Bamberg, Germany
Part 1 of 2
June 28, 2008
Posted June 12, 2022
© Herbert E. Lindberg
As you see in the map above, Bamberg is at the north end of the Danube-to-Main & Rhine river canal (higlighted in blue). Below, we see still another beautiful German church behind riverside trees.
| A church among village buildings shortly before we dock for our tour of Bamberg |
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| An ancient loading crane on a dock along the Regnitz River, which flows into the nearby Main River |
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| Mary walks along the Regnitz River in Altstadt (Old Town). |
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Bamberg Old Town Hall – legend of its origin
There was a time when the
citizens of Bamberg were very dissatisfied with their lord the bishop.
They would have liked to be free citizens and not subjects, like the
people of Nurnberg. They tried to enforce their wish with an uprising,
but the bishop’s supporters put it down.At a town meeting, the mayor asked if the town could rebuild the burnt-down town hall. He had hardly finished speaking when the bishop drove angrily at the group. Under no circumstances would he allow a hall to be built on his land, where plans against his rule could once again be made. After much discussion a young councilor finally suggested that the new town hall could be built on land in water. The bishop would not have access to it and it would not be built on his land. And so it came to pass that it is built here on an island, now accessible via bridges from the river shores. First mention of Bamberg’s town hall dates from 1386, but the building was destroyed in a fire in 1460. The building that can be admired today was erected in 1461. The building is mainly influenced by the Gothic period. The half-timbered building on the southern side is still preserved in its original form. The town itself dates from 900. |
| Straight-on view of the town hall and connecting bridges as it stands today |
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| Oblique view better shows the complete structure (and hides construction tarps on the other side). |
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| Zoomed view of details |
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| Street view of Town Hall |
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| Zoomed |
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| Closer view of tunnel to cross the bridge |
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| Nearby is this controllable weir across the Regnitz. The sign says stay away, it's dangerous. |
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| St. Kunigunde, the wife of Henry II, adorns the bridge with colorful building on the other side. |
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| The old loading crane seen earlier is at the dock behind the boat on the right. This length along the river is called Klein Venedig, Little Venice. |
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| A few buildings in Little Venice |
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| Walking through town toward the seven hills of Bamberg and their churches, Mary on right. The church tower in far center is St. Michaels. We see a more complete view from across the Regnitz River in Part 2. |
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| Impressive sign, of a Jewish business? |
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