Freiburg, the Pope, and Me

Today, September 24, Pope Benedict XVI rode through the streets of Freiburg in the popemobile before meeting with a group of lay Catholics gathered at the Freiburg Seminary.  In the background of the copyrighted photo, you can clearly see Freiburg’s village clock.

I was there, too, in October 2000.  I was poring through some photos and came across one in particular that I’d like to share.

Our family photo reveals the village clock in clearer perspective.  It also shows you that right next door to the clock tower is an apothecary shop (apotheke) and—Who knew!?—a McDonald’s restaurant.  No golden arches, though, from what I can see.

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Freiburg, Germany, is a city of cobblestone streets, religious imagery, and striking architecture.

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Freiburg’s cathedral, called Freiburg Minster, was built on the foundation of an earlier church which had stood on the site since 1120, when the city of Freiburg had its beginnings.  In its tower, the only Gothic church tower in all of Germany, are 16 bells including the great “Hosanna” bell, dating back to 1258.  The sturdy tower with its lead anchors survived the World War II bombing raids of 1944, during which all the houses on the west and north side of the market were destroyed.