BS: Nurnberg info

Subject: RE: BS: Nurnberg info
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 08:48 AM

From this site, choose English, click at number 11:

The richly painted "beautiful fountain" was erected ca 1385-96 by master builder Heinrich Beheim. The form is reminiscent of a Gothic church spire. Emerging from the octagonal water basin, a three-tiered stone pyramid soars 19 m upward to end in a cruciform finial. Its 40 sculptured figures reflect the world-view of the Holy Roman Empire: below, philosophy and the seven liberal arts; above them, the four Evangelists and the four Church Fathers. In the middle: the seven electors and Nine Worthies. Above: Moses and seven prophets.

The wrought-iron grille (1587) was the work of Paulus Kühn of Augsburg. The fabled (and often replaced) brass ring is to be found on the southwest flank.

Only fragments of the soft sandstone original survive (now in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum). The shelly limestone copy dates from 1897-1902.

[There is a fine German folksong about water and wine quarreling about rank: Water refers to the Nuremberg Fountain, where it artfully comes out of the mermaids' breasts.]

Wilfried

Subject: RE: BS: Nurnberg info
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Jul 04 - 07:51 AM

St. Sebaldus church now is a protestant church.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Nurnberg info
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 04:35 PM

I guess you're right, kat, the thing is a fountain. Funny, but I didn't notice any water. Perhaps the point was that people could get water out of a low pool at its base.

I never went right up to it, what with the fence all around it and the rain coming down.

Thanks for the lead to the site which explains about St Sebaldus. We had been on a trip up the Danube and had visited gorgeous churches and monasteries, but St Sebaldus seemed to us to have the most Christian spirit and activities of any of them -- the breakfast for the homeless, the craft sale from third-world countries, the eternal building & grounds issues...

I only wish I could have been there to hear the Phantom of the Opera (silent film) accompanied by the church organ, but alas, we had to leave on a Monday, and the Phantom wasn't until the next Friday. Sigh.

Subject: RE: BS: Nurnberg info
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 10:47 AM

And there was this about the spire, at least I think it's the one you mean:

Found at this site:

SCHONER BRUNNEN. This "Beautiful Fountain" is one of Nuremberg's chief sights: a 14th-century Gothics fountain surmounted by a 60-foot spire. It has 40 statues. Those at the base are the seven Electors (princes who elected the Holy Roman Emperor), and nine heroes from the Old Testament and the Middle Ages. At the top are prophets shown surrounding Moses.

This fountain was built when the city was at its commercial and artistic zenith. It was a symbol of the town's prosperity and civic pride: money to build it was donated by various guilds of the city.

Subject: RE: BS: Nurnberg info
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 10:44 AM

My brother really enjoyed Nurnberg/Nuremberg, too, years ago and brought back some lovely pictures.

In scanning through a search on google, I found this site, in German, which apparently tells of the life of Saint Sebaldus.. He was the patron saint of the Nurnberg.

At another site, it said it was now a Protestant church, but seemed to indicate it was Roman Catholic before.

Hope this helps!

kat

Subject: BS: Nurnberg info
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Jul 04 - 10:26 AM

A week ago, I was in Nuernberg, Germany. What a lovely place!

Now we are home, organizing our pictures, and I have two questions.

1. What is the history of black spire with gold decoration which stands in the square near St Sebaldus church? It looks as if somebody took the top off a cathedral tower, set it on the ground and put a fence around it.

2. Is St Sebaldus a Roman Catholic church or some other kind?

Vielen Dank