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-Hi, I'm Rick Steves,

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back with more 
of the best of Europe.

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This time we're enjoying 
some under-appreciated corners

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of Germany, 
both old and new.

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It's Hamburg 
and a whole lot more.

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Thanks for joining us.

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Germany is Europe's 
leading country in many ways.

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It dominates 
Europe's economy today

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and has long had a huge impact 
on events shaping the continent.

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We'll see that be 
exploring Hamburg,

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its mighty port city,

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and then heading south

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to the stomping grounds 
of a single monk

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who, 500 years ago, 
changed the world.

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After enjoying Hamburg's 
inviting parks

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and lakes we'll see how 
it's architecture ranges

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from some of Hitler's left over 
giant concrete bunkers

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to cutting-edge 
modern buildings.

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We'll explore a vibrant 
counter-culture neighborhood.

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And, after marveling at 
Hamburg's vast

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Warehouse District,

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we'll take the best harbor tour 
in Europe,

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sailing under its 
striking new skyline

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capped by a towering 
new concert hall.

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Then we'll delve 
into the places

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where Martin Luther kicked off 
the Reformation

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500 years ago, from the city 
where he preached and taught

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to the castle in which he hid 
out from the Holy Roman Emperor.

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We'll learn about the chaos 
he triggered

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along with the progress.

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Finally, for a contrast to all 
that stern Protestantism,

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we'll visit exuberantly 
Catholic Wurzburg

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and admire the elegance 
of its Residence,

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the palace of the prince 
bishops of Franconia.

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In the heart of northern 
Europe lies Germany.

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After touring Hamburg, 
we head south

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to the Luther Cities 
of Wittenberg and Erfurt,

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and finish in Wurzburg.

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Hamburg is Germany's 
second-largest city.

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Like other 
"second cities" --

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Chicago, Glasgow, 
St. Petersburg --

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it has a spirited pride.

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While yet to be discovered 
by American travelers,

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it's a popular destination 
with Germans

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for its music, theater,

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and river-side energy.

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A century ago, Hamburg's port

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was the third-largest 
in the world,

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with strong connections 
both east and west.

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Heavy damage in World War II

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devastated 
its commercial center.

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During the Cold War 
which followed,

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trade to the east was cut off.

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Port traffic dwindled, 
and so did the city's influence.

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But Hamburg's been 
enthusiastically rebuilt and,

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since the reunification 
of Germany

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just a generation ago,

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it's gaining back 
its former status

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as a leading trade center.

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And it's become one of Germany's 
most desirable places to live.

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The city's delightful lakes 
were created in the Middle Ages

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when townsfolk built a mill 
that dammed the local river.

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Back in the 1950s,

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a law guaranteed 
public access to the lake

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for everyone, 
and today, peaceful paths

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and bike lanes 
are a hit with locals.

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On a nice day, the lake 
is dotted with sailboats.

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On the far side, 
lush inlets reach into

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fancy residential neighborhoods.

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Along with plenty 
of downtown parkland,

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the lakes provide Hamburg -- 
one of Germany's

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greenest cities -- 
with an elegant promenade

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that comes complete with 
top-of-the-line shops.

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Just a block away, 
its massive city hall,

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built in the 19th century, 
overlooks the lively scene.

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It's flanked by graceful arcades

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and surrounded by 
plenty of commerce.

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Its bold architecture 
and maritime atmosphere

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gives this northern-most 
Germany city

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an almost Scandinavian feel.

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With its trading heritage 
and a strong economy,

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Hamburg's downtown 
showcases a wealthy city

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that rose like a phoenix 
from a terrible recent past.

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You'd hardly know 
that this was one of the most

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heavily bombed cities 
in Germany in World War II.

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With its strategic port, 
munitions factories,

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and transportation links,

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Hamburg was a prime target 
for Allied bombers.

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American and British commanders 
had an innovative plan

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with a horrific goal.

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Its name -- Operation Gomorrah.

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On July 27, 1943, 
they hit targets first

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with explosive bombs 
to open roofs,

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break water mains, 
and tear up streets.

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The purpose -- to make it hard 
for firefighters to respond.

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Then came a hellish onslaught 
of incendiary bombs.

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-And the city of Hamburg... 
-700 bombers concentrated

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their attack on 
a relatively small area.

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The result was a firestorm 
never seen before.

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The intensity of the bombs 
actually created a tornado

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of raging flames 
reaching horrific temperatures.

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Thousands suffocated inside 
their air-raid shelters

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and those outside were 
sucked off their feet,

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disappearing up into 
the fiery vortex.

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In three hours, the inferno 
killed over 35,000 people,

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left hundreds 
of thousands homeless,

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and reduced eight square miles 
of Hamburg to rubble and ashes.

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Somehow the towering spire 
of St. Nicholas Church

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survived the bombing.

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It and the ruins 
of the church itself

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are now a memorial, 
left to commemorate those lost

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and to remind future generations 
of the horrors of war.

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Where the original altar 
once stood is now

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a simple yet poignant concrete 
altar by Oskar Kokoschka.

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The memorial's 
underground museum

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quietly tells the story.

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You'll see scorched 
and melted fragments

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demonstrating the heat 
of the firestorm

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and examples of the futility

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of trying to survive 
such a bombing.

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The museum also shows 
foreign cities

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that Germany destroyed.

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That's because 
Germans make a point

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to acknowledge the suffering 
they inflicted on others

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when remembering 
their own suffering.

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Though Hamburg 
is mostly rebuilt,

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many World War II-era bunkers 
were just too solid to destroy,

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so they survive,

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incorporated into today's 
contemporary scene.

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This mammoth structure 
has 10-foot thick

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reinforced concrete walls.

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With windows cut 
through the concrete,

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it's surprisingly inviting.

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While once hosting gunners

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trying to shoot down 
allied planes,

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today, 
bomb-hardened staircases

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lead to music shops 
and dance clubs.

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[ Drumming ]

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And drummers here will 
never draw complaints

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from their neighbors.

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Nearby, another bunker --

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this one with 
colorful graffiti --

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is now a climbing wall 
in a pleasant neighborhood park.

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While Germany is known 
for its order and efficiency,

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that social conformity comes 
with a flip side --

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neighborhoods well-known for 
their energetic counter culture.

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Hamburg's trendy 
Schanze Quarter offers

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a breath of fresh 
cultural air.

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A popular neighborhood, 
it has so many cafés,

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its main street is nicknamed 
"Latte Macchiato Boulevard."

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This fun-loving edge 
is nothing new to Hamburg.

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Nearby, Hamburg's 
Reeperbahn neighborhood

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has long been Germany's

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most famous 
entertainment zone.

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It gained notoriety as a rough 
and sleazy sailors' quarters

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filled with 
nightclubs and brothels.

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But, as the city's changed,

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so has its 
entertainment district.

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In one generation, 
the Reeperbahn has earned a new,

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more respectable image -- 
a destination for theater

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and live music.

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Today, this street, 
where the Beatles

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launched their careers 
back in 1960,

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is a fun scene 
lined with playhouses.

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Considered the Broadway 
of Germany

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for its many musicals,

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the boulevard 
attracts theater-goers

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from all over the country.

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Hamburg, 60 miles 
from the North Sea

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on the Elbe River, 
has long been a vital port.

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Its waterfront is designed

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to accommodate 
the Elbe's 13-foot tides.

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And, in anticipation 
of a rising sea level

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and potentially 
devastating storm surges,

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miles of embankments 
have recently been fortified.

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Along with making 
the city safer,

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this stretch comes 
with a design element

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that gives Hamburg 
a delightful new

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park-like stretch 
of harbor front.

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Long a busy ferry terminal, 
this floating dock

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is now a thriving tourist zone.

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From here, with the aroma 
of pickled herring

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and French fries, 
you can enjoy the harbor

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and the energy 
of the city's port.

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For German Americans, 
Hamburg has a special meaning,

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because their ancestors 
likely sailed from this harbor.

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Between 1850 and 1930, 
millions of Germans

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emigrated to the United States 
from right here.

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The port has always been 
a central feature of Hamburg.

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It evolves and grows 
with the city's needs

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and with changes 
in shipping technology.

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The vast Speicherstadt, 
or Warehouse City,

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was originally 
a seemingly endless grid

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of riverside warehouses.

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Today, these buildings, 
once filled with cotton, rubber,

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and tobacco, 
house engaging museums,

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offices, 
and hip restaurants.

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While those venerable warehouses 
survived,

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much of Hamburg's 
old port was abandoned

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when the shipping industry 
moved to a larger

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and more modern port nearby.

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Then, a generation ago, 
the city realized

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that what had become a derelict 
industrial wasteland

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was potentially 
prime real estate.

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The result, HafenCity, a huge 
urban development project.

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With this new green 
and integrated urban center,

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downtown Hamburg became 
about 40 percent bigger,

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and once again, 
the city faces its river.

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The re-energized district 
seems a city in itself,

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mixing its maritime heritage

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with striking modern 
architecture.

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Worked into the plan 
are both high-end condos

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and affordable 
subsidized housing.

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Hamburg has created a healthy 
mix of business, culture,

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and leisure -- convenient for 
the modern citizen

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without a car.

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Today, city planners 
from around Europe

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look to Hamburg for inspiration

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in designing integrated 
urban centers.

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The centerpiece of HafenCity 
is the striking

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Elbphilharmonie, 
a combination concert hall,

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public plaza, hotel, 
and apartment complex.

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Its daring design 
and huge size fit in well

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with the massive scale 
of the surrounding port.

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And, when approached by water,

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it resembles the looming prow 
of the steamer ships

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that first put Hamburg 
on the world map.

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An unforgettable capper 
to a Hamburg visit

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is its harbor tour, 
the best of its kind in Europe.

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You'll see plenty of Hamburg's 
bold new architecture

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as well as its 
more-established

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beach communities 
lined with mansions.

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But mostly, 
the hour-long cruise

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gets you up close to Hamburg's 
shipping industry --

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all those enormous 
container ships,

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towering cranes, 
and dry docks.

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Accommodating 
12,000 vessels a year,

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it's Europe's second-busiest 
harbor and earns the tag-line

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"Europe's gateway to the world

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and the world's 
gateway to Europe."

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Germany is compact, with 
an impressive infrastructure.

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Within a few hours, 
we're in Eastern Germany

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and Martin Luther country.

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In 1517, a German monk 
Martin Luther

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was a professor here in the 
university town of Wittenberg.

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As professors 
routinely did back then,

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he tacked some points 
for discussion

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on the door of the church,

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which served as a kind of 
a bulletin board

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00:12:37,233 --> 00:12:38,900
for the university community.

251
00:12:38,966 --> 00:12:41,466
These 95 points, 
questioning practices

252
00:12:41,533 --> 00:12:43,266
of the Roman Catholic Church,

253
00:12:43,333 --> 00:12:45,100
kicked off 
more than a discussion.

254
00:12:45,166 --> 00:12:48,300
They kicked off 
the Protestant Reformation.

255
00:12:48,366 --> 00:12:51,166
Martin Luther unleashed 
a world of change.

256
00:12:51,233 --> 00:12:54,133
The Reformation was a political 
and theological storm

257
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:56,366
that divided Christendom 
in Western Europe

258
00:12:56,433 --> 00:12:59,433
into Roman Catholics 
and Protestants.

259
00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:01,766
It ignited a century 
of religious wars,

260
00:13:01,833 --> 00:13:04,400
and, along with the humanism 
of the Renaissance,

261
00:13:04,466 --> 00:13:06,500
it helped bring 
Western civilization

262
00:13:06,566 --> 00:13:09,800
out of the Middle Ages 
and into the modern world.

263
00:13:12,033 --> 00:13:14,500
2017 marks the 500th anniversary

264
00:13:14,566 --> 00:13:16,400
of the Protestant Reformation,

265
00:13:16,466 --> 00:13:19,533
and eastern Germany is famous 
for its Lutherstadts,

266
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,966
or "Luther cities," 
and sights associated

267
00:13:22,033 --> 00:13:23,900
with that tumultuous time.

268
00:13:23,966 --> 00:13:27,600
The three most interesting 
Reformation stops are Erfurt,

269
00:13:27,666 --> 00:13:29,533
where Luther studied 
and first became a monk,

270
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,033
Wartburg, the castle 
where he famously hid out

271
00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:34,033
and translated 
the Bible into German,

272
00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:36,466
and Wittenberg, 
where he taught, preached,

273
00:13:36,533 --> 00:13:38,800
and led the Reformation.

274
00:13:38,866 --> 00:13:41,533
Luther went to law school 
here in Erfurt,

275
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,266
and today, this half-timbered 
medieval town,

276
00:13:44,333 --> 00:13:46,966
with a shallow river gurgling 
through its center,

277
00:13:47,033 --> 00:13:48,966
remains a charming destination

278
00:13:49,033 --> 00:13:52,200
that Luther himself 
would recognize.

279
00:13:52,266 --> 00:13:54,500
Erfurt's atmospheric 
Merchants' Bridge

280
00:13:54,566 --> 00:13:56,766
is lined with shops and homes.

281
00:13:56,833 --> 00:14:01,766
Then as now, merchants live 
upstairs above their shops.

282
00:14:01,833 --> 00:14:03,633
This is the land 
of fairy tales

283
00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,333
and the Brothers Grim, 
fine woodcarvers

284
00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,233
and fanciful puppets.

285
00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:11,333
You can peek into the workshop 
of Martin Gobsch.

286
00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,233
Observe him at work.

287
00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:15,933
And don't leave 
without popping a coin

288
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,200
into his tiny theater.

289
00:14:19,266 --> 00:14:24,433
The evil queen welcomes you into 
the dreamy world of Snow White.

290
00:14:24,500 --> 00:14:27,133
Separate vignettes 
tell the story.

291
00:14:32,433 --> 00:14:34,233
It all leads 
to the happy ending

292
00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:39,500
when the charming prince 
whisks Snow White away.

293
00:14:39,566 --> 00:14:42,033
Back in 1505, 
as a young student,

294
00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:43,500
Martin Luther became a monk

295
00:14:43,566 --> 00:14:46,966
in Erfurt's Augustinian 
monastery.

296
00:14:47,033 --> 00:14:51,066
In this church 
he gave his first mass.

297
00:14:51,133 --> 00:14:53,766
Its little museum 
includes Luther artifacts

298
00:14:53,833 --> 00:14:57,466
and the simple cell 
where the novice monk lived.

299
00:14:57,533 --> 00:15:00,266
Little did they know 
that this humble novice

300
00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:03,200
would change the course 
of European history.

301
00:15:06,266 --> 00:15:09,400
Nearby is Wittenberg.

