Bildung und Freizeit für Alle

The city tour begins at the Old Town Hall.

This is the Old Town Hall.  

This house is very old.

It was built between 1608 and 1610.  

Therefore, it is over 400 years old.

 

Back then, many houses looked like this.

Especially houses for the administration.

Many things were regulated here for the city.

 

Three men built this house back then:

• Siegfried Krämer
• Hermann von Werther
• Ludwig Burner

 

The Town Hall was destroyed during World War ll.

There was a big fire at the time.

 

The Town Hall was then rebuilt.

This took many years.

 

The Town Hall has a bell tower.

There are bells in the tower,

Like in a church.

 

The Nordhausen coat of arms is also there.

 

This means:

A coat of arms is a specific symbol for something. For example, a symbol for a city.

Even strangers could recognize the city by this.

Special things can often be seen on a coat of arms.

These things are typical of the city.

There is also a sun·dial.

In the past, there were only sun·dials.

People could see the time on it.

When the sun shines,

the sun·dial shows the time with its shadow.

You can only view the Old Town Hall from the outside.

The Roland is a big statue.

The Roland is the land·mark of Nordhausen.

 

What is a land·mark?

It can be an important person.

It can be an important monument.

It can also be an important building.

The land·mark is often very well known.

 

The Roland stands in front of the Old Town Hall.

The Roland is a symbol of freedom.

And Roland is a symbol of power.

 

The statue of Roland is actually very old.

Hundreds of years ago there was a fire in Nordhausen.

The Roland also burned in the fire.

That's why the Roland was replaced.

Since the fire, there has been a new statue of Roland.

 

The Roland was restored 30 years ago.

 

Restoration means:

To put something back into its former condition.

So that it looks like it used to.

 

The new Roland is a copy.

The old Roland stands in the New Town Hall.

The New Town Hall is opposite of the Old Town Hall.

You can also take a look at the old Roland there.

 

Roland is holding a sword in his right hand.

And Roland holds a shield in his left hand.

You can see a black eagle on the sign.

An eagle is a large bird.

 

Above Roland sits a pelican with its child.

A pelican is a bird.

The pelican used to be a symbol of the Christian church.

 

The square in front of the Town Hall is barrier·free.

 

Now you walk to Luther·platz.

To do this, turn your back to Roland.

Now look slightly to the right.

Here you have to cross the road.

On the other side of the street is Luther·platz.

 

This is Luther·platz.

Peter Genßler planned the square.  

That was 20 years ago.

 

There is a fountain.

The fountain is called the Reformation Fountain.

 

There used to be another fountain.

The fountain is called Luther Fountain.

The Luther Fountain was taken away.

And the first Luther Fountain was re·installed in front of the Town Hall.

It is no longer in use.

So, there is no more water in the Luther Fountain.

 

There is a bust of Luther on Luther Square.

A bust shows the head and shoulders of a person.

 

This refers to Martin Luther.

Martin Luther lived in the past.

Martin Luther founded a new church.

The church is called:

Evangelical Lutheran Church.

 

Supporters of Martin Luther are also pictured.

They can be seen as figures here.

 

There is also a lot of nature on Luther·platz.  

For example:

Lawns.

Trees.

Hedges.

 

Blind people can also experience the square.

There are signs with information.

There are also benches to sit on.

The paths on the square are barrier·free.

Next, walk to the Museum Tabak·speicher.

To do this, walk past the post office on the right.

After the fountain, turn left.

This is Bäcker·strasse.

First, go straight-out.

There is an entrance on the left-hand side.  

The entrance leads to a court·yard.

There is a sign.

The sign says:

Museum Tabak·speicher.

 

The museum is in the old tobacco ware·house.

The tobacco store was built many hundreds of years ago.

Tobacco used to be stored here.

Tobacco is used for smoking.

It is made from tobacco plants.

 

There is tobacco:

• for cigarettes.
• for cigars.
• for pipes
• for chewing.

This is called chewing tobacco.

 

The museum today has various topics.

For example:

• Hand·work.
• Industry.
• Archaeology.

 

 

 

In archaeology, people examine old objects.

You can see this on site:

• There is old jewelry.
• There are also old ceramics.
• There are also old tools.

 

There is also an old movie theater.

Old movies are still shown here.

 

There are various offers.

You can learn something.

And you can try something out.

 

You can take a guided tour.

This will be done by an employee of the tobacco store.

You must ask there beforehand.

The museum is not barrier·free.

Next, walk to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

To do this, walk straight ahead.

Then turn right.

This is the Pfaffen·gasse.

Now walk straight ahead for a little longer.

Then you will see the cathedral.

The cathedral is to your left.

 

A cathedral is a large church.

A cathedral usually belongs to the Catholic Church.

This is a form of the Christian religion.

 

There are many very old buildings in Nordhausen.

The cathedral is one of them.

The cathedral was built in 961.

That was over 1000 years ago.

Queen Mathilde had the cathedral built back then.

 

The cathedral in Nordhausen is called:

Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

 

The cathedral is named so because of a relic of the cross.

