His tory lives h e r e 1/5/9 Scenes from different guided tours 2 Sandstone sculpture at the entrance to Büdingen “A town, as one imagines a medieval German town, Castle (Schloss Büdingen) still amidst its historic fortification and held together by its walls…” 3 View from the Witches' Welcome to üdingen Tower (Hexenturm) (Prof. Dr. Hamann, 1922) onto Büdingen's roofs 4 1 Those who think of stones as more than just historical to the town walls, ending at the neatly planned “Fore - 5 remnants and of half-timbered frames as more than just town” (Vorstadt) of 1725. wooden beams are sure to fall under the spell Büdingen’s motto, “History lives here” is fitting for a of Büdingen’s charms. town which is so proud of its great historic inheri- We would like to invite you to get to know tance and so conscious of its duty to preserve this more about this perfect example of a historic inheri tance for the enjoyment of its guests – German town. Let us take you on a journey wheth er this takes the form of individual through time, beginning with the medieval tours, exciting theme tours, celebrations, castle, through the centuries-old alley ways exhibitions, or festivities. 3 6 2 7 8 9 4 Half-timbered houses at Castle Lane (Schloss gasse) 6 “Ysenburg” family crest above the entry gate of Schloss Büdingen 8 Jerusalem Gate 2 Albert Einstein 1 Janus face at Oberhof (Upper Courtyard) These are the words used by Albert Einstein, no less, to describe Büdingen following his 2 Pulverturm (Gunpowder Tower) visit to the town in May 1952. If this great scholar could see the historic town today, he would little piece of the Middle Ages, 3 Altstadt find little has changed. Although the historical center of the town is actually in better condi tion 4 Steinernes Haus (graced by double-story bays) shown from its most enchanting side now, thanks to the extensive restoration work carried out over the last few decades. 5 Frog Fountain at Neustadt Anyone is interested in see- a grand town hall, the artistically decorated Church of ing and experiencing how a Our Lady (Marienkirche), as well as prestigious half- community has developed or - timbered houses. In the late Middle Ages, at the high 4 ga nically, over the centuries, point of Bü din gen’s period of growth, the early 14th is in the right place in this century wall surrounding the town was replaced by a town. It is situated be tween mighty new fortification. This bastion is more than two the out er reaches of the Wet - kilometers (1.3 miles) long, has 22 towers and half- terau (the valley of the Wetter round towers, and is regarded nowadays as one of the 1 River area) and the hills of best ex amples of the way de fensive architecture chan- the Vogels berg (a volcanic ged as a result of the advent of firearms. moun tain range). Only a rare few towns, such as Bü dingen, have survived the turmoil of previous times and remadine relatively unscathed to the present day. Today the safe- 5 ly preserved half-timbered buildings and stone oriel win dows, the gables and dormers, the defiant walls and towers, all allow the visitor to experience the spirit of the past. Visitors can experience how an aspiring civic society emer ged under the protection of the moat ed castle of the House of Ysenburg. The town emerged out of re sidences for courtiers and servants outside the castle protected by privileges making it able to afford 2 3 6 7 8 9 6 Church of Our Lady (Marienkirche) 7 Freyhaus (opposite Marienkirche) 8 Oberhof (Upper Courtyard) 9 Schlossgasse 4 (Castle Lane) 1/6 Reticulated vaulted ceiling at Marienkirche 2 Sandstone statue A walk through the town and its history begins at the Jerusalem Gate. Here, the two sides at Büdingen Castle of the fully intact town wall meet at the double tower. This is the entrance to the historical 3 Western Defense Wall efense and Design 4 Old Town Hall town center with its many sandstone and half-timbered houses. (Historisches Rathaus) of Büdingen. Half-timbered houses and houses con- structed of stone (dating from a period of six centuries) alternate along the sides of the cobbled streets. Some of the buildings crowd together in small side alleys, others self-consciously occupy pride of place, such as the “Luckische Hof“ (dating from 1510) or the “Stei - 4 nernes Haus” (graced by double-story 1 bays) built in stone slightly earlier. The Old Town Hall, built in the 15th The Jerusalem Gate (or Lower Gate) is the town’s land- century, is a powerful ex pres sion mark with its combination of superb fortification and of the civic pride of the time; unsurpassed artistry. The late Gothic