Paderborn in a small town on the way to Hanover. It’s known for its beautiful Catholic cathedral – The High Cathedral of St Mary, St Liborious and St Kilian belonging to the archdiocese of Paderborn. The church is built in the late Romanesque and Gothic styles and is at the centre of the town above some springs, called the Pader Springs.. and well, you gotta stop for lunch somewhere! So why not choose a town with a famous medeival cathedral!
The cathedral is dedicated to three saints – namely, the Vigin Mary, St Kilian and St Liborious of Le Mans. Liborious is also the first patron of the city and his bones were brought from France to Paderborn in 836 by Emperor Louis the Pious – as part of what was a traditional relic dispersion. Relics were sent to various regional diocese to provide places/things for parishioners to pay homage and tribute to, and to make pilgrimages to see. I find it rather interesting that the remains of revered saints and religious personages were taken and scattered all over the countryside; the only other group of people who had their remains separated and sent to the four corners of any given kingdom in the medieval period were traitors and high criminals. Figure that one out!
Paradise Portal, done in the Romanesque style, c.1160.
The Paradise vestibule and Paradise portal are in the southern extension of the church. Built in the second half of the 12thC it is now twice as large today as it was in the 1860s. It has been used as a resting space for pilgrims on their way to the Santiago de Compostela, and there are many similar porches on French churches and cathedrals at other pilgrimage churches en route to Santiago.
The Cathedral was rebuilt from the 11thC, along with the Ottonian Imperal place in the region with large vaulted ceilings. The vaults of the Paderborn Cathedral are surprisingly uniform, given its window configuration doesn’t appear to possess the same symmetry… there’s some architectural trickery going on here.
Sadly, there wasn’t a lot of information around the church to explain objects to visitors. But on the other hand, it’s possibly because it’s more of a working cathedral and not a heavily toursited area, so that’s a bonus for the locals.
A decidedly non-medieval looking pulpit. Fair guess to say it was a later addition.
A Bishop Badurad had a crypt built into Paderborn Cathedral, which dates back the 1100AD. Although it was redesigned in the 13thC it remains on of the largest hall crypts in Germany – which is surprising because it doesn’t seem overly large compared to the sorts of crypts you see in France and Italy?
Under the altar of the crypt is an ebony shrine containing the relics of Saint Liborious (in the small box above – we couldn’t access that area).
On the opposite side of the crypt is an anteroom to the Bishop’s Crypt, which is decorated with mosaics from 1935. Though modern, the mosaics create a beautiful space around a gravestone which contains the replics of a Bishop Meinwerk; past the anteroom is the actual crypt of all the Paderborn Bishops. It is this unusually mosaic’d crypt that attracts most visitors to Paderbornerdom. It is actually quite beautiful, and has a decidedly art deco style to it.
At the centre of the Bishops’ Crypt is a Pieta, which is flanked left and right with two enormous bronze plates listing all the names of the Paderborn bishops right up to the 20thC. The bronze plates start with names of Bishops all the way back to the 900s, and the bones of all the previous bishops rest in a collective grave in the floor. It’s incredible to see this historical record going so far back.
The Chapel of St Joseph dates to the 14thC and was initially dedicated to the Three Magi.
The town of Paderborn is really quite cute and very sleepy. The centre of the Marktplaz has a fountain called the Neptunebrunnen Fountain, reminiscent of the Neptune fountain in the centre of Gdańsk. This fountain was originally built in 1730 by Johann Theordor Axer and reconstructed in 1979 by Joseph Rokis.
I love the details in medieval buildings surrounding the Marktplaz… very cool medieval rainbow mosaic.
Onward to Hanover…
Checked into our hotel and immediately went looking for a beer hall… we had decided to skip lunch as we spent too much time in the Cathedral, which put us on the hunt for Hanover’s best currywurst and jagerschnitzel!
Angus was very happy with his wash – my schnitzel was nice, the mushroom sauce was good, but not Heidelberg good… I am going to get mightily sick of the piles of fried potato that comes with every meal (I don’t eat them). Thankfully, we are here smack dab in the middle of erdbereen season – so there’s fresh strawberries everywhere for very cheap! They tasted even better than they looked if that is possible.
Cologne Cathedral is enormous! Like most important cathedrals and churches in Europe, it was built on very early Christian sites. In this case, on the site where early Roman Christians met in Cologne around 300AD. The building as it exists today wasn’t started until the high gothic era – around 1248, and unlike many other cathedrals that took hundreds of years to complete, the build plans never changed.
It’s hard to imagine that everyone who worked on the construction of this magnificent cathedral all knew that they would never live to see the endeavour completed. The plan to build the cathedral was started in 1164, when there was an agreed upon transfer of some relics to the town. In 1225, the planning for a bishop’s residence and pilgrimage church were established, and the prior building (from the 9thC) was demolished. In 1248 the foundation stone was laid.
In the 1360s building work slowed down, as the foundations were completed and some areas of the cathedral were already consecrated and put to use as a church. It wasn’t until the 15thC that the south steeple was completed at a massive height of 58m tall. Around 1530, work on the cathedral came to a halt all together as most of the ground floor, the nave, the choir, transepts and two lower storeys became usable.
And it pretty much stayed in that condition until 1794 when the French Revolution troops invaded and the archdiocese of Cologne was abolished. The cathedral was temporarily used as a fodder storage room and also as a makeshift prisoner of war camp! It wasn’t used as a church again until 1801, and the archdiocese wasn’t reestablished until 1821.
Construction eventually resumed on the cathedral in 1842 to be finally completed in 1880 – and all still to the exact same plans that were laid out in 1225! Which is just unbelievable when you think about how difficult it is to get a committee of five people to agree on how a fucking bus shelter should be built these days… let alone be able to keep an enormously intricate build of this calibre, going to the original plans and specifications for over 600 years and generation upon generation of architects, stonemasons, builders and who knows how many other masters and craftsmen, involved. It’s simply amazing.
