Batty's World Tour– Day One: Germany

New Ulm, Minnesota

Home of the statue of “Herman the German”, the aptly named city of New Ulm celebrates its German heritage. German speaking settlers settled here in the 1800s, giving this city a distinctly European flair.



Several artists of German/Bohemian descent lived here, the most famous being Wanda Gág, writer and illustrator of children’s books and noted print maker. Her childhood home, which was featured in her childhood diaries, has been restored. It was built by her father, Anton, and is full of unusual angles and whimsical decor:



Having read the diaries, my sense of the place was immensely enhanced. On our trip we toured (and stayed in) many grand houses, but none of them had the personal impact of this small house. Our visit here was also tinged with sorrow; our guide was trying hard to keep her composure. A great tragedy had preceded our visit:



Bobbi ran a B&B in town. In addition to Bobbi and her daughters, three guests also perished in the fire:



We had reservations to stay there.