My Travel and History Blog, Focussing mostly on Roman and Mediaeval Times
21 Oct 2025
The Zoo by the Sea in Bremerhaven – History
I’ve not much experience photographing animals since I seldom have the chance, but when I was in Bremerhaven (on the way to Norway), the local zoo was close to my hotel and thus I visited. I did not manage to take photos of all the species – they are often under water, in the retirement areas, or just too fast to catch on camera –, but I got a collection of ok-ish photos of some of them.
View over part of the zoo to the Weser
The Zoo am Meer (Zoo by the Sea) in Bremerhaven, situated at the Weser estuary close to the North Sea, is a rather small zoo, with a basis ground of only 8,600 m2 that by the clever mountain-like architecture was expanded to 11,800 square metres, and focusses – mostly – on animals from the polar regions. The zoo is part of the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Read more »
I’ve not much experience photographing animals since I seldom have the chance, but when I was in Bremerhaven (on the way to Norway), the local zoo was close to my hotel and thus I visited. I did not manage to take photos of all the species – they are often under water, in the retirement areas, or just too fast to catch on camera –, but I got a collection of ok-ish photos of some of them.
The Zoo am Meer (Zoo by the Sea) in Bremerhaven, situated at the Weser estuary close to the North Sea, is a rather small zoo, with a basis ground of only 8,600 m2 that by the clever mountain-like architecture was expanded to 11,800 square metres, and focusses – mostly – on animals from the polar regions. The zoo is part of the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Read more »
28 Sept 2025
Autumn Tour 2025 – The Fjords of South-Western Norway
Another journey, or rather, voyage this year was to Norway via Bremerhaven in Germany. I had traveled along the coast of Norway on the Hurtigruten Tour in 2011, but most of the fjords aren’t part of the tour (and Geiranger is not called at due to ice and avalanches). This voyage – on a smaller ship, not one of those 6,000 passenger monsters – concentrated on the fjords of south-western Norway. Bus tours to some of the most scenic sites were offered while the ship was at anchor. In for some spectacular Norwegian landscape? *grin*
Fossen Bratte waterfall in Eikedalen
We start with one of the many waterfalls. This was on a tour from Bergen to Øystese at the Hardangerfjord, across the Eikedalen/Kvamskogen area popular for its skiing resorts. It’s not always possible to take photos out of the moving bus, but besides the longer official stops, the driver added a few what he called 'Japanese stops' ("five minutes for photos and don’t dither"). Read more »
Another journey, or rather, voyage this year was to Norway via Bremerhaven in Germany. I had traveled along the coast of Norway on the Hurtigruten Tour in 2011, but most of the fjords aren’t part of the tour (and Geiranger is not called at due to ice and avalanches). This voyage – on a smaller ship, not one of those 6,000 passenger monsters – concentrated on the fjords of south-western Norway. Bus tours to some of the most scenic sites were offered while the ship was at anchor. In for some spectacular Norwegian landscape? *grin*
We start with one of the many waterfalls. This was on a tour from Bergen to Øystese at the Hardangerfjord, across the Eikedalen/Kvamskogen area popular for its skiing resorts. It’s not always possible to take photos out of the moving bus, but besides the longer official stops, the driver added a few what he called 'Japanese stops' ("five minutes for photos and don’t dither"). Read more »
10 Aug 2025
Spring Greens and Tulips – The Egeskov Castle Gardens
An overcast spring day in early May may not be the perfect time to visit a garden in cold and windy Denmark, but I nevertheless got a good amount of photos of fresh spring greens and lovely flowers, mostly tulips and rhododendron, when I visited Egeskov Castle and the large park. A lot of flowers like roses, dahlias, fuchsias and others, will only bloom later in summer. But there’s one advantage to visiting rather early in the year – less tourists who cluster around the flowerbeds.
