My Travel and History Blog, Focussing mostly on Roman and Mediaeval Times
31 Oct 2009
Happy Halloween
Or should that be Scary Halloween, lol?
Get out of the woods before it's dark.
A way in the Harz National Park
¶ October 31, 2009 6 comments
Or should that be Scary Halloween, lol?
Get out of the woods before it's dark.
¶ October 31, 2009 6 comments
18 Oct 2009
Vintage Cars
I mentioned that we also visited the VW Works in Wolfsburg, a visit that turned out interesting even for a non-car geek like me. We saw part of the production, but of course, it was not allowed to take photos there (can't make it too easy for the Chinese *wink*). But it was OK to do so in the Vintage Car (Oldtimers in German) exhibition. So here are some fun old cars.
A very old oldtimer
It looks more like an XXL bicycle that has sprouted a third wheel, but the thing does indeed have a motor. Unfortunately, my brain didn't remember all the names of those cars. There were more than just VW models in the exhibition.
A coach without horses
Also a very old model. It looks like bit like a horse coach, but the power of the engine was more like that of a barouche landau. Though I'm sure Mrs Hugh Elton would have found it stylish had she lived a bit later. Or she might have prefered the model below.
A beautiful, large one
That one looks like the typical oldtimer. They had a number of those big beauties, all polished to a shine. But while the presentation background was really cool, it made for difficult photographing. Plus, people frequently crowded the cars.
Front view with eyes
The front view of one of those big, beautiiful vintage cars. I think that one already has electrical lights, not carbide lamps, but I'm not sure. Maybe my father will remember. But it does have a shiny bumper. :)
A shiny rocket - a Cadillac
It looks really flashy with those rocket-like thingies (tail fins, thank you Hank and Carla) along the back. A show off car, I bet. Probably drank gasoline like a blood-starved vampire, too. *grin*
A Star Trek model
Well, it's not really a car used in Star Trek, but it looks the part. You can imagine Spock looking at it in his usual expressionless way, "and I am supposed to ride in that?"
An Isetta
An Isetta, or bandaid-bomber (because you could repair it by slapping some bandaid on it). I asked my father to stand beside it so you can see how tiny those cars were. The entire roof opened for the passengers - it can hold two - to climb in.
A row of Beetles
Now we come to some of the true stars of VW, the Beetle or Käfer as they are called in Germany. That model was around with slight changes for I don't know how long, a true Volks-Wagen (people's car) because it was affordable for many.
'Our' Käfer
We had one, too, back in 1968 when I was a kid aged seven, my father's first car. We lived in Stuttgart then and I still recall tours to places nearby like Ulm with its great cathedral, and Lichtenstein, a castle that became famous thanks to Wilhelm Hauff's novel in the tradition of Sir Walter Scott's historical fiction.
Interior of the Käfer
Yeah, the interior of cars has changed a lot since the 60ies. But no modern AC and heating system beats the old hole under the backseat where the warm air came out. It was the only car in which I never had cold feet.
¶ October 18, 2009 10 comments
I mentioned that we also visited the VW Works in Wolfsburg, a visit that turned out interesting even for a non-car geek like me. We saw part of the production, but of course, it was not allowed to take photos there (can't make it too easy for the Chinese *wink*). But it was OK to do so in the Vintage Car (Oldtimers in German) exhibition. So here are some fun old cars.
It looks more like an XXL bicycle that has sprouted a third wheel, but the thing does indeed have a motor. Unfortunately, my brain didn't remember all the names of those cars. There were more than just VW models in the exhibition.
Also a very old model. It looks like bit like a horse coach, but the power of the engine was more like that of a barouche landau. Though I'm sure Mrs Hugh Elton would have found it stylish had she lived a bit later. Or she might have prefered the model below.
That one looks like the typical oldtimer. They had a number of those big beauties, all polished to a shine. But while the presentation background was really cool, it made for difficult photographing. Plus, people frequently crowded the cars.
The front view of one of those big, beautiiful vintage cars. I think that one already has electrical lights, not carbide lamps, but I'm not sure. Maybe my father will remember. But it does have a shiny bumper. :)
It looks really flashy with those rocket-like thingies (tail fins, thank you Hank and Carla) along the back. A show off car, I bet. Probably drank gasoline like a blood-starved vampire, too. *grin*
Well, it's not really a car used in Star Trek, but it looks the part. You can imagine Spock looking at it in his usual expressionless way, "and I am supposed to ride in that?"
An Isetta, or bandaid-bomber (because you could repair it by slapping some bandaid on it). I asked my father to stand beside it so you can see how tiny those cars were. The entire roof opened for the passengers - it can hold two - to climb in.
