Grüß Gott! Herzlich Willkommen in Holzkirchen! Upon our arrival on the Marktplatz in Holzkirchen on the evening of June 23, each student will meet his or her host family for the first time. The Holzkirchner the people of Holzkirchen have certainly been one of the most important parts of our program for over forty years. Many of the families have participated in hosting our students for a number of years; for others this year will be the first experience with an American guest. Typically, the family hopes that the student will interact with family members on a daily basis and participate in family activities and outings. Ask lots of questions and keep a record of interesting vocabulary and idioms. Do not spend all of your free time alone in your room! Many of our extracurricular activities have been arranged by a group of present and former host families who form the association known as Freunde der Universität Kansas headed by Mr. Günther Eisenrieder.

We arrange with each family to provide you with a room for sleeping and studying, breakfast every morning, access to bathroom facilities as well as laundry facilities unless the family prefers to wash your clothes themselves. Evening and weekend meals will normally also be included if the student is at home when the family eats. Each student will, however, receive a Taschengeld or weekly cash allowance to cover those meals not provided by the family or not eaten as a group. Students should feel free to come and go as they choose, subject to the dictates of consideration for the family's schedule and common sense. The family should be kept informed of your comings and goings. Please be considerate of your host family!

The family will be interested in you both as an individual and as someone who can be viewed as a representative of the United States. They may be interested in your views on a variety of topics, from politics to everyday life in America. They especially hope to get a postcard or letter from you after you have returned home. Often these friendships last many years; many students return for visits to their host families and host family members may visit the student's home in America. There has been one marriage to date between a KU student and a Holzkirchner!

Guten Appetit! Mahlzeiten in Holzkirchen: Breakfast das Frühstück will typically consist of bread or hard rolls-Semmeln-with butter or margarine and jam, marmalade or honey. Often cold cuts or cheese, perhaps a soft-boiled egg will be served. Beverages include coffee, tea, cocoa, milk and fruit juices. Cold cereal, Müesli, yoghurt, and toast are also possible. Germans do not eat fried or scrambled eggs, pancakes, or waffles for breakfast. Let the host family know what you prefer.

Our noon meal das Mittagessen on class days will be taken as a group in a local restaurant Café Franz—on Fridays we will eat in the Italian restaurant Da Tosto. This is normally the main meal of the day and will include soup/salad or dessert and a main dish (usually meat or fish) with potatoes/rice/noodles/dumplings. Cold water will also be provided. Other beverages must be purchased individually and paid for before leaving the restaurant. We will provide students with two options at Café Franz and at Da Tosto students may order from the menu. On bus trips we may take Lunchpakete for a "picnic"-style meal or eat together in a restaurant. Students with special dietary needs or who would prefer a vegetarian-type meal can be accommodated by the restaurant. Let us know in advance of dietary requirements.

Supper das Abendbrot tends to be a light meal in Germany. Often cold cuts and bread are served. In families where no one is home for lunch, however, a warm meal may be prepared. As mentioned above, most students will be invited to eat supper with their families if you are at home when they eat.

Most Germans, especially on Sunday afternoon, take a coffee-break Kaffee trinken usually accompanied by rich pastries Torten und Kuchen with an even richer topping of Schlagsahne whipped cream. This occasion is a good time to practice conversation with family members.

Bavarians in particular are quite fond of their Bier and Biergärten. On sunny days and warm summer evenings, many Bavarians enjoy sitting with family and friends in a beer garden under large shade trees to escape the heat. Munich is noted for its many beer gardens. Holzkirchen boasts a modern brewing complex with several distinct varieties of beer: Helles light, amber-colored and similar to our beers; Dunkles dark and somewhat sweet; Pils lots of hops, somewhat bitter; Weißbier wheat-based and effervescent—which comes in both a pale and a dark variety; Radler or Russ’n half-and-half combination of Helles or Weißbier and Limonade (lemon soda) very refreshing on a hot day! Normally, one orders eine Halbe (0.5 liter); in the beer gardens and in the large beer halls of Munich such as the Hofbräuhaus, however, beer is served in quart-sized glass mugs eine Maß (1 liter). The beer gardens of monasteries and convents such as Kloster Reutberg or the famous Bräustüberl in Tegernsee are local favorites. Prost!

