[Gocamino] Latest pilgrim stats

[Rosina]

Well,

Santiago is in Spain. Of course there have been and will always be many more Spaniards going to Santiago. It is only logical. They are already in their own country and don't have to travel far.

As everyone knows New York City is awash with tourists from all over the world whose numbers have increased significantly over the last few years, but now, as always, U.S. tourists from other parts of the country outnumber foreign tourists ?in the city by about ten to one.

It is not my impression, from my recent visits to Germany, that the Germans are trying to compete with anyone, not in the least.? In one way or another they have always been pretty much involved with Santiago for centuries and centuries. The first Santiago Confraternity established outside of Spain was in the small Bavarian town of Bamberg, where? a church dedicated to Santiago was built in the year 1150.? This town is very, very beautiful; the Lutheran wave that swept over Germany bypassed Bamberg and the town,?amazingly,?did not suffer damage from either the first or the second World Wars.? The only Pope buried north of the Alps is buried in the Bamberg Cathedral since he was from the region. Whether this unique fact had much to do with the subsequent survival of the city as a Catholic town and its being spared from war damage cannot be known, but it sure is a heck of a coincidence.

There is a large pilgrim-conditioning abergue in the town where potential pilgrims are treated as honor guests.

The second large church to be built at the time specifically in honor of?Santiago's pilgrimage to Spain is in the 

(absolutely gorgeous) city of Innsbruck in the Austrian?alps. Many Templars are buried there as well as medieval "hospitaleros" who protected pilgrims going to Jerusalem.?Innsbruck, that must be the most photogenic city anywhere (far prettier than Salzburg) also has a?large albergue.

In Berlin there are two large albergues that would qualify, anywhere, as at least 3-star hotels. The largest one is attached to the Lutheran Cathedral (?), Berlin Dom, and the other one is a lovely building behind the Catholic Cathedral, Saint Hedwig's, which is a beautiful church?entirely on the round;?one enters the church? as though going inside a huge ball.? This church was bombed to smithereens in World War II and it has been rebuilt exactly as it was, with the addition of heart-rending post war art work.

By the way, if some of you will be visiting Berlin, please note that the church is located precisely behind the opera house and everyday, Monday to Friday, it holds "reflection moments" during which, for half an hour, orchestra musicians or chorus singing make lovely music. The albergue is?a three-story pink-stone building behind the church? and visitors are welcome to partake of a glass of beer, albeit mixed with seven-up or some such, which is unexpectedly delicious.

With the cooperation of the Santiago Archdiocese German religious authorities, both Lutheran and Catholic, have established a permanent center in Santiago to help out German-speaking pilgrims who arrive there with language or lodging facilities and arrangements for going back home.??

The French established the first such center in Santiago about seven years ago, when they donated to the Cathedral that beautiful window in the Salvador chapel.? Masses in German, French and Italian are offered in the Cathedral routinely.

About a year ago?an albergue for Santiago pilgrims was opened in Rome. There may be others in Italy, but I don't?know exactly where, but if anyone is interested I can find out.

Hugs!

Rosina.??





It was interesting to me to see that despite a reported flood of 
Germans, the Spaniards still outnumber all the other nationalities 
put together, which is the way it was years ago.  It appears that the 
change is that the Germans are competing with the Italians for the 
second spot.  I don't remember running into a lot of Germans when I 
walked years ago.

I don't have data to support it, but my guess is that Spaniards will 
continue to be the majority in the Holy Year of 2010.  (Maybe 
somebody has the count by nationality from the last Holy Year, 2004).