I watched the 2000 German film, In July (Im Juli), again, hoping to catch scenes of Hamburg. I’d first watched the movie long before I thought about going to Hamburg, or went to Hamburg, and didn’t remember how much of…
The IBA Energy Bunker in the Wilhelmsburg section of Hamburg, Germany, officially opened this week. The monstrous bunker, built by slave labor during World War II to shelter residents from Allied air raids and to defend Hamburg, was an imposing—and…
Ever since getting on a plane and flying to Rome 20 years ago with a backpack full of traveler’s checks (do those still exist?), I’ve never much worried about not having a place to stay when I arrived at my…
I wasn’t sure what to think when I happened upon a memorial to victims of the war at St. Nikolai church in Hamburg, Germany. What remains of the church is basically a bell tower and a basement, some walls, now…
In this time of global tumult, it’s easy to forget that democratic movements generated a little anxiety at points before. Hard to believe it’s been 23 years since the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989. East and West Germany…
For me, there’s no greater experiential learning than walking back through time via travel. The chariot tracks in the streets of Pompeii made life in the first century that much more real to me. Seeing row after row of crosses…
The Brawny Sherpa, accompanying me on a press trip to Hamburg, was supposed to be on his best behavior. Ever the polite escort, he would be the tourist—and occasionally carry my bags—while I learned about Hamburg’s environmental record as the…