Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2016 23:27:54 +0200
From: Nick Brady <y2kslacker@mail.com>
Subject: Brian and Lanny go to Europe - Chapter 16

Brian and Lanny go to Europe – Chapter 16

This is the fourth part of a series about Marco, Marty, their adopted sons
Samuel, Benjamin and foster son Brian in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Part 1 is  Marco in the Park
Part 2 is  Marco, Marty and the Twins
Part 3 is  Brian Goes to College

Please send feedback to y2kslacker@mail.com and support the Nifty archive
with contributions at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Copyright 2015-2016 by Nick Brady, all rights reserved.

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Roth came by early to pick Brian and Lanny up for their journey north. They
had packed up everything, knowing that they would not be returning.

"It's hard to say goodbye," Lanny said to Emma. "You have become like a
second family to us."

"We will miss you," Emma said solemnly. "We have been blessed by your
visit."

"We will never forget you," Brian added. "I hope we will meet again
sometime."

"It was a lucky thing that we met in the airport," Fredrick told them. "I
think that it was meant to happen. Please have a safe journey. We will
trust Roth to look after you."

"I will see that they are safe while they are with me," Roth assured them.

"No more hiking in the rain," Lanny laughed, fingering his canvas sling. "I
am only wearing this to please Emma. Really, I am feeling much better."

Emma hugged them both. "Please do not forget us," she said. "You must write
to us and tell us when you safely return to your home."

"We will, I promise," Brian assured her.

"I will miss you too," Deiter added. "Maybe I will come and visit you
someday."

"You would be very welcome, any or all of your family. We would try to show
you the same kindness that you have shown to us," Lanny said sincerely.

"Come now, we must go," Roth reminded them, and picked up Lanny's pack to
go to his car.

A last round of hugs and a tear from Emma, and they were off.

The day was cool but clear, as they pulled out on the Autobahn and started
for Ingolstadt. Brian sat in front with Roth and Lanny was semi-reclined in
the back.

"Do you know Audi automobiles?" Roth asked.

"Yes. They are sold in the States," Brian said. "They seem to be very nice
cars."

"Yes, I think so. In Ingolstadt is a big Audi factory. It is very modern
and we can take a tour of it. I think you might find that interesting."

"I've never been to a big manufacturing plant before. I would like to see
that."

Roth glanced in the rear view mirror to see that Lanny appeared to be
asleep. "Lanny will like it too, I think," Roth chuckled. "Is he sleeping
again?"

Brian looked back at him. "Looks like it. I think he's still kind of
stressed out from his accident."

"We will make things easy for him."

"I would sure hate to see anything happen to Lanny. Do you think he's
really OK?"

"Yes. I think so," Roth nodded. "He is young and will heal quickly. Already
he is feeling better. I think you should not worry too much. You worry
because you love him."

As they drove, Roth made conversation with Brian. "Do you know that
Ingolstadt is famous for another reason? Do you know of the story about
Frankenstein?"

"Yes of course. That is the famous monster, right?"

"That is the story, although in fact, the monster had no name. It was
created by a young scientist whose name was Victor Frankenstein. But many
call the monster by the his name. The setting for the young scientists
experiments was said to be in Ingolstadt where the young man was a student
in the university there."

"I didn't know all that," Brian admitted.

"There is an interesting story about how the book was written. Would you
like to know it?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Well then, I will tell you. The story of Frankenstein's monster was
written by Mary Shelly, the wife of the poet Percy Shelly. They were
English and were spending a dreary winter near Lake Geneva, Switzerland not
far from here. They and their friends were to write a story only to pass
the time. She had difficulty thinking of a good story, but had a dream
about this thing that was brought to life by electricity. It became her
famous story."

"Brian was reminded of his dream about Lanny and his fall, but didn't
mention it. "I can see how that might happen."

"It was not long before they approached Ingolstadt and the sigh on the
autobahn read 'Ausfahrt'."

"What does ausfahrt mean?" Brian chuckled.

"It is 'exit'. This is where we get off," Roth explained.

"Oh! I thought it was something rude."

"No, no. It does not mean to pass gas," Roth laughed.

"Sorry. I guess that was pretty dumb."