Spring highlight: The Tulip garden
I wrote a short version of the history of Egeskov Castle included in this blog post Egeskov Castle as we – mostly – can see today, was built in 1554 by the Danish nobleman Frands Mikkelsen Brockenhuus (1518-1569), military leader, diplomat, and member of the Royal Council, though an older building on the grounds is mentioned in 1405. Brockenhuus bought adjacent land and added the first park around the castle. Read more »
An overcast spring day in early May may not be the perfect time to visit a garden in cold and windy Denmark, but I nevertheless got a good amount of photos of fresh spring greens and lovely flowers, mostly tulips and rhododendron, when I visited Egeskov Castle and the large park. A lot of flowers like roses, dahlias, fuchsias and others, will only bloom later in summer. But there’s one advantage to visiting rather early in the year – less tourists who cluster around the flowerbeds.
I wrote a short version of the history of Egeskov Castle included in this blog post Egeskov Castle as we – mostly – can see today, was built in 1554 by the Danish nobleman Frands Mikkelsen Brockenhuus (1518-1569), military leader, diplomat, and member of the Royal Council, though an older building on the grounds is mentioned in 1405. Brockenhuus bought adjacent land and added the first park around the castle. Read more »
2 Jun 2025
Spring Tour 2025 – Denmark, Part 2: Odense, Æroskøbing, and More Vikings
Odense, lane in the old town
Odense is another town whose origins go back way into the past. The first time the name appears is a charte in which the German Emperor Otto III granted rights (unspecified; have to research that for future posts) to Odense in 988, but archaeological finds go beyond that. Odense had been a Vking settlement – one of Harald Bluetooth’s ring fortresses was buit here – though that past is mostly hidden under the present town. Read more »
Here is the second part of my Back with Booty posts from Denmark (the first can be found here). 15 days won’t cover the country – even leaving out Copenhagen and surroundings which I visited years ago – but proved sufficient to see quite a few interesting places.
Odense is another town whose origins go back way into the past. The first time the name appears is a charte in which the German Emperor Otto III granted rights (unspecified; have to research that for future posts) to Odense in 988, but archaeological finds go beyond that. Odense had been a Vking settlement – one of Harald Bluetooth’s ring fortresses was buit here – though that past is mostly hidden under the present town. Read more »
24 May 2025
Spring Tour 2025 – Denmark, Part 1: Aarhus, Ribe, and Some Vikings
This year I went to hunt some Vikings and pretty Danish towns. Here’s the usual Back with Booty-post. I started this blog in May 2005, so it’s the 20 year anniversary of The Lost Fort. A good reason for picture fun, after all.
On the ferry from Svendborg to Ærø
The Danes love their flag, the Dannebrog; you’ll find it flying pretty much everywhere. Read more »
This year I went to hunt some Vikings and pretty Danish towns. Here’s the usual Back with Booty-post. I started this blog in May 2005, so it’s the 20 year anniversary of The Lost Fort. A good reason for picture fun, after all.
The Danes love their flag, the Dannebrog; you’ll find it flying pretty much everywhere. Read more »
2 Jan 2025
Photo Parade 2024
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
Open Air Museum Kiel-Molfsee, modern entrance building
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed). Read more »
I’ve decided to participate in the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World) again. My post from last year’s parade can be found here.
Michael offers several key words every year, so I’ve tried to find some photos for the categories 2024 from the collection of my tour to Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki (plus Kiel again upon return) in spring.
Category: Architecture (Architektur)
The State Museum for Ethnology, presenting historical houses relocated from the county of Schleswig Holstein, in Molfesee near Kiel has recently openend its new entrance and exhibition area. It consists of two houses with a cladding of corten steel which imitate the form of historical houses and barns with their high roofs (which are usually thatched with reed). Read more »
17 Jun 2024
My Spring Tour 2024 – Part 2: From Turku back to Kiel
Helsinki also offered the chance for a day trip. Turku, the oldest town in Finland, is only about two hours bus ride away, and a nice ride through an interesting landscape it is, too. I put it in this post because the other post got too long already.
Turku, the Aura river with the cathedral in the background
For a long time. Turku had been a Swedish town (Ǻbo), because Finland had been part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The town developed along the river Aura in the 13th century. When Finland became a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire in 1809, Turku was its capital, but a few years later Tsar Alexander I moved the capital to Helsinki with its fortress Sveaborg/Suomenlinna. Read more »
Helsinki also offered the chance for a day trip. Turku, the oldest town in Finland, is only about two hours bus ride away, and a nice ride through an interesting landscape it is, too. I put it in this post because the other post got too long already.
For a long time. Turku had been a Swedish town (Ǻbo), because Finland had been part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The town developed along the river Aura in the 13th century. When Finland became a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire in 1809, Turku was its capital, but a few years later Tsar Alexander I moved the capital to Helsinki with its fortress Sveaborg/Suomenlinna. Read more »
12 Jun 2024
My Spring Tour 2024 – Part 1: From Riga to Helsinki
This year I wanted to complete the tour of the Baltic States, and since it’s only two hours by ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, I decided to add a bit of Finland to the list. I enjoyed three weeks of mostly sunshine and temperatures unusually warm to hot for the countries so far north. The Fins were shaking their heads at +28 °C in late May; they are more used to about 15 °C and rain. There are also those lovely long and still bright evenings of the North I remembered from my time in Stockholm.
Helsinki archipelago
I started my tour with Riga in Latvia. I had visited the town during the Baltic Sea Cruise in 2012, but while there was reasonable time to see the most important sites, it was not enough for the less touristy places and also, there were still buildings undergoing renovation. Read more »
This year I wanted to complete the tour of the Baltic States, and since it’s only two hours by ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki, I decided to add a bit of Finland to the list. I enjoyed three weeks of mostly sunshine and temperatures unusually warm to hot for the countries so far north. The Fins were shaking their heads at +28 °C in late May; they are more used to about 15 °C and rain. There are also those lovely long and still bright evenings of the North I remembered from my time in Stockholm.
I started my tour with Riga in Latvia. I had visited the town during the Baltic Sea Cruise in 2012, but while there was reasonable time to see the most important sites, it was not enough for the less touristy places and also, there were still buildings undergoing renovation. Read more »
13 Jan 2024
Photo Parade 2023
A bit of fun at the beginning of the new year. I’m following several German travel blogs, and that way came across the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World). He’s been doing it for several years now, and the replies of the contributors have offered a whole bunch of new blogs for me to browse. Since photos are omnilingual (and there’s DeepL and Google Translate as well), I thought it would be nice to participate.
Michael offers several key words every year, and you should try to find photos – taken in that year – that match the categories. Here’s my try:
Category: Landscape (Landschaft)
Curonian Spit
The Curonian Spit is one of my favourite landscapes in Lithuania, so it’s no wonder I took the chance for another visit of a different part of the spit; this time near Juodkrantė. It was a warm, sunny day with some wind going that created pretty waves on the Baltic Sea. I walked some distance along the shore and returned through the pine forest to the lagoon side of the spit, to catch the ferry back to Klaipeda. Read more »
A bit of fun at the beginning of the new year. I’m following several German travel blogs, and that way came across the annual Photo Parade (Fotoparade) on Michael’s blog Erkunde die Welt (Discover the World). He’s been doing it for several years now, and the replies of the contributors have offered a whole bunch of new blogs for me to browse. Since photos are omnilingual (and there’s DeepL and Google Translate as well), I thought it would be nice to participate.
Michael offers several key words every year, and you should try to find photos – taken in that year – that match the categories. Here’s my try:
Category: Landscape (Landschaft)
The Curonian Spit is one of my favourite landscapes in Lithuania, so it’s no wonder I took the chance for another visit of a different part of the spit; this time near Juodkrantė. It was a warm, sunny day with some wind going that created pretty waves on the Baltic Sea. I walked some distance along the shore and returned through the pine forest to the lagoon side of the spit, to catch the ferry back to Klaipeda. Read more »
22 Sept 2023
Lithuanian Impressions 2 – Vilnius, with Trakai and Kernavė
The highlight of the tour was Vilnius, of course. There will be more detailed posts (I got enough photos, lol), so here’s just a little teaser.