302
00:15:09,466 --> 00:15:11,900
Around 1500, the local ruler, 
Frederick the Wise,

303
00:15:11,966 --> 00:15:14,233
was establishing 
the town as his capital.

304
00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:16,066
He invited young Martin Luther

305
00:15:16,133 --> 00:15:18,633
to join the faculty 
of his university.

306
00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:21,800
The main square is dominated 
by its town hall

307
00:15:21,866 --> 00:15:24,666
and a statue remembering 
the great reformer.

308
00:15:24,733 --> 00:15:28,333
Wittenberg's top sight 
is the Lutherhaus,

309
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:30,000
where Luther lived.

310
00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:34,566
Today it's an excellent museum 
displaying original artifacts --

311
00:15:34,633 --> 00:15:36,700
the pulpit from which 
Luther preached,

312
00:15:36,766 --> 00:15:40,166
portraits of Luther 
and the other reformers,

313
00:15:40,233 --> 00:15:43,300
and the Bible Luther 
boldly translated from Latin

314
00:15:43,366 --> 00:15:46,066
into the people's language.

315
00:15:46,133 --> 00:15:48,533
500 years ago, 
the selling of forgiveness

316
00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:49,700
and church corruption

317
00:15:49,766 --> 00:15:52,400
stoked public discontent 
with the Roman Church,

318
00:15:52,466 --> 00:15:54,466
which led to 
the Reformation.

319
00:15:54,533 --> 00:15:56,866
This is a letter 
of indulgence,

320
00:15:56,933 --> 00:16:00,300
one of countless fund-raising 
coupons the Church issued.

321
00:16:00,366 --> 00:16:03,133
These were sold to the faithful 
for religious favors

322
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:07,033
such as reducing time for 
dead loved ones in purgatory.

323
00:16:07,100 --> 00:16:08,933
Their money would fill 
boxes like this

324
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,966
and eventually ended up 
in Rome to fund

325
00:16:11,033 --> 00:16:13,000
the pope's lavish world.

326
00:16:13,066 --> 00:16:15,133
Corruption like this 
inspired Luther

327
00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,600
to confront the Church.

328
00:16:17,666 --> 00:16:20,033
And it was the invention 
of the printing press

329
00:16:20,100 --> 00:16:23,066
with movable type by Guttenberg 
in the same generation

330
00:16:23,133 --> 00:16:24,300
that enabled reformers

331
00:16:24,366 --> 00:16:27,633
like Luther 
to spread their ideas.

332
00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:29,833
Luther wrote in 
the people's language

333
00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:33,300
and sold more than a quarter 
million booklets like these.

334
00:16:33,366 --> 00:16:36,200
Like social media empowers 
popular movements today,

335
00:16:36,266 --> 00:16:38,300
Luther's pamphlets went viral.

336
00:16:38,366 --> 00:16:42,766
He was the bestselling German 
writer of the 16th century.

337
00:16:42,833 --> 00:16:44,800
The Wartburg Castle 
is a popular stop

338
00:16:44,866 --> 00:16:46,766
on the Luther trail.

339
00:16:46,833 --> 00:16:49,066
When Luther spoke out 
against Church corruption,

340
00:16:49,133 --> 00:16:52,733
he was declared an outlaw 
and needed to run for his life.

341
00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,600
A sympathetic German prince 
gave him refuge.

342
00:16:55,666 --> 00:16:57,500
Disguised and under a fake name,

343
00:16:57,566 --> 00:17:00,500
Luther hid out here 
in this castle.

344
00:17:00,566 --> 00:17:02,333
The actions of this 
solitary monk

345
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,000
brought far-reaching changes.

346
00:17:05,066 --> 00:17:06,800
Believing that everyone 
should be able

347
00:17:06,866 --> 00:17:08,333
to read the word of God,

348
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,533
Luther began the daunting 
and dangerous task

349
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:12,800
of translating 
the New Testament

350
00:17:12,866 --> 00:17:16,300
from the orinal 
Ancient Greek into German.

351
00:17:16,366 --> 00:17:18,566
He used simplified language,

352
00:17:18,633 --> 00:17:21,733
as he said, "like a mother 
talking to her children."

353
00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:23,300
Just as the King James version

354
00:17:23,366 --> 00:17:26,166
of the Bible did for English, 
Luther's translation

355
00:17:26,233 --> 00:17:28,733
helped to establish 
a standard German language

356
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,500
that's used to this day.

357
00:17:30,566 --> 00:17:33,866
Luther's translation brought 
the Bible to the masses.

358
00:17:33,933 --> 00:17:35,700
As Germans actually 
read the Bible,

359
00:17:35,766 --> 00:17:38,966
they saw, as Luther had, 
that there was no mention

360
00:17:39,033 --> 00:17:42,900
of indulgences, purgatory, 
or even a pope.

361
00:17:42,966 --> 00:17:44,566
Just as the Church had feared,

362
00:17:44,633 --> 00:17:47,766
this further fanned 
the fires of reform.

363
00:17:47,833 --> 00:17:49,866
This part of Germany 
was ground zero

364
00:17:49,933 --> 00:17:51,666
for the century 
of religious wars

365
00:17:51,733 --> 00:17:54,900
Luther's reforms 
unwittingly unleashed.

366
00:17:58,166 --> 00:18:00,300
A vivid portrayal 
of that tumultuous time

367
00:18:00,366 --> 00:18:02,033
with a intriguing 
communist twist

368
00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:07,033
can be seen above the town 
of Bad Frankenhausen.

369
00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:10,766
It's a huge 360 degree panoramic 
painting commissioned

370
00:18:10,833 --> 00:18:14,500
in the 1980s by the communist 
East German government.

371
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,200
The Peasant's War Panorama, 
400 feet around,

372
00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:23,166
was painted 
as communist propaganda.

373
00:18:23,233 --> 00:18:25,266
It remembers the 6,000 peasants

374
00:18:25,333 --> 00:18:28,000
who were slaughtered 
in a single battle.

375
00:18:28,066 --> 00:18:29,666
Armed with little 
more than shovels,

376
00:18:29,733 --> 00:18:31,333
they rose up against the Church

377
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,266
and the ruling class 
during the Reformation.

378
00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:39,200
The detail is vivid.

379
00:18:39,266 --> 00:18:41,966
Using this popular 
revolt 500 years ago,

380
00:18:42,033 --> 00:18:45,766
it hammers home a familiar theme 
during the Cold War.

381
00:18:45,833 --> 00:18:47,933
Whether 16th century peasants

382
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,133
or 20th century workers, 
the people's struggle

383
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,566
is long and ongoing.

384
00:18:55,633 --> 00:18:59,066
The panorama portrays more 
than just a horrible battle.

385
00:18:59,133 --> 00:19:01,100
It represents 
the bloody transition

386
00:19:01,166 --> 00:19:04,466
between the medieval 
and the modern worlds.

387
00:19:04,533 --> 00:19:07,433
At the base gather 20 
great humanists,

388
00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:10,633
change agents at the end 
of the Middle Ages --

389
00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:14,966
Luther, Erasmus, 
Copernicus, Columbus, and more.

390
00:19:15,033 --> 00:19:17,166
Above them rages 
the colossal battle

391
00:19:17,233 --> 00:19:20,233
under a rainbow, 
imperial troops on the left,

392
00:19:20,300 --> 00:19:22,466
doomed rabble on the right.

393
00:19:22,533 --> 00:19:25,000
Nearby, 
an aristocratic couple dances

394
00:19:25,066 --> 00:19:26,500
before a gallows.

395
00:19:26,566 --> 00:19:29,833
The message -- 
the elites continue to win.

396
00:19:37,166 --> 00:19:40,033
Until German unification 
in the late 1800s,

397
00:19:40,100 --> 00:19:41,533
Germany was fragmented,

398
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,833
a collection 
of small independent states.

399
00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:46,233
After the Reformation,

400
00:19:46,300 --> 00:19:49,400
those in the north 
ended up Lutheran or Protestant

401
00:19:49,466 --> 00:19:53,300
and those in the south 
remained Roman Catholic.

402
00:19:53,366 --> 00:19:55,000
A few hours south 
of Luther country

403
00:19:55,066 --> 00:19:57,133
takes us across 
that religious divide

404
00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,800
and into the enthusiastically 
Catholic region of Franconia

405
00:20:00,866 --> 00:20:03,666
and its capital city, Wurzburg.

406
00:20:03,733 --> 00:20:05,900
Wurzburg is surrounded 
by vineyards

407
00:20:05,966 --> 00:20:07,800
and straddles 
the Main River.

408
00:20:07,866 --> 00:20:09,900
Like so many German cities,

409
00:20:09,966 --> 00:20:12,933
it was devastated by 
World War II bombs.

410
00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,700
But, while cities like Hamburg 
and Frankfurt rebuilt

411
00:20:15,766 --> 00:20:17,266
on a modern grid plan,

412
00:20:17,333 --> 00:20:19,166
Wurzburg recreated its charm

413
00:20:19,233 --> 00:20:22,500
by rebuilding according 
to its original layout.

414
00:20:22,566 --> 00:20:24,900
The marketplace 
is an inviting scene.

415
00:20:24,966 --> 00:20:28,266
Its 200-year-old obelisk 
features Romantic maidens

416
00:20:28,333 --> 00:20:31,333
selling their produce.

417
00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,533
And to this day, the square 
still hosts a charming market.

418
00:20:40,166 --> 00:20:42,800
This tourist-friendly town 
is easy to navigate

419
00:20:42,866 --> 00:20:46,766
by foot or by streetcar.

420
00:20:46,833 --> 00:20:49,700
Today, nearly a quarter 
of its 130,000 residents

421
00:20:49,766 --> 00:20:53,766
are students, making the town 
feel young and vibrant.

422
00:20:53,833 --> 00:20:55,800
The town bridge, 
from the 12th century,

423
00:20:55,866 --> 00:20:58,066
is one of Germany's oldest.

424
00:20:58,133 --> 00:20:59,566
Its decorated with statues

425
00:20:59,633 --> 00:21:02,700
of Wurzburg's favorite 
saints and princes.

426
00:21:02,766 --> 00:21:05,933
And it's busy with people out 
and enjoying the moment.

427
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,100
Scenes like this are ideal 
for connecting with locals.

428
00:21:14,566 --> 00:21:18,066
Wurzburg was the capital of 
the German state of Franconia.

429
00:21:18,133 --> 00:21:20,700
In the 1700s, it was ruled 
was a prince-bishop.

430
00:21:20,766 --> 00:21:23,866
He exercised both secular 
and religious authority,

431
00:21:23,933 --> 00:21:26,600
and this grand palace 
was his home.

432
00:21:26,666 --> 00:21:28,800
Opulent as a German Versailles,

433
00:21:28,866 --> 00:21:32,833
the prince-bishop's Residence is 
the main attraction of Wurzburg.

434
00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:36,733
Imagine VIP guests arriving 
for lavish parties.

435
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,466
Met here by the prince-bishop,

436
00:21:38,533 --> 00:21:41,366
they'd glide gracefully up 
this elegant stairway,

437
00:21:41,433 --> 00:21:45,766
enjoying a grand fresco 
as it opens up overhead.

438
00:21:45,833 --> 00:21:47,700
Dating from about 1750

439
00:21:47,766 --> 00:21:49,966
and by the Venetian master 
Tiepolo,

440
00:21:50,033 --> 00:21:52,400
it illustrates 
the greatness of Europe

441
00:21:52,466 --> 00:21:55,666
with Wurzburg at its center.

442
00:21:55,733 --> 00:21:58,266
The hero is the esteemed 
prince-bishop,

443
00:21:58,333 --> 00:22:02,000
honored by a host of Greek 
gods affirming his rule.

444
00:22:02,066 --> 00:22:05,533
Ringing the room are allegories 
of the four continents,

445
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,466
each with a woman on an animal

446
00:22:07,533 --> 00:22:09,200
and celebrating Wurzburg

447
00:22:09,266 --> 00:22:12,366
as the center 
of the civilized world.

448
00:22:12,433 --> 00:22:15,000
America, 
desperately uncivilized,

449
00:22:15,066 --> 00:22:17,933
sits naked with feathers 
in her hair on an alligator

450
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,400
among severed heads 
and a cannibal barbecue.

451
00:22:23,833 --> 00:22:25,466
Africa lounges on a camel

452
00:22:25,533 --> 00:22:29,100
in a land of trade 
and fantasy animals.

453
00:22:29,166 --> 00:22:31,266
Asia rides her elephant 
in the birthplace

454
00:22:31,333 --> 00:22:34,566
of Christianity, 
marked by crosses.

455
00:22:34,633 --> 00:22:37,100
Europe is the center 
of high culture,

456
00:22:37,166 --> 00:22:40,500
and Lady Culture herself 
points her brush not at Rome,

457
00:22:40,566 --> 00:22:43,700
but at Wurzburg.

458
00:22:43,766 --> 00:22:47,366
The adjacent Imperial Hall is 
a fine example of Baroque --

459
00:22:47,433 --> 00:22:50,966
harmony, symmetry, 
light, and mirrors.

460
00:22:51,033 --> 00:22:53,433
Its ceiling is also by Tiepolo.

461
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:55,100
Typical of the Baroque movement,

462
00:22:55,166 --> 00:22:58,200
he was a master of 
three-dimensional illusion,

463
00:22:58,266 --> 00:22:59,500
and he'd heighten the illusion

464
00:22:59,566 --> 00:23:01,233
with some fun tricks.

465
00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:03,666
Notice how 3-D legs 
and other objects

466
00:23:03,733 --> 00:23:06,233
dangle out of the 2-D frame.

467
00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:08,466
The art, like nearly 
all art of that day,

468
00:23:08,533 --> 00:23:10,933
was propaganda, 
paid for and serving

469
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,400
either the State or the Church.

470
00:23:13,466 --> 00:23:15,566
In this case, it's both.

471
00:23:15,633 --> 00:23:18,000
Here, the Holy Roman Emperor 
bestows upon

472
00:23:18,066 --> 00:23:21,633
the bishop of Franconia 
the secular title of prince.

473
00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:24,033
The bishop, 
now the prince-bishop,

474
00:23:24,100 --> 00:23:27,733
touches the emperor's scepter, 
performing an oath of loyalty.

475
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,200
From this point onward, 
the prince-bishop wears

476
00:23:31,266 --> 00:23:35,466
two very powerful 
hats at the same time.

477
00:23:35,533 --> 00:23:36,933
A string of splendid rooms

478
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,066
evolve from fancy Baroque 
to fancier Rococo.