"The factory is just up here," Roth pointed. "It is a very nice one."

"They went through an entrance and were asked for identification and issued
badges that said, 'Gast'. Brian looked around and was very impressed. "This
place is huge. It's all shiny and new – lots of stainless steel and
glass."

"We must go in here," Roth indicated an attractive entrance. "It is the
reception center. Lanny should wake up now."

"I'm awake," Lanny told them. "I was listening, but just resting my eyes."

Inside the center they were greeted and asked to wait for the next
tour. They were informed that an English speaking tour would be available
later but decided that Roth could translate anything of importance.

When there were about 10 people gathered, a young man stepped up and
indicated that they were to follow him. They were a mixture of old and
young, men and women.

They walked down a corridor that took them past part of the assembly
line. They watched as a huge roll of steel was fed into a machine which cut
lengths of metal and slid the sections into a series of presses that
stamped out sections of body panels that continued on to another area. The
panels were fit together and welded onto a frame section that began to look
like an automobile. There were employees who supervised the process and
assured that the pieces where aligned properly, but the welding was done by
robotic arms that twisted and turned into the right positions to welded the
parts together.

"Is this all done by robots?" Lanny asked.

"Much of the heavy work is done by these machines," Roth explained, "but
not all of it."

They watched in amazement as the completed bodies were conveyed to a large
vat of gray rust proofing. It was slowly rotated until it was completely
immersed then rotated up and out to proceed down the assembly line. Various
other components were united with the body until doors were swung into
place and bolted onto the body.

They followed the moving process and watched as the engine, transmission
and other mechanical components were added. These components had been
assembled on other lines, and merged together with the basic body. Workers
followed and did some of the fine work with special tools they they swung
into place. Wiring harnesses and electrical components were fed in and
secured. Everything moved slowly and steadily. The workers kept busy but
did not seem to be rushed. It was a marvel of efficiency.

The interior components were swung into place. Headliner and carpeting was
laid in. The instrument panel, door panels and seats were pushed in on
devices that put them into place where technicians saw that they were
properly positioned and fastened securely. Window mechanisms where dropped
into place and attached to electric motors. On the exterior, lights and
bumpers were snapped into place. Wheels and tires were bolted onto the
axles. The activity was a balance of mechanical and human activity that was
orchestrated to keep the process moving at a steady pace.

As the car began to look like it was nearing completion, it passed through
a series of inspectors who checked the fit with small gauges, and passed
their gloved hands over everything to check for small flaws. The tour guide
explained the process and Roth did a running translation.

"This is just fantastic," Brian exclaimed. "Everything has been figured out
to come together at just the right time. How do they know that everything
works properly?"

"That comes next," Roth explained. They watched as each completed
automobile was driven into a large booth and positioned over rollers in the
floor. Computerized instruments were connected, and a technician stepped
into the car, started the engine and began to go through a simulated road
test. When everything checked out properly, it was driven out the other
side of the booth where an attendant drove it outside and expertly parked
it to be prepared for shipping.

"What happens if one of these cars flunks the test?" Lanny asked.

"If so, it is pulled aside and corrected," Roth told him. "But at each step
in the process, everything has been inspected and tested. If something is
wrong, it will be found before it comes to the end. I do not thinks that
very many will fail."

"I have to admit, this is very impressive," Brian said.

"It is German Engineering," Roth smiled with pride.

At the end of the tour they were thanked and invited to see the gift
shop. Inside were caps and jackets with the Audi logo, and many scale
models of automobiles.

"Oh man. Look at these," Brian said as he admired the display. "There are
models of all the different cars that Audi makes."

"Some of these are of the racing cars made for the big European auto
races," Lanny noticed. "Some of these models are really big."

"Yes, yes. And they are remote controlled," Roth explained.

Brian leaned in and looked at the prices marks in Euros and laughed. "I
think these are a bit too expensive for me. They are really cool, though."

"They would be hard to fit in a back pack, anyway," Lanny laughed. "Sam and
Ben would love to have one of these."

Brian shook his head. "They'll have to settle for a soccer ball."

"I think we must go. The tour is over and we are not to look around on our
own. Are you ready?" Roth asked.

