Tag: Heidelberg

Built, Misused and Not Used at all

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For various reasons it is difficult to talk about the Thingstätte in Heidelberg, particularly in English. The English problem is a language one. A Germanic Thing (pronounced ting) is a thing in English but not as in an object or an article but as in a folkmoot (kind of like an entmoot for people). Then there are the historic problems. This venue, fashioned in a way that Nazis envisaged Germanic culture 2000 years ago, was built in the 1930s on a hill near Heidelberg for pseudo Germanic festivities and rituals. Early on it was clear that it would never do what it was meant to do because they built a stage in the middle of an amphitheatre for thousands of spectators but forgot about toilets and other necessities. After world war II it was neglected, then half-heartedly revived (even Placido Domingo gave a concert there once), after 2000 it was only used unofficially for Walpurgis Night feasts where students partied in the night from 30 April to 1 May. This was stopped in 2018 as it created too many problems, not least several forest fires.

Today it’s mainly a destination for excursions. There is a lookout point in the vicinity which offers a wonderful view of the Heidelberg Schloss on the other side of the river Neckar.

FOWC with Fandango: Venue

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I Think the Little Cloud Is Lost

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Less sky, more green. But the sky itself would have been undefinably whitish grey. I took this photo on the banks of the river Neckar. A couple of kilometres up the river there would have been the Heidelberg castle on the slopes.

It looked quite atmospheric and not at all like spring. But that’s what you get in April. April is a mixed bag.

Weekend Sky

The Power of Three

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Three is a powerful number and often three of the same are used in crests and coat of arms. The three lilies are from the coat of arms of the town of Wiesbaden, the capital of the State of Hesse. The three rings are a medieval symbol for a bishop and this crest is displayed a the front of the Kloster Neuburg near Heidelberg.

Thursday Trios

Think Sphinx, Think Egypt – Not!

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When one thinks of sphinxes one normally thinks of Egypt. But the mythical creatures have settled in different parts of Europe. They often appear in twos.

This magnificent sphinx looks down from the top of the National Gallery in Edinburgh.

This more modern interpretation of a sphinx sits on Victoria Square in Birmingham.

Even more modern is this standing sphinx seen near the lake in Böblingen. Unfortunately, a victim of a bad paint job.

Sphinxes seem to be drawn to museums. This Art Nouveau specimen crowns the cupola of the Wiesbaden museum together with two non-sphinx companions.

And finally, this rather buxom beauty and its twin sit – of all places – in front of a tomb in a cemetery in Heidelberg.

Photographing Public Art Challenge