Month: January 2019

This afternoon we took a tour through the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant here in Bremen, Germany. This plant produces the mainly the C-Class and E-Class vehicles along with an assortment of other models.

The size of this site was humongous. They employ 12,500 people and produce 420,000 vehicles annually. Seeing the large scale manufacturing process was amazing.

The most impressive for me though was the production of the car frames. The whole process is 95 percent automated which is quite the feat of engineering. In previous internships, I’ve worked at small-scale manufacturing companies, but those processes were now where near 95 percent automated. Being able to program these massive lines and hundreds of robots takes the expertise and funding that only a huge corporation can provide. It was amazing to see something like that in person.

Today we visited the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. Our tour guide Max, a man with spectacular hair, gave us a great tour through a couple of the assembly plants. We were not allowed to take pictures for safety and privacy reasons.

We started out with a short video on Mercedes-Benz as a whole and overview of the layout of the Bremen plant. We then drove to building 7, where the body of the cars come together. This facility is 95% automated. The cars travel on an assembly line from station to station where robotic arms install, glue, and weld the pieces together. Each station only takes about 64 seconds which keeps the line moving constantly all day long. It was incredible to see the maze of assembly lines, elevators, lines supplying parts, along with workers all working in unison to assemble these cars. It was also amazing that each car is different and the robots and workers have to know which car they are working on and which part go to that car.

We then drove to another building where the cars came after getting paint. Here, 98% of the work is done by hand. In this plant a lot of the final assemble takes place from windows to electronics to wheels. We walked above on a catwalk in this plant. It was really cool to see where the chassis with the engine and drivetrain and the body that we saw assembled before come together and are joined and “married.” Since all the cars on the line are different models and specifications, the two lines have to be perfectly in sync so the correct body meets the correct chassis. From this point all the final pieces are added like doors and wheels. The cars then get inspected at the end of the line.

It was really cool to see how this massive process is run so smoothly in order to put out 1,800 cars a day. The giant robots working together in the first building and all the different people working together in the second was an interesting contrast. Overall, great visit.

Throughout this entire trip I had been noticing subtle differences in culture, not only between Europe and the US, but also Europe and home. One of the things that really made an impression after some time was during the church service in Dreseden, Germany. As I was sitting there, not understanding a word that was being said (I did manage to make out the word ‘Germany’), I began to take in the grand architectural design of the cathedral. Despite being a Protestant church it’s grandeur was at the same level as that of a Roman Catholic Church. With the Golden painted altar and statues hanging from the ceiling, I couldn’t help but think “why?”. Yes I understand that it provided a job for local sculptors and the like, but at the core is it all necessary?

I was raised in a Brethren church at home (though we don’t practice all of their customs) where our church consisted of 3 plots of land (for 3 separate occasions) with one having the main church which was quite sizable, but had regular single padded chairs, air conditioning (most other churches just have fans), a sizable band and a hard working special effects and lightning crew. It was quite a modern church so I was never really a fan of the whole big cathedral type churches that existed elsewhere on the island, with traditional pews and hymnals and all the works. I was content with the simple atmosphere I had to worship God. I just never thought that it mattered where you were worshipping, just that you were in fact worshiping. So to see all of these huge churches with their ornate organs I kept wondering if God cares about any of that.

Another difference I thought was significant enough to point out were all the cobblestone paths and roads! Sometimes I’d be watching tv and I’d see ads for European brand cars driving in the streets on these brick roads and I’d always think “nah it’s not actually like that”. Imagine my shock as I walked down one of these only to have to jump out of the way because of on oncoming car. I always just thought the standard for roads was either asphalt or concrete, which I have to say both have their drawbacks, so I’m glad I was able to correct my ignorance and actually agree with the commercial.

This trip has been filled with so many other experiences that I will cherish for a lifetime. I thank God everyday for his richness in blessings and grace for being able to be a part of it.