"Sure. Maybe we can stop for some lunch," Lanny suggested.

As they drove back through Ingolstadt, they stopped at a small cafe and
went inside. "What would you like?" Roth asked.

"Whatever you recommend," Brian smiled. "You're the expert."

"I would like bratwurst. Does that sound good to you?"

"Sounds great to me," Lanny agreed. "You order and I'll pay. I insist."

Roth spoke to the waitress and in a few minutes she returned carrying a
tray with three bratwursts on rolls, with mustard and sauerkraut, fried
potatoes, and Coca-Colas. "I know you are surprised, but I like Cokes, and
I am driving. So I will wait until this evening for my beer."

"Is our next stop Nuremberg?" Lanny asked.

Roth nodded as he ate his sandwich.

"What will we see in Nuremberg?" Brian wondered. "I remember from World
History that is was where they tried all the big Nazis after the war?"

"Yes. There is much history there," Roth agreed. "Not all of it we are so
proud of."

"What will we see?"

"There are the usual castles, of course," Roth smiled. It is famous for
Lubkuchen, I think you say gingerbread. It is also famous for the Christmas
Market and many toys are made here. These are nice things. But most people
outside of Germany only know it for the Nazi period."

"Why is that?" Lanny wondered.

"If you have finished your lunch, let us be on our way," Roth suggested. "I
can tell you about it in the car."

When they pulled back onto the Autobahn, Roth continued. "I am not a great
student of history, but what I know about Nuremberg is interesting, I
think. This place has seen many problems. You may know that the original
Roman Empire lost its power in about the year 500. By this time the region
was mostly Catholic, and there was some desire to re-establish the
empire. As I remember, it was in about 800 when The Pope appointed
Charlemagne as Emperor of what they called the Holy Roman Empire. It was
called Roman because of the Roman Catholic church, not because it was
descended from the Rome of the Caesars. The territory included much of what
is now France and Northern Italy as well as the smaller countries around
Germany. From the beginning there was a history of intolerance of those who
were not Catholic. There were massacres and banishment of the Jewish
people, and after the Protestant Reformation, many conflicts between
Protestants and Catholics."

"But that was a long time ago. How long did it last?" Lanny wondered.

"I think until about 1800. But there were always quarrels about who was in
charge. There were competing kings and even competing Popes. In some cases
the King was over the Pope, and sometimes the Pope was over the King. I
think that at one time, the King and the Pope both excommunicated each
other. People were so disgusted with the situation, that it contributed to
the Protestant Reformation.

"It was then that much conflict began between Protestants and
Catholics. From about 1300 until 1800 there were many wars between the
factions, and also with the Turks and with Napoleon. it was very confusing,
I think. Even after the Holy Roman Empire was gone, there were more wars
and much arguing. There was the desire to create a united German
Empire. Some wanted to include Austria and some did not. In 1871 what is
now Germany was created."

"Did that end all the fighting?" Lanny asked.

"I think maybe it was better in some ways," Roth told him. "But there was
great suspicion of Catholics because it was feared that they would be more
loyal to the Pope than to the nation. A series of reforms made things
smoother. Even Jews were allowed to integrate into the population and many
were very successful. Then there was immigration of many Russian Jews who
were more difficult to assimilate, and that complicated the situation. I
think that dislike of Jews was still strong among many people.

"This situation continued until the declaration of World War I. That lasted
from 1914 to 1918 with Germany's defeat. After that war, the German people
suffered greatly."

"But we are going to Nuremberg. Why is it so important?" Brian asked.

"Adolf Hitler made it important for the Nazis when he was the
Chancellor. Nuremberg was important to the Holy Roman Empire, and I think
he wanted to make it a center for his new empire – the Third Reich. He
may have been crazy, but he was a powerful leader. There were important
military headquarters in Nuremberg and also large factories manufacturing
important weapons for war – submarines, tanks and aircraft. A
concentration camp was located here and he used the prisoners for slave
labor. He gave passionate speeches and had huge rallies at Nuremberg. He
made it a center of Nazi ideology and propaganda. He was a master showman
really. He promised to make Germany great again."

