GERMANY  |  Franken, Germany Travel Guide
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Nürnberg's Weisser Turm

Weisser Turm

The Weisser Turm (White Tower) was part of the 13th-century defenses, but is now several blocks from the later walls. The area is a popular meeting place, partly because one of the two underground stations in the old town is directly underneath the tower.

Next to the tower is the 1984 Ehekarussellbrunnen (Wedding Carousel Fountain). It illustrates scenes from Hans Sachs’ poem about the bittersweetness of marriage. The comical caricatures are graphic enough to be understood even without reading the titles.

The St. Elisabethkirche (St Elizabeth’s Church), Jakobsplatz,   0911-940-1280, originally belonged to the Order of Teutonic Knights. In 1785, the existing simple church was replaced by a Neo-Classical building with a cupola 50m(165 feet) high. Napoleon forced the order to disband in 1809, so the interior was only completed in 1902. It is dominated by huge statues of the apostles.

The 14th-century St. Jakobkirche (St James Church), Jakobsplatz,   0911-209- 143, was severely damaged in 1945, but the exterior was rebuilt following the original plans. The inside is more modern, although the high altar is thought to be the oldest in town.

German National Museum

The Germanisches Nationalmusem (National Museum of German Art and Culture), Kartäusergasse 1, was founded in 1852 to collect art, cultural objects, and documents related to the German-speaking world. Currently it has some 1.2 million pieces, of which 20,000 are on display, making it the largest cultural history museum in Germany. The core of the museum complex is a medieval monastery, with the church and cloisters used to exhibit religious artworks. The rest of the museum is more modern – the layout is somewhat confusing, but free floorplans are available.

The Picture Gallery has a large number of works by Dürer, Cranach, Rembrandt, and Holbein, while the sculpture section has excellent works by Veit Stoß and Tilman Riemenschneider. The applied and decorative arts sections are impressive and include the oldest globes in the world, early clocks, pianos, other musical instruments, and even a 17th-century dollhouse. The early history and prehistory sections have jewelry from the Germanic tribes and, the oldest item, a golden cone dating from 1200 BC.

Last updated September 22, 2011
Posted in   Germany  |  Franken
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