 

This means:

A cross relic is a piece of Jesus' cross.

Jesus is an important person in the Christian religion.

 

The relic of the cross is displayed in the cathedral. There are special chairs in the choir room.  

The chairs were made by hand.

The chairs are already very old.

Therefore, the chairs are very valuable.

Statues hang on the walls.

The statues show important people for the cathedral.

 

The cathedral was renovated a few years ago.

 

You can take a guided tour there.

You can take a look at the bell tower.

The bell tower is very high.

There are many steps.

You have a good view from the tower.

You can see the southern Harz Mountains.

You can also see the Kyffhäuser.

 

The cathedral is barrier·free.

However, the bell tower is not barrier·free.

From here you can also walk to the flea castle.

To do this, you have to turn right.

The street is called:

Barfüßer-straße.

Walk straight ahead for a while.

Then you will see the Flea Castle on the left-hand side.

 

The Flea Castle has been a museum for several years.

The Flea Castle is a special building.

One half of the building is old.

The other half of the building is new.

 

The Flea Castle is one of the oldest half-timbered houses in Nordhausen.

The Flea Castle used to be called Haus Barte.

The Barte House was built many hundreds of years ago.

The house was not always a museum.

 

The Flea Castle was before:

• A residential house
• A brewhouse (a place where beer is made)
• A theater
• A house for poor people
• A library for children

 

The Flea Castle Museum was opened 12 years ago.

The Flea Castle has three floors.

It is all about the history of Nordhausen.

It starts with the beginnings of the town of Nordhausen.

And shows the history up to the present day.

 

 

 

But there are also:

• Coins
• Minerals

Minerals are valuable stones.

• Certificates
• Important old texts
• Archaeological finds

Archaeological finds are old objects.

These can be old bones.

These can be special stones.

Or they could be old objects from the past.

Archaeological finds are from another time.

Archaeological finds are usually found in the ground.

 

This helps people today to understand:

This is how people used to live.

People used these objects in the past.

 

There is also a garden outside.

In the garden there are:

• Medicinal herbs
• Fruit trees
• Works of art made of stones

 

You can visit the Flea Castle on your own.

Or you can join a guided tour.

This is done by an employee of the Flea Castle.

 

The Flea Castle is barrier·free.

Now walk straight ahead through the old town.

 

This is the old town of Nordhausen.

Nordhausen was badly destroyed World War ll.

The city was hit by many bombs.

That is why there are very few old buildings left in Nordhausen.

 

The town was then slowly rebuilt.

 

A little of the old town can still be seen.

There is a lot of timber·work on the houses here.

These are wooden beams on the house walls.

The wooden beams support the house.

 

The old town is very old.

But many facades have been redone.

Facades are the walls of a house from the outside.

 

There is a lot to see here today.

You can go into stores.

You can go to cafés.

You can go to restaurants.

 

The old town also has:

• Many stairs.
• Narrow streets.
• The old city wall.
• The Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
  
  

Many small paths in the old town are not barrier·free.

But the large pedestrian paths are barrier·free.

Next comes the Sankt Blasii church.

You have to turn left into the next street.

The street is called Blasii·kirch·platz.

On the left you can see the Sankt Blasii church.

The church is evangelic.

That is part of Christianity.

 

The towers of the church have eight corners.

The church has colorful windows.

The windows show pictures of stories.

The stories are from the Bible.

The Bible is the book of faith for Christian people.

 

There is also a baptismal font.

Children are baptized at the baptismal font.

Then the children also belong to the Christian people.

The baptismal font is very old.

 

There is always a guided tour on Fridays.

And there is a church service on Sundays.

The service is at 10 am.

Then you can also hear the organ. An organ is a musical instrument.

The organ consists of many pipes.  

Each pipe sounds different.

There are also piano keys  

and keys for the feet.

The organ player presses the keys.  

This creates music.

 

The entrance has a small step.

The church is mostly barrier·free.

Turn left at the bus stop.

Now walk straight ahead for a long time.

At the cross·roads, turn right across the road.

You will now see the promenade.

 

The promenade is a park.

You can walk down the stairs into the park.

You can also use a ramp.

To do this, you have to walk a little to the left. There you will find the ramp into the park.

Follow the path in the park.

 

After a while you will see a fountain.

The fountain is called:

Neptune Fountain.

 

The promenade is a park.

The promenade is in the middle of the city.

The promenade is next to the City Theater.  

And along the old city wall.

 

There is a fountain at the front of the promenade.

The fountain is called the Neptune Fountain.

The Neptune Fountain was built a very long time ago.  

Ernst Rietschel built the Neptune Fountain.

 

In the middle of the Neptune Fountain stands a bronze sculpture.

The sculpture is made of metal.

The metal is called bronze.

 

In the beginning, the Neptune Fountain was located somewhere else in Nordhausen.

The Neptune fountain stood on the Korn·markt.

The Korn·markt is the square in front of the town hall.

 

The Neptune fountain was placed in the promenade 90 years ago.

Most of the paths are barrier·free.

Now continue straight ahead.

You will see a large building on the right.

