Wandering in Flensburg

When I arrived here in Flensburg I told the proprietor of the  Gastehaus Seewarte

that I was here because this was where my great grandfather was born.  His response was, "so...you must have a look around."  That's exactly what I did today.

I managed to gas up and return my rental vehicle without incident (and that was a blessing).  I asked for directions from the car rental shop and walked into the city center.  This was, by far, the most beautiful day I've enjoyed since coming to Europe on October 11.  It was just super weather.  In fact, I was dressed too warmly.  I finally figured out I needed to shed my sweater after sweating my way up and down the high street for the entire morning.  I can't count how many times I had to wipe my brow.

After making a brief visit to the Tourist Information Office where I saw this delightful sculpture,

my first stop on my walkabout was the "Registrar's Office" near the Rathaus (City Hall).

My goal was to find a copy of my great grandfather Friedrich Petersen's birth certificate.  I thought if I could find it I might be able to discover where he lived and what his parents' names were, possibly even their vocations.  Unfortunately, when I rang the bell I was told that the office was closed (at 10:00 a.m.) and that I should return tomorrow at 8:30 or 9:00 tomorrow morning.  Fortunately, I have planned for another day here, so there's still hope.  I would really like to have that information, but if I don't get it, it won't be the end of the world.

Reluctantly, I left the Rathaus area and made my way to the city center.  When I first starting walking up "Holm"/Grosse Strasse"/ "Norderstrasse", what the British would call the "high street", it was not terribly busy.  Within 90 minutes, it was almost crowded--something I found surprising for a Tuesday.  It really reminded me of the various city centers in British towns and cities.  The stores might have had different names, but they served the same function.

As is my habit, I took wayyyy too many pictures.  I always get to the point where my "battery is exhausted"--meaning I have taken around 300 pages a day, give or take.  Today, my philosophy was to try to capture buildings which might have been around when my great grandfather was here.

He was born on the 13th of December 1848 and left Flensburg for New York in 1865--I think--to avoid being conscripted into the Prussian army.  (Flensburg was lost to the Prussians in the Second Schleswig War in 1864.)

My first tourist-like activity was to visit the St. Nickolai -Kirche.

The 14th/15th century church is named for St. Nicholas (aka, Sinterklaas; aka Santa Claus, etc., etc.), patron saint of children.  It boasts the most elaborate renaissance organ facade (1609) from Hinrich Ringeringk.

This is really a lovely town.  In addition to reminding me of Worcester (and other British towns), in other ways it reminds me of Duluth.  The town slopes down to the water of The Flensburger Fjord.

It is a beautiful expanse of water, and creates a gorgeous harbor.  I'm so impressed by the wonderful sailboats all along the harbor.

After "rubbernecking" my way up and down the Grosse Strasse,  I decided to check out the water side of town.  After walking on the board walk by some of the most beautiful sailboats I've ever seen, I came upon the Schiffahrtsmuseum/Maritime Museum.  Unfortunately (for me), it was all in German and I could only make out the bare outline of the stories.  For the ship enthusiasts (especially, the model ship enthusiast), this place would be heaven on earth.

My strategy here again was to focus on ships which might have been around when my great grandfather was walking the streets of Flensburg.  Although the entry fee was 6 Euro, for 2 Euro more, I got access to two other museums for the next three months, but more on that later. I also had to pay just under 2 Euro to lock away my bag and coat.  Ah well...

I started to yearn for what my family calls a "buck-me-uppo" (read coffee, sweet, etc.), but by the timeI got done at the Maritime museum, the streets, and more importantly, the cafes were packed.  And why wouldn't they be on such a gorgeous day?

After deciding it wasn't going to happen, I decided instead to go to the Museumberg

 where I was able to use that 8 Euro ticket I bought at the Schiffmuseum.  I was particularly keen to see what I thought was the Hans Christian Andersen Haus.  It's funny what your mind does.  No such place exists in Flensburg, although there is a plaque which says, essentially, "he slept here."

The place I was looking for was the Hans Christiansen Haus.  He was a painter and was part of the Art Nouveau movement.  The HCH is now an art museum with an eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, fabric art, installation art, etc.  This was more my style than the Maritime museum.  There was much more to my liking (although I didn't like it all). I loved the sea-inspired works. 

The furniture was really beautiful.

After finishing up in this museum, I treated myself to a cappuchino.  While in the I met a couple who spoke English and they helped me figure out where to catch the bus back to my "hotel".

Before leaving the Museumberg, I visited the Alter Friedhof (old cemetery) which featured the Ilstedt Loewen (once a symbol of Danish victory, now a representation of German/Danish friendship).  It was just returned to Flensburg in 2011.

The cemetery itself was unusual.  I made sure to take photos of  "Petersen" gravemarkers, although I feel quite certain they wouldn't be related.  I'm pretty sure my forebears were not the sort to find a place in this kind of cemetery.

This was the most unusual cemetery I've ever visited.  The layout and design were unlike any I've seen.  It was actually a very peaceful way to end my sightseeing.

I found my way to the bus and once I arrived at my destination, I decided to treat myself to supper out (as opposed to the breakfast leftovers I've been eating for supper the last three nights).  The proprietor of this hotel had recommended a place last night, but once I was ensconced in my room, I had no interest in going out again.  Today, I thought I'd go ahead and check it out for myself.  He extolled it as an excellent restaurant.  The web reviews are less than stellar, but it has one major thing going for it--the water.

I had linguine with scampi, and the best of all...a Flensburger Pilsner.  The pasta was fine, but the beer was delicious!

When I was in England last year found fun signs to share.  Here's the best I've found in a long time.