Now we come to some of the true stars of VW, the Beetle or Käfer as they are called in Germany. That model was around with slight changes for I don't know how long, a true Volks-Wagen (people's car) because it was affordable for many.
We had one, too, back in 1968 when I was a kid aged seven, my father's first car. We lived in Stuttgart then and I still recall tours to places nearby like Ulm with its great cathedral, and Lichtenstein, a castle that became famous thanks to Wilhelm Hauff's novel in the tradition of Sir Walter Scott's historical fiction.
Yeah, the interior of cars has changed a lot since the 60ies. But no modern AC and heating system beats the old hole under the backseat where the warm air came out. It was the only car in which I never had cold feet.
¶ October 18, 2009 10 comments
13 Oct 2009
Europe's Largest Quadriga
The quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin may be the most famous, but the one on the portico of the palace in Braunschweig is the largest in Europe. The present one has been standing there but a year, but its history goes further back.
The neo-Classicistic facade is in fact hiding a modern shopping mall. Of course, the shopping centre is larger than the former palace, but the modern part with its glass facades is so well integrated that you don't see it when approaching the palace from the direction of the castle square.
Front of the Palace in Braunschweig, with the quadriga on top
The original palace, residency of Duke Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, had been built in 1833-41 to the plans of Carl Theodor Ottmer. The quadriga was part of the original plans but was left out - together with other expensive statues and colonnades - because the duke wanted to save money.
In 1856 Duke Wilhelm celebrated 25 years of government, and the citizens of Braunschweig gifted him with the quadriga. Sculpturer Ernst Rietschel from Dresden designed the model; the quadriga was then crafted in copper repoussé technique by Georg Ferdinand Howaldt, a coppersmith from Braunschweig.
Closeup against the sky
A fire destroyed part of the palace in 1865, and the quadriga became its victim as well except for the head of the charioteer - or charioteeress, the allegoric town goddess of Braunschweig, Brunonia. Howaldt made a second, somewhat smaller version that was installed on the restored palace portico where it remained until the end´of WW2.
Much of Braunschweig itself and parts of the palace were destroyed by bombs during the war, but the quadriga survived only to fall victim to metal thieves after the war - copper was much sought after. The remains of the destroyed palace were further dismantled and for many years a park marked the fomer residency of the Dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg; a line of the House Welfen and thus related to the Import Kings of England George I - III.
Seen from the side, with a furtive ray of sunshine tinting the bronze golden
During the last years, the palace has been reconstructed using old plans and photos, as well as about 600 original pieces salvaged from the WW2 debris. The mall hiding behind the palace facade opened in 2007, and in October 2008 the new quadriga was installed on the portico. It is based on the original 1:3 gypsum model by Ernst Rietschel which still stands in the Albertinum in Dresden (a sculpture museum), but this time it was made of silicium bronze which is cheaper than copper. Duke Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg wasn't the only one who had to look at his budget. Though they did go back to the larger version.
Seen from the other side, with a good view of Brunonia
The entire group is about 9 metres high, 9.5 m long, 7.5 m wide, and weighs 25.8 tons. Brunonia alone stands at 5.30 metres; her head was modeled after the original that had been saved from the fire in 1865. The bronze has its original, red golden colour now but it will develop the typical green patina over time.
The platform on which the quadriga stands can be visited at certain times, but that's an endeavour for sunnier weather than we had.
¶ October 13, 2009 14 comments
The quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin may be the most famous, but the one on the portico of the palace in Braunschweig is the largest in Europe. The present one has been standing there but a year, but its history goes further back.
The neo-Classicistic facade is in fact hiding a modern shopping mall. Of course, the shopping centre is larger than the former palace, but the modern part with its glass facades is so well integrated that you don't see it when approaching the palace from the direction of the castle square.
The original palace, residency of Duke Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, had been built in 1833-41 to the plans of Carl Theodor Ottmer. The quadriga was part of the original plans but was left out - together with other expensive statues and colonnades - because the duke wanted to save money.
In 1856 Duke Wilhelm celebrated 25 years of government, and the citizens of Braunschweig gifted him with the quadriga. Sculpturer Ernst Rietschel from Dresden designed the model; the quadriga was then crafted in copper repoussé technique by Georg Ferdinand Howaldt, a coppersmith from Braunschweig.
A fire destroyed part of the palace in 1865, and the quadriga became its victim as well except for the head of the charioteer - or charioteeress, the allegoric town goddess of Braunschweig, Brunonia. Howaldt made a second, somewhat smaller version that was installed on the restored palace portico where it remained until the end´of WW2.
