Category Archives: Frauenkirche

Beautiful Fountain, Documentation Center, Frauenkirche, Männleinlaufen Clock, Nuremberg Rally Grounds

Nuremberg; our most disturbing tour followed by a lovely finish — but no bratwurst yet again…

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The Princess left rainy Regensburg at 5 PM, headed for Nuremberg(Nurnberg). The Rambler is not sure if the people who took the Masterpiece Collection tour of the Hops growing region of Bavaria made it back in time…pretty sure they did as I don’t remember a technical stop to pick them up. This tour did sound like it might be fun but not on a rainy day. This group was to have met the Bavarian Hop Ambassador and learned about hop cultivation from her. They would then visit the hop field and enjoy the local beer. It would have been great fun on a sunny day but not this rainy day with a high of 72.

Hops grow in a region of Bavaria called the Hallertau, and have done so for centuries. The hops grow on tall vines; here the Hop Ambassador is checking the hops which are used to give beer a distinctive flavor.

The Ramblers enjoyed a quiet evening on board chatting with our friends and discussing the next day’s activities. The senior Rambler decided he would stay on board, as the Nuremberg City Tour planned for the next day would last from 9:30 to 4:00 PM. However, the Rambler would have plenty of company because our new friends, Laura, Jean and Kathy would all be part of the gentle walkers group. We didn’t know what to expect as our program simply said we would visit the Nazi Rally Grounds and Zeppelin field and then tour an exhibit at the Documentation Center. Afterwards we would drive through the city and have some time for lunch in the medieval marketplace…and perhaps a bratwurst… getting back to the ship around 4 PM.

The approach to the Congress Center on the other side of a small lake.

The Ramblers had toured the Rally Grounds several years ago and you will find them described in an earlier post. We did not leave our bus this day, but simply drove through the massive, decaying grounds. In 2019, the German state decided, after much debate, to conserve but not restore Hitler’s massive but unfinished constructions as both a warning and remembrance of an ugly time in their past.

Aerial view of the massive Congress Hall ; the entrance to the Documentation Center is on the left.

In 1900 Nuremberg was known as the toy capital of Germany but by the 1930’s it had become Hitler’s favorite city and he established the grim and grandiose headquarters of the Nazi party there. In effect, there were now two Nuremberg’s, one a happy place and and the other steeped in darkness. Today, we would see both, starting on the dark side and then visiting the main square with its market, restaurants, historic “beautiful” fountain and lovely Frauenkirche (Our Lady’s Church).

Because of the long day of touring ahead, the Princess made another technical stop at Roth, so those going on the tour could board their busses at 9:30 AM. This was necessary as our ship wouldn’t reach Nuremberg until 2 in the afternoon. Rivers don’t always take the most direct path; sometimes it is necessary to speed things up with a bus ride. The senior Rambler happily waved me off as we gentle walkers boarded our bus at Roth. The weather forecast promised another cool, cloudy day with a chance of rain; we would get partly cloudy and fortunately no rain!

Map of the complex ix 1940, with the Congress Hall at the top.

The Ramblers had not visited the Documentation Center on our earlier visit and the Rambler had no idea what to expect. Its name is misleading as while the Documentation Center does contain many documents, they are displayed in a most unusual way in a very unusual building. it is actually built onto a part of the huge but unfinished and decaying Congress Hall, inspired by the Colosseum in Rome but built mainly of red brick. You enter in the new part of the structure up a long flight of steps (there is a handicap entrance, beneath the stairs.) Above the entrance, the structure is pierced by a huge steel arrow (according to the architect.)

This is the best photo of the entrance I could find, It clearly shows the “arrow.” The handicap accessible entrance is directly below the stairs. and lead to an elevator which will take you to all floors. Those who have mobility issues need not worry about visiting the Documentation center.

Since it was the height of the vacation season in Germany, the Documentation Center was already crowded when we arrived about 10:30. The crowds milling around inside somehow added to our experience as we carefully navigated around the many twists and turns of the mazelike exhibit levels in semi-darkness. The four of us later agreed that there was something unsettling and uncomfortable about our time at the Documentation Center. Despite the extremely interesting exhibits, we were all glad when it was time to leave. Incidentally, the Center has a small café where you can purchase snacks and drinks but this is temporarily closed due to social distancing.

Here yyu can clearly get a sense of the size of the Congress Hall, the entrance is on the left, underneath the structure with the black front. The architect called this the “arrow”!

