Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-08-07
REV. Mr.. BURk'S LETTERS.
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS AT sTRAs-
BURG AND HEIDELBERG.

NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS AT sTRAs-
BURG AND HEIDELBERG.
UNEQUAL DIVISION OF LABOR IN GER
MANY-THE sToRKEs OF sTRAUsBURG
AND OTHER ATTRAcTIoNs-GLIN OF
THE GERMAN UNIVERSITY LIFE AT
HEIDELBERG, ETC.
Strashurg was the first city we visited in
Germany. The ride from Basic had pre-
pared us for different kind of life from
that which we had seen in Italy or Switzer-
land. The p cturesque farm houses of the
Swiss gave place to the more frequent half
timbered house of the German, often a
rather top-heavy affair. Then we noted
| the fact that more women were at work in
the fields We had seen many doing farm
work in Italy, less in Switzerland, but
most in Germany. In Italy the men and
the women were fellow-workers. In Ger
| many the women seemed to have the
harder work. For instance the man would
drive the ox-cart, riding, of course, while
the women worked in the field. Perhaps
the most extreme illustration of this I'M
equal division of labor we saw on the
Rhine. A woman was vigorously rowing a
boat heavily laden with new mown hay,
another was helping by rowing the boat
against the swift current, apparently no
easy task, while mine lord of creation was
fully occupied in holding the tiller No,
that is not exactly correct, for the work OF
steering did not so fully occupy him as to
hinder his enjoyment of his pipe.
We were on the alert to see the storks
of which one reads so constantly in the
accounts of Strasburg, and our vigilance
was rewarded One stork was outside the
city, two were on one chimney, one on
another. Some projecting sticks on
another chimney told of nest. But we
are satisfied for we can now say we have
seen the storks OF Strasburg.
We had rather amusing time trying to
find the house in which Goethe lived while
student in Strasburg, the occasion of our
search being the desire to use some spare
time to advantage. L studied the map as
carefully as | could and we started out on
our quest. Being unable to find it, |
appealed, as best | could, to several people,
who persisted in directing me to the house
of Gutenberg, which we had already seen.
Finally very obliging man took us to see
it, but this time it turned out to be the
statue of Guttenburg by David, which also
we had seen. A cab driver, when told by
our would-be-guide of the perversity of
these American tourists, pointed out the
house near by, and he laughingly confessed
he had lived in Strasburg twenty-five years,
but did not know there was such a house.
The Minister of Strasburg was the real
object of our visit, having long been fam
liar with the picture of its only finished
spire rising above the steep tile roofs of the
town. Unfortunately there is little space
in front of its facade, so the effect is not as
good as it might otherwise be. The tracery
is very beautiful, but the stone is so soft
that the most delicate work suffers from
the weather. The Minister has suffered
greatly at different periods Of its history,
namely fire in 1859, French fanaticism in
1898, and finally the German bombardment
in 1870. A shopkeeper told us of the siege
and of the havoc wrought, Of which he was
witness.
The interior is very pleasing in the effect
produced by the excellent proportion in
columns and aisles, and by the light which
comes through windows of graceful tracery.
Despite the havoc wrought from time to
time much of the very old glass is still in
place. The most beautiful pillar is in the
south transept. The lines of the figures OF
the angels and evangelists, with which it is
adorned, are SO arranged as to give a spiral
effect to the column. In the same trancept
is the famous astronomical clock with the
moving figures OF the earth and planets.
The phases of the moon, and the place OF
night and day on the earth, are shown. AT
every quarter of an hour figure moves
forward to strike bell, after an angel
below has struck another bell. A skeleton
strikes the hours, and another angel turns
an hour glass; while at noon the figures of
the twelve apostles move before that OF
Christ Remarkable as are these move
ments, they are trivial in comparison with
the way in which arrangements have been
made for the clock to allow for the occur
renee of leap year, etc. think of it as an
example of that patient spirit which has
been such noted characteristic of the Ger
man people, and has been such factor OF
their success in the many vocations upon
which they have entered.
At Heidelberg we caught a glimpse of
the German university life. The buildings
are very commonplace in comparison with
those of our great American colleges. How
the institution compares [ am not prepared
to say. We visited the library and were
greatly interested in the manuscripts and
early editions which are kept there. There
is another excellent collection in portion
of the castle which has been used for a
museum There are letters of Melanch-
thon, who may we'll be called the Charles
Wesley of the Lutheran reform movement,
as well as manuscripts Of Luther, and a
very complete set of eatechisms. Luther's
betrothal ring is shown, and i'll the collec-
ton of pictures are one of Melanchthon
by the younger Cranach, and one of Luther
by Cranach the elder.
The castle is interesting OF itself and
most picturesquely situated, far above the
town, surrounded by noble trees, and over
looking the Rhine and a wide extent oil
country. The castle has suffered greatly at
the hands of the French, as well as bv
lightning and neglect. AS it is the chief
attraction of Heidelberg it is now being
carefully preserved and even restored.
Some of the walls are twenty feet thick. /
must not attempt to describe the lofty
watch towers, stately halls, the immense
cellars, in one of which is the great HeideI-
berg Tun, or the storerooms kitchens,
powder magazine, etc. What required a
long time to see would require longer to
describe.
Sunday was spent at Heidelberg. Natur-
ally have carefully noted the religious life
of the people as well as the architecture OF
their churches l have been with them in
their public services and private devotions.
What | saw in Italy was source Of sad
ness to me, on account of the lack of rever-
ence Yet this was not true in the same
degree in all places. The extreme cases OF
irreverence l saw in Rome, Naples was not
much better, while in Ravenna, as | have
already said, witnessed real reverence.
Menaggio l will always think of with
pleasure, not only on account of its beauty,
but for the devotion, the real religious life
of the people. This was what expected
to find in Germany, and that expectation
was realized Great reverence and deep
earnestness marked the worship, whether
in the great cathedral service, or in the de-
votions of the lone worshippers before some
schrine. We went to the English church,
having remained in Heidelberg for that
purpose. The sermon dwelt upon the re-
ligious meaning of the coronation. More
and more we have felt the spirit of the
English people stirred by the prospect of
this service, and we have SO heartily en-
tered into the spirit of the two that we
have planned to reach England in time to
see some celebration of the day on Eng
lish soil. | think one needs to go on neu-
trail ground to understand the real feeling
of fellowship which exists between the two