Bürgersingen in front of the MagniKirche.

The audience gathering outside the Magnikirche.

 

Every Wednesday afternoon at 5.15pm in July and August, the church invites choirs throughout the Braunschweig area to come and sing German folk songs to the local people, who like to sing along to the songs of their childhood.

 

It was Waggum Ladies Choir last Wednesday, and this is the choir that is hoping to come to Bath next May 2016 as part of the Bath/Braunschweig Twinning Association´s exchange visits scheme.   A Bath school choir visited the city three years ago and sang in the cathedral, and we are hoping to arrange for the choir to sing in Bath Abbey.

 

Our choir warming up in the church before we ventured out in the heat to sing some lovely folk songs.  Half the church was destroyed in October 1944 when the city was heavily bombed by the RAF, but it has been beautifully restored with some intensely blue stained glass windows.

 

 

The choir´s view of the audience, with Herr Schäfer, our conductor standing centre.

Another view of the audience, with Herr Schäfer to the far right. 

 

Herr Schäfer is an excellent conductor and pianist, and he manages to get the very best out of all his lady singers.   The choir members are lovely to sing with, and they make me feel so welcome each year.

 

The Magni Quarter with the church surrounded by half timbered houses, is one of Braunschweig´s "Historical Islands."   Before the war the city had the highest number of half timbered buildings in the whole of Lower Saxony, but the WWll bombing and subsequent fire storm destroyed 90% of these buildings.  Many sections of the buildings, the timbers, doors etc, were rescued for safe keeping after the bombing and stored away, and later used to reconstruct historical areas within the city, and very authentic they look too.

 

 

 

Another visit to Schloss Köthen to stand in the footsteps of JS Bach.

 Bach was here, in this very chapel in Schloss Köthen.

 Part of the old chapel staircase, down which Bach and his wife walked with their son, to be baptised in the chapel.  I gave the steps a little kiss from me to my friend Johann.

 

 One of the gateways into Schloss Köthen

 

Beer in Köthen tastes just as wonderful as beer anywhere else in Germany.

Schloss Köthen.

 

The Catholic church of St Maria, with its recently installed glass windows.

 

I cannot find any details about this church in English, but have posted the German entry, where you can see pictures of the new windows.  Michael Triegel, a German painter, painted the images on canvas, which were then digitally printed onto the glass.  The centre image is the largest single piece of painted glass in Europe.

 

Katholische Pfarrei St. Maria Koethen, …

Translate this page

www.st-maria-koethen.de/Gemeinden der Pfarrei/6_unsere_gemeinden

Adressen Kirchen Pfarrei St. Maria Köthen: Schloss- und Pfarrkirche St. Maria Springstraße 29A 06366 Köthen: Kirche St. Anna Lohmannstraße 28

The crypt containing the sarcophagi of Duke Ferdinand and his Duchess Julie of Braunschweig-Lüneburg.

Duke Ferdinand´s huge sarcophagus, which was too large to be removed through the crypt door during renovations.

 

It was assumed that there would be a second, smaller coffin inside the outer highly decorated one.  However when opened, the church authorities came face to face with the mummified corpse of the Duke Ferdinand, dressed in all his regalia.  "It was quite a shock for us all,"  said our guide, who was present at the time.

 

The sarcophagus of Duchess Julie, with her portrait in the alcove.

 My hero Johann Sebastian Bach.

I kissed him last year, and did so again this!

The memorial to Bach´s first wife, Maria Barbara,  in the town´s old cemetery.
Barbara died while JS was visiting Leipzig, and of course he came home to find her already buried in her grave.  That left him a widower with young children, but two years later he married his second wife, Anna Magdalena, who then bore him more children.

The exact location of her grave is long lost, but her headstone is now in a museum.  The information board is in both languages, so I read it in English as my head was empty of German on what was a very warm day.

Anna Magdalena Bach: a forgotten genius? - Telegraph

www.telegraph.co.uk/.../Anna-Magdalena-Bach-a-forgotten-genius.html

26.10.2014 · So, the shocking truth is out. Anna Magdalena Bach, second wife of the great JS Bach, was more than just the humble copyist of her husband’s ...

 

 

Day 5, and back from Hamburg to Braunschweig on the ICE.

 Back from Hamburg to this view outside my lounge window.

 

I left a really crowded Hamburg station last Friday, and I´m now happily ensconced in my Timmerlah flat, with this lovely view from my window.

 

The journey was uneventful, although the train was ten minutes late, owing to a technical problem with an earlier train.  The demand on German train services continues to outstrip available trains, so Deutsche Bahn have introduced double decker IC trains, the intercity trains that provide a slower service than the ICE expresses.  It is a pity that in GB we cannot have double decker carriages, as these double passenger capacity at the drop of a hat.

