JS Bach in Köthen.
This Blog resumes at the beginning of May 2016, when I start packing for my next four months in my second home of Braunschweig. Bye til then.
Sunday 23 August 2015
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Goodbye Timmerlah and Braunschweig until May 2016
Aufwiedersehen Braunschweig Cathedral and the city of Henry the Lion, until May 2016.
The Blog will now hibernate now until May 2016, when it will re-awake with fresh news of my travels with JS Bach, in the land of his birth.
I was sad to leave this year, and it gets harder every year, but thoughts of my return in only nine months time, will keep me going throughout the winter. Thank you to those who read my blog, I hope you find it interesting. Bye for now.
Wednesday 12 August 2015
On the Old Border between East and West Germany
The Wall at Hötensleben, the West to the left, the East to the right.
Our last two visits of 2015 was to the old border on the road from Helmstedt to Berlin at Marienborn, and also to the Wall itself at the Border Museum Hötenleben, where it is possible to see the entire width of the original border between two walls, with "No man´s land" in between.
Our last two visits of 2015 was to the old border on the road from Helmstedt to Berlin at Marienborn, and also to the Wall itself at the Border Museum Hötenleben, where it is possible to see the entire width of the original border between two walls, with "No man´s land" in between.
The line of the old Wall, the West to the right, the former East Germany to the right.
The Border Memorial is one of only a handful places on the former inner German border where a large section of former border installations can still be seen in situ. The border wall, watchtowers, fences and other installations form an outdoor trail, marked with signs that explain each aspect of the border system.
The old watchtower at Hötensleben.
The Brocken Train in Wernigerode
The old steam train and carriages waiting at Wernigerode Station.
We had a wonderful Saturday on this narrow gauge railway, that runs from Wernigerode, a small town with many typically German half timbered houses, up to the top of the Brocken, the highest point in the Harz mountains, and the place of many German legends.
There is a link to Wikipedia, which will give you all the information. If it does not work, please cup and paste the link into a search.
We had a wonderful Saturday on this narrow gauge railway, that runs from Wernigerode, a small town with many typically German half timbered houses, up to the top of the Brocken, the highest point in the Harz mountains, and the place of many German legends.
There is a link to Wikipedia, which will give you all the information. If it does not work, please cup and paste the link into a search.
Watching the engine snake up the track to the Brocken.
Brocken Railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocken_Railway
Stopping for water and a quick polish.
The announcer, who gave us a running commentary during the 2 hour journey.
The engine on the climb to the top.
Wernigerode Town Hall.
K and M looking at the courtyard half-timbered houses.
Sunday 9 August 2015
Schloss Richmond, Braunschweig
Walking in the landscaped gardens at Schloss Richmond.
The little castle was builr from 1768 to 1769 in Braunschweig for Princess (later Duchess) Aususta, the wife of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. It lies near the River Oker to the south of the city. It was designed by Carl Christoph Wilhelm Fleischer.
The castle was named after the princess's English home in Richmond Park, a royal park near Richmond on Thames.
The front entrance to the castle.
The building is used for civic receptions by the Mayor of Braunschweig for visitors to the city.
Friday 7 August 2015
The 850th Anniversary of the Death of "Henry the Lion" of Braunschweig
The Hannover Police Choir sang during the service.
We happened to be wandering through Braunschweig on Thursday afternoon on a really hot day, when by chance we came across the service to remember "Henry the Lion," the founder of the city's Cathedral. Each year the city remembers him by laying a rose on his tombstone in the crypt. Henry was married to Matilda, the daughter of English King Henry ll and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and a rose is also left on her tombstone.
The procession through the Cathedral
The choir singing while two roses were laid on the tombs of Henry and Matilda.
The choir of mens' voices sounded lovely in the huge space of the cathedral.
Thursday 6 August 2015
Unexpectedly in Magdeburg!
S and H looking at the River Elbe in Magdeburg.
We set out early for a visit to Goslar, only to find that no trains were running there on Wednesday. There was work on the track and a shortage of drivers, so we all instantly decided to go to Magdeburg instead! It was my third visit this year, but still enjoyable, if a little on the hot side.
As it was my sister's birthday, we had a lunch in the "Green Citadel," followed by a visit to the cathedral and a walk along the bank of the River Elbe, where we found a nice ice café and enjoy ice cream and coffee. A lovely day.
In the cloisters of Magdeburg Cathedral
Magdeburg Cathedral
Friday 31 July 2015
Wonderful JS Bach in Wonderful Köthen
The distant twin spired St Jakob, viewed from the central pedestrian area.
Life has become a little busy for me of late, as I am now well into "Saying goodbye to friends parties," and feeling rather sad at the thought of leaving Timmerlah and Braunschweig on Wednesday August 12th, to fly back to the UK.