In WWII, Cologne was reduced to rubble, and the cathedral was severely damaged by numerous bombs. Entire bays of the vaulted ceilings were collapsed and various windows were blasted out. One bomb tore an enormous hole in the western facade and destroyed a supporting buttress which was hastily stored up with makeshift bricks. Due to the construction techniques though, the bulk of the cathedral was able to withstand the shock of the blasts and vibrations. At the end of the war, it stuck out of a massive field of debris and destruction, looking largely undamaged compared to the rest of the city.
These windows were created in 1884, and based on a designed by Johannes Klein. Six of the eight windows were destroyed in WWII and remade in the 1990s.
This picture does not come close to conveying the sense of enormity and proportion this cathedral has. It feels as big as the Hagia Sofia, or the Florence Cathedral, the only other medieval cathedral that I remember feeling this overwhelming sense ginormity is possibly St Peter’s in the Vatican.
Altarpiece of St Claire, c.1350-1360. Oldest existing retable that contains a tabernacle for holding the sacraments. Originally came from the former Franciscan convent of St Clare and has resided in Cologne cathedral since 1811.
The ‘swallows nest’ organ was built in 1998 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the Cathedral.
Crucifix of Gero (because… donated by some Bishop Gero c.976). At over 1000 years old, and considered one of the first larger than life size sculptures of the midlands, it represents Christ in the moment of death, through which mankind was redeemed. The Baroque altar was added in 1683 by Canon Heinrich von Mering. The Crucifix was said to be miraculous, and has been especially venerated over the centuries.
Statue of Grace depicting Our Lady, decorated with jewellery – also known as the Schmuckmadonna (great name!).
I just can’t get over the scale of this place.
Altarpiece of St Agilolph carved timber and painted. Antwerp c.1520. From the former collegiate church of Our Lady at the Steps (St Maria ad Gradus).
St Heribert’s Shrine, c.970. Heriberto was born in Worms to Count Hugo and Tietwista – his maternal half brother was Heinrich, Bishop of Wurzburg. Silver, gilded, gold, precious gems and enamel, Cologne. It is under glass and has a rope around it so it ws difficult to photograph – but stunning enamel work!
St Christoper statue, Tilman van der Burch, c.1470.
Intricate mosaics cover 1,350sqm of the cathedral floor and are based on designs by August Essenwein – and created and laid 1885-1892 by Villeroy and Boch in Mettlach (believe it or not!). Villeroy and Boch… not just overpriced crystal! 😉
The Altarpiece of the City’s Patron Saints – originally created c.1445 the triptych is attributed to Stephan Lochner, Cologne. The central panel portrays Adoration of the Magi flanked by St Ursula and her companion, St Gereon, partron saints of Cologne.
Altapeice of the Magi, Wilhelm Mengelberg, c.1892.
From the crypt below the cathedral:
Visitors are able to climb the 533 steps into the south steeple for amazing views over the city of Cologne. It brings you to 100m above the ground…needless to say, me and my bung knee didn’t make the climb, but Angus did.
The Cologne Cathedral is truly impressive; it’s no wonder it was included in the original 1978 listings of World UNESCO Heritage sites. It was declared endangered in 2004 as there were plans in place to build several high rise buildings close to the Cathedral, but it was delisted from being endangered in 2006 when city planners thankfully came to their senses and put a limit on the height of modern buildings near the cathedral. It would have drastically altered the city skyline had they built up right beside it.
Some clever fundraising… hearts with the flags of all nations. For some reason, people can’t help themselves but pop some coins onto their own flags. The American heart even had a bunch of USD$1 notes plonked on it.
The Cologne Cathedral also has a rather impressive collection in their Domskammer / Treasury, which was an amazing labyrinth of tunnels underground at the back of the cathedral.
Reliquary monstrance. Cologne, c.1500. Silver, copper, gilded, rock crystal and glass.
Reliquary of the Cross from St Mary ad Gradus. Constantinople, mid-end of the 12thC. Figures, wings and ornaments, Cologne, c.1240. This reliquary was reset in the late Romanesque times with pieces of a Byzantine relic casket containing pieces of The Cross.
Shrine of St Engelbert. Goldsmith: Conrad Dulsbergh. Casket Designer: Jeremiah’s Geisselbruhn. Relief Designer: Augustin Braun Cologne, 1633, silver, partly gilded.
Reliquary of St Vincent de Paul, c.1800, silver, gilded.
Reliquary of the Cross with spectacle-glass. Workshop of Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen, 16thC. Silver, gilded, spectacle-glass.
Statue of a deacon holding a reliquary of King Melchior. 16thC, Cologne. Silver, gilded, glass reliquary, bronze, partly gilded, silver plated, precious stones.
Hammer and trowel, Wilhelm Pullack, Cologne, c.1842. Silver and ebony. These tools were used by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussi when he laid the foundation stone for the completion of Cologne Cathedral on 4th Sept 1842.
Shrine of the Magi, Cologne, late 12thC. inner wooden construction of the sharing, oak, glass, copper, gilded.
Reliquary Monstrance with links from St Peter’s Chains. Cologne, c.1500, Silver, copper, gilded, rock crystal and glass.
Necklaces/Collars of the Mayors of the city of Koln Cologn, 1954-1955. Gold, niello gold and silver gilded on bronze and garnet.
The Domskammer really feels like you’re walking around in a medieval vault.
Left: Crosier of Philippus Cardinal Krementz, Archbishop of Cologne (1885-1899) – Unknown artist, Rhineland, 1868, silver, gilded and enameled. Centre: Crosier of Herman Jospeh Schmitz, Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne (1893-1988), – Peter Oediger, Krefeld, 1893, silver, partly gilded and enameled. Right: Crosier of Hubertus Theophilus Samar, Archbishop of Cologne (1900-1902) – Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne 1892, silver, gilded, enamel, precious stones.
Left: Chalice Franz Christoph Mederle. Augsburg. c. 1750. Silver, gilded. Right: Chalice, Augsburg, late 18thC. Silver, gilded.
