blue skies and a fresh breeze blowing from the balcony and I hope that rest and time will do their magic. I will meet Dagmar and Klaus in a few minutes but first will try and catch up with my journal. I left Chicago on Aer Lingus 122 to Dublin on Tuesday afternoon. It was a smooth flight and I was pleasantly surprised that I had been awarded an upgrade to Business. As I stretched my legs out, I recalled the tail-of-the-plane seats we had on our flight to Shanghai: 15 hours with our knees scraping the seats in front of us. Little good did it do me, however, as I slept fitfully (read: not at all) and was wrung out as we landed at 5:00 a.m. in Dublin. It was nearly a mile walk from Gate 407 to Gate 307 for my 6:40 a.m. Aer Lingus flight to Berlin Tegel (TXL). That plane must have been one of the oldest in their fleet and I was surprised that even coffee was for sale. During the two-hour flight, the crew rolled a cart of food and drinks and another of jewelry and cosmetics down the aisle, two times each, creating a quite a different atmosphere than on their longhaul flight from Chicago.
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We landed at 10:00 a.m. and after a seamless clearing of customs and baggage claim, I exited to find Dagmar and Klaus smiling and waving at me. There were hugs and happy laughter all around before they bundled me into my old place in the back seat of their car and off we went towards Potsdam. They were overjoyed that it was a nice day, for the weather had been dreary for their entire visit to the Harz, from which they had just come. We parked near Potsdam’s Brandenburg Gate leading to the pedestrian zone in the old town. Down a cobbled street we found a bakery and shared a Windbeutel—the classic German cream puff. I am not sure how much we actually shared it, as my love for German schlagsahne had not dimmed in the four years since my last visit. We thought we’d look for a place for a healthier meal but Café Babette where we had a light lunch was, as Klaus put it, “a tourist trap.” I was relieved when we headed for the hotel. The Kongress Hotel is a massive complex of buildings where members of the Stark wedding party are staying. We checked in and D&K saw me to a small, immaculate room where, after a shower, I closed the curtains and collapsed for the next 15 hours.
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Potsdam
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Thursday, May 30
Potsdam
It was a beautiful spring day—too fine to drive very far, we decided, especially when Potsdam is filled with beautiful parks and historic places. After a sumptuous breakfast buffet, we drove to Cecilienhof Palace. Cecilienhof, a UNESCO site, was built by the Hohenzollerns who ruled Prussia and the German Empire until the end of World War I. It is famous for having been the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945, in which the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States made important decisions affecting the shape of post-war Europe. Any thought we had of touring the palace was rejected when we encountered throngs of senior tour groups queued up to go in. Instead, we strolled along tree-lined paths through the park, which we had nearly to ourselves.
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Cecilienhof Palace a UNESCO site 7
After retrieving the car, we drove a short distance to the Theodor Fontane Archives, which we found closed on this Ascension Day. Our timing was unfortunate, as Germany is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the author’s birth and there are wide-ranging events planned to celebrate his legacy. Posing in front of the archives building for pictures with the bust of Fontane would have to suffice today. Fontane (1819-1898) is regarded by many as Germany’s most important 19th century realist author. His novel, Effi Briest, may be one of the finest tragic novels of its time and has been compared to such books as Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. The story is set in the Pomeranian port of Kessin, which he loosely modeled on Swinemünde (Świnoujście in Polish) on the island of Usedom. Fontane himself lived there as a child. He later spent time in other seaside towns that we will be visiting on this trip. I am enjoying reading this book as I travel, as Fontane presents a lively description of provincial life in the areas we will be driving through.
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We visited the quaint Russian village of Alexandrowka, in the center of Potsdam. Consisting of fourteen rustic houses and a church, the colony was built in 1826 to house the families of twelve Russian singers who remained from King Frederick William III’s choir, as a gesture of goodwill between the Hohenzollerns and Romanovs. The colony was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The small Russian Orthodox church stands on a hill in the forest nearby; it is named after Tsar Alexander’s patron saint, Alexander Nevsky.
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We continued up Pfingstberg hill to the newly restored Belvedere, built between 1849 and 1869 by Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse, who modeled it on the Villa Medici in Rome. We climbed one of its two towers for a magnificent view of Potsdam and environs.
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We drove to the Dutch Quarter next. With its 134 houses, it is the largest complex of its kind outside the Netherlands. The quarter was constructed following the orders of Frederick William I and was completed in 1740. He determined that building Dutch houses would attract Dutch craftsmen, whose skills he admired. Today, the picturesque rows of gabled brick houses have been taken over by cafés and galleries. People were sitting out under the trees and umbrellas, enjoying hot chocolate or Aperol spritzes.
