Sleepless in Hamburg

 

,,Moin” from Hamburg : My four week adventure in the heart of Germany’s ,,Tor zur Welt”

 

 

Over the past four weeks, I have been fortunate enough to take part in a summer course (IBH) in Hamburg as part of the DAAD-Scholarship scheme. My main aim was of course to improve my German language skills before heading off to France for my YA, but equally important (and perhaps more enjoyable) has been discovering a city I had never been to before, and meeting so many new and amazing people along the way. Throughout my time here I have been keeping my own personal diary of what crazy and exciting things I have been getting up to. Rather than boring you with all the details, here are just a few snapshots of my adventures behind Germany’s ,,Tor zur Welt”…

 

 

As usual, the trip began with a few uncertainties, worries, and feeling rather lost. However, as with any new challenge, it is important to take things just one step at a time. Slowly but surely, I began to feel at home…

 

Day 1

… “On drawing my new bedroom’s 10ft teal silken curtains at 33 Neuer Pferdemarkt, I am still unsure of what to make of the adventure ahead of me. Having been mistaken for another “Grace” and collected at the airport by the wrong summer course company, I was immediately having doubts… Having said that, Hamburg, ,,die Tor zur Welt”, is an absolutely beautiful city! From the moment you set foot into the city’s Hauptbahnhof, you can’t be anything but impressed. Punctual transport, friendly passers-by, and all the delicatessens, pastry shops and Currywurst stands you could wish for! On a mission to see as much as the city as soon as possible, I decided to go for a jog as soon as I arrived. Just 5 minutes walk from my host house, I stumbled upon the most amazing parks (fountains, flower beds, cobble steps, the works!), all surrounded by some remarkable architecture. I think I might like Hamburg after all… “

 

 

The next two weeks were full of all things “touristy”. Each day, we had class from 9am until 1:15pm, and then had the afternoons free to go and explore the city. Often, the school organised group “Ausflüge” too.

 

 

Day 2

“And so the course begins… At 9am we sat an Einstufungstest, shortly followed by an interview. Both were relatively simple, and so I was glad to hear I would be spending the next four weeks in the German advanced class. The rest of the morning was filled with all things German: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and even a little bit of grammar….”

 

“I spent the afternoon with another girl rom the course (ironically also called Grace) wandering around the Hafen City, seeing sights such as the Hafen (natürlich!), the Speicherstadt, and spotting various other museums along the way (Miniature Museum, Hamburg Dungeons…). At about 1530 we took a rest along the canal, and with all the maps and guides we had collected along the way, we began to plan things that we would like to do over the next few weeks…”

 

 

DAY 3

“…After finishing class, a few of us went to the Kunst und Gewerbe museum, which was really fascinating! After the museum we headed to St. Pauli to explore the infamous Reeperbahn (a.k.a. Hamburg’s Red Light District). Not quite as “interesting” during the day as during the night, but I am sure I will experience it all one weekend while I am here…”

 

 

DAY 4

“…Stadtrundgang with the other students from the course, led by the “profi tour guide” Anna (the course co-ordinator!). This was actually a really good way for me to orientate myself around the city, and also learn something at the same time! The great thing about Hamburg is that it isn’t too big: you can walk around the city centre reasonably easily, and anything further afield is so well linked by the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Despite it’s relatively small size however, the city is packed full of history!…”

 

“…. Soon enough it was football time: Wales vs. Portugal. We headed to the Schanzenviertel and found a really quirky bar to watch the match in. Disappointing loss for Wales, but on the plus side, the Aperol Spritzs in the bar were incredible! …”

 

 

DAY 5

“…Grace and I made our way to the Bunker Museum, the only official bunker museum in Hamburg. The place was incredibly fascinating, and still so true to its original format….”

“….After this, we headed to St. Michaelis Church, where we headed to the clock tower. The climb was pretty steep but the mechanics of the clocks were all visible on the ascent so really worth the climb! When I finally got to the top, the views were amazing (and another great way to get my bearings!)…”

“…Football semi-finals! Germany vs. France. Inside the public viewing arena, the atmosphere was electric! We enjoyed free Somersby cider, got involved with the crowd, and finally met with the others from the course after half time…”

 

 

DAY 6

“…Friday means Trip Day! Our very “retro” and slightly crazy course teacher took us to the one of the more alternative Viertele der Stadt: die Schanze. Here we learnt about the Stoplerstein, the Rota Flora, the growing “Anti-Gentrifizierung” movement, and generally got to enjoy the company of some of the Schanze’s more alternative residents…”

“…That afternoon, Grace and I went to the Hamburg museum, full of Hamburg’s rich and varied history. The exhibitions displaying the changes Hamburg underwent through the 20^th century were particularly interactive and interesting…”

 

DAY 9

“… After a class visit to the Hamburger Rathaus, Grace, Nara and I went to explore the Elbestrand. We took the ferry to Neumühlen and then walked all the way along the coast. There was actually a beach! It felt so nice to have the sand back in between my toes and the wind across my face again!…”

