OWHC 2022 – Page 5 – Young Travelling Scholarship

Banská Štiavnica and Kralova

October 7, 2022

I arrive in Slovakia sooner than anticipated. I had hoped to stop a few times in the Tatras and admire the changing colors, but everything is covered in fog, and getting out of the car means standing in a cold drizzle. It’s impossible to know if the sheep that emerge from the fog are white or grey or black, so caked are they in mud. They enter the fog again quickly, as if forced out against their will.

I meet a friend of mine, Iris, at the station in Zvolen, and together we drive up the mountain to Kralova, where we’ve rented a small hut.

In Kralova, the animal population far outnumbers the human ones. Among its animal citizens: cows with large, wet eyes, sheep that sniff at the car, cats that scratch at the window at night, and horses that growl like dogs and pace at fences. Among its human citizens; a few old shepards, a small family, and our next door neighbors (friendly but preoccupied). They tend to their cows and shake apple trees full of dark, shiny apples. A black dog with a red cast hops after each falling apple and tries to catch it in her mouth.

On Saturday we make our way slowly down the mountain, which has been cut up by the rain and covered in flattened, speckled frogs. In Banska Stiavinica we find a little white windowless restaurant where we eat halusky and cabbage soup and flip through Slovak tabloid magazines.

Kráľovná Alžbeta, mŕtva!

Queen Elizabeth, dead!

A man takes his cow for a walk, Northern Slovakia.

Four Places in Krakow

October 5, 2022

Breakfast in Kazimierz:

My hotel is in the attic of an old Mikvah (a ritual bathhouse) and I sleep there like a stone. The breakfast room doubles as a place for the publishing house to hold meetings and for Klezmer musicians to tune their instruments before they play for the dinner guests. Obscure Israeli celebrities beam down at me from picture frames. The table is already set: herring and onions, plums, cake, boiled eggs, mackerel, cream cheese, jam, toast, and coffee.

As I take my place and begin my ritual of making sandwiches to slip in my coat pockets (I really have no appetite in the morning), a Orthodox Jew comes in, teetering under the weight of multiple black suitcases and a hat box. He sits down at an empty table across from me, calls the waitress over, and asks her anything is kosher. She shakes her head no. He lets out a small sigh, checks his watch, and orders an espresso, two glasses of slivovitz and a bowl of plums, which he drinks and eats with slow luxuriousness.

St. Mary’s Basilica:

Across from the main market square in the Old Town is St. Mary’s Basilica (completed in 1347). Entering it, you feel as though you’ve stepped inside some bodily organ, so rich and red are the walls. Gilded ribbons run up the walls like little veins to a vaulted ceiling, the blue of Polish pottery, and covered with stars.

Every hour, the Hejnał Mariacki is played by a trumpeter up in one of St. Mary’s two towers. It’s a sad, plain kind of bugle call that warbles over the market square and then suddenly dies out— a nod to a 13th century trumpeter shot in the throat mid-song.

Inside St. Mary’s it’s warm and quiet. People talk in hushed, solemn voices. When they pray, they only move their lips. Every once and awhile, when the door swings open to let someone in or out, it’s possible to hear music from the market square and the hoofbeats of horses. It smells of damp wood, recent rain, and urine from the horses lined up nearby. Some of their drivers have fallen asleep in their carriages.

The Temple Synagogue:

Outside the temple synagogue in Kazimierz, three Orthodox men crowd around a smartphone. A fourth man paces nearby, reading the Talmud, and mouthing the words to himself. All four have plastic caps stretched over their hats to protect them from the rain, which has let up for a few minutes but will surely start again.

An Über pulls up, and they file in, ducking their heads carefully to avoid hitting their hats on the rim of the car. The fourth trails after them. He doesn’t take his eyes off his book. They all drive away, bouncing over the cobblestones.

Plac Nowy:

My second hotel room in Krakow faces the Plac Nowy, a market square in Kazimierz. Unable to sleep for some reason, I lie awake the whole night, listening to the sounds of the square, which swells and empties according to its own natural laws.

Around two, students leave the bar underneath the hotel and fill the square. They laugh and shout in thin, happy voices. At three it becomes quiet— quieter than the Polish countryside. At four, some drunkards arrive, argue, make up, and sing songs. Around five, silence again, broken up only occasionally by the screech of a bird.

