July 27, 2012  Bamberg

Today we took a bus to Bamberg, a city known for its Rauchbier, a smoked beer made with malt that's been dried over open flames.  Eight breweries operate here upholding a tradition that's two centuries old.  I tried the beer and I really liked it.  I hope I can find it in St. Louis.

It might be surprising to learn that this inebriating city was founded largely on a very sober Christian faith.  In 1007, Emperor Heinrich II made Bamberg the center of the Holy roman Empire and the capital of his reign.  He intended for it to become a second Rome, like its Italian model, Bamberg was built on seven hills, each with a church on top.  He ordered the building of a new cathedral, which was consecrated in 1012 and remains the architectural and spiritual heart of the city.  The cathedral art work includes three dimensional art like this leg.  Both the Emperor and his wife were buried in the cathedral, as was Pope Clement II.  Heinrich also founded St. Michael's Abbey for the training of the clergy. Both are still standing and are considered superb examples of late Romanesque architecture.  Soon, Bamberg was the center of the Holy roman Empire and bishops became princes of the land.  but the Protestant Reformation eventually cut the bishopric's territory in half.  Later, the 17th century Bamberg witch trials cast a dark and tempestuous curtain over the city.  Bamberg was unusual in that five of its mayors--all men--were identified as accomplices to witches and burned at the stake.

Bamberg's prosperity has always been linked to the river.  In the Middle Ages, it was the starting point for shipping on the Main, and its now the northern starting point of the Main-Danube Canal that was built between 1960 and 1992.  It is also a vibrant cultural center that blossomed beginning in the late 17th century at the time of the founding of the University and rose to prominence 100 years later when Bamberg became the center of the Enlightenment for southern Germany.

One of the few cities in Germany not destroyed by World War II bombing, Bamberg is the largest Old town to retain its medieval structures; because of this, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.  Along with its Gothic, baroque and Romanesque architecture, the city was laid out according to medieval planning rules as a cross with churches at the four cardinal points.

When we arrived back at the boat, there was a challah and wine waiting for us so that we could have a brief service to welcome the Sabbath.  The boat's chef used my sister's challah recipe to make his first challah.  Although there were about a dozen Jewish passengers we only had about half a dozen at the service and several were not Jewish.