Heidelberg - a city of significance, a cradle of German Romanticism!

A city of significance Heidelberg, a fanciful surreal beauty!


"The old stone bridge was erected 1786–1788. A medieval bridge gate, i.e. the Carl Theodor/ "Old Bridge" gate, is on the side of the old town, and was originally part of the town wall. Baroque tower helmets were added as part of the erection of the stone bridge in 1788."




The Old Town - "die Altstadt"

Among the most frequented tourist destinations in Germany, Heidelberg is popular thanks to its romantic and picturesque cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town. A former residence of the Electorate of the Palatinate, Heidelberg is the location of Heidelberg University, well known far beyond Germany's borders. The city's pedestrian zone is a shopping and night life magnet for the surrounding area and beyond.


View of the Old Town and the church of the Holy Spirit from the Heidelberg Castle

"I saw Heidelberg on a perfectly clear morning, with a pleasant air both cool and invigorating. The city, just so, with the totality of its ambiance is, one might say, something ideal." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.


"Over the course of centuries, the Castle and its grounds reflected the rise and fall of Heidelberg as a Prince Elector’s residence. In the early 19th century, it made Heidelberg a mecca of German Romanticism. The Castle, the town and the surrounding landscape blended with university and student life to create the “Heidelberg legend”, while providing exciting new inspiration to composers, painters and poets." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

On a visit to Heidelberg in 1838, the French author Victor Hugo took particular pleasure in strolling among the ruins of the castle. He summarised its history in this letter:

"But let me talk of its castle. (This is absolutely essential, and I should actually have begun with it.) What times it has been through! Five hundred years long it has been victim to everything that has shaken Europe, and now it has collapsed under its weight. That is because this Heidelberg Castle, the residence of the counts Palatine, who were answerable only to kings, emperors, and popes, and was of too much significance to bend to their whims, but couldn't raise his head without coming into conflict with them, and that is because, in my opinion, that the Heidelberg Castle has always taken up some position of opposition towards the powerful."...

The Heidelberg Castle Powder Turret, split by an explosion, was described by Mark Twain in his 1880 book "A Tramp Abroad":

"A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective. This one could not have been better placed. It stands upon a commanding elevation, it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground about it, but, on the contrary, there are wooded terraces upon terraces, and one looks down through shining leaves into profound chasms and abysses where twilight reigns and the sun cannot intrude. Nature knows how to garnish a ruin to get the best effect. One of these old towers is split down the middle, and one half has tumbled aside. It tumbled in such a way as to establish itself in a picturesque attitude. Then all it lacked was a fitting drapery, and Nature has furnished that; she has robed the rugged mass in flowers and verdure, and made it a charm to the eye. The standing half exposes its arched and cavernous rooms to you, like open, toothless mouths; there, too, the vines and flowers have done their work of grace. The rear portion of the tower has not been neglected, either, but is clothed with a clinging garment of polished ivy which hides the wounds and stains of time. Even the top is not left bare, but is crowned with a flourishing group of trees & shrubs. Misfortune has done for this old tower what it has done for the human character sometimes – improved it." - Mark Twain

Heidelberg Castle at night

Victor Hugo, who had come to love the ruins of the castle, also saw it as a divine signal:

"One could even say that the very heavens had intervened. On 23 June 1764, the day before Karl Theodor was to move into the castle and make it his seat (which, by the bye, would have been a great disaster, for if Karl Theodor had spent his thirty years there, these austere ruins which we today so admire would certainly have been decorated in the pompadour style); on this day, then, with the prince's furnishings already arrived and waiting in the Church of the Holy Spirit, fire from heaven hit the octagonal tower, set light to the roof, and destroyed this five hundred year old castle in very few hours." - Victor Hugo, "Heidelberg".