View over Vilnius’ old town from Gediminas’ Tower
Vilnius is a town of churches, Roman-Catholic, Orthodox, and a few Protestant ones. Most of them have been altered at a time when the Baroque flourished in Lithuania, but there are some Gothic ones as well, and others keep traces of older architecture. Read more »
The highlight of the tour was Vilnius, of course. There will be more detailed posts (I got enough photos, lol), so here’s just a little teaser.
Vilnius is a town of churches, Roman-Catholic, Orthodox, and a few Protestant ones. Most of them have been altered at a time when the Baroque flourished in Lithuania, but there are some Gothic ones as well, and others keep traces of older architecture. Read more »
17 Sept 2023
Lithuanian Impressions 1 – Klaipeda, Kaunas, Rumšiškes
It’s quite some time we last had a real Back with Booty post due to that Evil C and some private reasons. But this year I did a longer tour outside Germany and spent two weeks in Lithuania.
Klaipeda, Theatre Square
One way to get to Lithuania is to take the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda, so Klaipeda (formerly the German Memel) was my first stop on the way. Read more »
It’s quite some time we last had a real Back with Booty post due to that Evil C and some private reasons. But this year I did a longer tour outside Germany and spent two weeks in Lithuania.
One way to get to Lithuania is to take the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda, so Klaipeda (formerly the German Memel) was my first stop on the way. Read more »
28 Aug 2023
Half-Timbered Houses and a Graduation Tower – Bad Sooden-Allendorf
Allendorf, half-timbered houses in the Kirchstrasse
The town was badly destroyed during the Thirty Years War (1618‒1648), so almost all of the houses in the old town of Allendorf date to the 17th century, which gives Bad Sooden-Allendorf an unusually harmonic look. The style of the houses is a mix of the local half-timbering traditions of Hessia, Thuringa, Lower Saxony and even Franconia, since the craftsmen hailed from various districts, yet forming a coherent whole; one could almost call it the Allendorf style. :) Read more »
I’ve mentioned the German spa town Bad Sooden-Allendorf at the Werra in my post about the Bruchteiche reservoir and already told a bit about its history and the geological foundations of the salt deposits. I recently visited the town itself and collected a whole bunch of photos of half-timbered houses ‒ Bad Sooden-Alledorf is famous for those ‒ and the fascinating history and processes of salt destillation by graduation towers for you.
The town was badly destroyed during the Thirty Years War (1618‒1648), so almost all of the houses in the old town of Allendorf date to the 17th century, which gives Bad Sooden-Allendorf an unusually harmonic look. The style of the houses is a mix of the local half-timbering traditions of Hessia, Thuringa, Lower Saxony and even Franconia, since the craftsmen hailed from various districts, yet forming a coherent whole; one could almost call it the Allendorf style. :) Read more »
2 Jul 2023
Mediaeval Lanes and Old Houses – Treffurt in Thuringia
It was more or less a flyby visit to Treffurt on our way back from Normanstein Castle. We wanted some tea and a piece of cake, so we went down to the little town of Treffurt – and found a charming place of old houses and narrow lanes; quite Mediaeval in part. (1)
One of the narrow lanes in Treffurt
The old town of Treffurt brings you back in time: the pavement is mosty cobblestones, some lanes are too narrow for modern cars, and some of them are rather steep because the town ascends part of the Normanstein mountain − it was a safer terrain than the Werra shores which tend to get flooded in spring. Read more »
It was more or less a flyby visit to Treffurt on our way back from Normanstein Castle. We wanted some tea and a piece of cake, so we went down to the little town of Treffurt – and found a charming place of old houses and narrow lanes; quite Mediaeval in part. (1)
The old town of Treffurt brings you back in time: the pavement is mosty cobblestones, some lanes are too narrow for modern cars, and some of them are rather steep because the town ascends part of the Normanstein mountain − it was a safer terrain than the Werra shores which tend to get flooded in spring. Read more »
31 Oct 2022
A few Days in the Altmark
The photos in this post come from a little tour in the Altmark at the Elbe I did in September. Got to photograph some pretty Romanesque and Gothic brick architecture, and found a lovely little town, Tangermünde, which is still somewhat flowing beneath the tourist radar.
