To Oberammergau and the Alps in an Austin Sixteen: To Oberammergau and the Alps. Reel 2

Journey to and from the Oberammergau Passion Play and the Alps by car in 1930.

Second in a series of film reels recording Eustace and Eunice Alliott’s trip to and from the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1930, by way of a motor tour through Belgium, Luxembourg and the Rhine, before travelling further south to northern Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, returning to London via Germany and Belgium. The second reel in this series records details of Alliotts' journey from Trier along the Moselle and Rhine river valleys [through the demilitarised area of Germany established by the Treaty of Versailles] to Bensheim. Scenes include: tourist attractions and observations of activities of local inhabitants. Shots of tourist attractions include: historic monuments in Trier; a visit to a Traben vineyard; castles along the Moselle and Rhine valleys; the Wilhelm I monument in Koblenz. Shots of local activities include: the market places in Trier and Bernkastel; agricultural labourers in the Moselle valley transporting hay; women and children bleaching linen by the side of the river in Bernkastel; agricultural labourers using ferries near Traben and fruit being picked along the road; river traffic on the Rhine at Koblenz with particular emphasis on the operation of a bridge consisting of boats. The reel concludes with a record of the Corpus Christi street celebrations in Bensheim. Many of the scenes include Eunice Alliott, who walks or drives into shot, or interacts with local inhabitants, or perhaps has persuaded individuals to pose for the camera, such as children at the Roman Basilica in Trier and a two man band in Stoltzenfels.

Featured Buildings

Treves [Trier] market place High Cathedral of Saint Peter, Trier Basilica of Constantine [Konstantinbasilika], Trier Porta Nigra, Trier Tower of St Michael church, Bernkastel, Landshut castle ruins, Bernkastel Burg Metternich, Beilstein Klosterkirche, St Joseph, Beilstein Reichsburg (Imperial castle) Cochem Monument to German Emperor Wilhelm I, Deutches Eck, Koblenz Ehrenbreitstein fortress Bridge composed of boats at Koblenz (1930) Burg Gutenfels [Gutenfels castle] Burg Pfalzgrafenstein [Pfalzgrafenstein castle]

Featured Events

Corpus Christi Day celebrations in Bensheim (1930)

Keywords

Demilitarised Rhineland 1930s; religious festivals; pre-World War II German historic buildings and monuments; agricultural labour; female labour; river transport

Intertitles

Treves [Trier] market place was worth exploring Children made holiday near the old Roman basilica, now a church The Porta Nigra is a wonderful Roman gateway As evening fell we drove along the Moselle The villagers were bringing home the hay Bernkastel is a fascinating little village The villagers bleach their linen with sun and water – and how clean and white it is! The children help too The market and street scenes are most attractive Ox carts wove a pattern in sunshine and shadow as we sped towards Traben Some riverside scenes Traben vinegrowers explain the spraying of the vines Near the old Imperial castle of Beilstein The legends of Gotham are told about Cochem. See its quaint castled hill in the distance Fruit trees lined the roadsides Where the Moselle and Rhine meet, is a fine monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I The Rhine flows below Ehrenbreitstein fortress The bridge of boats at Coblence [Koblenz/ Coblenz] Near Stolzenfels we found that two men made a band Soon after we passed the Lorelei A little later came the Pfalz [Burg Pfalzgrafenstein], in midstream with Burg Gutenfels behind At Bensheim the children were celebrating Corpus Christi Day – even our hotel had its shrine

Other Places

Treves [Trier]; River Mosel [Moselle]; village in Mosel valley [location not known]; Bernkastel; vineyard at Traben-Trarbach [location not known]; near Beilstein; on the Mosel near Cochem; confluence of the rivers Mosel/ Rhine, Deutches Eck, Koblenz; on the Rhine below the Ehrenbreitstein fortresss; Koblenz [Coblenz/ Coblence]; near Stolzenfels; on the Rhine at Lorelei; on the Rhine at Burg Pfalzgrafenstein/ Burg Gutenfels; Bensheim