In the fall, I will be a junior studying Marketing and Psychology. My immediate family has never been out of the country and my parents push for me to explore the world while I can and am able to afford it. I have also traveled to France on a D-term trip during my freshman year and I went on a service trip to Guatemala during the summer before my sophomore year. Germany has always been on the list of countries I want to visit. My mother, sister, and I have talked about visiting for several years, wanting to take a trip down the autobahn.
I have chosen to study in Germany and Berlin over D-term because I enjoyed traveling abroad two winters ago. I enjoyed learning about the different cultures that surrounded me, especially the architecture of buildings. I enjoyed seeing all of the cathedrals and castles. I have learned very quickly that I enjoy the speed of Europe and the atmosphere with the culture. My Guenther heritage has been traced back to Döbra, Germany, which is just west of Hof, Germany. My heritage contains many Germanic roots, with my mother’s maiden name being Hauger and her mother’s maiden name as Kaiser. My great-great-great grandfather Kaiser moved from Pfalz in eastern Germany to Russia in 1807 after Catherine the Great sent a manifesto to many Germans to relocate. They stayed in Russia for a century before immigrating to the United States.
Last spring (Spring 2013), in Concert Winds played Symphony #1 (In Memoriam Dresden) by Daniel Bukvich. In the piece, we created the sounds and feelings of the civilians through music with our horns, and then in the final movement, all of the sounds were made with vocals, screaming and shouting. We played the piece in the dark, sending both the musicians and the audience back in time to feel how the actually bombing occurred. I am very excited to see Dresden because of playing this piece. Dresden has risen from the ashes, and has become a very beautiful city that is a major attraction around the world.
Garnisonkirche in Dresden
The Garnisonkirche St. Martin is a double church located in Dresden. The church was finished sometime between 1893 and 1900. The church is divided into two rooms, for both Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations. The church was not targeted during the Dresden bombings, but the surrounding areas were. After the war, the church lost its function and another church that was ruined took over.
Pfaueninsel Castle near Potsdam
Peacock Island is southwest of Berlin, an island that is about 76 hectares. The small palace on the island was built in 1795 in the span of one year. It was built to look romantically in ruin. The island was named after the peacocks that roam freely on the island, and the peacocks are still roaming the island today. The palace is open April through October, but the ferry runs between the mainland and the island year-round.
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