I had a little sightseeing tour through Bruchsal today. Petra showed me the palace and told me a little bit about the history of Bruchsal.
Bruchsal was first named in 976 A.D, although the oldest settlement was discovered dated back to 640 A.D.. located near to the St. Peterskirche. Since then Bruchsal had been a place for Kings to visit and for Prince Bishops to live.
In 1rst March 1945 during the second world war about 1000 people lost their lifes. The inner city and baroque palace were destroyed and the palace was rebuilt during the 70th.
church tower of the catholic church St.Damian and Hugo, which was also baroque until 1945, but was rebuilt rather modestly. The part with the three dormers is the church.
On the left side you see the gate St. Damianstor, next to it you see the big red tower of the jailhouse. The building on the right side is the county court.
While the palace is in the flat area of Bruchsal, which belongs to the Rhine valley, the Belvedere is at the edge to the Kraichgau. It was a former hunting lodge and is now used as theatre platform during summer. Close to it a few clubs celebrate garten parties in summer too. My hosts like to go there, when there is a party of a choir, in which some members of their families are singing.
Next to the Belvedere is the oldest grammar school of Bruchsal, which uses the Stadtgarten, the park next to the Belvedere, as a school yard.
Only a few stairs down from the place before, Petra showed me some views over Bruchsal.
I just will try to remember the towers names, because I think, I forgot everything else.
The tower on the left side is the old tower of the old castle of Bruchsal, which is called Bergfried. I remember, that there is the Bügerzentrum, where citizens meet for cultural events and where also is a restaurant. Then you see the tower of the city church, which is in the inner city, where the market place is located. And at last you see the Lutherkirche, which is one of the two evangelic churches of Bruchsal.
On this photo you see the two towers of the baroque church St. Peter. And maybe you see a big building right under the crane. This building is called Sancta Maria and it is close to where I live right now.
Next to me you see the older people houses, a new one with the orange colour and the roof in the right corner and the white building behind it is the old part. Behind this white building you see the grey building of St. Paulusheim, which is a private catholic grammar school, only open for Christian pupils, because they do many religious things in their free time.
Now I'm in front of St. Peter. It is only a few metres from my home to go. Petra told me, that this church is also baroque inside, but mostly it is closed.
I'm on the area of the graveyard right now. The graveyard is a very silent place with a wonderful view over Bruchsal, but it is hard for older people to walk there, because it always goes up and down.
Standing nearer to the church I had this view to the grey building of St. Paulusheim again.
Maybe you remember, that I mentioned Sancta Maria. This building with its nice garden is on the left side of the photo. The left tower is the City church tower and the other tower is the one of St. Damian and Hugo.