UMGEBUNGSENTDECKER
TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS OF AN ART AND HISTORY LOVER
and my experiences as a teacher in China
Franconia
Franconia - a definition
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In brief: Franconia has been part of the Kingdom of Bavaria since 1806. Before it was an independent duchy. Napoleon had defeated the Prussians and was therefore able to incorporate Franconia into the newly founded Kingdom of Bavaria. The Franks make up about a third of the population in today's State of Bavaria. They emphasize being different from the native Bavarians. The basic questions are: 1. FC Nuremberg or FC Bayern Munich, bratwurst or white sausage? The majority of Franks are Protestant, Bavaria is Catholic. The politicians of the Bavarian parliament are often Franconias, so the Bavarians are ruled by them. If you are from another part of Germany, you should not dare to equate Franconia and Bavaria, which you tend to do, since both are united in the state of Bavaria.
Franconia is often not recognized by tourists because everyone is focused on Upper Bavaria. But the Franks can cope with that. As an outsider, you get the feeling that the Bavarians are impulsive and the Franks take it with a shrug. As a travel destination, Franconia is great from a cultural point of view and a trip there is definitely worth it.
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Mespelbrunn Castle
The journey through the northwest of Franconia, also called Lower Franconia, first leads to Mespelbrunn, from there it continues to Miltenberg and then via Wertheim to Würzburg.
Mespelbrunn Castle is idyllically located in the Spessart between Frankfurt and Würzburg and is one of the most remarkable moated castles in Germany. Its history dates back to the 15th century and offers a fascinating example of the transition from a medieval castle to a representative Renaissance palace.
The origins of the castle go back to a simple moated castle that was built in 1412 by Peter Echter von Mespelbrunn. This structure originally served as protection against the bands of robbers that were causing trouble in the Spessart at that time. The conversion to the current castle took place in the first half of the 16th century by his grandson Peter III Echter, who modernized and expanded the complex in the Renaissance style.
The castle consists of a central residential building, the so-called "High House", and several outbuildings grouped around a rectangular courtyard. The complex is surrounded by a picturesque moat, which not only provided protection, but also contributes to the romantic atmosphere that makes the castle so attractive today. Particularly noteworthy is the round tower that flanks the High House.
Over time, the family produced important children. The most famous was probably Julius Echter, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and Duke of Franconia, who founded the Juliusspital in Würzburg in 1576 and the university in 1583. The mighty Marienberg Fortress was also his initiative, and he shaped the church image of Franconia with pointed towers and gabled Renaissance buildings.
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Even today, the descendants, the Counts of Ingelheim called Echter von und zu Mespelbrunn, live in the south wing of the castle.
The castle has also served as a backdrop for various film productions, which has increased its fame beyond the region's borders. In particular, the 1958 film "Das Wirtshaus im Spessart", which was partly filmed here, made the castle famous throughout Germany.
Miltenberg
Wertheim
Wurzburg
Veitshöchheim Castle
Pilgrimage Church
Fourteen Saints
Spa Town
Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen is located on the southern edge of the Rhön (a low mountain range in Northern Bavaria, Thuringia and Hesse) and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021. It was awarded together with ten other traditional spas as "The Great Spa Towns of Europe":
Baden-Baden, Bad Ems, Franzensbad (Františkovy LáznÄ›), Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary), Marienbad (Mariánské LáznÄ›), Spa, Vichy, Montecatini Terme and Bath.
The Belle Époque
What is worthy of world cultural heritage in these places? All these spas are an expression of the Belle Époque, with typical 19th century's spa architecture and the typical corresponding cityscape, in which the European nobility and the bourgeoisie celebrated themselves before their demise after World War I. Casinos, lobby halls, grand hotels with names like "Russischer Hof" (Russian Court) or "Victoria", parks, promenades, concert shells, theaters, Russian Orthodox churches formed the places to be for the upper society, places for seeing and being seen, for strolling, for leisure time.
The End of the Belle Époque
With the end of World War I, this era came to an abrupt end. The Kingdom of
Bavaria was dissolved, as was the Habsburg Monarchy, the German Empire and Tsarist Russia. Revolutions and communism ended old Europe and the nobility disappeared.