The Lamb of the Apocalypse. Johann Heinrich Rohr, Cologne, c.1774-1780. Silver, brass, partly gilded.
Monstrance. Franz Christoph Mederle, Augsburg, 1749/51. Pendants: c1516. Gold, silver, gilded, and precious stones.
Necklace c.1657. Donated by Archbishop Maximilian Heinrich as jewellrey for the Schmuckmadonna. Christian Schweling, Cologne, gold, enamel, previous stones
Matching bracelet – also by Christian Schweling, Cologne, c.1657.
The Sumptuous Monstrance. Christian Schweling, Cologne, c.1657/58. Destroyed in 1975 when theives broke into the Treasury and reconstructed by Peter Bolg 1978-1987 using original pieces. Gold, silver, gilded, enamel, rock crystal, precious stones, pearls.
Epitaph of Jakob von Crzny, Brussels, c.1518. Bronze, gilt, brass and enamel.
Bust Reliquary of St Gregory of Spoleto. Cologne, c. 1500. Silver party gilded, gold ring with precious stone.
Bust Reliquary of St Sebastian. Franz Wusten, Cologne, c.1875. Silver, partly gilded, enamel, precious stones.
Reliquary of St Walburga. Wilhelm Sittmann, Cologne, c.1765. Silver Gilded.
Reliquary. Johann Heinrich Rohr, Cologne, c.1766. Silver, gilded.
Two Angels as Candleholders. Cologne, c.1500, Brass, silver, partly gilded.
Left: Censer, Rhineland, c.1500, silver. Right: Censer, Cologne, late 16thC lid, 20thC charcoal holder and foot. Silver.
Chalices all from Cologne. Left: 15thC silver/gilded. Centre: early 14thC, silver/gilded. Right: late 15thC, silver/gilded, enamel.
Monstance, Cologne, c.1400. Silver, gilded, enamel, mother of pearl. Donated to the Cathedral by Maria Theresia Schaefhaueun in 1846.
Electoral Sword: c.1480-90. Sheath: c.1515-1547. Cologne, Silver, partly gilded, enamel, steel, velvet. Gothic Bishop’s Crosier: Cologne, c.1322. Silver, partly gilded, enamel. The bishop’s crosier and the electoral sword are the symbols of spiritual and secular authority of the archbishops of Cologne. The Crosier is from the consecration of the Gothic Cathedral Choir in 1322. The sword from the reign of Archbishop Hermann von Hessen (1480-1508).
Details of above:
Chalice with paten and spoon. Heinrich J Wilma. Düsseldorf, c. 1893. Silver, gilded, enamel, precious stones and pearls.
Chalice with paten and spoon, Franz Wusten, Cologne, c.1888. Silver, gilded and enamel.
Altar braid from the High Altar of Cologne Cathedral. Cologne, completed prior to 1518. Silk, and gold threads. The altar braid was believed to have been bestowed by Dean of the Cathedral, Friedrich von Simmen-Sponheim. The coats of arms of his parents are appliquéd onto both ends of the braid.
Fragment of the canopy of the Madonna of Milan, Cologne, c.1280/90. Limestone with traces of colouration.
Four apostles of the jamb of the portal of Cologne Cathedral, c.1375. Limestone Behind: Saints Andrew, Peter, Paul and John. Front: Angel with a bell, St Catherine, a Prophet.
Detail: the Prophet.
Prophet from the reading desk in the choir of the cathedral. Cologne, c.1300. Tuff with colouration.
Grave goods from a Frankish woman’s tomb. Located under the inner choir during renovations in 1959 were these objects belonging to a young woman of approximately 28 years old. Personal objects were burning with noble perons at that time and included these lavish jewellery items.
Rosette brooches. Gold, garnets. Frankish.
Strap tags from cross garterings. Gold and garnets.
Bow brooches, gold, garnets.
Spherical pendant. Gold, rock crystal or moonstone. Frankish.
Six Capitals – Master of the Laacher Samson, Cologne, c.1200. Limestone.
Dalmatic and stole from the Capella Clementina. Paris, c.1742. Silver fabrics, gold embroidery.
Pluvial and five mitres of the Capella Clementina, Paris, c.1742. A forty-four piece trousseau of silver fabrics and gold embroidery. These splendid vestments were ordered in Paris by Clemens August von Wittelsbach, Archbishop of Cologne on the occasion of the coronation of his brother, the Emperor Karl VII – 12th February 1742.
Chasuble and mantle of the Capela Clementina, Paris, c.1742. Silver fabrics and gold embroidery.
Pectoral Cross and ring. Johann Bernhardt Clausius, Frankfurt AM, c.1769. Silver, precious stone.
Burse with the Virgin on the Crescent. Germany, late 19thC. Silk, gold and silver threads.
Cope of the Angels Vestements. Germany, c.1713. Silk, gold and silver threads.
Book Cover, Johann Franz Weissweiler, Cologne, early 18thC. Silver.
Book of Hours, Early 17thC. Leather, silver, gilded, iron.
St Peter’s Banner, Wilhelm Mengelberg (design), Minna Peters (worked), Neuss, c.1899. Cotton, silk, gold and silver metal threads, glass stones and pearls.
Magi’s Banner. Wilhelm Mengelberg (design), Minna Peters (worked), Neuss, c.1899. Cotton, silk, gold and silver metal threads, glass stones, pearls.
Chasuble with coat of arms of the Hirzelin Family, Cologne, c.1480 (appliqué work). Ground cloth replaced in 1963. Silk, linen, gold and silver metal threads.
Pluvial brooch with a figure of St Hubert. Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne, c.1892. Silver, gilded, enamel.
Crosier: Belonging to Johannes Cardinal Geissel (Archbishop of Cologne 1842-1864). – Made by Gabriel Hermeling, Cologne, c.1862. Silver, gilded, enamel. Mitre: Belonging to Johannes Cardinal Geissel (Archbishop of Cologne 1842-1964). – Unknown artist, Lyon, c.1850. Silk, gold, glass stones .