My feet have now returned to their rightful position on the coffee table in front of the tv, and have been watching the Tour de France.  Long my it last!

 

 

 

Day 4 in Schleswig Holstein, and off to Lübeck, famous for its Niedregger Marzipan.

 Hamburg station seen through the trees from a wine bar!

This a quick write up, as once again, I am behind with the news.  I was out in Köthen all day on Tuesday, and on Wednesday it was so hot here, that I didn't feel like doing much of anything really, least of all trying to concentrate on blog writing.   Correlating the photos, text and information takes me ages, sometimes more than ages, so I need quiet mornings to apply myself to the job. 

 

 The Holsten Gate, one of the main entrances to the medieval city of Lübeck.

We had a snack breakfast at the station and then caught the train to Lübeck, for the hour´s journey to the city.   The town centre is only a short walk from the station, and we had to pass through the above medieval gateway to the city, the very famous image of the Holsten Gate, used on all the advertising for holidays in Lübeck.  It is brick built, like so many of the other buildings here, where no stone was easily available for construction.

The city is on the "European Route of Gothic Brick Trail," which includes Lüneburg, Strahsund, Schleswig and many other north German cities I have visited.  The link below provides more information.

Brick Gothic treasures and masterpieces - Germany

www.germany.travel/.../european-route-of-brick-gothic.html

The 1500 km European Route of Brick Gothic connects several countries along the Baltic Sea including Denmark, Poland and Germany, and takes visitors on a

 Holsten Gate, built entirely of bricks.

Holstentor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holsten_gate

The Holsten Gate ("Holstein Tor", later "Holstentor") is a city gate marking off the western boundary of the old centre of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.

 

 

 The city side of the gateway, with some superb brickwork.

Some of the bricks are glazed, which adds an interesting texture to the surfaces.

 Old brick built warehouses on the bank of the River Trave.

We sat in a cafe opposite these warehouses and drank a beer, and then returned in the late afternoon to a pizza restaurant with the same view.

 A part marzipan galleon in the Niedregger Marzipan Shop.

As you can imagine, the shop was crowded, and the queues for the tills were so long, we decided not to linger there for long.  I wish I had bought something, but like all visits, it is not possible to see everything in detail.  The link below gives the history of marzipan making in Lübeck.

A History of marzipan - Niederegger Lübeck

www.niederegger.de/World-of-Marzipan/A-History-of-marzipan

A History of marzipan. My name is Johann Georg Niederegger. This is the story of marzipan. I want to tell it to anyone who wants to hear it.

 St Mary´s Church.

My friend JS Bach visited this church to listen to Dieterich Buxtehude play the organ.   From 1668 he was the organist here for many years,  and when he was due to retire, historians believe that Bach was interested in taking over the position.  In those days a new organist was expected to marry the daughter of the previous organist, and Bach at this time was only 20 years old.   Buxtehude´s daughter was 30, and this is probably the reason why Bach did not apply for the position!

Dieterich Buxtehude - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Büxtehude

Buxtehude's last post, from 1668, was at the Marienkirche, Lübeck which had two organs, a large one for big services and a small one for devotionals and ...

 

 The decorated ceiling and high altar in St Mary´s Church.

 

 Melted bells, which fell from the collapsed church tower after bombing my British planes in August 1944.
 

 

 Memorial to Dieterich Buxtehude, the famous church organist of St Mary´s Church.

 One man with a Mr Punch swazzle in his mouth, and two puppets either side.

This piece of street entertainment counts as the most interesting piece of entertainment I have ever seen.   The man in the middle tweeted through a swazzle, the device used in Punch and Judy entertainment for children.   He produced intonated sounds as people walked passed, such as wolf whistles, sympathetic, loving sounds to little children, and he tweeted really cross sounds when passersby ignored him.    He was so amusing, and whilst he twittled on, he operated the two little heads on either side, each responding to and agreeing with what he said, as if they were separate beings.   I hope you follow what I mean here.

I gave him some money, and asked if he could tweet his message again in English.  He obliged with the same sounds of course,  and I said many thanks for the best piece of street entertainment I have ever seen.   We three stood entranced for what seemed ages as he entertained the crowds.

 

Day 3. A walk around Schleswig, and then the afternoon train back to Hamburg.

 A replica of a Viking boat in Schleswig harbour.

On our return from the Viking to the museum, we came across this little Viking replica boat moored up in the harbour.  No one was on board, and it would have been nice to have taken a little trip out on the Schlei, to discover what it felt like to be a Viking on the water.

 The 1525 Bordesholm altar by Hans Brüggermann in Schleswig Cathedral.

