Down in the Crypt of Braunschweig's Cathedral

 The sarcophagus of Friedrich Wilhelm, the "Black Duke" of Braunschweig, who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.  The city is recognising the 200th anniversary of his death,.

 

This has been newly restored, in time for an exhibition in the near by Landesmuseum.  I wrote a previous blog about this exhibition, and had to admit that I was none the wiser when I came out after spending an hour or so reading complicated German!  It was a shame there was not an audio guide or a leaflet in English, a common language for many visitors.  The cathedral provides leaflets in several languages.

 Down in the crypt.

 

The crypt has been closed for several weeks, while the sarcophagi were being restored.  I thought it was closed for several months, and came across it quite by chance, when I looked through a window into the dark crypt, and a friendly visitor's face smiled back!   "Ahhh" I thought, it is open again.  It costs a Euro to visit, with a guide in German naming all the tsplendid tombs.

 View of the crypt.

 

The sarcophagus of Caroline of Brunswick, wife of the English King George lV, and sister to Friedrich Wilhelm, the "Black Duke" of Braunschweig.

 

 

 

A Tenuous Link with JS Bach in St Andreas in Braunschweig.

 The "Old Weigh House" with one of the towers of St Andreas in the background.

JS Bach never visited Braunschweig (as far as we know) but he walked from his home in Erfurt to Lüneburg to continue his musical education, and from there walked to Hamburg and Lübeck to visit Dietrich Buxtehude, an organist and composer, whose playing and compositions was much admired by Bach. 

 

This brings me to the tenuous connection between Bach and Braunschweig, because one of the works performed at the Friday evening recital was Buxtehude`s  "Prelude in D Major."  It is not a work with which I am familiar, but I´m sure Bach heard this music, and I  could hear where Bach may have found some of his compositional ideas.

 Modern stained glass windows in the nave.

 

The church was severely damaged  in the last war, and the modern church must be a shadow of its former medieval glory.  The "Old Weigh House" in the photo above was completely destroyed in 1944, and the modern replica,  built by traditional methods, was rebuilt from 1991 to 1994, and now houses a school.

The modern organ on which Rüdiger Wilhelm played several short works, and also the cantata "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" by JS Bach, BWV 651


 

With the Black Duke of Braunschweig in the State Museum

 

When is a Hero a Hero?

 

Braunschweig celebrated on June 16th the 200th anniversary of the death of The Black Duke, Friedrich  Wilhelm of Braunschweig in 1815.   There is a special exhibition on  at the State Museum about his life and death, most of which I could not read because there was no information available in English.   I can read German quite well, but there was so much German to read, that I gave up the will to live half way through the afternoon.

The death of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm on the battlefield at Quatre-Bas.

 

The link below gives an account of his life.

 

Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William,_Duke_of_Brunswick...

Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (German: Friedrich Wilhelm; 9 October 1771 – 16 June 1815)

 

 

A model of the battle in the State Museum

 

Quite what the title of the exhibition means, I still haven't a clue, although it probably alludes to the assumption that he was a hero, even though the facts about his actions might prove his heroism was a fantasy.

Another lovely model of the battlefield at Quatre-Bas..

The Thlokomela Choir from Windhoek, Namibia singing in the Cathedral.

The Thlokomela Choir from Windhoek, Namibia.

 

I popped into the cathedral at 5pm today, as I often do after shopping or returning home from somewhere or other, to listen to the short service and organ music.    The service is spoken in German that is slow enough for me to understand, and today, instead of the usual two short organ works during the service, a choir visiting from Namibia sang four pieces of music for us.  Their voices sounded wonderful in the great, open space of the building.

 

Their first piece was "Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme," cantata 140 by JS Bach. The warmth of the choir's voices added an extra emotional edge to the music, and I was almost in tears at the sound,  which included that particular "click" that some African languages have.  They sang a German folk song to finish, "Wenn alle Brunnlein fließen," a song I have sung here with a Braunschweig Choir.

 

The choir performs in a concert in the Cathedral tomorrow evening at 7pm, and I shall certainly go along and listen to their songs.  


 

A Flying Visit to Frankfurt to meet my Penfriend.

 Arriving at Frankfurt station, an mighty building, as are most German main stations.

 

I have been writing to my Swiss penfriend for six years, and on Saturday we met in Frankfurt, the halfway point between Basel and Braunschweig,  for a stroll along the banks of the River Main, and for a delicious lunch in a market square.  The weather forecast has been dire, but apart from a downpour at lunch time, the day was cool but dry.  

 I have seen geese like this before, does anyone know what they are?

