My Travel and History Blog, Focussing mostly on Roman and Mediaeval Times
4 Nov 2007
Saalburg Fort - Shrine of the Standards
Ave, my name is Aelius Rufus, and I've been asked to show you around some Roman sites in Germany and Britannia. I'm a Raetian auxiliary, and since no Roman can pronounce my real name, they call me Rufus because of my red hair. We're a Celtic people living in the mountains called Alpes. My father got the citizenship under Hadrian after he served in the Roman army for 25 years. I'm following his steps and I'm currently stationed in the castellum Arcataunum, the Saalburg at the German Limes.
I'll want to show you the aedes principiorum today, the shrine where we keep the regimental insignia. Let's go through the exercise hall - I'll show you that one later when it's empty. Watch out for our dear Gaius Incitus, the guy near the door waving his gladius like it's a scythe. He's new and clumsy and hasn't yet figured out which end of the sword goes into the enemy. If he continues like that, the centurion will put him among the noncombattants where he can't do any harm. There we go.
Yard of the principia, view to the exercise hall gate
I'm sorry it's raining again. The weather is one of the reasons the Raetians got stationed here; we're used to it. Troops from Gallia Aquitania or Hispania would spend more time in the hospital sneezing and coughing than on duty, especially in winter.
Now we've crossed the yard of the principia, you should turn around and enjoy the view. It's a pretty large building of 41x58 metres. The Romans are good at that sort of thing. The rooms on the side wings behind the colonnade or porticus are the armamentaria, the weapon rooms. Oh, and just ignore those funnily dressed people huddling in the entrance, they're time travelers from the future. We get a lot of these.
View to the right corner and transept porticus
The half-timbered building in the background is part of the aedes
Ahead lies another yard and the transept. The yard is really a hall, though. I think we'll soon see a detachment of the XXII Primigenia here to build a new roof. Those Romans never trust the auxiliaries with the building stuff, don't know why. The higher middle room of the transept wing is the aedes, the rooms to the sides hold tabularia, also known as bureaus. They got hypocaust heating. Spoiled scribes.
The aedes is always guarded. Greetings, Crispus, my friend. We want to have a look inside the shrine. Ah come, those visitors are from Britannia and from the Terra Incognita across the Oceanus Atlanticus. Just a little peep through the wooden trellis. I'll pay you a jug of Falernian tonight. See, I knew you're a good guy.
Go up those stairs and then you can look inside through the holes in the trellis. The door is never opened outside the ceremonies. The regimental insignia are on that painted stone plinth at the back wall. This room is slightly trapezium-shaped, about 8x9-9.5 metres, but I've heard the rooms in some forts have an apsis where the standards are kept.
In the middle is the regimental eagle of the XXII Primigenia, though I have no idea what the bird does here when the legion is stationed in Moguntiacum. Maybe it's for those time travel tourists. To the right is the pole with the insignia our signifer will carry when we march - the one with the red, lion-embroidered cloth and the golden plate with the goddess Victoria. A job of great honour but less fun; the thing weighs 7kg. The embroidered blue cloth is the vexilla our cavalry carries. We're a mixed cohort of foot and horse, a cohors equitata. The silver plates to the left are decorations we earned; they're called phalerae.
If you peek further to the left, into the shadows, you can see a little head on a pole. That's an imago of the emperor. It's made of gold, and will be brought out of the shrine when we swear our oath of allegiance every year. It is a very important symbol, the Romans say.
In the middle of the room is a trapdoor leading to a cellar. That's where all the money is kept. And I bet it's the true reason there's always guards in front of the shrine. Right, the regimental treasure and the personal savings of the legionaries, the funeral funds and the whole lot.
Closeup of the replica of the insignia (without the imperial imago)
(I had to use a flash to get that one, thus the shadows)
There is a bronze statue of our emperor, the noble Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus Pius. We call him Tony, but don't tell anyone. The stones are consecrations of gratitude made by members of our cohort for duties well achieved and such. The aedes is a bit like a temple, though not dedicated to any god. We have some real temples outside the fort.
But we better go now, the prefect is coming our way, and I don't want Crispus to get into trouble. He's a bit of a stickler, that prefect of ours.
View from the porticus into the yard
Notes: The name Arktaunon found in Ptolemaios' Geography is not universally accepted as name for the Saalburg, but as writer, I need one, and so I use the Romanised version. Saalburg is a Mediaeval name.
The second yard should indeed be a hall, but no plans are made to change the original mistake. The Saalburg is history in itself, so only new additions are built according to modern knowledge. Only some smaller mistakes have been corrected, like getting rid of a few catapults on the battlements.
A reconstructed bronze statue of Antoninus Pius stands outside the main gate today. Some remains of a bronze statue have been found in the shrine during excavations.
¶ November 04, 2007 13 comments
Ave, my name is Aelius Rufus, and I've been asked to show you around some Roman sites in Germany and Britannia. I'm a Raetian auxiliary, and since no Roman can pronounce my real name, they call me Rufus because of my red hair. We're a Celtic people living in the mountains called Alpes. My father got the citizenship under Hadrian after he served in the Roman army for 25 years. I'm following his steps and I'm currently stationed in the castellum Arcataunum, the Saalburg at the German Limes.
