Goerlitz, Germany???
Dec 5th, 2001, 11:21 PM
#2
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<BR><BR>"Wonders" is putting it strongly. Goerlitz is a pleasant and interesting city (or large town), but not among the finest in Germany, such as Goslar and Stralsund. Goerlitz has an elegant eighteenth century centre, with fine churches and Town Theatre, remarkable old town houses built around inner courtyards with splendid staircases, and (best of all) the library and museum of the Lausitanian Philosophical Society. This is an eighteenth century society devoted to the sciences, technology, and agriculture. You may arrange to see its rooms, and feel the power of the ideas of reason and progress, not in the usual courtly settings of Saxony or Hungary, but among the burghers of a rich trading city.<BR><BR>A modern feature is the status of the east Goerlitz suburb, over the river, as a separate town in another country, Poland. But the bus between the two parts costs 2 marks and takes 20 minutes, frontier check included. All this will ease still further with the end of frontier controls in five years or so, and I think there are plans to rebuilt more bridges over the river, to relieve the single existing bridge. The popular Polish acceptance of membership of the European Union is natural to their history. More surprising, and very pleasing, is their acceptance of Germany as friendly neighbour - an acceptance that reflects credit upon both nations.<BR><BR>The web page http://www.goerlitz.de/ has the city's tourist information, but in German. <BR><BR>If these things would mean something to you, as they do to me, you should certainly phone through to the information office to find when and how you can see the rooms, and take a train. Or e-mail them: [email protected]/. But as I say, it is far from the last word in tourist charm.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR><BR><BR>
Dec 6th, 2001, 04:14 AM
#4
Guest
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<BR><BR>"Wonders" is putting it strongly. Goerlitz is a pleasant and interesting city (or large town), but not among the finest in Germany, such as Goslar and Stralsund. Goerlitz has an elegant eighteenth century centre, with fine churches and Town Theatre, remarkable old town houses built around inner courtyards with splendid staircases, and (best of all) the library and museum of the Lausitanian Philosophical Society. This is an eighteenth century society devoted to the sciences, technology, and agriculture. You may arrange to see its rooms, and feel the power of the ideas of reason and progress, not in the usual courtly settings of Saxony or Hungary, but among the burghers of a rich trading city.<BR><BR>A modern feature is the status of the east Goerlitz suburb, over the river, as a separate town in another country, Poland. But the bus between the two parts costs 2 marks and takes 20 minutes, frontier check included. All this will ease still further with the end of frontier controls in five years or so, and I think there are plans to rebuilt more bridges over the river, to relieve the single existing bridge. The popular Polish acceptance of membership of the European Union is natural to their history. More surprising, and very pleasing, is their acceptance of Germany as friendly neighbour - an acceptance that reflects credit upon both nations.<BR><BR>The web page http://www.goerlitz.de/ has the city's tourist information, but in German. <BR><BR>If these things would mean something to you, as they do to me, you should certainly phone through to the information office to find when and how you can see the rooms, and take a train. Or e-mail them: [email protected]/. But as I say, it is far from the last word in tourist charm.<BR><BR>Ben Haines, London<BR><BR><BR>