I’d like to dedicate this post to Doner. Doner or a Döner Kebab is a Turkish food that has taken over the city streets of basically every town in France and Germany. This type of kebab is made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned stacked meat in the shape of a cone slowly rotates alongside a heating mechanism until the outermost layer is shaved off by an employee and thrown into a pita or to-go box. The type of meat is typically chicken or beef and ingredients such as tomato, lettuce, onions, or occasionally fries are stuffed all together to create a delicious meal.

Doner shops are typically very small storefronts packed with people looking to get some quick, cheap lunch or dinner. Fun fact, the number of Doner shops in Germany reached 16,000 in 2011 while collectively pulling in revenue of around 3.5 billion. Our group, specifically the guys, have taken full advantage of this delicious, cost effective meal. The meat is always seasoned very nice and once you combine that with fries and the famous garlic sauce, it’s a heavenly combination. Plus, Doner meals typically only set you back about 5 euros! It’s always a bit scary to travel abroad and consistently find something to cure your hunger, but our discovery of Doner has solved this issue with ease. As I write this, I’m heavily contemplating making Doner my lunch choice for today.

Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony with about 570,000 inhabitants and is located southwest of Berlin. It sits at the crossing of two medieval trade routes. Leipzig was a walled city in the Middle Ages and the current “ring” road around the historic center of the city follows the old city walls.

The Jewish community of Leipzig was greatly affected by World War II and the Nuremberg Laws as with other European cities during the Holocaust. The Nazis took control of the city in 1937. Synagogues and businesses were set on fire and many Jews in Leipzig were deported to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. The number of Jewish people in the city went from over 11,000 in 1933 to only 2,000 in 1942. Before the war ended, most if not all of the remaining Jews in Leipzig were taken to concentration camps. 

In 1943, the British Royal Air Force dropped over 1,000 tons of explosives over Leipzig killing nearly 1,000 civilians. Since the buildings hit were so close together, a firestorm occurred. The damage was extensive. In late April of 1945, the Allied ground advance into Germany reached the city and fighting was often “house-to-house and block-to-block”.

By the end of the war, much of Leipzig was destroyed. After the war, Jewish people slowly returned to the city. 

Today, Leipzig is Germany’s fastest growing city and is an important economic center in Germany.

Some sights in Leipzig include the Leipzig Zoological Garden which is one of the most modern zoos in Europe. Also to commemorate the victorious battle against Napoleonic troops, there is the Monument to the Battle of the Nations which is one of the largest monuments in Europe. 

Interesting facts include that Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Leipzig from 1723 to 1750 conducting the St. Thomas Church Choir.

Upon arriving in Leipzig, we visited the St. Thomas Church and saw where Bach is buried.

Source:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig

We began our day Tuesday at the Brandenburg gate. Then Holocaust Memorial and followed it with the SS museum–a moving experience. We also visited “check point Charlie” (the former gate between east and west Berlin) and a remnant of the Berlin Wall called the “east side gallery.” Then we had some free time to explore Berlin. People went to museums, landmarks, concerts, games…and of course, restaurants.

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Wednesday started with a four hour drive to get to the north part of Germany. We stopped in Hamburg for lunch and a look around the downtown. Then we got a harbor tour by boat of Europe’s third largest port city.

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On the bus again for an hour trip to Bremen, the hotel, and the dinner.

During our short visit to Hamburg, we visited the Elbe Tunnel. Our tour guide during our boat tour strongly suggested we check it out before leaving the city. With a little extra time we walked over from the boat dock to the tunnel. You walk in to a dome shaped building at normal ground level and inside are four massive elevators big enough to nearly fit 2 cars in each. The elevators lower cars and people 80 feet below the surface to where two 20 foot wide tunnels travel almost 1400 feet to the other side of the river Elbe. When we were there, we only saw one car come out of the tunnel and get lifted up and out.