I'll want to show you the aedes principiorum today, the shrine where we keep the regimental insignia. Let's go through the exercise hall - I'll show you that one later when it's empty. Watch out for our dear Gaius Incitus, the guy near the door waving his gladius like it's a scythe. He's new and clumsy and hasn't yet figured out which end of the sword goes into the enemy. If he continues like that, the centurion will put him among the noncombattants where he can't do any harm. There we go.
I'm sorry it's raining again. The weather is one of the reasons the Raetians got stationed here; we're used to it. Troops from Gallia Aquitania or Hispania would spend more time in the hospital sneezing and coughing than on duty, especially in winter.
Now we've crossed the yard of the principia, you should turn around and enjoy the view. It's a pretty large building of 41x58 metres. The Romans are good at that sort of thing. The rooms on the side wings behind the colonnade or porticus are the armamentaria, the weapon rooms. Oh, and just ignore those funnily dressed people huddling in the entrance, they're time travelers from the future. We get a lot of these.
The half-timbered building in the background is part of the aedes
Ahead lies another yard and the transept. The yard is really a hall, though. I think we'll soon see a detachment of the XXII Primigenia here to build a new roof. Those Romans never trust the auxiliaries with the building stuff, don't know why. The higher middle room of the transept wing is the aedes, the rooms to the sides hold tabularia, also known as bureaus. They got hypocaust heating. Spoiled scribes.
The aedes is always guarded. Greetings, Crispus, my friend. We want to have a look inside the shrine. Ah come, those visitors are from Britannia and from the Terra Incognita across the Oceanus Atlanticus. Just a little peep through the wooden trellis. I'll pay you a jug of Falernian tonight. See, I knew you're a good guy.
Go up those stairs and then you can look inside through the holes in the trellis. The door is never opened outside the ceremonies. The regimental insignia are on that painted stone plinth at the back wall. This room is slightly trapezium-shaped, about 8x9-9.5 metres, but I've heard the rooms in some forts have an apsis where the standards are kept. In the middle is the regimental eagle of the XXII Primigenia, though I have no idea what the bird does here when the legion is stationed in Moguntiacum. Maybe it's for those time travel tourists. To the right is the pole with the insignia our signifer will carry when we march - the one with the red, lion-embroidered cloth and the golden plate with the goddess Victoria. A job of great honour but less fun; the thing weighs 7kg. The embroidered blue cloth is the vexilla our cavalry carries. We're a mixed cohort of foot and horse, a cohors equitata. The silver plates to the left are decorations we earned; they're called phalerae.
If you peek further to the left, into the shadows, you can see a little head on a pole. That's an imago of the emperor. It's made of gold, and will be brought out of the shrine when we swear our oath of allegiance every year. It is a very important symbol, the Romans say.
In the middle of the room is a trapdoor leading to a cellar. That's where all the money is kept. And I bet it's the true reason there's always guards in front of the shrine. Right, the regimental treasure and the personal savings of the legionaries, the funeral funds and the whole lot.
(I had to use a flash to get that one, thus the shadows)
There is a bronze statue of our emperor, the noble Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus Pius. We call him Tony, but don't tell anyone. The stones are consecrations of gratitude made by members of our cohort for duties well achieved and such. The aedes is a bit like a temple, though not dedicated to any god. We have some real temples outside the fort.
But we better go now, the prefect is coming our way, and I don't want Crispus to get into trouble. He's a bit of a stickler, that prefect of ours.
Notes: The name Arktaunon found in Ptolemaios' Geography is not universally accepted as name for the Saalburg, but as writer, I need one, and so I use the Romanised version. Saalburg is a Mediaeval name.
The second yard should indeed be a hall, but no plans are made to change the original mistake. The Saalburg is history in itself, so only new additions are built according to modern knowledge. Only some smaller mistakes have been corrected, like getting rid of a few catapults on the battlements.
A reconstructed bronze statue of Antoninus Pius stands outside the main gate today. Some remains of a bronze statue have been found in the shrine during excavations.
¶ November 04, 2007 13 comments
31 Oct 2007
Happy Halloween
It hasn't really found its way to Germany yet, at least I could not get any Halloween candy anywhere, and the houses aren't decorated with vampire toothed pumpkins and green plush Cthulhus. But most people know about it and some kids figured it's a way to get some sweets. That's why I wanted chocolate spiders.
This one is real, a tarantula in the Snake Farm Schladen.
Fortunately behind glass.
And here's what happens to people who don't give treats.
Mediaeval pillory, Hanstein
The holes for the wrists were pretty wide, and I have slender hands, so I got them through without problems. The head was another matter. The pillory was locked, probably to make sure no one would get hurt playing with it.
¶ October 31, 2007 15 comments
It hasn't really found its way to Germany yet, at least I could not get any Halloween candy anywhere, and the houses aren't decorated with vampire toothed pumpkins and green plush Cthulhus. But most people know about it and some kids figured it's a way to get some sweets. That's why I wanted chocolate spiders.
Fortunately behind glass.
And here's what happens to people who don't give treats.
The holes for the wrists were pretty wide, and I have slender hands, so I got them through without problems. The head was another matter. The pillory was locked, probably to make sure no one would get hurt playing with it.
¶ October 31, 2007 15 comments
29 Oct 2007
More Castle Ruins - Hanstein
This post is scheduled for a rewrite.