We spent some time in the cathedral, a huge brick built structure, with a really tall tower that can be seen for miles around.   This amazing altar screen was carved out of wood, and depicts scenes from the Bible, with Adam and Eve top left and right, the Last Supper, bottom centre, and of course the crucifixion.  It is one of the most beautifully altar screens I have ever seen.  More details on the Wiki link below.

Schleswig Cathedral - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_St._Peter_at_Schleswig

Schleswig Cathedral (German: Schleswiger Dom), (Danish: Slesvig Domkirke) officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig (German: St. Petri-Dom zu ...

 The Bronze font made in 1480 by Hinrick Klinghe.

 Little houses in the fishing village of Holm, not far from the town centre.

We spent some time wandering around the little village of Holm, just a short walk from Schleswig town centre.   The many old fishermens' cottages are now occupied by artists, painters, glassmakers and jewellers, and had our feet not been so achy, it would have been nice to go inside, and have a closer like at the arts and crafts.   The weather was not warm for our walk, and we had the place to ourselves because of the chilly wind and a few drops of rain.

 Fishing tackle on a jetty in Holm fishing village.

I am sorry about the sloping horizon, but the photo was taken on my phone, and sometimes, if I do not put on my specs, I take wonky photos.  (I have not been drinking.)   I cannot find anything on Wikipedia in English about the little village, but the link below shows some more photos of the place.

Holm (Schleswig) - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Holm_(Schleswig)

10.12.2014 · Holm (Schleswig) From Wikimedia ... English: Holm is an old fishing quarter in Schleswig. Deutsch: ... Village pump; Help center; Participate ...

 The train climbing up to cross the Kiel Canal on the Rendsburg High Bridge.

There is a spectacular railway bridge on this stretch of line from Hamburg to Schleswig, and the link below will give you more information than I can ever write.   On the journey I had to walk through to carriages to find the loo, and on the way heard a group of middle aged men speaking English. 

On closer inspection, I realised they were train spotters, and they had obviously come to ride the bridge.   When we arrived in Rendsburg Station, they all alighted with their cameras and notebooks, and went off to explore the huge structure from the ground upwards.   M did tell me the story of the poor unfortunate people who had houses and gardens underneath the rail track pre toilet storage tanks on the train.  I leave the detail of the rest of the story to your imaginations.
 

 The Rendsburg High Bridge.

Rendsburg High Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenbahnhochbrücke_Rendsburg

The Rendsburg High Bridge (German: Rendsburger Hochbrücke, officially Eisenbahnhochbrücke Rendsburg) is a railway viaduct on the Neumünster–Flensburg ...

 

 

A view of the Kiel Canal from the doubledecker train.

It was a really amazing journey climbing up to the high bridge, which allows boats to pass underneath on the Kiel Canal.  Details of its building are on the link above.

That afternoon we travelled back to Hamburg, where I stayed the night in the Stadtpark Hotel, in the same room I'd been in on the previous Monday night.  It felt like home from home, and the bed was really comfortable.


 

Day 2, Hamburg to Schleswig and the Haithabu/Hedeby Viking Museum.

 Leaving Hamburg on the local train, (not this one which is going to Lübeck) but one similar in blue and yellow colours.

 

After a good German breakfast at M and J´s flat, we set off to Barmbeck station just around the corner, and caught the local train to Schleswig, a journey of just over an hour.  We sat on the top deck of the train carriage, and watched the little villages go past, and also endured a big rain storm, with black storm clouds and rain pounding on the windows.   On arrival, we got drenched on the run from the train to Schleswig station, but the rain soon stopped pouring down, and we enjoyed some really lovely weather for the rest of the day.

 Schleswig harbour on the Schlei, with the spire of St Petri Church on the skyline.

The photo was taken from the ferry that takes visitors on a 20 minute trip from the harbour to the Viking Museum on the other side of the Schlei, the stretch of water in the photo.  

Schleswig (city) - The Full Wiki

www.thefullwiki.org/Schleswig_(city)

Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig; South Jutlandic: Sljasvig, archaic English: Sleswick; Low German: Sleswig) is a town in the northeastern part of Schleswig ... 

 

 Viking houses at Haithabu Viking Museum.

The museum was very busy, so the staff there suggested that we visit the Viking village first, and then come back to the museum after a large party of children had left.   This we did, thinking that the Viking village was just around the corner from the museum buildings.  Well it wasn´t, it was a good 1.25 mile walk to the village, much further that we thought, and by the time we got there, our feet were killing us.   Our feet were also killing us on the return walk of 1.25 miles!

The Viking houses were most interesting to visit, complete with people dressed as Vikings, and engaged in various activities such as spinning and cooking.   The houses were very sturdy, made of thick planks of wood, with solidly thick thatched roofs and thick doors.  I bet it was cold up here in the Viking winters around 850AD, and it was vitally important to have thick walls as protection from the ice and snow.