At six, I move over to the window and watch the sky begin to lighten, and the construction workers drink coffee at the little kiosk. At seven, they are replaced by old men with woolen caps and long faces, who sit on benches and watch the street vendors laying out their wares: menorahs, books, communist pins, old coins.

It must have rained sometime in the night because the pavement is wet and the rooftops are gleaming.

Outside the Skalka Monastery in Kazimierz.

Supper: Cholent, Stuffed Goose Neck, Borscht, Mazah Ball Soup and more…

Inside the Synagogue Stara in Kazimierz.

CONCLUSION

October 3, 2022

Traveling with OWHC Scholarship was such a great experience! When you are documenting your travels, you get deeper insights and you get to know the destination very well. It was interesting to learn more about UNESCO and to compare how it is lived or present in different countries.

Anyways, there are much more cultural heritage sites in Europe than in the US – even if it is a large country. Of course, you find more natural heritage sites like the bigger national parks, but cultural sites are rare. That makes the work of institutions like the Philadelphia Global Association even more important. It feels like US-American people are not so aware of UNESCO and I think it is important to raise this awareness, also in combination with the SDG and sustainability in general. While in Regensburg or Bamberg (almost) the whole old town is part of UNESCO, the American metropolises only have single UNESCO sites. The Bavarian cities promote themselves as UNESCO tourist cities, while this promotion doesn’t even exist in the US. However, every city had an important impact for the citizens, either it is the independence of a whole nation or a gardening culture that influenced the people and their way of living a lot. All those historical and cultural facts have an impact for our future. We do have to preserve our democracy and liberty that people fought for hundred years ago. We do have to protect our planet, get back to urban and local gardening and create liveable cities. We do have to be aware of what UNESCO means: UNESCO engages people everywhere to foster understanding and respect for each other and our planet – and especially in times of war, uncertainty and climate change, this awareness is valuable!

Thanks OWHC for this great experience! It was an honor to have the liberty to create my liberty ID.

3 * DRESDEN: 26 Aug

October 3, 2022

The third city I had the opportunity to visit was Dresden – the capital of Saxony, in southern Germany, which has an inspiring story of hope and tolerance, when it comes to heritage preservation and a post-war reconstruction. From its beautiful gardens over the Elbe river to its magnificent brick and wood-framing buildings, there is a lot to see. Founded by the Margraves of Meissen in the 13th century, it was based on a stereotypical plan of central Europe – a rectilinear street system disrupted by a main market square.

[The skyline of the historical district of Dresden]

August II (1670-1733), an important saxon, left a big impact in the physical city. As a lover of the arts and architecture, he turned Dresden into a major cultural center, by attracting many international artists and commissioning lavish baroque palaces that form(ed) the iconic ensemble of the city’s downtown.

Dresden is not a World Heritage City but it was an unmissable stop between Berlin and Prague, as it shows the will of a people to safeguard its cultural heritage, shows how long-lasting the effects of war are in cities and helps showcase the diversity of urban and architectural heritage safeguarding strategies adopted in Germany after WWII, as local contingencies varied in a divided country.

[The statue of August, the Strong in the new district, and a new building contrasting with the historical reconstruction on the orher side of the Elbe]

* DURING WWII *

In one of the most aggressive air offensives by the Allies, Dresden was heavily devastated on 13-14 February 1945, in a raid that had little military purpose and aimed to weaken Germany by the end of the war, killing many civilians and obliterating a symbol of German culture. Under soviet-influence after WWII, the strategy to rebuild the city was first oriented in a way that aimed to evoke the ideal socialist society, but the significant amount of rubble – as Dresden was one of the German cities that faced more destruction – and the financial challenges of German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the decades to come, made the process start late and see guidelines change often, resulting in a significant loss of the city heritage landmarks.

* JOURNAL *

DAY 5: Tainted Baroque Splendor

With only one day to visit Dresden, my day started with an Eierschecke – a local sweet speciality made of three layers: cake, quark cheesecake and vanilla custard- , offered by Felix, a local history teacher that kindly hosted me and gave me a small welcome tour. As the newer and the older parts of the city are divided by the Elbe river, we crossed Augustusbrücke, one of the oldest long-standing bridges in Germany, responsible for connecting important trade routes since the medieval period.