"I don't know much about Hitler except that he killed all the Jews, or
tried to," Lanny remembered.

"Hitler blamed the Jews for all of Germany's problems and his final
solution to that problem was to eliminate the Jews. That was almost too
terrible for people to believe. I think that most Germans were not aware of
what happened in those camps, or choose not to believe it. Anyone who asked
too many questions was in danger of joining them," Roth explained. "The
number is debated, but I think that he put over five million Jews to
death. Also a lot of political dissenters and even Catholic priests. Hitler
hated a lot of people, especially Jews or anyone who disagreed with him."

"This is hard for me to understand. Where did this guy Hitler come from?"
Brian asked.

"Hitler was born in Austria, but when he was three, his family moved to
Passau. You have been in that place," Roth reminded them. "I suppose he had
a difficult childhood. His younger brother died when Hitler was 14 and by
the time he was 18, both of his parents had died. He wanted to be an artist
but it seems he did not have enough talent for that. He moved to Vienna,
worked as a laborer and lived in a shelter for awhile. I think at that time
Vienna was very conservative and he learned to distrust Jews and
foreigners."

"How did he get into politics?" Lanny asked.

"That was later in his life. He wanted to get into the army, but he failed
his physical examination. Then when the First World War started he managed
to get into the Bavarian army. He was wounded and decided he liked war. He
found it exciting, I think."

"He stayed in the Army and joined the German Workers' Party which was very
nationalistic. They were against almost everything. They were anti-Semitic,
anti-Capitalist, and anti-Communist. I guess he liked that. Maybe it made
him feel important.

"When he got out of the Army, he started working for the party. He designed
the swastika flag. Did you know that? He gave exciting speeches and was
elected Party chairman."

"How did he get from that to German Chancellor?"

"Roth laughed, "First, he took a little detour. He led his party in an
attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government and was sentenced to five
years in jail, but he was released after one year. While in prison he wrote
his book, Mein Kampf – that means My Struggle. After he got out of jail,
he promised to behave and was allowed to lead his party again.

"Then he had a big opportunity. The stock market collapsed in America and
the world went into the great depression. This affected Germany very
badly. There were no jobs and people were hungry. Hitler was a very
powerful speaker and promised to fix everything so he became popular. Maybe
they were stupid, but maybe they were mostly desperate.

"The Nazi party became so strong that it dominated all others and Hitler
was appointed as Chancellor in 1933. It was very unfortunate, I think. As
Chancellor he had tremendous power. The party set fire to the Parliament
building and blamed the Communists. Hitler managed to get himself granted
emergency powers, and soon, he was basically a dictator. That was the
beginning of some terrible times for us."

"What were these emergency powers?" Lanny asked.

"It meant that he was in charge of everything and could do whatever he
pleased. He eliminated all those who opposed him and said that he was
simply restoring order. It was frightening, but he had the support of the
people. Hitler ignored the restrictions placed on Germany after the First
World War and that made the country more prosperous. He said that Germany
needed more Lebenstraum, that is, Living Space, and in 1939 he invaded
Poland and started the Second World War. We now see Hitler as a kind of
madman, but at the time he was very popular with the common people."

"And everyone supported him? That's hard to believe," Brian shook his head.

"Roth shook his head. "Remember that Germany was very depressed
economically, and the military buildup put people back to work. He created
the Autobahns so he could move troops and supplies across the country very
quickly. He paid for much of this with money he confiscated from the Jews,
and anyone who opposed him was eliminated. That's what dictators do."

After this lesson in German history, they found themselves nearing the town
of Nuremberg. "We are almost here," Roth told them.

"For someone who doesn't claim to be a historian, you know a lot about all
this," Lanny said.

Roth shrugged. "It is the history of my country. We learn much of this in
school. We know it is important for us to understand such a terrible
time. I hope it will never happen again."

"That's really sad," Brian said.

"Yes, yes. My beautiful country has a rich history," Roth
explained. "Germany has contributed wonderful things to the world in art,
music, science and religion. But there is a dark side to our history as
well. It would not be honest of me to hide this from you. Now it is late in
the afternoon. I suggest that we find a place to sleep tonight first, then
I want you to see something that I think you will enjoy. Is that a good
idea?"