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Furthermore, due to technical developments, the nearby travel destinations in Central Europe, which also included places like Montreux, Monte Carlo, Davos, Venice Lido, etc., lost their importance.
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Thus, these eleven health resorts are actually of high historical value today, as they are a testimony to this lost spa culture. The atmosphere that was once found there can still be seen in films like "Death in Venice" by Luchino Visconti, "Black Eyes" by Nikita Michalkow or in novels like "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann.
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From World War II until today
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After World War II the spa business continued, albeit with other guests. In the 1970s, the Russian Court became the Health Clinic of the Württemberg State Insurance Institute,
Social security agencies built some modern clinic-houses that fit hardly into the historic cityscape. But in Bad Kissingen, the disturbing impression is still limited, as the new houses were built on the periphery of the historic spa district. Buildings like the Hypo-Vereinsbank situated next to the spa garden are more problematic. But this building will certainly not stand there as long as the historical buildings.
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In general, there has been a trend in many places over the past few decades to re-evaluate old buildings more positively. Historic places bring out the glitz of their past again, which attracts tourists, so right now times are good for old buildings and historic cityscapes. In the 60s and 70s, the appreciation of historical buildings was at its lowest point and as a result much historic architecture was threatened. To like old buildings was frowned upon and dishonorable. Today the tide has turned. The mere fact that world cultural heritage sites are being named is an indication of this.
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The architecture in the spa district -
shaped by the Kingdom of Bavaria
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The prince-bishop of Würzburg and Bamberg from the Schönborn dynasty had the idea of creating a spa of international reputation comparable to Karlsbad (Karlovy Vara) in Bohemia. For this project he hired the architect Balthasar Neumann (who, by the way, had started building the residence in Würzburg a few years earlier in 1720). The Franconian River Saale (which has nothing to do with the River Saale that flows through Anhalt) was initially relocated and gave space for the entire spa complex on the left bank of the river, which today consists of three parts: the Arcade Building, the Foyer and the Regent Building. The oldest of these three buildings, the Arcade Building, can be easily recognized by the higher, two-storey middle section. It was built in the neoclassic style by architect Friedrich von Gärtner from 1834-38 during the reign of King Ludwig I.
The arcade building, the oldest part of the spa complex, was built in classicism by the architect Friedrich von Gärtner
The Maxbrunnen (Max-source) opposite was redesigned in 1815 was named after the first Bavarian King Maximilian I.
To the left of the arcade there was a glass hall built in 1842, followed by a wrought-iron fountain. These parts of the building were replaced in 1910 by the foyer, which has not changed its appearance until today. It it is a concert hall and another source house. The building was implemented by the architect Max Littmann under the reign of Prince Regent Luitpold (who had taken over the affairs of government for the incapacitated Ludwig II).
Fountain and promenade hall, built under Prince Regent Luitpold by the architect Max Littmann
In 1913 Littmann built the Regentenbau on the right side of the Arcade Building. It is the most magnificent building in the complex and Kissingen's landmark.
All three building complexes are connected so that you can stroll through the halls even in bad weather. The total length of the path is about one kilometer.
Der Regentenbau an der Fränkischen Saale, erbaut von dem Architekten Max Littmann
Coburg
The tranquil and picturesque town of Coburg is definitely worth a trip. The market square, the castle square and the Veste Coburg are part of the regular program when visiting the city. What is also particularly impressive is the family history of the princely house, which is related to several houses of the European nobility through clever family politics. The most prominent connection leads to Great Britain. The English royal family was called “Saxony, Coburg and Gotha” until the First World War. She then changed her name to Windsor.​
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Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
​"Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" - this name suggests complicated connections - and unfortunately that's how it is if you want to untangle the relationships. By the way, first of all: Not only the British royal family bore the name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but also the Belgian royal family until both gave up this name after the First World War. The British became the Windsors and the Belgians have since been called "van België" or "de Belgique" or "of Belgium". It's a shame for the city of Coburg, because if the two royal families hadn't changed their names, that would certainly have been of great marketing value for the small city.​
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How does the name Saxony come to Franconia? ​
For a rough orientation, a few key facts about Saxony: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha only have part of the name in common with the medieval, northern German tribal duchy of Saxony. The Saxons originally come from the north of Germany, where their territory bordered the Danish border. But their area of ​​control shifted from the north of Germany to the southeast due to dynastic developments over a longer period of time. Northern Old Saxony was divided in the 12th century, the name Saxony remained in the eastern part of the bankruptcy estate of Old Saxony and was continued in the Principality of Saxony-Wittenberg. (Want to know why ancient Saxony fell? Click here). Saxony-Wittenberg had held the Saxon electorate since 1356 (Golden Bull, Emperor Charles IV) and was therefore an electorate. When Saxony-Wittenberg had no descendants, the electorate was inherited in 1423 to the Margrave of Meißen from the House of Wettin. Today's Saxony in southeastern Germany is associated with the Wettins; Meißen is also located in this present-day federal state. The name Saxony moved from the Danish border to southeast Germany. But Saxony is not forgotten in the north; the name occurs in the federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Even though Dresden and Leipzig are generally associated with Saxony today, the Wettin Empire's territory expanded into central Germany since the War of the Thuringian-Hessian Succession in 1264.
