Silk Painting: Erlangen

One of my friends here in Germany, Jeanette, likes to teach Silk Painting.  I had painted a scarf depicting Nuremberg last time and this time I wanted one that depicted the town we live in, Erlangen.  I did a preliminary sketch of the layout and she came up with a final design.  It depicts scenes from Erlangen with flowers from the botanical gardens in the background.

Closeup of the Schlossgarten.  The Schloss (Castle)was built in 1700 and is now used by the local University.

For the 1000th year anniversary of Erlangen, Artist Isolde Kunath created giant "pins" to commemorate notable historical places and monuments in the city.  

The World War I Memorial:

The Headquarters of Siemens in Erlangen, known as the Himbeer Palast (Raspberry Palace) due to the color of the bricks.The Siemens AG central was moved after World War II from Berlin in the undestroyed city of Erlangen.  Erlangen was also easily reachable by canal and highway.

Neustädter Universitätskirche in Erlangen.

Every June Erlangen hosts the Bergkirchweih, and annual fair and beer festival in Erlangen, Germany. The Bergkirchweih starts on the Thursday before Pentecost at 5PM. The opening ceremony called "Anstich", which is carried out by the town's mayor, takes place in a different beer cellar every year. Thousands gather to watch the opening spectacle hoping to get one of the free beers from the first barrel. Twelve days later the last beer barrel is buried in the cellar where the next Anstich will take place. The Bergkirchweih area is located in the northern extremities of the town of Erlangen and is roughly a kilometer long (0.6 mi). It contains beer cellars, booths and rides - a huge Ferris wheel is the Berch's traditional landmark.

With its wooden benches under elms, chestnuts and oaks it is the biggest Open-Air-Biergarten of Europe with more than 11,000 seats.

The Bergkirchweih has taken place since 1755. . Roughly a million people - about ten times the town's population - visit the event, making the Bergkirchweih the third biggest fair in Bavaria after the Oktoberfestin Munich and the Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing.

Depiction of beer at the "Berg":

Flowers from the Erlangen Botanical Garden:

Flowers from the Erlangen Botanical Garden:

A view from Erlangen looking toward Buchenbach across the meadow.  Sometimes sheep graze there!  Our house is sort of behind the trees on the left.

Pin commemorating the "Knight's Academy", an educational institution for the sons of the nobility.

Bonus: This is one I did of Nuremberg:

Bergkirchweih

Bergkirchweih roughly translates as "the dedication of the mountain church," referring to a church on the outskirts of Erlangen.

From the Erlangen website:

"When the city councils of the municipalities decided on 21st April 1755, to relocate the traditional Pfingstmarkt (fair on Pentecost) from the old town market up to the Burgberg (castle hill), they could hardly imagine what a significant decision they had made. This decision was the birthday of the Erlanger Bergkirchweih, a beer festival, which has been celebrated for more than 250 years every year for 12 days around Pentecost. When the Lord Mayor of Erlangen taps on the first beer barrel -opens herewith the "fifth season", the Huguenot city will expecct more than one million visitors from near and far. Under the splendid old, chestnut trees decorated with Chinese lanterns, the thirsty festival guests can enjoy cool beer out of steins. Franconian dishes, like fried sausages or the well known Breze (pretzel), will be served as well as many international dishes, as Langos or Döner. Under the symbol of the Erlanger Bergkirchweih, the biggest portable Ferris wheel in Europe, the carnies present more than forty rides and carousels, from traditional to high-tech, and many in lottery booths, shooting galleries and sales booths.
Already more than 250 years ago the cellars of Erlanger Castle Hill were used by the local breweries to store their beer, so that even in the summer months it was always cool and fresh. Until the invention of refrigeration machine by Linde the local breweries benefited of this unique locational advantage explained the fame as the No.1 city of export beer even before Munich and Kulmbach. Not only Karl May praised the excellent quality of Erlanger beer in a book, even today the term "Erlanger" is a quality determination in the United States. "

Needless to say, being the 3rd largest Beer Festival in Bavaria, this is the highlight of the year hear in Erlangen. You can't see it in the pictures, but many people wear traditional lederhosen and dirndls to the "Berg".

As you enter you can see the big Riesenrad (Ferris Wheel).


The chinese lanterns seen in the trees...



Lebkuchenherz (A sort of gingerbread heart). You might buy this as a souvenier for somebody.


"Greetings from the Erlanger Bergkirchweih"


Breze (Pretzels) anyone?

The largest outdoor Beer Garden....


The band attired in traditional clothing...

Entrance to a Bier Keller (Beer Cellar)

Mmmm...Weisenbier (wheat beer)!



But lots of candy too!

The "Berg" is laid out in a very long fashion with beer gardens on one side and rides on the other with more beer gardens up the mountain a bit.


Ferris Wheel!

Views from the Ferris Wheel of the Greater Erlangen Metropolitan Area:

To the west:

To the southeast:

We live about here.............V... on the far side of the green patch on the top.

Wolli-Ber! (Wooly bears)



Farewell until next year!

A couple of Random Erlangen Pictures

Hugenot church

The Huguenot Church was the first Huguenot place of worship built outside France. It was a gift from Margrave Christian Ernst and was built in 1686 - 93. key. The loggia, pulpit and priceless baroque organ are particularly remarkable.



Bookmobile!