When people ask where I’m from, my answer depends on who I’m talking to. With non-Germans, I generally say “Frankfurt“, cause they’ll probably know where that is. With other Germans, I’ll say “Darmstadt”: a decent-size city just south of Frankfurt. But even that’s not completely accurate, because I’m actually from Traisa: a tiny village to the southeast of Darmstadt. Even if you’re German yourself, you’ve almost definitely not heard of Traisa.
I lived in Traisa as a kid for several years and haven’t been back in long time; my family has long since relocated to Darmstadt. So I was excited to spend an afternoon reconnecting with the town, and seeing what memories might come flooding back into my brain. Mike and I started our walk at the Grundschule where I went to school. I immediately noticed that the Edeka was still there: the local supermarket to which my mom always dragged me along.
With no specific itinerary in mind, we wandered the streets, letting my memory guide us. And the memories did return. We crossed the school yard to the Bürgerhaus Restaurant, just like Little Jürgen used to do. Then passing by the Traisa Church and a popular restaruant, the Datterich Schänke, we arrived at the big playground where I spent untold hours.
From here, I could hear the familiar sound of splashing and showing: the public pool! This was where you could usually find me as a kid, during the summer. And here, a cool little nature path to the pond where I would feed ducks with my grandma. On the edge of the water, you really feel like you’re out in the countryside, with nature everywhere you look. I didn’t appreciate it as a kid, but coming back now, I was blown away by the natural beauty of the area.
As a kid, Traisa was just home. I’d visit the pool, the playground, the ducks, the grocery store, and the school, without putting any special thought into the place itself. But returning as an adult, I found myself interested in the town’s history. This quiet little village has records dating back to 1316, and was passed around between medieval Hessian landgraves and counts. The town’s coat of arms references the three ancient settlements, which eventually merged into Traisa. I lived in a place with over seven hundred years of history, and never had a clue.
And then on the edge of the village, there’s the Dippelshof. We visited this beautiful Art Nouveau estate frequently while I was growing up, with its golf course (where I would snatch any stray balls I could find), and horses (which terrified me). Originally rebuilt in 1710 after the Thirty Years’ War, it was expanded in 1911 by architect Edmund Körner of the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony. After changing hands several times in the postwar years, the estate gradually fell into disrepair before being carefully restored beginning in 1993, eventually reopening as a hotel.
When we’re back in Darmstadt again, we’ll have to book a stay at the Dippelshof and report back on how it was!
