Being a History Major in Germany
Posted on April 11, 2022 by Rachel Pounders
As a history major, we are constantly studying events that happened years ago all
over the world. We learn about battles and battlefields, kings and castles, towns
and taverns but most historians simply read about what happened. Being able to go
to the location it happened and see the remnants of that piece of history is a completely
different feeling. It makes the history so much more interesting. My personal favorite
history is British monarch history. When I traveled to London and got to visit the
castles and churches that the kings and queens I loved to read about actually lived,
it made the history that much more interesting. Many of the castle tours that I went
on were self-guided tours with an audio from your phone. This audio would play based
on the room you were in, meaning the historical stories that you were listening to
were about that specific place. It was easy to feel like you were a part of the history.
When traveling anywhere within Europe, the history is going to be rich. Around every
corner, it seems, there is a castle, historical landmark, or building. In many towns
in Europe the central part of the city is known as old town, because it is just that,
old. When I studied abroad in Heidelberg Germany, whenever we wanted to go out to
eat or shopping we would travel to Altstadt (Old Town). We would walk by buildings
that have been around for hundreds of years with the Heidelberg castle gleaming above.
On the weekends, we went on weekend trips to Munich or Nuremburg. We would spend our
time touring castles, taking city tours and learning all we could about the area. 