June 21 Speyer, Germany
June 21, 2023
Last updated on September 6th, 2023 at 03:45 pm
Photos from Speyer and Mannheim
Video Summary of the Day
Strasbourg was a big day yesterday, and we’ve been on the go since we arrived in Europe, so we slept in a little later today (maybe 7?) and had a more leisurely breakfast. The boat wasn’t scheduled to dock in Mannheim until 8, and our excursion didn’t leave until 9:15.
While we docked in Mannheim, the stop is labeled as ‘Speyer’. Both cities are in Germany, and we actually sailed past Speyer to dock in Mannheim. We took about a 30-minute bus ride through the countryside to go back to Speyer. Speyer is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate with about 50,000 inhabitants. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany’s oldest cities.
Speyer Walking tour – We began our walk at a car park just outside the city and proceeded through an actual park. We had a young historian by the name of David as guide. He was excited to share lots of information about the city, the area, and the old days of the place. Here are a couple major things I remember – Charlemagne couldn’t read, but founded mandatory education; Napoleon in his desire to control the people made churches of his conquered areas into stables so the people couldn’t visit the churches.
Skulpturengarden – There are four statues in the garden outside the cathedral. While they look old, they are actually concrete sculptures commissioned by the Nazi’s to commemorate the superior race. When the statues were completed they were not detailed enough for the Nazi bosses, so they were thrown out and the artist jailed. After World War II, the sculptures were found and placed in the garden. The sculptures show evidence of their rough treatment with a missing paw and a missing hand. The site isn’t particularly noteworthy, though it does depict some of Alan’s less renowned ancestors from Holy Roman Empire days: Henry V, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, 1086-1125, fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty.
He married Alan’s distant cousin, and his legacy isn’t so pretty. His dad, Henry IV, fought Pope Gregory VII, and the younger Henry had more success politically, but his reach exceeded his grasp. He dethroned his father by allying himself with the princes and presenting himself as a champion of the church’s rights, but couldn’t force the church to meet his demands. He died childless, and the dynasty was over. Other statues showed others in the dynasty: Konrad II and Gisela, Henry III and Henry IV.
The centerpiece of Speyer is the Romanesque Kaiserdom (Cathedral of St Maria and St Stephan), a World Heritage Site. The Dom, built in 1025–61 was begun by Konrad II with the goal of building the biggest church of his era. He wanted to demonstrate his religio-political claim to power against the papacy. Henry IV authorized some renovations and expansion in the 1080’s, and his architects succeeded at such innovations as a system of blind arches and a circumferential gallery for the first time in architectural history.
The church is built of red sandstone, and the many towers, ‘spires’, helped us remember that this ABC (Another Beautiful Church) was the one in Speyer. It’s also on the UNESCO World Heritage list as a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire. The current cathedral is about 60% of original building, in spite of surviving the Thirty Years’ War in the early 1600’s, Louis XIV’s marauders in the late 1600’s, the French Revolution in the 18th century, and Napoleonic wars in the early 1800’s. As we walked around the church, which is 134 meters from the front steps to the exterior wall of the east apse, we saw the Witches tower and some evidence of the modifications that had taken place through the years.
Across the ‘back’ lawn of the church, we saw the Heidentürmchen (Heath Tower) which is a remainder of the medieval town fortifications. It once stood right by the Rhine river. Along the side of the Dom, formerly the center of the cathedral crossroads, was Ölberg, an extensive sculpture depicting the Mount of Olives. The Speyer sculptor Gottfried Renn created the present figurative program in the 19th century, the original representation which was created in the 15th century was later largely destroyed..
In front of the Dom was The Domnapf, a vast stone bowl that dates from 1490. t formerly marked the boundary between the episcopal and municipal territories. Each new bishop on his election had to fill the bowl with wine, while the burghers emptied it to his health.
The city is famous for the 1529 Protestation at Speyer, which is where the term Protestant comes from. We saw the building where 1526 & 1529 Diet of Speyer were held to negotiate and ratify laws. Through the Edit of Worms, 1521, the Holy Roman Empire condemned Martin Luther as a heretic, criminalizing actions supporting him. The emperor, embroiled in power struggles with Rome and threat of Ottoman Turkey, needed a united front at home. With 6 princes and 14 representatives objecting with a letter of protestation, the diet of Speyer put the condemnation of Luther on hold, allowing individual nobleman to oversee religious affairs in their own territories, allowing free imperial cities.
