The remarkable half-timbered buildings in Quedlinburg made the town one of Germany's more than 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This small town of 23,800 has over 1,200 half-timbered houses of which almost 800 are listed historical buildings. In the old town, you can basically stroll…Read More

The remarkable half-timbered buildings in Quedlinburg made the town one of
Germany's more than 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This small town of 23,800 has over 1,200 half-timbered houses of which almost 800 are listed historical buildings. In the old town, you can basically stroll down any alley to see fine examples.

The Markt is the large market square in the heart of the old town and is surrounded by mostly half-timbered structures. Many of these house hotels and outdoor cafés that contribute to the general jovial atmosphere on this pleasant square. It is the heart of all festivals and even on a quiet weekend, some musicians may play here.

Particular fine examples of half-timbered buildings can be seen in the streets between the Markt and the Schlossberg where the castle and St Servatius Church look down on the old town. Arguably, the most famous buildings here are the Finkenherd. These are a very narrow row of houses where, according to tradition, Heinrich I was busy catching finches when the delegation arrived with the imperial insignia to inform him that he was elected German king. (Some claim that this event did not even occur in Quedlinburg but general opinion held that he was in Quedlinburg but the exact spot where the messengers found him might have been elsewhere.) Many of these houses now have small cafés or souvenir shops. A large board has the words of a famous German song by Johann Nepomuk Vogl retelling the event – "Herr Heinrich sitzt am Vogelherd".

A surprise nearby, and not only because of the modern building, is the Lyonel Feiniger Gallery. The American-born Feiniger joined the Bauhaus school in 1919 but had to flee Germany after the Nazis came to power. He left numerous paintings and drawings with a friend who hid them here in Quedlinburg. These form the basis of the collection, which is also complemented by temporary exhibitions.

On the opposite side of the Markt, is the Schreckensturm, the best preserved of the original town gate towers. More interesting than the tower and the remains of the town walls is the number of half-timbered houses in the vicinity. In contrast to the well-trodden areas near Markt and Schlossberg, several houses here are in urgent need of repair and some are possibly beyond rescue. During the Communist era, upkeep was limited and plans were afoot to destroy large sections of Quedlinburg to replace the half-timbered structures with concrete, which appealed more to the central planners. This all changed after Germany was reunited in 1990 but there simply is not enough money available to repair all buildings. However, in general Quedlinburg is doing much better than less famous towns in maintaining its architectural heritage. Close

The most impressive building in Quedlinburg is surprisingly not a half-timbered structure but rather the Stiftkirche St Servatius (Collegiate Church), an impressive, mostly Romanesque building that dominates the Schlossberg to its western side. It was built around 1100 and considered one of the most important…Read More

The most impressive building in Quedlinburg is surprisingly not a half-timbered structure but rather the Stiftkirche St Servatius (Collegiate Church), an impressive, mostly Romanesque building that dominates the Schlossberg to its western side. It was built around 1100 and considered one of the most important examples of High Romanesque architecture in Germany.

The Gothic choir was added in the mid-14th century and is best appreciated from the outside as the Nazis constructed a wall inside the church to hide all non-Romanesque elements. In the crypt below the choir are the graves of Heinrich I and his wife Mathilda. When she was declared a saint, his bones were chucked out as it was common practice that a saint could not share a grave with a mere mortal, emperor or the not. (Heinrich also did not endear himself to the church by refusing a blessing from a church high office on his coronation – a highly unusual refusal for the era and attributed to his desire that the church should not have unnecessary influence in politics and to underscore his claim to be the king of the people. The divine right of kings was still some way off.) A fire destroyed the original Carolingian church in 1070 and presumably consumed Heinrich’s actual bones in the process. Nonetheless, this link to the first empire, was simply too strong an attraction to the rulers of the Third Reich, who probably had designs for Quedlinburg that exceeded the building of the choir-hiding wall and grand staircase at the front of the church.

On my first visit, all museums in the region were open for free for the weekend, meaning that guided tours were cancelled and the church’s treasury could be seen at will for free. As it can usually only be seen on a guided tour, no explanations of what was on view were available. On a subsequent visit, we enjoyed – although that place more weight on the word that it can be reasonably be expected to bear – a guided tour with explanations. Although I generally prefer to enjoy sights on my own with the aid of an audio guide or simple guidebook, the knowledge of a well-educated guide can be a pleasure especially in answering some of the less obvious questions. However, on this occasion we had a young guide who looked straight ahead and slightly up and spewed out the words in rapid succession and presumably without variation from what she learned by heart – no one dared a question. In the treasury, it was as if someone read aloud the typical museum card with the briefest of descriptions – "on the left, golden comb used by Heinrich I. Next, carpet, knotted, around 1200."

This was a pity as not only does this wonderful church has interesting architectural features but the treasure itself is loaded with interesting pieces and an interesting history – even into the modern era. In the dying days of the Second World War, the US Army reached Quedlinburg but withdrew soon after as per prior agreement for the Russian Army to occupy the land. It was long assumed that twelve of the most valuable parts of the treasure were stolen by the Russians upon arrival but at the end of the twentieth century, it was discovered that the American lieutenant who had to guard the treasury, stole the items and mailed it back to Texas. ("Trust a Texan!" as some IgoUgo guide, who will remain unnamed unless requested otherwise, observed when I first told her the story.) After the death of the lieutenant, his family tried to sell the items and the whole story came out. In Germany, it is a requirement by law that a percentage of anything found must be paid by the owner to the finder, unless the finder is prepared to wave his rights. In 1993, Germany paid $3 million to the family as a "finder’s fee" – a highly controversial payment, as the items were clearly stolen, but that was considered the fastest and cheapest way to ensure the return of ten of the items. A further two items are still missing.

The Stiftkirche is one of Close