Magi’s Chasuble. Joseph Grossé, Bruges, c.1901. Silk, gold and silver thread.
1) Mitre of Joseph Hammels, Auxiliary Bishop of Cologne, 1924-1944. Germany, c.194. Silk, gold threads, glass stones. 2) Bishop’s ring of Antiochus Cardinal Fischer (Archbishop of Cologne 1903-1912), made by August Witte, Aachen, c.1904. Gold and precious stones. 3) Crosier of Peter Josef Lausberg (Auxiliary Bishop in Cologne 1914-1922), made by Leo Moldrickx, Cologne, c.1914. Silver, enamel, precious stones, ivory, pearls.
Large Plate, Friedrich Toussaint, Aachen, c.1900. Silver, gilded, enamel.
Dalmatic, Peter Hecker (design) Cologne, c.1922. Erica Freund (embroidery), Cologne, c.1927. Silk, gold, threads, steel, pearls and glass pearls.
Pluvial accessories. Peter Heckler (designer of the cope) Cologne, c.1922. Erika Freund (embroidery), Cologne, c.1927. silk, gold threads, steel pearls, glass pearls.
After the cathedral and the amazing Domskammer – we made sure to take a break and visit the famous Peter’s Brauhaus for pork knuckles and schnitzels! Of course. It was a really cool place, great facade on the building and they have a massive overflow dining area across the road, up the street a little and in the square – which was packed at the moment due to all the football fans that are here for the 2024 EuroCup but aren’t using the Fan Zones.
We managed to get a table inside.
I wanted to see the stained glass ceiling, and I did, but it was packed with people and it was impossible to get a photo of it without snapping all these folks mid-forkful, so, below is a pic I unscrupulously stole off the internet.
Naturally I went for a schnitzel, which was such a polite portion of food compared to Angus’ enormous pork knuckle dinner! So much potato though – didn’t eat any of it. I’m going to look like a schnitzel by the time we leave Germny… the cuisine here is not ideal for someone who doesn’t like sausages and refuses to eat bread or potatoes. 😛
Totally forgot to take an ‘after’ picture – he demolished that thing!
Aachen was I think originally a spa town? It is mostly known now for the stunning Aachen Cathedral and its Domschatzkammer (treasury). I’ve wanted to see both for years now, so was glad of the opportunity to break up our drive to Cologne with a stop through Aachen.
On first inspection, the cathedral looks pretty ‘normal’ on the outside, but the interior is unlike any other medieval cathedral in central Europe.
Charlemagne began the construction of Aachen Cathedral in approximately 796 AD. The design and construction is credited to Carolingian architect Odo of Metz. The date it was finished isn’t exactly known, but it was consecrated by Pope Leo III in 805 AD. Charlemagne was buried in the chapel in 814. The chapel has a storied history of pilgrims, and damage… including significant damage during a Viking raid in 881 and subsequent restoration in 983AD.
The Aachen Pilgrimage is one of the great Christian pilgrimages – comparable to those of Jerusalem, Rome and the Santiago de Compostela. Four significant relics are believed to reside in the Aachen Cathedral, which ave drawn pilgrims since 1239AD… including, the swaddling cloths of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress worn by the Virgin Mary and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist! That’ll get them medieval tourists a running!
The mosaic ceilings in here are incredible!
During World War II, Aachen and the cathedral were heavily damaged by allied bombing attacks and artillery fire. Thankfully most of the cathedral’s artistic objects had been removed for more secure storage during the war, and the underlying basic structure of the building survived the bombings. Large parts of the 14thC choir hall and altar were destroyed beyond repair. A reconstruction effort was undertaken and over the next 30 years, an estimated modern day €40 million was spent to restore the cathedral.
The octagonal central nave of the cathedral was erected as the chapel of the nearby Palace of Aachen. It was built c. 796-805 and was modelled on other contemporary Byzantine style buildings – like the Little Hagia Sophia in (then) Constantinople. The design influence is very recognisable. The span and height of the Charlemagne’s chapel remained the largest of its kind in Northern Europe for over 200 years.
The intricate mosaics are simply breathtaking!
In the centre of the octagonal chapel hangs the Barbarossa Chandelier, which was made c. 1165-1170, on the order of Emperor Frederick I and his wife, Beatrice. The chandleries was a sacerdotal offering from these patrons in honour of Mary, Mother of God, and simultaneously represented a tribute to Charlemagne.
Looking up from the floor through the Barbarossa Chandelier…
This cathedral isn’t as large as many other grand cathedrals, but everywhere you look there is intricate mosaics and gorgeous designs adorning the walls, ceilings and even the floors. It’s visually quite arresting.
The Cathedral’s main chapel with its Golden Altar piece – known as the Pala D’Oro, which was built in 1020.
The golden Pala d’Ora today forms the antependium of the high altar and has 17 gold panels with reliefs completed using repoussé techniques. The centre has Christ as the centre of the world, and he is flanked by Mary and the Archangel Michael.
The Marienschrein (the Shrine of Mary) is the primary reliquary in the centre of the main chapel. It was bestowed upon the Cathedral around 1220 and consecrated in 1239. This is where we are told the objects believed to be ‘contact relics’, are housed – the swaddling clothes of the baby Jesus, the loincloth of Jesus, a dress of Mary’s and the decapitation cloth of John the Baptist. The Marieschrein is one of the most important goldsmith’s works of the 13thC and records indicate it became an object of great interest and pilgrimage almost immediately. The casket has been variously handled by many pilgrims, and used in many processions sustaining quite a bit of damage over the centuries… it was refurbished in 2000 and has been en vitrine ever since (bar a yearly inspection and cleaning).
The fabulously golden pulpit is called the ‘Ambon of Henry II’. It is in a shape built by Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor and is heavily decorated with antique bowls, ivory carvings, chess figures, reliefs of various evangelists. The ambon was moved from the octagon to its present place in 1414. It is considered a significant artwork of the Ottonian period. I love it when there are lots of information plaques about – you can learn so much, but it does make me wonder how much I’m missing at sites with less info.