gate (its parapet nowadays it houses the decorated with filigree tracery), provides a good wester ly town’s mu seum, the “Heu son starting point for a tour of the town. Even better is to Mu seum”. The step ped gables 5 start with a walk around the long circuit of the town of the Old Town Hall (Histo - walls. risches Rat haus) are nearly as The great walls of sandstone with their embrasures (the high as the neigh boring buil ding, lateral slits for shooting firearms) which guard the town the Church of Our Lady (Marien - may appear threatening and awe inspiring. How peace - kirche). This late-Gothic hall ful everything seems, in contrast, once you have walked church features a splendid re - through one of the town gates into the historical center ti culated vaulted ceiling. 2 3 6 7 8 9 5 Alliance coat of arms on Jerusalem Gate 7 Luckischer Hof with “Wild Man” truss figure 8 Former Mill Gate (Mühl tor) and today’s Butchers Museum (Metzgermuseum) 6 9 Glass window by M.Bauss 1 Sandstone figure at the market square fountain 2 Castle Lane Büdingen’s historic center consists of the Old Town and the New Town. For a long time, (Schlossgasse) both parts of the town were separated by walls before the division was overcome by the 3 Altstadt construction of the market square with its half-timbered houses, so creating a common 4 Garten Kölsch onnecting Old and New 5 Oberhof local center. (Upper Courtyard) Büdingen dates back to the moated castle constructed in the 12th century. The civic community de veloped out of the settlement of castle servants which grew up out- side the castle walls. In 1330, this community was gran - ted the right to hold markets and, shortly afterwards, was granted its Statute of Liberty (the Frei heitsbrief), too, by the House of Ysenburg. In return, the town in - habitants agreed to build a protective wall around the 3 town which would help to secure it against attack. After the completion of the city wall in 1350, the New Town (Neustadt) developed on the other side. Three hun dred years later the ditches and ramparts between the two halves of the town were dismantled. Enough space was created at the most important juncture be - tween the Old and New Towns to create a new market square: this square, surrounded by half-timbered houses, remains the town center today. Parts of the original city 4 wall still remained standing after the construction of the new fortification which surrounded the Old and New Towns. The longest stretch of original wall can be seen in the “Kölsch Garden”, where plants and bushes ac cen - tuate the red color of the stone. Here, there is also an ex - hibi tion of massive boulders which date back hundreds of millions of years. These provide visitors with an insight into the geological formations of the area around Büdingen and further afield than Vogelsberg and Wetterau. 25 1 6 78 6 View of the market square at the tactile model (Auf dem Damm) 7 Neustadt (New Town) 8 Geological stone gallery 8 1 Büdingen’s coat of arms (at Stadtknechthaus) 2 Portrait of Count Ernst Casimir zu Ysenburg und Büdingen In Büdingen, architecture reads like a history book: From the Old and New Town 3 Jerusalem Gate, into the Foretown. The half-timbered houses planned there in the 18th century left the 19th century (rear view) eyond the Walls 4 Jerusalem Gate, Middle Ages behind spatially and spiritually. today (front view) 1 For a long time, the residents edict, for the first time in Germany, all those who were of Büdingen were forbidden to persecuted for religious beliefs were protected. No won - reside outside of the town, that der that the Anabaptists, the Inspi rationalists, and the 5 is, outside of their town’s for - Mora vians after years of long hard ship were attracted tification. That changed, how - to the fertile Wetterau valley and thought that Bü - ever, when the sturdy walls dingen was a Jerusalem on Earth. Its gate, the late (up to four meters or 13 feet Gothic Lower Gate (Untertor), was christened after the thick in some places) could Holy City. no longer offer defense against the firepower of mighty cannons. In the early eighteenth century, the area gained outside the Jerusalem Gate was developed and half-timbered houses were constructed according to a long term, unified plan. 6 However, these houses deserve our attention not only because they are so orderly and well-preserved. They also stand for freedom and enlightenment. This is where the refugees, fleeing from religious persecution, were allowed to settle under the so-called “Edict of Tole rance”, granted by Count Ernst Casimir of Ysen burg in 1712.