This is the city theater.

 

The City Theater is in the middle of Nordhausen.  

The architect Gustav Ricken planned the city theater.

An architect plans buildings.  

Gustav Ricken came from Nordhausen.

 

The City Theater was opened more than 100 years ago.

In the City Theater you can watch a variety of things:

• Operas

People sing songs in operas.

• Theater plays

In plays, people act out a story.

• Ballet

In ballet, people dance to music.

• Symphony concerts

At symphony concerts, people play songs on instruments.

• Cabaret

In cabaret, people act out funny stories. And sing funny songs.

• Musicals

A musical is a play.

People also sing in the musical.

And people dance too.

The city theater is barrier·free.

Keep walking straight ahead.  

Then you will see the Zwinger.

 

The Zwinger was part of the city wall.

It used to look different.

It looked like a broad tower.

The walls were very thick.

 

The Zwinger was built in the 15th century.

It was part of the city's defense systems.

These are for  example:

• Towers.
• Walls.
• Trenches.

Not much is left of it today.

The Zwinger is no longer a tower.

But part of it is under·ground.

 

This was discovered more than 30 years ago.

There is a room under·ground.

A stair·case leads there.

There is a glass box above the stairs.

You can visit the room.

You must ask in advance.

 

The room is not barrier·free.

Now go straight ahead across the road. Then turn right.

Walk straight ahead for a long time.

You will pass the movie theater.

At the traffic circle, cross the tracks and the road.

Then turn left.

 

You walk to the Korn·markt.  

The old Town Hall is also here.  

There is a fountain.

Turn right at the fountain.

You will pass the old Town Hall.

Then turn right.

They walk straight ahead for a while.

You will see the City Library on the right.

 

A library is a place with lots of books.

You can read the books on site.

You can also borrow the books.

And then read them at home.

 

You have to register in the library for this.

Then you can borrow all the books.

After reading, you return the books.

 

The city library is called "Stadt·bibliothek Rudolf Hagelstange". Rudolf Hagelstange was a writer.

A writer writes books, for example.

Rudolf Hagelstange was from Nordhausen.

That is why the city library was named after him.

 

The city library is a public library.

This means:

The library is open to everyone.

Everyone can borrow books there.

 

The city library is barrier·free.

 

The City Tour ends here.

Next you walk to the Peters·berg.

To do this, walk over the rails.

Then continue straight ahead.

Now walk between the houses.

This is a pedestrian path

 

You now continue straight ahead.  

Until you reach a road.

Then cross the road.

Next, turn left.

Then turn right.

The street is called:

Otto-Ludwig-Straße.

 

There is a park to your right.  

This is the Peters·berg.

 

Now turn right into the park.

Then you have to turn directly left.

Now follow the path.

Turn right onto the next path.

Now walk straight ahead again.

Then you will see the Petri Tower on your left.

 

The Petri Tower was a church.

The church was destroyed during World War ll.

 

After that, only the church tower was rebuilt.

Today the tower is called Petri·turm.

 

The Petri Tower is very high.

Visitors can walk up to the top of the tower.

The Petri Tower is not barrier·free.

Next, walk to the Jew Tower.

To do this, take the next left.

Turn left again before the school.

Now walk straight ahead for a long time.

Take the first road on the right.

Then walk straight ahead again.

Soon you will see the Jew Tower.

The Jew tower is to your left.

 

The Jew Tower was built many centuries ago.

The Jew Tower was part of the city wall.

The Jew tower stands on the Peters·berg.

 

There are two explanations for the name.  

One explanation is:

There was a cemetery for Jews here.

Judaism is a religion.

People who believe in Judaism are called Jews.

Another explanation is:

Jews were threatened in the Middle Ages.

Jews were killed on this spot in Nordhausen.

 

In the last century, no one cared about the Jew Tower anymore.

Over time, the Jew Tower fell into disrepair.

 

The Jewish Tower was renovated 30 years ago.

This means:

The Jew tower was repaired.

The tower now looks like it used to.

Now turn around again.

Follow the path back to the entrance.

Now go straight ahead across the road.

You will come back to the pedestrian path.

Turn left before the tracks.

Walk straight ahead for a long time.

You will pass the movie theater.

At the traffic circle, cross the tracks

and the road.

Then turn left.

 

You walk to the Korn·markt.

The Town Hall is also here.

There is a fountain.

Turn right at the fountain.

You will pass the Town Hall.

Then turn right.

Walk straight ahead for a while.

Then you will see the City Library on the right.

 

A library is a place with lots of books.

You can read the books on site.

You can also borrow the books.

And then read them at home.

 

You have to register at the library.

Then you can borrow all the books.

After reading, return the books.

 

The City Library is called "Stadt·bibliothek Rudolf Hagelstange".

Rudolf Hagelstange was a writer.

A writer writes books, for example.

Rudolf Hagelstange was from Nordhausen.

That is why the City Library was named after him.

 

The City Library is a public library.

This means:

The library is open to everyone.

Everyone can borrow books there.

 

The City Library is barrier·free.

 

The city Tour ends here.