From 1933 to 1938, the National Socialists held their Party Rallies in Nuremberg. Today the remains of Hitler’s huge structures still bear witness to how his propaganda display was organized and produced. The exhibition in the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds provides an almost three dimensional and comprehensive picture of the National Socialist dictatorship as well as the history of the Party Rallies. Its educational forum also offers numerous programs, and information boards on the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, which cover 4 square kilometers, and explains the history of the site. In addition, it is possible to tour the parts of the huge Congress Hall that are not open to the public by appointment.

This video provides a glimpse of the Center’s interior and its exhibits. Photography was not an option during our visit, because the Rambler was concentrating on not tripping or bumping into someone. It really was crowded and many of the rooms that show videos are quite dark and gloomy.

We all had conflicting feelings as we boarded our bus to head to the main square; we felt we had seen something special, but at the same time we were glad to get back into the open air headed for the heart of Nuremberg.

After a short ride we were dropped off at the Hauptmarkt at the main square of the Alstadt. We would meet our bus again, just off the square after a substantial break to tour the market, church and shops. Lunch was on our own and our first destination as afternoon was already well advanced. The Rambler had heard that there was an excellent place for bratwurst right on the square and her companions agreed this was a great idea.

This is as close as we got to a Nuremberg bratwurst…For some reason, they are quite small and one orders 3,6,9 or 12.

Unfortunately we were only about to find one restaurant that offered bratwurst. Not only was it up a steep flight of stairs but it was CLOSED. I learned later that there were several restaurants that offered bratwurst and other Nuremberg specialties, but they were just off the square and we missed them. Of course every restaurant we checked was fairly crowded but an Italian place called Provenza seemed to have a few open tables so we ventured in and were seated at a table for four.

Provenza, no brats but good pizza !

It was an attractive restaurant but when the waitress brought our menus, the Rambler dared to ask if they might have bratwurst? She looked at me in exasperation and said, “This is an Italian restaurant!” Well, they might have had some… unfortunately the bratwurst quest would continue. Since we were in an ITALIAN restaurant, we went with pizza and fortunately the pizzas were tasty (although they could never be bratwurst) and we had a very pleasant lunch with much shared laughter.

Waiting for our pizza and wine…

Afterwards we split up to check out what the market and shops had to offer agreeing to meet by the fountain in an hour. The Rambler headed to the Frauenkirche. Although it had been reduced to rubble during WWII like most of the other historic buildings in Nuremberg, the Frauenkirche had been carefully rebuilt to look just as it had before the war. Oddly to me, anyway, the Congress Hall and stadium at the Rally Fields had not been bombed….

Unlike many of the churches we visited on this and other tours, the interior of the Frauenkirche is relatively plain; the famous Tucher altar triptych, dating to the middle of the 15th century, is the focus of the area behind the altar.

Fortunately, some of the original statues and stained glass had been saved, likely hidden away, and when the church was restored after the war, they were returned. Those that had been destroyed were replaced by similar artifacts from other churches that dated to the 15th century when the Frauenkirche had been built.

The church has a warm and welcoming vibe, not all do, and the Rambler was content to sit quietly and absorb the spirit of the church which had welcomed visitors for more than 500 years. The church organist enhanced my meditation by playing softly during my visit. The Rambler tries to light at least one votive candle in each church she visits and the Frauenkirche had some available at a side altar which featured a medieval sculpture of the pieta.

This was my favorite place in the Frauenkirche, the medieval artist well portrayed the sorrow of Mary – my candle joined those of many others over the centuries.

Leaving the Frauenkirche, I noticed the entrance steps were worn down by centuries of footsteps which was somehow comforting. Once outside I turned around and looked up at its famous clock.

A close up of the clock, an outstanding accomplishment for its time. The running men enter and exit from the doors on each side. The clock was installed in 1506, and must have been an amazing sight for the townsfolk.

The mechanical Männleinlaufen, meaning running men, begins its song-and-dance history lesson precisely at midday and it is a one-time only event. We arrived much too late to see the mechanical action of its historic figures, and honestly, it is so far up on the tower that one really can’t see much without a good telephoto or binoculars. Bothe the Rambler’s camera and cell phone do not have zoom lenses. Usually they are not missed, but today would have been a good time to use one. Consequently the close-up of the clock came from Wikipedia although there are dozens of clock photos on the web and even You-Tube videos of the Männleinlaufen in action. Not sure why its creators built it so high but they must have had a good reason, since they certainly wanted to impress the townspeople.

