Time Travel / Germany, 1983 / Part 6 - Trier (2)

Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (2): Kurfürstliches Palais, Kaiserthermen, Landesmuseum, Amphitheater, Cathedral - and a Flower Show.

Sunday, 28th August, 1983: My first full day in Trier was a very full day. Looking back in my photo album now I can't really grasp that after first having attended the church service in the Basilica (previous post), I afterwards also managed to see all of the sights below on the same day. (Somewhere in between, I suppose I must also have had lunch. No note in my album to remind me exactly where, when or what, though!)

Das Kurfürstliche Palais, with the Konstantin Basilika in the background

Das Kurfürstliche Palais - in English, the Electoral Palace - is situated very close indeed to the Basilica. From the 16th century until the late 18th century, this palace was the residence of the Archbishops and Electors of Trier. (According to Wikipedia, nowadays most of the palace is used as governmental offices; but classical music concerts are sometimes also held there.) I can't recall going inside - I probably just snapped the photo in passing. 

After the Basilica, I went to see the ruins of the Kaiserthermen - the remains of a large Roman bath complex. (Very close the Basilica and the Palace - you can see those buildings in the background in the first photo below.) 

The construction was started around 300 C.E. and was meant to be one of the largest of its kind, with baths built around hot water pools, and underneath the complex a network of underground passageways and a sewer system. It was never completed, though, and during the Middle Ages, it was converted into a castle.

 

I also visited the Landesmuseum - an archaeological museum with a collection of objects from prehistory to the Baroque era, but with a strong emphasis on the Roman period.

And from there on to the Trier Amphitheater:
 

Trier and its amphitheatre resembled many Roman cities of its time, and many  gladiatorial contests occurred there. It is the 10th largest Roman amphitheatre still intact. The structure which was dug into the side of a hill around the 2nd century A.D. and could accommodate approximately 20,000 spectators. When later on gladiatoral contests were forbidden by the Christian emperor, the amphitheatre was incorporated into the city wall. 

Trier Dom - Postcard

 Furthermore, I visited the Trier Dom (Cathedral) - the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier.  Below: One of my bought slides that turned all red over the years, showing the inside of the Dom.

Trier, Dom, Mittelschiff, von West nach Ost

 And as if all of the above wasn't enough for one day of touristing, in the afternoon I also managed to attend part of a local flower show that happened to be going on in Trier that weekend...

 

 

Except for the Dom, all the other photos in this post are my own (slides).

 

Time Travel / Germany 1983 / Part 5: Trier an der Mosel (1)

Germany 1983, Trier an der Mosel (1): 
Porta Nigra and The Basilica of Constantine

On Saturday 27th August, 1983, I left Obernhof an der Lahn (see previous posts in this series - you'll find them in my sidebar under the month of March 2026) and took the train to Koblenz am Rhein, and then from there another train to Trier an der Mosel. 

I probably had a couple of hours or so in Koblenz between trains - enough for lunch, I presume, and (evidently) a short stroll along the river:

My own photo from Koblenz

Postcard from my photo album

In Trier, I had booked a room at a hotel close to the railway station:

I have no photos from the hotel room, but I seem to remember it: A tiny room with pretty much just a bed, and not even a door to the toilet/shower (perhaps a curtain? but not even sure about that...). But all I needed, really, as in the daytime, I was out and about touristing anyway... The location as such served me well enough, though. 

Evening view from my hotel room (I think)

On the very first afternoon/evening, I ended up having something to eat at a café near the famous Porta Nigra, while listening to a live concert - a very pleasant start to getting acquainted with the town!

Photo from a postcard or brochure

Porta Nigra (The Black Gate) is a monumental old gateway which in 1986 it got listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps. But my visit was in 1983, so that had not happened yet when I was there!

The name Porta Nigra originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone; the original Roman name has not been preserved. 

My own photo copied from my photo album.

The next day was a Sunday, and I decided to start that day with attending a service in the Konstantin Basilika, built between AD 300 and 310 /during the reigns of Constantius Chlorus and Constantine the Great). This too is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek basilike) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. 

A number of monumental Christian basilicas were constructed during the latter reign of Constantine the Great - Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. 

During the Middle Ages, the basilica in Trier was used as the residence for the Bishop of Trier. In 1856, it became a Protestant church. In 1944, the building burned due to an air raid of the allied forces during World War II. When it was repaired after the war, the historical inner decorations from the 19th century were not reconstructed, so that the brick walls are visible from the inside as well. 
 

Basilica of Constantine - photo from Wikipedia (2013) 

Above is a slide photo I bought of the interior of the Basilika, which seems to have kept its original colours rather well.

Attending a regular evangelical Sunday church service (in German) in this huge space was a rather special experience. Knowing that I had three days all on my own in Trier ahead of me was rather daunting in itself, and I have to admit I felt a little bit "lost and lonely" (even if excited at the same time). But then something happened, which to me felt like a "greeting from home" ... I have long since forgotten what the sermon was really about, but at some point in his message, the priest (or whatever his clerical title may have been) suddenly quoted or referred to a story (from outside the Bible) which seemed strangely familiar to me. By now I have forgotten both the specific content of the story, and the point that it served in the sermon. But it was taken from a children's book by the world famous Swedish author Astrid Lindgren: In German, Wir Kinder aus Bullerbü - in English, The Children of Noisy Village. And for me, this served as a sort of emotional confirmation that yes - I was in the right place, right here and now, for these few days... On my own, but not necessarily "lonely".

(To be continued...)
 