The Heidelberg professor Ludwig Giesz wrote, in his 1960 essay titled "Phenomenology of the Kitsches", about the "meaning of the ruins for tourism":

"Ruins are the pinnacle of what we have called "historical" Exoticism. As a jumping off point, a story from experience may serve: in 1945 shortly after the surrender of Germany, when asked by an American soldier who was eagerly "picture-taking" at the Heidelberg Castle how this place of pilgrimage for all Romantics came to be a ruin, I replied mischievously, "it was destroyed by American bombs." The reaction of the soldiers was very instructive. I will speculate briefly: the shock to their consciousness—stemming from an aesthetic, not an ethical problem—was extraordinary: the "ruin" no longer appeared beautiful to them; on the contrary, they regretted (thus: with realistic present consciousness) the recent destruction of a large building."

Professor Ludwig Giesz goes further in his remarks about the ruins:

"The important culture and era critic Günther Anders pointed out that - contrary to widespread opinion - the Romantic Era did not first admire the view for the "beauty of the ruin." Rather the following inversion took place: the Renaissance (like the first generation) admired the ancient Torso, "not because, but although it was a Torso". One found beauty, but "unfortunately" (!) only as ruin. The second generation inverted the "ruin of the beautiful one" for the "beauty of the ruin." And from here to industrial "production of ruins" the way was clear: like garden gnomes one now sets ruins into the landscape, in order for the landscape to become beautiful."...


Along river Neckar when the afternoon sun finally appeared and slowly set down..


View from the Steffi's hostel where I stayed in Heidelberg

"Much can be said but I will try to keep it short: it is a real pleasure for me to meet all of you! I enjoyed much our discussions in a diverse atmosphere to share our knowledge and personal experiences as well as to get to become a group of international friends. Special thanks to Prof. Mitra and Radu, needless to say how great you have enabled us to engage ourselves in an enjoyable interesting motivating experience, both academically and personally. I hope that all of us will see each other again no matter in Heidelberg, Bali (nice idea Radu, I will go for it) or somewhere around the world. So please keep in touch."

That was what I have written after our first graduate academy about "Democracy" at the end of September 2012 in Wandlitz. After that, we hoped for a second academy. With great preparation and organisation work from the Heidelberg side, our wish has become true. Half of our group packed our backpack for a weekend trip to Heidelberg joining the follow-up academy.

"I do believe that we have the potential to leverage our graduate academy further even to a higher level in our follow-up event, since not only we have got the overall result for our working group in the first graduate academy, but I believe every of us have also achieved something for ourselves and it would be an advantage to develop further from what we have achieved." The words I have written in the process of organising our second academy.

Everything came true! We did enjoy a very informative interesting follow-up meeting with more interacting effective discussions. Perhaps it is now enough about the educational aspect of this event, but let's me shift my writing to a more travelling experience aspect: the beautiful city Heidelberg. Our second academy would not be that 'significant' if it was not in Heidelberg! Having heard about the city and then read and seen on the web, I was excited to visit one of the most popular cities and universities in Germany.

According to our tight schedule, we had got not so much time for ourselves in the follow-up academy. Having arrived Heidelberg on mid-Friday (it took me nearly 6 hours by train from Berlin, first to Frankfurt and then a little further), but only until Sunday morning I got a chance to strolling down the streets in Heidelberg to the Old Town and appreciated the city's beauty. My stay in Heidelberg was from mid-Friday until 5p.m. on Sunday, except the evenings (when we had dinner and drinks together) and until 2p.m. on Sunday, most of what I knew first about Heidelberg was the four walls of our classroom and a short walk through the main street in the Old Town when we went to dinner at a nice restaurant. Nevertheless, on Saturday evening, after our drinks, some of us discovered Heidelberg at night by visiting the Castle - my first night, and who knows, maybe the last in Heidelberg ;-), so I tried to utilize as much chance to know more about the city. After the experience of the Heidelberg Castle at night (from which I enjoyed a different perspective of the Castle on daylight the next day), I returned to the hostel and slept at about 2a.m. Despite lack of sleep, I still managed to get up a little early and walked through the city before our seminar started. It was really enjoyable to see the city on an early Sunday morning - peaceful, quiet with very few people on the streets. ..The silence has pleased me at the moment... In addition, it was freshingly cold with some falling snow... A thin layer of fog and white snow even highlighted the surreal fanciful beauty of Heidelberg, as if the city needs anything more to prove its addictive charm...

Streets on an early Sunday morning with light snow

Bismarckplatz - main tram connection lines

"The main transport hub of Heidelberg is the Bismarckplatz. Several main thoroughfares of the city intersect here and one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe, the Hauptstraße (main street) runs from here through the entire old town of Heidelberg. Heidelberg Central Station was nearby for many years, which was a combined terminal and through station. The ambivalent relationship of Heidelberger to Bismarckplatz is "I lost my heart in Heidelberg" in a popular addition to the familiar student song."


"Heidelberg is known for its institutions of higher education. The most famous of those is Heidelberg University. Founded in 1386, it is one of Europe's oldest institutions. In fact, Heidelberg is the oldest university town of today's Germany. Among the prominent thinkers associated with the institution are Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jürgen Habermas, Karl-Otto Apel and Hannah Arendt. Heidelberg University's facilities are, generally speaking, separated in two parts. The faculties and institutes of humanities and social sciences are embedded in the Old Town Campus. The sciences faculties and the medical school, including three large university hospitals, are located on the New Campus in the Neuenheimer Feld on the outskirts of Heidelberg."

The university library established around 1388
"The University Library holds special collections in literature concerning the Palatinate and Baden, egyptology, archeology, the history of art, and South Asia. It holds about 3.2 million books, 10,732 scientific periodicals, and about 500,000 other media such as microfilms and video tapes. It holds 6,600 manuscripts (most notably the Codex Manesse), 1,800 incunabula, 110,500 autographs, and a collection of old maps, paintings, and photographs. The libraries of the faculties and institutes hold another 3.5 million printed books. In 2005, 34,500 active users of the University Library accessed 1.4 million books a year." (wikipedia).

Next to the main entrance of the university library

"In Bernhard Schlink's semi-autobiographical 1995 novel "The Reader", Heidelberg University is one of the main scenes of part II. Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, Michael Berg, a law student at the university, re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial, which he observes as part of a seminar. The university is also featured in the Academy Award-winning 2008 film version "The Reader" (one of my favourite movies), starring Kate Winslet, David Kross and Ralph Fiennes." (source: wikipedia).

In front of the old "students' prison" (German: Studentenkarzer) now a souvenir shop,which's closed on Sunday

Having existed both at universities and at gymnasiums in Germany until the beginning of the 20th century, "a Karzer was a designated lock-up or detention room to incarcerate students for punishment, within a jurisdiction of some institutions of learning. Bearing witness to how the students spent the time in the cell are the many memorable wall, table and door paintings left by students in the cells and today shown as tourist attractions in the older German universities." - sample interior photos can be seen at Karzer Heidelberg.

Going towards the Old Town along the Hauptstraße - one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe (1.6km)

"Heidelberg's Hauptstrasse (Main Street) is where most visitors will spend much of their time. It is normally crowded, even during the wintertime, with lots of people walking along the many storefronts, cafés, and restaurants. The Hauptstrasse is also where Heidelberg shows its internationality - with restaurants and shops of many cuisine and nationalities." Luckily that I went there early on Sunday and the street was kind of empty.

"The Old Town, on the south bank of the Neckar, is long and narrow. It is dominated by the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, 80 metres above the Neckar on the steep wooded slopes of the Königstuhl (King's chair or throne) hill. The Hauptstrasse runs the length of the Old Town."

Sideview and a similar tower to the tower of the church of the Holy Spirit

"The Holy Ghost Church was first mentioned in the year 1239. In 1398 Prince Elector Ruprecht III (King Ruprecht I of Germany) laid the cornerstone of the present-day church. The chancel was finished in 1410. The nave was completed in 1441 and the tower after 1508. In the early 18th century the tower roof was redone in Baroque style. The chancel was once used as a final resting place for Prince Electors. Their tombs – with the exception of Ruprecht III’s – were all destroyed in 1693.

Until 1623 the church’s galleries contained Europe’s largest collection of handwritten books and documents, the “Bibliotheca Palatina”. After Heidelberg was conquered by Tilly, it first passed as war booty into the hands of Maximilian of Bavaria, who gave it to the Pope in Rome as a gift. From 1705 to 1936 the Holy Ghost Church was divided into two parts by a wall through the middle. Protestant (Lutheran) services were held in the nave, and Catholic – and later Old Catholic – masses took place in the chancel." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

The marketplace

"A fountain with a statue of Hercules on a column, built between 1703 and 1706, forms the centerpiece of the Market Square. This hero of Greek myths, known for his strength, symbolizes the heroic efforts that Heidelberg’s residents made to rebuild their devastated city in the years after 1700.

The Hercules statue in the fountain today is a replica, however; the original is in safekeeping in the Kurpfälzisches Mu-seum. Twice a week an open-air market takes place in the Market Square. The rest of the time – during the warm months of the year – it holds several outdoor cafés." (Stadt Heidelberg).




View of the Castle from the marketplace

"With approximately 140,000 inhabitants, Heidelberg is situated in the Rhine Neckar Triangle, a European metropolitan area with approximately 2.4 million people living there, comprising the neighboring cities of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and a number of smaller towns in the perimeter. The city is about 40 minutes by train away from Frankfurt International Airport." (wikipedia)

Hotel Riter - one of the oldest buildings constructed in 1592

The "Old Bridge" gate seen from the town



"Old Bridge" gate seen from the bridge



"There was a famous circle of poets once in Heidelberg, such as Joseph von Eichendorff, Johann Joseph von Görres, Ludwig Achim von Arnim, and Clemens Brentano. A relic of Romanticism is the Philosophers' Walk (German: Philosophenweg), a scenic walking path on the nearby Heiligenberg, overlooking Heidelberg."

Figures at the two ends of the stone bridge

The Romantik epoch of German philosophy and literature, was described as "a movement against classical and realistic theories of literature, a contrast to the rationality of the Age of Enlightenment. It elevated medievalism and elements of art and narrative perceived to be from the medieval period. It also emphasized folk art, nature and an epistemology based on nature, which included human activity conditioned by nature in the form of language, custom and usage." (source: wikipedia).

"The Old Bridge, whose real name is the Carl Theodor Bridge after the man who had it built. Friedrich Hölderlin wrote poems about it, and so did Gottfried Keller. Countless painters have also immortalized it in their works. The bridge’s nine red sandstone arches span the Neckar River and blend harmoniously into their surroundings, framed by the river and mountains.

Bare branches and light snow - I have walked along this street to take photos of the bridge together with the Castle. If I had got more time, I would stroll up the Philosophers' Walk nearby.

"The Old Bridge is actually relatively young, and was preceded by many older bridges made of wood. The first bridge was recorded at this site in 1284. But like all of the wooden bridges that followed, it eventually fell prey to high water and ice. This finally prompted Prince Elector Carl Theodor – after a major flood with ice had destroyed the last wooden bridge in 1784 – to construct the first stone bridge in 1786-88. Raised bents in its middle allowed water to drain off quickly when the river flooded."





"On March 29, 1945, one of the very last days of the War, German soldiers used explosives to render all of Heidelberg’s Neckar bridges impassable, including the Old Bridge. But thanks to a drive to collect donations that was enthusiastically supported by the town’s residents, work to rebuild it began as soon as March 14, 1946. It was inaugurated on July 26, 1947. In 2001 the Old Bridge was added to the World Monuments Fund, a list of the world’s most endangered monuments." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

The "bridge mandrill" next to the gate

"West of the Bridge Gate, the Heidelberg Bridge Monkey now holds a mirror up to those who look at it. This bronze sculpture by Professor Gernot Rumpf was installed there in 1979. But there was a bridge monkey in Heidelberg as far back as the 15th century. Old drawings of the town show it next to the tower on the north end of the Old Bridge. It disappeared during the Palatinian War of Succession (1689/93)." (Stadt Heidelberg).

My colleague called it "Lucky Monkey" - at first I thought it's a lion :-D
"The disk/mirror that the monkey held out is supposed for passers-by to rub for good luck. Also, the head of the statue is hollow. And placing one's own head inside it supposedly worths double good luck, as long as one keeps a straight face while doing it". (source: galvin's blog). I should try doing that the next time. ;-)

After walking alone early on Sunday morning, I returned to our workshop. We have made a review of our work in the follow-up academy, promising that some of us could send in their papers for publication. At about 12:30, we went to lunch, said goodbye to half of our friends and then walked through the beautiful centre to the Castle. At this time in early afternoon, it was rather crowded compared to the time I have been on early morning.


A local speciality, called "Heiße Maroni" - sweet chestnut and marron!
The name of the tree is "Castanea sativa", which is "originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, now widely dispersed throughout Europe and in some localities in temperate Asia. The tree is hardy, long-lived and well known for its chestnuts." I like roasted chestnuts, taste good in winter :-).

Walking from the stone bridge back to the Old Town and to the Kornmarkt station of the funicular for a ride to the Castle

"The Heidelberger Bergbahn, or Heidelberg Mountain Railway, funicular railway runs from Kornmarkt in Heidelberg's Altstadt to the summit of the Königstuhl via an intermediate station at Heidelberg Castle. The upper and lower sections of the funicular have different histories and present quite different appearances, with the upper section using wooden bodied cars of historic appearance, whilst the lower section uses modern style cars. Similarly the upper stations at Molkenkur and Königstuhl are to the original design, whilst those further down the hill at Kornmarkt and Heidelberg Castle present a more modern image." (source: wikipedia).


A park surrounding the Castle covered in thin snow, where the famous poet Johann von Goethe once walked.

At the entrance of the Castle

"A fort (castrum) in Heidelberg was first mentioned in 1225 in a document in which Duke Ludwig of Bavaria granted a fiefdom. The existence of two different forts since 1303 has been confirmed. The upper one was located where the Molkenkur is today, but was struck by lightning and burned down in 1537. Only a few remnants of its walls are left. Both were elevated forts typical of those built by the Staufers in southern Germany." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

The courtyard of the Castle

"The lower fort, which later became the Castle, was built in two main phases. The first, in the late Middle Ages between about 1400 and 1544, saw the construction of fortifications and living quarters. During the second, attractive palace buildings in Renaissance style and the magnificent Castle Gardens (Hortus Palatinus) were gradually added up until Heidelberg’s sacking and destruction in 1689 and 1693." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).



"The single most important individual who contributed to the Castle was Ludwig V. He extended and strengthened the fort to withstand attacks by soldiers with firearms, the use of which was spreading at that time. The only parts that are even older are the Ruprechtsbau (erected around 1400) and portions of the eastern ramparts. The later construction periods were typified by constant changes and additions to individual structures by successive Prince Electors, although they always made sure to preserve the overall complex. As a result, today the Castle boasts a rich diversity of different styles, which enhances further the picturesque, romantic aura of the ruins." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

"1400-1544 The medieval fort grows into a castle complex. 1549-1620 During the second main phase, the transition from Gothic to Renaissance styles is quite evident. 1549 Completion of the glazed hall. 1556-59 Construction of the Ottheinrichbau, probably the most beautiful Renaissance palace north of the Alps. 1601-07 Construction of the Friedrichsbau. 1612-19 The famous Castle Gardens and the English Building are built under Prince Elector Friedrich V. 1688/89 French troops occupy Heidelberg during the Palatinian War of Succession. Parts of the town are destroyed. 1693 The French occupy Heidelberg again and destroy much of the town. The Castle fortifications are blasted apart." ...

Walking around the Castle

If you see, my hands, as well as my face, were red because of the cold

"After 1742 Reconstruction of the palace building under Prince Elector Karl Theodor. The Big Barrel, with a capacity of 221,726 liters, replaces an older one that held about 195,000 liters. 1764 Lightning destroys large parts of the Castle. Work on it is halted. 1810 The French emigrant Charles Graf von Graimberg undertakes to preserve the Castle ruin as his life’s work. He starts by putting together a collection of found items from the Castle. Around 1900 Restoration and extension of the Castle to preserve its architectural history." (source: Stadt Heidelberg).

About the weather in Heidelberg, it has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), defined by the protected valley between the Pfälzerwald and the Odenwald. Year-round, the mild temperatures are determined by maritime air masses coming from the west. In comparison to the nearby Upper Rhine Plain, Heidelberg's position in the valley leads to more frequent easterly winds than average. The hillsides of the Odenwald favour clouding and precipitation.