I could see the towers of the castle above the trees for years without being able to visit it. In the 80ies, my parents lived in a small town south of Göttingen, and both road and railway between the towns ran close to the German border. Castle Hanstein was on the East German side and thus out of reach.
Hanstein seen from the southeast
Of course, we had visited it as soon as the passage was open, and it was pretty impressive already then. Efforts to prevent further decay and some renovations had been going on, partly financed by West Germany. Today, more parts are accesible, and the great hall has been repaired and is used for concerts sometimes. So when after several days of autumn mists the sun played nice yesterday, I decided to give it another look, accompanied by my faithful camera.
The road meandering through some villages no longer is East German concrete with cracks, but it still is small and a better fit for the almost extinct Trabis than for a Mercedes. I left the driving to my father who came along. *grin*
Inner curtain wall and connected hall with natural stone foundations
The Hanstein is quite different from the Plesse. For one, while it has two curtain walls, there is no clearly distinguished outer ward, but the entire living complex is behind the inner wall. Second, a lot more of the buildings remains, an interesting maze of roofless walls in various stages of crumbling. Often two to three storeys are left, and some of the towers stand amost to full height.
One of the many views from inside the bailey ruins
Castle Hanstein had been in possession of Otto of Northeim and later Henry the Lion of Saxony in the 11th and 12th century. At that time, the inner bailey was still a wooden construction. In 1308, the brothers Heinrich and Lippold of Hanstein were granted the right to build a new stone castle. They had to pay for it, and in exchange the family held the hereditary right to the fief. The family still exists today.
The construction of the Hanstein was finished in 1414; afterwards only small changes took place. The castle was partly destroyed in the Thirty Years War, and while repairs were made, it yet was abandoned in 1683. I suppose one of the reasons was the changing life style - castles no longer offered sufficient protection, and palaces in the valleys were more comfortable and probably warmer. Constance owes me some really good chocolate cookies for the pics - there was an icy blast and my hands got very cold. :)
A view of the inner towers, main hall and various annexes from the west
When interest in the old times grew in the 19th century, the main hall of the Hanstein was rebuilt in 1840, and further repair went on in the early 20th century, and then again since 1985.
Despite the cold wind, my father and I had a blast with the ruins. So many interesting motives for pics, and few tourists around to spoil them.
Here's a bit more about the history of the Hanstein.
¶ October 29, 2007 12 comments
This post is scheduled for a rewrite.
I could see the towers of the castle above the trees for years without being able to visit it. In the 80ies, my parents lived in a small town south of Göttingen, and both road and railway between the towns ran close to the German border. Castle Hanstein was on the East German side and thus out of reach.
Of course, we had visited it as soon as the passage was open, and it was pretty impressive already then. Efforts to prevent further decay and some renovations had been going on, partly financed by West Germany. Today, more parts are accesible, and the great hall has been repaired and is used for concerts sometimes. So when after several days of autumn mists the sun played nice yesterday, I decided to give it another look, accompanied by my faithful camera.
The road meandering through some villages no longer is East German concrete with cracks, but it still is small and a better fit for the almost extinct Trabis than for a Mercedes. I left the driving to my father who came along. *grin*
The Hanstein is quite different from the Plesse. For one, while it has two curtain walls, there is no clearly distinguished outer ward, but the entire living complex is behind the inner wall. Second, a lot more of the buildings remains, an interesting maze of roofless walls in various stages of crumbling. Often two to three storeys are left, and some of the towers stand amost to full height.
Castle Hanstein had been in possession of Otto of Northeim and later Henry the Lion of Saxony in the 11th and 12th century. At that time, the inner bailey was still a wooden construction. In 1308, the brothers Heinrich and Lippold of Hanstein were granted the right to build a new stone castle. They had to pay for it, and in exchange the family held the hereditary right to the fief. The family still exists today.
The construction of the Hanstein was finished in 1414; afterwards only small changes took place. The castle was partly destroyed in the Thirty Years War, and while repairs were made, it yet was abandoned in 1683. I suppose one of the reasons was the changing life style - castles no longer offered sufficient protection, and palaces in the valleys were more comfortable and probably warmer. Constance owes me some really good chocolate cookies for the pics - there was an icy blast and my hands got very cold. :)
When interest in the old times grew in the 19th century, the main hall of the Hanstein was rebuilt in 1840, and further repair went on in the early 20th century, and then again since 1985.
Despite the cold wind, my father and I had a blast with the ruins. So many interesting motives for pics, and few tourists around to spoil them.
Here's a bit more about the history of the Hanstein.
¶ October 29, 2007 12 comments
19 Oct 2007
Rain Again
After almost three weeks of Golden October, the nasty version of autumn is back with a vengeance, rain, storm, snow and cold. Much as I like the snow, I'm afraid if we have winter in October, we're going to get spring in January, much like we had summer in April and autumn in July and August this year.
I would mind less if the owner of my appartment buidling hadn't decided to give the balconies a new layer of Kemperol right now. The work gets delayed and the damn stuff won't dry.
The picture to the right is me in the rain, taken on the Limes path Walldürn in the Odenwald forest. At that point I had decided to grin at the rain instead of getting pissed. And since my shoes were already soaked (because I have some 25 pair and yet forgot to bring decent ones), I didn't mind wading through more wet grass and puddles. I'm a tough German, not a spoiled Roman who needs hots baths and hypocaust heating. *grin*
BTW, the Friday snippet will be late. I got delayed by a trainwreck.
