November 14-28, 2010 I'm taking on Deutschland!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Some Sights Around Nurnberg

I spent much of my time in Nurnberg, where Jordan lives, and took day trips to many of the small towns in Bavaria. Nurnberg, founded in 1050, is the largest city in the Franconian region of Bavaria. Nurnberg is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly because Reichstage (Imperial Diets) and courts met at Nurnberg Castle. Nurnberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the center of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions - the Nurnberg rallies.

 Amazing view of Nurnberg from the tower of the Nurnberg Castle

 Nurnberg Castle (Nurnberger Burg): between 1050 and 1571 all Kaisers and Kings of the Holy Roman Empire resided in the castle.

 The Imperial Crown Jewels at the Nurnberg Castle

  Schöner Brunnen Fountain in the Hauptmarkt. It was originally meant to top the Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), but was too heavy to be supported by the church tower so it was made into a fountain in front of the church.

 
This statue is near the Hauptmarkt in Nurnberg. It is called Ehekarussell (Marriage Merry-Go-Round Fountain) created in 1984 by the sculptor Prof. Jürgen Weber as a visual manifestation of Hans Sachs' poem "Bittersweet marital life". Hans Sachs is a Nurnberg native.


My first Döner Kebab: a Turkish delight!


This unique fountain in the Innenschdat is the "Narrenschrffbrunnen" or in English it is the "Ship of Fools". It was patterned after a woodcut done by Albrecht Dürer. The basic thinking behind this fountain is- No matter how beautiful you are nor how much you have accomplished in this life you can not outrun death. In other words "we are all in the same boat." Kind of morbid, but Germany seemed to be full of weird statues like this!


 The Documentation Center at the former Nazi rarty rally grounds.
The Nurnberg Trials of 1945-46 took place here.

Creepy bronze rabbit statue outside Albrecht Dürer's house


 The Albrecht Dürer House

Albrecht Dürer: a German painter, printmaker and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties.



St. Egidien (Church of St. Giles) towers and Wilhelm I equestrian statue


  The Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady) in the Haupmarkt

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