Much of Braunschweig itself and parts of the palace were destroyed by bombs during the war, but the quadriga survived only to fall victim to metal thieves after the war - copper was much sought after. The remains of the destroyed palace were further dismantled and for many years a park marked the fomer residency of the Dukes of Braunschweig-Lüneburg; a line of the House Welfen and thus related to the Import Kings of England George I - III.
During the last years, the palace has been reconstructed using old plans and photos, as well as about 600 original pieces salvaged from the WW2 debris. The mall hiding behind the palace facade opened in 2007, and in October 2008 the new quadriga was installed on the portico. It is based on the original 1:3 gypsum model by Ernst Rietschel which still stands in the Albertinum in Dresden (a sculpture museum), but this time it was made of silicium bronze which is cheaper than copper. Duke Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg wasn't the only one who had to look at his budget. Though they did go back to the larger version.
The entire group is about 9 metres high, 9.5 m long, 7.5 m wide, and weighs 25.8 tons. Brunonia alone stands at 5.30 metres; her head was modeled after the original that had been saved from the fire in 1865. The bronze has its original, red golden colour now but it will develop the typical green patina over time.
The platform on which the quadriga stands can be visited at certain times, but that's an endeavour for sunnier weather than we had.
¶ October 13, 2009 14 comments
2 Oct 2009
Mediaeval Braunschweig
I'm back from the visit to Braunschweig (English 'Brunswick'). I got photos, but not from the exhibition - I really don't know what's the problem with Medieaval exhibitions in Germany, since the Roman ones I've seen all allowed people to take pictures. Culture is for sharing, not for hiding in vitrines for a privileged few to see. Ok, rant over.
I got exterior shots of the Burgplatz (Castle Square), though, and pics of the cathedral. Though I really need to go back and get more photos. Preferably in sunshine.
-- Dankwarderode Castle
Dankwarderode, palas building
This one's not on a hilltop for a change. It dates back to the 11th century and was expanded by Heinrich the Lion in the style of the palatine castle in Goslar in the 12th century. The entire castle took up the island in the Oker river and was considerably larger than todays 'castle square'. Dankwarderode and most of the old town of Braunschweig were destroyed in a fire 1252.
In the 17th century, only the two storeyed palace building - rebuilt in Renaissance style - was still in use, and in the 19th century even that lay in ruins. But the palas was reconstructed on the ground plan of the Medieaval building in what's called Neoromanesque style. Except for the unhistorical staircase and the arrangement of the windows in the upper floor, it's a pretty adaequate representation of the exterior of Heinrich's palace, though.
-- A Romanesque cathedral
Braunschweig Cathedral
The cathedral was founded by Heinrich the Lion as chapter church in 1173 (after his return from a pilgrimage to Jeruslalem) and dedicated to St. Blasius and John the Baptist; later Thomas Beckett was added as patron, a pretty unusual patron saint as far as I can tell.
The building was only finished in 1226 - there seems to have been a break in construction during Heinrich's exile. Heinrich was buried in the cathedral after his death in 1195; the main nave, crypt and choir had been finished at that point.
Cathedral, main nave
The cathedral is built in the basilica style with three naves ending in apsides, transept and high quire, and a so-called Saxon Westwerk, the mostly unadorned western wall with the two towers. The ceiling of the main nave shows one of the earliest surviving barrel vaultings in Germany.
There have been several changes, as usual with Mediaeval buildings. During one of those alterations a special feature was added: the pillars and cross grain vaults in the northern nave are of the English perpendicular style that was not normally used in Germany, the windows have so called Tudor bows.
-- Mediaeval murals
Cathedral, murals in the apsis
The crossing and apsides had been painted in secco mural style in 1230-1250. Those paintings have been recovered under layers of whitewash in 1845 and were 'reconstructed'. Unfortunatley, in the 19th century that meant not only refreshing the colours but also adding a few elements people thought looked Medieaval. But there are still enough orignal elements to give a good impression of 13th century sacral paintings esp. in the southern transept where the orginals have been recovered as far as possible. Murals in places where there had been none in the Middle Ages have also partly been ereased.
The photo above shows Christus Pantokrator, a motive that has its origins in the Byzantine art.
-- Shinies
Decoration of a casket containing bones of a martyr
There is a permanent exhibition of Medieaval art in the Squire Hall (Knappensaal) of Dankwarderode Castle, mostly of the sacral variant like crucifixes, reliquaries and a few tapestries with religious motives. It is part of the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig.