However I will be bringing back some wonderful memories with me this year, after my visits to four places I had never previously visited. Two stand out in particular, my visit to Lüneburg with my Hamburg friends, and the other to Köthen, one of the quietest towns I have ever visited. The purpose of most of my visits is determined by whether JS Bach had lived or worked in that particular town, and my visit to Köthen was about as good as it gets.
However I will be bringing back some wonderful memories with me this year, after my visits to four places I had never previously visited. Two stand out in particular, my visit to Lüneburg with my Hamburg friends, and the other to Köthen, one of the quietest towns I have ever visited. The purpose of most of my visits is determined by whether JS Bach had lived or worked in that particular town, and my visit to Köthen was about as good as it gets.
St Jakob in the Market Place.
The historic centre of the town is a pedestrian area, and even though we visited on a market day, the place was deserted. We spoke to a young father with his child, who sat next to us on a park bench. He was born in Bavaria, but had moved to Köthen with his family in order to seek a quiet life for his children. I presume that most people who live in Köthen work in nearby Halle or Leipzig.
The historic centre of the town is a pedestrian area, and even though we visited on a market day, the place was deserted. We spoke to a young father with his child, who sat next to us on a park bench. He was born in Bavaria, but had moved to Köthen with his family in order to seek a quiet life for his children. I presume that most people who live in Köthen work in nearby Halle or Leipzig.
The Town Hall in the Market Place.
St Jakob viewed from the JS Bach memorial.
St Agnus Church, where Bach and his family worshipped.
Bach purchased a family pew in this church, and he and his family were regular worshippers here in the early 18th century. Bach´s first wife died in Köthen, and is buried in the churchyard.
Bach purchased a family pew in this church, and he and his family were regular worshippers here in the early 18th century. Bach´s first wife died in Köthen, and is buried in the churchyard.
Schloss Köthen, where Bach was the Hofkapellmeister from 1717 til 1723
A facsimile of Bach´s handwritten score, and a period violin.
Schloss Köthen, in which Bach worked as the Hofkapellmeister.
Tuesday 28 July 2015
Off to Köthen on Wednesday on my "JS Bach" Trail
A bust of the man in my life, Johann Sebastian Bach, in the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig.
On Wednesday morning I am off on my travels again, this time to Köthen, in Saxon-Anhalt, a town where Bach lived and worked from 1717 to 1723. It was in this small town that he composed his famous six Brandenburg Concertos. I am very familiar with all six, and once heared them all performed one evening in the Assembly Rooms in Bath, sitting underneath one of the magnificent chandeliers.
Back soon with photos and for Information about my visit.
Saturday 25 July 2015
Tracing the Bührig Ancestors in Timmerlah
Bernd, the Timmerlah history man centre, with Mark, Gregg and Beno from the USA and Equador.
I was contacted some years back by a gentleman from Oregon who was researching his family´s ancestors in Timmerlah. The title of my blog lead him to me, and I did some research, checking the local and city registers of births, marriages and deaths.
We corresponded over the years, and in 2012 Mark´s sons stayed with me while they continued the search for clues about how the Buehrig (American spelling) family came to be living in the USA.
Sitting around the table in the former Bührig home in Timmerlah, and studying the Bührig family tree, all carefully researched by Bernd and Uwe, sitting centre.
The lady sitting to the right in the photograph is related to Mark and Gregg through her Bührig grandmother, who was in turn, related the the Bührig Family member who travelled with his wife and child to the USA in 1890.
The lady sitting to the right in the photograph is related to Mark and Gregg through her Bührig grandmother, who was in turn, related the the Bührig Family member who travelled with his wife and child to the USA in 1890.
The WW1 war memorial in Timmerlah churchyard.
The memorial commemorates the Timmerlah soldiers who died in WW1, one of which was Hermann Bührig, a distant relative of Mark and Gregg, and the lady in the above photograph.
The memorial commemorates the Timmerlah soldiers who died in WW1, one of which was Hermann Bührig, a distant relative of Mark and Gregg, and the lady in the above photograph.
Wednesday 22 July 2015
A Midsummer Evening's Opera in the Burgplatz.
The programme for A Masked Ball, by Guiseppe Verdi.
My dear friends M and R bought me a ticket for the opera,(I bought the sweets) and we had a wonderful evening in the openair arena in the Burgplatz in front of the cathedral. I read the story of the opera the day before, so did have some idea of what was happening! I think I missed much, but the singing was wonderful, and made the whole experience a pleasure.
My dear friends M and R bought me a ticket for the opera,(I bought the sweets) and we had a wonderful evening in the openair arena in the Burgplatz in front of the cathedral. I read the story of the opera the day before, so did have some idea of what was happening! I think I missed much, but the singing was wonderful, and made the whole experience a pleasure.
