Wartburg Castle

THE WARTBURG CASTLE (OF EISENACH)

           

The Wartburg Castle is an important piece of German history that traces its legend all the back to the 11^th century. Situated beautifully atop a 1,200-foot steep climbing over looking the small town of Eisenach in central Germany. I’ve seen tons of pictures of this castle and it is amazing to see how it has developed through the history of Germany and how the country itself has developed throughout the life of this beautiful castle.

           

-Foundation laid in 1068 by Thuringian count, Louis the Springer, of Schauenburg.

            -When he first saw the mountain, he exclaimed “Wait, mountain—you shall bear a castle for me!”

            -Brought clay from his original home for the Castle to be built upon, so he could say he truly built it on his own land

            -The castle went through multiple transitions of power and possession.

            -The Weimar eventually took possession of Wartburg at the beginning of the 15^th century, setting the castle up for it’s decline

            -From the 1500’s until after the Napoleonic wars, the castle was set as a repair site and abandoned from power

            -During Martin Luther’s exile from the Church, he sought shelter at the Castle

            -Here, he lived as The Knight George and lived quietly and peacefully within the castle after his excommunication

            -The Wartburg is the site that Luther translated the New Testament into German

            -Because of its old age and rich history, the castle has been restored and renovated numerous times

            -Each renovation and different efforts of construction bring about a new era of building, slightly new modeling touches, and often even new drafts of old parts of the castle

            -Its constant refuge of outsiders has grown the Wartburg into a well-known pilgrimage within the German culture

            From my research, it is my understanding that the Wartburg is that type of monument and historic site that you cannot pass up when visiting Germany. The amazing pictures and setting that the castle rest upon makes this one of the most intriguing sites I believe we’re going to visit. The forest and high mountain scenery makes the setting around the castle look even more beautiful. Finally I believe it will be a pretty breathtaking and awestruck feeling when we realize that this was the site of Martin Luther’s Bible translation during his exile. You just don’t get to be at or understand many parts of history that iconic, you guys. 

Brandenburg Gate

BRANDENBURG GATE

            The Brandenburg Gate is a monumental and geographical center of the great city of Berlin, Germany. It is one of the most well-known and recognizable landmarks of not just Berlin, but all of Germany. The gate has been a sign of peace, a sign of access, a sign of division, a most recently a site to remember and reminisce.

            -Originally commissioned by King Freidrich Wilhelm II of Prussia as a sign of peace

            -Built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791

            -Consist of 12 columns that create 5 passageways through the gate

            -Based on the Propylaea, which was the gate to the Acropolis in Athens

            -After his defeat of the Prussians in 1806, Napoleon was the first to utilize the gate as a sign of his newfound access to Berlin in a winning ceremony

            -Napoleon also took the gate’s Quadriga back to Paris as a symbol of victory

            -After his defeat in 1814, the Quadriga was replaced and added an Iron Cross, the new symbol of Prussian Power

            -The Nazis utilized the gate as a symbol of their party and their power

            -WWII caused bullet hole and nearby explosive damages

            -After German surrender, both East and West Germany restored the gate, in a joint effort

            -The Gate and its pedestrian and vehicle access closed with the rise of the Berlin Wall in 1961

            -During JFK’s 1963 visit of the Gate, Soviets hung large red banners across the openings to hide East Berlin from the President

            -In 1987, Reagan gave a famous speech at the gate and told “Mr. Gorbachev, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

            -The Gate was reopened shortly after the fall on Dec. 22, 1989, with a handshake and meeting of West German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, and East German Prime Minister, Hans Modrow.

            -The Gate was refurbished in the early 2000s with a $6 million effort

            -On November 9, 2009 Chancellor Angela Merkel with Russian and Polish leaders walked through the Gate together as part of a celebration of the 20 years without the Berlin Wall

           

            Overall, this gate has been a prominent and constant sign of history for Germany throughout the years. The Germans see this gate as a symbol of pride, but also as a symbol of history and where they come from. The German culture and country as a whole has always had troubles with unification and with division. An open Brandenburg gate is a symbol as strong as the bald eagle and freedom in America. The freedom and pride Germans must feel walking through the Gate freely must be overwhelming, and I personally cannot WAIT to visit such a monumental and historical site.