Page 374 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

372  WESTERN GERM AN Y HESSE  373

The Brothers Grimm house), dating from 1565. town should start from the
Opposite the town hall stands Elisabethkirche, at the bottom
The two brothers are known around the the Stumpfhaus (1609), its of the hill. Built in 1235–83, it is
world as collectors of German folk-tales, façade beautifully decorated (after Trier) Germany’s second
which were first published in 1812 and with wood carvings and pain­ purely Gothic church. There is a
subsequently translated into most tings. From the town hall runs large set of Gothic altars from
languages. Fairy-tales such as Hänsel the picturesque Fulder Gasse, the early 16th century, including
and Gretel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding with the Gothic parish church the altars of St Elisabeth (1513)
Hood have been favourites for generations Wal purgiskirche (13th–15th and of the Holy Family (1511).
of children. Above all, however, the centuries), which has 15th­ Next to the north choir entrance
brothers were scholars. In his German century wall paintings. In stands the statue of St Elisabeth
Grammar, published in 1819, Jacob Grimm
proved that all German dialects sprang Rossmarkt stands the for mer with a model of the church
from a common origin, and thus laid the Augustian Dreifaltigkeits­ (1480). The choir contains
Projecting gate of the Baroque Stadtschloß foundations of German philology. The Grimm Brothers also initiated kirche (church of the the tomb of the Saint,
in Fulda the publication of the Dictionary of the German Language. Holy Trinity), from the positioned under the The Gothic portal of the Elisabeth kirche
13th–15th centuries. baldachin (around in Marburg
4 Fulda It was from here that 1280). The vestry
oldest church buildings in 5 Alsfeld in 1522 the monk houses the greatest (artists’ house). High above the
Road map C5. * 65,000. £
n Bonifatiusplatz 1 (0661-102 18 14). Germany. Inside the church has a Road map C4. * 18,000. £ Tilemann Schnabel treasure, the reliquary town towers the Landgrafen­
ring of eight columns and a crypt n Markt 3 (06631-18 21 65). began to spread the of St Elisabeth (1235– schloss, the landgraves’ castle
Fulda’s history began in March supported by a single column. _ Pfingstfest (Whitsun), Historischer Reform ation in Alsfeld. 49). In the south choir dating from the 10th–16th
744, when Sturmius, a pupil of The circular gallery, the long side Markt (Jun), Fairy-Tale Day (Jun), Stadt- The Märchenhaus is an interesting group centuries. The two­storey
St Boniface, laid the foundation nave and the western tower are und Heimatfest (Aug), Historischer (Fairy­Tale House) on of monuments to the Fürstenbau (dukes’ building)
stone for the Benedictine abbey. 11th-century additions. Markt (Sep). ∑ alsfeld.de Markt has several rooms Hessian land graves, has a large ducal chamber,
Ten years later the body of St Other interesting sights in devoted to the tales of from the 13th–16th dating from 1330. The
Boniface, who had been killed Fulda are the Baroque Heilig- The first historic records of the Brothers Grimm and Detail on the Rat haus, centuries. Wilhelmsbau was built in
in Marburg
by Frisian pagans, was laid to Geist-Kirche (church of the Alsfeld date from the late 9th a collection of puppets. The Kunst­ 1492–8. It houses a museum
rest here. The town, which grew Holy Spirit; closed to the public), century. Today the town attracts The 18th­century castle in museum Marburg of sacral art with mementos
around the abbey, experienced built in 1729–33 by Andreas visitors with its pretty old town Altenburg, 2 km (1 mile) from holds a collection of paintings of the debate between Luther,
its heyday during the Baroque Gallasini, and the late 18th- with numerous 16th–17th Alsfeld, enjoys a hilltop position. that were prod uced after Zwingli and Melanchthon.
period, and a new Baroque century parish church of St century half-timbered houses. 1500, with a predominance
building, designed by Johann Blasius. In the 8th century, five On the eastern side of the town of 19th­ and 20th­century R Elisabethkirche
Dientzenhofer, was built in abbeys were established on square stands a grand late- 6 Marburg German artists. Around the Elisabethstraße. Tel (06421) 655 73.
1704–12 on the foundations the four hills surrounding the Gothic Rathaus (town hall), Road map C4. * 80,000. £ market square stands a group Open Apr–Sep: 9am–5pm; Oct:
of the old abbey. The Dom St town. On Petersberg stands built in 1512–16, and one of n Pilgrimstein 26 (06421­991 20). of historic, half­timbered 9am–5pm; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm.
Salvator und Bonifatius is a the former Benedictine the finest examples of half- _ Maieinsingen (30 Apr), 3­Tage houses from the 14th–17th E Kunstmuseum Marburg
triple-nave basilica with a dome Propsteikirche St Peter timbered structures anywhere Marburg (Jul), Elisabethmarkt (Oct), centuries. Particularly pretty Biegenstraße 11. Tel (06421) 282 23
above the nave intersection, a (Liobakirche), from the in Germany. Other interesting Weihnachtsmarkt (Dec). are the Sonne (sun, No. 14), 55. Closed for renovations. &
monumental eastern façade 9th–15th centuries, with a features in the market square ∑ marburg.de the Stiefel (boot, No. 17) and
and a shrine with the saint’s Carolingian crypt. Inside the are the stone Weinhaus, with the house at No. 19. The + Landgrafenschloß und
Museum für Kulturgeschichte
relics under the high altar, church is one of Germany’s its distinctive stepped gable When in 1248 the county Steinernes Haus (stone house, Schloß 1. Tel (06421) 282 58 71.
in the western section. oldest wall pain tings, dating (1538), and the Renaissance of Hesse broke away from No. 18), built in 1318, is the Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun
Opposite the cathedral stands from 836–47. Hochzeitshaus (wedding Thuringia, Marburg became one oldest in Marburg, along with (Nov–Mar: to 4pm). &
the Stadtschloß (former of the most important seats of that at No. 13 Hirschgasse.
episcopal palace), a shoe- the landgraves. The first land­ At No. 16 Markt is the
shaped edifice, built by Johann grave, Heinrich II, lived in the Renaissance Künstlerhaus
Dientzenhofer and Andreas castle that towers over the town.
Gallasini, with richly decorated The town’s history is insepar ably
Baroque and Rococo interiors. linked with the 13th­century
Particularly noteworthy are the figure of Elisabeth of Thuringia,
Kaisersaal (imperial hall) on the wife of Ludwig IV, who devoted
ground floor, the magnificent her life to the poor and died
Fürstensaal (hall of princes) and here. In 1527, Philipp the
the charming Rococo-style Magnanimous founded the first
Spiegelsaal (chamber of mirrors) Protestant university in the Reich
on the first floor. Today, some at Marburg. He also instigated
of the palace chambers hold the first Marburg Colloquy in
an impressive collection of 1529, to unify the Protestant
porcelain. The palace complex faith. The “articles” presented by
includes a large landscaped Martin Luther to Melanchthon
garden. To the north of the Dom and Zwingli later formed the
stands the round Michaels- basis for the Augsburg Creed.
kirche, a Carolingian chapel Today, Marburg is a picturesque
dating from 822, one of the Half-timbered houses in Alsfeld university town. A tour of the The Alte Universität (old university) in Marburg
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp499–500 and pp525–6

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.2)
Date 15th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm