Siemens Healthcare and Nuremberg

Today we left the hotel at 6:45 and departed for Nuremberg in what was less-than-stellar weather. It was about a two and a half hour drive, and I slept for about an hour and a half of it. Only about five minutes after I woke up I looked out the window and saw what were the remnants of an old castle on a hillside. only the crumbling outer walls remained, and it was a very cool sight to behold.

Jeremy and Mike ensure I
enter the CT scanner
correctly

When we arrived at Siemens, we first received a overview of the company that especially focused on the division we were touring: Siemens Healthcare. We were taught about the companies 19th century beginnings, how it's venture into healthcare products became its most profitable segment, and what products they currently offer in this field.

Siemens CT Scanners

Siemens Angiograph

We then toured the production facilities where the CT, MR, and Angiograph machines are built. It was a very interesting experience, as we learned that it takes four weeks to produce one MR machine, and even longer for other machines. We also observed then extensive testing the machines undergo. One thing that surprised me was how labor intensive production of the imaging machines is. I did not expect the process to be almost all undertaken by human laborers, and was shocked by the absence of automation. It was quite astonishing.

Church in center of
Nuremberg

A watch tower and walls in
the castle

After touring Siemens, we took a tour of the city of Nuremberg. Through rain and sunshine, we learned about the cities powerful status in the history of Germany, as it served as the meeting place for many diets in the past. We saw an open market that is apparently huge during the Christmas season. We were able to walk around a castle complete with a moat and watchtower, which was a very awesome experience.

We also got "Lebkuchen", a German gingerbread that is a little different than the gingerbread that we have at home. We also had authentic Nuremberg bratwurst for dinner, which are smaller than other bratwurst we have seen here in Germany. Instead of being the size of a brat we would have in America (and that they have in other places in Germany), the brats were only a little larger than a breakfast sausage link. Apparently this was because, in medieval Germany, restaurant owners were forced to close their shops at 10 or 11 in the evening. However, some residents were still hungry after closing time, so the shop owners made brats that could be slipped through a keyhole. They surely were delicious.

The moat surrounding
the castle

Design on door entering into
castle courtyard

After having this great dinner, we headed back to Augsburg, and once again, I slept most of the ride back to the hotel. It was quite a long day, but it definitely was a great experience.

A view of Nuremberg from the castle wall