The fountain is both meeting place and tourist attraction.

We met up with time to spare at our meeting place by the fountain, not just any fountain, but the Beautiful Fountain of Nuremberg! The current fountain is a replica which was recently restored but the original was built between 1385 and 1386, and the fancy grillwork (or fence) was added in 1587. Because the fountain was originally built out of sandstone, it wasn’t very durable, and it had to be replaced several times. Any time you visit, you will see at least one person climbing the grill to try to turn the golden ring which is hidden in the ironwork. Evidently if you do you, either your wish will be granted or you will return to Nuremberg…

Before long our bus arrived and we climbed aboard for the ride back to the Princess, after a long and satisfying day. The senior Rambler was waiting for me by the dock. Although he had enjoyed the cruise to Nuremberg, our ship was docked along the canal in an industrial area, nothing much to see and do for the folks who had stayed aboard. This is often the case when the stop is at a larger city. The popularity of river cruising has made dock space a premium and it is not always possible for the ships to dock at a scenic spot.

Docking at Nuremberg in an industrial area although not a long drive to the Rally Fields or even the Alstadt.
Durer House, Frauenkirche, Nuremberg bombing 1945, Nuremberg castle, Uncategorized

Nuremberg, a city that rose from the ashes after WWII

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I always mean to research the cities we will visit before the Ramblers leave on their trip. This sounds good, and would be very good, but usually it never happens. Life intervenes and instead I find myself knowing only what we have learned from our guides and the handouts provided by Uniworld. Obviously the quality of the information on our tours,depends on the knowledge of the guide, and while most are at least good, some could be better at their jobs.

The first part of our tour, which had featured a drive through the ruins of Hitler’s grandiose rally grounds, really was almost self explanatory. And the rally grounds were still there, in pretty bad shape to be sure, but recognizable. The second part of our day featured a walking tour of the historic old town of Nuremberg , and it looked looked amazing. Looking around as we walked on the cobblestone streets, the Ramblers could imagine that nothing much had changed since the middle ages. Our guide mentioned that the whole area had been heavily bombed during WWII, but it wasn’t until I got home and did some research, that I realized the extent of the damage. Those same beautiful medieval buildings, not to mention the castle, had been reduced to rubble, or in the case of the Frauenkirche, merely a shell of their former selves. However, the people of Nuremberg were determined to rebuild them and rebuild they did, using bricks from the debris, although half of the old imperial city was lost forever.

A photo taken in 1945 of the historic center of Nuremberg reduced to rubble after several bombing raids.
A photo taken in 1945 of the historic center of Nuremberg reduced to rubble after several bombing raids.

For the sake of accuracy, I must mention that the castle was crumbling in the 19th century, and they had already done some restoration work before WWII. However afterwards, the buildings were almost flattened.

On 2 January 1945, the medieval alstadt was systematically bombed by the RAF and the USAF and about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour; 1,800 residents were killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. By the end of the war, about 6,000 Nuremberg residents are estimated to have been killed in air raids. Why did the allies rain terror and destruction on the heart of this beautiful city known mainly for its manufacture of toys before the war? Of course, the fact that Hitler had chosen it as his special city didn’t help. In addition, during a bombing raid in 1944, the allies suffered their heaviest losses to date, losing a hundred planes to the defenders of the city. Six months later, the Germans had run out of fuel and were only able to offer a token resistance. Thus the allies could bomb the city almost unopposed.

A view of the Frauenkirche's shell , still standing in 1945.
A view of the Frauenkirche’s shell , still standing in 1945.

Obviously, the historic center was not a military target, and so the raid did not have a military purpose.

We were glad that the Nurembergers had worked so hard to restore their city as it provided us with an enjoyable visit to the past. Our bus dropped off the Gentle Walkers at the entrance to the Nuremberg castle grounds. This was one stop where it was impossible to get out very close to our tourist target. As we know, castles are almost always built on the highest ground for strategic reasons, and the  sandstone Nuremberg castle, first built in the 13th century, was no exception.