1st April / April Fools' Day

 

My calendar photo for the month of April - from 11th April, 2025. 

Caroli Church (Caroli kyrka) in Borås is a parish church belonging to the Church of Sweden, and the oldest preserved building in our city, dated from the 13th-century. It was rebuilt and repaired after fires in 1681 (when the tower was also added), 1727 and 1822; and went through some further renovations in 1914-1915 and 1938-1940. If I go to a church service during the major holidays like Christmas and Easter, this is usually where I go. 

1st April today, and "April Fools' Day" - which I understand is quite an international tradition. For me it's been Laundry Day, meaning I have not been out; and as far as I know, I don't think I've come across any fake news - although I kind of wished that one of the things announced on national TV this evening would turn out to be... (It's election year, and political parties are as usual conspiring to try and make new deals to convince voters that they'll be able to form a "stable " government...)

 

The probably most famous April Fools' joke from Swedish television goes way back to 1962, when they claimed that if you pulled a nylon stocking over your black and white TV, you'd be able to watch colour TV! And it's said that some people actually tried... (I remember it, but I don't think my parents fell for it!) 

 

  

The actual introduction of official, regular colour TV in Sweden started on 1 april 1970. No joke this time, but only six hours per week to begin with!

 

The first time I watched colour TV was at my maternal grandfather's house when there was an ice hockey world championship going on - I think it must have been 1971. I was not really all that impressed, because when the players were skating fast over the ice, they kind of left the colours of their costumes behind them on the screen! 

 

Daylight "Saving" (?) Time

 

A brief interlude from the "here and now", before I return to processing the last part or two of my time travels to Germany in 1983. (The past couple of weeks have offered a good time to get on with that project, as spring outdoors has not been making much progress.)

 

Two days ago, like in the rest of Europe, it was time to set the clock(s) forward one hour again. I've never been in favour of the idea, and keep hoping that one day we'll all agree to stop that nonsense - but until that happens, there's not much one can do but try and adjust (oneself, as well as the timepieces one happens to possess). I am one of those who still own a number of clocks/watches that need to be tended to manually - and more often than not, I manage to forget at least one...

 

This time, I thought I had managed to remember them all - until Sunday evening, when I suddenly realised that the clock on the wall in my study (above my computer) was still on winter time. Which meant I had been "working" past my intended bedtime... 

 

Not that it usually matters all that much these days (when I go to bed or when I get up) - it was just that this time I had meant to try to make a serious effort to adjust, as all winter I've been very lazy in my morning habits anyway...

 

Well, I had Monday to try to make amends (hm) before today, when I had a dentist appointment in town at 11:20 - which I know can't really be called early, but with my body clock still on winter time, and having to leave home about 9:30 "real time", it still felt early... Setting various alarms and reminders, I somehow managed it, though. ;)

 

Thankfully the last few wet and windy days had given way to more sunny weather, so once I got out there, it wasn't too bad. (Photo above taken on my walk into town.)

 

The dentist appointment was "just" an annual check-up, including x-rays - and luckily, not even those revealed anything that needed fixing. Afterwards, I visited the pharmacy to stock up on some various "dental health" related items - and, as a bonus, also my favourite tea shop. Besides stocking up on three of my usual favourites, I bought their special Easter blend: black tea with bergamot and passion fruit flavour.

 

Glad Påsk - Happy Easter!

 

Back home, after lunch, I lay down on my bed to rest for a while, listening to a radio podcast...  And woke up again around 5:30 p.m. (summer time)... 

 

So much for my efforts to "adjust", so far!! 😁

 

 Barbie and Skipper are yawning, too, after having helped me decorate for Easter.

 

Time Travel / Germany 1983 / Part 4 - Kloster Arnstein

 

 

Already in my first post in this series did I mention Kloster Arnstein, an old monastery situated high up on the mountain above the village Obernhof an der Lahn. There was a narrow road leading up there from Klostermühle down below (where I was staying); and I went all the way up there at least once, to have a look at the church, which was open for visitors. 

I'm starting with a couple of postcards from my album at the top, which have kept the colours better than most of my own photos. (A bit yellowed with age, but not all that much.)

Going through my photo album as well as the slides I recently had digitised, I have come to the conclusion that I must have used two cameras on this journey: One for slides, and one with negative film for prints. But I also had prints made from some of the slides. 

The prints vs the slides have "aged" rather differently. Most prints have turned almost sepia with age, with very little colour left - and difficult to "bring back" in editing. My slides on the other hand have acquired a distinctly blue-ish tint - but a little bit easier to adjust in editing. (All editing done in Picasa3 because that's what I'm used to using...)

 ▲Just to show you what I'm "up against" with editing old printed photos from my album...

 

The road leading UP

Looking DOWN

I probably didn't go up alone, as someone must have taken this photo of me!

 

Some monks/priests up in the gardens at Kloster Arnstein

 

 

  

 

Cropped from the above photo

Among my dominantly "blueish" slides, I was surprised to find some from Kloster Arnstein that had turned all red instead! And no attempts to colour-correct those were successful. I've been scratching my head about those until today - when it occured to me take out the original slides to have a look. Turns out I did not take those myself, but bought them. Probably one was not allowed to take photos inside the church. So those I bought must have been taken with a different kind of film, aging differently... 

 

Here are the bought slides - you can compare them to the postcards at the top: 

 

By the way, exactly the same thing (turning red) also happened to slides I bought at the Basilika in Trier. (I'll show those when we get there.)

There is a Wikipedia article in English about Kloster Arnstein here.