Tuesday July 25, 2017 – Warnemunde & Rostock, Germany – The ship docked in Warnemunde (population 10,000) which is one of the 32 villages of the district of Rostock (population 207,000), Duchy of Mecklenburg. We had originally booked a tour that we were told by email a few days before departure, that it had been cancelled. We had all forgotten, until 6 PM last night when we rushed to the now closed tour office, to see what we could do. Fortunately we were attended to and all tours had been fully booked but there had been 6 cancellations an hour earlier for a tour called Rostock revisited – a walking tour of Rostock. So as we got onto bus 9, Horst Gildermeister, an older gentlemen introduced himself as our guide and the (right hand drive) driver Klaus who took us the 25 minute drive to the outskirts of the walled city of Rostock. This was the first time we had been to the former East Germany and were interested to learn more about the place and the attitude after reunification. Unfortunately the day was terrible, rain all day and at times very heavy – a great day for a 2+ hour walking tour!!!! Unfortunately the guide was not the best, but tried, had been a shipbuilder all his life and stated that things were better for him prior to reunification other than travel restrictions. Now, all residents have part of their salary deducted each pay period to be used for refurbishment and reconstruction. He was a tour guide, but his weak voice made it difficult to hear and he would forge ahead, start speaking to the first person behind him and by the time all the others reached him, he was half way through his explanation and unless close, difficult to hear. That coupled with the rain and him giving explanations next to running lorry / truck motors, made it all a bit frustrating. However, it was an interesting place. The full name is the Hanseatic town of Rostock, founded in or before 1160 was a founding member of the Hanseatic League 12th to 17th Centuries and known for it’s university founded in 1419 (one student holds a Nobel prize in Medicine) – Women were only admitted in the 1910’s for the first time. The area is known for it’s shipbuilding (199 ship last year) and during WW2 was the factory for military aircraft producing some 700 ‘planes. The peak of prosperity of Rostock was during the 14th & 15th centuries and in 1323, the city purchased the Town of Wernemunde. Rostock however was occupied during the 30 years war (1618-48) by Sweden, there was a disastrous fire in 1677, then the Danes, Swedes, Russians and Prussians occupied it during the 7 years war (1756-63) and in the early 1800’s it was the French who occupied Rostock. On May 1, 1845 the Russian army occupied it and it became the GDR – German Democratic Republic until reunification with (West) Germany in 1990
The first stop was by a statue of 7 girls reflecting the 7 Hanseatic Baltic States, however since then countries have come and gone and there are now 9, so next to the statue there is a fountain with 9 spouts. We walked along the old fortification wall to the convent, which was an also an early university / educational establishment. Children were educated there and they had beer soup for breakfast as water was considered unhealthy to drink. The nuns were permitted two baths a year and women who were not married by a certain age became nuns (such as Martin Luther’s wife).
We then wandered to University square and down the Main Street to the “star” item on the tour – St. Mary’s Church. Upon our arrival, it was locked, so the guide knocked, a man opened the door, words were exchanged and the door was slammed shut and locked, with us outside in the pouring rain. Eventually the doors were opened and we entered what seemed to be a very simple, albeit very high / tall church / cathedral. To say we were under-impressed is itself an understatement. However, we proceeded around the church, where we came across one of the most fascinating pieces of machinery we had come across. The Astronomical Clock, dating to 1472, which replaced it’s predecessor of 1379. The clock is divided into three sections, The figures and representations from the Bible, The dial and the Calendar display. In the center is Christ with 6 of the apostles in the arches and the other six appear at noon and midnight. At these 12 o’clock hours the apostles look towards Christ who blesses them and all are returned other than Judas who does not turn to Christ, not blessed and has the door slammed in his face. The dial covers 16 Sq Meters and has the hour hand pointing to the numbers I, II, III … XII twice around the circle. There is no minute hand as we know it but another hand moves around the clock face once a day. Additionally the phases of the moon, the sun and astrological displays are shown. In the calendar dial below the clock, the Days of the week as is the calendar day, month, saints and festivals in Rostock as well as other rings show sunrise, year, Sunday Letters, Roman interest (tax) interval number, period between Christmas and shrove Tuesday Easter days etc. A very complex detail, but accurate until today. For more details – http://www.astronomischeuhr.de. Or http://www.rettet-st-marine-Rostock.de. Other key features in the church were the bronze font dating to 1290, the sensational organ (1770) and the Baroque pulpit with canopy (1574).
We then visited the Market Square with it’s Town Hall before wandering up the streets to our meeting point so we could take the boat to the boat (again) along the River Warnow!! We boarded a taxi / regular passenger ferry service between Rostock and Wernemunde and docked next to the Queen Elizabeth. Soaked, we boarded the ship for a change of clothes before returning to the streets of Wernemunde and the rain.
In Wernemunde, now known as the seaside resort of choice by Germans, Danes and Swedes, we enjoyed a very nice lunch at a local restaurant’s second floor overlooking the canal, with it’s fishing boars that served also as walk up restaurants for fresh fish. The town is charming and we wandered up an down the streets in the rain, albeit less heavy, stopping in a couple of places before heading back to the ship where we enjoyed Champagne, Dutch cheese and fresh strawberries we had purchased, in the Clifford’s cabin before going to the cafeteria for a snack and early bed.
Roger & Anne Travels 