Tips for trips 3
Welcome back! We’re excited to continue our series of travel tips to help the end of your summer not feel like the end of fun.
Last week we talked about the Pfalzgrafentstein, a castle in the middle of the Rhine near the town of Kaub. Today we’re talking about another attraction Kaub has to offer that makes it a destination worth going to.
The Blücher Museum
In 1813, much of the French emperor Napoleon’s power in Germany had been diminished, but not entirely. Those fighting his forces wanted his power completely gone, and one of the men with that mission was Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, a Field Marshall in the Prussian military.
That’s why on the last days of 1813 and the first of 1814 in the town of Kaub, Blücher crossed a pontoon bridge made over the Rhine by Russian allies with his army of 50,000 men, 15,000 horses, and all the equipment those men and animals needed. He was chasing Napoleon’s troops, en route to driving them completely out of Germany.
While running this operation, Blücher made his headquarters at the inn Zur Stadt Mannheim in Kaub. Today, that location is a museum dedicated to Blücher and his crossing. It has displays showing how the crossing likely looked and military items from the time period. Also, the rooms where Blücher stayed have been preserved and look almost exactly like they did when he was there over 200 years ago.
Additionally, the museum has recently expanded and renovated some areas, creating more to see and a better visitor experience. Currently, they have an exhibition related to the heritage of the Rhineland Palatinate, with artifacts from former residents of the area or important visitors to the region.
So, enjoy your visit there.
Vocabulary
destination – Zielort
French emperor – französischer Imperator
had been diminished – hatte an Macht verloren
entirely – vollständig, komplett
to fight forces – Truppen bekämpfen
Prussian military – preussisches Militär
pontoon bridge – Pontonbrücke, Schiffsbrücke
Russian allies – russische Verbündete, russische Alliierte
to chase – verfolgen, jagen
troops – Truppen
dedicated to – gewidmet
displays – Anzeigen, Bildschirme
how the crossing likely look – wie die Überquerung wahrscheinlich ausgesehen hat
have been preserved – sind (bis heute) erhalten, aufbewahrt
currently – zur Zeit
an exhibition – eine Ausstellung
heritage – Tradition, Erbe
Rhineland Palatinate – Rheinland Pfalz
artifacts – Artefakte, Werkzeuge
former residents – frühere Bewohner