¶ October 19, 2007 8 comments
After almost three weeks of Golden October, the nasty version of autumn is back with a vengeance, rain, storm, snow and cold. Much as I like the snow, I'm afraid if we have winter in October, we're going to get spring in January, much like we had summer in April and autumn in July and August this year.
I would mind less if the owner of my appartment buidling hadn't decided to give the balconies a new layer of Kemperol right now. The work gets delayed and the damn stuff won't dry. The picture to the right is me in the rain, taken on the Limes path Walldürn in the Odenwald forest. At that point I had decided to grin at the rain instead of getting pissed. And since my shoes were already soaked (because I have some 25 pair and yet forgot to bring decent ones), I didn't mind wading through more wet grass and puddles. I'm a tough German, not a spoiled Roman who needs hots baths and hypocaust heating. *grin*
BTW, the Friday snippet will be late. I got delayed by a trainwreck.
¶ October 19, 2007 8 comments
15 Oct 2007
Ferry on the Weser River
It's one way to get from one side of the Weser to the other. Those ferries have been more frequent in former days; I remember a tour along the river as teenager where we crossed by ferry on several points to get to interesting places on both sides.
Nowadays there are some more bridges, but mostly, it's longer ways to get to a bridge because many of the ferries are out of service. This time there are only hikers and cyclists on the ferry, but it can carry several cars.
Setting off
This is one of the few ferries left; at a place called Gieselwerder. It's a so called Strömungsfähre (current ferry) because it works by the power of the water current alone, without a motor. The ferry is connected to a thick wire across the river, and by angling the connecting lines it is directed so that the current will drive it sort of riverwards/shorewards. I suck at physics thus I can't explain it better. The crossing takes less than ten minutes with the current as strong as this wet summer. The ferry is not used in winter.
In the middle of the river
It makes one wonder how the Romans crossed. Did they build ponton bridges or did they use ferries? The Batavians under Chariovalda crossed by swimming, together with their horses, during the battle of Idistaviso, that much we know, but they're Germans, not Romans (though on the wrong side in that war, lol).
Close to the other shore
I had no need to cross, or I'd have taken the chance to get some pics from the middle of the river. I took the pictures from the eastern, the Gieselwerder side.
¶ October 15, 2007 16 comments
It's one way to get from one side of the Weser to the other. Those ferries have been more frequent in former days; I remember a tour along the river as teenager where we crossed by ferry on several points to get to interesting places on both sides.
Nowadays there are some more bridges, but mostly, it's longer ways to get to a bridge because many of the ferries are out of service. This time there are only hikers and cyclists on the ferry, but it can carry several cars.
This is one of the few ferries left; at a place called Gieselwerder. It's a so called Strömungsfähre (current ferry) because it works by the power of the water current alone, without a motor. The ferry is connected to a thick wire across the river, and by angling the connecting lines it is directed so that the current will drive it sort of riverwards/shorewards. I suck at physics thus I can't explain it better. The crossing takes less than ten minutes with the current as strong as this wet summer. The ferry is not used in winter.
It makes one wonder how the Romans crossed. Did they build ponton bridges or did they use ferries? The Batavians under Chariovalda crossed by swimming, together with their horses, during the battle of Idistaviso, that much we know, but they're Germans, not Romans (though on the wrong side in that war, lol).
I had no need to cross, or I'd have taken the chance to get some pics from the middle of the river. I took the pictures from the eastern, the Gieselwerder side.
¶ October 15, 2007 16 comments
10 Oct 2007
Königslutter Cathedral - Exterior Decorations
The construction of the Imperial Cathedral Königslutter was begun in 1135 by the Emperor Lothar of Süpplingenburg and finished by his grandson Henry the Lion of Saxony in 1170.
The cathedral is surrounded by trees which makes photographing a bit tricky, but it led to some atmospheric pictures.
East choir and transept
I like the play of foliage and the glimpses of the building, like a past hidden in an enchanted forest. It is easier to imagine people in Mediaeval garments on the scene than with churches surrounded by modern houses and parking lots.
North side and crossing tower
To the left of the crossing tower (the part belonging to the east choir) you can distinguish more ornaments particularly under the roofs, while the naves to the right have simpler lines; they date from the younger period. The difference can be more clearly seen inside. Unfortunately, the choir is undergoing restoration and has been closed up.
West side seen from a hill
The western part is a typical Romanesque Westwerk, massive, with small windows and short towers, almost a fortress. It's impressive when you stand in front of it. Later westworks like Speyer Cathedral have already begun to break up the solid walls with ornaments and rosette windows, a process that would continue in the Gothic style.
Apsis of the east choir
For the eastern part of the cathedral, Italian masons were employed. The Hunting Frieze outside the apsis of the choir is most probably the work of Nicolaus of Verona. It shows a number of hunting related scenes, and the one in the very center is the curious motive with the hares binding the hunter.
Imperial Cathedral Königslutter, Hunting Frieze, detail
And those below must be plotbunnies taking over. *grin*
Another detail from the Hunting Frieze; the hares binding the hunter
Mediaeval humour or the philosphoy of the Upside Down World where Creation is out of order - those who have read Eco's Name of the Rose may remember some of the book illustrations are described to show similar motives.
