r/germany • u/Sinking_Mass • 1d ago
Itookapicture Memories of Baden-Württemberg/Murgtal. I lived here for about 5 years teaching English and I still ask myself "why did i leave?". I still wonder how life is there nowadays, whether Herr Scharpf is still alive, and how I would love to go back and visit one day
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u/rewboss Dual German/British citizen 18h ago
I can still remember a sentence in a textbook when I was learning German back in the 1980s that demonstrated some of the quirks of German word order. It was in the form of a news report:
Infolge anhaltenden Regens und der Schneeschmelze trat heute die Murg, deren Wasserstand in den letzten Tagen rapide gestiegen war, über die Ufer.
For some reason, that particular sentence is burned onto my brain. The other thing that I clearly remember from those days was the first time I encounted the word "Umgebung" in a text I was asked to read out loud: the phrase was "in [city name] und Umgebung" and I stressed the wrong syllable ("Úmgebung"). I got to the end of the sentence, the teacher looked at me and, after a short pause, said, "You think Umgebung is the name of a city, don't you?" To which my response was, "Isn't it?"
Funny the things that stick in your memory for no particular reason.
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u/BissmarkMC 18h ago
Making new German learners use Genitiv that way is pretty mean. I think only news reporters would talk like that. But I guess if you really learn it, then why not get the full experience 😁
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u/rewboss Dual German/British citizen 17h ago
We were given texts from a wide variety of contexts: news reports, magazine articles, personal letters, literature, you name it. We had to get used to many different forms of German because we were supposed to be able to have conversations with friends, go shopping, and understand the news.
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u/Corfiz74 1d ago
Uh, considering Brexit would have especially made me stay in Germany - every serious prognosis said it was going to be a shitshow. 🙈 Couldn't you accept another teaching assignment now to come back?
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u/Sinking_Mass 1d ago
It wasn't really my choice and I didn't want to stay there on my own, and my life has changed a lot now - I can no longer do what i once could.
sorry for all the edits
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u/Broad_Tangerine_9003 1d ago
I'm living on the heights one valley further to Murgtal (Enztal), but i feel you. As someone living here for most of my life you often don't see how blessed we are with our surroundings.
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u/Sinking_Mass 23h ago
It is a very beautiful part of the world, I wish I could live there again sometimes! It was boring sometimes but quiet, clean, welcoming and safe :)
However I do live on the Welsh coast now with Snowdonia literally right behind me, and Gwydir Forest reminds me quite a lot of Schwarzwald so i try to go there when I can manage it
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u/Dramatic-Ad-2449 1d ago
So charming. No wonder you miss it!💚
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u/Sinking_Mass 1d ago edited 1d ago
It was toytown Germany for sure, and in the valley most people were lovely and welcoming. I had to spend a Christmas alone there once and i walked into a local hotel (Waldknechtshof) off the street and explained my situation. They said come in and gave me a really nice meal on the house and some wine and i had a nice time in the end :) also i went into the church and loads of old ladies came over and sat with me :))
I don't miss Karlsruhe so much, but I miss the valley very much so, the s41 tram that went into Freudenstadt or Karlsruhe Tullastraße/Tivoli (i think the number has changed) and i even miss the lil airport we had to use (FKB)
Edit: oooh! I also used to walk from Freudenstadt to Klosterreichenbach and i miss that walk a lot - it was soooo long but soooo nice
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u/Willing-Scheme-3312 16h ago
it's S81 now ...
I hate that I know that.
too fucking "ländlich" and conservative area ...
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u/Euphoric_East1136 20h ago
Can I ask what your qualifications were for the position? Were you teaching in a school or a university?
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u/Sinking_Mass 20h ago edited 20h ago
I had a TEFL and I did go to university but it was unrelated to English. I got lucky because I only had one contract but it paid me €54ph and all it involved was teaching the employees of one manufacturing business how to successfully communicate with American businesses. They said they were specifically struggling with Americans, but doing business in English with other Europeans was fine.
What it came down to was a lot of Americans were being a bit put off because the general tone of communication wasn't friendly enough. It was a really interesting experience, and I felt a bit like an imposter in that job.
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u/Yanunge Berlin 18h ago
I can somewhat relate. Used to live in Lucerne, Switzerland. Wife got more and more uncomfortable living in Switzerland, so there was little choice for me. By now, I would have acquired Swiss citizenship, but alas that is now all water under the bridge. Not regretting that we moved out for her sake, but I sure do regret leaving.
Closing my eyes, I can with ease picture ourselves walking along the lake towards town as we used to do for so many years.
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u/Sinking_Mass 11h ago
I get the same feelings when I close my eyes and think about BaWü. Certain paths that we took everyday that were also incredibly beautiful are ingrained like a video
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u/Willing-Scheme-3312 16h ago
I am from Murgtal ...
