Nuremberg - Main-Danube Canal and the Continental Divide- Updated

We were up early and headed to breakfast.  I think we were the first one's there.  Carolyn and Bud sat with us.  They are from Jacksonville but also have a condo on Amelia Island.  Chris joined us as did Barbie.  Barbie is former OR nurse from California.  Chris is from Memphis.  Dale, her husband, is not feeling well.  He did come to the dining room but only for some juice.

Today we visit Nuremberg.  Nuremberg was officially designated the site of the Nazi Party Rallies in 1933.  the parties were held every September from 1927 to 1938.  They lasted one week and drew as many as one million people from all over Germany.  The city later became famous for the trials.

Most of the city was completely destroyed in a mere 90 minutes during WWII.  The historical buildings were mostly rebuilt using the same stones.

We are doing a tour focusing on WWII.  In 1935, the so called Numberger Gesetze (Nuremberg Laws) were passed to justify the arrest and interrogation of the Jews.  Ten years later captured Nazi war criminals were tried in "Schwugeririchtssaal 600".  This courtroom is still a working courtroom.  It is where the most famous trial of Nazi criminals was held.  The allies chose Nuremberg for symbolic and practical reasons.

Nuremberg is also famous for its "Lebkuchen" or gingerbread.  As early as 1441, the city employed state spice inspectors at its gates.  They monitored the quality of the exotic spices from all over the world.  Only the very best spices were allowed to enter the city and reach the gingerbread bakers.

Our first stop was to the Zeppelin Field.  This was the site of a lot of the rallies held by Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Most of the stands are in disrepair.  The tops have been removed.  They were made of bricks with limestone on top.

This was another area used by Hitler and the Party.  We do not know the name but it looks like the Coliseum in Rome.  Empty in the middle.

We then headed to Courtroom 600.  This is where the famous Nuremberg Trials were held.  Our guide gave a wonderful and informative lecture on the trial.  The reason Nuremberg was picked was because of security reasons.  The prison was right behind the courthouse.  The prisoners just walked to the courthouse and entered.  Also, this was in the American sector after the war.

Outside Courtroom 600.

Some information for you.

The Courtroom then.

The courtroom  now.  It is still in use as a courtroom.  We were lucky it was empty so that we could go in and see it for ourselves.

The door where the defendants entered and then sat.

The gray wall is that of the prison.  It is behind the archway.  We drove around the prison, but only from the bus could you see the wall.  This was from the front of the Courthouse.

We then headed to the medieval part of the city.  He we just wandered around.

This is called Schoner Brunnen or Beautiful Fountain.  It is in the market square.

I am turning the Wishing ring.  Legend has it, that is you spin it three times, your wish will come true.  Aslo, according to legend, it was incorporated into the work without the master's knowledge.  It is the only moving part of the fence.

The market square where the vendors were selling fruits, vegetables, etc.

Bob and I decided we have not seen enough Churches this trip so we headed to St. Sebald, the two towers seen in the above picture.

Construction of the Church started in 1230 in Romanesque style.   Between 1361 and 1379 sections of the choir was replaced with Gothic style.  This is the entrance to the Church.

Interior of the church.

The rear of the church.

The church was partly destroyed during the war.  Now the altar is very modern.

A picture of the ruined church.

Next we went to Church of Our Lady.  This was built in the 1300's.  It is right on the square.

This is Church of Our Lady.  The German name is Frauenkirche.  Emperor Karl IV in 1349 gave his consent for the church to be built on this site.  This was the former Jewish quarter.  Some look at it as atonement for the destruction of the Jewish quarter.

This facade is dedicated to the honor of Mary.

At the Altar.

The artist clock built tin 1509, shows the pageant, The Mannleinlaufen, every day at noon.    We got to see and hear it.

You can see how the figures travel around the King.

A view of the front of the Church.

We returned to the ship for lunch and a nap.  We were passing through a series of locks that connect the Main to the Danube.  We ended at the Continental Divide at an elevation of 1340 ft.  We all gathered on the sun deck to celebrate the occasion.

I am trying to show you how far we had to travel up to get to the top of the lock.  This lock took us 27.4 ft. up.

And we were this far from the sides of the lock.  I am touching the lock standing on our balcony.

Duck, low bridge ahead.

Another beautiful sunset on the danube.

Toasting the crossing of the Continental Divide.  Champagne colored with blue food coloring.

The marker for the Continental Divide.  When we got back to the cabin, we were given a paper stating we had done this.

We then headed to dinner where we sat in a booth and were joined by Barbie and Tony.  We sat with Barbie at breakfast.  After dinner we headed back to the cabin to read and bed.