So shiny! And stuffed full of large gems.
The Shrine of Charlemagne is located in the rear of the main cathedral. Ever since 1215 this shrine has held the mortal remains of Charlemagne (who karked it in, like, 814 and was canonised in 1165). The emperor’s bones are surrounded by depictions of 16 of his successors.
Everywhere you look there are beautiful motifs and decorations… pelican. 🙂
St Nicholas’ Chapel built c.1474 – it is two stories high and contains a large rosary window.
Stepping outside the cathedral, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light – and also there’s a slight disbelief that this outwardly innocuous building could contain such amazing decorative arts. It’s somewhat surreal.
Around the corner (literally) is the Aachen Domschatzkammer – the Aachen Treasury, where all their lavish and famous artefacts are housed. The Aachen Cathedral Treasury houses one Europe’s most renowned church treasuries – a unique collection of precious works collected across the long history of Aachen Cathedral. There are objects from the late classical period, the Carolingian, Ottonian, Saturnian and high gothic periods.
Left: Charlemagne with a miniature of Our Lady of Aachen Cathedral, Rheinland, Aachen c.1460., oil on wood. With the rise of heraldry in the 12thC, Charlemagne is depicted wearing the heraldry of France and Germany, even though such devices would not have been in use during his lifetime. Right: Charlemagne, by Wilhelm Schmitz, Aachen 1886, painted wood sculpture. Wearing Frankish clothing, a crown, orb and sword – this figure originally adorned the Altar of St Peter.
Charlemagne from the Ambon of Henry II, Master goldsmith Franz Anton Cremer, Aachen 1816/17. The relief is designed on a copperplate engraving from 1632 after the original Ottonian Ambon was damaged during French Occupation (1794-1814).
Vessel for Holy Water bearing designs of ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries. Ivory, precious stones and gilded silver, silver and bronze. West German/Lorraine, c.1000 with later handle added in 1863.
Golden Book Cover, depicting the Virgin Mary with Child and scenes from Jesus’ life. Ivory panel Byzantine, 10thC. Rhineland production – gold, precious stones, enamel, antique engraving, gems and ivory.
Winged Altarpice, with the Mass of St Gregory flanked by saints and the Virgin Mary and Child. Central Shrine of oak, sculptures lime or poplar. Hildensheim, c.1525.
Cope brooch depicting patron saints Anthony and Mark. Gilded silver, pearls, precious stones, enamel. Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen, prior to 1520.
Ostensories. Guilded copper. Hans von Reutlingen, Aachen 16thC.
Reliquary, guilded silver and rock crystal. Hans von Reutlingen c. 1515.
Chalice and Paten. Silver-gilt and engraved. Aachen, 15thC.
Monstance, gilded silver, with diamants. Hans von Reutlingen, Aix-la-Chapelle c.1520.
Winged Altarpiece depicting a Passion of Christ. Master of the Aachen Altar, Cologne, c.1515-1520. oil on oak.
Pouring Vessels – aquamantile in the shape of a lion. Cast bronze, Rhein-Meuse region, c. 1170-1180
Pouring vessel – aquamanile in the shape of a wreathed bust. Case bronze, gilded. Aachen, c.1170-1180.
Altarpiece depicting the Crucifixion of Christ and a kneeling benefactor, Count of Sayn. Master of the Legend of Georg, Cologne, c.1460.
Enamel panel with Christ in his Majesty. Guilded copper and enamel. Meuse Region, c.1180, converted into a Cope Brooch with he addition of filigree work in 1870.
Crux Gremmata- Cross of Lothair. Wooden core, gold, gilded silver, precious stones, pearls, enamel. Rheinland – possibly Cologne? – last quarter of the 10thC. Pedestal added later c.1370-1399
Relief Panel with Jesus’ birth, baptism in the River Jordan. Ivory, Meuse region c.1100.
Chapel Reliquary with the Virgin Mary and child, Charlemagne and St Catherine. Silver, mostly gilded, pearls, previous stones and enamel. Aachen mid 14thC.
Reliquary Bust of Charlemagne with Crown. Contains a piece of the skullcap of Charlemagne. Partially gilded silver, precious stones, antique engraved gems, enamel crown. Crown: Possibly Prague (?) prior to 1349. Bust: Aachen, after 1349.
Chapel Reliquary with Christ together with the Saints John the Baptist and Stephanus. Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel. Aachen c.1370-1390.
Arm Reliquary of Charlemagne – contains the ulna and radius from the right arm of Charlemagne. gilded silver, enamel. Lyon, France, 1481.
Reliquary Pendant – Pectoral Cross of Charlemagne. Gilded silver, precious stones and pearls. Liege, Belgium, 12thC.
Lucas Madonna, pilgrims token – casting stone and cast. 17thC.
Proserpina Sarcophagus – depicting the abduction of Proserpina. Marble, first quarter of the 3rdC AD.
Capps Leonie – Cope and Coronation Robe. Silver velvet, silk, gold and silver thread. Gilded silver rosettes, 100 silver bells without clappers, pearls and precious stones. Location unknown, constructed prior to 1349, altered 1520.
Chasuble of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux – Priest’s Garment. Blue silk, pearls, embroidery, gold/silver embroidery. Aachen c. 1170/80. Ground fabric renewed 17thC.
Cupboard Panels c.1881-1918. Oil on timber. Left: Saint Victorious was a Roman military offical – depicted with a crown sceptre and imperial orb. Centre: Saint Wenceslas (903-935) promoter of the church and consolidated Christianity in Bohemia. Right: Saint Leonardus, lived c.500AD. Depicted as an abbot with a tonsure, chasuble and crosier.
Silk embroidery – Virgin of Mercy, depicting benefactors of Mary of Burgundy and Emperor Maximilian I of Austria. Silk, gold and silver embroidery on linen. Brussels before 1473.
