The Bruner Family Journey: Back in the DDR: Leipzig, Dresden & Weimar

The old East German flag (photo from the internet)

Driving through the former East German countryside, the differences from the West are immediately apparent. There are fewer people, the roads are emptier, and there are more vacant and dilapidated buildings. Since reunification in 1990, the story in the East has largely been one of chronic unemployment, economic stagnation, and young people leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere. As a New York Times article from June 2009 put it, "the story of decline and departure has changed little in the former East Germany." The Wall has come down, but in many ways there's still a dividing line between the East and the West.

In the few big cities, however, the story is a bit different. In places like Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig, federal funds have poured in, construction cranes dot the skyline, historic renovation projects are proceeding apace, there are plenty of young people on the streets, there's a full plate of cultural events, and the dining and nightlife scene is as diverse and vibrant as anywhere in Europe. There is a palpable sense in these places that since reunification things have changed dramatically - and positively - and are continuing to move forward.

Walking the streets of Leipzig

In Leipzig, for example, we were amazed at how cool and cosmopolitan the city is. The university, one of the oldest in the world, attracts a diverse student body and gives the city a youthful feel. Leipzig's refurbished historic quarter offers just the right combination of charm and chic, with great shopping by day and trendy bars packed with libatious revelry by night. Just south of the old quarter, the area along Karl-Liebnecht Strasse shows off the city's alternative side, with quirky cafes and second-hand stores and pubs popular with the student crowd.

For breakfast, we had bagels, cream cheese and lox and fresh squeezed orange juice at a cafe where it seemed I was twice the age of most of the customers, as pop music videos blared from the huge flatscreen TV. For lunch, we had impeccably prepared Vietnamese food at a stylish little place that would fit right in back home in the Bay Area. Then for dinner, we ate at an uber-hip Japanese noodle house, where ambient techno music wafted up to the high ceilings. According to Frommer's, one resident described his hometown like this: "Our grunge and metal bands are just as good as those in Berlin and our cafes are just as supercool."

Of course, it's not just about urban cool - although there is plenty of that here. In past centuries, Leipzig served as a major center of European learning and culture, especially in the fields of music, astronomy, optics, publishing, and the law. The city is associated with many famous composers, including Bach, Wagner, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Mahler. More recently, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city was at the center of the protest movement leading to the fall of the East German regime. Leipzig is an exciting place, with a thriving arts scene and a rich cultural and architectural heritage on display. The New York Times recently rated it as one of the top destinations in the world to visit. I feel like calling the mayor to congratulate him - it's on our short list of the most interesting and dynamic cities of the 2010-2011 Bruner Family Journey.

Spongebob in the former German Democratic Republic

Dresden's skyline along the Elbe River

We also thoroughly enjoyed Dresden, but there is something sad about the city. Dresden was once known as the Jewel Box of Germany because of the ornate Baroque architecture that filled the city. But most of this historic architecture was utterly destroyed by an Allied bombing raid during World War II. Kurt Vonnegut witnessed the raid as a prisoner of war and the event is central to his satirical (and, to some, controversial) novel Slaughterhouse Five. What remains of Dresden's historic area is a truly stunning sight, but it can feel like an isolated island, a precious museum exhibit detached from its more modern surroundings.

The beautifully restored Frauenkirche

On the other hand, the way the city has been rebuilt is quite appealing. There are plentiful lawns and parks, wide sidewalks shaded by big trees, and countless trams crisscrossing the city. Dresden is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with over 60% of its area devoted to trees and green open space. There's also a refreshing playfulness to a lot of the modern architecture here. And the sleek apartment that we rented - located above an excellent and super-trendy sushi joint and down the street from some truly delicious Turkish take-out - was so spacious and comfortable we didn't want to leave.

Zwinger Palace

But the real reason people come to Dresden is to catch a glimpse of the city's grand Baroque history. The city's palaces and churches are ravishing and form a dramatic silhouette of domes and spires overlooking the Elbe River. Two of the city's most renowned monuments - the Zwinger Palace and the massive Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) - have been painstakingly restored to their past glory. Dresden's numerous museums are equally impressive - the Dresden State Art Collections, which consist of 12 different museums, are among the most prominent public art collections in the world. Don't miss Raphael's Sistine Madonna with its oft-pictured angels and the two masterpieces by Johannes Vermeer! And on the streets outside, there are plenty of musicians and performers to provide additional artistic entertainment en plein air.

Dresden street performer

Modern architecture in Dresden

Dresden church destroyed during World War II

Detail from Raphael's Sistine Madonna (photo from the internet)

One of Dresden's two paintings by Vermeer (photo from the internet)

There's also plenty to see on the scenic Elbe River outside the city. To name just a few noteworthy sights, there's the historic village of Pirna, the seaside resort town of Stadt Wehlen, and the stunning rock formations of the Bastei cliffs, which have been a popular tourist attraction for 200 years. In 1824, a wooden bridge was built to connect several large rocks for visitors - it was replaced with a sandstone bridge in 1851 that still stands. We easily could have used one or two more days in the Dresden area.

Pirna

Stadt Wehlen

The Bastei cliffs, with sandstone bridge from 1851

Jeremy on the Bastei bridge

View from the cliffs

Goethe and Schiller in Weimar

One more destination in the East deserves a mention before we move on to Berlin in our next post. Weimar is a small city, but its cultural heritage is vast, ranging from the heyday of German classical writers such as Goethe and Schiller, to the music of Liszt and Strauss, to the founding of the Bauhaus School by Walter Gropius in 1919. It's a stately place of pretty squares and charming lanes, where Germany established its first (but unfortunately short-lived) democratic republic after World War I. Turning to the city's darker side, the Buchenwald concentration camp - where some 60,000 perished - is only a few kilometers from the town center. In 1945, Allied troops took control and forced the city's residents to walk through the camp to witness the horrors that had happened there. The Russians soon replaced the Allied troops and Weimar became part of East Germany.

As we drove towards Berlin, I was excited to retrace the steps I took back in 1987, when I exchanged 25 West German Deutchmarks for 25 East German Deutchmarks and walked across Checkpoint Charlie for the day. Everyone had told me how much it had changed, but I wasn't fully prepared for it - I guess I didn't expect they'd put a McDonald's right next to the former flashpoint of the Cold War. See you in Berlin!