UNESCO adds two World Heritage sites in Germany

Augsburg church Old Town architecture from above 
 (Courtesy: MaxPixel)

GERMANY — Two popular and historic tourism destinations have been honored in 2019 as UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany; the  Ore Mountains and the historic city of Augsburg.

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. Sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity. 

UNESCO cultural sites began
in 1972 (Courtesy:
americanlibrariesmagazine.org)

Inaugurated in 1972 with its first list, UNESCO's ongoing mission has been to recruit the world community in identifying cultural and natural properties of "outstanding universal value."

With the pair of new additions to the list, Germany shares the third largest number of UNESCO sites with Spain at 48. Only Italy and China claim more with 55 each. 

Erzgebirge, literally "ore mountains" in German, have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for about 800 years, from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range with the highest peaks being the Klinovec (4,081 ft) above sea level and the Fichtelberg (3,986 ft). 

The Ore Mountains are a year-round destination for hiking
and skiing  (Photo: Pixabay)

In the 19th century, when several Ore Mountain passes were upgraded into chaussees, and the Upper Ore Mountains were accessed by the railway, tourism began to develop.  

A chaussee is a historic term, no longer in use in Western Europe, which referred to rural highways constructed out of metal rather than using traditional, unpaved country roads 

One of the early pioneers of tourism in the Ore Mountains was Otto Delitsch whose vision established mountain inns  in many places and observation towers on the highest peaks. In those days skiing was extremely popular because of guaranteed snow along the ridges.

Steam powered narrow gauge trains add to the appeal of the 
Ore Mountains (Courtesy: cargonautus.de)

Today, steam-powered narrow gauge railways from that era, such as the Pressnitz Valley Railway, are popular tourist attractions.

In 1924 the Fichtelberg Cable Car became the first cable car in Germany, and it still takes visitors to the highest mountain in Saxony.

With a mining legacy of more than eight centuries in the Ore Mountains, the Schneckenstein Boulder is the only outcropping of topaz in Europe. In fact, the Schneckenstein is so valuable today that it is under 24/7 surveillance.

Augsburg is a city of churches
(Courtesy: Pixabay)

The second new UNESCO site in Germany is Augsburg. With ties to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Augsburg is one of the most historically significant cities in Germany, as well as one of the prettiest.  

Augsburg has long been a prominent financial centre, international trading hub and focal point for the fine arts, especially in the days when the Fugger banking empire was at its peak.

Thanks to its financial importance, Augsburg shaped the history of Germany and Europe over a long period, having always been a little richer, more glamorous and imposing than other cities.

The Fugger family had much to
do with Augsburg's prominence
(Courtesy: Pixabay)

Augsburg's superb fountains, grand old guild-houses, exquisite churches and Town Hall – perhaps one of the most important secular Renaissance buildings north of the Alps – combine to form a cityscape of rare intensity.  

Since the High Middle Ages visitors have  been awed by Augsburg's stately churches, including the cathedral with its stunning bronze portal (now nearly 1,000 years old) and the Basilica of St. Ulrich and St. Afra, named after two patron saints of the city.  

Another  Augsburg marvel was the wealth of the Fugger dynasty, a mercantile and banking empire that stretched from the Adriatic up to the North Sea and from the Atlantic Ocean across to eastern Europe. In fact, Anton Fugger would have been regarded as the Bill Gates of the mid-16th century since he was then considered the richest man in the  world.

Fearing Fugger's prominence would make the city vulnerable for attack, Augsburg surrounded itself with extensive fortifications and a continuous city wall, parts of which can still be seen today.

Another family with impressive links to the city's artistic heritage was the Mozarts. Leopold Mozart, father to Wolfgang Amadeus and an influential composer in his own right, was born there. In tribute the Augsburg Mozart Festival, is traditionally held each May.

Each year Augsburg holds festivals honoring Mozart and
native son, Berthold Brecht (Courtesy: Pixabay)

Thanks to his obstinate nature and moodiness, native son Berthold Brecht was not as revered by locals as Mozart was during his lifetime. Since his death in the middle of the 20th century however, the brilliant playwright and poet has been honored with an annual theater festival. The Brecht Festival serves to add yet another dimension to Augsburg's rich cultural legacy.

Throughout the centuries, numerous gold and silversmiths settled within the city walls establishing a reputation for quality and unparalleled excellence in their craftsmanship.

Their works are on display in various museums and exhibitions and are even sold in some of the many smaller stores still in existence today.             

Rounding out Augsburg's claims to fame is the fact that it is home to  the world's only state-approved public holiday to be celebrated in just one city; Augsburg's High Peace Festival.

Augsburg Town Hall
(Courtesy: Pixabay)

Celebrated on the 8th of August each year, the holiday commemorates the Protestants' loss of religious freedom in the city in 1629. It also celebrates the implementation of the Peace of Westphalia. This restored Protestants' religious freedom.         

       

As a traveler, any time you are in the vicinity of a UNESCO World Heritage site, take the opportunity to visit. You will not be disappointed.