479
00:23:41,133 --> 00:23:44,733
It all leads to the 
18th-century Mirror Cabinet.

480
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,933
This was where the prince-bishop 
showed off his amazing wealth.

481
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,866
It features kilos of gold leaf, 
lots of exotic Asian influence,

482
00:23:53,933 --> 00:23:56,766
and eye-popping extravagance.

483
00:23:56,833 --> 00:23:58,366
As for the commoners,

484
00:23:58,433 --> 00:24:01,533
we were finally allowed 
inside this glorious palace

485
00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,900
about two centuries later.

486
00:24:09,466 --> 00:24:11,733
I hope you've enjoyed 
our visit to dynamic Hamburg,

487
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,666
the fascinating Luther cities,

488
00:24:13,733 --> 00:24:16,233
and Wurzburg, 
with its Baroque charm.

489
00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:17,366
I'm Rick Steve

490
00:24:17,433 --> 00:24:19,866
Until next time, 
keep on travelin'.

491
00:24:19,933 --> 00:24:21,800
Auf wiedersehen.

492
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,466
Hi, I’m Rick Steves, back with 
more of the best of Europe.

493
00:24:25,533 --> 00:24:27,300
This time, we're in Saxony --

494
00:24:27,366 --> 00:24:29,800
the great cities 
of Dresden and Leipzig.

495
00:24:29,866 --> 00:24:31,233
It's eastern Germany,

496
00:24:31,300 --> 00:24:34,666
and you're in for some 
monumental travel experiences.

497
00:24:34,733 --> 00:24:36,066
Thanks for joining us.

498
00:24:36,133 --> 00:24:39,166
♪♪

499
00:25:07,966 --> 00:25:10,133
Saxony is a proud region 
of Germany

500
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:11,833
with a long and rich history.

501
00:25:11,900 --> 00:25:14,966
Its two leading cities 
are Leipzig and Dresden.

502
00:25:15,033 --> 00:25:17,233
Each had a tough 
20th century history,

503
00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:20,266
and today they're coming back 
with a special vibrancy.

504
00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:22,333
In this episode,

505
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,333
we'll visit 
two great German cities

506
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,733
bombed and tn rebuilt 
after World War II.

507
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,400
After visiting a beloved church 
that rose from those 1945 ashes,

508
00:25:32,466 --> 00:25:34,133
we'll go further back in time

509
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,366
and brush up 
on some Saxon history

510
00:25:36,433 --> 00:25:37,700
with its royal palaces

511
00:25:37,766 --> 00:25:42,933
and their porcelain, jewels, 
and armor.

512
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,033
We'll ponder 
a massive war memorial

513
00:25:45,100 --> 00:25:47,000
from the time of Napoleon.

514
00:25:47,066 --> 00:25:50,133
Then, after peeking into 
a secret police headquarters,

515
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,533
we'll recall how people power 
brought down Communism

516
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,000
-Chanting at the top of their 
voices, "We are the people."

517
00:25:57,066 --> 00:26:00,900
-...and see how people today 
are enjoying their freedom.

518
00:26:00,966 --> 00:26:03,033
After World War II,

519
00:26:03,100 --> 00:26:05,233
Germany was divided 
by the Iron Curtain

520
00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:08,500
into the free West 
and Communist East.

521
00:26:08,566 --> 00:26:11,533
With the fall of Communism 
in 1989,

522
00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:13,300
Germany was reunited.

523
00:26:13,366 --> 00:26:15,533
In the historic region 
of Saxony,

524
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,666
we tour Dresden and Leipzig.

525
00:26:19,733 --> 00:26:21,600
We start in Dresden

526
00:26:21,666 --> 00:26:23,266
with fanciful 
Baroque architecture

527
00:26:23,333 --> 00:26:25,666
and some of the best 
museum-going in all of Germany.

528
00:26:25,733 --> 00:26:27,966
It's a city that mixes 
a dynamic history

529
00:26:28,033 --> 00:26:30,266
with a delightful-to-stroll 
cityscape.

530
00:26:30,333 --> 00:26:33,166
At the peak of its power 
in the 18th century,

531
00:26:33,233 --> 00:26:35,033
this wealthy capital of Saxony

532
00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:37,166
ruled much of eastern Germany

533
00:26:37,233 --> 00:26:40,966
from the banks 
of the Elbe River.

534
00:26:41,033 --> 00:26:44,566
Saxony's greatest ruler 
was Augustus the Strong.

535
00:26:44,633 --> 00:26:46,100
To embellish his capital,

536
00:26:46,166 --> 00:26:48,666
he imported artists 
from all over Europe,

537
00:26:48,733 --> 00:26:50,200
especially from Italy.

538
00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:55,133
Dresden's grand architecture 
and dedication to the arts

539
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,900
earned it the nickname 
"Florence on the Elbe."

540
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:02,766
In spite of its resurgence,

541
00:27:02,833 --> 00:27:06,200
Dresden is still known for 
its destruction in World War II.

542
00:27:06,266 --> 00:27:08,733
American and British planes 
firebombed the city

543
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,966
on the night 
of February 13, 1945.

544
00:27:12,033 --> 00:27:13,566
The bombing was so fierce

545
00:27:13,633 --> 00:27:16,433
it created its own climate -- 
a "fire storm."

546
00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:19,766
More than 25,000 people were 
killed in just one night,

547
00:27:19,833 --> 00:27:23,666
and 75% of the historic center 
was destroyed.

548
00:27:23,733 --> 00:27:27,833
Memorials, while understated, 
remember the horror of war.

549
00:27:27,900 --> 00:27:31,366
This simple inscription recalls 
that after the air raids,

550
00:27:31,433 --> 00:27:36,066
"the bodies of 6,865 people 
killed in the bombing

551
00:27:36,133 --> 00:27:39,166
were burnt on this spot."

552
00:27:39,233 --> 00:27:41,133
For 40 years, 
through the Cold War,

553
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,700
Dresden was part 
of Communist East Germany.

554
00:27:43,766 --> 00:27:46,200
It was in what was called 
"the Valley of the Clueless" --

555
00:27:46,266 --> 00:27:48,000
one of the only places 
in East Germany

556
00:27:48,066 --> 00:27:50,366
that didn't get 
Western television.

557
00:27:50,433 --> 00:27:51,566
Under the Communists,

558
00:27:51,633 --> 00:27:54,200
Dresden restored 
some of its damaged buildings,

559
00:27:54,266 --> 00:27:55,733
left others in ruins,

560
00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:59,266
and replaced many with modern, 
utilitarian sprawl.

561
00:27:59,333 --> 00:28:01,800
Prager Street,

562
00:28:01,866 --> 00:28:04,700
a bombed-out ruins 
until the 1960s,

563
00:28:04,766 --> 00:28:08,466
was rebuilt as a showcase 
for Communist ideals.

564
00:28:08,533 --> 00:28:11,733
Its vast, 
uniform apartment blocks

565
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,233
goose-step up the boulevard 
to this day.

566
00:28:14,300 --> 00:28:17,933
The design is typical 
of Soviet-Bloc architecture --

567
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,000
from Moscow to Bucharest.

568
00:28:20,066 --> 00:28:22,800
Today, after a thorough update,

569
00:28:22,866 --> 00:28:25,933
they've become 
desirable places to live.

570
00:28:28,166 --> 00:28:29,700
After German reunification,

571
00:28:29,766 --> 00:28:31,800
the rebuilding of Dresden 
accelerated.

572
00:28:31,866 --> 00:28:34,300
The transformation 
has been impressive,

573
00:28:34,366 --> 00:28:36,900
and the city's 
once devastated historic center

574
00:28:36,966 --> 00:28:40,333
has been reconstructed.

575
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,333
The Frauenkirche, 
or Church of Our Lady,

576
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,833
is the symbol and soul 
of the city.

577
00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:48,400
When completed in 1743,

578
00:28:48,466 --> 00:28:51,933
this was Germany's 
tallest Protestant church.

579
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,366
Then, in February of 1945, 
after the city was bombed,

580
00:28:56,433 --> 00:29:00,733
in the last months of the war, 
the Frauenkirche collapsed.

581
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,133
For a generation, it lay there, 
a pile of rubble.

582
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,600
Then, Dresdeners 
decided to rebuild it

583
00:29:06,666 --> 00:29:09,300
completely and painstakingly.

584
00:29:09,366 --> 00:29:11,500
With the help 
of international donations,

585
00:29:11,566 --> 00:29:13,800
Dresden's most beloved church 
was rebuilt

586
00:29:13,866 --> 00:29:18,133
and finally reopened 
to the public in 2005.

587
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,300
Stepping inside, 
you're struck by the shape --

588
00:29:21,366 --> 00:29:24,966
not so wide but very tall.

589
00:29:25,033 --> 00:29:27,300
The color scheme is pastel,

590
00:29:27,366 --> 00:29:29,633
to emphasize the joy of faith

591
00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:31,533
and enhance 
the uplifting atmosphere

592
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,900
of the services held here.

593
00:29:33,966 --> 00:29:38,200
The curves help create 
a feeling of community.

594
00:29:38,266 --> 00:29:39,633
A Lutheran church,

595
00:29:39,700 --> 00:29:42,300
but built at the peak 
of the Baroque period,

596
00:29:42,366 --> 00:29:44,633
it seems the artistic style 
of the age

597
00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:48,433
trumped the Lutheran taste 
for simplicity.

598
00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:51,500
The church's twisted old cross,

599
00:29:51,566 --> 00:29:54,300
which fell 300 feet 
from the tip of the dome

600
00:29:54,366 --> 00:29:56,000
and burned in the rubble,

601
00:29:56,066 --> 00:29:59,033
caps an inspirational story.

602
00:29:59,100 --> 00:30:02,466
Climbing to the top of the 
beautifully reconstructed dome,

603
00:30:02,533 --> 00:30:03,766
you're rewarded

604
00:30:03,833 --> 00:30:07,033
with a commanding view 
over Dresden and its river.

605
00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:20,266
The rebirth of the city 
is evident everywhere.

606
00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:22,466
This central square

607
00:30:22,533 --> 00:30:25,600
was once ringed by the homes 
of rich merchants.

608
00:30:25,666 --> 00:30:29,000
It's once again 
the heart of the city,

609
00:30:29,066 --> 00:30:33,400
alive with people and cafés.

610
00:30:33,466 --> 00:30:35,400
Dresden's delightful terrace

611
00:30:35,466 --> 00:30:37,700
was originally 
a defensive rampart.

612
00:30:37,766 --> 00:30:42,633
Today, it's a welcoming 
promenade overlooking the Elbe.

613
00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:45,800
Its nickname -- 
"The Balcony of Europe."

614
00:30:45,866 --> 00:30:48,000
And a fleet 
of 19th century paddleboats

615
00:30:48,066 --> 00:30:51,433
tempts visitors 
for a lazy river cruise.

616
00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:54,900
Getting around the city 
by tram is easy,

617
00:30:54,966 --> 00:30:57,733
and a quick ride over the river

618
00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,666
takes us into a lively district

619
00:30:59,733 --> 00:31:02,633
called Neustadt, 
or "the New town."

620
00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:06,366
Its inviting 
and tree-lined main drag,

621
00:31:06,433 --> 00:31:10,166
Hauptstrasse, opened in 1979.

622
00:31:10,233 --> 00:31:13,200
It was a showpiece 
of Communist urban design --

623
00:31:13,266 --> 00:31:16,466
a landscaped, 
utopian workers' district

624
00:31:16,533 --> 00:31:20,200
filled with affordable 
apartments and the best shops.

625
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,066
Because World War II bombs 
missed most of this district,

626
00:31:26,133 --> 00:31:29,833
the New Town has a retro charm.

627
00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:31,633
This well-worn area has emerged

628
00:31:31,700 --> 00:31:34,266
as the city's 
trendy people zone.

629
00:31:34,333 --> 00:31:36,166
Passages between apartment flats

630
00:31:36,233 --> 00:31:38,700
are enlivened by art galleries, 
cozy pubs,

631
00:31:38,766 --> 00:31:41,566
and crazy decorations.

632
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,700
While the New Town 
boasts no great sights,

633
00:31:46,766 --> 00:31:50,533
it's fun to explore, 
especially after dark.

634
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,800
The Parade of Nobles is a mural

635
00:31:55,866 --> 00:31:59,766
painted on 24,000 tiles 
of local pcelain.

636
00:31:59,833 --> 00:32:02,733
It was built 
to soothe the pride of Saxony

637
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,500
after it was incorporated

638
00:32:04,566 --> 00:32:06,700
into the newly formed country 
of Germany

639
00:32:06,766 --> 00:32:08,933
in the 1870s.

640
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,900
It celebrates 
Dresden's Saxon heritage

641
00:32:11,966 --> 00:32:13,666
and its Wettin family dynasty.

642
00:32:13,733 --> 00:32:16,833
The artist carefully studied 
armor and clothing,

643
00:32:16,900 --> 00:32:20,433
accurately tracing the evolution 
of weaponry and fashions

644
00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:23,066
through the centuries.

645
00:32:23,133 --> 00:32:26,266
Way up at the very front 
of the parade,

646
00:32:26,333 --> 00:32:29,533
an announcer with a band 
and 12th-century cheerleaders

647
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:34,200
excitedly heralds the arrival 
of this wondrous procession.

648
00:32:34,266 --> 00:32:35,566
There are commoners --

649
00:32:35,633 --> 00:32:40,633
from miners and farmers 
to carpenters and students.

650
00:32:40,700 --> 00:32:42,866
And ahead of them, the royals,

651
00:32:42,933 --> 00:32:44,833
with 35 names and dates

652
00:32:44,900 --> 00:32:48,166
marking 700 years 
of Wettin family rule.

653
00:32:48,233 --> 00:32:52,700
At the year 1694 
stands Augustus the Strong,

654
00:32:52,766 --> 00:32:57,666
the most important 
of the Saxon kings.

655
00:32:57,733 --> 00:32:58,900
The Saxon ruler

656
00:32:58,966 --> 00:33:01,400
was one of the most powerful 
people in Germany.

657
00:33:01,466 --> 00:33:02,833
He one of a handful of nobles

658
00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:05,200
who elected 
the Holy Roman Emperor.

659
00:33:05,266 --> 00:33:06,566
In the 18th century,

660
00:33:06,633 --> 00:33:08,966
the larger-than-life 
Augustus the Strong

661
00:33:09,033 --> 00:33:11,366
kicked off Saxony's Golden Age.