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Dutch Quarter
At 4:00, we returned to the old town and met Kilian and Esken Stark (Anselm’s oldest and youngest sons) for dinner at Mylia Vietnamese Kitchen. They had just arrived from Rendsburg for their father’s wedding and we were happy to catch them for a meal together. We left them in a long line for ice cream cones and returned to the hotel where I made it another early night, trying to get the best of my cold. 15
Friday, May 31
the Wedding of Michi & Anslem
So far, the leisurely hours to quietly journal have not been forthcoming. Being with the Familie Stark is not unlike joining the Van Trapps, minus the singing. Today was the wedding day of Anselm Stark and Michaela Philibert. At 2:15, Dagmar and Klaus hurried off to the church, taking a car full of props and assorted children. I followed, riding with Dagmar’s cousin Ulrike Potstada and her husband Herbert, with Vivi’s husband Benni sharing the back seat with me. Benni and Vivi have a daughter, Hanna (whose baptism I attended in 2015) and a son, Lukas, bringing the number of Stark grandchildren to 11, ranging in age from 23 to 2. Adding Michi’s son Ben to the mix, the Starks can claim an even dozen, nearly unheard of in today’s Germany. We suffered a significant delay exiting the hotel’s garage, necessitating Ulrike making two trips to Reception to get the proper ticket stamped. With three GPS systems guiding us, we made it to the Alte Neuendorfer Kirche at 3:05, just five minutes behind starting time. Now deconsecrated, the church has become a popular venue for nonreligious wedding ceremonies. Slipping into the few remaining seats, we just beat the bride as Pachelbel’s Canon in D heralded the beginning of the wedding. Rather than a minister, the officiant was more of a Master of Ceremonies, skilled at making the service flawless, meaningful, and fun. He related the story of how Anselm and Michi met (at a disco when her friend wanted to leave and she wanted to say on that providential evening). He told all assembled what each liked about the other and how they and their four sons were now creating a true blended family. To illustrate that point, the bride and groom lifted a table to the center of what had once been the altar. Their boys came forward and each took a glass bottle of sand of a different color and topped with a glass heart stopper. Together they poured the sand into a single mound while the officiant softly sang Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. After Anselm said some final words, we were all encouraged to join in singing Eine neue Liebe ist wie ein neues Leben as the smiling couple made their way down the aisle of happy well-wishers. (Dagmar admitted to me that she has watched the video I recorded over and over; I admitted the same thing to her.)
Eine neue Liebe ist wie ein neues Leben, nananananana Was einmal war, ist vorbei und vergessen und zählt nicht mehr Eine neue Liebe ist wie ein neues Leben, nananananana Mir ist, als ob ich durch dich neu geboren wär Heute fängt ein neues Leben an Deine Liebe, die ist Schuld daran Alles ist so wunderbar, dass man es kaum verstehen kann A new love ushers in a new life, nananananana Whatever once was, it's over, forgoBen and unimportant A new love ushers in a new life, nananananana I feel like I was born again thanks to you A new life starts today Your love is the reason Everything is so wonderful it's beyond comprehension 16
Everyone gathered outside in the church garden to watch as a sheet was unfurled that had been painted with a big red heart. Anselm and Michi were given scissors and each cut out half of the heart. The sheet was held up and Anselm lifted his bride through the hole that remained; rather like stepping over the threshold. I don’t think it worked out quite the way it was intended but their kiss as he held her in his arms made for a fine photo nonetheless. (When I later sent the picture I took to Em, she commented, “What a sexy couple!”) From the church, a parade of cars drove to the Henning von Tresckow Kaserne in Geltow, the command which plans and manages the foreign missions of the Bundeswehr. After our identification cards and passports were inspected, we followed the line of cars to the Officer’s Club at the top of a tree-lined hill for the reception and wedding dinner. The evening’s festivities began with a champagne toast, followed by the releasing of dozens of heart-shaped red balloons to float up and away into the clouds. The wedding dinner featured an enormous buffet, punctuated by singing, recitations, and stories told by friends, co-workers, and family. There was even a fire eater. Afterwards, a DJ carried the party well into the early morning. We were far from the first to leave and I got to bed at 2:30 a.m. 17
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Saturday, June 1
Potsdam
The night was short, and I met D&K at 9:00, feeling pretty sleep-deprived. As Dagmar and I discussed the wedding, she told me how interesting she found it, as she and Klaus would never have revealed their feelings in public the way Anselm and Michi did. She told me that she thinks that Michi is the perfect wife for Anselm and for his career, as she is such a loving, social, and sympathetic woman and will not place burdens on him and his demanding schedule. At 2:00, the Stark and Potstada families gathered at the pier in Potsdam for a lazy six-hour cruise on a barge-like party boat along the Havel River, as far as the famous Glienicke Bridge (the Cold War "Spy Bridge"). Anselm had arranged the whole event, which went off perfectly. Three generations played, chatted, and sipped cold drinks as the boat slipped past scenic monuments and castles along the way. I enjoyed long talks with Angela, Benni’s sister, who is a counselor and has just completed a course in therapeutic touch, and with Wilko, who is in the midst of a career change. He shared his thoughts about the automotive industry, which he feels is coming to an end as we know it, as self-driving cars, e-bikes, and public transportation take on a greater share of human mobility. He feels that change is coming to the world more quickly than at any other time in human history. He rues the fact that he sees China becoming the world’s superpower, since it has unlimited manpower and lacks the quality of life issues demanded by western workers. He said that today’s young workers in the West do not care so much for cars or material goods, but feel it is more important to have time off from work and the freedom to indulge in experiences. Eventually, the boat turned off into a small cove and a second boat pulled up next to ours. As the Stark brothers fired up the grill on board the second boat, the kids were free to jump and play in the water while steaks and sausages sizzled and a feast materialized. At 8:00 we docked back at the pier in Potsdam after a perfect family day. (Only Wilko’s daughter, Alexia, was not there, as she had come down with a bad cold.) Dagmar commented that the decision to have the wedding on a Friday had been a brilliant one, for it allowed everyone to stay and enjoy this unique family time before returning home.
