Getting to travel to Dresden was a fun excursion for a day. There were so many different museums, buildings, and history located in the city. One of the more interesting museums that we could visit was certainly the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault). Located within the Residenzschloss, the Green Vault shares the space with a quite massive collection of ancient coins and the Dresden Armory.

 The Vault is separated into two separate viewing exhibits, the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe and the Neues Grünes Gewölbe. Unfortunately during our time in Dresden, we were only able to peruse the Neues Grünes Gewölbe, which displays objects in a traditional museum style. The Historisches GG, on the other hand, displays its objects in the same atmosphere as was created originally by the curators.

 In the New Vault we were able to see exquisite and articulated items that were used or obtained for collection by aristocratic persons. Many of the pieces seen were heavily detailed and ornately decorated with gold, silver, and many precious jewels. The ‘Crown Jewel’ of the Vault would be the 41 karat Green Diamond. The diamond became that color because of natural radiation over time, and it is one of the largest and rarest of precious gems. Red coral was a material that was also used in some of the creations which was quite interesting to see being displayed in the Museum.

The Green Vault was originally founded by Augustus the Strong in 1723. The Green Vault is considered the largest collection of relics and treasures in Europe. The Museum itself is very large, containing over three floors worth of exhibits to view. There are exhibits that tailor to jewelry and home items, while other exhibits focus on the historical wars and the weapons that were either taken or given to the Green Vault.

Going through the Rüstkammer (Dresden Armory) was quite interesting as well, given that so many of the items and armor were so well preserved and ornate. The exhibit displays well over a thousand different artifacts and items, however that amount is only a fraction of the total amount of weapons, armor, and textiles in the Armory’s possession.

A separate area of the Rüstkammer is the Turkish Chamber. It contains many weapons either won or given from the Ottoman Empire and that region over time. There was a plethora of information to be found within the Residenzschloss and an afternoon does not merit enough time to fully explore the museum in its entirety. We had not enough time after viewing the New Vault and Rüstkammer to slowly go through the many coins that were in the exhibits. It would be interesting to be able to return to that museum and finish viewing the rest of these treasures.

By Ben and Kate

When Luci was first describing how a visit to Prague, she talked about the town was ‘magical’ and as though being in Prague was akin to a fairytale. The ancient architecture stemming throughout the city emanates a feeling of being lost in time even though modernity has seeped into the cracks of the old facades. Red tiled roofs soak the cityscape, articulated fences and gateways dotted the walkways, and beautiful renditions of paint and stone were present in almost every facet of the town. The history of Prague seems to stem from a mixture of Orthodoxy, alchemy, and astrology as their influences can be seen in the artwork, history, and general layout of Prague.

 In the past the Czech Republic and Prague itself has had a complex relationship with Germany. When Nazi Germany was still expanding its borders, the country was annexed and turned into a source of military production for the German war machine. Remainders of German presence can be seen throughout Prague, as some buildings, signs, and placards throughout the city used the German language. This seems to differ slightly from the tourism aspect of Prague, where the restaurants and local attractions use the German language as well as many others.

On our first night in Prague we visited the Charles Bridge after doing some city walking and getting some food. The bridge was, as is most of the town, quite ornate and crafted from Bohemian limestone. On each side of the bridge are statues of different religious and historic icons that stretch along the bridge’s length. When Charles bridge started construction in 1357, legend rose that King Charles IV had laid the first brick himself. We chose to go to the bridge at night because the Charles bridge is supposedly haunted. While no apparitions or spirits came during our visit, the time spent there was effective for viewing a beautiful city and self-reflection.

While in Prague we visited some other places such as the Prague Castle. Climbing up the spiraling stairs had brought flashbacks to our earlier ventures at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal and the Frauenkirche. Succeeding in reaching the top of the Castle was very reminiscent of those ascensions and we were rewarded with a just as breathtaking view.Although we had not explored the city to its full extent, visiting Prague was something well worth the time and effort.

