History – Page 23 – Gregory Scott Blog

Reformation Tour—Day 10

Today, as we traveled from Wittenberg to Berlin we also traveled forward in time from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century as follow the Reformation forward in time.

We drove north from Wittenberg to Worlitz Palace and Gardens, which were created by Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Desault (1740 to 1817) after returning from a Grand Tour of Europe.

Leopold was also strongly influenced by the Enlightenment, as was the man at the center of our next stop.

Further north on the way to Berlin, we stopped in Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace of Frederick the Great. Sanssouci is French for “without cares.” Sanssouci was Frederick the Great’s summer palace. It was beautiful, but it was so hot outside it was almost unbearable, and it wasn’t much better inside the palace. Terri correctly noted Sanssouci must really mean “without air conditioning” because all we cared about was finishing the tour, buying a bottle of water, and getting back on the bus.

Frederick the Great (1712-1786), King of Prussia, was also a student of the Enlightenment. It certainly appears Frederick the Great was not a Christian, and at best was a theist. In fact, Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire lived at the palace for three years and was the court philosopher. Voltaire made the famous statement, “The Holy Roman Empire, was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.” Continue reading “Reformation Tour—Day 10”

Reformation Tour—Day 9

Our big day had finally arrived.

We were sitting in the lounge at 8:30 a.m. waiting for the cruise director to call our group to board the bus to Wittenberg.

I had spent about an hour in the Word earlier in the morning and was prepared for the day. Now, I was itching with anticipation.

I tried to turn the conversation to Wittenberg and the day ahead of us to no avail.

The Wife: “This Bloody Mary is too sweet.”

Ann: “Yes it is, and you would think that would make me stop drinking it but no.”

Just about this time our group was called and we headed for the bus.

Wittenberg was the only place we have visited on this trip that felt touristy. Big buses dropped off people near the entrance, the streets were crowded, and tour groups crowded near one another and strained to hear their guide over the guide of the group next to them. Continue reading “Reformation Tour—Day 9”

Reformation Tour—Day 8

We left Dresden early this morning and arrived in Meissen by 8:00 a.m.

If you know porcelain, you know of Meissen.

And if you know me, you know I wasn’t going on the porcelain excursion.

Nothing against porcelain, but I am on a Luther quest. So, while the other members of GSB team reverted to worldly pursuits like Augustus II to popery, I set off alone into the city of Meissen like Abraham, not knowing where I was going but looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God.

I was not disappointed.

Using the gothic spires of the Meissen Cathedral as my North Star, I walked up the narrow meandering streets of Old Town until I found myself in front of the imposing structure, that is Meissen Cathedral, whose towers, spires, and roof whispered, “Look up to the heavens.” Continue reading “Reformation Tour—Day 8”

Reformation Tour—Day 7

It is 6:12 p.m and I am finally sitting down to write.

Actually, I’m writing while the gals and our new friends from Australia (we met them yesterday at lunch) are talking around me.

So, if this post is no good, you will know why. Hemingway never had to put up with such distractions.

Ann and The Wife tried to pressure me to write earlier this afternoon, but as I told them, you can’t command creativity, and I wasn’t feeling it.

Today was a good day: a good balance between touring and relaxing. Too much touring and too much listening to tour guides drone on with all the fun facts and scripted stories, it can get old after a while.

Our excursion today consisted of a 3 1/2 hour morning walking tour of Dresden. There is much to see here but it all has a wrinkle: because the city centre was reduced to rubble by allied bombing one night in February 1945, almost everything one sees has been rebuilt. However, it was rebuilt to look old by essentially copying what was destroyed in 1945. In that sense, this city is unique and a bit odd. Touring Dresden is a like watching a very good actor—there is the appearance of authenticity but you have to remind yourself it is not what it appears to be. Continue reading “Reformation Tour—Day 7”

Reformation Tour—Day 6

The Elbe River has its origin in the Krkonoše Mountains on the northwest border of the Czech Republic and ends in the North Sea.

It’s the Elbe that will carry us to our prized destinations of Torgau and Wittenberg over the next few days.

Extending their hegemony to the Elbe was a goal of the Romans, who suffered perhaps their greatest defeat at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where they were defeated by an alliance of Germanic tribes in 9 A.D., forever limiting the reach of the Roman Empire to the Rhine River. It explains why we have not seen any Roman ruins in Prague or the Czech Republic.

The Elbe was also the eastern border of the Carolingian Empire during the reign of Charlemagne in the ninth century. This fact has special relevance to us because Charlemagne is a GSB Kingdom Hero.

Our day began in Decin, from which we departed at 6:15 a.m. We arrived in Bad Schandau around 9:00 a.m. Bad Schandau is a town filled with brothels and casinos, and is run by former agents of the East German Stasi who have banded together to form a German mafia of sorts that extorts money from local businesses, hence the name “Bad” Schandau. Continue reading “Reformation Tour—Day 6”