Königslutter Cathedral, Lion Gate
The lions of the Lion Gate display the same style of sculpture. The lions are 19th century replicas; the time gnawed originals are kept inside.
Closeup of the right side lion.
The originals date from the 11th century and were created by Italian masons.
Closeup of the left lion.
They look like they were crossbred with the Cheshire Cat, though. :-)
Some decorations of the cloister can be found here.
¶ October 10, 2007 7 comments
The construction of the Imperial Cathedral Königslutter was begun in 1135 by the Emperor Lothar of Süpplingenburg and finished by his grandson Henry the Lion of Saxony in 1170.
The cathedral is surrounded by trees which makes photographing a bit tricky, but it led to some atmospheric pictures.
I like the play of foliage and the glimpses of the building, like a past hidden in an enchanted forest. It is easier to imagine people in Mediaeval garments on the scene than with churches surrounded by modern houses and parking lots.
To the left of the crossing tower (the part belonging to the east choir) you can distinguish more ornaments particularly under the roofs, while the naves to the right have simpler lines; they date from the younger period. The difference can be more clearly seen inside. Unfortunately, the choir is undergoing restoration and has been closed up.
The western part is a typical Romanesque Westwerk, massive, with small windows and short towers, almost a fortress. It's impressive when you stand in front of it. Later westworks like Speyer Cathedral have already begun to break up the solid walls with ornaments and rosette windows, a process that would continue in the Gothic style.
For the eastern part of the cathedral, Italian masons were employed. The Hunting Frieze outside the apsis of the choir is most probably the work of Nicolaus of Verona. It shows a number of hunting related scenes, and the one in the very center is the curious motive with the hares binding the hunter.
And those below must be plotbunnies taking over. *grin*
Mediaeval humour or the philosphoy of the Upside Down World where Creation is out of order - those who have read Eco's Name of the Rose may remember some of the book illustrations are described to show similar motives.
The lions of the Lion Gate display the same style of sculpture. The lions are 19th century replicas; the time gnawed originals are kept inside.
The originals date from the 11th century and were created by Italian masons.
They look like they were crossbred with the Cheshire Cat, though. :-)
Some decorations of the cloister can be found here.
¶ October 10, 2007 7 comments
7 Oct 2007
Leaves and Monsters
The northern side of the cloister annexed to the Imperial Cathedral Königslutter belongs to the older part created by masons from northern Italy under the lead of Nicolaus of Verona.
With its ten different pillars, this part of the cloister is very unusual in German Mediaeval architecture. Every pillar is fully ornamented, and the capitals abound in delicate stone mason work.
Königslutter Cathedral, cloister
The akanthus leaves shown below are a variant of an ornament form already used on classical Greek pillars of the so-called Corinthian style.
Closeup of an akanthus decorated capital
The half pillars at the outer wall between the windows show ornaments as well. Some of them display the abundant Mediaeval monster style, creatures put together of several animals, and demons. The one below is my favourite. It is also the best preserved.
Demon capital
Some years ago, the cloister has been renovated, some of the pillars cleaned and the windows glassed to avoid further destruction because of environment influences. The cloister had no glass windows in the Middle Ages.
¶ October 07, 2007 10 comments
The northern side of the cloister annexed to the Imperial Cathedral Königslutter belongs to the older part created by masons from northern Italy under the lead of Nicolaus of Verona.
With its ten different pillars, this part of the cloister is very unusual in German Mediaeval architecture. Every pillar is fully ornamented, and the capitals abound in delicate stone mason work.
The akanthus leaves shown below are a variant of an ornament form already used on classical Greek pillars of the so-called Corinthian style.
The half pillars at the outer wall between the windows show ornaments as well. Some of them display the abundant Mediaeval monster style, creatures put together of several animals, and demons. The one below is my favourite. It is also the best preserved.
Some years ago, the cloister has been renovated, some of the pillars cleaned and the windows glassed to avoid further destruction because of environment influences. The cloister had no glass windows in the Middle Ages.
¶ October 07, 2007 10 comments
3 Oct 2007
A Lake of Darkness and Mystery
I finally got some pics from one of my favourite places in the Harz, the Oderteich reservoir. It is the oldest in Germany (built 1715-1722 for the needs of mining) and until the end of the 19th century it was the largest as well, but today its 1,700,000 cubic metres pale in comparison with reservoirs like the Edersee.
Oderteich on a September evening
The Oderteich is no longer used for mining water supply and has become a recreational area. It is part of the National Park and not touristically developed. There are no places selling ice cream, no walkways easing the way into the water, and the parking lot is a mile off.
Dark water and gathering clouds
Moreover, the Oderteich lies in the higher mountains of the Harz range, and the water remains cold even in summer (it's about 14°C now). It comes from the surrounding moors and has a brownish colour that makes the lake look dark and forbidding.
A glimpse of sunshine
Therefore, it's a quiet place with few people hanging around even on sunny days. When I'm not bathing or sitting at the beach reading, I often walk in the woods and moors around it, playing with plots in my mind and breathing the clean, fragrant air.
A tree fallen into the lake
This year, after a rainy summer and a stormy September, the lake holds more water than ever before. The Oderteich reservoir has no floodgates, so if it gets much higher, they'll have to close the road across the dam. Already now, some trees have fallen into the water, their roots been washed out.