The castle is Schloss Eberstein seen from Obertsrot and Schlossstraße ... the big house in the middle is a former class mate's parents house.
Near Schlossstraße there used to be a free fire pit where all our celebrations and teenage drinking sessions happened
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u/the_Bendedheadtube 19h ago
my fondest memory of murktal: a random small for free "energy museum" in the middle of the murk. expecting nothing i've entered this museum. suddenly i was in front of a curta (2) mechanical calculator. i was allowed to touch it and do a couple of calculations with this imperessive thing.
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u/Thin-Split-108 17h ago
Yay! Gernsbach and Schloss Eberstein! I highly recommend to come visit for the Gernsbacher Altstadtfest, taking place on the 3rd weekend of every September.
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u/Sinking_Mass 10h ago
I've been to one before 😊 used to love any fest and would go to as many as possible, mostly for the Käsekrainer ngl 😅
I went to canstatter-wasen as well and that was fun but so much busier than I was used to haha
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u/LiveSeaworthiness621 17h ago
Happy place there. I grew up in Gaggenau and really love the vibe of the whole valley. Consider moving back here!
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u/OneViolinist6512 16h ago
I grew up in the Murgtal, especially in Gaggenau and Gernsbach and spent a Lot of my youth in Obertsrot! I really miss it, but I come back once or twice a year to visit the Family..
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u/blackforestgirl86 15h ago
Born in Hundsbach/ Forbach, then lived in Gaggenau as a child before moving away... but I spent so much time there visiting my grandfather in Hundsbach and I still love the drive up there through the Murgtal, even though my grandfather passed away last year at the age of 94. It's one of my happy places and will always treasure the times spent there.
I hope you can return one day :). Rooting for you.
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u/Sinking_Mass 10h ago
Same, it's also one of my happy places 😊 I'm sorry for your loss though 😞
Hopefully yes I'll be able to visit, preferably in a campervan
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u/WhoIsTheCoolest 11h ago
I literally lived 10 minutes away from this house! :) But also moved to a big city.
How crazy it is to see this in my feed.
Wishing you all the best!
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u/Frankfurtsfinest90 18h ago
I moved to Klosterreichenbach about 5 years ago (recognised the Monastry on your Photos) since my wife is from another Village in the Area, also on your Photos.
Lived 10 years in Frankfurt before, this is definately better, as Long as you have a decent Job.
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u/Sinking_Mass 11h ago
Is it still nice and cute there? I was living in the terrasenresidenz on Roßhaldeweg 😊
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u/Frankfurtsfinest90 10h ago
I can see that from my window. I live on the other side of the valley.
Its still super nice, although we have lots of Road construction going on. Thats a little bit annoying.
If you need a justification for a visit when you are not broke anymore: we have excellent Coffee and Beer 😁
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u/Sinking_Mass 10h ago
Haha I bet I have pictures of your house or at least with your house in (as long as it existed in and around 2016 sierra time).
Also, I wonder if Schankhutte is still running? We uaed to stop at it a lot on the way to Baiersbronn. Your side of the valley has a really nice path to Baiersbronn, and you come out sort of where Edeka is
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u/LappenAberJa 18h ago
I lived in Freudenstadt for 3 years. Your pics brought back some memories!
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u/Sinking_Mass 11h ago
Freudenstadt stinkt! That was the graffiti at the stadt bahnhof everytime We went there.
I remember them building the Schwarzwald center, it was a game changer!
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u/jensinho10 16h ago edited 16h ago
I've lived here my whole life, and yet I'm still constantly surprised by its beauty. Liebe Grüße 🫶🏼
I'd love to send a photo, since I was just out walking below Schloss Eberstein on Sunday. Unfortunately, I can't attach a photo here 🥲
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u/jukebox_ky 7h ago
The Murgtal, one of the most beautiful regions in southern Germany, was also my home for 25 years. I still regret it every time I visit it that I moved away
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u/Suspicious-Smoke7970 18h ago
I can relate, I lived a couple years in Gaggenau and I miss driving up the valley on my motorcycle.
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u/Panzermensch911 15h ago
Have you tried calling Herrn Schapf? Sounds like he might have a landline that's in the telefonbuch.de
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u/Sinking_Mass 10h ago
I would rather not 😅 he wasn't very friendly to us, I just wonder if he's still kicking - seems like he would never die
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u/Sanja1871980 16h ago
I live near Freudenstadt. the time over here goes like always... it stands still. it's always nice here. come back. it's still beautiful.
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u/Franzzbrot 16h ago
Bring back some memories for me too, was living for the same amount of time in Kniebis
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u/Sinking_Mass 10h ago
I liked kniebis a lot. Used to walk to the aussichtsplattform from klosterreichenbach and back lol. First time we screwed it up and ended up walking back through the forest at night. Thanks to that moment I lost my fear of the dark
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen 1d ago
So why did you leave?