Germany III - Rich Old Regensburg

Beautifully restored rathaus: "New"golden  city hall 

Inside the Rathaus

Regensburg!…. I never knew anything about it & well I should have. What makes it special is the extent to which its ancient structures have survived & there’s nothing “cosy” about it. It’s big, bustling and prosperous. 

Central Platz: Nothing Cosy!

Romanesque church almost destroyed in WWII; protected, but not cleaned or refurbished just yet

Could just be that after all the wars and tumult this city is not really so different than it was in its medieval heyday. Without too much stretch of imagination we could envision the city whose purpose as a major port on the extremity of the Danube was well established very early on. 

Let’s go way back. In its tender beginnings Regensburg was a celtic town called Radasbona. It became Castra Regina under the Romans during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. During the campaign against the barbarians (179 - 180 A.D.) he fortified the town for the purpose of protecting the southern portion of Germany along the Danube-Rhine border. 

A lot more peaceful now, but still just as utilized

Castra means fort, but (surprise!) Regina doesn’t mean queen, it was the name of a small river that empties into the Danube. This name naturally morphed into the German Regensburg, as the city no longer functioned as a fort.

This Renaissance mansion was built straight up by a rich burgher. It was impossible to photograph the entire structure with the top.

Two things made Regensburg a major city. First, in 845 the Bishopric of Regensburg received the visit of 14 Czech & Slovak noblemen seeking Christian baptism. Regensburg then became the center of catholic evangelization of Czechs & Slovaks. This single event determined that these slavic people would go toward western Europe in terms of culture and civilization and not, as might have been expected, with the Orthodox slavs of eastern Europe. 

Early Czech and Slovak nobles on a mission

Second, in 1142 a stone bridge was built over the Danube and suddenly Regensburg became a major transit town between northern Germany and Venice. By going through through the northernmost point of the Danube, Regensburg, saved time for merchants of northern Germany trading with Venice & vice versa. 

How old? Even older than ol' J.J.

The bridge quickly paid for itself through tolls & brought prosperity to the town. This enabled its bishopric to build a fabulous gothic cathedral, still standing, while all the others were destroyed & replaced by rococo churches at a much later date. 

Statuette of Pope Boniface who initiated construction of St. Peter's Cathedral

St. Peter's flank: All repaired and cleaned up

Modern Regensburg remains the most upstream port on the Danube. It is on the list of UNESCO’S prime protected historical cities. 

She's off to give a guided tour of the town. I've noticed that Germans provide entertainment & such in authentic costume. Fun!

It is traditionally known as a great university town where catholic theologians are groomed in league with an enlightened bishopric. Many will know that Pope Benedict, Joseph Ratzinger, is a product of this tradition & was for 10 years a professor of theology at the university. 

Can't you tell how scholarly these 3 gents are? 

Maybe they used to study and debate unter dem linden