[The sweet Eierschecke / The Augustusbrücke, rebuil using a similar approach to the one used in the Frauenkirche: burnt stones were recovered from the river and reused]

At first glance, it might seem that the contemporary skyline of the old town does not differ much from what we can see in Canaletto’s veduti dated from mid-1800’s but, in fact, before the war the city had already seen major alterations during the 19th century and some key baroque landmarks ended up never being reconstructed after WWII.

On the other side of the bridge, one is welcomed by a big gate, leading into the historically reconstructed part of the town. But first, one both sides of the street there are two spots worth a stop. On the left, the Brühlsche Terrasse, a garden originally private and built by a count between 1739-1748, that now allows everyone to admire the beauty of the Elbe’s banks. And on the right, near the Katholische Hofkirche, the Napoleon Stone, marking the spot where the emperor paraded his troops before an important victory during the Napoleonic Wars.

[The entrance to old Dresden, from the opposite view points / The Napoleon Stone]

Continuing through the organic urban fabric, one stumbles upon the Fürstenzug, (“Procession of the Princes”), a mural with 102 meters and circa 23 000 Meissen tiles, produced in Saxony – the largest porcelain one in the world. It depicts the Wettin dynasty, the historical Saxony ruling house and was done in the 19th century as a way to celebrate its 800th century. Meissen porcelain, also known locally as “white gold”, can be recognized as authentic by displaying two crossed swords inscribed.

[The impressive Fürstenzug]

Then, we passed by the Neumarkt, where the rebuilt Frauenkirche stands, to quickly be faced with the contrast embodied, only a couple of hundred meters away, by another square and another public building, from a different period and built upon a different ideology. The Kulturpalast, in the Altmarkt, faces a main, large avenue. Built during the communistic period, still to this day, it is used as the library and concert hall of the city. On one of the exterior façades, one can admire the mural “The Path of the Red Flag”, a propagandistic mural completed in 1962, that aims to portray the history of socialism. Felix told me about the Trümmerfrauen depicted; women that have been elevated to national heroes all over the country, as they are celebrated in many paintings and sculptures. After WWII, there was a lack of construction workers due to displacement and war losses, so women volunteered or took very poorly paid jobs helping clearing the rubble and sorting amongst it the materials that could be reused. According to the available stats, they were not as many as the memorials might have made us think they were, but they hold for sure a symbolic role in German reconstruction and heritage safeguarding.

[The Frauenkirche / The contrast between old and new stones ]

In the afternoon, I walked around the Zwinger Palace and the Semperoper, iconic baroque buildings of the city, heavily damaged during the war, but repaired and reopened. As the sun was setting, I catched a tram to an area further away from the historical center, to see one last heritage jewel: the traditional regional timber-framed houses, in the Loschwitz district. I was told that this common local typology was also very common in the old town back in the day, but that after the fires that destroyed the city after WWII’s bombings the majority of them burnt down. They still can be seen in the outskirts of dresden and are a beautiful example of local heritage and craftsmanship.

[The Semperoper and the lavish Baroque of the Zwinger Palace]

After more than seven decades, Dresden, in a major parto due to its people’s will, is still rebuilt itself, even after many demolitions post-conflict and heritage loss due to lack of political decision. Following an historical approach of building come era, dov’era but without eradicating fully all the periods of history the city faced, as darken stones punctuate buildings everywhere we look, the city is a great example of how heritage can foster togetherness and urban vibrancy.

[Timber-framed houses, in the Loschwitz district]

* HERITAGE HIGHLIGHTS *

Fraüenkirche

In Neumarkt, where, quarter by quarter baroque buildings have been reconstructed for decades now, this Lutheran church, a major symbol for Dresden, was built in the 18th century. During the aerial bombing of Dresden, a fire made its dome collapse. After many decades of abandonment, as the GDR struggled to decide on the approach to rebuild the old center of Dresden, it was only rebuilt from the mid-90’s according to its original plan, after the famous “Appeal from Dresden”, a popular appeal that aimed to end years of indecisiveness.

