We Continue - by Car

Neustrelitz  -  Güstrow

We decided to head for Rostock by car, with stops in places we wanted to see in between. When we set out - it was now Wednesday - we again had a cool and grey morning. It wouldn't have been bad for cycling. Our first stop was in Plau, then Waren/Müritz. Both towns - with beautifully renovated historic centers - are situated on charming little lakes and are for obvious reasons very popular with vacationers. Tourisim helps these places thrive but it also determines their character. I would often prefer the less restored places that have a more authentic, down-to-earth feeling. If the buildings are not restored they will detiorate, and if they are restored, they lack patina. The style might be old but the condition is bran new - a dilemna.

We ended the day in Güstrow, a city that was a very pleasant surprise. Its many sights and historic buildings have been beautifully restored, and yet the city has managed to establish itself as more than a museum to the past. The streets are lively, the city has a life of its own aside from tourist trade.  It is also the city where Ernst Barlach lived from 1910 until his death in 1938.

Ernst Barlach ( 1870 -  1938) was a German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war. This created many conflicts during the rise of the Nazi Pary, when most of his works were confiscated as degenerate art.