Growing up in this beautiful city and hiking up the summit many times I never realized what I was standing on, until I went up Monte Scherpelino for New Years as a teen too see the spectacular view of the entire city and its fireworks. My friend told me the unbelievable history of the locality which made me feel proud of my hometown and gave me a sense of its history. I definitely think this is one of the most impacting places I’ve ever encountered. Monte Scherpelino and it’s history are one of the major reasons I’m filled with pride thinking of this amazing city. I feel very blessed to come from a place that spot-on knows how to deal with its dark history.
]]>@David Thanks for sharing and agreed the role of the Trümmerfrau was incredible and it’s a story that needs to be told.
]]>Robinson Barracks- in a somewhat smaller form- still is on top of the hill you remember from your childhood. In the 1980’s when I was stationed at Kelley Barracks across town, Robinson Barracks was mainly a large housing area and the site of the community PX & Commissary. After the Cold War the PX/Commissary complex was closed and returned to the Germans and is now a dense housing community compared to the rest of RB. Robinson Barracks is now fenced in and closed to the public.
As to the Birkenkopf, remember that a significant portion of the rubble from the Bombings was collected and reused as Germany was very poor in the aftermath of th war. I do not know what percentage of rubble was reused versus piled up on the hill, but the hill would have been much higher had the Germans not reused all that could be recovered. The Trümmerfrau or Rubble Women did much of the clearing of debris and recovery of the city after the War. Theirs is a story largely forgotten outside of Germany.
]]>When we visited there it just looked so normal, a park with a small rolling hills with beautiful grass covering it. Now that I think back, I can finally understand what the cross on top of the hill is for! At that time I remember puzzling with my friends, now everything made sense. But the place looked exactly like a normal (and beautiful) park! Kids playing, people reading, strolling around, etc etc. I guess it should be a sign of hope that something this sombre can turn into something beautiful, eh?
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