One of the crests of a student corps, displayed at the Wachenburg in Weinheim, a castle built by these corps.
The Latin motto translates as “Neither by chance nor timidly”.
The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Chance
Student Corps’ Motto – Not by Chance
Tag: Wachenburg
Windows used for PR
An advertisement for the town known as “Two castle town”. On the left is the relatively new Wachenburg, on the right the castle ruin Windeck.
I’m coming home again and again
When I see these two castles in the distance, I know I’m coming home. No matter what the weather, no matter what time of the year, or even what year it is. I lived in different parts of the world for more than 30 years but these two castles always spelt home for me.
Weinheim is known as the Two Castle Town. so much so that we even have a cookie cutter with their silhouettes.
The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Homecoming.
” … “
This is the chapter house of the Wachenburg in Weinheim, a room where large meetings are held. Normally one finds such halls in church related buildings such as monastries or cathedrals but this chapter house is part of a castle built by an association of fraternities. It is used once a year by the association itself when the fraternity members have their annual meeting, the rest of the year it can be booked for events.
Linked to the Ragtag Daily Prompt: Empty Room.
With a little help
“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.”
Steven Wright
But sometimes you need to be pointed in the right direction.
In case you are not quite sure what you are looking at: the Wachenburg is about 20km in linear distance, 30km to travel by car, and quite a bit more walking through dales and over hills. It was as if the sunbeam wanted to guide us home.
From a closer vantage point, more or less pictured from the same side.
Linked to Travel with Intent. More photos inspired by Steven Wright’s quote, click here.
In praise of friendship
Student fraternities in Germany have elaborate coats of arms. The members of the “Weinheimer Seniorenconvent” have theirs displayed in the great hall of celebrations of the Wachenburg in Weinheim. Many of the mottos include friendship.
Personally, I don’t hold with the often rightwing positions of those traditional fraternities (somewhat ironic as many have their roots in the revolutionary times around 1830 with then revolutionary ideals) so I rather go with this:
It doesn’t have to be alcohol, just sit together and share a glass and a talk.
Linked to Friendly Friday: Friendship.
Old, but not ancient
It’s difficult to see the building that is only about 100 years old in this photo. The ruin of castle Windeck in the middle is approximately 1000 years old, the tower on the far left, part of the old town wall, is several 100 years old. But the castle, called Wachenburg, right on top of the Wachenberg is pretty exactly 100 years old. The building was started in 1907 and completed in 1928.
It was meant to look like a medieval castle.
And althought the overall effect is just that, close up it looks just a bit too well preserved.
It was commissioned by a convocation of fraternities of students and they still have meetings up there.
If there are not there, it is used as an event location with a restaurant, and in summer beer garden.
Linked to A Photo A Week: 100 years or older.
Two-castle-city
My hometown Weinheim is known by the epithet Zwei-Burgen-Stadt. The appearance of the two castles in the distance, one ancient and one fairly modern, with the adjoining and quarry was always a sign to me that I would be home soon.
Wachenburg to the left and Windeck to the right seen from the banks of the channelled arms of the Weschnitz, a small river flowing into the River Rhine about 30km to the east.
The Windeck is around 1000-years-old. It was built as a fortress to safeguard the assets of the Imperial Abbey of Lorsch.
The Wachenburg is only around a 100-years-old and was built and is still owned by a student corps.
The expansion of the quarry was finally stopped when a citizens’ group went to court and forced the closure of the enterprise. The twist in the tale is that around 1900 the whole hill (consisting of a relatively valuable form of porphyry) was sold to a community about 10km to the south in exchange of agricultural fields and hence, our town was more interested in preserving the hill with the Wachenburg on it than the quarry company who had plans to erase the whole hill. But sanity prevailed and since the operations have shut down nature is reclaiming the quarry with several species of animals rediscovered that had disappeared from the area (a large species of owl amongst them).
We are so proud of our two castles that we even sell a cookie cutter in the shape of the silhouette.
For One Word Sunday: home. Have a look what other bloggers consider their home.
Two castles
My whereabouts – after being away for 3 decades I am back home.
Linked to Friendly Friday: Whereabouts.
pictures imperfect blog 