Holzkirchen im Herzen Oberbayerns

Officially designated a Marktgemeinde (market community), the community of over 13,000 inhabitants is comprised of the town of Holzkirchen together with thirty-five villages and 200 farmsteads near the town. Administratively Holzkirchen is part of the Landkreis Miesbach (County of Miesbach), in the Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern (Administrative District of Upper Bavaria), in the Freistaat Bayern (Republic of Bavaria). Holzkirchen is governed by a mayor or Bürgermeister (Josef Höß elected for a six-year term in 2002) and a city council or Gemeinderat consisting of representatives of several political parties.

Holzkirchen is located about twenty miles south of Munich, the capital of Bavaria with a population of over one million, and is served by an exit on the Munich-Salzburg Autobahn. Immediately to the south of Holzkirchen begin the foothills of the Bavarian Alps; in the distance one can see the higher mountains along the Austrian border. Holzkirchen is also the junction point for several rail lines coming out of the Alpine region and then continuing on into the metropolitan Munich area. The rail line from the Bahnhof in Holzkirchen to Munich also serves the S-Bahn or rapid transit trains in addition to the regular passenger trains of the Oberlandbahn. With the commuter pass or grüne Karte provided by the Sommerschule for July, students may travel throughout the Munich area on trains, rapid transit trains, streetcars, subways and busses. Students may also purchase inexpensive weekend tickets for short excursions by rail to many Alpine resorts (Bad Tölz, Schliersee, Tegernsee, and even Salzburg, Austria).

Holzkirchen is served by a Grundschule (elementary school), a Hauptschule (secondary school), a private business school or Wirtschaftsschule, and a continuing education center for adults or Volkshochschule. Our institute works together with the Volkshochschule and utilizes classroom facilities provided there by the community of Holzkirchen. Holzkirchner who desire to attend a Realschule or Gymnasium must commute to another city. Holzkirchen is building a Realschule and a new Grundschule across from the Volkshochschule to accommodate increasing educational needs. Over 60,000 students are enrolled in the several university-level institutions in Munich proper.

The Holzkirchen community is served by several Catholic churches reflecting the dominant position of the Roman Catholic faith in southern Bavaria: St. Laurentius on the market place in Holzkirchen dates from 1711, although earlier churches were built at that location; St. Josef (1961) is today the principal parish church for Holzkirchen. The oldest church in the area is Maria Heimsuchung (Church of the Visitation) in Großhartpenning the largest of the outlying villages with the church building dating from the 16th century and the parish itself from ca. 795 the era of Charlemagne. Other historical churches include St. Johann Baptist (1664) in the village of Föching and the chapel of St. Margaretha in Roggersdorf which dates from the 12th century. Many prayer chapels (Kapellen) dot the landscape in and around Holzkirchen and complement the numerous Kreuze, crucifixes, along streets and country lanes. In the Stube or dining area of family homes one usually finds a corner decorated with a crucifix the Herrgottswinkl (the Lord's corner). On church festival days one may often see a colorful procession with parishioners in folk costumes and a brass band leading the way. The German Protestant community in Holzkirchen is served by the Segenskirche founded in 1898. One cannot help being impressed by the many reflections of the long religious tradition and its impact on daily life in this region.

Holzkirchen is served by the branches of several major banks, including the Kreissparkasse Miesbach which has handled the Sommerschule account for many years. Die Post (post office) located in the heart of the community will assist you in mailing letters, postcards, and packages. Telefonkarten which will allow you to use public telephones conveniently may be purchased in a number of shops.

Across from the Hauptschule is the community Hallenbad (indoor swimming pool) and there are several lakes, particularly the nearby Hackensee, where members of the community go swimming on warm summer days. There are many opportunities for biking and hiking in the vicinity of Holzkirchen. The Alpine region offers many trails for mountain hiking.

Linguistically, Holzkirchen is located within the Central Bavarian dialect area. This dialect encompasses the area between the Danube River and the Alps from Munich to Vienna. You will definitely notice the distinct local accent and numerous dialect expressions used in everyday speech. Instead of "Guten Tag!" you will be greeted by "Grüß Gott!" and when you depart you will hear "Servus!" or perhaps “Pfiagott!” instead of "Auf Wiedersehen!" But most of all, the friendship and hospitality of the Holzkirchner will overwhelm you!

Herzlich Willkommen im bayerischen Oberland!

Anreise nach Holzkirchen: 12. Juni bis 8. August

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