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Coburg from the division of Leipzig to Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ​ Another important milestone in the history of the House of Wettin was the division of Leipzig in 1485, in which the territory was divided between the brothers Ernst and Albert into an older Ernestine line in Wittenberg, which received the electorate, and a younger Albertine line in Leipzig Dresden. Thuringia and Coburg fell to the Ernestine line. ​ The Ernestine line was Protestant in orientation. In your The residential city of Wittenberg began the Reformation with the posting of theses in 1517. In 1521, Elector Friedrich the Wise (1463–1525), son of Ernst von Wettin, had Luther taken into protective custody after a fake attack and taken to Wartburg Castle, where he could translate the Bible in peace. After Frederick's death, he was succeeded by his brother John the Steadfast, who gave Martin Luther room and board at the Coburg Fortress in 1530 during the Augsburg Diet. ​ In the Schmalkaldic War, in which the Ernestines fought on the Protestant side, they lost the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547 against the imperial troops. The electoral dignity also passed to the Albertine line in Dresden, which was loyal to the emperor. ​ In the Thirty Years' War, Coburg was defeated by the imperial troops, a 36-year, money-consuming inheritance dispute lasted from 1699 to 1735, inheritance divisions, national debts, invading Napoleonic troops led to Coburg becoming quite impoverished at some point. ​ The Congress of Vienna prompted Coburg to join the German Confederation in 1815, which suddenly improved the duchy's financial and economic circumstances. Ernst I had been regent of "Saxony-Coburg-Saalfeld" since 1806, and in 1826 he exchanged Saalfeld for Gotha, which created the house that has since been called "Saxony-Coburg and Gotha", of which Ernst was the first regent.
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Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his family politics
Under Ernst I, perhaps the duchy's most splendid period began. He pursued the family policy, which to this day established the family relationships with various European ruling families.
The Belgian royal family comes from Coburg
Ernst had a total of eight siblings, of which two are particularly noteworthy: Firstly, his brother Leopold, who became King of the Belgians in 1831 in the newly founded Belgian Kingdom of Leopold I. On the other hand, his sister Victoire, who married the Duke of Kent and had his daughter Victoria, later Queen of England and Ireland. ​
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Coburg shaped the British royal family ​
Ernst I was married to Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and had two sons with her, Ernst and Albert. The first son Ernst became the second Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The second son Albert became the husband of the aforementioned Victoria. So Albert and Victoria were cousins, while Ernst I was Victoria's uncle and his sister Victoire was Albert's aunt. ​
Victoria became Queen of England and Ireland, known as Queen Victoria, Albert became her prince consort known as Prince Albert. The two had nine children in total.
Victoria and Albert
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria,
Paintings in Coburg Castle
right: Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland,
Paintings in Coburg Castle
On the two paintings above, Prince Albert can be seen on the left. He was the second-born son of Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
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The painting on the right shows Victoria, Prince Albert's future wife. She was the daughter of Victoire, a sister of Ernst I .
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So Victoria and Prince Albert were cousins.
Victoire can be seen in the painting below. She was mother of Victoria, the later Queen of England and Ireland.
