Although school history has been wiped off my brains I knew that Luebeck is an old Hansa town, maybe best impressions of Hansa time in my head come from the novels of Indreke Hargla and pharmacist Melchior who solves the crimes in those novels. However, the European Hansa museum in Luebeck opened up that era a lot and woke up new ideas and thoughts of current trade alliances. The museum is modern and very well organized and illustrated, really worth a visit.
Except being center of Hansa Luebeck has been hometown to many famous people. Thomas Mann, Gunther Grass and one Herbert Frahm, later known as Willy Brandt were from here. I had at least seen films based on Thomas Mann, and Gunther Grass, but surely will be reading the Buddenbrooks in the future.
Blechtrommel, also a film based on Gunther Grass’s novel.
We also spent time in Willy Brandt’s house. His life opened up In a New way. It was ashtonizing how quickly the Nazi time developed, and hehad to flee to Osloand later Stockholm. His time in power was the cold war time. Again I could imagine the situation based on Le Carre’s novels, when one of his close coworkers was a spy of DDR and he decided to resign as a chancellor.
Luebeck is also a town of several churches. In one of them we were participating the Vesper with Orgel music and short speeches of the pastor. He talked about Picasso, who said: Ich suche nicht aber ich finde. I do not search but I find.
The life on the streets on Saturday was lively. Students were celebrating with funny hats and cloths their one week before the university starts. On the market place there were bands playing and people dancing. Rain showers wetted us, a couple of times, but dry socks were found from one Euro shop.
Luckily we were wise enough to take our umbrellas and warm clothes when leaving home. Europe seems to have cool days with showers the coming week. After Alps warmer and dryier weather is forcasted.