"You're the boss," Lanny smiled. "Whatever you think best. Let me see what
I can find for us." Lanny tapped on his phone and after shaking his head
several times, smiled and looked up at Roth.

"If you don't mind sharing a room with us, I think we can all three stay
for about $50."

"Yes. Of course. If you do not mind that I sleep in your tent, I can be
happy in your room," Roth laughed.

"It is the A&O Nuernberg Hauptbahnhof. I reserved and paid for the
room. Here is the address," Lanny showed the phone to Roth.

"I think that is not far away," Roth said after looking at the address. "We
can unload our bags and find some dinner."

They looked the room over and decided it would be fine. There were three
single beds and it was clean and neat. "This has more room than our tent,"
Brian laughed.

They went back to the desk where Roth asked the clerk to recommend a place
to eat. "He says that the Wanderer Bieramt will be good. Will we try that?"

"Lead the way," Lanny told him.

They drove a short distance to an old building with a tall tower on one
side. Nestled in the corner was a white wall with tables and chairs outside
next to the cobblestone pavement. They went inside and looked over the menu
posted on the wall. "What will you have?" Roth asked.

"As usual, we will trust your judgment," Lanny replied.

"Then I think I would like some wurst – some sausages. Will that be good
for you? And I want a beer. Will you join me tonight?"

"Sure," Brian shrugged. "This is Germany after all, and your beer is very
tasty. Even I have to admit that."

"Good! Then I will order something for us."

The inside of the restaurant was small and crowded, and the tables outside
looked inviting. They went out and waited for a few minutes and a young man
carrying a large tray on his shoulder, came out and found them. He laid out
three glass steins of beer, and plates of grilled sausage surrounded by
cooked red cabbage and creamy potatoes. It smelled wonderful.

"This is good!" Lanny exclaimed after a few bites.

"I am so happy that you like it," Roth said. "This is real German
food. This nation runs on sausage and beer."

As they ate, Lanny asked, "What does our tour guide have planned for this
evening?"

Roth chewed for a moment then looked thoughtful. "There is a famous church
here. It is also named Frauenkirche, and is interesting. Today is Saturday,
and at 6:30 there is a Eucharist. We can attend that and see the
church. Perhaps also hear some nice music. Would you like to do that?"

"Sure. We are good church boys. Is it alright for us to attend since we
aren't actually Catholic?" Brian asked.

Roth shrugged. "Anyone may attend, and if you want to receive Holy
Communion, they will serve you if you appear to know what you are
doing. You said your church is very similar."

"I don't think God will strike us dead," Brian smiled. "Kind of 'don't ask,
don't tell', right?"

"Yes. I think so," Roth smiled. "We can go a little early and look at the
inside."

They enjoyed a nice walk to the old church and paused to admire the
architecture. It was nicely decorated on the outside, but relatively simple
in style. It had a single steep roof that came to a peak in the center,
with a large tower in the center of the entrance. There was a fine clock
with bells and dancing figures that moved when the clock struck the hour.

Inside they went up near the front and took a seat. The church seemed
larger on the inside than they would have guessed. The interior was
supported by rather plain stone columns which were decorated with gilt
objects. The pipes of the organ were exposed and very numerous. It did look
interesting. They sat and waited for the service to begin while more people
came in and took their seats. Just before 6:30 the organ swelled and the
service began. There was a procession of choir and servers followed by a
priest in lovely vestments.

Brian leaned towards Roth and whispered, "This looks very familiar except
that the organ is a lot nicer. You would feel at home in an Episcopal
church."

"Umm. Perhaps I will visit you some day. Will a Catholic be welcome there?"

"Oh sure. We'll take anybody," Brian chuckled.

The service was in German, but other than that, was easy enough for the two
Americans to follow. When the Eucharist was celebrated they went up with
the others and received the elements without incident. After the service,
most people left but they lingered to have a better look at the
interior. No one bothered them as Roth told them what he knew about the
history of the place.

"This church is quite old. It goes back to the 1300s I think. It replaced a
Jewish synagogue that was destroyed during a pogrom at that time. More of
our interesting history, I'm afraid," Roth told them.

