So, second day in Munich... Bec and i decided to do the free walking tour so got to sleep in :D
Our guide Matt was brilliant, he was American but studied history at uni and just knew everything there was to know about German history! we went on a tour and he told us all abuot the new and old Rathaus (town hall), Krystal Nacht, and then started talking about Hitler. It was so interesting - having studied German i was still blown away by the things he was telling us! I never knew that the Hoefbrauhau - the biggest beer hall in the world, was used as practically a Nazi headquarters and used for meetings and speeches from Hitler to his 'people'. Still today, if you know to look you can see swasticas in the tiles on the floor the entire way through the beer hall and only very recently have the swasticas on the roof been replaced with bavarian flags! I also had no idea that the Gastapo (Hitlers soldiers) were originally dressed by Hugo Boss!!!!!
We also saw monuments dedicated to germans that rebelled against the Nazi's by spreading the word to not support them - the leaders of the revolution. half of the momuments to these people are unlabelled and many of the residents of Munich are unable to tell you what they are. Things liek a gold line down an alley way... no signs - but this alley was used by people who refused to salute a plaque to hitler. people who used this alley 'too much' according to the gastapo were either arrested, beaten or sent to concentration camps.
There is also a momument outside the university which is probably my favourite. its for the 6 people that tried to start a revolution (the white rose movement) agains Hitler and the Nazi's by spreading leaflets throughout the uni encouraging people to join with them and fight back. They did this in secret until one day 2 of them, brother and sister Sophie (the only girl to take part in this revolution) and Hans Scholl. They were tortured and Hans gave up the names of the others involved. They wre all publically beheaded and today there are pieces of white stone scattered around the uni fountain made to look like the leaflets they delivered. its really cool!
So after a long day of an incredible history lesson i caught up with Lucy, Kayley and Anna for a quick drink and a bit of a goodbye becauase i dont travel with them from here on out :(