662
00:33:11,433 --> 00:33:14,900
His royal festival complex, 
called the Zwinger,

663
00:33:14,966 --> 00:33:17,500
is an example 
of how the king's extravagance

664
00:33:17,566 --> 00:33:20,300
made Dresden 
a European capital of culture.

665
00:33:20,366 --> 00:33:22,166
Here at the Nymphs' Bath,

666
00:33:22,233 --> 00:33:27,233
aristocrats relaxed with royals 
among cascading waterfalls.

667
00:33:27,300 --> 00:33:31,200
Today, the Zwinger 
is filled with fine museums.

668
00:33:31,266 --> 00:33:33,100
The Mathematics 
and Physics Salon

669
00:33:33,166 --> 00:33:37,300
features scientific gadgets 
from the 16th to 19th century.

670
00:33:37,366 --> 00:33:41,266
Finely crafted and incorporating 
new discoveries with exuberance,

671
00:33:41,333 --> 00:33:46,733
the instruments are displayed 
like dazzling works of art.

672
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,400
Imagine whipping out your 
pocket sundial in the year 1700,

673
00:33:50,466 --> 00:33:53,833
or a new-fangled packet watch 
in 1760 --

674
00:33:53,900 --> 00:33:56,366
with a risqué painting.

675
00:33:56,433 --> 00:33:58,266
This calculator from 1650,

676
00:33:58,333 --> 00:34:01,200
claiming to be the oldest 
surviving mechanical calculator,

677
00:34:01,266 --> 00:34:03,566
could carry the tens.

678
00:34:03,633 --> 00:34:05,133
European royal families

679
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,533
aspired to have 
their own porcelain works.

680
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,900
And the Wettin family 
had one of the best

681
00:34:09,966 --> 00:34:11,500
at nearby Meissen.

682
00:34:11,566 --> 00:34:16,366
In those days, a king portrayed 
in porcelain was a happy king.

683
00:34:16,433 --> 00:34:20,533
Augustus the Strong 
was obsessed with the stuff.

684
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,766
He liked to say 
he had "porcelain sickness."

685
00:34:24,833 --> 00:34:27,100
Here you can enjoy 
some of his symptoms

686
00:34:27,166 --> 00:34:30,000
under chandeliers 
in elegant galleries.

687
00:34:30,066 --> 00:34:32,533
You'll see fine table settings.

688
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,666
He had a veritable porcelain zoo

689
00:34:34,733 --> 00:34:38,000
of exotic animals 
and beautiful birds.

690
00:34:38,066 --> 00:34:42,733
According to legend, 
for 151 of these Chinese vases,

691
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,900
Augustus traded 600 soldiers, 
complete with horses,

692
00:34:45,966 --> 00:34:47,300
to Prussia.

693
00:34:47,366 --> 00:34:48,966
And here at the Zwinger,

694
00:34:49,033 --> 00:34:50,933
it just makes sense 
that the glockenspiel

695
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,500
comes with 40 bells 
made of Meissen porcelain.

696
00:34:54,566 --> 00:34:58,000
The delightful chimes are far 
sweeter than your typical bell.

697
00:34:58,066 --> 00:35:00,266
[ Chimes playing ]

698
00:35:04,433 --> 00:35:06,466
In the nearby royal palace,

699
00:35:06,533 --> 00:35:09,933
the official residence 
of Saxon rulers since 1485,

700
00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,766
is Dresden's 
historic Green Vault.

701
00:35:12,833 --> 00:35:15,566
This glittering 
Baroque treasure collection

702
00:35:15,633 --> 00:35:18,566
is the sightseeing highlight 
of the city.

703
00:35:18,633 --> 00:35:21,566
The collection was begun 
by Augustus the Strong --

704
00:35:21,633 --> 00:35:24,233
featured here surrounded 
by ancient Roman emperors

705
00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:27,700
on the base of an obelisk.

706
00:35:27,766 --> 00:35:30,566
It grew into the royal family's 
exquisite trove

707
00:35:30,633 --> 00:35:33,766
of ivory, silver, 
and gold treasures,

708
00:35:33,833 --> 00:35:38,066
displayed in rooms as opulent 
as the collection itself.

709
00:35:40,133 --> 00:35:43,000
Its purpose -- 
a synthesis of the arts

710
00:35:43,066 --> 00:35:46,933
as an expression of wealth 
and absolute power.

711
00:35:48,833 --> 00:35:51,566
The Amber Cabinet 
shows off what you can do

712
00:35:51,633 --> 00:35:53,300
with fossilized tree sap --

713
00:35:53,366 --> 00:35:58,066
for example, 
this exquisite bowl from 1659.

714
00:35:58,133 --> 00:36:01,633
The Ivory Room does the same 
for elephant tusks,

715
00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:05,500
with some 
strikingly delicate carving.

716
00:36:05,566 --> 00:36:07,766
In this amazing ivory frigate,

717
00:36:07,833 --> 00:36:11,100
tiny sailors climb 
the gold wire rigging,

718
00:36:11,166 --> 00:36:14,300
all supported 
by Neptune and his horses.

719
00:36:17,333 --> 00:36:20,400
In the aptly named 
Hall of Precious Objects,

720
00:36:20,466 --> 00:36:21,733
amid mother-of-pearl,

721
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,633
ostrich-egg, 
and snail-shell goblets,

722
00:36:24,700 --> 00:36:27,066
is the ultimate coffee service.

723
00:36:27,133 --> 00:36:31,200
This golden coffee service 
from 1700

724
00:36:31,266 --> 00:36:33,966
is pure gold iced with enamel,

725
00:36:34,033 --> 00:36:36,766
crusted with thousands 
of precious stones,

726
00:36:36,833 --> 00:36:41,500
and crowned by a coffee pot 
filled with symbolism.

727
00:36:41,566 --> 00:36:44,033
Coffee was exotic 
and trendy back then,

728
00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:46,200
and this extravagant 
centerpiece,

729
00:36:46,266 --> 00:36:49,100
while never actually used 
to serve coffee,

730
00:36:49,166 --> 00:36:52,733
certainly made an impression.

731
00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,933
This captivating ensemble

732
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,700
depicts a Grand Mogul 
on his birthday.

733
00:36:57,766 --> 00:37:01,433
He ruled India 
when Augustus ruled Saxony.

734
00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:03,566
And among earth's rulers,

735
00:37:03,633 --> 00:37:06,466
he was the embodiment 
of absolute power

736
00:37:06,533 --> 00:37:07,900
and endless wealth.

737
00:37:07,966 --> 00:37:10,433
Like royal Legos 
on a silver stage,

738
00:37:10,500 --> 00:37:13,633
the figures, made of gold 
and glazed with enamel,

739
00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:17,000
were movable 
for the king's pleasure.

740
00:37:17,066 --> 00:37:20,033
And the finale, 
in a place all its own,

741
00:37:20,100 --> 00:37:22,700
is this dazzling green diamond,

742
00:37:22,766 --> 00:37:27,466
one of the largest 
ever discovered.

743
00:37:27,533 --> 00:37:29,500
The adjacent Royal Armory

744
00:37:29,566 --> 00:37:34,000
fills a long room 
with centuries-old armor.

745
00:37:34,066 --> 00:37:35,700
The biggest space in the palace,

746
00:37:35,766 --> 00:37:38,900
this room was the scene 
of medieval war games.

747
00:37:38,966 --> 00:37:41,233
Today, its exhibits 
of jousting models

748
00:37:41,300 --> 00:37:45,400
recall those breathtaking 
pageants of the 16th century.

749
00:37:45,466 --> 00:37:48,000
Back then, jousting was 
something rich guys did

750
00:37:48,066 --> 00:37:49,900
when there was no war to fight.

751
00:37:49,966 --> 00:37:52,333
The collection 
offers an unusual chance

752
00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:54,733
to see armor 
not standing at attention

753
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,100
but displayed in action.

754
00:37:57,166 --> 00:37:58,666
This ensemble --

755
00:37:58,733 --> 00:38:01,166
designed for formal parades, 
not actual battle --

756
00:38:01,233 --> 00:38:04,166
is considered 
the prize of the collection.

757
00:38:06,233 --> 00:38:09,500
And the little princes 
needed their armor, as well.

758
00:38:15,766 --> 00:38:18,600
Connecting German towns 
is easy these days

759
00:38:18,666 --> 00:38:20,600
on the country's 
fine train system.

760
00:38:20,666 --> 00:38:23,466
And after a relaxing hour or two 
on the train,

761
00:38:23,533 --> 00:38:25,866
we arrive in Leipzig.

762
00:38:30,633 --> 00:38:32,833
Leipzig once had 
the cobblestoned charm

763
00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:34,900
of many other German cities.

764
00:38:34,966 --> 00:38:38,566
But long a leading trade center, 
in the late 19th century,

765
00:38:38,633 --> 00:38:41,533
city leaders 
decided to modernize.

766
00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,433
They replaced 
the quaint medieval townscape

767
00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:47,366
with a grid of grand 
and efficient buildings

768
00:38:47,433 --> 00:38:51,300
dedicated to trade and commerce.

769
00:38:51,366 --> 00:38:55,200
World War II bombs 
destroyed much of Leipzig,

770
00:38:55,266 --> 00:38:59,400
and the Communists followed that 
with four decades of neglect.

771
00:38:59,466 --> 00:39:03,666
That left the town center 
a dreary urban wasteland.

772
00:39:03,733 --> 00:39:06,266
But in the generation 
since 1989,

773
00:39:06,333 --> 00:39:10,766
the people of Leipzig have 
dramatically remade their city.

774
00:39:10,833 --> 00:39:14,400
Augustusplatz 
is a busy people zone

775
00:39:14,466 --> 00:39:18,033
and a hub for the city's trams.

776
00:39:18,100 --> 00:39:20,600
Overlooking that 
is the university center,

777
00:39:20,666 --> 00:39:22,933
rebuilt in a playful 
and modern echo

778
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,433
of the pre-war buildings 
that once stood here.

779
00:39:26,500 --> 00:39:29,933
Towering high above 
is a skyscraper,

780
00:39:30,033 --> 00:39:32,266
built in the 1970s.

781
00:39:32,333 --> 00:39:37,100
An erection like this was 
a big deal in Communist times.

782
00:39:37,166 --> 00:39:40,866
Locals and tourists alike 
gather on its rooftop terrace

783
00:39:40,933 --> 00:39:43,933
to enjoy a drink 
and the best view in town.

784
00:39:46,966 --> 00:39:49,833
As they rebuilt the city center, 
one feature that survived

785
00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,966
was the tradition 
of inviting shopping galleries

786
00:39:53,033 --> 00:39:54,766
that burrow 
through office blocks.

787
00:39:54,833 --> 00:39:58,400
Some of the galleries 
retain an Old World elegance

788
00:39:58,466 --> 00:40:01,100
with venerable shops 
and restaurants.

789
00:40:01,166 --> 00:40:05,800
Others are playfully decorated 
by contemporary local artists.

790
00:40:08,366 --> 00:40:11,133
Leipzig's 
Renaissance-style Town Hall,

791
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,133
with its fine arcade, 
overlooks the Market Square.

792
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:17,866
Tonight the fruit 
and vegetable merchants

793
00:40:17,933 --> 00:40:20,266
have made way 
for a big open-air concert

794
00:40:20,333 --> 00:40:21,333
with music...

795
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,700
♪♪

796
00:40:23,766 --> 00:40:26,466
-♪ You can leave your hat on ♪

797
00:40:26,533 --> 00:40:31,466
-...and lots of sausages, 
kraut, and beer.

798
00:40:31,533 --> 00:40:34,433
As a traveler, don't be shy.

799
00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:37,566
Share a table 
and strike up a conversation.

800
00:40:37,633 --> 00:40:41,400
An event like this is 
a perfect chance to meet locals.

801
00:40:41,466 --> 00:40:43,866
[ Cheers and applause ]

802
00:40:47,366 --> 00:40:50,466
[ Organ playing 
classical music ]

803
00:40:50,533 --> 00:40:53,266
Leipzig is famous 
for its music heritage.

804
00:40:53,333 --> 00:40:54,800
It was the hometown

805
00:40:54,866 --> 00:40:57,500
of the great composer 
Johann Sebastian Bach,

806
00:40:57,566 --> 00:41:01,533
shown here with his favorite 
instrument, the pipe organ.

807
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,000
In the early 1700s,

808
00:41:03,066 --> 00:41:05,800
Bach was the organist 
and choirmaster

809
00:41:05,866 --> 00:41:08,166
right here at St. Thomas Church.

810
00:41:08,233 --> 00:41:11,500
Inside, the clean, 
stripped-down interior

811
00:41:11,566 --> 00:41:13,533
reflects 
the Protestant aesthetic

812
00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,233
of an uncluttered church.

813
00:41:16,300 --> 00:41:19,466
Stained glass celebrates 
how in 1539,

814
00:41:19,533 --> 00:41:21,166
Martin Luther came here

815
00:41:21,233 --> 00:41:24,100
to perform Leipzig's 
first Protestant service

816
00:41:24,166 --> 00:41:28,400
and how, for nearly 30 years, 
Bach directed the boys' choir.

817
00:41:28,466 --> 00:41:31,966
Bach's tomb, 
adorned with flowers,

818
00:41:32,033 --> 00:41:35,266
is like a pilgrimage 
for music lovers.

819
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,166
Leipzig remembers 
its tough 20th century

820
00:41:42,233 --> 00:41:43,466
with a little whimsy.

821
00:41:43,533 --> 00:41:46,466
This statue represents 
how East Germany endured

822
00:41:46,533 --> 00:41:49,500
two harsh dictatorships 
in succession --

823
00:41:49,566 --> 00:41:52,066
the flat-palmed "Sieg Heil!" 
of the Nazis

824
00:41:52,133 --> 00:41:55,933
and the proletariat's raised 
fist from the Communist era.

825
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:57,266
This poor fellow,

826
00:41:57,333 --> 00:42:00,766
repressed by both regimes 
with his head scrunched down,

827
00:42:00,833 --> 00:42:04,533
seems to represent 
individuality under siege.

828
00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:07,566
Somehow, 
he'll get through it all.

829
00:42:07,633 --> 00:42:09,133
To learn more,

830
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:11,866
step into Leipzig's 
Contemporary History Museum,

831
00:42:11,933 --> 00:42:15,200
which tells the 44-year story 
of Communism in East Germany.

832
00:42:15,266 --> 00:42:18,000
After the devastation 
of World War II,

833
00:42:18,066 --> 00:42:20,966
the line between 
East and West was drawn,

834
00:42:21,033 --> 00:42:24,333
and Leipzig ended up 
in Stalin's camp.

