Around Ravenna: A Ravenna resident’s family journey through Germany

Planes, trains and automobiles were part of a three-week vacation. Jack Trauth of Ravenna flew to London to visit his daughter, Karrie, and her wife, Angela. He and Karrie flew to Switzerland to meet his son, Jim, his wife, Mariana, and grandson Evan. Adding to the excitement of the outing were travel by a dual-gauge railroad, a cog rail, a zip line, a funicular (a cable railroad, especially one on a mountainside, where ascending and descending cars are counterbalanced) and a vintage paddle wheel boat.

They visited Kleinfischlingen, in the Palatinate region of Germany, to see the birthplace of their Trauth immigrant. While in Kleinfischlingen, they had the opportunity to meet Kurt Von Nida and his wife, Regina, who welcomed them and showed them around the village. Regina is a former mayor of 12 years. Kurt is a Renaissance Man, with widely varied interests. He is a retired pharmacologist, genealogist, botanist with hundreds of native plants, and an archeologist.
He was instrumental in the dig that produced a Gallic grave and two Roman graves – the first probably from the late B.C. period and the latter from the early A.D. He also spoke of positive effects of the Mennonites, who came to the region in the 1600s.