 

“…A special event organised by the ZEIT-Stiftung was taking place in the Justizgebäude only a 15minute walk away. The theme was the consequences of Brexit, and the entire discussion was incredibly interesting! After this I headed to Planten un Blomen, a large landscaped park in the centre of town. After walking around the parks (Rosenpark, Japanischer Garten…) I settled down opposite the lake and watched the renowned Wasserlichtsspiele show. It was AMAZING! A voiceover explained that evening’s “story” followed by the enactment of this tale by music and synchronised lights and fountains. A real sight to see!…”

 

 

DAY 10

“… headed to Ballinstadt, the emigration museum in Veddel. Really interesting account of Hamburg’s immigration history – migrants passing through Hamburg in the hope of getting to America during the first half of the 20^th century…”

 

DAY 11

“St. Pauli museum; a museum about the history of St. Pauli and in particular its history in theatre, and prostitution, e.g. Schmidt Theatre, Krimi theatres, comedy, drag… You could even have a beer whilst walking around the museum!…”

 

 

DAY 13

“…Went to Speicherstadt Museum with Grace after class; lots of information about the city’s architecture as well as what was once stored in the warehouses (coffee, tea, chocolate, spices, carpets) and how the goods were transported/lifted…”

“… Another night in the Schanze; this time visiting the more well known bars: Katze and Daniela’s…”

 

 

DAY 14

“… SATURDAY!!! Today seemed to be the day that every suburb in Hamburg was having its summer Straßenfest. Starting with the retro Flohmarkt (flea market) in the Schanze, I managed to ruffle through all the tat to grab myself a bargain – €3 for two vintage jumpers! Then it was off to the food market, where there was enough free food to feed a family! With both these markets, the Schlager Move festival (think hippy fancy dress and 60 year old men and women…), Altonafest (street festival in the Altona district), and the Feldstraße festival, you could really feel the party atmosphere everywhere you went!…”

“… The real party for us began in Altona. Drinks in hand, and plenty of food stalls to keep us going, a few of us from the course spent the evening drinking and listening to live bands on various outdoor stages. As dusk turned to darkness, we headed back to the Schanze and made a bar crawl style walk to the Reeperbahn, which we finally managed to see in its true glory from about 1am… And as with any night out in Hamburg’s red light district on a Saturday night, when the final song in the club ended, we made out way to the fish market alongside the Elbe. Opening at 5am, we all enjoyed the infamous Fischbrötchen and then finally made it back home, just after sunrise…”

 

DAY 15

“… Despite last night’s very early morning finish, Sunday was the only opportunity to visit Hamburg’s concentration camp (Neuengamme) as well as its other prisons and sites of persecution (Fühlesbüttel and Poppenbüttel). Although harrowing, the camps at Hamburg were particularly eye opening as, unlike other Eastern extermination camps (e.g. Auschwitz-Birkenau), these really were on ordinary German’s back doors and would have been impossible not to have known about…”

 

 

The next two weeks were slightly less hectic. The weather improved, and a lot of what was left on my “Hamburg Bucket List” was less touristy…

 

 

DAY 17

“… The sun is finally shining! And with that, a trip to the beach was needed! Blankenese, Hamburg’s Beverley Hills, is absolutely amazing! With its wonderful beach, coastal path walk, and houses that only the richest of Hamburgers can afford, I could have spent the whole evening there!…”

DAY 18

“… Another beautiful afternoon meant another opportunity to explore Hamburg’s amazing parks and gardens. Just outside of Altona, Nare and I visited the Botanical Gardens, and then later the Volkspark just slightly further North. Everywhere here is just so peaceful. Although there are always groups of people around, nobody seems to want to cause any trouble. Absolutely love it here!…”

 

DAY 19

“…. A visit to Ohlsdorf cemetery today that unlike most other graveyards was full of joy, hope, and life. As well as operating as a normal cemetery, Ohlsdorf is also home to the Commonwealth War Graves, Soviet War Memorial, memorial to the Victims of Nazi Persecution, and the Jewish memorial, to name but a few…”

 

“Free Open Air cinema in front of Hamburg’s Rathaus was incredible! The film, the company, the warm weather, everything was just amazing!…”

 

DAY 20

“… Another Friday, another trip day! This time, it was to the Gängeviertel, traditionally the suburb for the poorest of Hamburg’s residents, today the home of the city’s most artistic and alternative groups. The whole place was decorated like an artist’s workshop, and I absolutely loved it!”

“.., And of course, no Friday would be complete without a visit to a Straßenfest somewhere in Hamburg! The Duckstein Festival in the Hafencity was really fun, especially as a lot of the students from the course also came out to have a few drinks!…”

 

 

Final Week

 

As most of my Hamburg Bucketlist was now complete, I decided to spend my last week in Hamburg with a few less planned outings, and instead just ended up seeing where my feet (or more usually the S-Bahn or U-Bahn) took me….

