I can not believe we are pretty much halfway done! Today was a much more chill day with only one item on the agenda: meeting with a reporter for Bloomberg BusinessWeek. I was able to catch up on some much-needed rest before going with the rest of the crew to a museum in Augsburg called the Schaezlerpalais.
Entry was free, like many other historical places here. It made me realize how differently Germany seems to face the accessibility of history, as opposed to the United States. Germany appears to treat museums and historic educational resources, while in America, many similar attractions will cost an arm and a leg.
We took our time going through each room, looking at the paintings and analyzing which story they are trying to convey. The frames of the paintings were also beautiful, complementing the artwork. Some of the descriptions were in English, while others we scanned to translate. I recognized how well the paintings were preserved for being decades old, and the time that must have gone into creating them did not go unnoticed.
The ballroom in the Schaezlerpalais was by far my favorite. The entire room was covered with gold details, amazing art, and carved works. It was hard to put into words the regal feeling of this room, it looked fit for a queen. The season, astrological, and continent motifs throughout the artwork and the room added to the storytelling of it all. Walking through rooms like this made me realize how every detail seemed to have meaning behind it, which made the room feel much more memorable than simply decorative.
We took the streetcar to the University of Augsburg for our guest speaker, to go further into detail on European automakers in 2026. Will works specifically on analyzing Volkswagen and Mercedes. He explained the growing challenges the German market faces with China’s rapid involvement in the market, issues with sourcing raw materials, and uneven demands. But, he also explained the responses companies are taking to combat these issues, like partnering with Chinese EV companies, and investing in upcoming battery/AI software. Before this class, I felt that the biggest challenge within the car industry was other brands in the same country, but Will has proven that to not be the case at all!
After the lecture, I met with my group to look over how we were doing on our final project and make sure we had our questions ready for when we visit the MAN truck and bus.
By the end of the day, I felt much more prepared for our upcoming factory tour and had a better grasp of how competitive the automotive industry really is.