Your Tour in Munich

Gruess Gott! (That's how Bavarians say "Hello")  I am Geoff Walden - I will be your tour guide for Third Reich sites in Munich. Munich was very important to the Nazis, as it was their "Capital of the Movement" and birthplace of the Nazi Party. We will see some of the most important sites associated with the Nazis in Munich, along with other important locations. I hope you have a great Munich tour!

Just a little background on myself - I am currently stationed with the US Army in Bavaria, a position I have been lucky enough to enjoy for 10 years. This situation has allowed me to visit many historical sites associated with World War 2 and the Third Reich. I have used these experiences to publish a then-and-now photo webpage, "Third Reich in Ruins" (www.thirdreichruins.com).

I will be posting a few notes to the blog regarding our tour, as well as general hints for enjoying your time in Bavaria.

For those who have learned German in school, what you learned is “Hochdeutsch” - book German. But the Bavarians speak essentially a different language. It’s more than just an accent - it’s a distinct dialect, with different words. There is a standing joke, that's actually true, that people from other parts of Germany have a hard time understanding Bavarian TV shows (I’ve even seen German national TV networks put Hochdeutsch subtitles on when interviewing a rustic Bavarian). You can go ahead and speak Hochdeutsch in Bavaria - all but the most rustic and isolated folks understand and speak “normal” German as well, even if they speak Bavarian at home (and it’s not just Bavaria - many parts of Germany have regional dialects that are unintelligible to someone who knows only “book German”). One more thing - the standard German greeting of “Guten Tag” is not used in Bavaria. The normal Bavarian greeting is “Gruess Gott” (more-or-less, God’s Greeting).

A note on safety, to bear in mind throughout your time in Munich … Please pay attention to pedestrian crosswalks and traffic signals - “jaywalking” is illegal in Germany (although you will see some do it). VERY IMPORTANT - Most of the Munich sidewalks are divided into two sections - one for pedestrians and one for cyclists - take extra care and always be aware to STAY OUT OF THE CYCLIST LANE! Munich bicyclists ride very fast and insist on their right-of-way, and they will run you down if you are in their lane (not intentionally, but they are expecting no pedestrians in their lane). Look for a blue circular sign that shows a bicycle on one side and a woman holding a child by the hand on the other side - this will tell you which side of the sidewalk is for cyclists (there will generally also be some sort of dividing line - either a painted line or a series of metal bumps). Also be aware of your surroundings when you stop to take photos.