Here are some more pics: the dark, cold lake in the Harz mountains. It's larger than the lake in front of the Gates of Moria and the Mirrormere, but it reminds me a bit of those locations.
Reflections in Mirrormere. Maybe there is a crown in those depths.
Since the Harz is rich in ore, a family of busy dwarves would have thrived there. There are stories about them, and other creatures, and no sane man wanders those ways in the dark.
When darkness falls, the kraken will appear.
I've never been there at night. Maybe I should go some day.
¶ October 03, 2007 10 comments
I finally got some pics from one of my favourite places in the Harz, the Oderteich reservoir. It is the oldest in Germany (built 1715-1722 for the needs of mining) and until the end of the 19th century it was the largest as well, but today its 1,700,000 cubic metres pale in comparison with reservoirs like the Edersee.
The Oderteich is no longer used for mining water supply and has become a recreational area. It is part of the National Park and not touristically developed. There are no places selling ice cream, no walkways easing the way into the water, and the parking lot is a mile off.
Moreover, the Oderteich lies in the higher mountains of the Harz range, and the water remains cold even in summer (it's about 14°C now). It comes from the surrounding moors and has a brownish colour that makes the lake look dark and forbidding.
Therefore, it's a quiet place with few people hanging around even on sunny days. When I'm not bathing or sitting at the beach reading, I often walk in the woods and moors around it, playing with plots in my mind and breathing the clean, fragrant air.
This year, after a rainy summer and a stormy September, the lake holds more water than ever before. The Oderteich reservoir has no floodgates, so if it gets much higher, they'll have to close the road across the dam. Already now, some trees have fallen into the water, their roots been washed out.
Here are some more pics: the dark, cold lake in the Harz mountains. It's larger than the lake in front of the Gates of Moria and the Mirrormere, but it reminds me a bit of those locations.
Since the Harz is rich in ore, a family of busy dwarves would have thrived there. There are stories about them, and other creatures, and no sane man wanders those ways in the dark.
I've never been there at night. Maybe I should go some day.
¶ October 03, 2007 10 comments
19 Sept 2007
Pretty Houses
Half-timbered houses from the 15th to 17th centuries are quite common in Germany. The ones below can be found in Uslar, a little town in the mountains surrounding the Weser river (the Weserbergland).
Driving through those litte towns and villages and having a walk along the Weser is just the thing to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon in September.
The ones in the middle and to the left are from 1555 and serve as hotel today
Seen from a different angle
Most towns put quite some effort into keeping the old houses in good condition which isn't always easy because the renovation of those half-timbered houses requires the revival of ancient techniques.
¶ September 19, 2007 12 comments
Half-timbered houses from the 15th to 17th centuries are quite common in Germany. The ones below can be found in Uslar, a little town in the mountains surrounding the Weser river (the Weserbergland).
Driving through those litte towns and villages and having a walk along the Weser is just the thing to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon in September.
Most towns put quite some effort into keeping the old houses in good condition which isn't always easy because the renovation of those half-timbered houses requires the revival of ancient techniques.
¶ September 19, 2007 12 comments
5 Sept 2007
It's Too Cold Outside, Centurion
Join the Roman army, you'll get regular pay, regular food, toilets with water flushing, and indoor training facilities. Because it was essential for soldiers to have "unceasing drill in wet and windy weather," as the military writer Vegetius said.
Example one: Birdoswald / Hadrian's Wall. The guys had a basilica exercitatoria, a drill hall measuring 16 x 42.7 metres.
Birdoswald, view from the south gate over the granaries to the exercise hall
and the 17th century farm house
Unfortunatley, not much is left. The foundations directly in front of the farm house (beyond the remains of the granaries) are the south-west part of the drill hall - the other part is today covered by the house. The headquarters (principia) had been beyond the trees to the left, but not much remains of these, either.
From the foundations of the drill hall it can be deduced that the roof was a double arcade supportend by a series of columns flanking a broad nave. Light came from windows above the arcade. The style was a typical feature of Roman public buildings and later used in the triple naved Romanesque basilicas all over Christian Europe.
My guidebook has a drawing of auxiliary soldiers training with wooden swords and wicker shields in the basilica exercitatoria. In the foreground, a centurion is barking commands; he looks rather grim. Some poor sods are in for an extra session.
The drill hall remained unaltered during the entire period of Roman occupation of Birdoswald (Banna) which shows its importance.
Saalburg, interior of the reconstructed exercise hall (view to a side door)
The next example comes from the Saalburg at the German Limes. Here the exercise hall was not a separate entity but part of the principia.
This one measures 11.5 x 38.5 metres and is constructed as simple hall without side naves. The hall is situated directly on the axis of the via praetoria and its crossing the ways leading to the side gates.
Part of the floor has been found during excavations, as well as proof that wooden canopies protected the doors on the outside.
The position of the hall allows us to assume that it was not only used for training but also as meeting place for the entire cohort on formal occasions like the annual oath to the Emperor.
Saalburg, basilica exercitatoria, door leading to the yard of the principia
The troops stationed in the border forts were not legionaries - those had their base camps futher off in Eboracum (York) or Moguntiacum (Mainz) - but auxiliaries recruited from all over the Empire. As mentioned before, the garrison in the Saalburg was the second Raetian cohors equitata since 135 AD. The garrisons in Birdoswald varied; it included the First Aelia Dacorum milliaria, a 1000 man strong double cohort from the Danube that moved in shortly after Septimius Severus established major restructuring of the Wall defenses in the early 3rd century.