Crown of Margaret of York. Glides silver, pearls, enamel, precious stones. England. C.1461.
Icon, Virgin Mary with Child. Tempura on wood. Andreas Ritzos, Crete, early 16thC.
Statuette Reliquary – Virgin Mary with Child, silver, partially gilded, amethyst. Aachen c.1280.
Cope Brooch, with the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Gilded silver. Aachen early 15thC.
Adoration of hate Child Jesus in the holiday night. Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1520, oil/tempura on wood.
Cope Brooch with the Annunciaton to the Virgin Mary and the Saints Christoper and Cornelius and kneeling benefactor. Gilded silver, pearls and enamel. Aachen or Cologne – c.1360-1370.
Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen – Eight panel paintings with depictions of the life of the Virgin Mary. Master of the Life of the Virgin Mary of Aachen, Cologne, c. 1485. Oil on oak.
Ornamental Necklace. Necklace: gilded silver, enamel, pearls. Pendant: gold, enamel. Paris or Burgundy, c.1400-1450.
Altar of Fralkenstein – winged altarpiece with Virgin Mary and Child, the saints Mathew, Erasmus, Mary of Egypt and on wings, benefactors Kuno and Werner of Kalkenstein being commended to Saints Peter and Paul. Tempera on canvas covered wood. Aachen, early 15thC.
Enthroned Virgin Mary with Child, wooden sculpture – oak with 19thC painting. Rhine-Meuse region, early 14thC.
Reliquaries : rock crystal, precious sonnets, antique sardonyx, cut onyx, translucid enamel All from Prague, c.1360 Left: Reliquary for a Girdle of Christ Centre: Reliquary for a Girdle of the Virgin Mary Right: Reliquary for the Scourge of Christ.
Disc Reliquary with relics and scenes of the Passion of Christ. Gilded silver, pearls, rock crystal, precious stones, translucid enamel. Vienna c. 1340-1350.
Simeon Reliquary – Reliquary with the Presentaiton of Jesus at the Temple. Gilded silver, precious stones, enamel, stone cuttings. Aachen, c.1330-1340.
Shring of Saint Spec – Relic Chest with relics of Saint Spes/Speus. Wooden chest, ivory, gilded copper, gilded silver. Southern Italy c.11th-12thC. Metal straps: Aachen, c.1165-1170.
Shrine of Saint Felix – relic chest with relics of St Felix. Wood, silver, enamel. Italy, 11thC.
Reliquary of Saint Anastasius- Reliquary for the skull of Saint Anastasius. Partially gilded silver, niello. Antioch, c.969-970.
Heraldic Chest of Richard of Cornwall – Wooden chest with 40 enamel medallions. Cedar with red glaze, gilded copper and enamel medallions. Limoges, France, c.1258.
Painting in gold work frame. Virgin Mary with Child in an Eastern Orthodox style. Painting: Tempura on wood. Frame: Gilded silver, enamel and previous stones. Hungary, c.1367.
Wow, Aachen sure delivers on the fine medieval decorative art pieces. I loved every bit of it… yes, I am aware no one else is going to want to read through all this, but one day I’ll go back through it all.
The Bastogne War Museum is a World War II museum focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, located a few kilometres northeast of the Bastogne city centre in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. We were looking for somewhere to break up the afternoon drive, and this feel like a culturally useful stop… gotta smash some history into your STEM students any which way you can!
Out front we encountered what appeared to be some select pieces from Berlin’s East Side Gallery, including some very colourful painted Trabants.
According to the interwebs – ‘the musuem is located on the former Bastogne Historical Centre Site and was opened in 2014 after four years of work. It features a highly interactive audio tour walkthrough which takes about two hours and showcases many artefacts from the events leading up to and the battle of Bastogne itself. It has three immersive films and follows the story of four fictional characters involved in the battle. The main exhibition progresses chronologically and presents a timeline before, during and after the offensive’… which kinda sounds okay? Until you get there!
OMG it’s a massive swing and a miss from me on the audio tour nonsense. Most of the displays are full of text – lots of maps, written explanations in four different languages, info about different artefacts and objects, and all the while you have these four fictional characters babbling in your ear trying to make the experience somehow personal and relatable. I had to shut those fuckers up so I could read and actually absorb something!
I know these sorts of things are probably designed for people who are unaccustomed to steady reading, or are only used to having their history totally spoon-fed to them, but I don’t know how anyone could possibly follow the narration of the tour *and* absorb the chronological timeline and details that are right in front of them. Especially given the narration is done very emotively with music and/or the sounds and noises of war running through the entire soundtrack. :/
I took some photos here and there, but am so not going to hash over the day to day of the build up to the Battle for Bastogne. I am certain there are any multitude of documentaries available on this particular engagement on Netflix at any given time, and if your patience doesn’t run to an hour long documentary, I am sure there are some TL;DRs on YouTube you could find for a 20min run down… failing that, go watch ‘Band of Brothers’ and you can have a expertly dramatised version of the events as told by US soldiers who lived through it.
Hitler wrote Mein Kampf while in jail after WWI… not sure why it made me think of Trump’s Project 2025 manifesto, but it currently does. 😐
DM notes when inflation went crackers post WWII.
I find Nazi memorabilia morbidly interesting; at the time it was probably no different from any other type of orangised group of people in society plonking their symbols all over their badges, flags, crockery, cutlery etc. But now? With the historical context, seeing a swastika anywhere (that isn’t a Japanese temple) is just so… jarring.
Youth passport.
Typical items of kit.
A portable printing system used by the Resistance.
Map of the European and Pacific theatres.
Paratroopers very high tech kit… oh dear god.
The Pacific Theatre – just like in Japan, there is ZERO mention of the ANGAU troops and the engagement in Milne Bay in PNG that dealt the Japanese army their first defeat in the region. I mean, I would probably know nothing about it if it weren’t for the fact that my grandfather served in the 25th Batallion there in WWII. I find it interesting that even here, there is plenty about the US and Midway and Guadalcanal, but not a peep about Aussie chokkos repelling the Japanese.