The Jewish communities in the cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz formed a covenant during the Middle Ages that became known under the name of “SchUM”. The term is put together from the first Hebrew letters of the three cities. These SchUM sites reflect hundreds of long years of tradition for Ashkenazic Judaism. During the Middle Ages, SchUM was influential not only in architectural respects but in religious respects as well.
During our free time we had a toilet stop visited Dreifaltigkeitskirche, Trinity Church, a late Baroque, Protestant parish church. It is a memorial church, begun in 1701, as a Lutheran church recognizing the roots of the protestation, and today is a union of Reformed and Lutheran. The interior of the church is entirely from the time of its construction.
The ceiling paintings are based on medieval forms of representation. They are seen all along the balconies and ceilings. It was an impressive site, especially when contrasted with the large cathedrals we’ve been seeing. There is evidence that 20 scenes date back to the picture bible of Matthew Merian. The illustrations of the church scenes serve the understanding and the spreading of the word of God, completely in the sense of the Lutheran faith. In contrast to the usual Baroque ceiling paintings, the paintings are not aligned with a line of sight. The pilgrim sculpture is in the square in front of the church..
We went back to the Dom for a better look at the interior, since that portion was pretty rushed earlier. The soaring walls, and the surprisingly plain ceilings really stood out. Alan went into the Crypt, under the main altar, which is the resting place of eight German emperors and king, four queens and a series of bishops, including his cousin.
We took the shuttle back to the ship for lunch.
We then took off of our own into Mannheim to tour the Barockschloss Mannheim palace, about a 20 minute walk from where the ship docked. We walked through a long river-side park with lots of bike trails and interesting signs/photographs, as well as a couple of cafes. When we came out of a tunnel under the main streets into Mannheim, we found ourselves in a university courtyard. We found our way through one of the building walkways into big square surrounded by the palace, which was clearly being set up for some sort of festival.
With a vast courtyard, a façade spanning more than 400 metres and a total floor area of six hectares, Mannheim Baroque Palace is one of the largest palaces in Europe. It took a little bit to figure out, but we were guided by an app on our phones that described each room and some of its contents while we walked through the palace.
The Baroque-style building comprises five wings, with the severity of the long three story façades broken up by four-story pavilions. Mannheim Baroque Palace’s original interiors were one of the wonders of European architecture – especially the main floor. However, the building was severely damaged during the Second World War. Since then, the main part of the palace has been rebuilt, including the majestic ceremonial staircase and stately Rittersaal (knights’ hall).
Today, the restored grand rooms of the bel-étage (main floor) are furnished with over 800 exhibits, including 21 large tapestries, ornate furniture, priceless paintings, valuable porcelain and costly silverware – recreating its bygone grandeur. We were particularly impressed with the vast Knights’ Hall and the many tapestries and paintings.
We got back to the ship in time to see the Flammkuchen (German pizza) cooking demonstration by Executive Chef Milan. One of the passengers did most of the work under the Chef’s instruction, and after making and rolling the dough, adding crème fraîche, sauteed onions, bacon, and cheese, the final product was produced and shared with those of us in the audience.
We listened to the Port talk about Mainz, our next stop. We enjoyed dinner with Michael and Molly from Australia and Jim from Massachusetts.
And then we retired to our stateroom to blog and work on pictures, as usual!
Explore the quiet German town of Speyer, on the west bank of the Rhine. Visit its stunning Romanesque imperial cathedral, considered a pivotal structure in the evolution of European architecture. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the burial place of eight emperors, including some of the most famous Holy Roman Emperors. Stroll Speyer’s charming, shop-lined main street and see the impressive clock tower of its Altpörtel, the Old Town Gate.
Speyer Walking Tour
EXPLORE SPEYER’S PROFOUND HISTORY AND MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE
Enjoy a fascinating stroll through Speyer, home to the largest of the three Romanesque imperial cathedrals. It is believed that the Protestants earned their name here in 1529 after citizens and royalty drafted the “Protestation at Speyer,” proclaiming their right to practice Christianity as they please. In 1689, Louis XIV’s troops plundered Speyer and left it in ruins; over many decades, it was artfully rebuilt. During your walk, you will marvel at the exterior of the red sandstone cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight emperors are entombed here, including some of the most notable Holy Roman Emperors. Reconstructed after Louis XIV’s invasion, its six towers dominate the skyline. Pass the Jewish courtyard, once home to one of the most important medieval synagogues, and Speyer’s Altpörtel, or Old Gate, the last remains of the town’s fortifications. There will also be time to stroll the city’s charming, shop-lined main thoroughfare.
