079 - Tour Historic Heidelberg, Germany
079 - Heidelberg, Germany 
We visit the historic town of Heidelberg in the State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany and lies on the River Neckar We tour around with a local cabbie "Gero" who tells us all about the University, history, hospital and Heidelberg Castle Podsafe music this week is "Rockin on the Airwaves" by Andy Martin.
In Memorium: PodAsia listener, and my uncle, District Court Judge Alan Viney QC passed away this week from cancer. He will be sorely missed and was my inspiration for keeping alive the tradition of Men wearing distinguished hats! Read the article and obituary published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Heidelberg and History. The ancient city of Heidelberg, which dates from 5BC when Celts built a fortress and place of worship on the Heilingenberg Hill to what Heidelberg is today; a tourist, educational and light industry economy.
During the dark years of Germany during Nazi regime (1933-1945), Heidelberg was a stronghold of the NSDAP - National Socialist German Workers Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei).
It has been suggested, and still widely accepted in Heidelberg, that their city was spared from Allied daylight and nighttime bombing raids as the Allies wanted to use the city as a base after the Second World War. Apart from some minor political offices of the NSDAP, Heidelberg did not have any major military or industrial targets that justified an allied air raid.
In the closing days of World War Two, the Nazis withdrew and detonated explosives that destroyed the historic Alt Bridge across the Neckar River. Fortunately for Heidelberg in March 1945 the city was saved from destruction of advancing units of the US 44th and 63rd Infantry Division who used captured German telephones to communicate with the German surrender party.
Today, a number of United States Military installations are present in and around Heidelberg, including the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe (HQ USAREUR). These make up the U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg.
Additionally, a small number of NATO facilities are present on the installations, most notably HQ Allied Land Component Command, Heidelberg (CC-Land Heidelberg).
Where to stay in Heidelberg: There are not many 5 star business hotels in Heidelberg. Quite a number of boutique, specialized hotels you could try. For known brands there are:
Marriott Vangerowstrasse 16, Heidelberg, 69115 Germany. Phone: +49 (6221) 908660
248 rooms. 4 star hotel situated on the banks of the Neckar River and shopping street and Old Town are within walking distance of the hotel. Telephone, fax and wireless LAN Internet access available in all guest rooms and public areas.
Hotel Zum Ritter St.Georg - Hauptstr. 178 / 69117 Heidelberg Germany Phone +49 (6221) 1350
Famous and architectonic beauty and elegance of the Renaissance building make the Hotel Zum Ritter St. Georg the finest historical and most artistically valuable town house in Heidelberg. Only 37 rooms available and hotel says there is Internet access in each room.
Heidelberg Castle. Heidelberg Palace is one of the most important German cultural monuments. As a residence of the Palatinate electors from the 13th to the 18th century, it experienced a magnificent and eventful history. Periods of expansion were followed by those of devastation. The palace buildings with the greatest artistic importance were built during the Renaissance. Since the 19th century Heidelberg has been famous the world over for the romantic appearance of its palace ruins and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Opening Hours
Palace (Schloss): Viewing only possible as part of guided tours
Palace Courtyard, Giant Barrel: Daily 8 am - 5:30 pm
Guided Tours: Daily on demand in German, English; other languages following prior arrangement. Special guided tours following prior arrangement
German Apothecary Museum (Dt. Apothekenmuseum) April - Oct.: 10.15 am - 6.00 pm and Nov. - March: 10.00 am - 5.30 pm
Exhibitions (Romantic and Middleageexhibition; Romantik und Mittelalterausstellung) Daily 9:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Address Information Schloss Heidelberg 69117 Heidelberg Germany
Service Center: Telefon +49 (6221) 538431
e-mail: info@service-center-schloss-heidelberg.com
Heidelberg University: The University of Heidelberg, the oldest university in Germany, was founded in 1386 by Elector Ruprecht I of the Palatinate.
During the course of its eventful 600-year history, it has seen both triumphs and disasters. In the late 16th century, it became one of the most important centres of the Reformation and of Calvinism. As a result of wars in the 17th century, the University lost its collection of manuscripts, the unique "Bibliotheca Palatina", and later all of its buildings. In 1803 Karl Friedrich of Baden endowed the University with new statutes, enabling it to develop into a seat of academic excellence by the end of the 19th century. The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität thus owes its double name to both of its founders. Today the University has about 26,000 students, among them more than 5,000 international students, and is regarded as an important centre of modern research and study in Germany. Its twelve faculties embrace a wide spectrum of subjects in the arts and sciences, including medicine. The University does not offer courses in engineering or agriculture.
What to do - a walk through Old Town: Before Heidelburg came into being, its present day suburbs of Neuenheim and Bergheim were already long-established. The area known as "old town" came into being around the years 1200. Today, most of Old Town is closed to traffic and the main thoroughfare is Hauptstrasse.
A walk along here will see cafes, bars, students, tourists. Everyone is quite friendly and, if you have time, we suggest taking the time and having a beer in the Marketplatzt.
MEMBERS: Click here for a free tour map of Heidelberg
Unique Fact: Bertha Benz, wife of inventor Karl Benz, was the first person to drive an automobile over what was then a long distance. On 5 August 1888 and without her husband’s knowledge, she drove her sons, Richard and Eugen, fourteen and fifteen years old, in one of Benz’s newly-constructed "Patent Motorwagen" automobiles and drove from Mannheim through Weinheim, Heidelberg, Wiesloch, and Durlach to her mothers home in Pforzheim and became the first person to drive an automobile more than 106 km (more than sixty miles).
The Benz Patent Motorwagen was a three wheeled vehicle made with steel tubing and wooden paneling and was powered by a 954cc single cylinder engine
Although the primary purpose of the trip was to visit her mother, Bertha Benz also had another motive: to show her brilliant husband — who had failed to consider marketing his invention adequately — that the automobile would become a financial success once it was shown to be useful to the general public.
Music in this episode is from the podsafemusicnetwork.com and features "Rockin on the Airwaves" by Andy Martin.
079 - Maps: