French by Choice – Our Travels

Another grey cold day in Germany, though a bright clearing in the clouds held promise for a better day to come. We docked shortly after 8:00 am in Speyer. Once upon a time, Speyer was a Celtic settlement, re-settled by Romans, destroyed by the Huns, and rebuilt. In the Middle Ages, it was prosperous and influential. WWII did not heavily damage Speyer; major damage occurred at the hands of the French in the late 1600’s. The French occupied the city until 1815.

The cathedral in Speyer was begun in 1030 AD at the behest of Emperor Conrad II who wanted to create the largest church in the western world. The Cathedral, or it’s crypt, is the burial site for rulers in the area including the Salians, Hohenstaufens, and the Hapsburgs. Conrad did not survive to see the Cathedral’s completion, his son took on the work of overseeing the job, but he did not live to see it finished either. It was completed under the direction of his wife – giving rise to “what men start, women are left to finish.”  The original cathedral is in the simple Romanesque style, but the facade facing west (the town square) is more baroque. It is laid out in the form of a Latin cross, with a simple but soaring interior. Recently, the Catholic Church invested in a new 5,000+ pipe organ with a price tag of 1.8 million euros. The new bishop of this area is only 52 years old and he is an afficiando of modern art. The grounds and park owned by the Church are dotted with modern art sculptures.

Just outside the cathedral is the domnapf, a massive outdoor bowl that can hold over 400 gallons. In earlier times, adults were baptized in this baptismal font and had to be fully immersed three times. Times evolved, babies are baptized and this large vessel was no longer needed for baptisms. Now, when new bishops are assigned, they fill the bowl with wine (1,500 liters) for the townspeople to toast the new bishop’s health. Two years ago villagers who wished to participate we’re charged 3 euros for a glass to dip into the bowl – but they got to keep the glass.

We went on to another church, now Catholic, that was originally Lutheran. It was nothing like any other church we have found. Along the choir railings, there are paintings side-by-side portraying a passage from the New Testament and a similar one from the Old Testament. Too dark to photo, though! There was a strong Lutheran community here and in 1529, the law-making assembly sought to negotiate a compromise with the Lutheran princes that would permit them to practice their “new” religion following the teachings of Martin Luther in their own territories if they would agree not to force their subjects to become Lutheran. The princes protested, refused the offer – hence the term Protestants. During the French occupation, the pews were torn out and the building used to stable the horses. Of note about the pews: pews in front have a seat facing the altar and one facing the back of the church. Were they used when the church was crowded? Were the ones facing backwards for children or babies? No, the pulpit was halfway down the church on the right side. So, in order that parishioners could face the pastor, when he ascended the pulpit, they would switch seats. Creative.

Around 1090, the Bishop of Speyer established a Jewish Settlement, to establish a basis for trade, commerce, and, of course, lending. As all over Europe, the Jews were suspected of poisoning the water and causing the Black Death. They were massacred in retaliation. Today, only remnants of the synagogues, including the women’s prayer hall, remain. Visible is a recess in the eastern wall, where the Torah shrine would have been. Above that recess is a small round window – the Eye of God. But, the vaulted baths have been preserved and were on our visit.

This Jewish ritual bath was built around 1120 and is the oldest of its kind north of the alps. The mikvah (roughly translated from Hebrew to mean a collecting place for water) or ritual bath is the place where ritual cleansing after periods of impurity (usually consisting of prayer with three immersions) with “living” water, for example river, spring, or rain waters. The immersion pool of the Speyer mikvah is 30 feet below today’s street level, near the ruins of the synagogue. It draws it’s water from a spring, as well as from rain. To enter the building, you descend a set of stone stairs, where the rise and tread are uneven by design – because only God is perfect. The antechamber has Romanesque elements like pillars and windows, and appears to be built by the same craftsmen who built the Cathedral – after all until Napoleon’s time Jews were prohibited from joining the guilds and would not have been permitted to practice those skills. Opposite a small changing room a staircase descends to the immersion pool. This remarkable piece of history was preserved because subsequently it was used as storage for the municipal weaponry.

Despite the cold damp weather, we walked the pedestrian area, checking out the shops. We found a wonderful chocolate shop – with all things chocolate, but we were good and did not indulge.

Tonight: Chef’s signature dinner!