MAGDEBURG
Sightseeing
History I
Sightseeing I
Practical I Hotels in Magdeburg
The city of Magdeburg has suffered a
lot, especially in the Second World War. To explore the city and its
main monuments a walking tour is advisable.
The
library of the Otto von Guericke University is close to the Centrum
department store. Otto von Guericke (1602-1686) was mayor of his city of
birth during 30 years. His famous experiment with the "Magdeburg
hemispheres" proved the existence of atmospheric pressure. On the
Alte Markt
(Old Market) stands in front of the Baroque Town Hall the statue of the
Magdeburg Knight, dating back to 1240 and representing Otto the
Great,
founder of the city in the 10th century.
Alongside the Elbe river lies one of the most important Romanesque
abbeys in Germany, the Our Lady Convent.
The main church is the St. Martin
and St. Catherine Cathedral (Dom).
This vast building is one of the most important churches in Germany. The
construction started in 1209 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church
and was completed in1520 although much of it was ready by the mid 14th
century. The cathedral has an impressive twintower front and several
magnificent original sculptures. Other notable features include the tomb
of Emperor Otto I as well as the 12th century bronze tomb plaques of
archbishops Friedrich von Wettin and Wichmann. The memorial for the dead
of World War I is the work of Ernst Barlach, dating from 1929
