Bamberg

Bamberg. Anyone heard of Rauchbier?  My son-in-law probably has.  It means smoke biers. Once all beers were smoke beirs.  The ancient kilning methods of drying green brewer’s malt over open fires to ensure all the grains picked up smokey flavors.  Today because of the change in brewing methods they are a rarity.  Several of the Bamberg breweries still use this method.  Because it is bold, it is great with  bold, rich foods and is perfect wtih saugsages.

Bamberg was founded in 1007 on the Christan faith by Emperor Heinrichs II.   St.Michael’s Abbey built in 1012 made it the center of the Holy Roman Empire.  It was the captial of his reign.  The emporer and his wife are buried in the Abbey.  In the 17th century when the Protestant Reformation  had the Witch Trials there. Five of Bamberg’s Mayors were found guilty and burned at the stake.

It became a vibrant cultural center in the late 17th century.  They founded a University and rose to prominence in the 18th Century when it became the center for enlightenment of Southern Germany.

It is one of hte few cities not destroyed by WWII  The City was laid out according to medieval planning rules as a cross with churches at the four cardinal points.

 City Hall.  It is built in the river.  After 5 mayors were burned at the stake for witchcraft the city leaders decreed that a city hall could not be built on the land of Bamberg..... so they built in in the river.

 Side of the City Hall

 The city slaughter house. You can see the cow on the front of the building.  During hte iddle ages they had pictures of things since most people did not read. The building is open over the river so the “remains” could be discarded into the river.  Needless to say downstream was the slums.

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Back of City hall in the river.