Heidelberg with Mom and Dad

Thursday we got an early start and headed for Heidelberg once the big kids were on their way to school. Chris joined us for the first hour and then took off for work. Recently Chris had heard that the place to get great Apple Streusel was here at Cafe Gundel… right by where we always park. First things first, Chris disappeared into the Cafe to try it out and Grandpa quickly followed suit. It was delicious. I’m just noticing now the stones shaped as a pretzel on the cobblestone in front of the cafe.

With apple streusel in hand we climbed the 323 steps to the Heidelberg Castle to check out the views of Heidelberg. It was a beautiful day and the sun was streaming down highlighting a section of the town below.

The boys are always really interested in the gravel on the castle grounds. No matter how many times we’ve told them not to bend down and sit in the gravel, throw gravel at each other or other tourists, or throw gravel off the cliff – it seems we still address it every time. This time, no throwing, just pouring it all over the benches. Today, like so many other days, the boys had their picture taken by many Japanese tourists. I think my Dad even took a picture of one them snapping away. My boys don’t seem to mind. But when I ask Matthew to turn around and give me a smile, he does some sort of weird pose instead. That’s totally Matthew.

Once back down to the Haupstrasse we walked and window shopped, grabbed some crusty sandwiches and rolls for lunch, went through the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, and checked out the Old Bridge.

My Dad found the University Museum and went inside the lobby while Mom and I were in the Christmas store. When we got back out, he pointed it out and we went over to check it out.

Inside Dad saw a sign saying “If you’re interested in seeing the Great Hall – talk to a Museum employee.” (In German and English) He then approached an nice old German man and told him we were interested in seeing the Grand Hall and does it cost? The old man looked at us and thought for quite awhile before saying, “No cost for you.” Then he took us to the old elevator and sent us upstairs. When we got upstairs the doors to the Great Hall were locked. We were disappointed but a few seconds later, the old man came around the corner with the key saying he thought his co-worker was still up here. He unlocked the door and let us walk in. The room was magnificent and we really felt lucky to be seeing it.

The Great Hall is the Old University’s most distinctive feature. It was designed in 1886 by Architect Josef Durm for the 500th Anniversary of the founding of the university. It is beautiful and ornate neo-Renaissance with rich dark wood galleries and floor seats of red velvet. The great hall is still used for formal events, lectures and graduation ceremonies.

On the front facing wall above the lectern is a bust of the Grand Duke Frederich of Baden who presided over the land at the time of the construction. On the front wall a painting by Ferdinand Keller depicts Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the arts. On the ceiling are four frescoes depicting the learning disciplines of law, medicine, theology and philosophy.

Our cute old German guide pointed out that there were names engraved all around the balcony. They were the names of living instructors at the time the Great Hall was built. He pointed to one and asked us if we knew him. Dad said, “Bunsen? as in the Bunsen Burner?” Yep. Robert Wilhelm Bunsen was a German chemist who taught at the University of Heidelberg starting at 1852.

We thanked our old German guide and he then told us where to go to see the Student Prison. I had heard about the Student Prison but hadn’t found it yet. It was so cool. When we walked around the block and into the ticket office we realized you needed to pay to see it. We told the student at the ticket counter that we had just come from the Great Hall. She said, “Oh, then you must already have the ticket.” We told her the nice old man just let us see it for free. She then said, “Well, I’m nice too. You can go see it.” It really wasn’t much money but we felt lucky to have seen both of these interesting places for free.

The student prison came about because of 16th century citizens complaining about the university students. Common offenses were disturbing the peace, especially after excessive drinking at night, womanizing, insulting official authorities, dueling, and setting the townspeople’s pigs running free through the town streets. The University administration was embodies with autonomous jurisdiction and had legal right to detail students. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, imprisonment would last from three days to four weeks. One was allowed, however, to attend lectures. After classes, the juvenile delinquents had to return to jail.

The papers telling about the Student prison say that a stay in the student prison was sort of fashionable among otherwise honorable gentlemen inscribed at the Heidelberg University, most of them being members of student fraternities.

All over the rickety stairs and into the apartment sized prison, student prisoners’ graffiti is everywhere, on the walls, above the doors and even on the ceiling. They originally used ash to write on the wall, but then started to sneak other materials in. They did silhouettes of each other, wrote their names and how long they stayed in the prison, drew all kinds of pictures and wrote poems. It was so fun to see.

After the Student Prison we headed back up the Haupstrasse, got into the van and drove across the River Neckar and up the opposite mountain to the Monastery Ruins and Hitler’s Amphitheater. The boys both fell asleep so I stayed in the car while Mom and Dad walked up the first tower and then we parked up closer to the Hitler’s Amphitheater.