We began today with a two and a half hour bus ride into Nuremberg. On the way to MAN’s facility, I saw towns with beautiful buildings and scenery. It was refreshing to see low-rises and green hills instead of large factories. Those views were short-lived as we arrived at the engine production site of MAN.

At this location, large office buildings and production plants towered over us. They produced engines for vehicles like long-haul trucks, buses, yachts, and sports boats to name a few. I also learned that MAN invested heavily in clean engine combustion, with their hydrogen and duel-fuel engines. As the automotive industry shifts to more sustainable practices, suppliers like MAN also have to shift their portfolio.

As we walked in the factory, I noticed two things. One being a partially automated assembly process, and two being the lack of women. Our tour guide emphasized that the heavy lifting of equipment can be intimidating for women, even though they implement events for women to be trained in factory skills. Something that made me chuckle during the tour was a comment about changes in the cafeteria food. He mentioned that the male workers stopped eating in MAN’s cafeteria because they started serving healthier options instead of heartier ones. It’s definitely a man’s world.

After the factory tour, we headed into the city of Nuremberg. We were guided through the Historischer Kunstbunker, which was a beer cellar used to store art during World War II. Much of the original cellar remained after the air raids, but its history goes far beyond the 20th century. It dated back to the 14th century, when the citizens needed a cool place to preserve their beer. They could not build up or expand sideways, so they decided to dig underground. I was also shocked to learn that the bunker provided filtered water through the sandstone ceilings.

It was hard to imagine the scale of destruction Nuremberg once faced. What impressed me most was how committed the architects were to preserving the city’s identity. Many of the rebuilt buildings were designed to match the traditional style of the originals, and even the rooftops still reflect the historic architecture. I was especially surprised that one of the oldest buildings in the city was also one of the few to survive the bombings.

Overall, today was an interesting mix of industry and history. From seeing modern engine production at MAN to walking through the rebuilt streets of Nuremberg, the day gave me a better understanding of how much this city and its industries have changed over time.