Germany 1983 /Trier an der Mosel (4): Roman Bridge, the Barbara Baths, Karl Marx House, Baroque Church St Paulin - THE END.
On Tuesday 30th August (1983), I bought a bus pass to get around town to see some places I had not yet been to.
According to the notes in my photo album, I started by taking the bus down to the riverside, to have a look at the harbour, and the oldest bridge in Germany: die Römerbrücke (the Roman Bridge) or Alte Moselbrücke (the Old Moselle Bridge).
The Roman Bridge (German: die Römerbrücke) is an ancient structure in Trier, Germany, over the river Mosel. It is the oldest standing bridge in the country, and the oldest Roman bridge north of the Alps. The nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD, then replacing two older, wooden bridges that dated at least as far back as 17 BC. - In Roman times, tossing a coin off the bridge into the Moselle was an offering of good luck. Today, experts believe approximately one million coins could be lying hidden in the riverbed. - The upper part was renewed twice, in the early 12th and in the early 18th century, after suffering destruction in war. Along with other Roman and Early Gothic sites in Trier, the bridge was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 because of its historical importance and architecture. (Wikipedia)
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| Tourist bus pass for a day |
After having seen the bridge, and some other old structures/buildings along the riverside, I went to visit die Barbarathermen - The Barbara Baths.
AI summary: Built in the second half of the 2nd century C.E., the Barbarathermen (Barbara Baths) in Trier was the largest Roman bath complex north of the Alps, covering over 42,000 square meters. Serving as a luxurious, well-appointed public leisure center, it remained in use until the 4th century before later being repurposed as a quarry and castle. [The name seems to have been given to them later, referring to the district of town where they were buil, in turn named after St Barbara, an early Christian saint and martyr.]
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| Schwimmbad = swimming pool |
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| Frigidarium = a cold room in an ancient Roman bath. |
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| This photo had acquired such a weird colouring that I turned it b&w instead... |
(AI:) Key Historical Aspects of the Barbara Baths:
Purpose & Size: Built to accommodate a growing population, it was the second largest in the Roman Empire, featuring pools, heated rooms (hypocaustum), and marble decorations.
Architecture: The baths were designed to accommodate a high volume of visitors, with a two-story hypocaust heating system and a structure typical of Northern African bath designs.
Decline & Reuse: Following the decline of Roman power, the complex was used as a castle. By 1610, the ruins were heavily exploited as a quarry for building materials for a nearby Jesuit college.
After having seen enough of the Barbara Baths (I did wander around there for quite a while, trying to imagine how it might all once have looked), I went to visit a building of later date:
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| Karl Marx House - my photo from 1983 |
The Karl Marx House museum. This is where Karl Marx was born back in 1818 - the father of Marxism, who influenced both modern socialism and communism. It is now (and also back in 1983) a museum about Karl Marx's life and writings as well as the history of communism.
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| Photo copied from Wikipedia |
(Wikipedia:) The house was built in 1727 as a two-story baroque building. Karl Marx was born there on 5 May 1818. In October 1819, the Marx family moved to a smaller building near the Porta Nigra. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) acquired the the house in 1928. After the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, the building was confiscated and turned into a printing house. After WWII, in 1947, the building was opened as a museum of the life and works of Karl Marx. - And on 14 March 1983*, the 165th anniversary of Marx's birth, the museum was re-opened after a year-long renovation that expanded it to three floors.
*I can't recall now if when I visited I was aware that the museum had been so newly renovated and re-opened. I also don't remember details of the interior of the place, or items exhibited. But as back then I was studying German at the university, I no doubt found it interesting from historical and academic point of view.
On Wednesday 31st August, it was time for me to start my journey back to Sweden. According to my photo album, I managed to squeeze in one last tourist attraction before leaving town - a visit to the Baroque church St Paulin, built between 1734 and 1753. (The photos below are postcards.)
The church was named after a saint, Paulinus of Trier, whose tomb is located in the church's crypt. He was a bishop of Trier before being exiled to Phrygia in 353. He died there five years later, but his remains were returned to Trier in 395. Before the present baroque church, there were two earlier church buildings in the same spot. (Wikipedia)
My journey back home went without any problems (or at least none are recorded in my photo album). Train from Trier to Koblenz, then from Koblenz to Hamburg, and from there a night train back to Gothenburg. (And from there, either straight back to Karlstad, where I lived then - or possibly first a detour to visit my parents for a belated family birthday celebration - I'm not quite sure. My dad and I had the same birthday...)
On the last page in my photo album there is this postcard:
Bright days -
don't cry that they're over,
but smile that they happened.
- - -
THE END
Thanks for having joined me on my "time travel"!
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