Victoire of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, mother of Queen Victoria and aunt of Prince Albert,
Paintings in Coburg Castle
The marriage of Victoria and Albert was happy. Perhaps Albert had learned from his parents' unhappy marriage and wanted to do it better. His father Ernst I had concubines, but did not allow his much younger wife Luise von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg to have affairs. But Luise started an affair with the younger equestrian Alexander von Hanstein which marked the end of the marriage with Ernst. Much worse for her was that she was not allowed to see her sons Albert and Ernst any more after leaving Coburg.
Unlike his father, Prince Albert never had mistresses. He was a family man, loved his children, looked after them and had a happy marriage with Victoria, which can also be seen from the fact that his early death, at only 42 years of age, was the hardest stroke of fate in Victoria's life that she had had never overcome. The once so fun-loving woman fell into a deep grief that never ended, so that she wore only black widow clothes and withdrew to the seclusion of Balmoral Castle or Osborne House for the next forty years that she was still alive. She was referred to as the "Widow of Windsor".
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Albert had a significant impact on his wife and the development of Britain. Numerous institutions are named after him, including the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The first world exhibition in London in 1851 was made on his initiative, he started social projects, etc. The introduction of the Christmas tree in the royal family is said to go back to him. Perhaps Albert wanted to do a lot better not only in terms of his family, but also politically, because when he came to Great Britain, the British weren't happy to have a German in the royal family again. They had just passed the era of the Hanoverian Georgians, which was not remembered as a good time. Their extravagance had brought the kingdom to the brink of revolution. Albert wanted to prove himself and he absolutely made it. In the minds of the British, he is considered an extraordinary and popular Prince Consort.
The 20th century caused a cultural break between Britain and Germany, so that the remembrance of the past close relationship between the English royal family and the German nobility largely have been wiped out from Britain's page. That is also a reason that nowadays hardly any travelers from Great Britain come to Coburg or the Rhine any more. For most Britons today, Germany is a relatively unknown country. The historic awareness in Germany is also reduced, especially since World War II, so that there is little memory of the formerly close relationships between Britain and Germany as well.
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Incidentally, Queen Victoria carried the hemophilia gene and passed it on to three of her nine children, including her second daughter Alice, who later became the mother of Alix von Hessen-Darmstadt, who became Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna by her marriage to the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Her son Alexei, the Tsarevich, was also a hemophiliacs, which led to the story about Rasputin with his shamanic miraculous healing powers. The whole Romanov family were shot in Yekaterinburg in 1918 during the revolution.
Prince Albert on the market of Coburg
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Alfred from Great Britain becomes the next Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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The fourth child of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, Alfred, succeeded the childless Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and moved from England to Coburg to the Palais Edinburgh next to the theater and opposite the castle, where he lived to his death. Edinburgh because Alfred had studied in Edinburgh and Bonn. The people of Coburg were not enthusiastic about a British on the ducal throne, also because Alfred spoke the worst German of all the children of Victoria and Albert (bear in mind that the Britons had Germans on their throne for centuries, some of them did not speak English at all, and did not even reside in England). Alfred made the same experience like his sister Vicky, who lived in Berlin (Vicky had married the German Kaiser). They were not really welcome. Alfred was a staunch Brit, had made a career in the Royal Navy, which had become home to him within his years of service. Coburg was a small principality and he had only domestic political power, which was of course provincial for him, In Coburg he always put his British title before the German one and was addressed as "Royal Highness", although he was not a king at all, but a duke. But over time, the people's trust in their duke grew.
He was married to the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the daughter of the Tsar. This marriage was not approved by Victoria as the relationship to the Romanovs was damaged since the Crimean War.
On the day of Alfred and Maria Alexandrovna's 25th wedding anniversary, their son Alfred attempted suicide and later died, whereupon Duke Alfred started drinking.
Emperor Frederick III, also known as the 99-day emperor, husband of Victoria,
Paintings in Coburg Castle
Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, wife of the German Emperor Frederick III.
Paintings in Coburg Castle
Victoria, the first daughter of Victoria and Albert, can be seen on the right of the two paintings above. She was called "Vicky". Like Alfred, she lived in Germany because she had married the German Kaiser.
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Her husband is shown on the left, Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, the 99-day emperor, who died of throat cancer at the age of 57.
Ernst I. and his investments in architecture
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Ernst I. invested in art, architecture and urban planning and what was created in Coburg got a certain size in the small town.
