The first few days at Goethe University have been great. The campus huge (40,000 students) and is beautiful. After class on Monday, we got a tour of the University and learned some pretty interesting things about its history. The Campus Westend (where I am attending classes) was built by a chemical company - I.G. Farbenindustrie in 1928. There chemists invented a poisen known as Zyklon B. Zyklon B was originally used for pest control, but sadly ended up being used as the extermination gas at concentration camps. Campus Westend was also used as a shelter for local Frankfurters during the Allied air strikes of WWII. After WWII, Allied forces divided up the control of Germany and the I.G. Farbenindustrie building became the American Army headquarters under US Gerneral Eisenhower until 1995. After the Americans left, Goethe University officials bought the building with the surrounding land and decided to relocate to its current position. The dorms of course are new, along with the lecture hall building but it is so neat to be taking classes at a school with such interesting history!
Today most of the group went on an optional trip to Strasbourg France. I decided to stay back because I will be staying in Strasbourg for 2 days after I leave Frankfurt and was feeling a little run down – the cold/rainy weather doesn’t help, especially when you bring all summer clothes!
Tomorrow is a normal day of classes and then Bier Bike! I better go get my studying done.
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