March 2001 - Nr. 3
Discovery Trip
into the Middle Ages
Germany celebrates 1,000 years of Romanesque
DZT - The next-to-last turn-of-the-millennium lies 1,000 years in the past – a good reason to bring this epoch into focus during the year 2001.
The earlier turn-of-the-millennium influenced the Romanesque, for example, that in Germany unfolded its entire magnificence between 900 and 1250. Even today, mighty cathedrals and churches, well-fortified castles and fortresses from the time when kings and emperors ruled, when knights built imposing fortresses and art and learning blossomed in cloisters, bear witness to this age. The Romanesque heritage has been preserved in these works of art.
Art treasures at every step
More than 400 architectural monuments and an abundance of art treasures at every step show visitors to Germany the exciting time of the Middle Ages. In the North, a "Trail to the Romanesque" invites one to visit the numerous witnesses of this age.
Varied routes lead from the Harz or from Weserbergland and Osnabrück Land to the North- and Baltic Seas. In Eastern Germany, the "Romanesque Road" connects 72 impressive examples from the age – for example the St. Servatius Collegiate Church in Quedlinburg and the Wartburg in Eisenach.
In the West and South of the country, too, the Romanesque builders created real masterpieces. In Speyer, Emperor Konrad II endowed the most magnificent church that had yet been seen in Christendom as a demonstration of his power. The Cathedral is the largest Romanesque building in Europe at around 440 feet in length.
Festivals and events during Romanesque Year
Welcome to the Middle Ages: everywhere there’s hustle and bustle with excellent events and unique experiences.
All over the country, the Middle Ages will be brought to life with traditional festivals, markets and historic plays. Concerts and exhibitions will be devoted to the history and culture of the Romanesque period.
