Coblentz.
On Saturday afternoon, August 14th, I prepared a programme of my
contemplated trip through South Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the East,
which, together with several hundred cards, I got printed in the
afternoon. By means of these programmes I informed my correspondents in
America, in which cities I would look for mail matter and at what times I
expected to reach them.
Mr. Elmer, of the _Coblentzer Volkszeitung_, told me that the dialects of
the German language are so different, that the people of Coblentz and
those of Cologne can scarcely understand each other when they speak their
peculiar dialects.
The principle, that whenever a stream of water makes a curve, the outside
bank (that which turns the water from its strait course) is always more
precipitous than the other in proportion to the amount of curvature of the
stream, is well illustrated at the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine
at Coblentz, by the course of the latter. The waters of the Mosel flow
almost perpendicularly against the right bank of the Rhine, and have
helped it in forming the precipitous rock of Ehrenbreitstein rising to the
height of 387 feet above the river, upon which stand the famous
fortifications of that name. The Rhine curves toward the left for about
six or eight miles, and its right bank is in consequence high and steep,
while the left bank is in the form of a gradual slope, bearing a striking
resemblance to the valley of the Jordan for a mile around Siegersville,
Lehigh Co., Pa. Another principle, that the width of a valley and the
hardness of its bed is always in proportion to the fall of the stream of
water flowing through it, does also find as ample illustrations in the
sweeping Rhine as in any of the humbler streams whose courses I had
watched and studied at home. These two principles afford perhaps the
strongest and most conclusive of all proofs, that the hills and valleys of
our planet are all the result of erosion.
The streets of Coblentz are mostly narrow, as are also its pavements, many
of the latter being only from one to two feet wide. There are several
remarkable churches, one, the Church of St. Castor dating from 1208, being
an example of the early "Lombard style."
In order to enjoy the Rhine scenery to the greatest advantage, I took
passage on a steamer to Bingen, and started out on Sunday morning at 10
o'clock. One of the steamers had been delayed about three hours that
morning on account of the fog, but the day turned out to be a most
beautiful one. I took a seat near the prow of the steamer, where I could
conveniently watch the views of both banks without interruption from any
source. I was now about to ascend the most romantic part of the
Rhine--the Rhine of history and of poetry, upon whose precipitous banks
the Germans erected their castles in the early and middle ages and
defended their "Fatherland" against the attacks of their warlike
neighbors. Only after one has seen the castled steam with its numerous
watch-towers crowning every towering peak, and the indescribable beauties
of this noble river, will the national air, "Die Wacht Am Rhein," (Watch
At The Rhine), seem so beautiful to him, as it does to the sons of
Germany, whose souls are stirred by its boundless historic associations.
I cannot stop to describe the scores of Schlösser, (castles), the charming
prospects, the beautiful valleys with their verdant hillsides peeping into
the Rhine, and the rich vineyards upon its sloping banks in some places,
or the romantic scenery of the bare rocky mountains that rise almost
perpendicularly at its sides to the height of 300 to 500 feet, in other
places. Several objects claim particular attention, however.
Some 35 or 40 miles up the river from Coblentz, on the left bank, rise the
imposing rocks of the Lurlei to the height of 433 feet above the Rhine.
The river is very narrow in this place, has much fall and makes a decided
turn, so that it is with considerable difficulty and some danger that
steamers make their ascent. The river is here 76 feet deep and its waters
form a whirlpool, (Gewirre). This place and every other one of interest
along the Rhine, as well as all its castles, have their legends. It is
said that a siren who had her abode on the rock, was wont by means of
charming music to entice sailors and fishermen to their destruction in the
rapids at the foot of the precipice.
As it is dangerous for steamers to meet on these rapids, they have a rule
that every steamer coming up the stream must fire a few small cannons as
soon as it approaches the Lurlei, so that steamers that are descending may
hear it and wait to let the ascending steamer pass before they enter upon
the rapids.
Near Bingen is the Mouse Tower, so called because the cruel Archbishop
Hatto, of Mayence? had once compared some poor famishing people to mice
bent on devouring corn, and caused them to be burned in his barn after
having invited them to come there and receive provisions which it had been
his duty to give them. After this outrage he was immediately attacked by
mice, which tormented him day and night. He sought refuge in this tower,
but was followed by his persecutors and soon devoured alive. Thus runs the
legend.
We reached Bingen at 3:30 p.m., and started by rail for Frankfort on the
Main an hour later. At 7:15 we crossed the Rhine by the magnificent iron
bridge at Mayence, from which we had a good view of the extensive
fortifications of that city, also the rich decorations of the entire city
with banners, for, though it was Sunday, the Republicans (Internationals
or Communists as they call themselves) had a great political meeting. I
formed the acquaintance of one of their number who traveled with me to
Frankfort and gave me an invitation to accompany him to one of their
meetings the next evening. The Communists which fled from Paris after the
storm of 1871, are now busy in different countries assisting those opposed
to royalty to form organizations for the purpose of instituting other
revolutionary movements some future day.