Tangermünde at the Elbe river Read more »
The photos in this post come from a little tour in the Altmark at the Elbe I did in September. Got to photograph some pretty Romanesque and Gothic brick architecture, and found a lovely little town, Tangermünde, which is still somewhat flowing beneath the tourist radar.
3 Jan 2022
Brick Architecture, Hall Houses, Monasteries and more – A Tour of Stralsund's Old Town
Stralsund seen from the harbour,
with the towers of St. Nikolai and the gable of the town hall
(peeking up to the right of the church)
I've already posted about the harbour of Stralsund; we'll start our virtual tour the same way most merchants once did, coming in by ship. Read more »
The town of Stralsund was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and thus one of the few German towns that still carry the denomination in official documents ‒ Hansestadt Stralsund. The historical buildings in the old town are so well preserved and/or have been painstaikingly restored that Stralsund, together with Wismar, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. There are lots of pretty Mediaeval and Renaissance brick buildings, so let's go for a little walk through the old town of Stralsund.
(peeking up to the right of the church)
I've already posted about the harbour of Stralsund; we'll start our virtual tour the same way most merchants once did, coming in by ship. Read more »
24 Oct 2021
A Neolithic Necropolis – The Totenstatt near Oldendorf/Luhe
Heath landcape with boulders belonging to old tombs
The most visible feature of the Burial Town are the late Neolithic stone tombs (known as hunebeds or dolmen), but there are more burials from other times still mostly hidden under the layer of earth, heather and trees. A number of Bronze Age tumuli (1600 – 1200 BCE) spread between the large tombs have not yet been researched – some of them are visible as flat stone circles hidden in the heather – and there are also several urn grave fields from the Iron Age and Migration Period, as well as burials from the Mesolithic. Overall, the site has been in use for 4,000 years. Read more »
Neolithic Tombs can be found in various locations in northern Germany. I've already posted about the historical context and some finds here. Another group of tombs can be found in the 'Burial Site' (Totenstatt) near Oldendorf/Luhe (not far from Amelinghausen) in the Lüneburg Heath. Of course, I couldn't resist adding more big ol' stones to my collection.
The most visible feature of the Burial Town are the late Neolithic stone tombs (known as hunebeds or dolmen), but there are more burials from other times still mostly hidden under the layer of earth, heather and trees. A number of Bronze Age tumuli (1600 – 1200 BCE) spread between the large tombs have not yet been researched – some of them are visible as flat stone circles hidden in the heather – and there are also several urn grave fields from the Iron Age and Migration Period, as well as burials from the Mesolithic. Overall, the site has been in use for 4,000 years. Read more »
25 Sept 2021
Impressions from the my Hiking Tours in the Lüneburg Heath
A hiking way in the Lüneburg Heath
The weather was ideal for hiking, moderate temperatures and an overcast sky, though the latter unfortunately makes for less pretty photos – heather in the sunshine looks more lovely on pictures. The peak of the heath bloom is over by mid-September, though some of itl is still in flower. Read more »
I finally managed to get in a few days of travelling this year – still in Germany, due to Corona. I chose the Lüneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide), an area between Hamburg and Hannover that still has stretches of various heath landscapes, most of them protected nature reseves.
The weather was ideal for hiking, moderate temperatures and an overcast sky, though the latter unfortunately makes for less pretty photos – heather in the sunshine looks more lovely on pictures. The peak of the heath bloom is over by mid-September, though some of itl is still in flower. Read more »
10 Sept 2021
Views from my Balcony – Summer Flowers
This year, I didn't plant any geraniums and marguerites as usual, but decided for a 'bee friendly seed mix'. It turned out quite well; there are new flowers popping up every few days.
Marigolds, bluebottles and other pretty flowers
There had been a rain shower right before; the drops lend an extra sparkle to the flowers. Read more »
This year, I didn't plant any geraniums and marguerites as usual, but decided for a 'bee friendly seed mix'. It turned out quite well; there are new flowers popping up every few days.
