chasingcaterpillars's blog

Before Streets Had Names

In the old city of Nurnberg there are a number of these figures, each one placed on the corner of a building at a street intersection.  They are not only lovely sculptures, but sculptures with a purpose.  Well, they served a purpose back in history...back when city streets did not have any names.  These figure served as reference points for people trying to find a certain shop or house.

It's another indication of how much larger our cities and towns are today.  Can you imagine trying to give anyone directions today without using street names?  Or numbers?

The Beautiful Fountain

The tall fancy spire you see above the market booths is the Schoenebrunnen, or the Beautiful Fountain, and is very aptly named!  It is the most beautiul fountain I've ever seen.  And probably the tallest.  The workmanship that went into making this is absolutely incredible.

Here is a close up of this fountain.  The photo was taken through the fancy wrought iron fence which encloses it.

The golden ring is supposed to bring good luck when you turn it.  Yes, it does move!  Of course, you have to find it first, and that is no easy task!  The ornate iron work is such that the ring blends in beautifully, and even the change of color does not stand out immediately.

And, unbeknownst to a lot of tourists, there is an iron ring on the other side of the fountain.  Some of the local people asked me if I knew about this one, and when I said no, they beckoned me to this side and said that turning this one ensures that you have children.  Apparently especially important after the plague which wiped out so many.

Can you find it?  

A Walking Tour of the Old Town

The first thing I did was to take a walking tour just to get a basic idea of where things were and what there was.  Supposedly a 2 1/2 hour tour, ours lasted another hour because our guide took the time to answer questions as well as adding more information when the group showed more interest.  Walking around the town also showed us very quickly just how steep the terrain was going up to the base of the castle.  And from the base on up to the castle grounds was even more so!

We started at the Hauptmarkt, or the main market area.

The photo on the left shows the booths set up by the vendors.  They filled the entire large otherwise open square.  This square is the main market area of ancient Nürnberg where farmers brought their fruits, vegetables, eggs, animals, etc. to sell on market days.  As you can see, this still occurs (but without the animals).

The twin spires in the background are part of St. Sebaldus church, the church Maria Sybilla Merian Graf attended and where her second daughter, Dorothea, was baptized.  The family lived just a short way up the hill from this church.

The white stuff in the photo on the right is white asparagus.  This was the season for fresh asparagus and many of the sellers had it for sale.

Entering the old city of Nürnberg

WallEntrance

Wall

At last I get to see what it is like to be in a city surrounded by its old protective walls.  (These walls were completed in 1452.)

The photo on the left is of the entrance I used most of the time when entering and leaving the old original part of the city since I stayed in a small pension outside of these walls not far from the train station.

The photo on the right is a typical view of what the walls look like from inside the old city.  The square towers each had a door which provided access to the top of the wall.  Here it was easy to imagine men patrolling the covered walkways and keeping a close watch on any activity outside these walls. 

Train to Nürnberg

On to Nürnberg, the next city where Maria Sybilla Merian Graf lived.

I took the slow train that stopped many times along the way just so I could relax and enjoy the trip.  I love traveling by train.  It's a time when you can let your thoughts wander and at the same time watch the changing scenery.   I spent the time enjoying it so much I forgot to take pictures––except for one visually interesting train station called Langenprozelten. 

Train–station

Coins from Frankfurt 1647-1658

1Albus

I soon became curious as to what kind of money was around during Maria Sybilla's lifetime; the hunt was on!

This coin was minted in Frankfurt in 1647, the year Maria Sybilla Merian was born.  Its denomination is that of an Albus.  Having never heard of that before, I began to research to try to get an idea of how much it was worth at the time.  That, I soon discovered, is practically impossible to do.  Not only were different coins minted in different cities and different areas, but there were also coins that were called by the same name that had a slightly different values.  Throw in exchange rates and it all gets very confusing.  Now add the fact that there is very little written about what things cost back then.  I have no more idea of what it's worth now than I did when I started!

BaptismCoin

These coins were given to the parents of newborns when the baby was baptized.   The side with writing on it says: "Be true until death and I will give you the crown of life." 

LeoCoronation

This coin was minted  to celebrate the coronation of Leopold I as Holy Roman Emperor.  The coronation and celebration was held in Frankfurt when Maria Sybilla Merian was eleven years old.  The inscription is in Latin; the date given is Ausust 1, 1658. 

I find it fascinating that these coins are still in existence!

The Bug is Done

I decided the lantern bug was dried enough today, and took off the pins and strips of paper.  The shadowbox was already prepared, so all I had to do was pin the insect in.  It's about three inches long; the wingspan is close to six.

I would now love to see one in its natural habitat. 

Lantern Bug

While Maria Sybilla Merian was in Surinam, South America, she  was given some of these insects in a box.  They are so unusual looking, I just had to see a real one.  Since I haven't managed to get to Surinam and the rainforest there, I bought a Lantern bug ( scientifically known as Fulgora lanternaria ) from the internet!  Then I had to learn how to go about mounting it.  Thomas J Riley, entomologist and photographer, emailed me detailed instructions; and David E. Bowles, entomologist and Professor of Biology, gave me some mounting pins to use; both were very much appreciated!

Since it came as shown in the first picture, it had to be "relaxed" first.  I slit the plastic it came wrapped in to allow moisture in.  Then I placed it in a plastic contained partially filled with wet sand.  On top of that I placed a piece of matboard cut to fit the container.  On went the lid, sealing the bug inside with all that moisture.  And I waited...and waited...and waited.  On the fourth day I took the bug out and carefully took off the plastic it had been shipped in.  I lightly touched the wingtip; it was slightly flexible.  I put it back and closed the lid.  The next day I tried again.  Again I was afraid the bug wasn't damp enough to spread its wings.

Day six.  I did it!  I discovered that the groove I made in the piece of styrofoam was a bit too large there in the middle, so I scooted the bug up.  His peanut shaped protuberance in front of his eyes sticks out over the edge of the styrofoam.  It was actually easy to gently pull the wings into position, place the strips of paper over the wings to hold them down, and pin through the paper to hold the wings in position.

Now I wait some more.  After this unusual bug dries out again, I will mount it in a display case.  I'm ready!  In fact, I'd like to do another one!

Field of Chives

Chives

Chives2

This field of chives in bloom was just beautiful; I had to take time to walk to it and take some photos.  These were taken in the month of May, across the river from downtown Frankfurt, in Sachsenhausen.

From One Place to the Other

Interior of the Dom

Kaisersaal

After a new Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was crowned––in the Dom, shown on the left, he proceeded to the Kaisersaal––shown on the right––for a huge banquet held in his honor.

It's amazing how tall those old churches are, and how beautiful.

It's difficult to even imagine the long process needed to build such an imposing church without the time-saving conveniences of modern technology.  But I'm sure the construction of such a building provided good employment for a lot more people, too.

And speaking of construction, there was a lot of that, or maybe it was restoration and repair, going on when I was in Frankfurt.  And since all the scaffolding is usually covered, that makes it impossible to get a good view of the buildings in question.  Both the Dom and the Romer had such scaffolding when I was there.  It wasn't tourist season, yet, so maybe they were trying to have everything done before all the tourists came.  (Well, it sounds good, anyway.)

The Kaisersaal, which was used as a banquet hall, was fascinating in a different way.  I just couldn't get over the fact that the left side of the room is actually longer than the right side!  Looking at the curved beams of the ceiling is about the only way that can be seen in a photograph; there's an extra one on the left side going only to the center. (Looks a bit strange when you walk to the windows!)