The church contains many sculptures, some of which have been
heavily restored. Visitors can enjoy other works of art from the Middle Ages preserved in the church, such as the Tucher Altar, and two monuments by Adam Kraft (circa 1498). One of the Frauenkirche’s most notable exterior features is a mechanical clock that commemorates the Golden Bull of 1356, called the Männleinlaufen, although the clock was not installed in the church until 1506 when the timekeeping technology of the period had suitably advanced. Visitors who want to catch the full hour-striking experience should head out before midday, when the clock’s mechanism activates: a bell is rung to start the sequence, followed by the emergence of trumpeters and a drummer; then there is a procession of the electors around the fi gure of the Holy Roman Emperor.
BRIDGING ACROSS THE CENTURIES Nuremberg has always been a city of two sides, separated by the river Pegnitz. The Fleisch Bridge (or ‘Meat Bridge’) is a late- Renaissance bridge built between 1596 and 1598 that linked the districts St Sebald and St Lorenz along the axis of the city’s main food market – hence the nickname. The Fleisch Bridge is notable for several construction features
that were advanced for its time. These include an unusually large width of 15.3m, and a clear span of 27m – which made it the largest masonry bridge arch in Germany when it was built. With a rise of only 4.2m, the arch features a span-to-rise ratio of 6.4-to-1, giving the bridge an almost unprecedentedly fl at profi le. The Bridge remains largely unchanged since the addition of a portal in 1599. A Latin inscription at the portal reads: Omnia habent ortus suaque in crementa sed ecce quem cernis nunquam bos fuit hic vitulus. (‘All things have a beginning and grow, but the ox upon whom you now look was never a calf’); historians might debate its precise meaning, but visitors can apply their own interpretation.
Founded in the 16th century,
Nuremberg Castle is in fact not a single edifi ce, but a group of fortifi ed medieval buildings on a sandstone ridge that
dominates the
historical centre. The castle,
for a stroll), was together with the city
walls (which provide an excellent route
post-lunch afternoon considered one of
Europe’s most formidable medieval fortifi cations. They represented the might and importance of the Holy Roman Empire and the outstanding role of the Imperial City of Nuremberg – and its power to defend itself against the onslaughts of malevolent foes. Unfortunately, like much else of
Nuremberg’s historical heritage, the castle sustained damage at war’s end in 1945, with only the Imperial Chapel and the Sinwell Tower remaining wholly
intact. The castle was
subsequently restored to its historical form, including the recreation of the striking Luginsland tower which had been completely destroyed.
ACCREDITATION Words | Jim Meyers Video | Michael Jooss Photography |
ShutterStock.com
city’s
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