Magdeburg and Quedlinburg, two cities in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany offer a peep into medieval history, Romanesque and Gothic architecture and a cultural legacy of the Ottonian empire. The travel trade in India will do well to include these two cities in their itineraries, both for the discerning Indian leisure traveller and the corporate visitor. By Steena Joy
The word ‘burg’ which means an ancient or medieval fortress or walled town has a special place in German history. Both, Magdeburg and Quedlinburg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, were important medieval cities of Europe and form the centrepieces of the Romanesque Road. The route takes the form of a figure-of-eight, with a northern and a southern loop, with Magdeburg as the centre, linking village churches, monasteries, cathedrals and castles built between 950 and 1250.
Multi-faceted Magdeburg
Situated on the Elbe river to the southwest of Berlin, Magdeburg is the capital city and the second largest city of the region. Tourists to the city are charmed by its quaint Baroque facades and monumental districts from the Gründerzeit period.
Although it was burned down in 1188, Magdeburg became a flourishing commercial centre in the 13th century and also established an autonomous municipal administration, Magdeburger Recht (Magdeburg Law), that later was widely adopted throughout eastern Europe. Today, Magdeburg is a centre of food processing, particularly sugar refining, flour milling, heavy engineering, chemical and textile.
Magdeburg is known as the city of two Ottos – Emperor Otto the Great, who was responsible for the construction of the Magdeburg Cathedral and Otto von Guericke, the scientist who used his Magdeburg hemispheres experiment to demonstrate the power of air pressure. The city is the seat of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg and there are numerous schools and technical colleges which have many international students including from India.
At the old market square (Alter Markt) in front of the Town Hall, one can find a copy of the Magdeburg Horseman sculpture, which is assumed to be a depiction of Emperor Otto the Great. The original sculpture was created in as early as 1240 and is now located in the Magdeburg Cultural History Museum which is worth a visit.
The river Elbe serves as a perfect setting for bicycle tours and walks, and boat trips that travel up to the Waterway Junction, which is home to the world’s longest canal bridge. The city’s many parks serve as open-air venues for jazz festivals and theatre performances. Be it opera, musicals, or ballet performances, Magdeburg is a cultural hotspot. The city also boasts a Puppet Theatre that is renowned all over the world in the field of puppetry and marionette performances.
The city of Otto is also known for its modern architecture. Travellers can experience the Green Citadel of Magdeburg, one of the last architectural projects by the Austrian artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The building with its pink walls and uneven lines is home to 55 residential apartments probably the most expensive real estate in the city. Besides shops and cafés on the ground floor, there is also a hotel on the upper floor for guests who want to spend the night in this unique architectural marvel.
Magdeburg Cathedral, known locally as Magdeburger Dom, is dedicated to St Maurice and St Catherine and dates back to over 1,000 years. The very first cathedral to be built in the Gothic style in Germany, it houses the graves of Otto the Great, and that of his first wife. There are guided tours to the roof of the Cathedral for groups of 10 or more on certain days of the week (must be pre-booked) and the view from the top is worth the climb up some 250 odd steps.
Another famous attraction is the Monastery of Our Lady, considered to be the oldest surviving building in Magdeburg. The unique well-house, barrel-vaults and the monastery church with its towers are a fine example of Romanesque architecture. The building hosts both the Magdeburg Art Museum and the Georg Philipp Telemann concert hall.
For followers of Martin Luther, Magdeburg embraced the Reformation in 1524. An important site is St John’s Church where Luther preached about “true and false righteousness” following which all of Magdeburg’s churches converted to Protestantism. There is a statue erected in memory of the Great Reformer in front of the church.
Quaint Quedlinburg
One and a half hours from Magdeburg is another medieval town, Quedlinburg which is on the southern loop of the Romanesque Road. The city’s narrow, cobblestone streets lined with over 1300 half-timbered houses, has given it a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag. King Heinrich I (Henry the Fowler) was crowned King of Germany here in 919 A.D. This was the first time anyone had ruled Germany as a single entity. The church, Norbertinerkirche, was built around this time.
Quedlinburg lies approximately 200 km west of Berlin and can be reached directly by train (a transfer in Magdeburg). By air, the gateways are Berlin, Leipzig or Hannover.
This town was ruled by women for 800 years. King Heinrich I’s widow, Mathilde, founded a convent for aristocratic women in 936 and their granddaughter became the ruler of the town as the Abbess in 966. The Abbesses of the convent ruled the city until 1802, when Napoleon invaded and disbanded the Abbey. Not surprisingly, the first German woman to win the right to attend a university was a native of Quedlinburg. Dorothea Erxleben was the first woman to receive the academic title of Medical Doctor in 1754.
Theatre and concert productions of the Nordharzer Stadtdbundtheater, the Quedlinburg Music Summer, concerts in the town hall, in the Baroque Palais Salfeldt and in the Church of St. Blasius as well as the Quedlinburg Dixieland and Swing Weekend are some of the wide spectrum of events to be enjoyed in Quedlinburg. The Kaiserfruhling (an annual re-enactment of the spring assembly convened by the Ottonian emperors) and the special pre-Christmas offerings of Quedlinburg as Advent City draw many tourists every year.