835
00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,700
In those 
desperate post-war years,

836
00:42:26,766 --> 00:42:28,766
the stability and security

837
00:42:28,833 --> 00:42:31,100
provided by East Germany's 
Communist government

838
00:42:31,166 --> 00:42:32,233
was appreciated.

839
00:42:32,300 --> 00:42:35,566
Out of the squalor 
came a forced uniformity,

840
00:42:35,633 --> 00:42:40,433
and, if you played by the rules, 
life was not miserable.

841
00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:42,900
Housing was a major priority,

842
00:42:42,966 --> 00:42:45,533
as so many were homeless 
after the war.

843
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:48,300
Locals recall 
how there wasn't a lot,

844
00:42:48,366 --> 00:42:50,733
but people had what they needed.

845
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,066
Generally what they had 
was what their neighbors had.

846
00:42:54,133 --> 00:42:57,366
Children all had 
the same blocks, books,

847
00:42:57,433 --> 00:42:59,166
and cuddly stuffed pets.

848
00:42:59,233 --> 00:43:01,166
Western pop music,

849
00:43:01,233 --> 00:43:04,333
while reined in and certainly 
controlled, was allowed,

850
00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:08,933
from the Beatles to Jethro Tull.

851
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:13,266
But of course, people 
eventually insist on freedom.

852
00:43:13,333 --> 00:43:14,666
To learn more,

853
00:43:14,733 --> 00:43:18,866
I'm joined by Leipzig tour guide 
Gisa Schoenfeld.

854
00:43:18,933 --> 00:43:22,500
The hated secret police force 
in Communist East Germany

855
00:43:22,566 --> 00:43:24,866
was the Stasi.

856
00:43:24,933 --> 00:43:27,366
Its old headquarters 
now houses a museum

857
00:43:27,433 --> 00:43:30,266
dedicated to telling 
the Stasi's dirty deeds.

858
00:43:30,333 --> 00:43:32,500
It offers a fascinating look

859
00:43:32,566 --> 00:43:34,966
at what it took 
to control the people.

860
00:43:35,033 --> 00:43:36,866
-This is the symbol

861
00:43:36,933 --> 00:43:39,600
for the Ministry 
for State Security,

862
00:43:39,666 --> 00:43:41,700
Staatssicherheit, Stasi.

863
00:43:41,766 --> 00:43:43,866
-Stasi, state security.

864
00:43:43,933 --> 00:43:47,333
Modeled after the Soviet Union's 
secret police,

865
00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:48,766
the notorious KGB,

866
00:43:48,833 --> 00:43:51,766
the Stasi recruited 
over half a million informants

867
00:43:51,833 --> 00:43:53,933
from every walk of life.

868
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:58,200
It collected mountains of data 
on its citizens.

869
00:43:58,266 --> 00:44:01,800
The former offices 
contain tools of the trade --

870
00:44:01,866 --> 00:44:04,666
a small camera that could be 
concealed in a briefcase;

871
00:44:04,733 --> 00:44:06,366
easy-to-hide microphones,

872
00:44:06,433 --> 00:44:08,500
including one hidden 
in a button;

873
00:44:08,566 --> 00:44:12,133
disguises, and forged documents.

874
00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:16,866
-The Stasi officers set people 
on chairs with a piece of cloth,

875
00:44:16,933 --> 00:44:19,566
and the piece of cloth 
would absorb the smell

876
00:44:19,633 --> 00:44:22,533
when the suspects sweated 
during the interrogation.

877
00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:25,433
And then they placed the cloth 
into these jars,

878
00:44:25,500 --> 00:44:26,800
preserving the smell.

879
00:44:26,866 --> 00:44:28,966
And whenever something 
suspicious turned up --

880
00:44:29,033 --> 00:44:30,066
for example, a leaflet --

881
00:44:30,133 --> 00:44:31,333
they brought in the dogs.

882
00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:34,533
The dogs smelled the item, 
then smelled the jars.

883
00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,300
-So the dogs 
would match the smell?

884
00:44:36,366 --> 00:44:38,133
And that would be enough 
to send somebody to jail?

885
00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:39,166
-That would be enough.

886
00:44:39,233 --> 00:44:40,966
-All mail and packages

887
00:44:41,033 --> 00:44:43,000
coming into the country 
was searched.

888
00:44:43,066 --> 00:44:46,333
These machines enabled agents 
to steam letters open,

889
00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,200
read them, then reseal them.

890
00:44:49,266 --> 00:44:52,833
The Stasi stole millions 
in West German hard currency,

891
00:44:52,900 --> 00:44:57,000
sent to struggling East Germans 
by West German relatives.

892
00:44:57,066 --> 00:44:59,600
And they confiscated 
piles of cassette tapes

893
00:44:59,666 --> 00:45:02,200
which contained forbidden 
Western pop music.

894
00:45:02,266 --> 00:45:04,600
These cassettes 
which were then reused

895
00:45:04,666 --> 00:45:07,366
to record 
interrogation sessions.

896
00:45:07,433 --> 00:45:10,466
After freedom, people were free 
to look at their personal files?

897
00:45:10,533 --> 00:45:13,533
-Yes, but it was was 
an agonizing decision to make.

898
00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,500
The Stasi had hundreds 
and thousands of informants,

899
00:45:16,566 --> 00:45:18,766
so there were colleagues, 
friends, family members

900
00:45:18,833 --> 00:45:20,666
spying on people,

901
00:45:20,733 --> 00:45:23,166
and then it was 
very difficult to choose.

902
00:45:23,233 --> 00:45:24,233
Do I want to know

903
00:45:24,300 --> 00:45:26,500
what information 
the Stasi kept on me,

904
00:45:26,566 --> 00:45:29,833
but I would also find out 
who spied on me.

905
00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:31,333
-So you could look at your file,

906
00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:33,766
but you might find your uncle 
was informing on you,

907
00:45:33,833 --> 00:45:35,566
and maybe you just 
better not go there.

908
00:45:35,633 --> 00:45:37,000
-Exactly.

909
00:45:37,066 --> 00:45:39,666
-Leipzig's beloved 
St. Nicholas Church

910
00:45:39,733 --> 00:45:41,166
played a pivotal role

911
00:45:41,233 --> 00:45:43,266
in the people's successful fight 
for freedom.

912
00:45:43,333 --> 00:45:46,400
In the 1980s, 
this venerable church

913
00:45:46,466 --> 00:45:49,366
hosted weekly prayer meetings 
for peace.

914
00:45:49,433 --> 00:45:50,833
These turned political,

915
00:45:50,900 --> 00:45:53,166
making St. Nicholas 
a staging ground

916
00:45:53,233 --> 00:45:54,833
for the Peaceful Revolution

917
00:45:54,900 --> 00:45:58,733
that would ultimately topple 
the Communist regime.

918
00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:00,266
A column in the church square

919
00:46:00,333 --> 00:46:03,933
celebrates the church's 
contribution to German freedom.

920
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:08,133
So eventually these Monday 
prayer services for peace

921
00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,600
spilled out of the church 
and into the city at large?

922
00:46:10,666 --> 00:46:13,166
-Yes, they got bigger and bigger 
every week.

923
00:46:13,233 --> 00:46:15,100
The largest demonstration 
here in Leipzig

924
00:46:15,166 --> 00:46:17,600
was 450,000 protesters.

925
00:46:17,666 --> 00:46:19,333
But they all remained peaceful,

926
00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,566
and that's 
the biggest accomplishment.

927
00:46:21,633 --> 00:46:23,900
That's why there was 
no reason to shoot them.

928
00:46:23,966 --> 00:46:25,366
-So, what eventually happened?

929
00:46:25,433 --> 00:46:27,766
-Eventually, 
the wall came down in Berlin,

930
00:46:27,833 --> 00:46:29,300
and the borders were opened,

931
00:46:29,366 --> 00:46:30,733
and the people had gained 
their freedom.

932
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,500
-The Peaceful Revolution.

933
00:46:32,566 --> 00:46:33,633
-Very much so.

934
00:46:33,700 --> 00:46:35,600
[ Tram bell dings ]

935
00:46:35,666 --> 00:46:36,933
-Just outside of Leipzig

936
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:40,133
is a gigantic monument 
to an earlier struggle.

937
00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:43,733
It commemorates 
a pivotal battle in 1813

938
00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:47,233
that involved forces 
from all over Europe.

939
00:46:47,300 --> 00:46:49,333
Called 
The Battle of the Nations,

940
00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:51,833
it pitted France's army 
under Napoleon

941
00:46:51,900 --> 00:46:53,200
against a coalition

942
00:46:53,266 --> 00:46:57,633
of Prussian, Austrian, Russian, 
and Swedish fighters.

943
00:46:57,700 --> 00:47:00,866
With a half a million soldiers 
and 100,000 casualties,

944
00:47:00,933 --> 00:47:03,300
it was the largest battle 
in European history

945
00:47:03,366 --> 00:47:04,500
until World War I.

946
00:47:04,566 --> 00:47:06,766
The Battle of the Nations 
marked a turning point

947
00:47:06,833 --> 00:47:08,166
in the fight against Napoleon.

948
00:47:08,233 --> 00:47:11,400
He was routed here 
and forced to retreat to France.

949
00:47:11,466 --> 00:47:15,166
Basically, it was Germans who 
turned back the French invaders.

950
00:47:15,233 --> 00:47:18,200
And exactly a century later, 
in 1913,

951
00:47:18,266 --> 00:47:20,400
during a surge of nationalism

952
00:47:20,466 --> 00:47:22,466
following the unification 
of Germany,

953
00:47:22,533 --> 00:47:25,100
Leipzig inaugurated 
this towering memorial

954
00:47:25,166 --> 00:47:28,033
on the site 
of this bloody battle.

955
00:47:28,100 --> 00:47:30,866
The Archangel Michael 
straddles the main door

956
00:47:30,933 --> 00:47:32,100
with the same message

957
00:47:32,166 --> 00:47:34,566
that accompanies 
most military monuments --

958
00:47:34,633 --> 00:47:38,300
"God is on our side."

959
00:47:38,366 --> 00:47:39,900
Entering the monument,

960
00:47:39,966 --> 00:47:42,600
you stand under 
a towering atrium.

961
00:47:42,666 --> 00:47:46,933
It's ringed by more soldiers, 
in front of giant death masks,

962
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:48,733
heads respectfully bowed

963
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:52,066
to honor the sacrifice 
of those lost in battle.

964
00:47:52,133 --> 00:47:55,866
Above them, 
four enormous statues

965
00:47:55,933 --> 00:48:00,833
represent the virtues of the 
German people during wartime.

966
00:48:00,900 --> 00:48:03,533
And high above, in the dome,

967
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:07,433
hundreds of life-sized soldiers 
on horses return from battle.

968
00:48:09,833 --> 00:48:13,766
It feels religious, 
but it's strikingly secular --

969
00:48:13,833 --> 00:48:16,433
a powerful monument 
to more than a battle,

970
00:48:16,500 --> 00:48:18,766
to the power of nationalism

971
00:48:18,833 --> 00:48:22,566
and to the fact that 
war leaves even the winners

972
00:48:22,633 --> 00:48:25,066
saddled with grief.

973
00:48:29,033 --> 00:48:31,433
Traveling through Saxony 
with its rich heritage,

974
00:48:31,500 --> 00:48:33,466
exquisite culture, 
and hard lessons,

975
00:48:33,533 --> 00:48:35,933
it's an inspiration 
to see the accomplishments

976
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,400
of the people 
of Dresden and Leipzig.

977
00:48:38,466 --> 00:48:40,866
Thanks for traveling with us. 
I'm Rick Steves.

978
00:48:40,933 --> 00:48:43,400
Until next time, 
keep on travelin'.

979
00:48:43,466 --> 00:48:44,766
Auf wiedersehen.

980
00:48:47,500 --> 00:48:48,800
-Hi. I'm Rick Steves,

981
00:48:48,866 --> 00:48:50,666
back with more 
of the best of Europe.

982
00:48:50,733 --> 00:48:52,100
And this time, we're cooking up

983
00:48:52,166 --> 00:48:54,200
some unforgettable 
German treats --

984
00:48:54,266 --> 00:48:57,033
and that includes 
my favorite sausage anywhere --

985
00:48:57,100 --> 00:48:58,333
Danke schoen.

986
00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:01,700
We're in Frankrt and Nurnberg. 
Thanks for joining us.

987
00:49:01,766 --> 00:49:04,633
♪♪

988
00:49:33,766 --> 00:49:36,000
Germany is 
Europe's economic powerhouse,

989
00:49:36,066 --> 00:49:38,200
and you feel that 
in its great cities,

990
00:49:38,266 --> 00:49:39,966
like Frankfurt and Nurnberg.

991
00:49:40,033 --> 00:49:41,233
These are examples

992
00:49:41,300 --> 00:49:43,733
of how Germany has put 
the 20th century behind it

993
00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:46,566
and learned that the most 
effective way to be powerful

994
00:49:46,633 --> 00:49:48,366
is to be constructive.

995
00:49:48,433 --> 00:49:51,200
In Frankfurt, 
a city of contrasts,

996
00:49:51,266 --> 00:49:53,533
we see today's Germany --

997
00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:56,333
a vibrant mix 
of the new and the old

998
00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:58,400
sprinkled with 
people-friendly zones,

999
00:49:58,466 --> 00:50:01,766
parks, 
and a stunning riverfront.

1000
00:50:01,833 --> 00:50:03,366
Then, in Nurnberg,

1001
00:50:03,433 --> 00:50:06,166
we marvel at remnants 
of Germany's First Reich

1002
00:50:06,233 --> 00:50:08,200
with the Holy Roman Emperor's 
castle

1003
00:50:08,266 --> 00:50:10,766
and we learn of Hitler 
and the Third Reich

1004
00:50:10,833 --> 00:50:14,033
with the architecture 
of a megalomaniac.

1005
00:50:14,100 --> 00:50:15,933
Finally, we go underground

1006
00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:18,700
for a peek 
at history seldom seen.

1007
00:50:18,766 --> 00:50:21,466
Dominating the north of Europe 
is Germany,

1008
00:50:21,533 --> 00:50:23,000
the size of Montana.

1009
00:50:23,066 --> 00:50:26,266
We start where many 
trans-Atlantic flights stop,

1010
00:50:26,333 --> 00:50:27,633
in Frankfurt,

1011
00:50:27,700 --> 00:50:31,100
and then travel 
a couple hours to Nurnberg.

1012
00:50:31,166 --> 00:50:33,566
For an honest look 
at today's Germany,

1013
00:50:33,633 --> 00:50:36,800
travelers need to venture 
beyond the ruined castles

1014
00:50:36,866 --> 00:50:38,333
and cute cobbled towns.

