# Quedlinburg, Germany - a World Heritage Site (+Wernigerode)



## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Quedlinburg is a small town in Saxony-Anhalt, a state in the former GDR. The town lies close to the Harz mountains, a region of deep woods, legends and old towns full of half timbered houses. 
Quedlinburg was probably founded in the 8th century. In the 10th century it became a Imperial palace (Kaiserpfalz) and therefore a important place in the Holy Roman Empire.
Luckily Quedlinburg wasn't destroyed in WW2, and in 1994 the town, as "an exceptional example of a medieval European town", became a world heritage site. Although the town looks beautiful today Quedlinburg lost more than 20% of its residents since 1989 because of the weak economy in the region (as almost every town in the former GDR). A renovated, timber framed house in the old town costs approx. 150.000€, which isn't much here in Germany, but you can get small ones already for 45.000€.


The first of more than 1200 timber framed houses. Above St. Servatius, a Romanesque church, on the castle hill:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

The so called "Finkenherd", allegedly the place where Saxon duke Henry the Fowler was offered the crown of Eastern Francia in 919. The houses are of course much younger:





























St. Servatius from the 12th century:











Inside the castle:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Inside St. Servatius. The inside was changed by the Nazis and especially Heinrich Himmler, who believed to be something like a successor of Henry the Fowler, the first German king:











The crypt, burial place of Henry the Fowler, his wife and several abbesses:




















The cathedral's treasury, one of the most valuable of the Middle Ages. Some of the pieces, from the 10th to 12th century, were stolen by American soldiers during WW2 and returned in 1993 to Quedlinburg:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Simple half-timbered house from 1346, one of the oldest in Germany:






































Late 19th century, what we call Gründerzeit era:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

The market:




















Town hall:




















Roland, symbol of the independence of the town. The abbesses of Quedlinburg however didn't accept the growing independence of the town, and after the intervention of the Saxon dukes the Roland was removed until the 19th century:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Market again:






































Details:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Now Neustadt (new town), a younger quarter of Quedlinburg (only founded in the 12th century):





























St. Nikolai in Neustadt, from the 13th century:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Back in the old town (Altstadt):


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Inside St. Benedikti, the market church:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Market again:






































Done.
Wernigerode will be added later.


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## Farrapo (Oct 7, 2003)

Quedlinburg is truly a jewel! 

It seems so cozy and charming! A nice place to visit in Germany!

Btw, the pics are great! Thanks for sharing! kay:


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Wow! So much beauty in one place! I am amazed...even though I come from an ancient city myself. But Quedlinburg seems to be even more charming. Like a city out of a fairytale... And your pictures made this come to life. You are so talented!


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## Dr.Mabuse (Jun 6, 2009)

great pics of a great town!


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## Dr.Seltsam (May 28, 2008)

QLB looks amazing! Once again very very professional photos, Karasek!
Thanks!


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## Bavarian Angelshark (Nov 27, 2007)

Quedlinburg is so beautiful :happy:


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## salvius (Aug 4, 2004)

Never been but looks stunning.


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## ozzage (Apr 16, 2009)

Amazingly spectacular town!

What sort of ages are those timber-framed houses?


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

ozzage said:


> Amazingly spectacular town!
> 
> What sort of ages are those timber-framed houses?


Most of them are 250 to 500 years old.


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## thun (Aug 8, 2007)

Another great thread by you! Tahnks so much!


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## JValjean (Oct 15, 2009)

:master:


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Karaseks photo threads are pure awesomeness!


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## friedemann (Jun 29, 2006)

I agree!


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## Dr.Mabuse (Jun 6, 2009)

Why wasn't Quedlinburg destroyed in the 30 Year's War?


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## zwischbl (Mar 12, 2005)

wow i´m impressed!
have to go there for sure!!
:cheers:


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## Pansori (Apr 26, 2006)

What a wonderful and lovely place. To me this is the best visual definition of 'medieval Europe'.


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## Discu (Mar 13, 2009)

Karasek said:


>


This picture tells so much about how underrated Quedlinburg is (in spite of being a world heritage site).
Shouldn't a place so uniquely cosy and inviting be crowded with guests on a sunny day?


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## tigidig14 (Mar 5, 2005)

nice


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## Patrick (Sep 11, 2002)

Pure awesomeness! :master::drool:

It's beautiful, and, compared to the hessian and rhenish towns I am currently presenting from time to time, Quedlinburg's old town is so big.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really awesome photos... well done :cheers:


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## dutchmaster (May 23, 2007)

Lovely pics..


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## Embrace57 (Apr 30, 2009)

Unbelievable!!!
Germany keeps blowing my mind with these amazing places! :angel1:


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## skyedreamer (Jul 26, 2011)

Dr.Mabuse said:


> Why wasn't Quedlinburg destroyed in the 30 Year's War?


Because they were a "bunch of cowards" and preferred to pay ransoms required by the armies passing through. Quedlinburg was often used as a base and the Swedish were trying to turn it into a stronghold, but that plan was abandoned. The town still suffered dramatically, though.

By the way, most of those half-timbered houses do indeed stem from the years directly after the war - most of them were built between 1650 and 1700. Most of the men who built them (and yes, their names are known!) were born during the years of the war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypiw9YK7v1o


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

wow! this is one charming, quaint pictureque town.
thanks for sharing your photos.


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Where are the pictures of Wernigerode?


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Tiaren said:


> Where are the pictures of Wernigerode?


:?
Looks like I forgot them... hmm. Sorry, will add them next week.


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

So, here are the pics of Wenigerode... only 2 years after I tooks them, lol.
There isn't much to say about Wernigerode. It's a small, cosy town at the foot of the Harz mountains. The old town is completely preserved and offers a large number of colorful half-timbered houses.


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

On the left the town hall, built around 1500:


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)




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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

The smallest house of Wernigerode:











Wernigerode castle above the town:


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

Love the nice pics....thanks.


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## Karasek (Apr 6, 2008)

Done... finally.


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## Skrapebook (May 7, 2010)

Mindblowing! :shocked:
The towns of Germany are the most colourful and stunningly beautiful in the entire world! :angel1:
Spread the word! :cheers:


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

This is so underrated compared to little Bavarian towns.


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## balthazar (Jul 19, 2007)

nice town.


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## WalkTheWorld (Aug 1, 2007)

Just mind-boggingly spectacular!

Great subject and great pictures.

Thanks a lot.

I've always been fascinated by the way you guys keep a steep slant even on terra-cotta tiled roofs. Maintenance must have been...uhm...risky!


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## Bavarian Angelshark (Nov 27, 2007)

*stunningly beautiful! *


Karasek said:


>


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## Skrapebook (May 7, 2010)

Deutschland is truly heaven on Earth! :shocked:


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## Johnor (Jan 8, 2008)

Awsome thread!
Quedlinburg is one of the nicest old towns in Germany.


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