When Nurnberg changed from a Catholic city to a Protestant one (a decision made by the ruler in the 1500s) there was a problem. People still wanted to pray at home, even if they were now using a different method than before. So, they asked for permission to build small alcoves onto their houses, projecting […]
Who’s got the oldest bratwurst kitchen in the world? Regensburg of course!
There was a fierce battle in the German courts recently over who would be able to use the title “Oldest Sausage Kitchen in the World.” It was between Nurnberg and Regensburg, which both have long traditions of serving their unique bratwurst to the public. Finally the judge came up with a brilliant solution. Nurnberg’s St. […]
The Smallest Hotel in the World
What do you do when you’re desperately in love and want to get married but the law won’t let you? Well, if you’re a creative man in Amberg, Germany you skirt the law by building a house in a tiny space, thereby becoming a legal homeowner afterwhich you can finally go to the town hall […]
An unforgettable visit to Amberg, Germany
George Then’s father was born in Amberg, in the Oberpfaelzerwald of Bavaria, Germany. He met his future wife in Nuernberg, where they married. They had a son, and emigrated to America to begin new lives in 1927. George Then was born in America. He’d wanted to come to Germany for many years to see where […]
St. Martin Church in Amberg, Germany
The parish church of St. Martin in the heart of Amberg, Germany possesses some of the most amazing stained glass windows we’ve ever seen. They were donated by families in the 1870s and 1880s for the most part. They are brilliant and help bring light into this otherwise dark, Gothic church, built in the 1300s.
Amberg’s Magnificent St. Georg Church
The magnificent rococo church of St. Georg is one of the oldest churches in Bavarian Amberg, Germany. It was built as a Gothic church in 1359. Later, it was taken over by the Jesuits and then in the 18th century, redecorated in the rococo style with the bright colors and stucco work of Johann Baptist […]
Bavarian – American Day in Amberg, Germany
We were lucky to combine our visit to George Then’s father’s birthplace with the annual “Bavarian-American Day” held each year to celebrate the friendship between this town in the Oberpfaelzische Wald with the American soldiers who were stationed here from 1945 to 1993. The market square was a hub of activity. Locals up near the […]
Seeing the handiwork of an ancestor in Munich
George Then had the unique opportunity (a first for a European Focus guest) to see the figures of the famous Glockenspiel atop the tower of the Munich Town Hall up close. A family member in Germany had something to do with the creation of these figures. Exactly what, is still to be determined. But through […]