Frankfort.
Frankfort, the home of the Rothschilds, down to 1866 a free city of the
German Confederation and the seat of the Diet, has a population of 90,000
inhabitants. It has 20,000 Catholics and 8,000 Jews.
The Römer is historically the most interesting building in Frankfort. It
became the town-hall in 1405. In the second story is the Kaisersaal
(Imperial Hall) containing the portraits of 47 emperors reigning from A.D.
912 to 1806. In front of it is the Römerberg, (a large square), or
market-place, which was the scene of public rejoicings on the occasion of
the election of an emperor. After dining in the Kaisersaal he would show
himself from the balcony to the assembled multitudes upon it. Down to the
end of the last century no Jew was permitted to enter it.
The Judengasse (or Jew's street) was founded in 1462 and until the
beginning of the present century all the Jews of the city lived there in
an isolated community. Every evening and on Sundays and holidays, this
street was closed with gates, and a Jew who would venture into any part of
the town was subject to a heavy penalty.
The Church of St. Paul is immediately behind the Römer. It is a circular
building having seating capacity for 3,000 adults, and was used in 1848-9
for the meetings of the "German National Assembly for remodeling the
Constitution."
Frankfort is the birthplace of Goethe, and has embellished one of its
squares with a fine monument to his memory. It has also a fine monument to
Schiller and a magnificent one to Gutenberg.
In some of the old streets of this city the upper stories of the houses
are built out over the streets, making a break in the wall at every story,
so that some of the narrow streets are thus almost arched over.
I left Frankfort by rail on the 17th of August, at 2:00 o'clock, and
reached Darmstadt at 2:40 p.m.
Before leaving home, I had been presented by different persons with the
addresses of a number of their friends and acquaintances in different
countries of Europe, and also with letters of introduction to them. On
account of my unbounded success in forming congenial friendships with
foreigners, I never departed from my programme in order to meet persons
for whom I carried letters, and consequently met none of them except a
young American lady who had been abroad for several years with the object
of studying the German language, and who was now connected with an
educational institution at Darmstadt. Though I had been almost continually
surrounded by tourists whose society and friendship I enjoyed and
appreciated, still this meeting with a friend of one of my friends at
home, seemed to me just like meeting an old acquaintance. We seated
ourselves under a tree in the beautiful garden belonging to the Boarding
School, and had a long talk about what each had seen in Europe, and how
the social, political and literary institution of the Old World differ
from those of America. The next day my new friend kindly accompanied me
through the large museum contained in the Schloss, comprising a valuable
collection of about 700 paintings, among them some fine specimens of the
Dutch school. The Library in the Schloss consists of 450,000 volumes. On
our way to the Schloss Garden we saw a little hut nestled in the garrets
of other large buildings and surrounded by them on every side, except one
of its gable-ends. The old peasant (so says tradition) would not part with
it for any price, therefore his neighbors built their houses _around_,
_beneath_ and _over_ his, leaving but _one_ side clear through which he
could admit the light of heaven into his humble apartment! Darmstadt has
about 40,000 inhabitants, and is one of the cleanest and most modern in
appearance of all the cities that I met in the Old World. Its broad and
shaded streets intersecting each other at right angles, give it much of
the appearance of an American city. The view from the Ludwigsäule commands
a fine prospect of the level country around, with its large woods of "tall
trees" so rare in Europe, and the Rhein Strasse (Rhine Street) loosing
itself only in the distance, is the straitest and longest street that I
have yet seen.
Worms.
Worms is one of the oldest towns in Germany. "The war against the Saxons
was planned here in, 772, and here the great contest concerning the
investure of the bishops with ring and staff was adjusted by the Concordat
between, the Emp. Henry V. and Pope Calixtus II." It had once 70,000
inhabitants, but it contains now only 15,000, (2/3 Prodestant).
The _Cathedral_ is a remarkably fine Romanesque edifice with four elegant
towers, and two domes. The towers are adorned with odd figures of animals
and gurgoyles. Most of this church dates from the 12th century. In the
pediment is "the figure of a woman with a mural crown, mounted on an
animal, whose four heads (angel, lion, ox, eagle,) are symbols of the four
Evangelists, the whole being emblematic of the victorious church."
"In the Bishofshof was held the diet of April 1521, in which Luther
defended his doctrines in the presence of Charles V., six electors, and a
numerous assembly, concluding with the words: 'Here I stand, I cannot act
otherwise, God help me! Amen.'"
The Baptistry contains some curious sculptures. Upon the roof of the
building (stable) represented in connection with the Nativity, there lies
a wheel, the signification of which no one could tell me. Among other
musical instruments represented in relief in this church, there are the
harp, the bugle and rows of violins or fiddles!
In the Luther-Platz stands the great Luther Monument, an imposing memorial
of the Great Reformer. Its execution occupied nine years and cost $85,000.