 A model in the museum showing the extent of the village, surrounded by huge earth defensive ramparts. 

We walked along the top of part of the rampart, very similar to the ramparts at Old Sarum,   and saw Viking type sheep grazing the grass, and some very large cows chewing the cud near the water´s edge.

 Rune stone, with a translation projected onto the floor.  

The words were spoken in the Viking tongue and also with a modern German translation.  This I found really interesting, as the old Viking tongue and modern German were not dissimilar.  The museum was full of interesting exhibits, including glass making materials and tools, and of course implements for slaughtering animals and for catching fish. 

I found the museum a little clinical, with many exhibits displayed against glass and plastic, instead against a more natural background.  Apart from that, the whole visit was very interesting, and you can read more if you click on the link below.

The Vikings of Bjornstad - Viking Museum Haithabu

www.vikingsofbjornstad.com/MuseumHaithabu.htm

The Viking Museum Haithabu is near the site of Hedeby/Haithabu, a major Viking era village and trading center on the Jutland peninsula close to the border....

 In the Viking ship hall.

 Information board showing the building methods used during the reconstruction of the houses.

The ferry that took us from Schleswig harbour to the Viking museum and back.  The spire of St Petri can be seen to the left in the background. 

 

M and J outside our hotel in Schleswig, the "Schleibick."  ("Schlei View"  the area of water in Schleswig harbour.)

It was a cosy little hotel, with an English feel about it.  I had a kettle in the room, so it was nice to get up and go to bed drinking a cup of strong English tea.  I arrived prepared with tea bags and sugar sachets from England. 

A most enjoyable day in the sunshine with two good Hamburg friends.




 

Day 1, and off to Hamburg on the 13.20 train from Braunschweig to Hannover.

 An ICE express stands on platform 11 at Hamburg central station.

 

I left Braunschweig on the 13.17 local train for Hannover, where I had to change trains for the ICE (intercity express) to Hamburg.  So far so good, as the train was on time, there were plenty of seats, and the 50 minute journey is always comfortable.   I arrived on platform 12, and then had 10 minutes to get to platform 7 to catch the Hamburg express.  As I arrived on the platform, an ICE was waiting there, and I climbed aboard, assuming it was my train!

 

Well no it wasn't!  It was going to Hamburg, but was the earlier train that was running 30 minutes late,  because some poor soul had chosen the day of my travel to commit suicide, and all the trains were delayed and diverted.  The train was packed, and obviously other travellers had joined this earlier late train, thinking it was their train that was running on time! I hope you can follow this.   I explained my predicament to the ticket checker, who said, "Don't  worry, keep calm and carry on," well something like that.

 

The stations swished by until I saw Uelzen, and then I realised that I had travelled to Hannover, changed trains, and the ICE had done a loop, and was going through a station not that far from Braunschweig!    I arrived in Hamburg on the earlier train almost at the same time my proper train should have arrived, to meet my friend M, and only five minutes late!  Hi di ho, the delights of travel and the vagaries of human nature.

Pizza and beer in the Restaurant near the River Alster.

 

I stayed for one night in the same hotel I'd stayed in way back in 2011, which was very comfortable, although one of the receptionists was a bit off, so to speak.  Perhaps she had heard about Boris being made Foreign Secretary, and she too was having a bad hair day!

 

That evening we had a meal in the local restaurant, and then an early night for our early start on Tuesday morning for the train journey to Schleswig.

 

 

it´s Monday, so off to Hamburg, Schleswig, Lübeck and back to Hamburg on Friday..

 Hamburg viewed from the River Alster.

I`m meeting two good friends in Hamburg for a week´s holiday in Schleswig Holstein, the birthplace of my email partner.   I´ll spend one night here in a hotel, and then on Tuesday we will travel to...................................................

 Schleswig, the birth place of my Hamburg email friend.

We are spending two nights in an hotel here in Schleswig, to walk around M´s birthplace, and also to visit the Viking Museum in Hedeby on Wednesday.  

On Thursday we´ll travel to........................................................................

 Lübeck, to see the Holstentor, and many other interesting historical sights.

 

I have always wanted to visit Lübeck, and this year my wish has been granted.  The city is on the "North German Gothic Brick Trail" together with Stralsund, the city I visited last week, and also Lüneburg, and many other north German cities where stone was not available for building, so millions of bricks had to be manufactured from the local clay. 

 

On Thursday afternoon, we will travel back to..........................

Hamburg.   The "Princess of the Seas" in Harbour.

 

On Friday 15th July, after a good breakfast, I'll travel back to Braunschweig for tea time.

I will post all the news and photos next week.