Hey guys,
Today I would like to introduce you to a German city, and in it the most beautiful sights: It is Braunschweig. It was actually my first visit to Braunschweig. Braunschweig is a city in northern Germany, in Lower Saxony. After Hanover, it is the second largest city in Lower Saxony.
The castle square with medieval ground plan
Probably the most famous sight in Branschweig is the Burgplatz. I liked it best of all the sights. The Burgplatz is the center of the city. And not only geographically. The Braunschhweig Lion, which you can see on the picture above, stands directly in the middle of the Burgplatz. Especially historically and culturally the square has a special meaning. The medieval layout of the square can still be seen today. The castle, the cathedral and the Vieweghaus mark the square. It was expanded in the 12th century by Duke Heinrich.
As early as the 9th century, the castle of the Brunon dynasty stood on this site, protected on an island in the River Oker. It was not until three centuries later that the castle was expanded. The expanded castle was built according to the model of the imperial palaces. The lion statue and the collegiate church of St. Blasii were newly added. The wall and moat were reinforced.
Where old farm buildings had previously stood, new noble courtyards were built. One of them is the Von Veltheimsche Haus from 1573. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Burgplatz was then contemporary redesigned by Duke Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand.
A memorial square was created
The old castle gate in front of the castle was demolished, the cathedral preacher's house was rebuilt, a new town house and the Vieweg palace were built. Thus, only the western side of the square was renewed.
The castle was rebuilt not only once. In 1873 there was a fire during which the castle was severely damaged. A new castle was built: the Dankwarderode Castle. For its construction old half-timbered ornaments were used. A new monument square was built a new hotel "Deutsches Haus", the house Huneborstel and a town house. All this was built between 1897 and 1906. It was not until around 1940 that the staircase was paved and a street was built in front of the castle.
The lion demonstrates power
The Brunswick Lion you can see in the pictures above is a bronze casting. In former times it was even gilded. Heinricht the Lion had it erected at that time to demonstrate his power and jurisdiction. It is also very important from an artistic point of view: the casting is a major work of Romanesque sculpture. It was probably also cast in Brunswick. The lion represents the very first monumental free figure north of the Alps. However, the lion standing in the middle of the square is not the original. It is located in the castle Dankwarderode and can be visited there. However, there are hardly any differences between the original and the replica.
The Burgplatz is highly recommended. I would love to go there again at this time of year, because there is a Christmas market here before Christmas. Especially with so old houses around the medieval touch have I imagine that very nice. What do you say? In itself, the place is relatively small and compact.
How did you like the story about the castle square? Burgplatz was the sight I liked best in Braunschweig. I will present the other sights in my next posts - Braunschweig has even more to offer. Feel free to write me your feedback in the comments. Have you ever been to Braunschweig? It is a very historic city. See you next time!