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Hanna, Lukas & Fredrich; Hanna
Angela, Vivi, Wilko, Benni, Lukas, Michi’s mother, Klaus
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Eike & Anna; Dagmar, Wilko & Julia; Anselm
Wilko; Vivi & Benni
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Sunday, June 2
to Wismar
A leisurely breakfast in the hotel garden gave family members a chance to be together again before they headed off in various directions. D&K and I loaded the car, relieved that we were free to start on our trip without having to take wedding paraphernalia back to Berlin. We got on the northbound autobahn, glad that the traffic was heading south into the city. Our destination for the next two nights was Wismar, located in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (or as the Germans say, “MeckPom�). Thirty kilometers south of Wismar, we stopped for lunch at Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and its oldest city. Its origins go back to the 11th century when the Slavs built a fortress on what is now an island in the middle of the town. It is a lovely little city, rich with interesting architecture that has been carefully restored. Since it is famous for its potato dishes, we hoped to enjoy some potato soup, but the restaurant notable for its special recipe was closed. Instead we were lured to the Kartoffelhaus where we had heavy potato-cheese dishes that were a sure cure for thoughts of dinner later. Afterwards we crossed the bridge to Schwerin Castle (nominated as a UNESCO site) and explored its formal Baroque gardens with views of the surrounding lake.
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Schwerin 27
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Schwerin
When we reached the market place in the old town, the last rays of sunlight were glistening on its remarkable buildings, some dating from the 14th century and each demonstrating a particular chapter of architectural history. A Hanseatic port city, Wismar’s unique architecture earned its 2002 designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We checked into the Steigenberger Hotel, right on the square, and met for drinks a short time later at the Alter Schwede, a Brick Gothic mansion built in 1380. It has been a restaurant since 1878.
Wismar a UNESCO site 30
Monday, June 3
Wismar
As arranged, I knocked on D&K’s door at 9:00 and we found a place for breakfast on the far side of the square. Café Hegede was pleasant but pricey and Klaus determined that we could do better tomorrow. We walked through the old town in the direction of the harbor, stopping to visit several examples of the Gothic Brick buildings that dot the town. I particularly liked the Church of the Holy Spirit, built in the 13th century and serving as both hospital and church, with beds for the ill and poor set up in the nave. Its distinctive flat and brightly painted ceiling was installed in the 17th century after a gunpowder explosion tore off its formerly gabled roof; it reminded me of the paintings I’d seen in the wooden churches of Maramures in Romania. The carved wooden pew markers, naïve paintings, and a 14th century meditation fresco were highlights. We saw the 81-meter-high church tower of St. Mary’s; it is all that remains of the city’s main parish church after it was bombed in 1945. We took the elevator to the top of St. George’s Church, first mentioned in the 13th century and subsequently rebuilt over the centuries. From the top, we enjoyed views of the harbor and the city, with St. Nicholas Church standing impressively in the distance. It is the second highest brick church in the world (after the Marienkirche in Lübeck). I love the Gothic Brick architecture that we are finding here in Meck-Pom; it is so warm and looks beautiful against the blue skies that we have fortunately encountered so far. We eventually found ourselves at the old harbor where the ancient buildings have been repurposed as apartments and fishing boats are tied up near stands selling fresh fish brötchen.
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As we sat together looking out on the water, we suddenly decided to go to Lübeck, a short drive west. I had hoped to see this famous Hanseatic city and Dagmar wanted to show me the unfortunate development there in comparison to the beautifully restored towns in the former DDR. By 1:00 we were on the road, arriving in Lübeck an hour later. As we approached the city, I recognized the iconic Holstentor with its enormous round towers and arched entrance. I remembered seeing it pictured on the old 50 Deutschmark note, back when we lived in Germany in the 1980s. We left the car in a hideous parking garage that nearly overwhelmed the church next to it and walked to the Marktplatz in a light drizzle. Dagmar sadly pointed out the thoughtless construction that spoiled what should have been an exquisite area. On two sides of the square, the Rathaus is an elegant structure of dark glazed brick, built on a gallery of arcades. The other sides were marred by 1970s-era department stores. We passed under the arcade to Breite Strasse where we stopped for cakes and coffee at Niederegger, producer of fine Lübeck marzipan since 1806. D&K waited for me while I visited Buddenbrookhaus, the 1758 building that Thomas Mann featured in his renowned novel of the patrician Lübeck family. It is now a center devoted to the works of the Mann dynasty. I also visited the Günter Grass Haus, where the Nobel laureate once worked. Today it serves as a museum and forum for literature and the visual arts. Nearby, we discovered the Füchtingshof, a charming courtyard of small apartments that has served as housing for the widows of sailors and merchants since 1639. The gate was open, enabling us to have a peek into another aspect of life in this Hanseatic city. It was nearly 5:00 when we redeemed the car for a rainy drive back to Wismar. We returned to the Alter Schwede for dinner, this time enjoying its cozy brick interior. I tried the traditional Mecklenburg potato soup that we’d missed earlier and we all enjoyed varieties of local fish. 36
Lübeck
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Marktplatz & Füchtingshof
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GĂźnter Grass Haus & Buddenbrookhaus
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Tuesday, June 4
to Warnemünde
Before leaving Wismar, we visited St. Nicholas Church, completed in 1487 as a place of worship for sailors and fishermen. We were enchanted by this fine example of medieval brick architecture, and equally, by the organ that was consecrated in 2010. We were treated to a special experience, listening as someone played the magnificent organ—from traditional hymns to Procol Harum’s Whiter Shade of Pale and The Beatles’ Hey Jude, surprisingly suited for that instrument.
