Tag: Weinheim an der Bergstraße

I’m a fan of WWW

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WWW = Weinheim, Wachenburg, Windeck. Weinheim is a town of 45,000 inhabitants in the Rhein-Neckar-Metropolregion, i.e. it’s in a triangle with Heidelberg and Mannheim in the Upper Rhine Valley. I like this shot because it spans so much history. In the foreground is the old industrial area, the building on the right is part of the old tramway station, and towering above is the castle ruin Windeck where once the lords sent from the Abbey Lorsch reigned over the area.

A more typical shot of the historic sites – from left to right: the Wachenburg (about 100 years old), the Windeck (about 1000 years), and the Blaue Hut (somewhere in between in age).

The Blaue Hut is one of three remaining towers that were part of the medieval town fortifications.

The Rote Turm, so called because of the reddish sandstone features (or possibly some other reason which I did not understand), and the Hexenturm, or witches tower which as far as we can tell never housed any witches.

There is a third castle in Weinheim despite the name Zwei-Burgen-Stadt, or two castle town, and it’s the Schloss. Rather more like a small palace than a rustic castle it used to be the home of various noble families throughout the years and today houses the municipal administration. The park is open to the public but was still private property and only opened once a year at Easter when my father was a little boy.

A final view of a section of the old part of Weinheim including the street I grew up if not the house.

The house is actually in this winterey shot, and now it is not the half-timbered house in the centre.

I hope you enjoyed these glimpses of my hometown. There are always views turning up amongst my photos.

I’m a Fan of #122

Another Lemon Tree

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If you are looking for a tree, you’ve come to the right place. Brian on bushboys world linked Peter, Paul and Mary’s Lemon Tree song on Sunday. How could I then not mention the other song about a lemon tree that landed in the charts – at least in Germany. Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden in the number one spot.

In 2010 I went to a Uriah Heep concert, organised by a paint company on a public square for their anniversary, not knowing anything about the opening group – I was there to see Uriah Heep! It happened to be the German group Fool’s Garden – I had heard their song Just another lemon tree but up to that point didn’t even know that the group was German.

And here is a photo from an actual lemon tree – situated next to the pond in the local castle gardens (Weinheimer Schloss). Now it used to be that we were told that Weinheim had such a warm climate that it was only one of two places in Germany where lemons not only flowered but actually bore fruit although they never quite ripened and stayed green. Things change and so, unfortunately, catastrophically, does climate, and the lemons now turn yellow in autumn.

Tree Square #20

Medieval Remnants

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In medieval times, the town of Weinheim was surrounded by a town wall with four towers. Three of these towers remain today.

Blauer Hut – Blue Hat
Hexenturm – Witches’ Tower
Roter Turm – Red Tower

Bonus Fact: No witches were ever held in the Witches’ Tower. It was never used as a prison.

For this post, I chose a different word of the five on offer.

Thursday’s Special: Pick a Word

It gets dark

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when you drive in – at least when the old German “Gstanzl” or “Schnadahüpfel” (a fun song with many verses, often in dialect) is to be believed:

Zwische Woinem und Bergene 
do schteiht e Tunnell, wø mer noifährt, 
werd's dunkel, 
wø mer nausfährt, werd's hell!
Holladihi-a holladiho! Holladihopsasa holladiho!

The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Tunnel.

Empty Nest Syndrome

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It can no longer be hidden at this time of year.

Whether it is kind of hidden in the twigs and branches of the barren trees

or openly displayed on top of poles and trunks.

And this particular nest has been empty for years and years and years. When I was little it was used by storks, then there were fewer and the nest stayed empty. Now their numbers are increasing and we have a sizable number returning every spring but they never took again to the nest up on the old tower, nowadays they live in the trees in the plain, closer to their food sources.

One Word Sunday: Empty.

Is new always better?

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This tower has been standing in its place for over 700 hundred years. During this time repairs were occasionally needed, e.g. it got a new roof at one stage, the old, blue-black shimmering slate replaced by red brick tiles – but it nevertheless kept its name: Blauer Hut or Blue Hat. This summer the bodywork needed a repair. Now I am no expert and possibly the mortar between the sandstone bricks didn’t hold anymore and short of demolishing the whole tower and rebuilding it they slapped some material on the outside. It’s new alright and in years to come it might look weathered again, at the moment I just think the new lighter and smooter wall looks ugly.

While I am at it look at the castle ruin to the right in the photo. The summer photo was taken two years ago. The trees were growing close to the castle walls and only the tower and the top parts of the walls could be seen. The winter photo is from a couple of weeks ago. It’s not just the bare branches but the trees around the castle ruin have all but disappeared; this was apparently done for safety reasons, the trees in question being old and in danger of toppling over during the next strong winds. To me the Windeck (Windy Corner) still looks kind of naked but I am starting to appreciate that the new look shows the buildings structure and beauty much better than before

Hence the answer to the question in the title is – not always, but sometimes.

A Photo a Week: Something New.

Chilly?

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Rather!

We not only had snow but it is rather cold enough to stay and instead of turning into a mushy slush it crunches when you walk on it. Chilly it is but also rather lovely.

The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Chilly.

I’m coming home again and again

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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.