[The exterior / the interior of the reconstructed church / a metalic cross from the original building burnt during the fires following the bombing, recovered from the rubble]

The numerous private donations helped start the reconstruction of this big landmark of hope, finally finished in 2004. Even if the exteriors and interiors aimed to match as much as possible the original George Bähr’s plans, traces of the scars left by the conflict still remind visitors of the tumultuous times the structure and the city faced: the original stones found in the rumble were used whenever possible, in their exact original position, contrasting with the newer ones, not darkened by the fires.

The Spa

October 3, 2022

In the middle of a pine forest (about an hour’s drive from Warsaw) there is a spa. My old car, covered with bird droppings from Warsaw and dust from the road sticks out like a sore thumb among rows of polished luxury cars. A woman in an ill-fitting suit greets me at the reception. Her name tag is upside down, I cannot read it.

We have a lot of guests at the moment, she says. Is the economy room okay for you, madam? The economy room is just fine. Wobbling on patent heels, she leads me to the end of the hall. The lights are dimmable, pillows look plump enough to break your neck. A housecoat and a swimming cap are laid out on the bed, along with a collection of little soaps. Dinner is served until nine, she tells me. The pool closes at eleven. Have a wonderful stay, she says, then slams the door.

I am the only person in the dining room. The one solitary waitress gets up from a chair in the back and smiles. I order, and she disappears behind a door in the back where I see a solitary cook. She appears half an hour later with my meal: rabbit with roasted pumpkin, squash, and potatoes which I eat with a thin white wine from Hungary. It is one of the best meals of my life.

Everywhere in the spa, at all times, jazz is playing. After dinner I go to the pool. There I am also alone. The jazz is there too, I can even hear it when my head is underwater.

#6: Boston

October 3, 2022

September 02-06, 2022

After taking the Flixbus from NYC for about 5 hours (my longest bus ride during my travels), I arrived in Boston – my final stop. NYC was great but took a lot of energy. That’s why I didn’t feel so good and did not visit everything I wanted to see in Boston – but what I experienced was very nice.

The city is best known for Harvard University and MIT. However, Boston also has a lot to offer culturally and historically. The Boston Tea Party and the Freedom Trail come to mind. As the largest and probably most expensive city in New England (and the US), the architecture of the city is very influenced by Europe (makes sense of course regarding the European settlers).

It was super sad that I didn’t get to see a lot… But since the weather got pretty bad at the end, saying goodbye was not so hard. One day I would love to come back and make up for what I missed in Boston…

#5: New York City

October 3, 2022

August 25 – September 01, 2022

New York was impressive. All those impressions had to be processed first. That’s why it took me while to publish this post….

>> THE BIG APPLE & UNESCO <<

NYC. Big apple. The city that never sleeps. This city has many names and stereotypes. I think everyone associates New York City or even the USA with the Statue of Liberty, but probably not everyone knows that it is part of UNESCO. So here’s a little explanation: The US Declaration of Independence was signed in Philly but honored 100 years later with the Statue of Liberty in NYC. As a symbol of the migration of people from many countries into the US in the 19th & 20th century, the statue represents different values such as liberty, human rights or the abolition of slavery. On a trip with the Staten Island ferry you can admire the landmark and even look at the whole skyline from the water.

The second UNESCO sight is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and its impressing view of the rotunda and skylight from the ground floor. As it is part of the 20th century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, the museum in New York has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List besides eight other major works. During my visit, I was not only able to view the overworldly building, but also an exhibition of Vasily Kandinsky and other exciting artists.

The city that never sleeps is extremely exciting but can also become tiring. That’s why I looked for some green spots: Compared to Bamberg, one cannot speak of a garden culture here. Many European parks, such as those in London or Paris, served as models for the Central Park. The Highline Park was created by converting an elevated railway line and enhances the district through urban greening. Both examples were constructed artificially but serve people as recreation in the big urban jungle. I have found some other green spots like Little Island, Bryant Park or Hudson River Park but I never escaped the crowds. I guess, that’s what living in a city of 8 million people must be like…

>> THE BIG GREEN APPLE <<

>> THE BIG APPLE IS REALLY BIG <<

Many people. Many possibilities. There are so many things to discover in New York. I can’t even list everything I’ve experienced here. It’s best if I give a few examples: I figured out it is definitley worth visiting a broadway musical – we went to Moulin Rouge and even if I am not really into musicals, I enjoyed it a lot! You know the Brooklyn Bridge from various Instagram pictures and it is indeed very impressive in live. There are so many tall buildings and view points to look at the skyline. I ended up choosing Rockafeller Center. No matter if you stand in front of the huge buildings or look down on them: It is breathtaking. You simply have to see this city. It has always been a dream for me to visit the city that never sleeps.

