Nuremberg, Day 1

After my seminar in Frankfurt, I wasn't ready to head back up north to Berlin just yet. Instead, I hopped on a bus for 3 hours and arrived in Nuremberg, which, with a population of 510,000, is Bavaria's second-biggest city (after Munich, of course). The city was around as early as 1050, and to this day it still has a charming Old Town with lots of impressive medieval architecture. 

Of course, much of the Old Town was destroyed in WWII, mainly during an Allied bombing on January 2, 1945, which flattened the city and killed 6,000 people. The destruction was amplified in April of the same year, when U.S. infantry troops fought block-by-block against German fighters to capture the city. When the dust settled, over 90% of the town had been destroyed, which makes it the only German city hit worse than Dresden. But today, there is little hint of that destructive past, and I found the town extremely interesting and fun to explore. I had less than 24 hours to spend there, so I got the sightseeing action started right away when I arrived and photographed late into the night.

Ninety percent, or three miles, of Nuremberg's medieval city walls still stand. You can also still see the city's old moat (I am standing above it, on street level, and the grass and path are in the moat), which was never filled

Nuremberg (also written as Nürnberg in German) once had 11 of these large buildings, which served as granaries to ensure that residents would have enough food in case of famine or siege

After the destruction of WWII, the Old Town's buildings were either repaired in the Gothic style or replaced with more modern-style buildings that used native sandstone to maintain a traditional look. The result is pretty neat and fun to look at - almost all of the Old Town consists of either Gothic or medieval-looking buildings, buildings made out of red sandstone, or half-timbered buildings

The large tower on the right is the Frauentor, one of the four medieval entrances to Nuremberg's Old Town

This impressive facade belongs to the St. Lawrence Church, built from 1270 to 1360 and severely damaged in WWII

Above the door on the left is a depiction of Jesus' birth and a visit from the Magi. Above the right door is a scene that depicts Romans slaughtering innocents, which includes a baby skewered on a sword, as well as a scene of Jesus in the temple followed by the flight to Egypt. Above all of that is the Passion story (everything from the trial to carrying the cross to Resurrection), and finally the triumphant resurrected Christ is up top, surrounded by the sun, moon, and angels. Who knew a doorway could be so interesting?

Nuremberg was particularly important in the 14th century, as German emperors often held gatherings of nobles here. Whenever royals came into town, they came down this road so that they could approach the masterful church facade head-on

 In order to make the entrance described above, they'd come through this gate

This controversial and expensive fountain is called the Ehekarussell, or Marriage Merry-Go-Round. It was build in 1984 to obscure a vent to the subway station below. The sculpture portrays a dramatic version of married life from courtship to death, ranging from happy young lovers to grouchy old people to skeletons

There are the skeletons, with a dragon thrown in behind them for good measure

It's a bit hard to tell in this photo, but it's really large

Just outside the edge of the Old Town is the 950 year-old St. Jakobskirche

St. Elisabeth's Church has been around since 1235, but this structure was built from 1785 to 1803

This is the last remaining tower house in Nuremberg. When it was first built in 1200, there was no city wall, so locals had to build fortified homes they could defend themselves

Nuremberg's ritziest shopping street

This is one of the city's most favorite sights, and it made for my favorite picture from my time in Nuremberg. This is the Holy Ghost Hospital, first donated to the city in the 1300s by a rich resident eager to do his part to help the ill and disabled. Today, it serves as a restaurant and senior home

Nuremberg's large main square. When it's not nighttime, it's bustling with people and fruit, food, flower, and souvenir stands. It also plays host to Germany's largest Christmas market

This church is the Frauenkirche, built in the 1350s. Before the church, there was a synagogue on this site. Before the church's time, the Jews were forced live in this area since it is close to the river and back then was swampy and outside of the town center. Once the city grew and this land became more valuable, the Jews were forced out. Six hundred of them died in the process

Also on the main square is the Schöner Brunnen, or Beautiful Fountain. The fountain drew up clean water, which was especially important since water from the nearby river was polluted in medieval times. Built in 1385 and standing at 62 feet high, it boasts 42 statues that represent allegorical figures, evangelists, churchmen, electors, heroes, Moses, and the prophets

Nuremberg's Town Hall, first built in the mid-1300s and done over in the early 1600s. Today's building is a reconstruction built in the late 1950s since the original structure was destroyed in WWII

The St. Sebalduskirche was also destroyed in WWII, but was first built in 1230 and modified in the 1300s

St. Sebald again

The town's castle sits high on a hill above the city. Looking back as I climbed up

A first look at the huge Imperial Castle, also called Kaiserburg

Half-timbered houses and the Kaiserburg above

Nuremberg's most famous resident, Albrecht Dürer, lived in this house for 20 years In the 16th century. He was a successful painter who brought the Renaissance style to medieval Germany

 One can get a good sense of the massive scale of the wall and castle when standing in the city's moat and looking up

 Now a hostel, this particular part of the castle used to house stables and store grain 

 I walked along nearly all of the city wall

 The executioners of Nuremberg lived in this tower from the 16th to 19th century. Due to the nature of their job, people avoided contact with the executioner since being associated with him could have been seen as un-Christian. The Hangman's Bridge on the right was built in 1457

 Part of the Hangman's Bridge

 The main square again

 St. Egidien is a church that was first built in the 12 century before being rebuilt in the 18th in the Baroque style you see here

 Another angle of the Lorenzkirche, or St. Lawrence Church

 As you will see in my next post about Nuremberg, the city was an important gathering point for Hitler and the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, the city is trying to shed this ugly side of its history and instead associate itself with human rights and justice. Hence this Human Rights Memorial - behind this wall are 30 pillars that each have one article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights engraved on them

 Some of the pillars

 More city wall, which was originally built in the 13th to 16th centuries and continuously strengthened during that time

 The Staatstheater Nuremberg is one of the largest theaters in Germany and was built in the early 1900s in the Art Nouveau style

 A better look at the city's empty moat between the modern streets outside the Old Town (right) and the walls surrounding the Old Town (left)

 There was modern architecture to be found, too

As throngs of people started walking the streets to enjoy Nuremberg's lively nightlife scene, I wrapped up my photographic excursion and headed back to the hostel to rest up so that I could make the most out of my final hours in Nuremberg the next day. Even though I just walked around during the evening and night, I already liked what I was seeing. To think there was even more exciting things to come tomorrow! Pictorial evidence of that coming right up.