 

After the 2.45 hour journey there in the train, it was good to have a good walk along the banks of the Main, which flows into the River Rhein somewhere or other.  (I must find out more!)  The journey seemed so short coming back, why is that?

 Sitting outside a Gasthof enjoying a good lunch and drinking beer.

 

It was good to come across a quiet square, with some historical interest.  Frankfurt seems to be a city of skyscrapers and too much traffic.

The day was a little marred by the presence of a noisy helicopter hovering over the city.  A  Nazi march had been organised for that day, with a counter demonstration, and the area near the station was thronged with policemen and their cars.  At one point we came across the demonstration, but turned in the other direction, and avoided the protests.
A lovely day out.



 

Open-air Opera time again in the Burgplatz, Braunschweig.

For the nationwide U3A German group members reading this blog and viewing the photos, I will try in future to include photos of German posters and signs.

 The openair theatre being constructed in the Burgplatz, Braunschweig. 

 

The cathedral stands in the background, and to the right is the "Lion Monument," commemorating Henry the Lion (1129 - August 1195) Duke of Saxony, builder of the cathedral, and who was married to Matilda of England, the daughter of King Henry ll. 

 

More can be read about him in the following Wikipedia link:

Henry the Lion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Lion

Henry the Lion (1129 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII ...

 

Die Schrottbox

 

An openair opera takes place in the Burgplatz every year, and it is always interesting to watch the arena being constructed.  It seems to happen very quickly, as on Wednesday, when I didn´t have my camera with me, it was at third and fourth level, and today on my return it was up to the sixth and seventh level. 

 

When rehearsals are in full swing, it is possible to sit outside the cathedral, and listen to the wonderful music for free.  I have been to two previous performances, "Turandot" in 2012 and "The Lady of the Camellias" in 2013.

 Signage, which I hope can be enlarged.

Burgplatz Open Air 2015: Ein Maskenball www.braunschweig.de/kultur/.../bsm_artikel/burgplatzopenair2015.html

Burgplatz Open Air 2015: Ein Maskenball (Un ballo in ... Auch in diesem Jahr bietet das Staatstheater Braunschweig wieder eine Aufführung unter freiem ...

Henry the Lion´s castle, Dankwarderode,  reconstructed after WW2.

 

Henry made Brunswick his capital, and had his heraldic animal, a bronze lion, erected in the yard of his castle in 1166.  The lion was the first bronze statue erected north of the alps, and a copy of it can be seen in the V & A in London.

 

 

 

Up in the Cable Car at Bad Harzburg

The top cable car station at Burgberg, above Bad Harzburg.

 

It was a nice ride, and I do trust German engineering, but I was glad to get out at the top!  The car swung as it rode over the support pylon half way up, and that was the only time I hung on for dear life.  The Burgberg Cable Car was built in 1929, and has a length of 481 metres.  It is driven by a 39 hp engine at the summit station.  Two cabins carry up to 18 passengers in each.

 

The cable car is named after the Burgberg mountain, the site of the historic Harzburg Castle, built in 1068 for Emperor Henry V1.  The upper terminus was erected within the Castle ruins, and the cable cars and both stations are preserved in their original 1920s condition.

 

Before the cable car was built, visitors to the former hotel at the summit had to travel up on donkeys.  A lovely statue of a lady riding side-saddle in a donkey stands in Bad Harzburg town centre.

 

 

The new cafe within the ruins of the Castle.

Last time I visited in 2013, this cafe was just a building site.  Fortunately it is now finished, and we enjoyed tea and cake in the lovely gardens.  The new building stands on the site of a former hotel and pleasure garden.

Ralph looking out towards Braunschweig from the viewing Point at the summit.

A lynx and hare, two creatures found in the Harz, stare at one another in Bad Harzburg.
 

An Organ Recital in the Cathedral.

 The Schuke/Späth Organ, played by Sophie-Charlotte Tetzlaff from Halle.

 

Every Saturday at 12 noon, a service is held in the cathedral, with a short organ recital.  I usually miss it, as I need to leave Timmerlah an hour before, to arrive on time, and on a Saturday I like to take my time getting up!  I made an effort today, as I knew three of JS Bach´s chorales were to be performed.

The programme consisted of Felix Mendelssohn´s "Prelude and Fuge in C Minor," a work I had not heard before,  and JS Bach´s chorales, BWV 658, BWV 646 and BWV 667.  The sound of the organ, filling every corner of the cathedral, was wonderful to behold.

The high altar with the 12th century seven armed candelabra.

 

 

Seniors´ Day on a very hot day in Braunschweig.