I had expected far more vehicles and even aircraft in this museum – the air support was integral to holding Bastogne against the Germans once the Allies were surrounded. But not so much.
How to talk, children and not give away plans to the enemies.
I’m unsure what sort of tank this is… but it does look far to clean and shiny for this purpose.
The restored state of these vehicles seems unnecessary. In Gallipoli, nearly everything looks aged, distressed and ‘like it’s been through a war’. A lot of these displays feel… sanitised.
One of the video presentations, complete with fog machine and voices of a German LT, and an American solider talking about the days waiting for Patton from either side of the engagement.
Another dirty big tank, that looks clean and brand spanking new with a fresh coat of paint, in spite of the enormous hole in the side of it?
Local artwork made in the years following the war – repurposed brass to make lanterns, reliquary type objects, an umbrella stand and even a little wishing well.
Newspaper front page after Hiroshima is bombed…
There was another section of the Musuem called, the ‘45 … which had some enormous dioramas made up. This was weird – there was no context given for this area of the museum. Just cleaned up cars and staged scenery for them.
Outside there are some monuments to the 75,000 American soldiers who lost their lives in Bastogne at the Battle of the Bulge. The offensive was integral in turning the war in favour of the Allied forces. The German army suffered over 100,000 casualties. These monuments have a very ‘Thank you, America!’, feel about them. In fact, the entire town of Bastogne has that vibe, with plenty of American flags and actual ‘Thank You!’, signs visible in shops etc.
The major monument dedicated to the American servicemen who came from all parts of the US.
Much like Waterloo, which I visited a couple of months ago, it is a strange feeling to look out onto such peaceful countryside and know that the ground was once soaked with the blood of so many young men killed in war here. The noise of the aircraft, tanks and artillery couldn’t be further away as you listen to birds and leaves rustling in nearby trees.
Popped into a cafe in Bastogne with Angus because Belgium equals… WAFFLES!
And later – some traditional pommes frittes with mayo on our drive.
Luxembourg seems to be in two parts, and in between is a gaping chasm that must be 150 feet deep… it feels really weird topography to build a city on?
It doesn’t look that steep from these pics, probably because it’s heavily forested, but trust me, it’s quite the ways down. There seems to be massive public skate parks. Need to sus this out a bit more – weird topography for a city just going from the new section to the old town.
Monument to the Jews of Luxembourg in the Second World War…
Ah, another Notre-Dame Cathedral! But, because we are in Luxembourg, it’s got a sign out front saying ‘Kathedral Notre-Dame’ (in Luxembourgish, yeah apparently that is a real dialect), but also saying ‘Cathédrale Notre-Dame’ (in French), and ‘Kathedrale unserer Lieben Frau’ (in German) because these poor buggers live in a strange little confluence of culture that is smack dab in the middle of France, Belgium and Germany… all the while they seem to be trying to keep their own thang alive.
Construction first started on this cathedral in 1613… so it’s kinda shiny and new compare to Metz yesterday!
Some very cool carved beasties in the western portal.
While the church is predominantly an example of late gothic architecture, it also has many Renaissance elements and decorations. I love these high vaulted ceilings in these beautiful old churches. I can’t imagine what medieval people (I know I’ve ranted about his recently but it bares repeating), who had no mass media in their day to day lives, made of these extravagant buildings.
The organ gallery is unusually at the very front of the church, above the main entrance. It is not a very large cathedral all things considered, so I guess it doesn’t need to be located closer to the main altar place where masses would be delivered.
Luxembourg Cathedral has some frescos, which appear to be in high medieval style, but they are in such good condition, I suspect they may be latter additions. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of English information to go by in this visit.
I love the enormous vaulted ceilings.
There were a couple of rather bold mosaics in some small altar spaces either side of the main nave… again, I couldn’t ascertain how old these mosaics were, but I can confidently say, they are not as accomplished as many of the high medieval golden religious mosaics I have seen in many other churches and institutions, leading me to think they are also a rather more recent addition.
The stained glass windows around the central nave are in keeping with the original construction time of the church – approx 17thC, however the glass towards the towers at the front of the church are of much later, added in the 1930s and then replaced in the 1980s after a fire caused one of the towers to be severely damaged.
Even modern stained glass is beautiful. It’s surprising we don’t see stained glass elements included more in modern architecture… but I guess everything comes down to cost these days.
The enormous columns throughout the cathedral have different patterns carved into them. I can’t say I’ve noticed this in other medieval religious monuments. I mostly recall seeing plain, smooth columns, or in some cases fluted columned, but these have knotwork or diapering patterns carved into them, and hardly any of them match?
Below the Cathedral is the crypt which houses the remains of many important Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses of Luxembourg… the oldest being a tomb for John of Bohemia (1296-1346), and then a long line of modern Dukes and Duchesses: Marie-Adeliade (1894-1924), Marie Ann the Infanta of Portugal and Consort to William IV (1861 – 1924), Felix, Prince Consort of Charlotte I, and a bunch of others up until like five years ago.
The small chapel where the royal family of Luxembourg gathers for the farewells is under the Cathedral and not really open for public use.
The tomb of John of Bohemia mentioned above (1296-1346)…
The exit brings you out onto the main square of the Kneudler – or basically the altstadt (but we don’t call it that in Luxembourg because we are being all Luxembourgish.
The Kneudler is the area surrounding the Place Guilliame II, who is depicted on his horse here.
In 1923, this memorial to the Luxembourgers who volunteered in WWI was created by artist Claus Cito. The very noticeable Gëlle Fra (or Golden Lady) overlooks the Place de la Constitution. 1923… feels like maybe they probably wished they’d waited a few years to build this one; could have saved themselves having to build a second one to honour the volunteers of the next clusterfuck.
Luxembourg is a city built over an enormous ravine with huge towering bridges spanning the two plateau’d areas that comprise the old city and the new. So many streets we wandered along had very high drops down to the river below.
