Canola, Sea Buckthorn, Hops and Soviet Remnants

So here we are in Northern Germany where Jeff's paternal great-grandparents - the Groths, and my maternal great-grandparents - the Muellers and Paetows ancestors were from.

Our first stop was at a local farm where we were greeted by a farmer where we learned more about his agriculture operation. Interestingly, his farm is closely monitored by the EU and he must provide documentation to agree with satellite coverage of what he farms and what crops are on his land. We marveled at the beautiful winter wheat that covered acres of land and also the smaller portion under canola for production of the oil.

During our trip, we visited the Satower Mosterei, a local family business with deep roots in Mecklenburg tradition. Formerly a dairy farm, this establishment has been transforming fruits and berries into an array of beverages since 1978. Their impressive product line now features over 50 varieties of juices, nectars, and other drinks. From classic flavors like apple and pear to more unique offerings such as sour cherry, rhubarb, and sea buckthorn, the Mosterei also incorporates currants, strawberries, and even pomegranate into their delightful concoctions. We had the pleasure of tasting their unique rhubarb juice and decided to purchase some of their delicious sea buckthorn juice, which is rich in Vitamin C.

Who can visit Germany without stopping to hoist a good beer? Our final stop was at a local microbrewery for a typical German beer tasting, complete with a delicious pretzel.

During our journey, we passed by Eastern Bloc housing complexes, remnants from the era when the USSR occupied this region. For my younger readers, it's worth noting that after World War II, Germany was divided into East and West, as shown in the map below. This division shaped the country's landscape and politics for decades.

This division lasted until the fall of the Berlin Wall, a barrier erected to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. A pivotal moment in this history occurred on June 12, 1987, when President Reagan delivered his famous speech in West Berlin, challenging Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev with the words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" The wall's fall came unexpectedly on November 9, 1989. That night, East Berlin party official Günter Schabowski mistakenly announced what seemed to be an immediate opening of the borders while trying to communicate upcoming travel reforms. This led thousands of East Berliners to rush towards the Wall's crossing points. Faced with the sudden influx, confused border guards eventually opened the gates, marking the beginning of German reunification. In 1990, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia [where we're headed to next] took advantage of their new-found political freedoms to vote out their communist governments and move towards independence.
Our ancestors were fortunate to have left Germany for Wisconsin long before the Soviet occupation of the Mecklenburg area. We know that Jeff's family had lived just twenty minutes away from Barb's Mueller forebears here in their Mecklenburg homeland. This journey to our ancestral roots added a layer of personal significance to our visit here, making it meaningful and enlightening.