A long trek up the path towards the castle couryard...
A long trek up the path towards the castle courtyard…

We followed a long, winding, uphill path, which led past the moat, now dry, and seemed almost endless to this Rambler as I started to puff and wheeze. Determined not to give up, I finally made it, at the very tail end of the Gentle Walker group, but it was worth it. The view of the alstadt from the castle walls was beautiful!

Everything visible from the castle ramparts had been destroyed in 1945.
Everything visible from the castle ramparts had been destroyed in 1945.

We did not go inside, the castle  but instead enjoyed walking around the grounds on a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky.

From the castle, we had a long stroll downhill on lumpy cobblestones, but now we were on our own. The Ramblers could take our time, and even stop, although there were no places to sit down. I eventually regained my lost breath, and began to enjoy our surroundings. We walked down a maze of cobblestone streets past the four story Albrecht Durer house, which is now the home of an interactive museum on his life. Most people have seen his etching of the”praying hands,” but his work is much more complex and interesting.

The Albrecht Durer House, a popular tourist site.
The Albrecht Durer House, a popular tourist site.

Our downward stroll eventually led us to the market square which was  faced with shops and restaurants on three sides and the Frauenkirche which took up the fourth. The market square is also the location of the “beautiful fountain” but unfortunately we were unable to appreciate it as it was under reconstruction and hidden from view.

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A small sampling of the beautiful fruit on display.

In the square, market vendors had on display a beautiful, multi-colored selection of fruits, vegetables and flowers which were tempting. However, since we were very well fed on the Maria Theresa, it did seem silly to purchase any, especially since our room didn’t have a refrigerator. I couldn’t help myself though and eventually selected some giant fragrant raspberries.  Unfortunately the pricing was somewhat mis-leading and I ended up buying the most expensive berries I have ever eaten. The cost was 7 Euros a box,holding less than a pound. Ouch! Not wanting to say that they were too expensive, I paid up. Oh well, next time I will ask about the cost before I buy. At least they were delicious.

Our final stop was the Frauenkirche, built in the 14th century as a Catholic church and still Catholic church today, unlike many medieval churches in Germany which  converted to Lutheran during the Reformation.

Simple statue of Our Lady next to the candle stand.
Simple statue of Our Lady next to the candle stand.

Welcome to the Frauenkirche!
Welcome to the Frauenkirche!

.  Unlike the larger, highly decorated baroque churches, the Frauenkirche is quite simply adorned on the interior. Many of the statues looked like they dated to medieval times, and had probably been restored after WWII along with the church itself. Tired from our long walk, the Ramblers took advantage of the seats available inside the church, enjoying a rest after our long ramble down from the castle.

Our candle lit here, you can see the edge of the marble table at the right.
Our candle lit here, you can see the edge of the marble table of Our Lady’s Altar at the right.

I took the opportunity to light a candle for travelers and those at home while we were there.

The Frauenkirche is famous for a large mechanical clock, the Mannlienlaufen which springs into action once everyday at noon. It is supposed to have done so every day for centuries without fail, but I doubt it was operating in the days after the horrific bombing in 1945.

You can see the circle of the clock but not much else, and of course it was in the shade.
You can see the circle of the clock but not much else, and of course it was in the shade.

Although the Ramblers were still in the square at noon, when the bell began to toll, we were at the far end, so we really didn’t see much of the medieval figures who came out, paraded around and rolled back inside the clock. It would have taken very good eyesight to see them without binoculars from our location. And because my excellent camera has a fixed lens, I was unable to zoom in on the clock.

Here is a video from You Tube that shows the Mannlienlaufen in action complete with the ding dong of the church bell that accompanies it. Just highlight the link and it will play. The entire sequence takes 5 1/2 minutes, as the Frauenkirchen Bell chimes first then the trumpeters and drummers spring to life and finally the electors parade.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBXO_Fee4Zg  

As it was, we were supposed to meet our bus at noon, and Chad, our program director, busily rounded us up for the buss ride back to the Main Canal and the Maria Theresa. Nuremberg was a wonderful stop, truly  a city of contrasts.

Finally, I have included a photo of the Frauenkirchen from the preceding post which shows the church in 1946, one year after the bombing. Some vendors have already set up shop in the central market.

The ancient frauenkirche in the main market platz in 1946. Most of the surrounding area is rubble. Photo credit Scrapbookpage
The ancient frauenkirche in the main market platz in 1946. Most of the surrounding area is rubble but the plaza has been cleared and the vendors are back. Photo credit Scrapbookpage