 Information stalls in Klein Burg, with the Cathedral as backdrop, on "Senior´s Day."

 

The Klein Burg was filled with stalls giving out Information about the various activities there are in Braunschweig for those of us over a certain age.  Last year I helped on the "Hobby and Science stall,"  but this year it was so hot, that I just had a quick look around, took these photos, and came home to the coolness of my flat, with all ist shutters down.

 Stalls in the "Place of German Unity" in front of the new Rathaus.

A stage stood in this square, with choirs singing and various dance groups performing, all showing a variety of groups available for seniors to join.  It was a shame it was so hot, but at least it was not pouring with rain.

 

.

The view from my flat in Timmerlah.

 

From my lounge window, I have this lovely view of the fields of corn (this year I think) and of the main road from a distant Weststadt and Broitzem.   The railwayline from Berlin to Hannover runs to the right of the photo.  The trees have visibly grown since I was here last in 2013, and a local ginger cat likes to walk along the tractor lines in the corn fields, chasing the local mice.

 

The weather is good at the moment, a little too hot for me, but storms are expected over the weekend, and temperatures will be much lower next week.  Thank goodness for that. 

 

On a clear day the view from the front window reveals the distant "Brocken" in the Harz Mountains.  It is not possible to see it in the photo, nor is it possible to see the windpark with its spinning windmills.   I named one of the mills, "Zyphrus" because he works so much harder than the others on his hill top location.  The railwayline to Hannover runs from left to right just where the tractor wheel lines end, (glad it stopped there!)

 

The view from the third window is greatly changed since a baby boy was born to the Russian family in 2013.  He is now a toddler, and wanders around the garden kicking a ball, and poking the plants on his father's vegetable patch with a stick.  A climbing frame now stands in the garden, and the lovely thick hedge that hid the road, has been cut down and replaced with a thin plastic fence.  Not very good as a road noise excluder, I think.


 

A Sunny Sunday in Magdeburg

 

 Café in "The Green Citadel"

I'm hoping soon to get to grips with writing the blog, as just lately I have been so busy entertaining a friend here, that I have not had time to think.  I must also get used to the vagaries of using this site, that occasionally won't play ball with me!

The Green Citadel by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

www.hundertwasser.com

Hundertwasser, was a visionary and responsible creator, and mobilized the power of his art in order to spread his message for a life in harmony with nature.

The tomb of Otto 1, the Holy Roman Emperor.

 

Otto 1 (23rd Nov 912 - 7th May 973,  also know as Otto the Great was a German Kind from 936 and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 962 until his death in 973.  The oldest son of Henry 1 the Fowler and Matilda, Otto was "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy."

 

Two of the smug looking Wise Virgins in Magdeburg Cathedral.

 

These statues of the Wise Virgins are remarkable for the detail of their expressions and for the detail of their clothing.  They were created in 1245, and it is remarkable, that they have survived until the 21st century.  The five Foolish Virgins stand on plinths opposite their Wise partners, who look at their sad friends with a certain happy smugness.

Cathedral of Magdeburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Magdeburg

The Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg, officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice.



 

Singing our Socks off at the Friday Music Group.

 

I've rejoined a small singing group, that meets every other Friday in the Louise Schroeder Haus in Braunschweig.  Many nationalities are represented in the group, and we sing songs in several languages simultaneously.  It takes some concentration!

 We spent the evening singing songs and "rounds" in many languages.

 

 Sitting in a cool room in the Louise-Schröder Haus reading through the words of a song.

Back in Braunschweig's Botanical Garden

Some very large poppies enjoying the sunshine.

 

This is one of my favourite places in BS, just a few steps from the tram, but an oasis of peace and quiet in a busy city on a hot day. 

 A quiet, shady corner, suitable for hiding away from heatwaves.

 A potted something about to bloom.

The herb garden with box hedges.

On the JS Bach Trail in Leipzig on Thursday 4th June 2015

 In the Nikolaikirche

 

 Bust of Bach in the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig

 Bach's tomb in the Thomaskirche

The organ loft in the Thomaskirche

In Berlin in Warm Sunshine.

 Outside the Chancellor´s office in Berlin.

 

We walked from the station, over the River Spree to the Chancellor´s Office, and towards the Brandenburg Gate..  President Sisi of Egypt was visiting Berlin today, and a man was lying under the tree on hunger strike, and showing his oppostition to his rule.  The Police were standing out of sight to the right of the photo.  Healthy to see some opposition!

A view of the Reichstag Building through the fountains.

Reichstag Building

 

Reichstag Building.

 

 

Brandenburg Gate.