Bamberg

Thomas and I were invited for three days to a Humboldt Foundation meeting (March 14-17) in Bamberg, one of the oldest intact medieval towns in central Europe.  It's located on the Regnitz river in Upper Franconia (northern Bavaria) and with many bridges and beautiful archaic buildings, it's really lovely.

This part of Bamberg, on the river Regnitz, is known as "Little Venice".

The entire old city is on the UNESCO World Heritage list since "The layout and architecture of medieval and Renaissance Bamberg exerted a strong influence on urban form and evolution in the lands of central Europe from the 11th century onwards. Bamberg is an outstanding and representative example of an early medieval town in central Europe, both in its plan and in its many surviving ecclesiastical and secular buildings." 

[From this link].   

Apparently there are over two thousand protected historical buildings and monuments in the old town, and you can almost imagine you've gone back 1000 years in time when walking through some of the narrow cobble-stone roads, and visiting the abbey and cathedral.

View from downtown up towards Michaelsberg Abbey.

 The Michaelsberg Abbey, founded in 1015, is a former Benedictine monastery, but I had a cup of tea up there with a lovely view over the town.

The Bamberger Dom (cathedral) is the most impressive building of course, with four imposing towers high above the 94-meter-long Romanesque building.  The cathedral was founded in 1002 and completed in the 13th century.  Interestingly, the building was started in the Romanesque style, but completed in Gothic, which -- mid-construction -- was decided to be more in "in style".  You can see the difference in the two towers at the front of the church (Romanesque) versus at the back (Gothic)

Towers of the back of the Dom (with other
buildings in the foreground)

Front of the Bamberger Dom, and solidly
square an Romanesque.

Inside the cathedral, on a pillar near the front of the church, is the famous Bamberger Reiter (Bamberg horseman) statue.  It's a beautiful carving, and well-loved among art-historians for many reasons (thanks Steve P. for some enlightenment), but partly due to it being the first realistic portrayal of a horse since antiquity, and thus a harbinger of the Renaissance.

Bamberg Reiter, early 13th c.  Notice the "green man" of foliage supporting the statue.

Ambling in old-town Bamberg really feels like you could be living in the Middle Ages, at least the clean, pretty, parts of it...

The old Rathaus (city hall) is outstanding, partly because it was built in the middle of the river (not on an existing island).

Approaching the Rathaus from the west shore of the river.

The Rathaus on its own island in the river.

The reason we were in Bamberg, however, was for Thomas, and forty-some other Humboldt award winners, to officially receive their awards and to be "fêted".  We were treated very well by the Humboldt foundation, with the three day meeting for the two of us (while Oma stayed in Munich with the kids) fully paid at a nice hotel near the heart of town.

Our hotel, the Residenzschloss, used to be the most modern hospital
in Europe.

The few talks were engaging, and we had ample opportunity over meals and drinks to meet and chat with some very interesting (and smart -- one award winner is a Nobel Laureate in chemistry, for example...) people from all over the world.  I have a new appreciation for the Humboldt foundation, and all the excellent work they do to "promote international cultural dialogue and academic exchange" (see link).  And I certainly appreciate that they made this fabulous year possible for us!

The president of the Humboldt foundation, Dr. Helmut Schwarz, gives
Thomas his official award certificate.  (You need sunglasses for that smile!)