Rüdesheim

Boosenburg Castle

This Romanesque defensive tower is in the immediate proximity of the Broemserburg. Its construction reveals through its form that it had been erected around the 9th Century. With its 38-meter /123.5-foot height it dominated al other buildings in the city. Attached to its up-to-three meters thick walls (about 10-feet thick) a castle-like residence was attached. The entire property is now privately owned and, regrettably, is not available for sightseeing.

One of the proudest relics of old Ruedesheim, the Klunkhardshof, this two-storey half-timbered building from the early 16th Century was once the property of the highly respected Klunkhard family from whom numerous spiritual dignitaries descended.

Located in the Rhinestreet, directly on the river bank, this Late Gothic non-rounded tower is part of the former city fortification and was built in the 15th Century. It is 20.5-meters/66-feet high with a five-meter/16-foot interior diameter with meter-thick, three-foot walls and four floors under which is an underground dungeon accessible only through a hole in the vaulted ceiling. It used to lie directly on the river. In winter when the Rhine froze and the frozen river was safe for crossing on foot, a basket with burning material served as a fire signal was displayed on the tower. In the 19th Century when the Adler or Eagle Inn was housed in the tower, Goethe, Germany’s greatest poet-literary figure and general all-around genius, frequently stayed here during his Ruedesheim visits in order to enjoy the magnificent view of the Rhine. Today the Adlerturm is the property of a bank.

It was erected in the years 1877 –1883, based on a design by Johann Schilling of Dresden, the almost 38-meter/123.5-foot high monument with the pathos so typical of its time no longer appeals to current taste. The monument symbolizes the re-establishment of the German Kaiser Reich (Imperial Kingdom) which was a direct result of the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 – 1871 which led to the unification of Germany under Prussian hegemony as an imperial monarchy.

The main figure is that of Germania, the classical mythic female figure representing Germany. In her raised, extended right hand is the Imperial Crown. The Imperial Sword is in her left hand. For years the monument reflected national pride and the much-belated creation of a single German nation. Today within the context of “Europe,” such proud, almost bellicose feelings are totally passé. But it is an important relic of an epoch and an era, and, like the dinosaur, part of the past.

One can reach the Niederwald Heights on foot, by car, or by cable car from Ruedesheim and Assmannshausen. The marvelous view of the Rheinland-Pfalz across the river from the monument is surely one of the most beautiful in the world, particularly at dawn, dusk and sunset, and also by night especially at full moon.

Źródło: City Rüdesheim