A warm evening in the Burgplatz, with Schloss Dankwarderode, Henry the Lion's Palace in the background.
The Wiki link below will give you the story, plus tell you of the problems Verdi had with the censors during the writing of this work.
The Wiki link below will give you the story, plus tell you of the problems Verdi had with the censors during the writing of this work.
Un ballo in maschera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. However, Somma's libretto was itself based on the five ...
Floodlights against the background on the Palace and the tower of the Rathaus.
Henry's Lion on its plinth stands hidden for the duration of the opera.
The stage and a part of the audience.
A sneaky photo of the action taken by my friend ???????
Sunday 19 July 2015
With JS Bach again in St Andreas Church.
The organ in St Andreas.
During July I been going to a series of organ recitals given in the church at 5pm on every Friday, where the organist, Rüdiger Wilhelm, plays several short works, and always includes a work by JS Bach.
Last Friday was no exception, when he played Bach´s "Fugue in G Major, BWV 376," a work with which I am familiar. Bach never visited Braunschweig, (unless he did, and his visit was not recorded) so it is good to hear music that pays homage to one of Germany´s greatest composers. He also performed "Prelude in D Minor" by Dietrich Buxtehude, a Danish/German composer who much influence Bach´s compositions. As a young man, Bach walked from Lüneburg to Hamburg and Lübeck, in order to hear Buxtehude play.
The church is hosting an art exhibiton about homelessness, with exhibits by those who once lived on the streets throughout the world.
We observe the faces of those less fortunate than ourselves, and most of us just turn away!
The tower of St Andreas standing behind the Alte Waage, a recently restored old warehouse, which had been destroyed in WW2.
Thursday 16 July 2015
Lüneburg, the Best Yet, (but I say that about all the places I visit.)
The old Harbour.
I met my Hamburg friends at the railway station, and the first thing we decided to do was to find a nice café and have a beer! A very sensible idea, considering how warm the day was. M and J have visited Lüneburg before, so we walked directly to the old Harbour area, and sat under a sunshade, roughly in the middle of the above photo.
Lüneburg, which was hardly damaged in WW2 is one of many cities on the "European Gothic Brick Trail." In the absence of stone for building houses, clay bricks were the only Option apart from timber. Anyone with a real interest in bricks of all colours should visit this wonderful city.
The old crane in the harbour area.
Lüneburg´s wealth was built on salt, (it stands on a salt dome) and there is a Salt Museum in the city, but with limited time we did not manage to visit. Salt was shipped from here on the River Ilmanau, to others towns, and used for the preservation of fish.
Lüneburg´s wealth was built on salt, (it stands on a salt dome) and there is a Salt Museum in the city, but with limited time we did not manage to visit. Salt was shipped from here on the River Ilmanau, to others towns, and used for the preservation of fish.
Houses near the Michaelis church.
It was good to walk the narrow streets of the old town, where my dear friend JS Bach must have walked as a teenager. He attended the school in the cloisters of the Michaelis Church from 1700 to 1703, aged 15 years old.
The link below will give you more Information about the City, although you may have to cut and past the Website address to your seach box. The links used to work automatically, but some don´t seem to anymore.
It was good to walk the narrow streets of the old town, where my dear friend JS Bach must have walked as a teenager. He attended the school in the cloisters of the Michaelis Church from 1700 to 1703, aged 15 years old.
The link below will give you more Information about the City, although you may have to cut and past the Website address to your seach box. The links used to work automatically, but some don´t seem to anymore.
Lüneburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gothic brick houses, for which the city is famous.
The detail of the brickwork was most interesting, with alternating colours and various textures.
The detail of the brickwork was most interesting, with alternating colours and various textures.
The Rathaus
Michaelis Church, where JS Bach sang and was educated from 1700 til 1703
Bach sang in the choir of this brick built church, but when his voice broke, he received his first tuition on the organ here.
Bach sang in the choir of this brick built church, but when his voice broke, he received his first tuition on the organ here.
The organ built in 1705, after Bach's time, in the organ loft.
The 17th century marble pulpit.
The city stands on the edge of Lüneburg Heath, and area of extensive heathland, typical of those that once covered most of the North German countryside until about 1800, but which have almost completely disappeared in other areas.
The heaths were formed after the Neolithic period by the overgrazing of the once widespread forests on the poor sandy soils of the geest, as this slightly hilly and sandy terrain in northern Europe is called, making Lüneburg Heath a historic cultural landscape.
The remaining areas of heath are kept clear mainly through grazing, especially by a North German breed of moorland sheep called the Heidschnucke. The Heath´s unique landscape make it a popular tourist destination in Northern Germany.
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