Category Archives: German house decoration

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt. III: Faith of Our Fathers

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

Bavaria has been overwhelmingly Roman Catholic for centuries. Even today, Bavaria contains the highest percentage of Catholics of any state in Germany, as the following map from the German Bishops’ Conference (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) shows. This faith helped define the identities … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches and religion, Europe, Folk traditions, German art, German history, German house decoration, Public art, Tourist destinations, Village life | 1 Comment

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald, pt II: Life before Plastic

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

The word plastic means, more or less, “pliable” or “moldable.” Plastics are so pervasive in our lives that it’s hard to remember how recent they are. The first modern plastic was only invented in the 1850’s, and it wasn’t until … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Folk traditions, German history, German house decoration, Recreation, Tourist destinations, Village life | 2 Comments

Museumsdorf Bayerischer Wald: History in the Open Air

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Clare Dunkle

This wonderful open-air museum lies in the village of Tittling, twenty minutes north of Passau, in southeastern Germany. The large, grassy park contains a hundred and fifty buildings that, according to the website, date from 1580 to 1850–a nice bit … Continue reading →

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Tim-berrrr!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Clare Dunkle

On a foggy evening this week, Joe and I visited Bernkastel-Kues on the Mosel River, and I took the above photo of the St. Michaelsbrunnen, or St. Michael’s Fountain, in the middle of the old town square. How old is … Continue reading →

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Lüftlmalerei in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Clare Dunkle

Cynical tourists visiting Bavaria might be tempted to think that the bright murals on the sides of houses there have been painted for their benefit. This isn’t true. The tradition of Lüftlmalerei, or Bavarian mural painting, has flourished since at … Continue reading →

Posted in Folk traditions, German art, German house decoration, Tourist destinations | 1 Comment

A Fish out of Water

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Clare Dunkle

When I was a little girl in Denton, Texas, my brothers and I played with the Goetz boys, who lived around the corner. We were terribly excited when they arrived because they came from Germany. (Our experience of Germans up … Continue reading →

Posted in Folk traditions, Gardening, German house decoration, Public art, Rural scenery, Texas, Tourist destinations | 2 Comments

An Afternoon Walk around Rodenbach

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Clare Dunkle

The town I live in is like Grandma’s cookie jar: I never know what I’ll find when I shut my front door and walk outside, but I can be pretty sure I’m going to love it. There are lots of … Continue reading →

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More whimsical Germany

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Clare Dunkle

Speaking of that sense of magical fun and good humor that often emerges in German public art, here is a little charmer who resides two doors down from my apartment. She’s peeping out at the world from underneath the mailbox, … Continue reading →

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