Graffiti has been a central part of ‘angsty’ rebellion for decades and can be found in almost any nook or cranny in the city of Leipzig. Tagging buildings, spraying signs, and larger graffiti works are thoroughly spread out through Leipzig. These acts of artistic rebellion do not have a sole purpose to deface buildings and disrupt what some would call ‘normal’ society, but rather a collection of personal expression and community all of its own. On one of my first days in Leipzig, a walk had given me the opportunity to see firsthand this alternative community out and about. Nestled between Gießerstraße and Naumburg Straße is a simple path towered on both sides with graffiti both old and new. The aging buildings are wildly decorated as well as the stone walls lining next to them. Some sections of the walls were treated as sole canvases, while other graffiti stretched and covered large areas of space. Vibrant colors, stylized lettering, and Alf were all on display for passersby.

For this area, the nearby stadtteil Connewitz, and Leipzig in general squatting has been a prevalent part of their history. Squatter groups have been in Connewitz since the early 1980s due to the allure of squatting’s illicit nature. In March of 1990 fourteen buildings in Stöckartstraße and the nearby area were successfully occupied. An association was formed during this time as well, called Connewitz’s Alternative, whose goal was neighborhood projects and legalization of the squatting areas. However the group did not last for a elongated time, rather infighting caused the collapse of it after an inability to decide protections against Neo-Nazi persons. This time period gave way to a change in the type of squatters, with sub-groups of people such as street racers or those who can be considered under radical left.

This shift in squatter milieu gave way to a confrontation in November 1992 in which police had used their firearms to deescalate the situation. This brought forth a myth that Connewitz was a den for militant criminals which placed pressure on authorities to take preemptive action against the squatters. The “Leipziger Linie” was the first iteration of a more understanding solution, as it allowed for contracts between the city and peaceful squatters but also noted the intolerance for criminal activity. Eventually the contracts allowed for some squats to be completely evicted and increased the difficulty to establish new squats in Leipzig. As a solution brokered between the city and the Alternative Wohngenossenschaft Connewitz, the AWC was given fourteen buildings that were purchased by the city in 1996. These buildings were the starting ground for collective living, and in conjunction with local clubs such as Werk II and Distillery, Squatters shaped the identity of Leipzig as a harbor for subculture. In more recent times activist groups have staged their own squatting such as the occupation of the Erziehungswissenschaftlitheche Fakultät, where around 80 people squatted wanting a “Social Center for All”.

While squatting is often seen as a negative aspect, my time spent in the area was all but negative. I had seen an expecting couple loading a large subwoofer box into the back of their vehicle, and in the open grass was a large group relaxing in the grass, conversing, and blasting out good vibes with reggae music. This small, seemingly decrepit area was buzzing with activity and teeming with life. There in that area lies a community with its own identity, and the culture from it stems outward and throughout the city. Seeing such a connected group of people was a cheerful sight to me. That shared want for community permeates from Leipzig, and to see something as that be so successful and continue to strength makes me exceptionally happy to have the opportunity to live in Leipzig and interact.  

After our group’s venture to the Spinnerei, we (Sean and Ben) broke away from our group as we needed to go to other places. We first visited a hat shop located there at the Spinnerei, and after perusing the shop we needed to go to Hauptbahnhof to find a bank. To get there we decided to walk to the starting point of the number 1 tram. Once we arrived there, rather than wait at the Leipzig-Plagwitz Bahnhof, the two of us decided to walk around and see the local area. We walked south from the Bahnhof, going through an area with some dilapidated buildings but also an active recreational area. Swings and a basketball court were being used and people were casually walking their dogs on the pleasant day. We continued south past these until we saw an amalgamation that looked as though it came from the world of Mad Max.

A construction made of haphazardly placed boards and everyday items stood towering over us as we neared. The name Bauspielplatz Wilder Westen marked a board on the entrance gate. This striking creation did not seem like an artistic piece placed by a local artist, and when we further inspected signs on the fencing its true purpose became known to us. The Bauspielplatz is a playground created for children, by children, with whatever items that can be found to use. Tires, ropes, wooden pallets, and even mud domes were present in the various areas of the playground.

