Sights Archives ⋆ The Passenger

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020

Ancient harbour

Bad Karlshafen, Germany, is the most northern city of the federal state of Hesse. The ‘Bad‘ in its name shows that it is a spa city and people get there to cure their illnesses. It was founded by Charles I, landgrave of Hesse-Kassel in 1699 as a city for the Huguenots who fled from France because they were persecuted due to their Protestant Christian belief. You can find a museum for these people next to the harbour. By that time it was called Sieburg – it received the name Carlshaven in 1717 to honour its creator.

February 23, 2020February 24, 2020

Drei-Länder-Eck

When you walk on top of the mountains south of Bad Karlshafen, Germany, you might see a sign saying ‘Drei-Länder-Eck‘. But it isn’t the place where three countries or three federal states meet – it is just the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. Since 1837 the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia was in the middle of river Weser and in 1971 the border was changed and now the ‘Drei-Länder-Eck‘ is on the other side of the river Weser not far away from the Weser-Skywalk. It is a bit confusing – but in fact, the place marked as ‘Drei-Länder-Eck‘ was never the point where the borders met; at this place, formerly only a sign pointing to the different federal states of Germany was standing.

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020

Hugenottenturm

If you’re at Bad Karlshafen, Germany, you can see a tower on the mountain in the south. It is the Hugenottenturm (Huguenot tower) built in 1913. The tower was founded by Johann Josef Davin originating from a Huguenot family and living in Bremen. His ancestors fled from France because the were persecuted due to their Protestant Christian belief. As the city was founded in 1699 as a Huguenot city to give them a new home he was thankful and wanted to give something back.

February 23, 2020February 23, 2020

Krukenburg

On the Waltersberg mountain near Bad Karlshafen, Germany, you can find the ruins of an ancient fortress: the Krukenburg. It is special as at its centre a large church is included which was built in 1107 and follows the design of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The fortification was built to protect the village underneath called Helmarshausen, today a city quarter of Bad Karlshafen. In addition to the church and the different ruins of the fortification, there is also a tower which you can climb on.

February 15, 2020February 17, 2020

Karl-Marx-Relief

Between 1953 and 1991 the university of Leipzig, Germany, was named Karl-Marx-Universität after the author of ‘Capital. A Critique of Political Economy‘. In 1968 the church belonging to the university (Paulinerkirche, inaugurated in 1240) next to the Augustusplatz was destroyed to build a new university building. There was no place for religion in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). In 1974 a giant artwork called ‘Aufbruch‘ was attached to this new building showing Karl Marx and honouring him and the Marxism. It is 14 meters long, 7 meters high and has a weight of 33 tons.

February 2, 2020February 3, 2020

St. Petri

The Petrikirche at Lübeck, Germany, is a nice church dating back to the year 1170 CE and is made of the typical red bricks used in this area of the country. It was destroyed during World War II and served for many years as a lapidarium – a place where stones from other religious buildings of the city were collected. The church was rebuilt only in 1987 and as all of the interior is lost it is normally not used for religious services.

February 2, 2020February 3, 2020

Rebuilt cathedral

The Lübecker Dom is one of the richly decorated churches in the city. Its foundation stone was laid by Henry the Lion in 1137, the church was inaugurated in 1247. Formerly a Catholic church it has been converted during Protestant Reformation and it changed its appearance from a Roman to Gothic style. After a bomb partially destroyed the Dom in 1942 it needed until 1982 to restore it properly.

February 2, 2020February 4, 2020

Heiligen-Geist-Hospital

It is a little bit spooky but worth a visit: the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital in the city centre of Lübeck, Germany. A beautiful Gothic building made from red bricks containing a former hospital dating back to the year 1227 CE. When you enter it you will feel like in a church – there are giant religious wall paintings, a pulpit and some sculptures. You can also enter the main hall of the hospital where you can see wooden cabins that were once used to separate the ill. Hard to imagine to stay for a longer time in one of these.

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

Bilsteinklippen

The Brasselsberg mountain close to Kassel, Germany, is full of rock formations of volcanic origin. There were different volcanoes and over time erosion washed weaker material out and left bizarre rocks throughout the mountains. Some are better known as they are located next to frequently used hiking paths (like the Porta Lapidaria) and some are very special like the Teufelsmauer and facilities like protective huts have been created next to them. A rather unknown beauty are the Bilsteinklippen, a collection of large volcanic rocks near the Bismarckturm.

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

Hirzstein

When you’re hiking within the Habichtswald near Kassel, Germany you might find signs leading you to the Hirzstein – a 500 meters high rock formation with a nature preserve. Access is possible from the Teufelseck near the Teufelsmauer. It is just a one kilometre long way along the mountain through beautiful forest until you reach a viewing platform. Here you will find benches and very good views on Baunatal and Schauenburg. A detour is absolutely worth to take!