¶ September 05, 2007 13 comments
Join the Roman army, you'll get regular pay, regular food, toilets with water flushing, and indoor training facilities. Because it was essential for soldiers to have "unceasing drill in wet and windy weather," as the military writer Vegetius said.
Example one: Birdoswald / Hadrian's Wall. The guys had a basilica exercitatoria, a drill hall measuring 16 x 42.7 metres.
and the 17th century farm house
Unfortunatley, not much is left. The foundations directly in front of the farm house (beyond the remains of the granaries) are the south-west part of the drill hall - the other part is today covered by the house. The headquarters (principia) had been beyond the trees to the left, but not much remains of these, either.
From the foundations of the drill hall it can be deduced that the roof was a double arcade supportend by a series of columns flanking a broad nave. Light came from windows above the arcade. The style was a typical feature of Roman public buildings and later used in the triple naved Romanesque basilicas all over Christian Europe.
My guidebook has a drawing of auxiliary soldiers training with wooden swords and wicker shields in the basilica exercitatoria. In the foreground, a centurion is barking commands; he looks rather grim. Some poor sods are in for an extra session.
The drill hall remained unaltered during the entire period of Roman occupation of Birdoswald (Banna) which shows its importance.
The next example comes from the Saalburg at the German Limes. Here the exercise hall was not a separate entity but part of the principia.
This one measures 11.5 x 38.5 metres and is constructed as simple hall without side naves. The hall is situated directly on the axis of the via praetoria and its crossing the ways leading to the side gates.
Part of the floor has been found during excavations, as well as proof that wooden canopies protected the doors on the outside.
The position of the hall allows us to assume that it was not only used for training but also as meeting place for the entire cohort on formal occasions like the annual oath to the Emperor.
The troops stationed in the border forts were not legionaries - those had their base camps futher off in Eboracum (York) or Moguntiacum (Mainz) - but auxiliaries recruited from all over the Empire. As mentioned before, the garrison in the Saalburg was the second Raetian cohors equitata since 135 AD. The garrisons in Birdoswald varied; it included the First Aelia Dacorum milliaria, a 1000 man strong double cohort from the Danube that moved in shortly after Septimius Severus established major restructuring of the Wall defenses in the early 3rd century.
¶ September 05, 2007 13 comments
3 Sept 2007
Different Frontiers, Yet Alike
The landscapes through which the Hadrian's Wall and the German Limes run are different, though alien to the Romans in both cases. But the Romans brought their norm-sized forts, milecastles and watch towers to Britannia as well as Germania.
Remains of a milecastle at the Hadrian's Wall (near Birdoswald)
The first esample is from the Hadrian's Wall, the second from the German limes near Walldürn in the Odenwald.
Foundations of a watch tower at the Limes (near Walldürn, Odenwald)
When I visited Xanten in 2010, I rented a bicycyle for one day to get to some interesting places, among them the amphitheatre at Birten. I then cycled along the Rhine for a bit and took a turn along a lake.
'South Lake' near Xanten
Where I found this.
My compagnion for a day in front of the foundationas of a Roman watch tower
A Roman watchtower, 5 km from the former fort of Castra Vetera (the few remains of which are now buried beneath a grain field on the slope of Fürstenberg Hill). There must have been a chain of those along the Rhine - or rather, where the Rhine had been in Augustean times; its meanders have shifted a bit.
Closer view
The foundations of 4 x 4 metres are made of greywacke and mortar and are sufficient to support a wooden or half timbered construction of several storeys. There's no mention that this tower had ever been reconstructed all in stone like some of those at the Hadrian's Wall and Limes.
Different angle
Access would have been by a ladder to the second storey. The lower storey was used to store provisions, the middle one for living quarters, and the highest one was the actual lookout. Since the land around Xanten is rather flat, you could see far on a clear day.
¶ September 03, 2007 6 comments
The landscapes through which the Hadrian's Wall and the German Limes run are different, though alien to the Romans in both cases. But the Romans brought their norm-sized forts, milecastles and watch towers to Britannia as well as Germania.
The first esample is from the Hadrian's Wall, the second from the German limes near Walldürn in the Odenwald.
When I visited Xanten in 2010, I rented a bicycyle for one day to get to some interesting places, among them the amphitheatre at Birten. I then cycled along the Rhine for a bit and took a turn along a lake.
Where I found this.
A Roman watchtower, 5 km from the former fort of Castra Vetera (the few remains of which are now buried beneath a grain field on the slope of Fürstenberg Hill). There must have been a chain of those along the Rhine - or rather, where the Rhine had been in Augustean times; its meanders have shifted a bit.
The foundations of 4 x 4 metres are made of greywacke and mortar and are sufficient to support a wooden or half timbered construction of several storeys. There's no mention that this tower had ever been reconstructed all in stone like some of those at the Hadrian's Wall and Limes.
Access would have been by a ladder to the second storey. The lower storey was used to store provisions, the middle one for living quarters, and the highest one was the actual lookout. Since the land around Xanten is rather flat, you could see far on a clear day.
¶ September 03, 2007 6 comments
2 Sept 2007
The Jewish Ritual Bath in Speyer
A cold water bath, a so called mikveh, was used by both Jewish men and women for ritual washings after a period of uncleanliness (like fe. menstruation, contact with the dead etc.). The water needed to be clean, which means a natural well or an artificial one dug to the ground water level. The mikveh in Speyer is of the latter type (the Rhine running through the town wasn't clean enough).
Constructed 1110-1120, it is one the oldest and best preserved in Europe and had obviously been built by the masons also working on the cathedral.
The wall that separates the anteroom from the bassin
A staircase leads about ten metres under the ground where it opens to the anteroom. With its cross-grain vault, it is the most beautiful part of the building, and the most interesting one because of the architectural history connected to it. It was very unusual for Christian masons to build a Jewish bath, but some of the bishops of Speyer protected the Jewish community in the Middle Ages.
The bassin
The water is usually so deep a man can immerse himself fully, which is the requirement for proper ritual cleaning. Since the ground water level changes depending on the level of the Rhine, the bassin was very full when we were there and covered the lowest steps of the staircase.
View from the bassin staircase into the anteroom
The bath is no longer officially in use today, but the guide told us that sometimes orthodox Jews from Israel and particularly the US wish to use the mikveh. This can be arranged outside the official tourist opening times.
Closeup of a pillar capital
The material used was mostly red sandstone (the same as used for the cathedral, as can be seen here).
Staircase leading down to the anteroom of the mikveh
The mikweh was closed by a double winged gate and constructed in two parts; you can see niches with stone banks on both sides. The second part, which is flanked by by pillars, was closed by another door.
Note the murals above the gates in the photo below. They are worked in a net of quadratic sandstones points up, in imitation of the Roman opus reticulatum.
Entrance to the mikveh, outside view .
Bishop Rüdiger Huzmann granted the Jews settlement in Speyer in 1084. At first, they lived in the suburb, but after the progrome in connection with the 1096 crusade, Rüdiger allowed the community to move to an area near the cathedral, within the protection of the town walls.
The curia Iudaeorum, called 'Judenhof' by the inhabitants of Speyer, became the centre of Jewish life and culture until the middle of the 13th century. During that time, the Jewish community in Speyer belonged to the most important ones in Europe.The Judenhof was much larger than the remains today; besides the famlies' houses it encompassed the mikveh, a synagogue, a school, and women's prayer room.
Detail from the staircase ceiling
Because of their trade contacts all over Europe and to the near and far East as well as their knowledge of languages and cultures and the high status education holds in their society, the Jews formed an élite among the town people. The Sages of Speyer, a group of rabbis (or rabbe'im) famous for their wisdom, had considerable influence on the Jews in Europe. Their council was sometimes even sought by bishops and emperors who granted the Jewish community in Speyer a number of privileges.
¶ September 02, 2007 8 comments
A cold water bath, a so called mikveh, was used by both Jewish men and women for ritual washings after a period of uncleanliness (like fe. menstruation, contact with the dead etc.). The water needed to be clean, which means a natural well or an artificial one dug to the ground water level. The mikveh in Speyer is of the latter type (the Rhine running through the town wasn't clean enough).
Constructed 1110-1120, it is one the oldest and best preserved in Europe and had obviously been built by the masons also working on the cathedral.
A staircase leads about ten metres under the ground where it opens to the anteroom. With its cross-grain vault, it is the most beautiful part of the building, and the most interesting one because of the architectural history connected to it. It was very unusual for Christian masons to build a Jewish bath, but some of the bishops of Speyer protected the Jewish community in the Middle Ages.
The water is usually so deep a man can immerse himself fully, which is the requirement for proper ritual cleaning. Since the ground water level changes depending on the level of the Rhine, the bassin was very full when we were there and covered the lowest steps of the staircase.
The bath is no longer officially in use today, but the guide told us that sometimes orthodox Jews from Israel and particularly the US wish to use the mikveh. This can be arranged outside the official tourist opening times.
The material used was mostly red sandstone (the same as used for the cathedral, as can be seen here).
The mikweh was closed by a double winged gate and constructed in two parts; you can see niches with stone banks on both sides. The second part, which is flanked by by pillars, was closed by another door.
Note the murals above the gates in the photo below. They are worked in a net of quadratic sandstones points up, in imitation of the Roman opus reticulatum.
Bishop Rüdiger Huzmann granted the Jews settlement in Speyer in 1084. At first, they lived in the suburb, but after the progrome in connection with the 1096 crusade, Rüdiger allowed the community to move to an area near the cathedral, within the protection of the town walls.
The curia Iudaeorum, called 'Judenhof' by the inhabitants of Speyer, became the centre of Jewish life and culture until the middle of the 13th century. During that time, the Jewish community in Speyer belonged to the most important ones in Europe.The Judenhof was much larger than the remains today; besides the famlies' houses it encompassed the mikveh, a synagogue, a school, and women's prayer room.
Because of their trade contacts all over Europe and to the near and far East as well as their knowledge of languages and cultures and the high status education holds in their society, the Jews formed an élite among the town people. The Sages of Speyer, a group of rabbis (or rabbe'im) famous for their wisdom, had considerable influence on the Jews in Europe. Their council was sometimes even sought by bishops and emperors who granted the Jewish community in Speyer a number of privileges.
¶ September 02, 2007 8 comments