1015
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,633
Frankfurt may be low 
on Old World charm,

1016
00:50:40,700 --> 00:50:44,600
but it offers a great look 
at no-nonsense, modern Germany.

1017
00:50:44,666 --> 00:50:47,133
Ever since 
the early Middle Ages,

1018
00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:50,166
people have gathered here 
to trade.

1019
00:50:50,233 --> 00:50:53,766
Today, cosmopolitan Frankfurt, 
nicknamed "Bankfurt,"

1020
00:50:53,833 --> 00:50:56,333
is a trading hub 
of a united Europe,

1021
00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,900
home to 
the European Central Bank

1022
00:50:58,966 --> 00:51:02,900
and a center 
for global commerce.

1023
00:51:02,966 --> 00:51:06,133
With its trading heritage came 
people from around the world.

1024
00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:09,766
You'll notice the strikingly 
multi-ethnic flavor of the city.

1025
00:51:09,833 --> 00:51:12,600
A quarter 
of its 700,000 residents

1026
00:51:12,666 --> 00:51:14,666
carry foreign passports.

1027
00:51:14,733 --> 00:51:17,300
Frankfurt is often avoided 
by tourists

1028
00:51:17,366 --> 00:51:20,433
who consider it just a business 
and transportation hub.

1029
00:51:20,500 --> 00:51:22,533
But with its modern energy,

1030
00:51:22,600 --> 00:51:25,133
Frankfurt is a unique 
and entertaining city

1031
00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:26,800
well worth a look.

1032
00:51:26,866 --> 00:51:29,266
The city, with its forest 
of skyscrapers

1033
00:51:29,333 --> 00:51:31,366
perched on the banks 
of the Main River,

1034
00:51:31,433 --> 00:51:34,700
has been dubbed Germany's 
"Main-hattan."

1035
00:51:34,766 --> 00:51:37,333
While it leads the country 
in high-rises,

1036
00:51:37,400 --> 00:51:38,933
mostly bank headquarters,

1037
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:41,900
it has plenty 
of people-friendly parks.

1038
00:51:41,966 --> 00:51:43,733
In fact, Frankfurters boast

1039
00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:46,700
that a third of their city 
is green space.

1040
00:51:46,766 --> 00:51:50,366
This park is part of a greenbelt 
that circles the old center

1041
00:51:50,433 --> 00:51:51,500
and marks the site

1042
00:51:51,566 --> 00:51:54,400
of Frankfurt's long-gone 
medieval fortifications.

1043
00:51:54,466 --> 00:51:56,166
Today that greenbelt weaves

1044
00:51:56,233 --> 00:51:58,733
through Frankfurt's 
banking district.

1045
00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:01,633
And history hides 
among these trees.

1046
00:52:01,700 --> 00:52:02,966
The Marshall Plan --

1047
00:52:03,033 --> 00:52:05,200
that massive 
American aid program

1048
00:52:05,266 --> 00:52:08,000
that helped Germany rebuild 
after World War II --

1049
00:52:08,066 --> 00:52:11,800
was administered 
from this building.

1050
00:52:11,866 --> 00:52:14,666
After World War II, 
Germany was in ruins,

1051
00:52:14,733 --> 00:52:16,933
and its economy was in chaos.

1052
00:52:17,033 --> 00:52:18,300
In 1948,

1053
00:52:18,366 --> 00:52:21,300
the United States gave it 
a complete currency transfer.

1054
00:52:21,366 --> 00:52:23,100
It was like 
a blood transfusion --

1055
00:52:23,166 --> 00:52:25,866
literally printing up the new 
German Deutsche Marks,

1056
00:52:25,933 --> 00:52:27,700
shipping them 
across the Atlantic,

1057
00:52:27,766 --> 00:52:29,333
and, from here in Frankfurt,

1058
00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:32,366
injecting them directly 
into the German economy.

1059
00:52:32,433 --> 00:52:35,100
That aid helped rebuild Germany,

1060
00:52:35,166 --> 00:52:37,833
and it shaped Frankfurt, 
as well.

1061
00:52:37,900 --> 00:52:39,533
And, as if attracted 
to all that money,

1062
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,900
banks naturally grew up 
right here.

1063
00:52:42,966 --> 00:52:44,966
The architecture is striking.

1064
00:52:47,533 --> 00:52:49,566
By law, no German worker

1065
00:52:49,633 --> 00:52:52,633
can be kept out of natural light 
for more than four hours.

1066
00:52:52,700 --> 00:52:55,900
That's why work environments 
are filled with windows.

1067
00:52:55,966 --> 00:52:58,833
And unlike any skyscraper 
I've been in,

1068
00:52:58,900 --> 00:53:02,200
Germans have office towers 
with windows that open.

1069
00:53:02,266 --> 00:53:05,833
The Main Tower 
is open to the public

1070
00:53:05,900 --> 00:53:07,900
and offers a breath-taking view.

1071
00:53:07,966 --> 00:53:13,033
From its rooftop, 650 feet high, 
you can survey the city.

1072
00:53:13,100 --> 00:53:16,100
With new construction 
nearly obliterating the river

1073
00:53:16,166 --> 00:53:17,966
upon which the city was founded,

1074
00:53:18,033 --> 00:53:19,766
its ever-expanding skyline

1075
00:53:19,833 --> 00:53:23,666
exudes the vitality 
of the German economy.

1076
00:53:23,733 --> 00:53:27,000
In contrast 
to the glassy skyscrapers,

1077
00:53:27,066 --> 00:53:30,133
Frankfurt's train station 
is a classic.

1078
00:53:30,200 --> 00:53:33,566
This late 19th-century 
glass-and-iron construction

1079
00:53:33,633 --> 00:53:36,566
somehow survived the bombs 
of World War II.

1080
00:53:36,633 --> 00:53:38,466
The building's elegant facade

1081
00:53:38,533 --> 00:53:41,000
dates from 
the Industrial Revolution

1082
00:53:41,066 --> 00:53:43,766
and shows the pride 
of that age.

1083
00:53:43,833 --> 00:53:45,666
Atlas carries the world,

1084
00:53:45,733 --> 00:53:48,033
but only with 
some heavy-duty modern help

1085
00:53:48,100 --> 00:53:53,700
as figures representing steam 
power and electricity pitch in.

1086
00:53:53,766 --> 00:53:55,266
Stepping inside,

1087
00:53:55,333 --> 00:53:58,033
you feel the energy of 
Germany's busiest train station,

1088
00:53:58,100 --> 00:54:04,400
where 350,000 travelers 
catch 1,800 trains every day.

1089
00:54:04,466 --> 00:54:08,266
Kaiserstrasse, 
a grand 19th-century boulevard,

1090
00:54:08,333 --> 00:54:12,433
was built to connect the station 
and the city with style.

1091
00:54:12,500 --> 00:54:15,933
Towering above and beyond 
its fine 100-year-old facades,

1092
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:18,033
and reflecting 
the glaring modernity

1093
00:54:18,100 --> 00:54:19,533
of this ever-changing city,

1094
00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:24,366
are the skyscrapers 
of Frankfurt's banking district.

1095
00:54:24,433 --> 00:54:27,166
Frankfurt is full of contrasts.

1096
00:54:27,233 --> 00:54:29,933
Just a few blocks away, 
under those same skyscrapers,

1097
00:54:30,033 --> 00:54:33,533
is a red light district 
with about 20 legal brothels --

1098
00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:36,866
the pragmatic result of 
a policy of tax and regulation

1099
00:54:36,933 --> 00:54:38,200
to take the crime

1100
00:54:38,266 --> 00:54:41,533
out of a reality 
that just won't go away.

1101
00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:43,133
Just a couple blocks away,

1102
00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:46,433
there are fashionable streets 
lined with top-end boutiques.

1103
00:54:46,500 --> 00:54:49,233
People-friendly pedestrian zones

1104
00:54:49,300 --> 00:54:52,666
make it easy 
for both shoppers and diners.

1105
00:54:52,733 --> 00:54:53,933
And on a hot day,

1106
00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:56,700
people of all ages 
enjoy the refreshing fountain

1107
00:54:56,766 --> 00:54:59,433
fronting Frankfurt's 
fine opera house.

1108
00:55:03,100 --> 00:55:05,633
The many small 
German-speaking states

1109
00:55:05,700 --> 00:55:08,900
finally united into modern 
Germany in about 1870.

1110
00:55:08,966 --> 00:55:10,633
Within a few couple of years, 
Frankfurt,

1111
00:55:10,700 --> 00:55:12,700
which helped spearhead 
the unification movement,

1112
00:55:12,766 --> 00:55:14,333
built this fine opera house.

1113
00:55:14,400 --> 00:55:16,633
It celebrated both 
high German culture

1114
00:55:16,700 --> 00:55:18,700
and the newly created nation.

1115
00:55:18,766 --> 00:55:20,766
While bombed in World War II,

1116
00:55:20,833 --> 00:55:23,533
it was rebuilt 
in the original style.

1117
00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:26,400
Mozart, 
whose operas were a hit here,

1118
00:55:26,466 --> 00:55:28,566
and the esteemed 
Frankfurt writer Goethe

1119
00:55:28,633 --> 00:55:29,966
flank the entrance,

1120
00:55:30,033 --> 00:55:35,400
reminders that this is a house 
of both music and theater.

1121
00:55:35,466 --> 00:55:37,166
Lunchtime 
beneath the skyscrapers

1122
00:55:37,233 --> 00:55:38,700
can be entertaining

1123
00:55:38,766 --> 00:55:41,866
as herds of bankers 
fill countless restaurants.

1124
00:55:41,933 --> 00:55:43,900
This street 
is nicknamed Fressgass,

1125
00:55:43,966 --> 00:55:46,966
roughl"the feeding street."

1126
00:55:47,033 --> 00:55:49,966
As a contrast to the many trendy 
restaurant chains,

1127
00:55:50,033 --> 00:55:53,666
Frankfurt's Kleinmarkthalle, 
that's "little market hall,"

1128
00:55:53,733 --> 00:55:57,700
is a delightful, 
old-school alternative.

1129
00:55:57,766 --> 00:55:59,333
The venerable farmers' market

1130
00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:01,833
was saved from developers 
by a local outcry

1131
00:56:01,900 --> 00:56:04,333
and remains 
a neighborhood favorite.

1132
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:07,000
Explore and enjoy the samples.

1133
00:56:07,066 --> 00:56:09,433
-This is anti-aging. 
You have not need of it.

1134
00:56:09,500 --> 00:56:12,300
-I don't need it, no. 
Immer jung.

1135
00:56:12,366 --> 00:56:13,466
-[ Chuckles ]

1136
00:56:13,533 --> 00:56:16,066
-This stall 
is all about German sausages.

1137
00:56:16,133 --> 00:56:20,000
And amid this carnivore's 
delight hides this,

1138
00:56:20,066 --> 00:56:23,333
the city's classic wiener, 
the frankfurter.

1139
00:56:23,400 --> 00:56:25,600
My best market tip --

1140
00:56:25,666 --> 00:56:30,233
find the most popular eatery, 
get local advice,

1141
00:56:30,300 --> 00:56:32,566
and go for the town specialty.

1142
00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:44,000
Just around the corner 
is Romerberg,

1143
00:56:44,066 --> 00:56:45,833
Frankfurt's old main square,

1144
00:56:45,900 --> 00:56:48,800
lined with 
half-timbered buildings.

1145
00:56:48,866 --> 00:56:51,666
Because of 
its historic importance,

1146
00:56:51,733 --> 00:56:54,700
it's one of the few bits of 
the town rebuilt after the war

1147
00:56:54,766 --> 00:56:58,033
in its original 
medieval style.

1148
00:56:58,100 --> 00:57:01,666
On a sunny day, 
people head for the Main River.

1149
00:57:01,733 --> 00:57:03,600
A centerpiece 
of the riverside park

1150
00:57:03,666 --> 00:57:06,866
is this welcoming 
19th century iron bridge.

1151
00:57:06,933 --> 00:57:09,733
Enjoy the lively scene 
along the riverbanks

1152
00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:13,033
in the shadow of Frankfurt's 
towering skyscrapers.

1153
00:57:13,100 --> 00:57:17,000
Taking a riverside stroll, 
I'm struck by how Germans,

1154
00:57:17,066 --> 00:57:19,133
while so productive 
in the workplace,

1155
00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:22,933
are also expert at relaxation.

1156
00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:34,100
From Frankfurt,

1157
00:57:34,166 --> 00:57:35,966
trains zip travelers 
to all points.

1158
00:57:36,033 --> 00:57:37,233
Heading southeast,

1159
00:57:37,300 --> 00:57:40,233
in a couple hours we cross 
into the state of Bavaria

1160
00:57:40,300 --> 00:57:42,533
and arrive in Nurnberg.

1161
00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:45,500
Nurnberg was one of Germany's, 
in fact Europe's,

1162
00:57:45,566 --> 00:57:47,866
leading cities 500 years ago

1163
00:57:47,933 --> 00:57:52,466
with an imposing 
Imperial Castle.

1164
00:57:52,533 --> 00:57:55,600
The city's formidable walls 
were state-of-the-art.

1165
00:57:55,666 --> 00:57:57,900
They were redesigned 
from square towers,

1166
00:57:57,966 --> 00:58:00,833
which worked just fine before 
the threat of cannon fire,

1167
00:58:00,900 --> 00:58:02,166
to round ones

1168
00:58:02,233 --> 00:58:05,133
so enemy cannonballs 
were more likely to glance off

1169
00:58:05,200 --> 00:58:06,600
without doing any damage.

1170
00:58:06,666 --> 00:58:09,533
Back then, with 80 water wheels

1171
00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:12,000
powering mills 
along its now sleepy river,

1172
00:58:12,066 --> 00:58:14,333
Nurnberg 
was an industrial marvel.

1173
00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:18,233
The scenic remnants 
of its hard medieval past

1174
00:58:18,300 --> 00:58:20,066
are now just an added dimension

1175
00:58:20,133 --> 00:58:23,866
of a delightfully 
people-friendly historic center.

1176
00:58:25,966 --> 00:58:30,200
90% of downtown Nurnberg 
was destroyed in 1945.

1177
00:58:30,266 --> 00:58:32,900
To rebuild, 
city fathers had a choice --

1178
00:58:32,966 --> 00:58:35,100
go entirely modern 
like Frankfurt did --

1179
00:58:35,166 --> 00:58:36,566
that was The Manhattan Plan --

1180
00:58:36,633 --> 00:58:40,066
or maintain the pre-war 
footprint and rebuild modern

1181
00:58:40,133 --> 00:58:42,400
while preserving 
the traditional character.