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St. Nicholas Wismar
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It was noon when we left, driving along charming allĂŠes toward KĂźhlungsborn, a seaside resort on the Baltic coast. Notable were the thatched-roof houses that we passed. This style of roof was used in earlier times as an inexpensive alternative, but today craftsmen who know the trade are rare and thatched roofs have become costly. I shared with D&K that we had once lived beneath a thatched roof at the US Embassy Residence in Cape Town. The fields we passed were filled with orange, white, and yellow wildflowers which Dagmar said had been planted to attract bees. We discussed the problem of wind farms, as we saw several. Klaus explained that they not only kill useful insects but they only generate about 10-20% electricity, not the 100% that proponents of green energy would have us believe. Nearing the coast, we had our first view of the Baltic Sea, glistening over a mound of yellow wildflowers. 42
We turned down a lane to Kühlungsborn, so narrow that cars had to stop to allow passage to those coming the other way. We found a place to park and walked along a promenade between the forest and a sandy beach dotted with wicker strandkörbe or “beach baskets.” If I had a garden (or a beach) I would love to have one. Dagmar agreed but said that they are very expensive. After checking out an outdoor craft market and stopping for a Windbeutel (this time, with eis), we returned to the car and continued to Heiligendamm. The oldest spa resort in continental Europe, Heiligendamm is an exclusive spot where the Duke of Mecklenburg would entertain guests. The Grand Hotel now occupies the site of the Duke’s exclusive retreat. Along the promenade, grand 19th century resort mansions still stand, surrounded by impressive lots, in various stages of restoration. I was amazed that these houses had been allowed to remain unoccupied for more than 150 years and only now were being artfully restored as luxury apartments. In most parts of the world, I pointed out to my friends, they would have been cleared out long ago to make way for high rise hotels. D&K explained that the owners of these magnificent homes had left the DDR and nothing could be done with them until those who had inherited them could be found. This was starting to happen and these homes would soon be habitable once again, although this time, with multiple families. Walking back through the forest, we encountered a Gothic Brick chapel tucked away amongst the trees.
Kühlungsborn
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Heiligendamm Grand Hotel 45
We had time enough to stop in the town of Bad Doberan to see its famous Münster. We had read that this former Cistercian monastery church, completed in 1368, remains one of the most beautiful examples of the Brick Gothic style. I was happy to see that the church appears to be both well-supported and actively used. That is too often not the case. We walked through the abbey ruins before returning to the car and continuing our drive to Warnemünde. Once a lazy fishing village, it is now the town of Rostock’s most popular holiday beach. We took a small ferry across the canal to the Hohe Düne, a rambling yachting and spa hotel on its own private peninsula. When we arrived at this elegant resort, I was concerned about the price of my room but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was 140 Euro a night. Once we were settled, we went for fresh Baltic fish at one of the hotel’s five restaurants. Sitting outside by the private harbor, we savored the gentle breeze and watched the sun setting as it neared 10:00.
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Bad Doberan
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Wednesday, June 5
Warnemünde
This morning we indulged in a long swim in the spa’s Olympic-sized pool, which we had to ourselves. Various nozzles along the sides provided unobtrusive massages to all body parts. After dressing, we took the ferry—as pedestrians this time—across to the town where we found a café for breakfast. We walked along the water and poked into an array of crowded shops displaying beach wear and souvenirs. Fishing boats moored below offered seafood treats to hungry tourists. On the street behind, we walked along a neat row of identical sailors’ cottages before crossing back to the peninsula. That evening, we once again had dinner overlooking the resort’s private harbor, this time trying the hotel’s Italian restaurant. Off in the distance we watched as a half-dozen container ships slipped silently into the descending dusk.
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Stralsund a UNESCO site
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Thursday, June 6
to Binz
The ferry carried us back to town and we continued over the Rostock
St. Nicholas Church Stralsund
Bridge to Stralsund, Wismar’s slightly larger UNESCO sister city and another member of the Hanseatic League. Its Gothic Brick buildings were inspired by Lübeck, its powerful neighbor. Once again, I was glad that we had decided to go to Lübeck, for it has provided me with a frame of reference for the other Hanseatic ports we are visiting on this trip. Klaus once again found a convenient parking place, near the Neuer Marktplatz. At the Brasserie Grand Café on the square, we had omelets and coffee, sitting in the garden at the back. It was a short walk down the cobbled pedestrian shopping district to the Alter Markt. We saw that the Rathaus bore a striking resemblance to the openwork gables and arcade of the town hall in Lübeck. St. Nicholas Church was adjacent to it. Built in the 13th century, the church also reflected Lübeck’s Gothic influence. Like so many of the other places we’ve visited, Stralsund boasts street after street of impeccably restored buildings with very few unsightly modern structures. Ongoing restoration work was evident everywhere.
