And I should probably get some. It’s pretty cold. Shorts don’t really cut it in the Bavarian Autumns.

Anyways I got off to a late start today and decided to go for a walking city tour focusing on the rise of the Third Reich and how the Nazis came to power. When I was in the main town square though, I noticed a large protest going on, though maybe it was more of an awareness rally. Some group or event called Falun Dafa was holding a rally, complete with marching band, and carrying large signs promoting Falun Gong, a type of meditation, with other large signs showing Chinese persecution of these people. Signs showed them being tortured and killed in camps, and then their organs are sold for huge profits on the black market.

Anyways… For anyone wondering, the First Reich was considered to be the Holy Roman Empire, 962–1806, and the Second Reich the German Empire, 1871–1918, and of course the Third Reich being Nazi Germany. We walked along famous historical spots that you would never know that something big happened in the past, such as visiting one of the halls in the famous Hofbräuhaus, where Hitler himself gave speeches to build support for the growing Nazi party, some of the memorials, to the old town hall well Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels gave an impromptu speech upon learning about the death of a German diplomat in Paris at the hands of Jew, using that to push for more anti-Jewish sentiment. We also learned how Hitler got his famous toothbrush ‘stache! Long story short: They like beards and facial hair in those times. Unfortunately when gas warfare came along, it was not possible to have facial hair and effectively use a gas mask, so they just shaved where the mask could seal around their face, but still be able to keep some hair. As a message runner in WW1, Hitler was exposed to gas which temporarily damaged his eyesight. Funnily enough the tour guide is from Scotland, and has been living in Germany for 11 years.

After that I spent some time walking around talking with a guy I had met on the tour, and we walked through a big political rally, which seemed to have people from several parties all together. After that we spent some time roaming the grounds of Oktoberfest which was fun.

Also, Happy German Unity Day!

“The Day of German Unity (German: Tag der Deutschen Einheit) is the national day of Germany, celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday. It commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990 when the goal of a united Germany, that originated in the middle of the 19th century, was fulfilled again. Therefore, the name addresses neither the re-union nor the union, but the unity of Germany. The Day of German Unity on 3 October has been the German national holiday since 1990, when the reunification was formally completed. ”

Images here!