1182
00:58:42,466 --> 00:58:44,300
That was Nurnberg's choice.

1183
00:58:44,366 --> 00:58:47,133
With one of Europe's 
largest pedestrian zones,

1184
00:58:47,200 --> 00:58:51,166
the city of half a million 
has the charm of a smaller town.

1185
00:58:51,233 --> 00:58:53,400
Playful street art,

1186
00:58:53,466 --> 00:58:57,100
a series of bridges 
with scenic river views,

1187
00:58:57,166 --> 00:58:59,166
and no traffic noise

1188
00:58:59,233 --> 00:59:01,333
make it a joy to experience.

1189
00:59:01,400 --> 00:59:05,666
Nurnberg is dominated 
by its mighty castle.

1190
00:59:05,733 --> 00:59:07,866
In the Middle Ages, 
Holy Roman Emperors,

1191
00:59:07,933 --> 00:59:14,533
Europe's most powerful rulers, 
stayed here when in town.

1192
00:59:14,600 --> 00:59:16,666
The Holy Roman Emperor 
ruled much of Europe

1193
00:59:16,733 --> 00:59:18,566
for over a thousand years.

1194
00:59:18,633 --> 00:59:22,066
The institution was finally 
ended by Napoleon in 1806.

1195
00:59:22,133 --> 00:59:24,200
The emperor ruled a vast realm.

1196
00:59:24,266 --> 00:59:26,133
It was bigger 
than today's Germany,

1197
00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:28,800
but it was never centralized 
like France or England.

1198
00:59:28,866 --> 00:59:30,766
Rather than inheriting 
his power,

1199
00:59:30,833 --> 00:59:33,866
he was elected by the top 
bishops and nobles of the day.

1200
00:59:33,933 --> 00:59:35,800
They were called 
Prince Electors.

1201
00:59:35,866 --> 00:59:37,600
The emperor 
had to keep on the move

1202
00:59:37,666 --> 00:59:39,466
and didn't have 
a real capital city.

1203
00:59:39,533 --> 00:59:41,833
While the emperor 
claimed supreme authority

1204
00:59:41,900 --> 00:59:44,633
inherited directly from 
the emperors of ancient Rome,

1205
00:59:44,700 --> 00:59:47,200
historians like to joke 
that the Holy Roman Empire

1206
00:59:47,266 --> 00:59:51,100
was neither holy, nor Roman, 
nor an empire.

1207
00:59:51,166 --> 00:59:53,933
The most famous 
of these medieval emperors

1208
00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:55,100
was Charlemagne,

1209
00:59:55,166 --> 00:59:56,500
shown here in a painting

1210
00:59:56,566 --> 00:59:58,600
by Nurnberg artist 
Albrecht Durer.

1211
00:59:58,666 --> 01:00:01,166
Charlemagne, 
or Charles the Great,

1212
01:00:01,233 --> 01:00:04,633
was crowned by the pope 
in the year 800.

1213
01:00:04,700 --> 01:00:06,133
When ruling from Nurnberg,

1214
01:00:06,200 --> 01:00:09,066
the emperor would have received 
visiting delegations

1215
01:00:09,133 --> 01:00:11,666
in the castle's Lower Hall.

1216
01:00:11,733 --> 01:00:15,900
It's empty of furniture because 
the imperial court was mobile.

1217
01:00:15,966 --> 01:00:17,900
Each city would scramble 
to suitably furnish

1218
01:00:17,966 --> 01:00:21,066
its royal quarters 
before the emperor arrived.

1219
01:00:21,133 --> 01:00:24,533
The castle's 800-year-old church 
is Romanesque in style

1220
01:00:24,600 --> 01:00:26,966
and gives a peek 
at how structured

1221
01:00:27,033 --> 01:00:29,566
even medieval society's 
top 1% was.

1222
01:00:34,233 --> 01:00:36,233
It has a triple-decker design.

1223
01:00:36,300 --> 01:00:39,100
The lower nobility worshiped 
from the lower floor.

1224
01:00:39,166 --> 01:00:41,266
The upper nobility worshiped 
at this level.

1225
01:00:41,333 --> 01:00:42,300
And the emperor,

1226
01:00:42,366 --> 01:00:44,166
he worshiped 
above everybody else,

1227
01:00:44,233 --> 01:00:45,433
from the balcony.

1228
01:00:45,500 --> 01:00:47,700
♪♪

1229
01:00:47,766 --> 01:00:51,166
As effective as 
the castle fortifications were,

1230
01:00:51,233 --> 01:00:55,166
there was always an ultra-secure 
refuge of last resort --

1231
01:00:55,233 --> 01:00:56,766
the towering keep.

1232
01:00:56,833 --> 01:01:01,533
And security required 
more than stony towers.

1233
01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:02,700
Any good castle

1234
01:01:02,766 --> 01:01:04,866
needs a secure water source 
within its walls.

1235
01:01:04,933 --> 01:01:07,400
And when your castle sits 
on a high rock,

1236
01:01:07,466 --> 01:01:08,966
you need a very deep well.

1237
01:01:09,033 --> 01:01:12,100
This castle illustrates that 
in a fun and memorable way.

1238
01:01:12,166 --> 01:01:14,966
-[ Speaking German ]

1239
01:01:15,033 --> 01:01:17,366
-Even without understanding 
much of our guide's German,

1240
01:01:17,433 --> 01:01:22,233
he made it really clear that 
this well goes way, way down.

1241
01:01:27,966 --> 01:01:30,000
[ Water splashing ]

1242
01:01:30,066 --> 01:01:31,600
[ Laughter ]

1243
01:01:31,666 --> 01:01:33,333
-It's cool, huh?

1244
01:01:33,400 --> 01:01:34,666
[ Chuckles ]

1245
01:01:35,900 --> 01:01:38,833
-Nurnberg's 
Germanic National Museum

1246
01:01:38,900 --> 01:01:41,100
is dedicated to sharing 
the cultural history

1247
01:01:41,166 --> 01:01:42,533
of the German-speaking world.

1248
01:01:42,600 --> 01:01:45,866
For German history buffs, 
this museum alone,

1249
01:01:45,933 --> 01:01:48,500
with a vast and gorgeously 
presented collection,

1250
01:01:48,566 --> 01:01:51,666
makes a visit to Nurnberg 
worthwhile.

1251
01:01:51,733 --> 01:01:53,466
When it comes 
to Germany's reputation

1252
01:01:53,533 --> 01:01:55,266
for fine craftsmanship,

1253
01:01:55,333 --> 01:01:58,833
its passion for quality 
goes way back.

1254
01:01:58,900 --> 01:02:00,666
These finely crafted,

1255
01:02:00,733 --> 01:02:02,566
centuries-old 
precision instruments

1256
01:02:02,633 --> 01:02:06,200
were intricate, innovative, 
and artful.

1257
01:02:06,266 --> 01:02:09,733
This is the world's oldest 
surviving globe,

1258
01:02:09,800 --> 01:02:11,600
crafted by a Nurnberger.

1259
01:02:11,666 --> 01:02:15,033
Since it dates from 1492, 
the Americas are missing.

1260
01:02:15,100 --> 01:02:17,500
While they understood 
that the world was round,

1261
01:02:17,566 --> 01:02:18,733
the Western Hemisphere

1262
01:02:18,800 --> 01:02:22,600
was still just 
a huge and mysterious sea.

1263
01:02:22,666 --> 01:02:25,700
The delicate, 
wooden Nurnberg Madonna

1264
01:02:25,766 --> 01:02:27,966
is also 500 years old.

1265
01:02:28,033 --> 01:02:31,633
This intimate, anonymous carving 
of the favorite hometown girl

1266
01:02:31,700 --> 01:02:35,233
was a symbol of the city 
for centuries.

1267
01:02:35,300 --> 01:02:37,100
The German painter Lucas Cranach

1268
01:02:37,166 --> 01:02:39,700
was famous for portraits 
of his contemporaries,

1269
01:02:39,766 --> 01:02:44,166
like the great German Reformer 
Martin Luther.

1270
01:02:44,233 --> 01:02:47,900
Cranach also painted poignant 
psychological studies,

1271
01:02:47,966 --> 01:02:49,800
paintings that came 
with a message.

1272
01:02:49,866 --> 01:02:52,600
In "The Ill-Matched Couple,"

1273
01:02:52,666 --> 01:02:55,333
the lecherous old man thinks 
he's got the young maiden.

1274
01:02:55,400 --> 01:02:58,033
But she looks knowingly 
out at us

1275
01:02:58,100 --> 01:03:02,500
as if to say "he's a fool, 
and he'll get nowhere with me."

1276
01:03:02,566 --> 01:03:05,033
The great painter Albrecht Durer

1277
01:03:05,100 --> 01:03:07,600
worked in Nurnberg 
around the year 1500.

1278
01:03:07,666 --> 01:03:12,633
This is a self-portrait 
of that ultimate German artist.

1279
01:03:12,700 --> 01:03:14,733
Durer, who was 
from the same generation

1280
01:03:14,800 --> 01:03:16,233
as Michelangelo and Leonardo,

1281
01:03:16,300 --> 01:03:18,466
was in tune 
with the Renaissance.

1282
01:03:18,533 --> 01:03:20,766
He was a genius 
with a curious mind,

1283
01:03:20,833 --> 01:03:23,600
a love of nature, 
and a passion for realism.

1284
01:03:23,666 --> 01:03:25,033
After traveling to Italy

1285
01:03:25,100 --> 01:03:27,833
and seeing how artists were 
becoming well-paid and respected

1286
01:03:27,900 --> 01:03:29,600
rather than anonymous laborers,

1287
01:03:29,666 --> 01:03:30,900
he returned to Germany

1288
01:03:30,966 --> 01:03:33,500
bringing the spirit 
of the Renaissance with him.

1289
01:03:33,566 --> 01:03:35,966
He painted this portrait 
of his mother

1290
01:03:36,033 --> 01:03:37,433
when he was a teenager.

1291
01:03:37,500 --> 01:03:39,033
While just 19,

1292
01:03:39,100 --> 01:03:43,300
his passion for realistic detail 
is already apparent.

1293
01:03:43,366 --> 01:03:45,200
This painting of Durer's teacher

1294
01:03:45,266 --> 01:03:48,500
was done 
after his experience in Italy.

1295
01:03:48,566 --> 01:03:51,633
Its realism was unprecedented 
in Germany,

1296
01:03:51,700 --> 01:03:53,033
and it's signed.

1297
01:03:53,100 --> 01:03:56,200
Again, now the artist 
will be respected,

1298
01:03:56,266 --> 01:03:59,500
and he proudly included 
his initials, A.D.

1299
01:03:59,566 --> 01:04:03,100
Durer was a master 
at producing engravings

1300
01:04:03,166 --> 01:04:05,833
from finely etched 
metal plates.

1301
01:04:05,900 --> 01:04:08,933
The detail and realism, 
a trademark of Durer,

1302
01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:11,166
is extraordinary.

1303
01:04:11,233 --> 01:04:13,500
As he was famous 
in his own time,

1304
01:04:13,566 --> 01:04:16,900
and because many prints could be 
made from a single master plate

1305
01:04:16,966 --> 01:04:18,833
and therefore sold affordably,

1306
01:04:18,900 --> 01:04:21,900
the engraving technique 
enableDurer to become

1307
01:04:21,966 --> 01:04:26,233
the first best-selling artist 
in history.

1308
01:04:26,300 --> 01:04:27,833
And he made a lot of money --

1309
01:04:27,900 --> 01:04:30,266
enough to purchase 
this impressive mansion

1310
01:04:30,333 --> 01:04:31,700
beneath the castle.

1311
01:04:31,766 --> 01:04:33,566
Today, it's a fine museum

1312
01:04:33,633 --> 01:04:36,800
about the life of perhaps 
Germany's greatest painter.

1313
01:04:36,866 --> 01:04:39,100
A visit here includes a workshop

1314
01:04:39,166 --> 01:04:41,166
where you can learn about 
Durer's craft.

1315
01:04:41,233 --> 01:04:43,000
It's with these tools

1316
01:04:43,066 --> 01:04:47,266
that the artist engraves 
an image into the copper plate.

1317
01:04:47,333 --> 01:04:49,600
Visitors are treated 
to a demonstration

1318
01:04:49,666 --> 01:04:51,400
of making a print 
from the plate.

1319
01:04:51,466 --> 01:04:53,766
The subject is a hare.

1320
01:04:53,833 --> 01:04:58,200
Durer was famous for his vivid 
portrayals of the natural world.

1321
01:04:58,266 --> 01:04:59,500
-Wow.

1322
01:04:59,566 --> 01:05:00,800
-To be able to enjoy

1323
01:05:00,866 --> 01:05:03,333
such beautiful, 
yet mass-produced art

1324
01:05:03,400 --> 01:05:06,366
must have been a marvel 
500 years ago.

1325
01:05:09,833 --> 01:05:11,400
A few blocks away,

1326
01:05:11,466 --> 01:05:14,266
towering nearly 300 feet 
above the pedestrians,

1327
01:05:14,333 --> 01:05:16,500
is St. Lorenz Church.

1328
01:05:16,566 --> 01:05:19,000
When emperors paraded into town,

1329
01:05:19,066 --> 01:05:21,966
they'd approach 
its magnificent facade head-on.

1330
01:05:22,033 --> 01:05:26,900
Stepping inside, you feel 
the splendor of that age.

1331
01:05:26,966 --> 01:05:29,900
Suspended over the altar 
is the Annunciation,

1332
01:05:29,966 --> 01:05:33,200
by the great Nurnberg woodcarver 
Veit Stoss.

1333
01:05:33,266 --> 01:05:34,600
Carved in 1517,

1334
01:05:34,666 --> 01:05:38,033
it shows the angel Gabriel 
telling Mary

1335
01:05:38,100 --> 01:05:40,033
that she'll be giving birth 
to the Messiah.

1336
01:05:40,100 --> 01:05:42,866
Startled, 
she drops her prayer book.

1337
01:05:42,933 --> 01:05:45,233
The dove represents 
the Holy Spirit.

1338
01:05:45,300 --> 01:05:48,933
And God, looking as powerful 
as a Holy Roman Emperor,

1339
01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:50,866
looks down.

1340
01:05:50,933 --> 01:05:53,600
This lacy tabernacle 
is rich enough

1341
01:05:53,666 --> 01:05:55,966
to hold the consecrated 
Communion wafer,

1342
01:05:56,033 --> 01:05:58,633
which Catholics consider 
The Body of Christ.