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By 3:00 we had crossed the causeway from Stralsund to Rügen and were on our way to Binz, a seaside resort on the southwest coast. Rügen is Germany’s largest island, with an area of 360 square miles. With its distinctive resort architecture, diverse landscape, and long, sandy beaches, it has become a popular tourist destination, particularly among the Germans, who crave sun and fresh air. We checked into the Dorint Beach Hotel just before 4:00 and not a moment too soon. The area was surrounded by a series of severe thunderstorms which we watched from the comfort of our rooms. Venturing out did not make sense and we enjoyed a lazy afternoon and a dinner of Baltic cod at the hotel.
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Friday, June 7
Binz
It stormed all night but by the time we met for breakfast, the sky was beginning to clear. We walked down the promenade toward the main square, attractively framed in wisteria. I was impressed by the beautifully restored Bäderarchitektur (German coast resort architecture) buildings along the way, each with a poster nearby showing it at its prime. Remarkably, each looked much as it had originally. On the other side of the walk, the soft sandy beach and the azure sea lay just 54
behind a forest of beech trees.
Binz Bäderarchitektur then and now
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We drove north along Rügen’s coast to the UNESCO designated Jasmund National Park. We walked out on the Königsstuhl (King’s Chair), an observation deck that offered views of the white chalk cliffs (Kreidefelsen) looming over the expanse of the Baltic. Rügen, along with Dover, England, once belonged to a large chalk plateau that has largely disappeared as a result of tectonic movement. German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich’s Chalk Cliffs on Rügen, painted in 1818, gives a sense of the way the area once appeared before erosion and vegetation took over.
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We returned by way of Sellin, another spa resort on the north coast. Sellin’s main attraction is its historic reconstructed Seebrücke that dates to 1901. We sat out on the pier and sipped sanddorn spritzes. Also known as sea-buckthorn, sanddorn is a species of flowering plant grown locally that is reputed to have positive health benefits. Back in Binz, D&K dropped me off at the main square. While they rested, I shopped my way back to the hotel, looking into interesting clothing boutiques and amber (Bernstein in German) shops. I treated myself to some dark grey amber beads that I had noticed last night. We met for dinner at Gosch, a popular seafood chain that began on the island of Sylt on the North Sea. Dagmar told me that the Germans are crazy for this place, as it has the chaotic feel of a beer tent that Germans love. The restaurant was packed with people of all ages, wielding babies, strollers, canes, and dogs. Patrons ordered and picked up their own food and drinks and often cleared tables in order to claim one that had just become available. And the food was great.
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Saturday, June 8
to Ahlbeck
I awoke to a beautiful morning. Taking deep breaths of the fresh, slightly salty
ANTIK. Peering closer, I discovered that the sign was advertising an antique
air felt like a cleansing of the whole body. The hotel breakfast room was
show there in Putbus for this very day. Looking askance at my friends who
crowded with families with kids and Oma and Opa in tow who had arrived for
know me well, they agreed to go. We found a lucky parking place (Klaus does
the long Pentacosta weekend. We checked out at 11:30 and headed for the
seem to have a real knack for finding parking spots) and followed the signs
town of Putbus, the “white town” in the southeast of Rügen. It was founded in
through a lovely park to the Marstall, an 1824 stables where the show was
1810 by Prince William Malte as a royal seat and bathing resort. Although the
being held. With warm memories of my German antiquing days in the 1980s, I
castle was demolished in 1960, the white neo-Classical buildings remain. Most
was bracing myself for disappointment, knowing that things change and
of these are situated around an oak-filled circus, their brilliant white accenting
recollections have a way of enhancing reality. But when I stepped inside, I knew
an abundance of lush rose bushes. Suddenly I spotted a small sign that said
that this time, I was lucky. It was just the kind of small show tucked away in some little town that had captivated me so many years ago. I scanned the tables, finding many familiar items that had delighted me before—an enamel box labeled Topflappen (pot holders); a wooden pie crust crimper; a metal Zwiebeln (onions) bin. On a table of old linens tended by a middle-aged woman, I spotted a touch of red poking out from underneath a pile of table cloths. When I pulled it out, I discovered that it was a delicate sampler stitched in red thread, with a traditional alphabet and numbers on one end and a collection of names (Hermann, Hennig, Otto, etc.), each in a different style, on the other. After asking the age and price in my best antiquing-German, I asked her if she spoke English. “A little,” she answered, as all English-speaking Germans do. “Would you hold this for me for a few minutes while I look through the rest of the show?” I enquired. “No” was her answer. “If it is meant for you, it will still be here when you come back.” “Oh yes, that’s right!” I enthusiastically agreed. “That is why I love antique-hunting!” The woman smiled as I happily handed over 35 Euros and she wrapped my little treasure in a piece of paper. Before I met D&K, patiently waiting outside, I had picked up a set of 1930s linen dish towels as well. They insisted that I had not taken too long; using restraint, I don’t believe that I had.
