CJB's Art Notes: CA to Marburg

Guten Tag from Marburg, Germany! We’ve been here for almost 4 weeks now, living in the Philipps-Universität Marburg Studentendorf and attending German language classes 5-days a week. Upon arrival, Tyson and I were picked up from the train station, as were the other 28 Fulbrighters currently staying in Marburg, by the international Fulbright coordinator and his crew. Over the preceding days, we were introduced to each other and invited to several celebratory orientation meals and events, an introduction to the flavor of the region and the community we’ll provide for each other, scattered throughout the country, in the coming year.

Before leaving the U.S., we had a stop-over in the North Bay to visit with relatives. Here are some images from our short stay there:

Visiting with the Washburn's in Santa Cruz

Visiting with my Brother in Napa

Fun boat ride on the Napa River in my Brother's new (old) boat!

Brother as tour guide

Dad and Emily on the bow of the boat

Oysters at Bouchon Bistro, Yountville

Lunch at Bouchon Bistro, Yountville

Tyson in front of Lewis DeSoto's Imperial at the Napa Valley Museum

From the airplane

The view from our dorm apartment at the Studentendorf, our first night

The lower front of our building. The Schwarz-Weiss Club is on the 2nd floor.

After getting settled in Marburg, our language and culture classes began, and we started investigating this college town that is our current home.

Waiting for the bus at the Stadthalle

Fulbright orientation at the CNMS building in Marburg

Welcome dinner at the restaurant beneath the Schloss

30 feasting Fulbrighters

About to walk down the stairs from the castle to the Uberstadt

View from our porch

From our kitchen in the Studentendorf on the hill

The Studentendorf as seen from the Schloss

Walking to the bus stop through the forest behind the Studentendorf

The other Fulbrighters in the program represent a wide range of talents and areas of study from Chemistry, to International Finance, to Neuroscience, to Music Composition, to Biology, to Art History, to Journalism, to the History of Architecture, and many others. There will be around 8 others living and accomplishing their projects in Berlin, and we’ve already been talking about Thanksgiving plans and other ways we’ll stay connected.

Fulbrighters enjoying Auflauf und Bier in the Uberstadt

Fulbrighter BBQ at Jose's place in the Uberstadt

Walking home from the Uberstadt

In addition to classes, we have been going on tours and weekend excursions around the area. One of the first tours was of the St. Elisabeth’s Kirche. This church is especially important because it was the first Gothic church in Germany, built between 1235 and 1283, influenced by French cathedrals such as those in Reims and Amiens. During the tour, our guide said something that really resonated: “A cathedral as a place of worship is theology expressed through architecture.” I see parallels between this idea and painting; one could say, “A painting as a portal to the human experience is spirituality expressed through a 2-dimensional medium.”

Looking up in the Elisabeth Kirche

Stone carvings at the pulpit

The East Choir on the left, Landgrave's Choir on the right. The aisles are the same height as the knave, a characteristic that set a precedent for German Gothic cathedrals.

Saint Mary's altar with Pietà

Stained glass windows

St. Elisabeth's Shrine

Tombs of the Landgraves

Detail: Stained glass windows

Outside the Elisabeth Kirche, very near to where our classes are held

After the church tour, we made our way through the Uberstadt to the Marburger Schloss, or Landgrave Castle, on top of the hill. Here are some images from the town and up at the castle: