Town of Bamberg
The layout, architecture, and the influence of the Baroque Bamberg in the urban form and evolution of architecture in Central Europe is something of a phenomenon. The surviving ecclesiastical and secular buildings found here has been an inspiration to many architects, since the 11th century.
The town of Bamberg was first established in the Carolingian period by the Counts of Babenberg. They commissioned construction of a castle there and much later in 906; it would become a royal property and passed over to the Dukes of Bavaria. Upon ascending to power, Henry II, made Bamberg the seat of the bishopric, intending to make it the Second Rome.
The town became an important link between the Slav Peoples of Eastern Europe – mostly in Poland and Pomerania. Among the defining monuments in the town are the churches of St. Michael, St. Stephen, St Jacob, and St. Gangolf. The churches are located at each of the town’s four cardinal points. In the 12th century, the town became a major religious site with the advent of Bishop Otto I.
This prosperity of the town went on to middle Ages helped by the fact that it was located along the main shipping line. In the 176th and 18th century, the town saw a major cultural flowering with artists such as Balthasar Neumann and Dientzenhofer attaining global recognition for their work.
In 1803, Bamberg was surrendered to the Elector of Bavaria under whose reign Bamberg continued to blossom intellectually with writers such as Hoffman and Hegel leading the way. In the 19th century European industrialization phase, Bamberg continued to thrive not from industry but from trade. This is how it was able to retain its beauty. The town will always be remembered for being the birthplace of the first democratic constitution in Germany slightly after the WWI.
The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bamberg are three settlement centers that coalesced when the town was established. They include Bergstadt, Inselstadt and Theuerstadt. Bamberg is one of the most beautiful towns in the world. Its vineyards, market gardens and hop gardens have a way of keeping you coming back.
by Kennedy Runo on 04/29/2014 in Sightseeing