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Putbus
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Putbus
As we prepared to leave, Dagmar asked me to check my Michelin guide to see if it we should go to Greifswald. Bibendum deemed it was worth a star so we headed to that Hanseatic city, founded in the mid-13th century. We were delighted with the Marktplatz and its red Rathaus with distinctive Renaissance gables. But the true gem of the neighborhood was the house at No. 11. Built in the early 15th century, it is one of the most highly decorated Brick Gothic houses remaining in northern Germany. Fortunately for us, the building now houses the Caféhaus Marimar, a konditorei filled with luscious-looking cakes. We ordered coffee and slices of the house’s special cake: a buttery base covered with a mound of whipped cream and decorated with colorful swirls of jam and pastry. We crossed the square and walked through the shopping district to St. Nicholas Cathedral. The brick structure was nearly dwarfed by its massive baroque tower, but the interior was white and neo-Gothic in style. We noticed that a crowd of people were carefully examining a small exhibit in a side chapel. I could not quite figure out what it was but later, D&K explained that it concerned the Wolfskinder or Wolf Children, forgotten orphans of WWII who had been forced to flee East Prussia to Lithuania. These children endured hunger, cold, and even the loss of identity. Around sixty Wolfskinder remain in Lithuania today; many of them are welladvanced in age. Their plight has been largely ignored, and for nearly thirty years they have fought for their rightful German citizenship. The exhibit at the cathedral explored their stories in an attempt to find justice for those who remain.
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Greifswald
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It was nearly 4:00 when we headed east towards the island of Usedom, once referred to as “Berlin’s bathtub” since Berliners flocked there to recuperate at the resorts that sprang up after 1820. We sped along rolling fields with little suggestion of a speed limit, listening to radio reports of traffic congestion in the south. I became increasingly aware of the light as we drove along; the clear air illuminated the forest in such a way that I could well understand why artists are so drawn to the area. We arrived in Ahlbeck around 5:00 and after negotiating a series of one-way streets, we reached the Alhbecker Hof, historic playground of kings and world leaders. Now a five-star hotel, it was built at the turn of the last century and restored in 1996.
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Our (admittedly small) rooms are located on the promenade overlooking the sea. The view from our balconies on this cloudless afternoon is breathtaking. We decided to have dinner in the small village of Neppermin on a small inland lake. The Nepperminer Fischpalast was not a palace, but was extremely popular nonetheless. Like Gosch, it was a chaotic, help yourself, family-friendly place. Although it was nearly 9:00 p.m. by the time we left, the sun was only starting to set. These long summer nights are very pleasant and the evening light is magical. As we returned to the car, Klaus pointed out an East German “Trabi� parked outside the restaurant. Manufactured from 1957-90 and made of Duroplast, a hard plastic from the former USSR, the Trabant has earned cult status. Later, I sat out on my balcony as the sun set peacefully in the Baltic sky. 69
Sunday, June 9
Ahlbeck
Breakfast was served on the terrace under sun umbrellas, with a view out to sea. As we sipped Champagne, we noticed that few were out on the promenade although it was well past 10:30. However, I could understand why when I realized that I was not inclined to leave the spot where I was sitting either. I only wish that Dagmar was feeling better; the cold that she has been fighting will not let go and Klaus has decided to have a doctor take a look at her. He was able to get an appointment for her at 3:00, so while she rested, Klaus and I took the little “choo-choo” train that links Heringsdorf and Bansin to Ahlbeck. In its golden age, two German emperors — Friedrich III and Wilhelm II — were frequent visitors to Heringsdorf. Wealthy Berliners built palatial villas in fashionable styles from French Renaissance to Art Nouveau, many of which have been preserved. The little train took us by the homes where famous musicians, artists, and writers including Johann Strauss, Maxim Gorki, Theodor Fontane, and Thomas Mann came to enjoy the summer season. After we completed the circuit, Klaus went to check on Dagmar and I walked out to the end of Ahlbeck’s historic wooden pier, built in 1898 and the oldest of its kind still extant in Germany. The beach was starting to fill up, and bathers had claimed most of those intriguing Strandkörbe. I continued down the boardwalk, stopping to watch street performers who sang, juggled, or played the violin. D&K returned from the doctor as it was nearing 5:00, armed with some new pills. We had dinner at the hotel’s Thai restaurant; I ordered Pad Thai since it was the only item on the menu that I could vaguely identify. Our walk after dinner was abbreviated by an unanticipated chilly breeze. Theodor Fontane
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Thomas Mann
Maxim Gorki
Johann Strauss
Ahlbeck
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Monday, June 10 to Szczecin, Poland A rainy, cold morning on the Baltic coast did not inspire an early start and we took our time over breakfast, checking out of the hotel at 11:00. A half-hour later we were crossing the border (which amounted to a sign and a construction zone) to Poland. We stopped for a snack at a wooden cabin just off the highway. We had been looking forward to trying Polish food but greasy potato cakes and watery borscht did nothing to stimulate our appetites for local food. Dagmar wanted to stop in Swinemünde, Fontane’s childhood home and the next royal spa along the coast. Today, it is part of Poland and is called Świnoujście (something like “swinoosh”). We turned down an old street with ramshackle buildings that retained only a shadow of former glory: this is what we expected the town to look like. But after we parked and walked towards the beach, we found a carefully-laid stone promenade lined with upscale bars and shops mixed in with the usual soft ice cream and beachwear stands. At the end of what has been completed of the promenade (perhaps 2 km), we came to a stunning new Radisson Blu hotel and several attractive apartment buildings. The place was obviously a work in progress, as access to the sea remained in a natural state and the promenade itself abruptly ended just beyond the hotel. Shops carrying brands like Armani and Joop! anchored the Radisson and a glass-walled restaurant hovered between floors over a fountain of illuminated water spouts. A young German couple we encountered told Dagmar that they had vacationed in Heringsdorf before but this year they had decided to come to Świnoujście where they have found it to be livelier and cheaper. 73
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Świnoujście (Swinemünde)
The traffic into Szczecin was heavy, both on and off the highway. Klaus commented on how polite Polish drivers are, saying that things would be moving a lot slower if everyone were trying to push ahead and cut others off. We eventually found our way through town to Anselm’s apartment on Śląska Street. Monica, his cleaning lady, was waiting for us as we pulled into the only remaining parking place on the entire street. She showed us how to access the building with a code and gave us the keys. D&K were obviously impressed by the newly renovated building and Anselm’s spacious apartment. I immediately made a video and took pictures to share with his siblings who had been wondering about his living arrangements. We walked towards the commercial district to find a place for dinner, ending up at a large shopping mall where we ordered Asian fast food in the food court. As I maneuvered my chopsticks, I reflected that I was sitting in a Polish mall with my German friends, eating Asian food in sight of a Burger King and a KFC. There may be plenty of problems in the world today but globalization appears to be firmly rooted everywhere.