Thanks to OWHC for making dreams come true!

Bruges

October 2, 2022

I started my travels a little while ago with a visit to one of the most magical World Heritage Cities in the world – which is a completely unbiased opinion since it also happens to be my home town.

Bruges is an incredibly well-preserved medieval city, mainly thanks to the fact that the historic centre has been UNESCO protected heritage since 2000. The reasoning behind this UNESCO recognition was threefold: Bruges’ valuable architectural heritage (a very recognizable brick gothic style), its authentic medieval urban centre, and it being considered the birth place of the Flemish Primitive painting school (think Jan Van Eyck and Jheronymus Bosch!).

Walking through the cobbled streets feels like going back in time to the 12^th century, when Bruges was an important commercial centre in Europe. My preferred way of experiencing this city is to aimlessly walk around, every corner you turn will reveal another picture-perfect spot!

Several impressive cathedrals and churches show off the typical Gothic architecture, such as the famous Church of our Lady or the Belfry of Bruges. The Church of our Lady is the tallest structure in the city and the third tallest brickwork tower in the world! Do not stop here though, make sure to step inside to admire Michelangelo’s marble sculpture of the Virgin and Child – also known as the Madonna of Bruges.

One of the city’s main assets is without a doubt the Bruges canals flowing quietly throughout the city centre, home to slightly aggressive white (and the occasional black) swans. On a hot day, which admittedly is not common in Belgium, there is nothing better than grabbing a Belgian beer at one of the waterside cafés, or hanging out in a nice green park.

I was also lucky enough to meet with Karel Dendooven, the head of the head of the monument care and heritage affairs department in Bruges. He told me about the departments’ future plans and aspirations for the city, which are undoubtedly going to make Bruges an even more necessary addition to your travel bucket list!

City no. 4 – Safranbolu

September 30, 2022

Immediately after arriving in this historical town, we were mesmerized by the brown and white ottoman houses scattered around the hills and canyons. The cool breeze and clean air were a welcome relief from Istanbul’s sweltering heat and noxious pollution.

For our three nights at a traditional guesthouse (konag), we were welcomed by a modest family who offered us breakfasts made with local ingredients and advice.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered “Turkey’s best-preserved Ottoman village” and one of the most fascinating to explore on foot. A reconstructed caravanserai (roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey) that is now a hotel and a coffee museum was formerly an important trader’s stop along the Silk Road. A few mosques and a small sector of bazaars are nearby. Surprisingly, although being roughly halfway between Istanbul and Ankara, there are few foreign tourists there, and even locals who deal with tourists rarely speak English.

Safranbolu, an ancient and well-established city, has a lengthy history. The city was located in Paphlagonia, one of Anatolia’s ancient districts. In fact, in the Iliad, the legendary poet Homer recounted the Paflagons who travelled to aid the Trojans. Anatolian Seljuk Sultan II constructed Safranbolu in 1196. Ibn Batuta, a famous traveller, visited Safranbolu in 1334 and stayed for one night, describing it as “a captivating village nested in the mountains”. Its name originates from the Turkish name for Saffron (Safran) since this precious plant was grown and traded here.

Apart from exploring the history and nature, we also sampled many local delicacies, ranging from various soups to plates full of meat, manti (Turkish pasta) with walnuts, and the famous Safranbolu pide (a pie made with cheese and spinach, a very famous for this city).

However, the various coffees we had at the Safranbolu Coffee Museum were the best treat. They provided a variety of coffees made in accordance with the regional historical legacy of many ethnic groups, rulers, and traders from far and near.

Our favourites were the local Safranbolu coffee cooked in the fire with a side of Mastic water and the Tatar coffee with cream sprinkled with pistachio. We were also shown how to drink the traditional coffee. To begin, you drink the coffee with Mastic water, followed by the sweet Sherbet to finish.

After the relaxing 3 days in nature, we boarded another bus towards Ankara, from where we went on to explore the Black Sea Coast.