Many walking and biking trails line the river and wind up the steep paths to the city. I dare say building housing in this area would be expensive, hazardous and potentially a flood risk, so it’s all enormous public park spaces.
Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896-1985), who ruled in her own right from 1919 to 1964.
The Grand Ducal Palace, which is rarely open to the public and was most definitely not open to the public at the moment as the family is in residence due to it being the Duke’s birthday, like yesterday.
Complete with beautiful carved stone turrets, and beady eyed guards staring suspiciously at tourists and having to tolerate us wankers taking their photograph.
Around the corner – literally – from the Grand Ducal Palace is the Luxembourg National Art and History Museum. Best thing about it : it’s free! Luxembourg seems to like free, they have entirely free public transport here, since 2019. All local trains, trams and buses are 100% free for locals and tourists alike, so the city seemed to have hardly any cars in it, and we found when walking the streets, there were plenty of paid parking spaces available as most people were using the free public transport.
Now unfortunately, this was going to prove to be one of those museums where if you don’t speak one of the languages that they seem to want to embrace (French, German, Dutch and Luxembourgish!), details were going to be scant, but we did what we could.
Merovingian clasps, fibula, buttons and brooches.
I love how the temporary little sign informing visitors that an object has been removed is written in English – when hardly any of the other descriptive panels are!
Cruiciform Fibula – Zwiebelknopffibeln. 😐 Yes, that’s the level of information we got here. lol Oh and that they were worn by high functionaries and officials. But no where or when…?
Merovingian jewelled pieces, gold and garnet. Clasps and necklace pendants. Bertrange.
Buckets c.560-570 AD. One extant, one reproduction. Bertrange.
Merovingian belt buckles
Merovingian era beads.
And suddenly we jump to some glassware, 1stC Found at a necropolis for nobles in a different find in Bertrange.
Orfevrerie Merovingienne. 6-7thC of local provenances. A collection of gold and garnet fibula, ornaments, buttons and accessories. Some from bracelets, necklaces. Motifs are inspired from Germanic art, and early Christian design.
Spoons! Merovingian also, and they’re quite petite compared to spoons seen in other museums. Approx 50mm in length.
Carved monuments from ‘La Colonne de Jupiter’ – a regional monument that was devoted to the population. Objects are all 1stC and made for Jupiter Optimus Maxium and to honour emperor Nero.
Fragments of decoration from a funereal monument, c.2nd-3rdC. Cal air, Wasserbillig op der Spatz.
Seals of various Luxembourg nobles, ranging from 1340 to 1530. Impressions all taken in 1851.
Official regalia and medals of various noble and marital orders:
Busts of Jean l’Aveugle and Elisabeth de Boheme, Pierre Blanc, c.1872
Reliquary of the True Cross. Gold and various gemstones, c.1230-1240
No plaque for this one… le sigh.
Virgin and Child surrounded by Saints – Crucifixion. Oil on wood. Paolo do Giovanni Fei, (1345-1411).
Virgin and Child surrounded by Saints, Lorenzo do Bicci (1350-1427), oil on timber.
Virgin and Child, Unknown Venetian painter. 15thC, oil on timber.
Saint Bernardino of Siena and Saint John the Baptist, Giovanni Ambrogio Bevilacqua, (1481-1512), oil on panel.
Madonna and Child surrounded by Angels and Saints (freaky looking saints!) Giacomo del Piscano, c. 1475, tempura on panel.
Group of Saints – Heligengruppe. Don Silvestro dei Gherardcci (1339-1399), tempura on board.
Crucifixion. Simone del Crocifissi (1350-1399), oil on board.
Virgin and Child. Unknown veneto-byzantin artist. 13thC-14thC, oil on timber.
Holy Kinship, Frans Floris (1516-1570)
The Adoration of the Shepards, Joachim Beukelaer (1533-1574). Oil on canvas.
Saint Jerome Attributed to Joos van Cleve (1485-1540), oil on board.
Charity Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553), c.1538. Oil on canvas.
A Boy and Girl with Their Pigeons in a Loft – the only ‘domestic’ scene in the entire museum. Henri Voordecker (1779-1861), c.1833, oil on canvas.
The Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Attributed to Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld (1758-1846), oil on canvas.
Francesca de Rimini (1255-1285) and her brother in law, Paolo Malatesta (1246-1285), embracing while reading – both were married to other people but fell in love. When Paolo’s older brother discovered the affair, he killed both his wife and brother with a dagger, (a story originally told by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedies, 1320). Sculpture originally attributed to Antonio Canova (1757-1822), c.1790, but since determined to be a work by Tito Angelini (1806-1878), an important Italian Romantic sculpture.
Isaac Blessing Jacob, Argus Wolffort (1581-1641), oil on canvas.
Bacchus and a Follower, Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678), c.1645, oil on canvas.
Roman mosaic of the Muses of Vitchen. 10.3 x 5.9m. Polychrome mosaic, 1stC AD.
Grand Marble Vase, 2-3rdC AD. 61cm tall, 70cm diameter, carved from a single piece of white marble.
Roman amphorae 1-3rdC AD, terracotta. Diverse provenance – used for the commercial transport of wine, oil dates, and that fishy stuff the Romans loved but I can’t remember the name of right now…. Garum! Remembered. 🙂
Oil lamps, GalloRoman 1-3rdC AD.
Fragments of large fresco-style mosaics popularised in GalloRoman restaurants.
All museum’d out, we went for some drinks and were having a lovely time with some Long Island Iced Teas and some Pisco Sours – until a bunch of French people came along and reminded us of how Europeans still love to chain smoke! Yikes! Happy B’Day Angus.
Dinner was at a local French restaurant called ‘Copin D’abord’. We had a delicious meal made from local produce. Entrees: clothed foie gras and mango chutney, and scallops in Galician sauce. Mains: Beef Bourginon and rump steak with Forrester champignon sauce. Desserts: unstructured Lemon Tart and Crème Brûlée and Panacotta. Delicious!
