Tag: Germany

Firm stands the watch

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Niederwald Denkmal Germania

The late 19th century, after the Franco-Prussian War which lead to the unification of Germany was a great time to build monuments to the glorification of Germany. One such monuments (I almost wrote monstrosities) is the Niederwald Denkmal in Rüdesheim am Rhein.

Germania

It features a more than 12 metres high personification of Germania, holding aloft the laurel crown of the victor and the sword, pointing downward, as well a symbol of victory.

Wacht am Rhein: Germania Vater Rhein

At the foot of the huge figure is this relief of 133 Germans considered important – all of them life-size to give an indication of the size of the monument. Underneath, larger than life, are the Rivers Rhein (male) and Mosel (female), Father Rhine handing the horn of the guardian to his daughter (tributary) Moselle hinting at the land gain of Elsass und Lothringen  (Alsace and Lorraine) through the means of war.

The words are the verses of hymn called Die Wacht am Rhein, the watch towards the west, the heriditary enemy France, glorifying the blood that is ready to be spilled for the German Reich.  We all know how that ended.

For One Word Sunday: Monumental, on this day of the “open monument” in Germany which will see me looking for less martial examples of monuments.

 

buildings

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Jagdschloesschen

This is the Jagdschloss Eulbach, near Michelstadt in the Odenwald.  It was the “hunting lodge” of Franz I, Count of Erbach-Erbach who had it built in the  18th century.

b 0902 b building

Linked to Simply Snaps: Buildings.

Stock photo

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10 reflection a

Here is a long shot of the lake in Böblingen, where I took this picture, to explain the extraordinary colour, right in the middle:

10 reflection b

PS: The title is a word pun crossing German-English lines.  Mallards are called “stock ducks” (Stockenten) in German.

For K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge: reflection.

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Bronze

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Martin Buber

When I think of bronze I imagine it as a polished, smooth metal but often bronze sculptures are anything but smooth.  This statue of the Austrian-Israeli religious philosopher and author Martin Mordechai Buber in Heppenheim an der Bergstraße shows the foliated texture and how this fosters colour.

Linked to A Photo a Week: texture.

Three

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Drei Kaiser - Karl V. Maximilian I. Ferdinand I.
Drei Kaiser – Karl V. Maximilian I. Ferdinand I.

Charles V., Maximilian I., and Ferdinand I. – all three Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire in the last years of the Middle Ages.  This is the sign of a restaurant in Augsburg, Bavaria.

Linked to Simply Snaps: Simply Three.

 

Paint creative

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114 window

Two windows from a half-timbered house in Michelstadt im Odenwald.  These days, this style of architecture is often redone in colour rather than in the customary black/brown and white but I haven’t seen one in terracotta hues before.  Here is the whole house (as often is the case, difficult to photograph because they stand in narrow streets):

114 window 2

Linked to  One Word Sunday: window.