From Munich to Freising to Moosburg
Though I was secure in my mind that the city of Munich would provide me with an insightful, complex, and extraordinary look into German culture and history, there was still a part of me that remained despondent of the fact that I was only able to experience one city. It is safe to say that 21st century consumerism has properly trained my brain to want everything, all at once, in a record time. Therefore, to me, one city was simply not enough.
Upon receiving my group assignment, I immediately noticed that we would have to commute 40 minutes outside the city to a small town called Freising. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to travel out of Munich, even if it was only on the outskirts of the city. As if the thrill of a 40-minute commute using public transportation wasn’t enough, I came to learn that I would not only be traveling to Freising but also to another town called Moosburg. If you’re spiritual, maybe you could say I manifested it. If you’re a realist, perhaps you’d call it a funny coincidence. All that I am sure of is that I got a little bit more of Germany than I had initially anticipated.
As previously stated, the bustling city of Munich cannot go under appreciated, but the quiet and small towns of Freising and Moosburg offered something unique to my Germany experience. You can tell from the architecture that these towns had so much history; Moosburg celebrated 700 years this summer while we were there. Andreas, one of the lovely members from Caritas we had the opportunity of working with, informed us that just north of the town was where the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany, Stalag VII-A, once stood during World War II.
Another piece of history he shared was the story of Bishop Otto von Freising, a bishop who had controlled a lucrative toll bridge across the Isar River. The ruler of the Bavarian territory, Guelph Heinrich der Löwe or “Duke Henry the Lion,” burned down the bishop’s bridge, built his own bridge a few miles upstream, and collected profitable tolls. After much dispute, not much was done to repay the bishop, but Henry’s second bridge eventually gave way to the establishment of Munich! The story has far greater detail, but for this post, I will leave you with that.
After two weeks of getting to walk around and explore these two towns, I knew having to say farewell would be heartbreaking. Nevertheless, I am truly thankful to them and all that they taught me.
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