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Journeys from Eisenach.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Over the past weekend, the teachers of our Bach Institute journeyed far and wide across the European Union. We spent our last afternoon in Eisenach, the birthplace of Bach, both exploring the lesser known sights of the town and through traveling to neighboring locations. A large group of us found their way to the capital city of the Thüringa region, Erfurt, and spent the afternoon visiting the city’s impressive church and citadel.
Three of us found our way to Arnstadt, an idyllic town where Bach spent a number of his younger years. We experienced the Bachkirche (Bach Church) as well as enjoyed a cafe break underneath the town’s glockenspiel (carillon). Albeit a smaller town than our starting point of Eisenach, it was nevertheless charming and we enjoyed seeing the remnants of local castles and the “young Bach” statue in the main square.
In the evening, after our last meal at the Schlosshotel in Eisenach, many of the participants decided to take evening walks to see other lesser known monuments of the town. I led a group to the socialist monument near the music school, while others climbed up to the Bushcandenkimal (the student monument, and tribute to those lost in the great wars.
We departed on Thursday for faraway lands. The long weekend began and ended with extended train rides on the ICE, IC, and Regional Bahn as the institute members found their ways to their own destinations. Our leaders, Dr. Binford and Louise, made their way to Krakow, Poland, (an eleven hour train!) while a number of us took a three and a half hour ICE to Bavarian lands, including Munich, Passau, Nürnberg, and Regensberg. There were even groups that made it to Prague and Copenhagen!
On Sunday, we all made our separate pilgrimages to our second Bach location, the beautiful and culturally significant Leipzig. A city at the very heart of Saxony, Leipzig has a heritage of composers such as J. S. Bach, Robert and Clara Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Richard Wagner. Sporting such sights as the Auerbach’s Keller, the Nikolai and Thomaskirches, and even the historic Bach Archiv, we are surrounded by enormous possibilities for the next two weeks.
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