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Tuesday, June 11
Szczecin
Monica informed us that there was a taxi stand located a few steps from the apartment and we found a taxi ready to start us on our exploration of this once great city. Since the 11th century, it was the leading mercantile area in the region. During World War II, Stettin, as it was then called, was a major center of the German weapons industry and was almost entirely destroyed by Allied air raids and heavy fighting between the German and Soviet armies. As our route took us along wide boulevards with impressive apartment buildings, we saw ample evidence of the city’s desperate restoration efforts. Many blocks still had magnificent Art Nouveau elements. Dagmar predicted that one day, buses will bring tourists to admire these buildings the way they do in Riga. But for now, there is a lot to be done.
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Szczecin (Stettin) Wały Chrobrego
The taxi dropped us off in front of the old National Museum on the western bank of the Oder River. We spotted an inviting cafÊ under the trees overlooking the river and decided to have brunch. As we were handed menus, we saw that this was the Colorado Steakhouse. With a fast food dinner at the mall and brunch here, we were failing in our plan to experience Polish food, especially since the Starks ordered burgers and I had a quesadilla. Afterwards we walked along the Wały Chrobrego, the embankment that runs along the Oder River to the old town, passing the Pomeranian Ducal Castle to the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle. Restoration was underway at the church, both inside and out. We passed Szczecin’s awardwinning 2015 Philharmonic, its white gables contrasting with the traditional government building next to it. The majestic old Post Office stood on a corner with its impressive Brick Gothic features. The Basilica of St. John the Baptist remains a neoGothic beauty, completed in 1890. Restoration continues there, and in 2008 Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the church a minor basilica. The interior was particularly beautiful. From the warm brick, wood, and gold elements and the new stained-glass windows to the deep blue ceiling with its golden stars, it was stunning. Before returning to the apartment, we sat under the trees in General Anders Park and listened to the sweet sound of chanting from the early modernist Evangelical Garrison Church, now part of the Catholic diocese. 79
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Szczecin Philharmonic and Polish Government Building
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Evangelical Garrison Church
In spite of the afternoon heat, I left D&K and set out to find the Starka Distillery that I had read about in my 10-year-old Szczecin guidebook. The brand is a Polish rye-based whiskey that is aged up to 35 years in oak barrels, a tradition that goes back to the 15th century. I had hoped for a tour of the cellars that date from the 1850s but discovered that the company has gone into bankruptcy. The address remains the same however, and I found the sign after following Jagiellońska for about a mile from Śląska Street. A German shepherd responded when I rang the bell and a hunched old man let me in. I followed him across the courtyard to a building in a complex that included a giant rickhouse with old wooden pallets piled high outside. The man sent me up to the second floor to a woman in an office. It quickly became clear that she did not speak a word of English or German. On a shelf nearby, bottles of Starka were displayed. As I pointed to the various bottles, she wrote their prices in Polish Zlotys on a slip of paper: zł900 ($240) for 35-year-old Starka, zł750 ($200) for 30-year-old Starka, and zł45 ($12) for 3-yearold Starka. I bought a 3-year-old bottle to try. It was a long, hot slog back to the apartment. By the time I got there, I was dripping with sweat. I am not sure that the effort was worth it, but it was an interesting experience and I wanted to try the product, especially since I like rye. It was not great and certainly not worth taking home. After cooling down, I was ready to join D&K for dinner at Paprykarz, a fish restaurant around the corner. I ordered trout from the Zieleniec area of Poland, which is apparently something special. Soon after we got home, Anselm arrived from Berlin, changed out of his uniform and rushed out to dinner with colleagues. After he returned, we shared a bottle of wine before I left them to enjoy some rare family time together. 87
Wednesday, June 12
Saying Good-Bye