Great panorama view - the city was covered in some fog that there was no actually clear wide-spread view; on the other hand, it was kind of a nice charm about Heidelberg!

The warmest month in the city is July, the coldest is January. Temperatures rising to more than 30°C in midsummer are no rarity. According to the German Meteorological Service, Heidelberg was the warmest place in Germany in 2009. (source: wikipedia). This surprised me actually, as it was chilling cold during my stay that one can't believe it can be warmer here compared to other parts of Germany.

Along river Neckar

Located to the South-West of Frankfurt, Heidelberg is "in the Rhine Rift Valley, on the left bank of the lower part of the River Neckar, bordered by the Königsstuhl (568 m) and the Gaisberg (375 m) mountains. The River Neckar here flows in an east-west direction. On the right bank of the river, the Heiligenberg mountain (445 m) rises. The River Neckar leads to the River Rhine approximately 22 kilometres north-west in Mannheim. Villages incorporated during the 20th century reach from the Neckar Valley along the Bergstraße, a road situated along the Odenwald hills." (source: wikipedia).





"On the northern side of the Neckar is located the Heiligenberg (Saints' Mountain), along the side of which runs the Philosophers' Walk (German: Philosophenweg), with scenic views of the old town and castle. Traditionally, Heidelberg's philosophers and university professors would walk and talk along the pathway."

Walking along river Neckar when the sun finally appeared..

Along river Neckar under afternoon sunlight

Outside the main train station, i.e. Hauptbahnhof

Walking around the Old Town and the Heidelberg Castle at night:

View of the lighted-up Castle from the Old Town, after mid-night the light goes off.

Dinner at a nice restaurant in the Old Town
A man in a rabbit costume offered all ladies some sweets, it is a traditional manner because he was having his Bachelor party (a German colleague said that the ladies should give him back coins or ..a kiss), although in our case the man did not demand anything explicitly but left quickly. As a result, we escaped a possile ..hugging or kissing experience.

View of the church of the Holy Spirit and the stone bridge at night

To summarize again about the Castle, it is "a mix of styles from Gothic to Renaissance. Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398–1410) erected the first building in the inner courtyard as a royal residence. The castle and its garden were destroyed several times during the Thirty Years' War and the Palatine War of Succession. As Prince Elector Karl Theodor tried to restore the castle, lightning struck in 1764, and ended all attempts at rebuilding. Later on, the castle was misused as a quarry; castle stones were taken to build new houses in Heidelberg. This was stopped in 1800 by Count Charles de Graimberg, who then began the preservation of the Heidelberg Castle."

The Heidelberg Castle Powder Turret

"In 1934, the King's Hall was built in Gothic style. Today, the hall is used for festivities, e.g. dinner banquets, balls and theatre performances. During the Heidelberg Castle Festival in the summer, the courtyard is the site of open air musicals, operas, theatre performances, and classical concerts performed by the Heidelberg Philharmonics."

Photos by Febrina, my colleague in the academy

Graduate academy about "Democracy" - the first workshop in Wandlitz (Sep. 2012) and the follow-up meeting in Heidelberg (Feb. 2013)! We have had a nice time there getting to understand what seems to be not likely to be understandable universally!

"I would like to thank DAAD for the valuable support of the Graduiertenakademie follow-up meeting in Heidelberg of the working group Asia. The follow-up workshop has been an enriching, informative and enjoyable experience! With a good adequate number of participants, interesting topics, well-prepared presentations, the participants have engaged themselves much into interacting discussions and constructive remarks. The programme of the workshop as well as other matters such as accommodation, food and a visit to main monuments of the city have been well organised by a team of Professor and researchers in Heidelberg. To conclude, the follow-up workshop has been truly a value-added experience to our previous Graduiertenakademie in Wandlitz."- My remark sent to DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) after the second academy.

Goodbye Heidelberg - a city of magnificence!!! It does not take long for one to realise how ideally charming the city is, in my case it was less than 1 day. Maybe we will see each other again, the significant city of Heidelberg!

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Graduate academy, Heidelberg 22-24.02.2013.