Heidelberg

This past week Mr. Z. and I took a train trip to Heidelberg, Germany.   We traveled using the TGV, which is the French high speed train.  After traveling so quickly through the French/German country side, the last leg of our trip, a bus ride from the train station to our hotel, seemd like a "turtle" pace!  We stayed in the section of Heidelberg referred to as the "Old Town".  The buildings were several hundred years old and extremely picturesque.  Much of Germany was destroyed during World War II, so it is very fortunate that this beautiful and historic part of the city was undisturbed by bombs.

A typical street in the "Old City"
of Heidelberg.

"The Old Town" sits on the Neckar River, and mountains rise both across the river and at the edge of the city.  In fact many homes and buildings are nestled in the trees on the mountainside.  The most famous is the Heidelberg castle, which can be scene from just about anywhere in Old Town.  The castel was first built in 1214 as a fortress.  Looking down the mountainside and across the river, it was easy to see any enemies coming and almosst impossible to capture.  It did not become a royal residence until after 1398. (That's almost one hundred years before Columbus sailed to America!) Over the centuries, new buildings were added to the complex, but many were destroyed by wars and fires.  It has not been inhabited since 1680.   Enough of it is still standing (as you can see from the picture) that it is possible to get a glimpse into what life must have been like living in this magnificent castle.  There is lots more to know about the Heidelberg castle - check it out on the internet! Here is a good link. http://visit-heidelberg.com/tours/castle.htm

Heidelberg Castle

 Although it is possible to reach the castle walking up the mountain, the most popular way to get there is by "funicular".  A funicular is a cable system used to go up and down hills.  Two cars sit on parallel tracks and are attached to each other through a pulley at the top of the hill.  The weight of one car going down the track pulls the other car up the hill, usually with some mechanical assistance.  The cars take turns going up and down, pulling each other along.  (Pittsburgh has two funiculars, called "inclines" locally, that take people from downtown Pittsburgh to a residential area above the city)

Remember us?  Here we are standing outside the Castle.

Looking down on the city from the castle

While we were in Heidelberg we visited several Werkstattens.  Werkstattens are a combination of a school and a worksite for individuals with disabilities.  At age 18 a person is entitled to attend a Werkstatten for vocational training and assessment.  For the first two years the students have the opportunity to practice life skills, as well as try out several vocational opportunities.  Some people learn how to operate machinery, others learn landscaping skills and still others learn how to assemble and pack materials for shipping.  After two years, in some cases sooner, the students choose which job they prefer and go to work!  Those who are more severely disabled continue to come to the workstatten, but spend the day in a classroom or recreational area.  At the Werkstattens we visited, the employees were making parts for printing presses, then packaging and shipping them.  The German government requires all companies to hire some people with disabilities.   Many companies, such as the Heidelberg Printing Company, meet this requirement by having a contract with a Werkstatten.  The companies pay the Werkstatten to produce parts or provide a service.  Sometimes they loan the Werkstatten the money to buy the equipment needed to make the parts, but the Werkstatten must pay it back within a few years. The managers at the Werkstatten provide the supervision and "quality control" for its employees.  Employees (students) are paid by the Werkstatten.  Once a person has gone to work at a Werkstatten they can stay until retirement age of 65!  Many employees live in nearby supervised housing, but it is not required. 





These women are assembling a packing box which will ship
parts of the printin press assembly.

This man works a machine that creates parts
for a printing press.