Fall 11 Christian Worldview Tour to Weimar!

Roadtrip. Having fun, making the best of the 2 hour ride.

Give it up for the dazzling vocal stylings of Morgan & Anna!

First stop: Flossenbuerg Concentration Memorial
The camp was located near the Czech border in the Bavarian state of Germany. It was in operation from 1938 to 1945 during which more than 96,000 prisoners were held captive here. 30,000 of them died from diseases, malnutrition, hypothermia and execution.

A memorial plaque was placed here in tribute to the inmates that were executed by shooting in-front of this wall. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of them.

Today a chapel adjoins one of the former guard towers overlooking the crematorium. Many of us entered to pray for those who left their lives in this terrible place.

The nazi's used ovens to dispose of bodies and cremate the evidence.

Mass grave outside of the crematorium.

Photo of prisoners standing on the appellplatz waiting to be counted. Counting took place twice a day in the blistering heat and freezing cold, and could take several hours.

Holocaust museum on the former grounds of the camp.

Arrived in Weimar in the late afternoon and stopped into the Nietzsche Archives, his former home. Dr. Baker lectured on Nihilism and Nietzsche's impact on world-view and society.

Topping off the day with the best gelato. On this earth.

I adore these girls.

Give us gelato any day. For real. We're obsessed with it.

First frojo shop we've seen in Germany! Unfortunately we'd just had a few dozen scoops of 200% sugar ice-cream goodness. But we returned the next day. Don't you worry.

Never can get over how wonderful all the little market squares are in the towns throughout Europe. They're everywhere. So lovely.

Goethe's house was on our "must see list" for Weimar. If you don't know about him, you need to go look him up on wikipedia. He was a pretty significant guy.

 

His house includes the most charming botanical garden. Every corner was beautiful and in bloom. We could have spent all afternoon there.

Holler for yellow facades and green shutters. Love it.

It smelled heavenly.

Sisters.

Isn't this a beautiful tombstone? We discovered it as we were walking through the cemetery where Goethe is buried.

This is where Goethe and his descendants were laid to rest. So peaceful.

Russian Orthodox Chapel. It was built inside the cemetery, and is the only orthodox church in the state of Thuringia.

So blessed by these people.

Ooooo. Bauhaus. If you don't know anything about architecture you need to start by reading up on this movement. The city of Chicago is a tribute to its founders. Here's us at the Bauhaus University campus in Weimar.

Weimar is celebrating the year of Liszt. Franz Liszt that is. Music majors? It's a bit hard to tell but those are sheets of notes strung throughout the park in front of his home. They light up at night. So fun!

Dr. Baker. Words can't describe how much we appreciate him. We love you, Dr. Baker! Boosh!!

Playing with the gadgets inside Liszt's home.

Josh was a peach and gave all of us novices a little history lesson on the man himself.

Liszt statue. Piano teachers everywhere would be so proud of their former students.

We kept strolling through the park and discovered this shakespeare statue. What? Okay, it was a planned stop, and Dr. Baker had a lecture ready to go. Did you know this is the only Shakespeare statue in Germany? No? Me either.

AMBROS at Herder's church. Herder was one of the most influential German poets & theologians. He was also a devout Christian.

Welcome to the Castle museum!  Getting the poses worked out for the Sound of Music tour in November.

Goethe. Schiller. Weimar Congress. The Weimar Republic was founded right.here.

We checked them out more closely. Prett-y cool.

Weimar cafe. Beauiful and so, so good.

Loved the ice-cream and fellowship. Thanks, coach!

Schiller's home and museum was our last stop for the day.

It was so pretty I couldn't help taking pictures. Shhh don't tell.

Plaid wallpaper. Yes, please.

Frau Frydrych has lived in Weimar all her life. 20 of those years were spent under communist rule. We got to hear about her life and ask lots of questions. Did you know that the Trabant, the only car available for purchase in the USSR, was made out of cardboard?!

Buchenwald Concentration Camp memorial greeted us with gloomy weather. It felt appropriate.

"To each his own"

Replica of one of barracks the inmates slept in.

Sanitation in the bunker.

Paul Schneider's cell. An incredible man with an unbelievable testimony for the Lord. He was executed after having spent 4 years in this room.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."