There had been a rain shower right before; the drops lend an extra sparkle to the flowers. Read more »
6 Aug 2021
The Night the Devil Got Angry – The Teufelsmauer in the Harz Foothills
Once upon a time, god and the devil decided to divide the world between them. The devil should get all the land he could wall in during one night. So the devil set off from the north and all went nicely at first. But an old woman was walking down the Harz mountains with a cock she wanted to sell at the market. Since the way was long, she had started off in the middle of the night. She stumbled in the darkness, and the cock awoke and let off a merry cock-a-doodle-doo. The devil thought dawn was approaching and, taken with ire, he smote the wall he had built.
The Devil's Wall near Blankenburg
Parts of the cracked wall – known as Devil's Wall (Teufelsmauer) – can still be seen between Ballenstedt, from where it runs for about 20 km in north-western direction to Weddersleben (near Quedlinburg) and Blankenburg. Geologically, the formation stretches all the way to Goslar where it reappears as the Klus Rock. Read more »
Once upon a time, god and the devil decided to divide the world between them. The devil should get all the land he could wall in during one night. So the devil set off from the north and all went nicely at first. But an old woman was walking down the Harz mountains with a cock she wanted to sell at the market. Since the way was long, she had started off in the middle of the night. She stumbled in the darkness, and the cock awoke and let off a merry cock-a-doodle-doo. The devil thought dawn was approaching and, taken with ire, he smote the wall he had built.
Parts of the cracked wall – known as Devil's Wall (Teufelsmauer) – can still be seen between Ballenstedt, from where it runs for about 20 km in north-western direction to Weddersleben (near Quedlinburg) and Blankenburg. Geologically, the formation stretches all the way to Goslar where it reappears as the Klus Rock. Read more »
11 Jul 2021
More Rugia Impressions
Just a summer photo post today. I still got a number of pretty photos from my Rugia tour in my files.
The pier at Binz
I've posted about the seaside ressort Binz here, but got more photos of the beach and the pier. Read more »
Just a summer photo post today. I still got a number of pretty photos from my Rugia tour in my files.
I've posted about the seaside ressort Binz here, but got more photos of the beach and the pier. Read more »
20 Jun 2021
Archaeological Remains in the Forest near Bad Sooden-Allendorf
I mentioned the Mediaeval ringwall and the Bronze Age burial mounds in my post about the Bruchteiche. Those sites are hidden in the forest which makes for another pretty Summer-in-Germany post with a bit of cool shade during the hot days we just got.
Forest at the Bruchteiche (Bad Sooden-Allendorf)
There is a substantial number of fortifications in Germany dating to the Iron Age or the early Mediaeval period. Most of them are scarcely visible today, often located on forested hills or promontories where they look like natural structures at first view. They are known as ringwall forts or walled castles, like so so-called Römerlager ('Roman Camp', though it has nothign to so with the Romans) near Bad Sooden-Allendorf. Read more »
I mentioned the Mediaeval ringwall and the Bronze Age burial mounds in my post about the Bruchteiche. Those sites are hidden in the forest which makes for another pretty Summer-in-Germany post with a bit of cool shade during the hot days we just got.
There is a substantial number of fortifications in Germany dating to the Iron Age or the early Mediaeval period. Most of them are scarcely visible today, often located on forested hills or promontories where they look like natural structures at first view. They are known as ringwall forts or walled castles, like so so-called Römerlager ('Roman Camp', though it has nothign to so with the Romans) near Bad Sooden-Allendorf. Read more »
16 May 2021
Sites of the Weimar Classicism – The Park at the Ilm
Way at the Ilm river
The Park at the Ilm was mostly a wilderness when Goethe arrived in Weimar in 1775. The garden house or cottage he received from the duke was a former vintner house, though the vintage was long defunct; most of what grew on the slope were fruit trees in need of pruning, and some vegetables. Read more »
My hotel in Weimar was close to one of the entrances to the Park at the Ilm, so I decided for an afternoon walk upon my arrival. First, I went straight to Goethe's garden house in order not to miss the opening hours (it will get its own post), but afterwards I just strolled through the park without a list of things to see., But I came across some of the famous features like the Roman House and the artificial ruin nevertheless.
