Today we were in the City Museum. The director, Dr. Regina Heilmann, gave us a short overview of the history of Ludwigshafen. Ludwigshafen is only about 150 years old – compared to the history of Damascus, that is very young. Before BASF was founded, there were some old farms here; the remains of Roman settlements can also be found in the metropolitan area. But the city only grew along with the chemical factory. Thousands of workers streamed into the city – and it took a long time till there was housing for everyone. It took even longer until there was good housing. The city experienced two world wars, many deaths and great destruction. Sufficient housing has not been available for very long. The arrival of the refugees is another challenge to provide sufficient housing. This is being worked on. Our group today included bricklayers and carpenters – craftsmen who can help build a future for Ludwigshafen.
The short history lesson ended today with a typical dish of the region: potato soup. Here in the area it is frequently eaten – like lentil soup in many areas of Syria.
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