Kaiserburg!

Today we visited the biggest outdoor destination in Nuremburg, the Kaiserburg. Construction seems to have begun in AD 1050, making this structure nearly 1000 years old! The Kaiserburg is one of many castles spread throughout Bavaria, which the Kaiser would use as homes and to meet with various dignitaries. The main purpose of this castle (besides the obvious protection it affords), and one of the key symbolic reasons Adolf Hitler was so attracted to Nuremberg, was communication with the Holy Roman Empire, otherwise known as Byzantium. The Bavarian Empire and the HRE were the two biggest powers in the region following the fall of the Roman Empire, and the central location and security of this castle made it an ideal meeting place for the rulers of both.

Looking up at the Kaiserburg from the bridge that spans the moat. The moat itself was not filled with water; it was simply an extremely deep ditch that an army couldn't cross without being cut down by archers.

Yet another picture of St. Lorenz cathedral, this time from the outer battlements of the castle. It's a nice view, but nowhere near what's to follow.

On the side of the river closer to the Kaiserburg stands St. Sebold cathedral.

This is the biggest Catholic church in Nuremburg, St. Elizabeth cathedral.

Looking up from the battlements at the many buildings contained within the castle. Remember  that castles were designed to withstand sieges; these buildings would provide all the support of an entire city to the Kaiser if he were attacked here. Everything produced by the serfs elsewhere could be produced by the same serfs in limited quantities here: meat, wood, stone, milk, water, armor, livestock, and weapons could all be obtained within the castle's walls.

The main courtyard.

The rear of the castle, where chambers for the women and attendant lords once stood, is now a small museum of weapons and armor that would have been found in this castle. Most of the swords have been almost entirely consumed by rust, but some of the more recent items are in incredible condition for their age.

Various halberds. Each of these fearsome polearms is half again as tall as a man; they were designed not for offence against infantry but defense against cavalry, and so needed to be long enough that a knight (or his horse, for that matter) couldn't attack the user without being dismounted or killed outright.

This is rider armor. It's noticeably lighter duty than the previous article.

I can't seem to stay away from churches! This is the chapel within the castle.

I laughed when I saw this.
"Have we got bows?"
"No."
...
"We have the Holy Hand Grenade!"
"Of course! The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch!"

These figures, like the evident Monty Python fans above, have nothing to do with the Bible, unlike the figures in the other cathedrals. Rather they depict Kaisers and Empresses who have lived here.

There are exceptions, of course, like this incredible life-size Madonna.

The chapel has an impressive pit below it with what appear to be other pews. I didn't catch enough of the German to understand what it was for, but I suspect it was a place of worship for the lower members of the Imperial entourage.

The entire chapel. It's all original, except, of course, the iron  fence around the pit.

This ornately carved device seemed to appear in every room. It wasn't explained, but my guess based on the dimensions and ubiquity is that it's some kind of furnace. Even if you're the Kaiser, it's still cold in Bavaria.

In all the rooms of the castle, the ceiling is ornately painted. The shields held by the famous two-headed eagles represent the member states of the Bavarian Empire.

This map shows the extent of said Empire at its peak. It's a pretty impressive territory.

The color scheme of the Eagle is oddly reversed in the Kaiser's anteroom. Apparently, this particular ceiling is rather famous.

Water and the slow passage of time destroyed what was one a beautiful fresco on the far wall of the anteroom. The under-painting has been restored.

Americans tend to think of Baroque styling as lavish. They're right.

Many people who bore the title of Kaiser sat at this table. 

The Kaiser's bedroom is restored except for the bed (?), and this beautiful tapestry is the centerpiece. It exemplifies the Medieval Period in art, with realistically-proportioned figures frozen in time mid-action. Notice how frontal they all are: it's a characteristic of developing art style...even though the Greeks already knew how to do it right a thousand years before.

The courtyard, taken from an overlooking passage.

The symmetry between the stairs and the building on the left was striking enough to warrant a photo. The counter-symmetry of the walkway and the groundedness of the tower further enhance the view.

The best photo of the day, showcasing the Kaiserburg's most famous tower , balanced by a perfect blue sky and a half-timber house. The trees add a balancing touch of the natural.

As said before, a castle needs an economy, just like a city. This well, which is 37 meters deep, supplied vital infrastructure.

A stunning view of the city, showing both cathedrals as well as city hall, taken from the top of the above tower. It was a lot of steps, but it was definitely worth it. Still, my legs hurt a lot after walking all through and around the castle, up and down this tower, through the shopping district of Nuremburg, and about a mile back to the cat.

The irony of the modern glass building next to the traditional Bavarian half-timber houses was irresistible.

The whole inner castle, as seen from the top of the tower. Interestingly, an archer in this tower would not have the line of sight needed to take down an enemy in the courtyard, so if they get that far, the Kaiser's on his own!

The most obvious anachronism here, the unified German flag only came to be in the late 19th Century.

Appropriately, this Bavarian flag is much more prominent than the German one and would, in fact, have been flown from this castle.

The view from the tower was good enough to make out the airport far in the distance. Behind it (though I would never have known this without being told so) is the Nuremberg Tiergarten, which I am told is a very impressive zoo.