They took their time walking back to their hostel, looking at those small
shops which were still open. Roth bought a package of gingerbread for them
to snack on. Many of the buildings were covered with half-timbered walls
and painted panels. It was very picturesque to Brian and Lanny's eyes. By
the time they returned to their hostel, it was dark and the streets were
less crowded.

There was a small pub attached to the hostel and Roth stopped there. "Can I
tempt you with another beer? It is a customary thing to do on a Saturday
evening, eh? Friends sit and share a glass of beer and talk with each
other."

Lanny nodded. Brian smiled and admitted, "I think maybe I've been a little
judgmental about your beer. I may be developing a taste for it."

"Good. Then let me treat us to a drink, since you paid for the gas in the
car and bought my dinner. You are even paying for the hostel. At least let
me buy us a round of beer."

"Lanny smiled, "I think we are feeling guilty for all the hospitality that
was shown to us in Munich. But we couldn't refuse your kind offer."

They sat outside at a small table and Roth ordered beer and a bowl of
pretzels to munch on.

"You have shared a lot of history with us today," Brian said. "And not the
sort of history I expected to hear."

Roth nodded. "Perhaps I told you too much. But it bothers me that we
sometimes like to forget about that part of our history. Some people say
that it was bad, but now we must forget the past. I don't think so. I think
we must remember those things. If we forget them we might make the same
mistakes again. There are still some who do not like Jews or
foreigners. That troubles me. If I only tell you pretty stories, you do not
really understand us."

"There are parts of American history which aren't very pretty too," Brian
told him. "When our white European ancestors migrated out across the
country, they treated the Native Americans disgracefully. We stole their
land and when they resisted we slaughtered them. We sort of like to forget
that part."

"And the history of slavery in the States is really a sad part of our
past," Lanny said. "There is still a lot of discrimination against black
people in parts of the country. And there is great resentment on the part
of many African Americans against the economic inequality that still
exists. None of us have a past untainted by a certain amount of shame."

"I think so," Roth agreed. "And there is still a problem with homosexual
people. I think that is more of a problem in America than in Germany. It
troubles me to think about it. Especially now that I know you. I am a
little afraid for you sometimes."

"Those things are improving," Lanny assured him. "Those problems are less
serious then they were at one time, but they are still around."

"Part of that sort of thing comes from religious fundamentalism," Brian
said. "But part of it is just a resistance to the idea that we are all
equal. Some people just want to be sure that they are better than somebody,
and resist the idea that we are all equal. They want to be sure that
somebody is beneath them."

"Yes. I think that is part of why Jews have been so outcast. Is that human
nature?" Roth asked. "I wish that was not so, but I think it is. Not for
everyone, but for some. It is the terrible problem of terrorism in the
world today. I think that Islam is not a violent religion, but there are
some who twist it into something terrible. That is a result of a different
sort of religious fundamentalism, I think."

Lanny shook his head. "There are Christians who do about the same
thing. The reaction to violence is more violence. I don't know if that will
ever change."

"I don't know how to change that," Roth admitted. "It is not in my power to
change other people. But I can be sure that I treat the people I meet with
respect. Maybe that is all any of us can do."

Brian drank the last of his glass of beer. "Can we solve the problems of
the world with only one glass of beer?"

"No, no. It will take much more beer than that," Roth laughed. "Maybe if we
could get all people to drink beer together, it would be a better world. Do
you think so?"

Lanny raised his glass and smiled. "If we could get them to try and
understand each other it might help."

"Are we really so different from each other?" Brian asked.

"I don't know," Roth shrugged. "It will take much more beer before I think
I have the answer to that. I think maybe there is not enough beer to solve
that problem. At least, not tonight."

"Right. I think I'm about ready for bed," Lanny admitted.

Roth smiled. "Maybe you would like to go to bed now. I think I want one
more glass of this nice beer. It will take me an hour to drink that. Please
go and spend time with each other. Is that a good idea?"

Brian looked at Lanny and smiled. "That might be a good idea. You ready for
bed?"

"I think so," Lanny agreed. "Enjoy your beer Roth, and thanks."


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To be continued.

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