Braunschweig (Brunswick)

An important commercial and political centre from the early Middle Ages, Braunschweig was chosen as town of residence by Heinrich der Lude (Henry the Lion), ruler of Saxony and Bavaria. A member of the Welf family, he eventually lost in his struggle against the German emperor.

Very different in character but equally famous was Till Eulenspiegel, an ordinary man who poked fun at dimwitted citizens, the aristocracy and the clergy. His exploits were fictionalized in the 16^th century, and he was immortalized with a fountain on Buckerklint Square. Braunschweig’s continued decline culminated in the almost total destruction of the town in 1944. During reconstruction, the concept of the “Traditionsinsel” was developed: small islands of reconstructed historic monuments adrift in a sea of modernism.

A tour of the town is best started from Burgplatz (castle square). Here is the Burglöwe, the monument of a lion funded by Heinrich in 1166 (the original is in a museum).

Symbolizing Heinrich’s rule, it was the first such sculpture to be erected since Roman days.

The Dom (cathedral) is well worth seeing. In the north nave, an extension, are unusual turned pillars, and in the transept and presbytery are 13th-century frescoes. Its marvellous treasures include a gigantic seven-armed bronze candlestick, the tomb of Heinrich and his wife Mathilde, the Crucifix of Imerward and a wooden cross with the figure of Christ modelled on the sculpture of Voltosanto in Lucca. Visitors can also see the column of the Passion with the figure of Christ, the work of Hans Witten.

To the west of the cathedral lies the Altstadtmarkt (old town market). Here are the L-shaped Rathaus (town hall), with a cloister, and the Gothic church of St Martini. The beautiful Gewandhaus (cloth hall) is also worth seeing.

East of the cathedral is the Herzog-Anton-Ulrich-Museum, the oldest in Germany. It was opened to the public as a gallery by Duke Anton Ulrich and holds a variety of gems such as Rembrandt’s Family Portrait, a Giorgioni self-portrait and Vermeer van Delft’s Girl with a Glass of Wine.

Environs

In Königslutter, 35 km (22 miles) east of Braunschweig, Emperor Lothar initiated the building of the Benedictine Kaiserdom, a monastery church and later his burial place. The portal with figures of lions, a frieze with figures of fishermen, and the cloisters reflect the taste of the times and the northern Italian origin of architects and sculptors; only the frescoes are late 19th-century additions.

Helmstedt, 45 km (28 miles) to the east, is unjustifiably only associated with the former border crossing between East and West Germany. In 1576, Duke Julius of Brunswick founded the Julius Academy, one of Germany’s most popular Protestant universities, where the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno taught. Juleum (1592–7), the main building, has a central tower and two decorative gables. It is now home to the Kreisheimatmuseum, a regional museum and library.