Intellectual Ferment of a Different Kind
On the Old Antique and Second-Hand Market The Trödelstuben’s very name hints at what’s in store inside while also gesturing to the city’s past. It’s a warren of discrete nooks and crannies with wrought iron, coloured glass depicting motifs of Old Nürnberg, wood reliefs …
Every year of beer travel is special in its own way, and 2025 was no different. The past year is a mosaic of beloved places I hadn’t visited for decades, like Japan. Old friends like Munich for Oktoberfest or Bamberg for Bock. Cities I …
At the Wirtshaus It’s early evening and you’ve just hiked over the hill from the next town. An elaborate wrought-iron sign marks the spot, an old wizened door beckons. Inside, the Wirtshaus echoes with the sounds of merriment and the clinking of glasses. …
~Evoking Gemütlichkeit at the Wirtshaus~ It was the early 1990s. I had only recently discovered what German beer was all about, and was doing my level best to try as many of them as possible. Occasionally, my friends and I would find our …
Medieval Inns and Taverns The Wirtshaus is a Central European institution with deep roots in medieval times. During the early and high Middle Ages, inns with taverns sprung up along trade and pilgrimage routes, offering food and accommodation to weary travelers, along with stables …
The rain caught us unawares. A veil of mist rapidly descended, shrouding the hills in the distance. The first few drops announced themselves with a rattle through the leaves. Soon the path was a series of tiny rivulets. Leaves in autumn hues swirled around …
Translating German Beer Terms Writing about the history and culture of beer in Central Europe invariably involves acts of translation — not only translation of the German-language sources that I read, but also translation in a broad sense. The Russian linguist Roman Jakobson identified …
It’s been awhile. Blame Vienna. It’s not the first time I’ve done so over the course of the past eighteen months. Rather than sit here and tell you about all the cool stuff I’ve got in the works, I thought I’d dash off a quick …