The first building of the castle was built in 1542 on the foundation walls of a demolished Franciscan monastery. They didn't want monasteries in the Protestant city of Coburg, so they banded the monks.
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Ernst I redesigned the palace by hiring 19th century architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The palace is today designed in neo-Gothic style. In addition, Schinkel also designed the entire ensemble with the theater building, the castle square in between, the arcades and the rising courtyard garden behind it, which leads to "Veste Coburg", a fortress castle.
Bamberg
Bayreuth
The Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth is the best-preserved, free-standing Opera house from the Baroque period. Because of this unique position, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List
For the non-opera experts: the annual Bayreuth Festival does not take place in this opera house in downtown Bayreuth, but in the festival hall on the so-called Green Hill, just outside the city.
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The Margravial Opera House can be seen on the photo above and below.
The opera house consists of extremely flammable Materials, mostly wood and canvas and it borders on a wonder it never burned down. One could assume that this gem is now museum-like and can only be viewed, but concerts and performances are actually still held in it.
(If you are interested in what's happening there, click here .)
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The owner of the opera house was Margravine Wilhelmine von Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1709-1758), a woman who has evidently devoted her entire life to the love of opera.
First about the family relationships, which were not insignificant: Wilhelmine was the daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg, the so-called "Soldier King". Friedrich II., King of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg, was her brother.
Both children stood out for their high level of musical talent, which was encouraged by their mother. The father vehemently rejected musical pursuits. During his reign the court was spartan, the expansion of the military was a priority. That is why Friedrich and Wilhelmine allied themselves in their musical world against their strict father. Friedrich was Wilhelmine's favorite brother. The years in Berlin must have been a torture for her, as she portrays drastically in her records: An Italian nanny, who did political espionage by asking the child about parents' conversations who pounded Wilhelmine even daily when she could not get the informations she needed. A father who asserted with physical violence. Even Friedrich could hardly stand it, found refuge in his mother's Monbijou Castle, where he had a secret library and could discuss philosophy with her. Later he deserted with the help of his friend Hans Hermann von Katte. The attempt to escape failed and Friedrich and his friend were arrested and locked up. The same thing happened to Wilhelmine, who was assumed to be an accomplice. The soldier king threatened his children with interrogation, torture, even execution. This did not happen, but after Katte was sentenced to life imprisonment, the elector exercised his right to sharpen his sentence and had him executed by beheading. Friedrich had to watch the beheading of his friend. Perhaps Katte and Friedrich were lovers, it can be read over and over again that Friedrich loved men and it wouldn't be absurd if you have a closer look on his life.
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Friedrich and Wilhelmine loved music all their lives. Friedrich was a flute player and composed very well.
His sister also composed, wrote libretti, was an art patron and opera director. She dedicated her life to music.
Perhaps behind the great need for representation in Bayreuth was also her failed engagement to the future English king. Her mother Sophia Dorothea from the house of Hanover was a daughter of the English King George I of Hanover, whose brother, Wilhelmine's uncle, later became King George II. Wilhelmine should marry his son Friedrich Ludwig, who was the next candidate for the throne.
On the other hand her father, the soldier king, pursued completely different plans and oriented himself more towards the House of Habsburg in order to prove his loyalty to the emperor. The engagement of Wilhelmine and Friedrich Ludwig was canceled shortly before the wedding, instead Wilhelmine married the Bayreuth Margrave Prince Friedrich.
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The opera house was built for the wedding of Wilhelmine's daughter, which was celebrated at great expense in 1748.
Wilhelmine brought the most famous theater architect of her time to Bayreuth, Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, who designed the theater in the style of an Italian log theater. Construction supervision on site was carried out by his son Carlo Galli Bibiena, who built numerous stage sets and festive decorations until Wilhelmine's death.
In the spirit of baroque architecture, the auditorium and stage form a unit, in that the boundaries of painting, sculpture and architecture seem to merge into one another.
Nowadays, when you step into the room, you are overwhelmed by the sensory impressions and the splendor that unfolds in it.
In Bayreuth you can of course do a lot more. The city was residential city, so there is an old and a new palace - the latter can be seen in the photo below - as well as the Hermitage and the Fantasie Palace.
There is a lot of gastronomy in the quite lively city center.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