 

“…At the start of the week, the course planned a group picnic for after class in the Stadtpark. The weather was great, and we spent the entire afternoon and evening enjoying traditional German food, alcohol, and burning it all off with a few rounds of volleyball!

One of my friends also happened to be in Hamburg at the same time as me, and so one night I had dinner at her Mum’s house. This was really nice, and a great way to practise German in a family environment.

On my last full day in Hamburg, I had just one more thing to do on my list: walk underneath the Elbe river, through the Elbetunnel. On the other side, the views of Landungsbrücken and the Hafen were incredible (even more so sat up on the river bank eating an ice-cream!) That evening, the group also met up at a traditional Bavarian restaurant, where we celebrated the great time we had all had together, whilst sampling the beer and Currywurst!…”

 

 

Weekend Trips

 

Lüneburg: “….Only 30 minutes from Hamburg, but what a different dynamic! Since the town managed to escape bombing during WW2, the old gothic buildings shape the landscape in a way unlike Hamburg (which was of course destroyed by firestorms and bombing in the 1940s)…”

“… Such an idyllic place! We visited the Rathaus, the Kloster, several churches (e.g. St. Michaelis, where Bach sang in the choir), before hiking up the “Burg” to get a great panoramic view! We then visited the water tower, St. Johannis church, the old trade building, as well as getting some great photos of the quaint bridges crossing the river…”

“… Back in Hamburg and back in the Schanze! There was a street festival going on (surprise surprise!) and after spending a few hours in Maraba (Persian bar) we headed to see some live music. Young and old surrounded us dancing along to the same music – it was amazing!…”

 

 

Berlin

Day 1

“… Although sleeping through my alarm meant I very nearly missed the bus, at around midday on Saturday I finally arrived in Berlin. The weather was amazing, and the party atmosphere even better (Christopher Street Day/CSD celebrations had already begun). After walking along the East Side Gallery, we began our walking tour with Anna. We saw the Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor, the murdered 6million memorial, the Sinti and Roma memorial, Humboldt Uni and the book burning monument, Museuminsel and the Dom, Fernsehturm, ending finally in Alexander Platz. Although having seen all this before, it was a great refresher, and a useful way of getting my bearings! After this we browsed along the Ku’Damm (shopping central) and then headed to Savigny Platz, a really quirky cute square with lots of local restaurants for dinner. After this we headed back to the Tor, so über-busy with drunk people having a good time – we just had to join in! Long Iceland ice tea for 5 euros and we danced until we could dance no more…”

 

Day 2

“…By 9am I was at Brandenburger Tor, mostly clean after last night’s antics, but absolutely no tourists to be seen – it was bliss! Got some great tourist-less photos too! Then headed through into the Tiergarten and wandered around, seeing all the monuments and statues within (Soviet War memorial, Siegessäule), as well as Castle Bellevue on the other side, and all of the lovely lakes and ponds along the way. Took the S-Bahn on the other side of the garden to the Gendarmenmarkt. Here I took a tour around all the churches there (literally one on every corner of the small square) before heading back to the main train station to meet Melanie, a friend I met through the tandem scheme at Southampton, but who actually lives in Potsdam.

We had an absolutely amazing catch up!! Although walking around for an hour and half trying to find somewhere to eat (first the Hakischer Markt which is super cool, then Museuminsel, then Friedrichsstraße, and then finally found an amazing cheap café by the uni), it didn’t matter as we just kept talking and talking and talking (and all in German!). After lunch we headed to the Mauerpark. Literally the best Flohmarkt I have ever seen. But too unbelievably busy and hot to browse through all the clothes and jewellery! We watched a performance of a live brass band on the (dry, desert like) grass for a while and then headed westwards to Schloss Charlottenburg which was absolutely stunning!! Although the castle was being renovated we took a walk around the gardens, which were full of lakes, bridges and people enjoying the sun! Such a lovely way to end the day and trip to Berlin!…”

 

 

Collecting all my diary accounts and summarising them all in this blog on my journey back to Cardiff has made it really hit home how much I am going to miss Hamburg. The city landscape is spectacular; you are never more than ten minutes from a park, lake, or river, and every possible sight and suburb is so well connected by punctual public transport. Although I was one of the more organised among the group, and made sure that I saw as much as Hamburg in four weeks as possible, it is of course not necessary to do as much as I managed to cram in! The city is just perfect for relaxing afternoons with friends and a few drinks. And as for the people; I have never met such a friendly bunch! Not only at IBH, but also on every street corner! The alternative left scene in many of Hamburg’s suburbs means that the community spirit can really be felt everywhere, especially during a Straßenfest!

 

Whether already studying German, or just eager to learn a new language, I would without a doubt recommend applying for a similar course with the DAAD. Courses are offered all around Germany, and if you are successful with a scholarship application, it really is an opportunity not to be missed!

 

Although sad to be leaving Germany’s Tor zur Welt, I truly know that it isn’t goodbye.

Bis zum nächsten Mal Hamburg xxx

Grace Barningham