Bremen: a Town That Loves Its Animal Statues

Aside from Heidelberg, Bremen was by far the cutest and most touristy city that the group visited! Of course, the city had its staple trio꞉ a fancy cathedral, brats, and beer… BUT I was charmed even beyond that by the historical monuments, exceptional chocolate, and assortment of adorable shops.

Professor Nielsen pointed out a very important monument to the students just minutes after we departed from the train; a statue of a “pig sheperd” with a few swine circled about him, which symbolized a teacher from Hope College and his attentive students. This man knows how to roast!

Professor Nielsen also showed us the very famous “Town Musicians of Bremen” statue, which depicts a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster stacked upon each other’s backs. The statue has a Grimm Brothers fairytale associated with it, and the story is commercialized in Bremen through cute story books and souvenirs. Here’s a version of the story that we tried to recreate…

Bremen’s cathedral was beautiful, like many in Europe. Every time I’ve seen an old cathedral or church on this trip, I am reminded of how new the United States really is as a country. My frequent visits to Chicago, while fun, have never reminded me of ancient past like cities such as Bremen. The cathedral even has a crypt in which tourists can see preserved bodies from the days of the building’s construction. These bodies once belonged to the wealthiest people in town and have not completely decomposed due to the granite in the cathedral.

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