Heidelberg’s Arch Bridge

A bridge, a passenger boat and a castle on the hill

This long, old and narrow town along the great river Neckar is a living museum in itself. I would walk aimlessly around exploring the town without minding where I’ll end up. This time I found myself in the town’s old bridge. They call it alte brücke, the old bridge, the most beautiful of all bridges in Germany!

The bridge and its surroundings presents a lovely post cardy scene. There’s something with old bridges that makes you feel good about things. With the picturesque backdrop of the hills on the one side and the alstadt and all its baroque houses on the other, the area continues to draw flocks of tourist like ants being drawn naturally to sugar. What did Goethe, Rizal, Victor Hugo and Twain felt when they crossed this wonderful bridge for the first time? I’m sure they felt good about it.

I read that it had been destroyed around 1689 and 1693. There was war between the protestant English and Spanish forces – yes, in Germany believe it or not and the bridge had been badly damaged during this period. Early records shows the bridge being mentioned as early as 11th century. How many reconstructions it had gone under? No one’s sure. An old illustration of the bridge shows it having a wooden roof. The gates on the end of the bridge had a very interesting Moorish form but none the less it was beautifully constructed and conserved. In Tayabas the Franciscans built an arch bridge not as long and wide but as spectacular and elegant. Considering that both were built on top of a river bed and unpredictable water current in a time building technology was not as advanced and efficient is testament to an incredible engineering feat.

There are several extant examples of these bridges in our land. We definitely have more to gain preserving what remains of our heritage structures. They are monuments to what had been achieved in the past. Unfortunately, many of these structures are presented by educators as mere remnants of oppression and of the colonial phase. I’ve heard these silly arguments in my life and consider such as ignorant and empty opinions. Such assessment only serve to diminish our peoples interest in Filipino history.

I have not heard of an Egyptian complain about the pyramids because it was built by brutal labor but I know the Talibans did dynamited to pieces the world heritage giant standing Buddha’s of Bamiyan. Their rational is as mad as those that declare Spanish era structures historically useless and irrelevant.

Our actions towards heritage conservation define the level of our historical understanding and appreciation. Right now, we’re lagging behind in heritage conservation. Even communist Vietnam is doing better than us with their drive to preserve the colonial buildings left behind by the French. Those who do well as a country are those who protects their historical structures and continuously promote history, culture and arts. While those who thrash theirs are clearly headed down.

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April 2012

Taken on a different day. A sunnier day!

Young men paddling along the river Neckar

What a wonderful day it was.

The gate bridge of Heidelberg

Around Mannheim

I wanted the train ride to last longer but Mannheim’s main station is only six stations away from Heidelberg’s. Train stations here needs a little getting used to. I got lost when I first tried to go around. The good thing is that Germans are good English speakers especially in the big cities. I’ve never been turned down for asking directions. I can’t understand what some people say that Germans are not polite. People here are just a little busy that’s all.

I first read about Mannheim in college. There was this phase in my life that I was so fascinated with German cars (Benz and his motorized vehicle first rolled in the streets of Mannheim). So I read everything I could get my hands on about this German industry in college. This interest grew even bigger when I found out that Rizal was a Germanophile. His history in Germany is well known. For the past few days I’ve been trying to visit the places he wrote about during his stay here in the Baden-Württemberg area. I would be less interested with Germany if it were not for Rizal. After all the time he spent in Germany and the rest of Europe – falling in love with the culture and its way of life – he still went back home – then got himself shot. He was a man on a mission. Others would’ve stayed out – not Pepe. His journey around Germany is as incredible as it is brave. Its not easy living in Germany in a time when there’s hardly any Asian communities around. The Germans opened their doors for him because he mastered their language and genuinely embraced their traditions.

No Filipino today traveled as much as Rizal’s generation. And they didn’t travel for the pure fun of it (well some of them did) because traveling then had some degree of uncertainty. Filipinos I believe adjusted faster in Europe because they had some level of awareness for European culture and sensibilities. A pure oriental visiting Europe would certainly get lost during those days – Filipinos on the other hand would fair better. Wherever you go our culture, beliefs and lifestyle would be the same with only some varying degrees of differences of course. I had this German colleague who was telling me about his Filipino friends and I felt that he was describing someone I know.

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Mannheim together with Stuttgart (Mercedez Benz’s headquarters) are the biggest cities in this province. Mannheim sits on the delta of Rhine and Neckar. The land junction where the two river meets. I didn’t made it to the castle which was located down the river because it started to rain hard. I decided to go back home and try to see it another time. Around this time of the year weather is a bit unpredictable I was told. There’s plenty of sunshine but rain do come and go. Here I learned how to keep an eye on the TV weather forecast.

Rizal clicked the thumbs up icon during his time when he arrived here, he liked this station

The train station of Mannheim is one of the nicest in the country. It is a reconstruction I was told. Rizal alighted from this same station in 1886. During those days it must have been one of the biggest structures in town. Seeing this brought to mind the train station in Paco, another example of fine architecture that must be conserve – if it’s still there (last time I saw it was three years ago). I first saw the station when I was in grade school. Our historical agencies really need to handle this better. The rest of the world is rushing to reconstruct and conserve their old world, and here we are allowing ours to be wiped out.

We’ve acquired this disposable culture mentality. We prefer the new, the modern, the latest American style (even if our culture is older than theirs). We have become ignorant of the treasures that was handed down to us. We sell our heritage rather than drawing from it onspiration and memories that evokes our true identity. Is this happening because we’re economically deprived? No, I don’t see it as the case – the grandest ancestral houses in our country are owned by descendants that are still doing well in today’s economy – these reckless destruction of our heritage is an offshoot of greed and ignorance for the most part.

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The symbol of the city is the water tower -  tulips, daffodils and roses abound – it’s a garden lovers delight. In the center is a wonderful water fountain, one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. Mannheim doesn’t give you any reason not to enjoy it. It has a rich historical strata that shows its visitors the old and modern – together. Progress doesn’t mean rebuilding everything – you don’t demolish your ancestral home because your doing well economically – we have so many of these people back home. Sometimes in order to move forward we have to retain things that reminds us where we started.

A monument to Bismarck. The Germans was as interested in the Philippines as the Americans. Very few people know there was tension between the US and the German battleship in Manila Bay. The Germans had five warships and if they had wanted, could’ve crushed Dewey’s fleet. Dewey was so furious about the Germans presence that he challenged them to battle.

A wonderful terra cota colored building

Asian resto near the water tower. I find it interesting that when I climbed the water tower, I noticed right in front of it is Burger King and Starbucks.

The iconic Mannheim water tower along with the Mannheim castle represents the old Mannheim

Tulips at the background the Wasserturm

Water works at the Friedrichplatz

Nanay would’ve pick some of these Tulips up if she was with me

A replica of Karl Benz’s first motorized vehicle located opposite the garden of the park. This genius was born in Karlsruhe but had his first mechanical workshop here in Mannheim. The first motorized cars first appeared in this town. Bertha, Karl’s wife,made the first trip by automobile from Mannheim to Pforzheim

Rows of building along one of the main road in the center of Mannheim

In the early mornings, especially during the weekends, you can walk around the streets and see no one – first time I experience this, I was like, “wow, twilight zone”

Heilig Geist Church. This is a Catholic church. It appeared to me more like a castle with its features.

A Gymnasium that doesn’t appear to be one

May 2012