Strasbourg, France

Saturday, March 31st brought us to Strasbourg, a sizable French city.

The river was filled with swans as we docked.

As I wrote last time the rich food of the night before kept me onboard for the morning.  I used the time to walk the track and read.

Though it was Saturday I saw the container shipping yard across the way load barges with containers.  Strasbourg is the second largest port on the Rhine.  We were docked in the midst of it and had to rely on busses to take us to town.

Dan took a guided bike tour of the city.  He's there in green.

After he returned and we lunched we took the shuttle bus to the city center so he could show me some of what I missed.

The city center is a World Heritage Site.  The town has been violently disputed between France and Germany for years. 

Being Saturday of the Easter weekend the streets were filled with people.  These were the biggest crowds we'd experienced.  I'm not big on walking in crowded areas in Europe or anywhere.

The city's main sight is the Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg coming into view above as we walked a less congested side street.  And below where it looked like one spire was never finished.

There was a line to enter.

This style is much more ornate than the Cathedral in Speyer.

Inside Dan pointed out this spectacular window.

The cathedral has an astronomical clock somewhat hidden by scaffolding.

Dan called the pole on the left a totem pole.  Close up below.

Back outside we walked back to catch the shuttle to the ship leaving the crowds behind.

Chef's Table Dinner

Friday evening of our cruise was the night we signed up to eat at the special Chef's Table for a 5 course tasting menu.  It was our 44th wedding anniversary.

It's described as a tasting menu because there are a variety of items on each plate that are just a taste.  I didn't write down what it was we had.  Sorry.

It was very rich food.  Though I enjoyed eating it, I paid for it overnight.  Ever have that happen to you?  I stayed on board when we arrived in Strasbourg, France the next morning.  

postscript: In answer to the question posed by a reader about why the Bishop in Speyer encouraged Jews to come live there I went in search of an answer in Wikipedia.

The reason for asking the Jews to come to Speyer was their important role in the money and trade businesses, especially with distant regions. Money lenders were needed on a large scale for the construction of the cathedral. The deliberate settlement of Jews was seen as a measure for business development. The Jews can also be regarded as pioneers of urban development in Germany.^[6] Bishops, lords or kings who granted privileges and protection to the Jews were at the same time securing for themselves considerable revenues and protection fees; since persecution of Jews and trade restrictions led to considerable economic disadvantages and loss of revenues, it was in the ruler's best interest to restrain the antisemitic fervor of the lower clergy and the public.

Speyer - Part 3

This is my last post on my visit to Speyer and probably the most fascinating part of this town's history.

Quoting again from The Daily Cruiser we received each night:

"The first Jewish community emerged in Speyer at the instigation of the bishop.  In 1084, Bishop Rudiger Human invited Jews to move to Speyer and settled them in the former suburb of Altspeyer which he had surrounded by a wall for their protection.

Along with this invitation, the bishop granted the Jews the rights and privileges which went well beyond contemporary practice.  They were confirmed by the emperor Henry IV I 1090 and became an example for Jews' privileges in many cities in the empire.

A Jewsih quarter soon also developed next to the bishop's district near the cathedral.  Its center, the Jew's Court, contained men's and women's synagogues and the Mikveh (ritual bath).  The ruins of the Speyer Synagogue are the oldest visible remnants of such a building in Europe.

What the synagogue would have looked like outside and 

inside.

The Mikveh (below) first mentioned in 1126, has remained unchanged to this day and is still supplied by fresh groundwater.

"For two centuries, the Speyer Jewish community was among the most important of the Empire and in spite of pogroms, persecution and expulsion, had considerable influence on Ashkenazi culture and the spiritual and cultural life of the town.  Nevertheless, anti-Semitism and persecution were no less violent in Speyer than in other places and the Jewish community shared the fate of most.  The Yiddish surnames Spira, Shapira and Shapiro possible derive from Shpira, the Hebrew name for Speyer".

I asked the guide what happened to the Mikveh in the time of the Nazi and the answer was nothing.  It was not purposely destroyed as synagogues were.  It was likely used for storage.

Speyer - Part 2

This is a continuation of my description of the German town of Speyer.  See here for Part 1.

On our bed each evening on the river cruise was the Daily Cruiser.  I'm going to quote from that for the history of Speyer.

"Speyer is a lovely town of 50,000 inhabitants in the German state called Rhineland-Palatinate.  It is one of Germany's oldest towns, founded by the Romans.  However it was the year 1024 that marked a decisive event in the history of the town.  In Oppenheim near Mainz, Konrad II, a Salian emperor from the Speyer district was elected King of Germany, drawing Speyer into the center of imperial politics and making it the spiritual center of the Salian kingdom.

Nothing more could express this importance than the construction of the mighty cathedral.  The laying of the foundation stone was the decisive impetus for the further development of the town.  The cathedral was consecrated in 1061 although only completed in 1111.  It was the largest church of its time, and its its monumentality and significance, symbolized imperial power and Christianity.  It became the burial place of eight German emperors and kings.  With the Abbey of Cluny in ruins, the Speyer Cathedral remains the largest Romanesque church to this day."

Outside in the plaza in front of the cathedral is this mammoth bowl.  It's a sandstone wine bowl, traditionally filled with local wine for the citizens to toast new bishops.  Our guide said that bishops are serving longer these days so the town finds other occasions to serve wine from this bowl.

By the way the gentleman in the hat at the bowl was from our ship.  He opted for the gentle walkers tour and he had a personalized tour since he was the only one.  A nice accommodation that Ama Waterways provides.

Opposite the cathedral is the Altportel (Old Gate).

Looking in another direction from the plaza was a museum with an exhibit on Richard the Lionheart. He had a connection to Speyer and my memory is fuzzy whether it was his mother or grandmother.

Town colors pop out as you walk the streets.  There were many people out because it was a holiday but no stores open except the ice cream and coffee shops.

When I caught up to the guide again after being barred from entering the cathedral for the service they were just entering this Lutheran Church which was undergoing restoration.

The guide left us to explore on our own for 45 minutes and then to meet back at the wine bowl.

I choose to walk the streets.  There were many other church spires but several were closed up tight and not even churches anymore.

The guide said Germans support their churches be designating their denomination (Protestant or Catholic) on their tax returns and then are tax 7% (may not be accurate).  Many Germans have given up church attendance as a result.

I walked to the Altportel and found it opened.

I saw others up at the top and decided to climb it too.

Here's the view.

Back on the ground and almost time to meet the guide again.

One more post to come on Speyer that the guide shared with us.