-- Some lions
Original of the lion statue of Heinrich the Lion
The Lion of Braunschweig, the heraldic animal of the Welfen family (Welf means lion cub) was commissioned by Heinrich the Lion in 1166. It demonstrated his ducal position and power. The lion is the oldest remaining large style sculpture north of the Alpes - the bronze cutie is 1.78 m high and 2.79 m long - and probably forged in Braunschweig itself. Its models are the Capitoline Wolf (the one that's causing discussions whether it is Etruscan or Medieaval), the Lion of Venice and the Marc Aurel statue in Rome. Heinrich had seen those sculptures during Emperor Barbarossa's first two Italian wars.
There is a copy on the castle square, standing on a big stone pedestal. You can see it in the first pic. The original is kept in the museum, because pollution would damage the bronze.
¶ October 02, 2009 9 comments
I'm back from the visit to Braunschweig (English 'Brunswick'). I got photos, but not from the exhibition - I really don't know what's the problem with Medieaval exhibitions in Germany, since the Roman ones I've seen all allowed people to take pictures. Culture is for sharing, not for hiding in vitrines for a privileged few to see. Ok, rant over.
I got exterior shots of the Burgplatz (Castle Square), though, and pics of the cathedral. Though I really need to go back and get more photos. Preferably in sunshine.
-- Dankwarderode Castle
This one's not on a hilltop for a change. It dates back to the 11th century and was expanded by Heinrich the Lion in the style of the palatine castle in Goslar in the 12th century. The entire castle took up the island in the Oker river and was considerably larger than todays 'castle square'. Dankwarderode and most of the old town of Braunschweig were destroyed in a fire 1252.
In the 17th century, only the two storeyed palace building - rebuilt in Renaissance style - was still in use, and in the 19th century even that lay in ruins. But the palas was reconstructed on the ground plan of the Medieaval building in what's called Neoromanesque style. Except for the unhistorical staircase and the arrangement of the windows in the upper floor, it's a pretty adaequate representation of the exterior of Heinrich's palace, though.
-- A Romanesque cathedral
The cathedral was founded by Heinrich the Lion as chapter church in 1173 (after his return from a pilgrimage to Jeruslalem) and dedicated to St. Blasius and John the Baptist; later Thomas Beckett was added as patron, a pretty unusual patron saint as far as I can tell.
The building was only finished in 1226 - there seems to have been a break in construction during Heinrich's exile. Heinrich was buried in the cathedral after his death in 1195; the main nave, crypt and choir had been finished at that point.
The cathedral is built in the basilica style with three naves ending in apsides, transept and high quire, and a so-called Saxon Westwerk, the mostly unadorned western wall with the two towers. The ceiling of the main nave shows one of the earliest surviving barrel vaultings in Germany.
There have been several changes, as usual with Mediaeval buildings. During one of those alterations a special feature was added: the pillars and cross grain vaults in the northern nave are of the English perpendicular style that was not normally used in Germany, the windows have so called Tudor bows.
-- Mediaeval murals
The crossing and apsides had been painted in secco mural style in 1230-1250. Those paintings have been recovered under layers of whitewash in 1845 and were 'reconstructed'. Unfortunatley, in the 19th century that meant not only refreshing the colours but also adding a few elements people thought looked Medieaval. But there are still enough orignal elements to give a good impression of 13th century sacral paintings esp. in the southern transept where the orginals have been recovered as far as possible. Murals in places where there had been none in the Middle Ages have also partly been ereased.
The photo above shows Christus Pantokrator, a motive that has its origins in the Byzantine art.
-- Shinies
There is a permanent exhibition of Medieaval art in the Squire Hall (Knappensaal) of Dankwarderode Castle, mostly of the sacral variant like crucifixes, reliquaries and a few tapestries with religious motives. It is part of the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig.
-- Some lions
The Lion of Braunschweig, the heraldic animal of the Welfen family (Welf means lion cub) was commissioned by Heinrich the Lion in 1166. It demonstrated his ducal position and power. The lion is the oldest remaining large style sculpture north of the Alpes - the bronze cutie is 1.78 m high and 2.79 m long - and probably forged in Braunschweig itself. Its models are the Capitoline Wolf (the one that's causing discussions whether it is Etruscan or Medieaval), the Lion of Venice and the Marc Aurel statue in Rome. Heinrich had seen those sculptures during Emperor Barbarossa's first two Italian wars.
There is a copy on the castle square, standing on a big stone pedestal. You can see it in the first pic. The original is kept in the museum, because pollution would damage the bronze.
¶ October 02, 2009 9 comments
