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Nuremberg via Instagram

I just got back from a few days in the famous Bavarian city of Nuremberg, where I attended a field trip with a medieval studies group. Although spring still hasn't arrived in Germany yet and I was freezing most of time, I had a great time exploring the exciting -- and sometimes difficult -- history of Nuremberg. But before I go into further detail (soon!) and tell you about sleeping in the former hayloft of a medieval castle, and what it feels like to touch the fragile pages of a 15th century manuscript, I'll give you a little sneak peek [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:38:42+02:002013/04/05|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: , , , , , |10 Comments

Photo Essay: Fascinating Frankfurt

In my opinion, Frankfurt is underrated. It's renowned as Europe's financial capital and for being home to the third largest airport in Europe. Most travelers end up in Frankfurt, the seemingly unexciting lay-over city, sooner or later. But Frankfurt has a whole lot more to offer. I might be biased, but I really like Frankfurt. From there I started my most life-changing travel adventures. Frankfurt was first place I was asked to pose for a photo with a bunch of Japanese tourists. It was the first city I rode a subway all by myself (and yes, when you grow up [...]

By |2015-07-06T14:19:22+02:002013/03/11|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , , , , , |29 Comments

Photo Essay: My German Middle of Nowhere

This is a sign of life. For you, telling you that I'm still here. For myself, telling myself that I'm still sane (more or less). And to the (Western European) world, because spring is in the air. Finally. As you might know, I'm currently writing my Master's Thesis, or dissertation, or whatever else this draining piece of academic writing to finalize my degree can be called. I choose to live in my personal writer's exile in a German middle of nowhere far off from social life, proper public transportation, and food delivery services. And this has been one of the [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:30:54+02:002013/03/04|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , , , |15 Comments

Photo Essay: Adorable Augsburg

I have written about how I spent a fabulous summer birthday weekend visiting my friend Kathi in Munich. Since my actual birthday was on a Monday and Kathi had to work however, I decided to visit another good friend in Bavaria. Carola lives in the city of Augsburg, a 45 minute train ride from Munich. I knew basically nothing about Augsburg (besides growing up with the movie versions of their famous marionette theater, of course) and was solely looking forward to spending my birthday with one of my best friends in a new city. The Town Hall in the city center [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:31:07+02:002013/02/26|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , , , |15 Comments

Photo Essay: The Medieval Wonderland of Maulbronn

Last August my family and I were driving down to Southern Germany where one of my cousins held a post-wedding family barbeque (because she before eloped in Denmark with her Nigerian husband -- I love how multi-cultural my family is!). Somewhere on the road, in-between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, I spotted a sign saying 'Maulbronn'. I knew I had heard this name before, and was pretty sure it had something to do with the Middle Ages and art. I blurrily recalled one of my first semester art history professors mention Maulbronn in a lecture. Without really knowing what to expect, I [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:31:10+02:002013/02/18|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , , , , , |10 Comments

A Little German Christmas Market Competition

Although I didn't leave the borders of Germany in December, I traveled a lot. In Germany. My objective: Finding my favorite German Christmas market. So I explored the Christmas markets in five different cities and four different states. I didn't go for the markets in the big touristic cities (there is a lot of coverage on the markets of Munich, Berlin, or Nuremberg out there). I just tried to find my personal favorite German city in the Christmas season - the most festive atmosphere, the best food, the most authentic Christmas feeling, and of course the prettiest Christmas market... Bayreuth, [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:33:38+02:002012/12/23|Categories: Specials|Tags: , , , , |18 Comments

A Tale of Temporariness

December is here after all. The festive but final month of the year. Here Germany it has been snowing since the very beginning of December, and I'm living in a true winter wonderland right now. Although it's so pretty and Christmassy outside, December also forces me to reflect on the almost past year. 2012 has been an exciting year for me. On my daily walks through the snowy woods however, I realize that this year totally didn't turn out the way I thought it would. If you had asked me what my future life would look like back on that [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:40:50+02:002012/12/13|Categories: Specials|Tags: , , |22 Comments

Photo Essay: The Christmas Carousel in Leipzig

It's the Christmas season - time for Christmas markets, lights, hot drinks, and coziness. Today, I visited the Christmas market in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. Although I've moved and traveled around Germany for the longest time of my life, I had never been to the state of Saxony until now. Among the people living in the former Western German states the "East" tends to have a bad reputation, but I was absolutely positively surprised! Leipzig is incredibly beautiful... especially with all the Christmas lights and the fragrant smells of food and mulled wine in the air. My picturesque Christmas highlight: The old-fashioned [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:34:00+02:002012/12/10|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , |4 Comments

Photo Essay: The Cathedral of Cologne

In my very first semester of art history back in 2007 I took a class called "The Medieval Cathedral"... not only because I loved Gothic cathedrals ever since I saw one for the first time, but also because my professor had a field trip planned. He had some connections to the stonemasons' workshop, which could offer us a behind the scenes tour. Now, what is "behind the scenes" when it comes to a medieval cathedral? My art historian's dream come true: The roof! The passages above the vaults! The restoration workshop! The triforium! Everything you might know is there, but [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:34:12+02:002012/11/26|Categories: Art History, Photo Essay|Tags: , , , , |2 Comments

How I Tried to Give Modern Art a Chance

Every five years the sleepy town of Kassel in the north of the state of Hesse, Germany, turns into the artistic center of modern art: The Documenta is the most important and biggest exhibition of contemporary art worldwide! However, I'm not very much into contemporary art. Don't get me wrong. I love art. I love modern art, too. I almost cried when I saw my first Jackson Pollock. I adore getting mesmerized by Rothko or overwhelmed by Rosenquist or tricked by Dalí. But: I'm a medieval art historian (well, almost). I have my problems with video installations and abstract, weird artists like [...]

By |2013-05-07T04:41:40+02:002012/11/01|Categories: Destinations, Europe, Germany|Tags: , , , |10 Comments
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