58. A General Letter from Salzburg

A mimeographed letter dated March 11, 1971, addressed to “Dear Folks” and signed by lots of the study abroad students stationed in Salzburg, Austria. The first four paragraphs were signed by Judy Northcott. The final ten paragraphs were signed by the Tom Jarret family, Patty Jean Porter, Janis Tribe, Kathy Barlow, Sandi Harnagle, Elaine Bowers, and Shiela Harris. Claudia was with the group of students who visited Budapest, Hungary.

In spite of what some people think, we do study over here. The music history class had a most fascinating lecture this week by Dr. Rech, who is the secretary of the Mozart’s Historical Society. He told us some interesting details about Mozart’s life that you just can’t find in general music history books, and he showed us some of the original letters and manuscripts which have been preserved. The letters told interesting details about Mozart’s personality and his relationship to his family, and the manuscripts revealed the immaculate perfection of his creative genius. It was a most exciting hour for us musicians.

Another exciting event for some of us was the opportunity to play in the Mozarteum for the opera, “The Barber of Seville,” by Rossini. The entire production was done by students, even the conducting. Katie Blocker commented that it was a strange new experience to be under the direction of a German-speaking conductor and not to be certain of the meaning of his directions. It is a good thing music is an international language! They had two four-hour rehearsals, Thursday and Friday nights, and then performed Saturday and Sunday. So our tired players were quite relieved when it was over but glad for the experience.

For those who didn’t go to Budapest, the weekend was full of various activities. Some went skiing, some to Oberndor, others to Freilassing or Berchtesgaden, which are just a few miles from Salzburg. Several made trips to Munich by train or with Brothers Williams and/or Sucher. An interesting sight in Munich is the Schatykammer or Royal Treasury where there are many crown jewels and other precious gems. Sometimes it was hard to believe the size and beauty of the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. In the late afternoon some rode out to Dachau on the outskirts of Munich. Dachau was one of Hitler’s concentration camps. There is a museum there and you can walk through the gas chambers and the barrack grounds. It was a most sobering experience.

We all had dinner at the Hofbrau, the most famous beer hall in Germany. It was exciting to think we had Munich beer on our shoes and if you are interested in a place with rollicking atmosphere that is a good place to visit. Afterwards, our music fans went to the famous opera by Mozart, “The Magic Flute.” the Bavarian state opera house is very opulently decorated, and of course the opera was wonderful. Dr. Williams takes students to Munich once or twice a week to attend operas or other concerts. Europe certainly has a wonderful musical heritage and we are all thrilled to be a part of it.

On the weekend of March 11th–14th, 50 of us traveled to Budapest, Hungary, to discover a new exciting world. Emotions were mixed as we felt the delight of the Hungarian customs and Gypsies, and then experienced Communism and saw the scars of the 1956 Revolution. Hungary is one of the freest communist countries. The people have freedom of religion, and may leave the country for brief periods after conforming to complicated bureaucratic procedures.

We began our tour with a visit to state farm in Gyor. It was 125,000 acres in an area with about 2,500 workers. 40% of the workers are women. All types of grains are produced, 85% of them to be exported. Here we were told that after the age of 16, everyone is required to work, although the choice of job is theirs, if they have qualifications. The fortunate, who can pass the educational tests upon graduating from the 12-year school system, are provided with further education by the government, then they are expected to use their knowledge to profit Hungary. A major problem today is the number of youth who leave the country upon finishing college.

The cost of living is rather low with only luxuries being high-priced. Few people have cars, but most have the necessities they need. We saw many horse-drawn carts on the farms.

On the evening of the 11th, we were given a great Hungarian meal, and first-class attention from the Gypsy orchestra. They wandered from table to table playing requests and delighting the students.

We had two tours of the city. Budapest was originally two separate towns: “Buda,” which means “water,” and “Pest,” meaning “bread.” The Danube divides the two parts.

On Friday morning we toured Buda, visiting the Citadelle, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastian, Royal Palace, and the Vienna Gate. All were up on the hills of Buda overlooking the Danube and Pest. We also visited the wine cellar, built in a natural cave under a tavern. That evening we were given excellent front center section seats for the tragic opera, “Tosca,” written by Puccini. It was sung in the Hungarian language, but we were saved by programs explaining the scenes to us.

The east side of the Danube or Pest was our campus on Saturday morning. Here we saw the Parliament Building, Margaret Island, Hero’s Square, the Basilika Cathedral, People’s Stadium, Amphitheatre, other Roman ruins, and the National Gallery.

It was so interesting to see the evidence of the past revolutions, especially the platform where Stalin’s statue had been. In 1956 it was pulled down and shattered by the freedom seekers. It was evident to us why these people with all their customs would fight to keep their freedom.

To bring our evenings in Budapest to a close, we were given a “wine-tasting” party, but as requested, our drinks were only fruit juices which we daringly mixed together. They also served a special Goulash soup, and a meat course. The night was filled with Gypsy music, folk dances, and singing.

The highlight of our visit, however, must have been our lasting friendship and memories of our guide, Laslo. He was full of the spirit of love and was so kind to all of us! Not only did he see to all of our comforts and needs, but he imparted a vast amount of knowledge concerning Hungary and Budapest. We were excited to find that he didn’t smoke or drink. He was very interested in the gospel. Just recently, John and Margie Hasler and Martin Harris visited with him until three o’clock in the morning and he went to church with them. Perhaps with prayer and fasting, the church may gain a wonderful member and maybe even a family. We loved Laslo and as we sang, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You,” there was not a dry eye among us—even Laslo had tears!