Rubble Hill

Spring is in the air!  

And that means that we are getting out more as a family.  

I love the hope of springtime.  So much to look forward to.

We spent last Saturday doing a little nearby exploring.  We hiked up to Rubble Hill, an artificial hill made out of the rubble that resulted from the destruction during WWII.   The allies flew 53 bombing missions over Stuttgart during the war.  Since it was a big industrial hub for the Nazi war machine, it was a high priority target for the allies.  Stuttgart was 45% destroyed, with the city center being almost completely destroyed.   

So, after the war the Germans cleared all the rubble and put it on top of this hill.  And it's still here!

From a hospital, maybe?

This sign says: This mountain piled up after World War II from the rubble of the city stands as a memorial to the victims and a warning to the living.

It's the highest hill in Stuttgart

I have to say that it was pretty sobering to be up there.  

I thought it would just be a carefree family outing to see something interesting, but I felt surprisingly moved up there… it's hard to imagine what all of these European cities and people went through… city after city destroyed.  It was interesting to catch just a smidgin of what the destruction was like.