GERMANY: NUREMBERG'S MARKET SQUARE (OLD TOWN)

 May 18-19, 2025

We spent the morning in Dresden, then drove to Nuremberg in the mid-afternoon, a drive that took about 3 ½ hours. We arrived just in time for dinner. While on the road, I researched restaurants to try to find a good, authentic German dinner. We ended up at the Bratwursthäusle (House of Bratwurst). Founded in 1312, it is the oldest restaurant in the city and is famous for producing what the European Union has declared to be the first bratwurst (grilled sausages) in Germany. Their sausages are made onsite every morning.

I got an assortment of brats (boiled, grilled, and fried) and a chunk of some other kind of meat with sides of sauerkraut and potato salad. It was wonderful, and I had it again the next day when our guide took us to the same restaurant. (We didn't tell him we'd been here the night before.) The desserts were also very good. We had chocolate mousse with a berry sauce and apple strudel swimming in custard sauce.

Were we happy? Yes, yes, we were. In my journal I note that it was our best meal so far.

After dinner and then at the end of the day the following day, we explored the Hauptmarkt, or main market square. The Nuremberg Town Hall was basically destroyed during World War II but was painstakingly rebuilt afterwards. 

Each of the three Baroque door pediments has a unique stone sculpture taken from the imagery of the Old Testament book of Daniel.

Here is a closer look att two of them:

Right across the street is the Merchants' Trail mural on the Building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

A close-up view of the mural gives a better idea of the vibrant colors.

Next up, St. Sebaldus (Sebald's) Church. On our first day in Nuremberg it was locked, so we took a leisurely walk around the perimeter, admiring its Gothic style. It was originally built in 1225 as a Romanesque Catholic church, but after the Reformation it became Lutheran. It was named for Sebaldus, an 8th-century hermit and missionary who is the patron saint of Nuremberg.

I want this lion door knocker.

St. Sebaldus Church was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1957. This is not the most beautiful door we have seen as we have traveled the world, but it is one of the most poignant. Look carefully and you'll see that the rubble at the bottom of the door is actually a mess of human bodies and that an upside-down figure is reaching to them from above. I'm guessing this scene references the thousands of people from or in Nuremberg who died during the war.

There are also a couple of crucifixes on the exterior that I thought were unusual and beautiful. This one is on ground level:

And this crucifix is nestled high up on the corner of the building.

This is a statue of St. Christopher. I love his story. According to legend, Christopher was a man of immense size and strength who spent his life serving others by carrying them across a deep, dangerous river. One day he agreed to carry a small child across a river. He put the child on his shoulders and started across, but with each step the child became heavier and Christopher barely made it across. At that point, the child revealed himself to be the Christ Child, and he explained that the overwhelming weight Christopher had borne was the weight of the entire world. In Greek, the name "Christopher" means "Christ-bearer." Christopher is now known as the patron saint of travelers.

Later, we were able to go inside St. Sebaldus Church.

Before the bombing, most of the church's priceless artifacts and art were moved to a shelter in time to escape destruction, so the art we saw was mostly original. 

They do an exceptionally good job of pillar ornamentation.

Two altars: a modern one on the left and St. Peter's Altar on the right. St. Peter's Altar was donated to the church around 1478.

A closeup view of the altarpiece reveals paintings of scenes from Peter's life and a central carving showing him preaching from the scriptures.

The painting on the altar itself shows Peter holding a giant key, his symbol.

Most of the stained glass windows were preserved . . . 

. . . as was the relief above this old door:

On the left is what is called the "Sacramental niche," which I believe is where the consecrated host is kept. On the right is a beautiful carved baptismal font.

I contrast with the very old, I loved this more modern African carving of the Holy Family.

I appreciated the little bit of history also on display in the church:

Another important church in Old Town Nuremberg is the Frauenkirche, or Church of our Lady, a Gothic-style Catholic church located just across the Hauptmarkt square from St. Sebaldus Church. Built between 1352 and 1362, it is about 100 years newer than St. Sebaldus. It was built on the rubble of the Jewish synagogue, which was destroyed after a pogrom of the Jewish inhabitants of Nuremberg. Between 1525-1810, the church was Lutheran, but it was then reacquired by the Catholics. Like St. Sebaldus, the church was almost completely destroyed during World War II but was restored in 1953, a testament to the resilience of the religious community of Nuremberg.

Just for context, here is a photo of Hitler in front of the Frauenkirche . . . 

. . . and here is the church in 1945.

We visited during mass, so we were not able to walk around, but here is the approach to the altar and a close-up of the altar. I noticed that the top panels of the windows were plain glass and wonder if those are panels that were broken by the bombing of the city.

The current organ was built in 1988 and includes pipes from the previous instrument.

Just outside the Frauenkirch is the Schöner Brunnen, or "Beautiful Fountain." It was erected in the late 14th century and looks like a spire pilfered from the top of a Gothic church. At over 60 feet tall, it can't be missed, so during World War II it was sourrounded by concrete to protect it from destruction by a bomb. One site says that this is a 1912 replica of the stone fountain, and the original is in the German National Museum.

Rows of painted figures encircle the spire and represent philosophers, evangelists, religious heroes, and important secular leaders.

Hmmm . . . I wonder what is disturbing these two fellas?

Stan, Stan, what are you doing? Oh, you are spinning one of the two golden good luck rings on the iron fencing that was installed in 1587. Those rings were added in 1902 when the railing was being repaired. In order for your wish to come true, you must spin that ring three times.

All of these attractions are bordering or near the Nuremberg Hauptmarkt. In addition to churches and monuments, there are places to eat and shop. It has a bustling, distinctly German air about it.

 Beautiful flowers seemed to be springing up everywhere of their own accord.

We had a funky boutique hotel, the Burghotel, located on Albrecht Durer Strasse, a five-minute walk from the Hauptmarkt--an excellent location. It was a nice place to stay and included a good breakfast.

A sign in the lobby welcomed us to "the Hotel for Human Rights."