Children who played on the site were able to form the playground to their own desire, creating a space that a child could consider their own. While the spielplatz did have some rules, such as children under six needing supervision by a 16 year-old or the banning of alcohol and tobacco there, generally there were not constraints as to what a child could do there.

(Sean) Armed with the promise of finding an off the beaten path graffiti coated walkway, we decided to opt out of a more comfortable tram ride to our apartment complex. Hidden in the forgotten surroundings of old dilapidated factories was a fenced off territory akin to the Lost Boys’ township straight out of Spielberg’s Hook. The phrase Bauspielplatz made out of tattered cloth and cord adorned the fencing like a proud badge. I immediately remembered an article I happened across explaining the origin and function of these creative play outlets.

Junk playgrounds are the borrowed term from Carl Theodor Sorensen’s imagined skrammellegeplads. These designated play areas came to be when Sorensen, a Danish landscape architect, observed that children insisted on playing everywhere save for the manufactured playgrounds. Junk playgrounds allow children a commissioned space where they are given all the tools necessary for engaging and creative play.

Harry Shier, author of Adventure Playgrounds: An introduction, defines these parks as an area where children can play freely, in their own way, in their own time. Continuing, what makes them special is that children can build and shape the environment according to their own creative vision. Rather than following the structure of calque terminology, the English language has instead adopted the more attractive term (to parents and local authorities alike) adventure playground.

Graveyards are often a place of remembrance, but also of mourning in the U.S. When visiting the final resting place of the deceased, Americans often take a solemn approach to interacting with grave-sites. Our visit to Der Friedhof der Dorotheenstädtischen und Friedrichswerderschen Gemeinden (Cemetery of the Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichswerder Parishes) was quite opposite of a solemn excursion. The cemetery did not have the solemnity usually noticed when visiting American graveyards. People not only came to pay their respects to the departed, but also for calm reflection, relaxation, but also to simply serve as place to have a quick lunch. Initially our meandering through the cemetery was focused on finding the resting place of Bertolt Brecht, but throughout the exploration much more was discovered.

The Dorotheenstadt cemetery is a protestant cemetery positioned immediately next to the Brecht House and holds graves dating from late 18th/early 19th centuries. The land was originally donated by Prussian King Frederick II the Great allowing for four localized cemeteries. The Dorotheenstadt and nearby French cemetery were the only cemeteries to last into modernity. The cemetery faced some hardships in the early 20th century including theft of grave ornamentation and damage to structures sustained during the Second World War.

Though the cemetery was under protection as a cultural landmark since 1935, it was only listed as a landmark in 1983. Since that time a total of 38 graves were restored for Dorotheenstadt cemetery, and the estimated future cost to continue restoration would be near €6 million.

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As we walked past the many headstones, we noticed a small red brick marker accompanying only certain graves. These bricks, marked with “Ehrengrab Land Berlin” and the Berlin coat of arms, were placards of honorary recognition for those that contributed greatly to the politics and culture of Berlin. One such receiver of the “Ehrengrab” was Augustus Wilhelm von Hofmann, an important figure in organic chemistry and the founder of “die Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft” (German Chemical Society). In the cemetery is a monument dedicated to those killed after the failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. Also in the cemetery is a placard memorializing those killed during the war that had been placed into a nearby mass grave.

While we spent a reasonable amount of time visiting Dorotheenstadt cemetery and the Brecht House, a much longer time was necessary to fully appreciate the scope of the area. Unfortunately, the majority of the Brecht House was closed on our visit, but we were able to learn more about its history from the information area in the foyer. The Brecht House was the final apartment of Brecht and Helene Weigel, with the latter overseeing the future of the house and Brecht’s legacy until her death in 1971.

Bertolt Brecht wished for a simple grave, which was granted through a uneven rock slab with only the words ‘Bertolt Brecht’ placed upon it. It could be seen as ironic that we, as so many others have as well, came to pay homage to a man who had not aspired for postmortem recognition. While not the recipient of an ‘Ehrengrab’, Brecht was still a powerhouse of influence in German theatre culture. We came to see one man’s grave, but in that journey we were exposed to the sacrifices and achievements of many others located there as well.

Written by Luci and Ben.