Week 04: Bonn, Bingen, Andernach, and Remagen

Remagen

This week had been quite busy with it being spent traveling to three different cities outside of Bonn. The first one had been a cute little riverside town called Remagen, where I learned about a bridge that once spanned across the Reine. It was quite interesting to see the history leading up to its collapse, as while many sums of its demise due to the bombs from the Nazis, it was actually the opposite. The bridge was still able to stand up on its own after the bombing but collapsed due to time instead. Aside from its use during the second world war, this bridge was also used for economic reasons like importing furniture and such. 

Bingen

I find Hildesgard to be quite the woman in more ways than one. In Bingen, I had the opportunity to go to the Hildesgard Museum where I found the exhibit of her visions drawn out really interesting. It was interesting to see that although these visions are predicted to simply be migraines, they are as colorful and distinct in holding a message as they are. 

I also found it fascinating to learn about how from these visions, she was able to extract her medical knowledge. Furthermore, I find her to be quite the role model, given that she was able to live progressively as she did in a time when women were always looked down upon. It's nice to see an intelligent woman working her way through history the way she did.

Andernach

The museum in Andernach has been my favorite one out of all the others. I found the progression of medicine incredibly astounding given the little changes that have occurred in our techniques. Furthermore, for the facts about the human anatomy or bodily function that were correct in their own way, our knowledge did not change from it but was simply tweaked. 

I find black plague doctors really cool, so seeing the uniform that they used to wear was quite the sight. While I knew that these doctors usually stuffed herbs in their masks, I never knew that the mask shape itself was constructed to help maintain distance. Furthermore, I did not know that the herbs were believed to protect the doctors, as I had learned that their main function was to cover the stench of the sick people suffering from the plague.

Bonn

I spent this weekend in Bonn where I walked around the city to explore any sights I have yet to see. I went to the botanical garden where I was astounded by the health of all the plants of different varieties. This isn't something that I often see in Texas due to the difficulty in maintaining healthy plants due to the hot weather. It was beautiful, though, and it made me appreciate nature all that much more.