The tunnel was originally constructed in 1911 to make it easier for workers in the shipyard and docks to get to the other side of the river. The river would get very crowded during rush hour with people and vehicle trying to get across by ferry. A traditional bridge couldn’t be placed in this location because large ships needed to continue to use the river. Since 1911, the elevators have obviously been updated and modernized, but the function of the tunnel remains the same. Newer more modern bridges and tunnels have been built to lessen the load on this tunnel, but it still handles a reported 300,000 vehicles, 63,000 bicycles, and 700,000 pedestrians in 2008.

For its time in 1911, the Elbe tunnel was an engineering marvel that made life a lot easier on many workers and travelers. Even today it is an impressive operation that continues to run.

During our visit to Hamburg we took a boat tour of their harbor and river. This was very appropriate as the city is built on sea trade. Our guide, George, told us a lot of interesting information about the city of Hamburg. The city made its money by trading many goods from countries including electronics from Asia and produce from South America. In addition to trading, Hamburg was also a popular stop for immigration to the United States. Over 5 million people went through Hamburg on their way. We went through the warehouse district where many brick buildings line the river.

These buildings used to be used for storage but now have many shops and the world’s largest miniature train setup. In the picture you may also see where the water line goes up to. George said that the water rises another 2 meters during high tide. We also passed by a new concert hall that was built two years ago and has brought many tourists to the city. As shown in the picture, the architecture of the concert hall is modeled after a wave.

We then went through a lock that is not an up and down lock but just two gates that opened and closed. This was to prevent a lot of sand and mud from getting into the harbor from the ships that come in from the ocean. The city had to spend a lot money on dredging the harbor, so this was the solution to that problem. We saw all kinds of ships on our tour from tug boats and cruise ships to giant freight ships.

We learned a lot on our tour and it was the perfect way to spend our short time in Hamburg.

Here in Germany one of the major differences from America is how the Germans handle crosswalks. In America, it’s pretty common to pick a gap and just get across as quick as you can even if the light on the crosswalk says not too (oh my bad mom, I’m just talking about other people I’ve observed…. not me). The Germans however, are very different in the fact that they will wait until the crosswalk tells them it’s okay to cross. It doesn’t matter if there’s not a car on the street, most of them won’t move until the “walk” signal is flashed.

I’m not sure why this is a big thing for the people of Germany, but they even have stores across the country that sell merchandise with the “Ampelmann” logo peppered on to their various offerings. For those of you wondering what/who “Ampelmann” is, he’s the symbol that comes up on the light when it’s okay too cross a street. While this cultural difference can at times be frustrating, at the very least it’s a good reminder to us that it’s okay to slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate the moment in busyness of our daily lives.

Today I led a devotional tailored around the idea of finishing strong. Our trip is slowly coming to a close, and often times I find that on the final few days of trips, my brain tends to start focusing on the responsibilities I have waiting for me at home. I encouraged the group to finish the trip strong and stay focused on learning and enjoying the culture while we still can. For most of us, this will be our last time in Europe for a while, so we need to take advantage of every opportunity we have to enjoy it.

Finishing strong is a common theme in the Bible and something we must do to “run the race with endurance”. We must learn to pace ourselves when problems arise or when our brains wander. John 16:33 says, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” This is a gentle reminder that we follow the One who is able to do above all that we could do or ask.

We also have a great example in Paul who finishes his life as strong as one could. He writes to Timothy encouraging him, “Keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, and do the work of ministry.” Paul writes this to Timothy while he is in prison! Instead of laying down in his cell to die and giving up, Paul finishes strong and provides a strong example that still echoes in the lives of Christians. Paul demonstrates what it means to thrive in the middle of a problem.

It is important to question..where are you? How do you plan to live your next days, weeks, months to ensure you finish strong? When tempted to give up, remember Paul’s strength in the face of adversity.

I hope you all run the race with endurance and keep the faith. Finish strong in whatever you do!