Come with me on a lovely walk.
The Park at the Ilm was mostly a wilderness when Goethe arrived in Weimar in 1775. The garden house or cottage he received from the duke was a former vintner house, though the vintage was long defunct; most of what grew on the slope were fruit trees in need of pruning, and some vegetables. Read more »
6 Apr 2021
Sites of the Weimar Classicism – Introduction
Monument of Goethe (left) and Schiller (right) in front of the National Theatre Weimar (1)
Since the Weimar Classicism was one of my thematic priorities at university, I could come up with some pretty detailed essays for those of my readers who've not encountered either author during the school / university curriculum, but that would shift the focus of the blog away from history to literature. Therefore I'll only give a brief introduction here, illustrated with photos of the buildings connected with these authors and the Weimar Classicism. Some more information – including biographies of Goethe and Schiller – will come with further posts where we visit those places in more detail. Read more »
When I traveled to Erfurt in 2017, I not only collected some more castles, but I also made a sort of pilgrimage. England got Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon; Germany got Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) and Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) and the towns of Weimar and – to a lesser extent – Jena, connected with the Weimar Classicism.
Since the Weimar Classicism was one of my thematic priorities at university, I could come up with some pretty detailed essays for those of my readers who've not encountered either author during the school / university curriculum, but that would shift the focus of the blog away from history to literature. Therefore I'll only give a brief introduction here, illustrated with photos of the buildings connected with these authors and the Weimar Classicism. Some more information – including biographies of Goethe and Schiller – will come with further posts where we visit those places in more detail. Read more »
30 Mar 2021
The Bruchteiche Lakes near Bad Sooden-Allendorf
We all need a bit of summer greens and blue sky after the browns and dull yellows of winter (at least there were a few days of pretty white snow as well this year), don't we? So here's a post about some lovely little lakes.
The Bruchteiche lakes near Bad Sooden-Allendorf, first lake
The Bruchteiche (Bruch Ponds) are two artificial lakes which were dug out in 1910 to cover the increasing need of drinking water in the nearby twin spa town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf which had prospered due to the salt deposits beneath the Werra for centuries. Read more »
We all need a bit of summer greens and blue sky after the browns and dull yellows of winter (at least there were a few days of pretty white snow as well this year), don't we? So here's a post about some lovely little lakes.
The Bruchteiche (Bruch Ponds) are two artificial lakes which were dug out in 1910 to cover the increasing need of drinking water in the nearby twin spa town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf which had prospered due to the salt deposits beneath the Werra for centuries. Read more »
14 Mar 2021
Another Little-Know Romanesque Church – St.Mary in Wilhelmshausen / Fulda Valley
St.Mary's Church in Wilhelmshausen, a village in the Fulda river vallley not far from Kassel, was not exactly a chance find since had I learned about its existence when I researched the history of Castle Sichelnstein. So I put the little beauty on the list for a time we would come into the area – which happened during the tour to Castle Grebenstein.
View to St.Mary in Wilhelmshausen
The amount of obscure Romanesque churches that dot parts of Germany is due to the fact that they belonged to monasteries in the Middle Ages. Monasteries served as focus points of Christianisation and learning, furthered cultivation of the land, were part of the itinerant royal court – together with the palatine castles – and sometimes served as place of retirement for a dowager queen or career choice for a daughter (abbesses could hold a surprising amount of power). Read more »
St.Mary's Church in Wilhelmshausen, a village in the Fulda river vallley not far from Kassel, was not exactly a chance find since had I learned about its existence when I researched the history of Castle Sichelnstein. So I put the little beauty on the list for a time we would come into the area – which happened during the tour to Castle Grebenstein.
The amount of obscure Romanesque churches that dot parts of Germany is due to the fact that they belonged to monasteries in the Middle Ages. Monasteries served as focus points of Christianisation and learning, furthered cultivation of the land, were part of the itinerant royal court – together with the palatine castles – and sometimes served as place of retirement for a dowager queen or career choice for a daughter (abbesses could hold a surprising amount of power). Read more »
