Regensburg, Germany

 

The Old Stone Bridge

German vs US Education Lecture

We started our day with a lecture on the German Education system by a teacher who also taught in the US. Since each of Germany's 16 states are different, this is specific to Bavaria. She captured our attention with the following differences with the US system:

· Home schooling is illegal

· To graduate from high school (gymnasium) you must know 2 other languages

·  92% of 3 year olds are in preschool

·  Only ½ as many students have a post-secondary degree

·  Religious education is mandatory

·  All education is free of charge, including to foreign students

Their elementary education is four years and then based on grades and maturity, one of four systems of education is chosen. A gymnasium education is eight years and prepares you for university. The Realschule is for administrative and white color jobs. The Mittleschule is for trade jobs, six years of schooling, followed by alternating trade school and internships. There is little adult education. The 4th type of schooling is one school that is a combination of the three, this was the system in East Germany. There is another school system for the handicapped with a much lower student/teacher ratio. The school year is 190 days with longer holiday breaks and only 6 weeks in summer. School is 8 till 1, with 2 to 3 hours of homework daily. Each year there is a one week school trip, paid for by the school. Subjects are taught in 45 or 90 minute periods. Class size is typically 24 students. Each subject will have 1 or 2 exams per semester. Schools don't sponsor music, drama, or sports teams there are clubs for these, not associated with the school. No school buses, students arrive by public transportation or a free taxi ride if transportation is unavailable.

Regensburg, the Castle on the river, was founded in 179 AD. After the Roman Empire fell, a Bavarian tribe took over the city and it became the capital of Bavaria. The high point was between the 6^th and 12^th centuries when trade to the East and West along the river made this the largest city in the region. In 1135 they began construction of the Old Stone Bridge, which would become the only bridge across the Danube for almost 200 years. The legend has it that the builder of the bridge had a bet with the builder of the Cathedral for who would complete construction first. The bet included doing bodily harm to the loser. The Cathedral had God on his side, so the bridge builder made a pact with the devil that the devil could have the souls of the first three who crossed. The bridge was built in eleven years. The duke, bishop, and mayor wanted to be the first to cross. But the builder told them we should test the bridge by having two cats and a dog cross first, saving their souls. We saw the remnants of the Roman gate into the castle.

St. Peters under reconstruction

St. Peter’s Cathedral was started in 1275, but the steeples weren’t completed until 1872 (a clear loser in that bet). Unfortunately, they were completed in cheap concrete and are undergoing their second renovation.

Nearby was the golden tower, nine stories high, taller than any of the 20 other towers built by merchants.  The town hall has rods that are the official measurements for length in the region to keep the merchants honest. After our tour of the city, we stopped at a nearby tavern for a beer. 

Let's have a beer

That evening we were entertained by the Regensburg Girls Choir. Their singing sounded angelic and brought me to tears.