By 9:00 a.m. we had loaded the car and were on our way from Szczecin to Tegel Airport in Berlin where I was scheduled to fly to Frankfurt and on to Nice to meet up with Carter and Jen. Since we were unsuccessful in locating the entrance to the airport parking lot, Klaus dropped me off at the terminal after three tries. Dagmar, Klaus and I said our teary good-byes at the car and I left them with my heart full of love for my wonderful friends, and my head full of memories of all that we had shared these past two weeks. 88
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Itinerary Tue
Wed
May 28
May 29
Depart Chicago ORD EI 122 Arrive Dublin DUB Depart Dublin DUB EI 330 Arrive Berlin TXL
15:50 05:05 06:45 10:05
Meet Starks Drive to Potsdam Brandenburg Gate and Old Town Lunch: Babette Kongresshotel Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471Â POTSDAM Thu
May 30
Breakfast: Kongresshotel Sightseeing: Cecilienhof UNESCO, Theodore Fontane Archives, Alexandrowka Colony UNESCO, Pfingstberg, Belvedere, Dutch Quarter Drinks: Maison Chocolat, Dutch Quarter Dinner: Mylia Vietnamese Kitchen (with Kilian and Esken Stark) Kongresshotel POTSDAM
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Fri
May 31
Breakfast: Kongresshotel 15:00 Anselm and Michi Wedding Alte Neuendorfer Kirche, Potsdam 18:00 Wedding Reception and Dinner Henning von Tresckow Kaserne, Geltow Kongresshotel POTSDAM
Sat
Jun 1
Breakfast: Kongresshotel 14:00- 20:00 Family Boat trip down the Havel River to Glienicke Bridge Stark and Potstada Families Kongresshotel POTSDAM
Sun
Jun 2
Breakfast: Kongresshotel Schwerin (UNESCO nominated): Old City, Castle, Baroque Gardens Lunch: Kartoffelhaus, Schwerin Wismar UNESCO: Old City Dinner: Alter Schwede, Wismar Steigenberger Hotel Stadt Hamburg Am Markt 24, 23966 WISMAR
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Mon
Jun 3
Breakfast: Café Hegede, Marktplatz Wismar Wismar UNESCO: Old Town; Church of the Holy Spirit; St. Mary’s Church Tower; St. George’s Church; Old Harbor Lübeck UNESCO: Holstentor; Marktplatz: Rathaus; Buddenbrookhaus; Günter Grass Haus; Füchtingshof Snack: Niederegger, Lübeck Dinner: Alter Schwede, Wismar Steigenberger Hotel Stadt Hamburg WISMAR
Tue
Jun 4
Breakfast: Steigenberger Hotel, Wismar Wismar: St. Nicholas Church: Organ Recital Kühlungsborn: Promenade Snack: Windbeutel mit eis Heiligendamm: Promenade; Grand Hotel; Chapel in the Woods Bad Doberan: Münster, old Abbey Warnemünde: Ferry to Yachthafen Hohe Düne Drinks: Kamin Bar, Yachthafen Hohe Düne Dinner: Newport Fisch, Yachthafen Hohe Düne Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Düne Am Yachthafen 1, 18119 WARNEMÜNDE
Wed
Jun 5
Morning Swim, Hohe Düne Ferry to Warnemünde: Breakfast; Shopping; Sailors’ Homes Dinner: Tutto Bene, Yachthafen Hohe Düne Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Düne WARNEMÜNDE
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Thu
Jun 6
Stralsund UNESCO: Neuer Marktplatz; Alter Marktplatz: St. Nicholas Church; Houses Crossing to Island of Rügen Dinner: Dorint Standhotel Dorint Standhotel Strandpromenade 58, 18609 BINZ
Fri
Jun 7
Breakfast: Dorint Standhotel Binz: Promenade: Bäderarchitektur; main square Jasmund National Park (UNESCO): Königsstuhl: Chalk Cliffs Sellin: Seebrücke 1901 Pier: sanddorn sprtizes Shopping: Bernstein Haus, Binz (Amber necklace) Dinner: Gosch, Binz Dorint Standhotel BINZ
Sat
Jun 8
Breakfast: Dorint Standhotel Putbus: White City; Park Shopping: Antik Markt, Marstall: Name sampler, linen towels Greifswald: Marktplatz: Rathaus, No. 11 Haus; St. Nicholas Cathedral Snack: Caféhaus Marimar: specialty cream cake Crossing to Island of Usedom Dinner: Nepperminer Fischpalast, Neppermin: “Trabi” car Seetelhotel Ahlbecker Hof Düenstrasse 47, 17419 AHLBECK 93
Sun
Jun 9
Breakfast: Seetelhotel Ahlbecker Hof Train to Heringsdorf-Bansin-Ahlbeck: Gorki, Fontane, Mann Homes Ahlbeck: Historic Pier; Street Musicians, Shopping Dinner: Suan Thai, Ahlbecker Hof Seetelhotel Ahlbecker Hof AHLBECK
Mon
Jun 10
Breakfast: Seetelhotel Ahlbecker Hof Crossing to Poland Lunch: Przybiernów Café Świnoujście (Swinemünde): Promenade; Radisson Blu Dinner: Szczecin Shopping Mall: Asian fast food Anselm’s Apartment Śląska Street SZCZECIN, POLAND
Tue
Jun 11
Lunch: Colorado Steakhouse Szczecin: Wały Chrobrego; National Museum; Pomeranian Ducal Castle; Cathedral of St. James the Apostle; Old Post Office; Szczecin Philharmonic; Basilica of St. John the Baptist; Evangelical Garrison Church; Starka Distillery. Dinner: Paprykarz (Zieleniec fish) Anselm’s Apartment SZCZECIN
Wed June 12
Depart for Berlin Tegel Airport
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A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip to Potsdam and through Mecklenberg-West Pomerania from May 28-June 12, 2019. Photos by Susan Hanes, c. 2019. 96
With grateful thanks to my friends, Dagmar and Klaus Stark