1343
01:05:58,700 --> 01:06:01,566
And supporting the tower 
on his shoulders

1344
01:06:01,633 --> 01:06:04,500
is the artist who created it, 
Adam Kraft,

1345
01:06:04,566 --> 01:06:08,466
gripping his noble tools 
with a proud confidence.

1346
01:06:10,433 --> 01:06:13,133
Again, this was around 1500,

1347
01:06:13,200 --> 01:06:15,433
and the humanistic spirit 
of the Renaissance

1348
01:06:15,500 --> 01:06:17,633
was moving into Germany.

1349
01:06:23,033 --> 01:06:25,633
While this church 
along with the rest of the city

1350
01:06:25,700 --> 01:06:27,633
was heavily bombed 
in World War II,

1351
01:06:27,700 --> 01:06:30,000
much of its art survived

1352
01:06:30,066 --> 01:06:33,433
thanks to heroic and creative 
efforts by its citizens.

1353
01:06:33,500 --> 01:06:35,433
One part of Nurnberg

1354
01:06:35,500 --> 01:06:38,100
that avoided bomb damage 
was underground --

1355
01:06:38,166 --> 01:06:40,400
its vast 
and long-established network

1356
01:06:40,466 --> 01:06:43,566
of waterways, tunnels, 
and beer cellars.

1357
01:06:43,633 --> 01:06:46,500
They were outfitted 
as air-raid shelters.

1358
01:06:46,566 --> 01:06:47,933
During bombing raids,

1359
01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:51,300
tens of thousands of locals 
took refuge down here.

1360
01:06:51,366 --> 01:06:53,466
It's also where 
countless art treasures,

1361
01:06:53,533 --> 01:06:56,500
both local and looted, 
were safely hidden away.

1362
01:06:56,566 --> 01:06:58,966
To learn more about this,

1363
01:06:59,033 --> 01:07:01,466
and not get forever lost 
down here,

1364
01:07:01,533 --> 01:07:04,166
we're joined by my friend 
and fellow tour guide

1365
01:07:04,233 --> 01:07:06,166
Thomas Schmechtig.

1366
01:07:06,233 --> 01:07:08,600
-So, Nurnberg was bombed 
quite late in the war,

1367
01:07:08,666 --> 01:07:10,700
and we saw what happened 
to other cities,

1368
01:07:10,766 --> 01:07:12,533
so we actually prepared 
for the war

1369
01:07:12,600 --> 01:07:15,566
and reconverted these old beer 
cellars into air raid shelters.

1370
01:07:15,633 --> 01:07:17,933
That, for example, 
where guards used to be

1371
01:07:18,033 --> 01:07:19,400
who protected the artworks

1372
01:07:19,466 --> 01:07:21,966
which were stored in here 
during the second world war.

1373
01:07:22,033 --> 01:07:25,000
-The Nazis hid crates of great 
art in many different rooms

1374
01:07:25,066 --> 01:07:27,566
in this sprawling 
underground network.

1375
01:07:27,633 --> 01:07:29,800
-This is one 
of the many rooms down here

1376
01:07:29,866 --> 01:07:31,333
which were filled up with art.

1377
01:07:31,400 --> 01:07:33,100
Nurnberg was back then

1378
01:07:33,166 --> 01:07:36,666
nicknamed "the treasure chest 
of the German Empire."

1379
01:07:36,733 --> 01:07:39,733
Plus, the Nazis looted 
lots of artworks.

1380
01:07:39,800 --> 01:07:41,533
-From countries 
that they conquered,

1381
01:07:41,600 --> 01:07:42,666
and they brought it here?

1382
01:07:42,733 --> 01:07:43,966
-Correct.

1383
01:07:44,033 --> 01:07:45,633
For example, right in this room,

1384
01:07:45,700 --> 01:07:48,066
they had the crown 
of the Holy Roman Emperor.

1385
01:07:48,133 --> 01:07:49,666
-So, right here in these cellars

1386
01:07:49,733 --> 01:07:52,066
were some the great treasures 
of European culture.

1387
01:07:52,133 --> 01:07:53,333
-Correct.

1388
01:07:53,400 --> 01:07:56,266
We didn't just stash 
the art treasures down here.

1389
01:07:56,333 --> 01:07:57,966
They were carefully packed.

1390
01:07:58,033 --> 01:07:59,200
For example, here, Rick,

1391
01:07:59,266 --> 01:08:01,433
you see the wonderful 
stained glass windows

1392
01:08:01,500 --> 01:08:03,466
from our St. Lorenz church.

1393
01:08:03,533 --> 01:08:05,266
They were taken out pane by pane

1394
01:08:05,333 --> 01:08:08,233
and then put 
into those wooden crates.

1395
01:08:08,300 --> 01:08:11,600
The humidity was very dangerous 
for the artworks,

1396
01:08:11,666 --> 01:08:14,033
so they air-conditioned 
the whole place in here.

1397
01:08:14,100 --> 01:08:17,233
-So, this huge duct was made 
in anticipation of the war?

1398
01:08:17,300 --> 01:08:21,300
-Yes, and already in 1939, 
before the war broke out.

1399
01:08:21,366 --> 01:08:23,633
-The bombing, of course, 
eventually came,

1400
01:08:23,700 --> 01:08:25,566
and this surviving 
underground network

1401
01:08:25,633 --> 01:08:28,333
became the foundation 
for rebuilding the city.

1402
01:08:28,400 --> 01:08:29,733
-So it did make sense

1403
01:08:29,800 --> 01:08:32,133
to rebuild the city 
on its original footprints.

1404
01:08:32,200 --> 01:08:35,566
We have miles of underground 
which survived the war.

1405
01:08:35,633 --> 01:08:37,666
They date back 
to the Middle Ages.

1406
01:08:37,733 --> 01:08:40,533
That, for example is 
an old water conduit system.

1407
01:08:40,600 --> 01:08:43,766
-Nurnberg, 
so steeped in German history,

1408
01:08:43,833 --> 01:08:46,866
was nicknamed the most German 
of German cities.

1409
01:08:46,933 --> 01:08:49,766
That's one reason 
it was a favorite of Hitler's.

1410
01:08:49,833 --> 01:08:51,833
A short tram ride 
from the center

1411
01:08:51,900 --> 01:08:56,200
is a collection 
of important Nazi sites.

1412
01:08:56,266 --> 01:08:59,300
When Hitler took power in 1933,

1413
01:08:59,366 --> 01:09:01,233
he made Nurnberg's 
Zeppelin Field

1414
01:09:01,300 --> 01:09:04,400
the site of his enormous 
Nazi party rallies.

1415
01:09:04,466 --> 01:09:07,333
The stark remains of 
this massive gathering place

1416
01:09:07,400 --> 01:09:08,666
are thought-provoking.

1417
01:09:08,733 --> 01:09:10,733
For several years,

1418
01:09:10,800 --> 01:09:13,133
increasingly elaborate 
celebrations

1419
01:09:13,200 --> 01:09:16,366
of Nazi culture, 
ideology, and power

1420
01:09:16,433 --> 01:09:17,933
took place right here.

1421
01:09:18,000 --> 01:09:20,233
-Imagine Hitler stepping 
out of that door,

1422
01:09:20,300 --> 01:09:23,333
overlooking the massive 
200,000 people being lined up.

1423
01:09:23,400 --> 01:09:26,333
He used propaganda 
to create a new community --

1424
01:09:26,400 --> 01:09:27,933
in fact, 
we even have a word for it.

1425
01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:29,533
It's called Volksgemeinschaft.

1426
01:09:29,600 --> 01:09:31,266
-The chilling images

1427
01:09:31,333 --> 01:09:33,433
from Leni Riefenstahl's 
documentary

1428
01:09:33,500 --> 01:09:34,700
"Triumph of the Will"

1429
01:09:34,766 --> 01:09:37,700
were filmed at the 1934 
Nurnberg rallies

1430
01:09:37,766 --> 01:09:42,666
and then shown in every theater 
and schoolroom in the country.

1431
01:09:42,733 --> 01:09:45,366
The goal -- to bring 
a visual celebration

1432
01:09:45,433 --> 01:09:51,700
of the power of the Nazi state 
to every person in Germany.

1433
01:09:51,766 --> 01:09:53,633
Looming over a now peaceful lake

1434
01:09:53,700 --> 01:09:56,900
is another remnant of 
the dictator's megalomania --

1435
01:09:56,966 --> 01:10:00,200
his huge yet unfinished 
Nazi Congress Hall.

1436
01:10:00,266 --> 01:10:03,733
Hitler was enamored 
with the Roman Colosseum.

1437
01:10:03,800 --> 01:10:06,400
He had his Congress Hall 
modeled on that

1438
01:10:06,466 --> 01:10:07,833
but built much bigger.

1439
01:10:07,900 --> 01:10:12,333
-Imagine 50,000 leading Nazis 
in here.

1440
01:10:12,400 --> 01:10:15,100
One third higher, 
covered by a roof.

1441
01:10:15,166 --> 01:10:16,966
A window inside the ceiling,

1442
01:10:17,033 --> 01:10:19,666
Sunshine would have fallen 
down to the podium.

1443
01:10:19,733 --> 01:10:23,566
Once a year, 
one speech of Adolf Hitler.

1444
01:10:23,633 --> 01:10:26,400
Adolf Hitler 
liked huge buildings.

1445
01:10:26,466 --> 01:10:27,633
He was a big fan

1446
01:10:27,700 --> 01:10:30,766
of the architectural style 
named Neoclassicism.

1447
01:10:30,833 --> 01:10:34,033
The idea was to make 
the individual feel small.

1448
01:10:34,100 --> 01:10:36,200
-This really makes me 
feel small here.

1449
01:10:36,266 --> 01:10:39,233
-Yeah, you give away 
the responsibility of your life,

1450
01:10:39,300 --> 01:10:41,033
anyou get something back 
in return.

1451
01:10:41,100 --> 01:10:42,466
That is a bright new future.

1452
01:10:42,533 --> 01:10:47,500
-The Nazi Documentation Center 
fills one wing of the hall.

1453
01:10:47,566 --> 01:10:50,933
This superb museum does its best 
to answer the question

1454
01:10:51,000 --> 01:10:55,566
"How could Germany's 
Nazi nightmare have happened?"

1455
01:10:55,633 --> 01:10:58,500
It traces the evolution 
of the Nazi movement,

1456
01:10:58,566 --> 01:11:02,333
focusing on how it somehow 
both energized and terrified

1457
01:11:02,400 --> 01:11:03,833
the German people.

1458
01:11:07,266 --> 01:11:09,933
This is not a World War II 
or a Holocaust museum.

1459
01:11:10,000 --> 01:11:12,633
In fact, those events 
are barely mentioned.

1460
01:11:12,700 --> 01:11:14,966
Instead, the center 
frankly analyzes

1461
01:11:15,033 --> 01:11:18,166
the origin and evolution 
of the Nazi phenomenon,

1462
01:11:18,233 --> 01:11:20,033
to help better understand it

1463
01:11:20,100 --> 01:11:22,933
and help prevent it 
from ever happening again.

1464
01:11:23,000 --> 01:11:25,533
Exhibits offer insights 
into the creation

1465
01:11:25,600 --> 01:11:28,700
of the messiah/pop star image 
of Hitler --

1466
01:11:28,766 --> 01:11:31,700
the mass hypnosis 
of the German nation.

1467
01:11:31,766 --> 01:11:34,666
You'll see his manifesto, 
"Mein Kampf,"

1468
01:11:34,733 --> 01:11:36,733
mementos that placed 
the dictator

1469
01:11:36,800 --> 01:11:38,533
alongside Bismarck and Beethoven

1470
01:11:38,600 --> 01:11:40,566
in the pantheon 
of German greats,

1471
01:11:40,633 --> 01:11:43,433
and souvenirs from his rallies.

1472
01:11:43,500 --> 01:11:44,833
With postcards like these,

1473
01:11:44,900 --> 01:11:47,233
the Hitler-mania generated 
by these rallies

1474
01:11:47,300 --> 01:11:49,333
was shared across the land.

1475
01:11:49,400 --> 01:11:52,466
Of course, Hitler's promises 
were trumped up

1476
01:11:52,533 --> 01:11:55,366
and led not to glory 
but to war, the Holocaust,

1477
01:11:55,433 --> 01:11:58,600
and the devastation of Germany.

1478
01:11:58,666 --> 01:12:01,933
The challenges of building and 
maintaining a peaceful future

1479
01:12:02,000 --> 01:12:03,733
are ongoing.

1480
01:12:03,800 --> 01:12:07,166
-Incorporated into this museum 
are classrooms like this.

1481
01:12:07,233 --> 01:12:08,366
-Why is that?

1482
01:12:08,433 --> 01:12:11,266
-Because every student, 
military, policeman

1483
01:12:11,333 --> 01:12:13,900
should learn 
from our difficult history.

1484
01:12:13,966 --> 01:12:16,666
-So this really is today 
part of German education.

1485
01:12:16,733 --> 01:12:19,833
-Yeah, it finally arrived 
in our education system.

1486
01:12:19,900 --> 01:12:23,766
-Having learned powerful lessons 
from its 20th-century history,

1487
01:12:23,833 --> 01:12:26,500
today Nurnberg celebrates 
its German character

1488
01:12:26,566 --> 01:12:30,133
with a forward-looking gusto 
that seems to really value life.

1489
01:12:30,200 --> 01:12:32,833
You feel that 
throughout the town --

1490
01:12:32,900 --> 01:12:34,800
the farmers 
who sell their produce

1491
01:12:34,866 --> 01:12:36,833
direct from stalls 
on the bridge...

1492
01:12:36,900 --> 01:12:40,500
fountains designed 
to make kids giggle,

1493
01:12:40,566 --> 01:12:42,733
along with their parents...

1494
01:12:42,800 --> 01:12:45,800
and its tasty traditions.

1495
01:12:48,033 --> 01:12:50,866
Here in Nurnberg, 
you'll certainly eat well --

1496
01:12:50,933 --> 01:12:54,500
famous beer, classic pretzels, 
sauerkraut,

1497
01:12:54,566 --> 01:12:56,833
and the thing about this city 
that steals my heart,

1498
01:12:56,900 --> 01:12:59,200
these adorable little sausages.

1499
01:12:59,266 --> 01:13:01,166
Thanks for joining us. 
I'm Rick Steves.

1500
01:13:01,233 --> 01:13:03,600
Until next time, 
keep on travelin'.

1501
01:13:03,666 --> 01:13:06,633
Guten appetit 
and  Auf Wiedersehen .