Although this city was mostly obliterated during World War II, it has nevertheless been rebuilt to its prewar splendor. And when something couldn't be rebuilt, something more useful was built in its place -- just as these resourceful ducks used a fallen tree as a base for a nest safe from most predators.

The most famous fountain in Nuremberg. The artwork is good, but the themes presented are rather depressing. And yes, that's corn.

The only picture I had time to take during a brief visit to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum. Think of it as a teaser for what's to come tomorrow!

And finally, the main reason I wanted to go to the shopping district. Love you, Dad!

German Word of the Day / Deutsches Wort des Tages
der Schloss :: Castle
Schloss Neuschwanstein ist der beruehmste in der Welt.
Neuschwanstein Castle is the most famous in the world.

Schuele und Stadt

This post has more than 30 photos. All from the first day.

My host family lives in a suburb of Nuremburg called Roethenbach. It's normally very traditional in appearance, but there are many modern buildings as well. This is a bank and cafe that I saw on the way to the train station.

The Bavarian education system (it's different in each Bundesland) is composed of three stages. In Grundschule--analogous to our elementary schools and going up to fourth grade--all students learn together. After taking a big test, students are grouped by academic performance into one of three schools: Hauptschule (lowest 1/3), Realschule (middle 1/3), and gymnasium (top 1/3). The third stage consists of trade school, general college, or university education. This school, Melancthon-Gymnasium, was founded in 1526 (!!!), making it the oldest school in the city.

Melancthon-Gymnasium has a great focus on classical studies, providing intense focus on the study of foreign languages. Upon leaving this school, a student will be fluent in German, English, Latin, and ancient Greek. I wish my school did that! The wolf sculpture on the roof represents Romulus. Remus is out of shot.

It's a very pretty school (far nicer than our slab of concrete). This is the view from the newest construction, a recreation and technology center called the Box. The students have access to the courtyard during either of the two free periods they have each day. It's a nice, refreshing break, though it rained today.

Nearly all the students go to school using public transportation. It seems like everyone else does too--otherwise the shopping malls they call train stations wouldn't stay profitable. This is the Roethenbach stop.

The old inner city of Nuremberg (from when the city was founded in the Middle Ages) was enshrouded by a fearsome city wall. Its many gates were overlooked by these towers.

The trains are surprisingly clean and roomy.

The new construction of the modern art and design museum is juxtaposed with the centuries-old structures elsewhere in the city.

Inside the St. Lorenz cathedral, my first European church. It's pretty awe-inspiring. St. Lorenz is the biggest and most famous church in Nuremberg.

Just outside St. Lorenz, overlooking one of many market squares. This city is dominated by people, not cars, and  most of the cars I saw were either parked or being used as advertisements in a big display from Hyundai. The Germans pronounce it Hee-oon-die. They're probably closer to the original Japanese than us.

One of St. Lorenz's two towers.

Looking down the street at St. Lorenz.

Inside the cathedral. It's a really incredible sight.

Looking up at the organ and stained-glass window.

An angel, poised to fight the forces of Hell.

My first true Fachwerkhaus! This style is pretty much ubiquitous in Germany (especially Bavaria, where I am), but since it's the first one I saw it was worth the photo.

The Pegnitz River that divides Nuremberg. On one side is St. Lorenz cathedral and on the other is St. Sebald.

A very old building we toured near the river. It is the social court, not the famous Palace of Justice where the Nuremberg Trials were held. I'm touring that one later.

This is the most well-known bridge in Nuremberg. It's called Fleischbruecke ("Meat Bridge") because in medieval times when it was built, it led into a long market street where meat products were sold. The bridge still leads to a market, only now they sell iPods there.

The intricate bas relief above the massive entrance to the St. Lorenz cathedral. The cathedral is under  renovation, so it's covered in a net. I don't know how that's supposed to protect it...

The above picture is located at the bottom of this one.  Here the beautiful window and twin towers are majestically visible.

This is a tourist attraction. At this fountain (der Schoenerbrunnen -- "Beautiful Fountain"), a single gold ring is hidden in the cast iron frame. The story is that anyone who touches the ring or spins it around once (depends on who you ask) will have good luck.

Of course, the fountain itself is nothing to sneeze at!

The Hailands say the real luck comes from this less well-known and far harder-to-find ring. The people who were touching it looked like Germans, not tourists, so it's possible that this ring really is the good one.

Inside Nuremburg's other famous cathedral, the St. Sebald on the other side of the river, closer to the Kaiserburg.  We stepped in in the middle of an open concert. The music sounded like a high school band, but it was free.

The most well-known Nuremberger of all time, Albrecht Duerer. Duerer is one of the most important figures in this city; he has pretty much every kind of public institution imaginable named after him here.

A picture looking up at the Kaiserburg, one of the Kaiser's many castles spread throughout Bavaria. More to come tomorrow!

Yet another church, St. Egedien's.

Yes, you can get Skittles in Germany, though the Hailands had never heard of them before.

German Word of the Day / Deutsches Wort des Tages
die Kirche :: church
Heute sah Kapitaen drei verschiedene Kirche.
Today, Kirk saw three different churches.