On Saturday, June 15th 2024, members of our chapter traveled to Flensburg for a walking tour led by precinct captain Bobby Winkler, and a guided tour of the Flensburg brewery. The event was a fundraiser for Democrats Abroad, so it was more about the fun outing than politics and GOTV -- although, as always, we had our eyes open for Americans to whom we could hand out VoteFromAbroad cards. Never miss the chance!
Flensburg is right on the Danish border -- some of the bus lines terminate in Denmark. Our Northern Germany chapter doesn't get any more northern than that. Bobby related highlights of the city's long history, going back at least 800 years, during which Flensburg changed hands between Danish and German rule a number of times. The Danish presence in Flensburg is significant to this day, with many shops indicating that Danish is spoken, and displaying signs in both languages.
Flensburg is well-preserved, with blink-and-you'll-miss-it inner courtyards, and striking buildings that were built centuries ago. As Bobby said, it was a reminder to take in the whole view as you go through your day, rather than just look straight ahead with tunnel vision. The white building shown above is the oldest one in the city, dating from the 1400s.
Building for the St Nikolai Church began in 1390. It features an extraordinary church organ, actually an unusual "double organ" (the Schnitger-Orgel and Symphonische Orgel). The Schnitger-Orgel was added to the church in the 17th century by order of the Danish king, and the structure was restored during the 1990s and early 2000s.
The tour of the Flensburg brewery was a fascinating deep dive into the nuances of malts, yeasts, fermentation, bottling and many more subjects. The beer is made with glacial waters in wells deep below the brewery that were left behind after the last Ice Age. A bit of northern German pride was unmistakable, with their focus on regional suppliers and their unique water source. Vielen Dank to our tour guide Flo, who was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fielded our many questions well.
The highlight at the end of the tour was the herzhafte Brotzeit -- a beer-tasting in the on-premise saloon, with some hearty northern German fare to keep our stomachs settled. We got to try out some new varieties that we had only just learned about during the tour. Rumors that some Democrats were feeling fairly well-oiled by the end of the day are unconfirmed.
It was an authentically drizzly day in northern Germany, but we're used to it and we knew how to be prepared for it. We loved getting to know our northernmost neighbor better, and now many of us want to go back. We especially enjoyed meeting new members who joined a DA event for the first time. Thanks again Bobby for a great day!