Performances, Protestantism and Progress:
Germany in the 21st Century
Includes the Oberammergau Passion Play

Sept. 17–Oct. 2, 2010

NOTE: Registration for this program is closed. Please contact us if you want to be on the wait list.

·Where can you attend a 10-minute worship service on your way home from work?
Ten-minute religious services - conceived for office workers heading home - are held every day at the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) in Berlin.

·Go to Itinerary
·Printable full program description

Extra features:

  • Oberammergau Passion Play: a video about the history of this project
  • Listen to Germany's National Anthem.
  • See photos that will give you a preview of places you will visit on this program.
    (Photos taken by Heidi Quiram in late November 2008)

PROGRAM LEADERS:
Pat Quade '65 , Professor Emeritus of Theater
Kathy Quade, Retired St. Olaf Disability Services Coordinator

Germany has influenced European and world affairs for centuries. In the last 60 years we’ve seen its transformation from authoritarian regime to thriving democracy. Now is a good time to explore the intriguing complexities of German culture and history through the themes of performances, Protestantism and progress.

Seminars led by Pat Quade and guest speakers will guide our understanding of the culture, including the development of Protestantism, the sense of a Germanic perspective on the world and the flowering of visual art, architecture, music and opera.

We’ll visit Eisenach, Erfurt and Wittenberg, significant sites in the education, theological training and quiet rebellion of Martin Luther. We’ll be warmed by German hospitality and gemütlichkeit in the medieval town of Rothenberg ob der Tauber and on a short cruise on the Rhine River. In Bavarian Munich we’ll join the celebration of Oktoberfest.

We’ll also attend the Passion Play. In the 1630s, the residents of Oberammergau promised God that they would perform it every 10 years if their village were spared from the plague. The number of deaths decreased, and the residents kept their promise: They have performed the play once a decade for more than 370 years. The seven-hour performance — with a three-hour intermission for dinner — depicts the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Drawing on his extensive theater background, Pat will help us appreciate the production and context of this monumental play.

Concert and opera performances and museum tours will give us a taste of the artistic excellence of Berlin, one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. We’ll see German traditions in architecture and education evident in Berlin’s castles, cathedrals and universities. And nowhere is German progress more visible than in Berlin: Potsdamer Platz, formerly a no-man’s-land divided by the Wall, now gleams with new skyscrapers and a restored Reichstag, testaments to the prosperity of a reunified Germany.

Discover Some of Germany’s Distinctive Features

  • Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) — The largest gothic cathedral in Germany and considered one of the greatest in the world, it houses the Shrine of the Three Magi.
  • Rhine River — Picturesque and romantic, it is graced with breath-taking castles.
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber — Located on the Romantic Road, it is the best-preserved medieval city in Germany.
  • Oktoberfest — More than just beer, the world’s largest festival is an important part of Bavarian history and culture.
  • Eisenach, Erfurt and Wittenberg — Towns that shaped a man who changed the world.
  • Berlin — See for yourself how “Berlin is reconciling itself to its notorious history and moving with confidence into its future. As one hip young Berliner, Joachim Stressmann, told us: ‘We don't know where we’re going, but we know where we’ve been, and no one wants to go back there.’” (Quotation from frommers.com)

Program Leaders
Pat and Kathy Quade are veteran travelers and program leaders. Pat led his first Study Travel program in October 1995. He and Kathy have led St. Olaf students on Term in the Middle East and Global Semester. They have also led Study Travel programs in at least 11 different countries, and have plans for more. Pat graduated from St. Olaf in 1965 and taught in the theater department from 1968 to 1996. In addition to teaching and directing plays, he served from 1996 to 2004 as director of International and Off-Campus Studies, which sends over 800 students abroad each year on more than 35 Interim courses and 60 semester- or year-long programs. Kathy served as student disability services coordinator at St. Olaf before her retirement. Countless Study Travelers can attest to Kathy’s generous and compassionate nature.

What to Expect
Most of our days will start with breakfast and a morning departure (between 8 and 9 a.m.) by private coach. For the first half of the program, most of our days are filled with tours and visits. Free time will typically be an hour or two in the evening, except for a free day in Munich. For our time in Berlin, we have arranged a free afternoon each day. Pat and Kathy will host many optional visits in the afternoons. This schedule can be vigorous, depending on how you use your free time.

All accommodations are at tourist-class hotels located in city centers. Keep in mind that European hotel rooms are typically smaller than their American counterparts, but hotels will be clean, comfortable and generally offer the usual amenities such as around-the-clock, English-speaking desk staff, hair driers, a mini-safe and coffee/tea making service in your room.

European cities — including those we’ll visit — are best experienced on foot. Be prepared for lots of walking! Our private coach will move us from city to city, but once in a new city, we will walk from hotel to museums to group meals. Comfortable shoes trump the latest fashion!

You should be capable of walking up to five miles per day over possibly uneven terrain (e.g. cobblestones or sidewalks in disrepair), climbing stairs that may not have handrails, keeping pace with an active group of travelers, dealing with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing a different culture, and being a considerate member of a group (prompt, courteous and flexible).

Airport transfers and day excursions outside the city will be made by private coach. You will need to manage your own luggage through the airport.

The weather in late September should be pleasant, with lows in the mid-40s Fahrenheit and highs in the low 60s. About 1.5 inches of rain fall on average in September, so a collapsible umbrella or raincoat will be useful.

Program Fee

The program fee is $5,950 per person. After May 15, 2010, the program fee could be subject to additional airfare depending on availability. Based on double occupancy, the program fee includes:
  • Seminars by Pat Quade and guest speakers
  • Roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis/St. Paul
  • Accommodations
  • Breakfast daily and several other group meals
  • Group tours
  • Admissions for group activities including the Passion Play and other performances
  • Ground transportation
  • Gratuities

For single occupancy, add $750. To travel “land only” (making your own arrangements to Cologne and from Berlin), subtract $1,325. Payment schedule

Continuing Education Units
Approximately 42 hours of continuing education are available.

Register
Registration for this program is closed.

Forms for registered travelers: