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Selma Kleinfeldt
ROSTOCK
A tour of the city
under the symbols
of bull and griffin
K LATSCHMOHN Verlag
Selma Kleinfeldt: Rostock · a tour of the city under the symbols of bull and griffin
© KLATSCHMOHN Verlag Bentwisch/Rostock 1997
Design: Peter Uhde Grafik Design
Photos: KLATSCHMOHN Verlag, J. Hinz (S. 34)
Illustrations: Ulrich Hammer
Translation: Anne Kirchmann, Rostock
Production: KLATSCHMOHN Verlag Bentwisch/Rostock
ISBN 3-933574-86-2
Introduction
I’m delighted that you have decided to take part in my guided tour
and hope to inspire you – be it as a guest or as a native – to take a
closer look at our town and its historic walls.
I would like to acquaint the visitors of this town with the beauties
within its venerable walls. For those born in the town at the Warnow
river and for those who found a new home here, my explanations
might be helpful to get to know the familiar better and to discover
new aspects. I would like to present the historically grown and marked Rostock to you as an interesting and unique town. The layout of
my guided tour allows you to explore the town step-by-step, also in
consecutive stages within a few days. It covers the area inside the
medieval town fortifications, which are still preserved in considerable parts. A few hidden treasures are not explicitly mentioned in
order to enable the »city-explorer« to make individual discoveries.
I would like to thank architect Mr. U. Hammer for his fine drawings
as well as Hans-Otto Moeller, who, being a longstanding worker
with the preservation of historic buildings and monuments in the
city of Rostock, gave valuable clues. At this point my gratitude also
goes out to the photographers.
Selma Kleinfeldt
L
et us begin at Kroepeliner Tor
(Kroepelin Gate). It is part of the
old town fortification system of
the 13th century and a convenient outset
for our tour.
The two lower storeys, made from red
bricks, were constructed around 1270. At
the southern back of the gate we can still
see where it used to be integrated into
the town wall. Ergo it was defensive purposes that led to the construction of the
gate. From the 14th century on the bourgeoisie became increasingly powerful and
more and more influenced the town’s
architecture. So they initiated to raise the
gate by five additional storeys and with
this enhanced the representative character of the building. Light brown bricks
were used in this addition.
The attractive building is decorated with
black-glazed tiles, four ornamental blind
stepped gables and a slim turret. It is
54 m (180 feet) high. The front, facing
the city center, shows coats of arms in
the colors of the country Mecklenburg
(blue – yellow – red) and the town of
Rostock (blue – white – red).
The golden griffin on blue background already decorated the
shield of the west-slavic rulers of Rostock, who probably got to
know the oriental mythical animal through merchants. Later on the
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griffin became the
heraldic animal of
the feudal reign of
the town. The earliest reference to the
griffin as a heraldic
animal goes back to
around 1200 when it
was recorded to
have been on a seal
of the mecklenburgian prince Borwin I,
an ancestor of the
later Princes of
Rostock. It was only
preserved in fragments.
After the model of
the coat of arms of Luebeck the colors white (heraldic silver) and
red refer to Rostock’s membership in the Hanseatic League (also:
Hansa).
In between the two coats of arms a bullhead looks down onto
Kroepeliner Street, which starts here. The oldest available record of
the coat of arms of the rulers of Mecklenburg, who later gave name
to the whole region, is presented by a seal of Prince Nikolaus II of
the year 1219. It shows a bull embellished with a headband, which
was later to become a crown. The model for the bull was an aurochs, which was a symbol of unspoilt power to the people. The griffin in the large pointed blind arch at the field side of the gate was
added during restoration works in 1905 only. In the years 1966 and
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1969 detailed preservation and extension
works could be finished. The gate later
offered great room to
the museum of municipal history.
N
ext to the gate you can start climbing up the ramparts,
which were altered into a park already around 1835/40 on
arrangement of the Verschoenerungsverein (society for
the embellishment of the town). They were constructed as a system
of fortification in 1300 and received moats and bastions in 1624/28.
With the three-dam-bulwark and the Rondell also called Haymagazine, we can still see the complete ensemble of a system of fortification here. The preserved part of the town wall, alongside the ramparts, is 450 m (500 yards) long and contains eight semi-circular
Wiekhouses. Those had defensive purposes and served as storage
houses for war equipment. Erected on a dam of soil and with a fieldstone base this part
of the wall was built
within the last quarter of the 13th century following the
unification of the
three formerly independent municipalities Rostock consisted of. Today the
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F
original height of approximately seven
meters (23 feet) can only be seen on the
side facing the town center. The old
moat, close to the wall, was abandoned
and replaced by a bigger one visible further down. Extensive maintenance works
were carried out from 1979 on.
rom the upper walkway the so called devil’s pitch comes
to sight. There are myths about this very deep and steep
waterhole. A long time ago a large and beautiful palace is
supposed to have stood here. A magician put a spell on it and it
sank into the ground. It is still there but so deep down that its spires
stick out above the water of the pit. About the water in the devil’s
pitch is told it would be unfathomable, in direct connection to the
Baltic Sea and never decreases in quantity. Once per year around
noon on St. John’s day (midsummer night, June 24) or, as others
think, on New Years Day one can (according to the legend) see a silver bowl or spoon on the water surface.
R
ostock once, centuries ago, was threatened by enemies
and later also taken in by them. Back then the walls bristled with splendid, heavy canons. To prevent them from
falling to the hands of the enemy, the best and most useful ones,
among them the famous »Lange Greet«, were pulled into the pit
where they are supposed to be still. All attempts to fish them out
failed. At least that is the way Mr. C. Benjes, a teacher from Rostock,
put it down in a publication for the elementary and civic schools in
1900.
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A
long the way,
with a view
of the previously
mentioned
lower moat down to
the right-hand side,
looking left over the
town wall one can see the grounds of the former Kloster zum Heiligen Kreuz (Monastery To The Holy Cross). Through a doorway
in the wall and across a reconstructed piece of the old defense wall
walk (alure) facing the town, the monastery grounds can be entered
and explored more closely. It is preserved in completion.
T
he foundation of the monastery is supposed to lead back
to a penance-foundation by Queen Margaret (danish
historians call her Margaret Sambia to make a difference
to the later Queen Margaret I). About 1300 the foundation legend
came into existence. It was recorded on a foundation certificate
from September 22 1270. Her husband, king Christoph I (reigned
from 1252 to 59) and
her son Eric were in
conflict with the nobility and the clergy
and tried to maintain
the power of the
crown. While doing
so they used force
against monasteries.
Those on the other
hand called to Pope
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Urban IV for support, who in
consequence declared the excommunication of the danish
Royal Family. The danish
monarchy had to back down
and plead to build up the
destroyed monasteries again
plus to found new ones
(Reinhold-chronicles). In reply the ban was dissolved. In
1270 Margaret went on a pilgrimage to Rome to gain individual absolution. The legend
reports that she received a splinter of wood of the cross of Christ
from the pope himself. Her assignment was to bring this relic to one
of the reconstructed monasteries where it could be worshipped. On
her return journey from Rome Margaret visited her cousin Prince
Waldemar of Rostock. She started her passage back to Denmark
from Rostock’s harbor but severe storms threw the sailing vessel
back from the open sea into the river mouth »Breitling«. The Queen
reached the shore near Schmarl in a row boat. She then decided to
found a monastery close to the place where she was rescued. Mayor
Herman Kruederer from Luebeck and some influential patricians,
maybe even cousin Waldemar, advised her to establish the monastery at this present location within the protection of the town’s
walls. It was built for nuns of the Cistercian order. Margaret herself
spent the last years of her life here and was buried in the church of
the Cistercian Abbey in Doberan after her death in 1282.
The construction corresponds to the master plan of the Cistercian
Order and dates back to the early 14th century. The church on the
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northern side and the low-covered cloisters enclosing the inner
court also date back to this time. The western wing with the dormitory and the southern wing with the refectory, which present themselves very imposingly towards the town wall, were also built in the
early 14th century.
T
he flat-roofed gatehouse (entrance-building), a half-timbered building of the 18th century in the shade of 300
year old lime trees, offers the entrance to the monastery
grounds from the city side. While visiting the museum we can enter
the church through the cloisters. It’s got valuable medieval holdings, for example the tabernacle from 1380, the high altar and the
triumphal cross group on a wooden joist of the 15th century. In the
chest of the crucified we find a capsule made from mountain crystal
holding the relic which gave name to the monastery. The pulpit,
dating back to 1616, has got transcriptions in the lower german language around its rim.
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A
fter the town joined the reformation movement in 1531
the nuns resisted the new belief for a long time. It was not
until 1562 that they accepted the Lutheran doctrines. A
little later the council transformed the monastery into a convent.
The nobility now had the possibility to accommodate their unmarried daughters in an appropriate way. According to the protestant
constitution of the monastery every »domestic virgin« had the chance to buy herself in, but in fact it was only the wealthier families who
could actually make use of it. This was followed by a gradual reconstruction of the monastery buildings into small independent apartments in the 17th
and 18th century.
Around 1740 the
small cottages in the
monastery
court
were built for the
convent ladies to live
in. By mistake, those
buildings are also called »Professor’s houses« being so close to
the university. Thanks to extensive restoration work this plain baroque ensemble now houses a goldsmith, a pottery gallery and a cozy
café. In house nr. 5 we find the show-manufactory of another goldsmith and the archives of the popular author Walter Kempowski,
who spent his childhood in Rostock, in nr. 3.
Following a heyday in the 14th and 15th century the monastery had
a rather modest existence until it was nationalized in 1920. Afterwards it was a residence to the last convent ladies. During the 2nd
World War it became home for families whose houses had been
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destroyed by the
air raids. In 1977
an extensive and
gradual reconstruction began
and in 1980 the
result was handed
over to the museum of cultural
history of the Hanseatic City of Rostock. Thanks to the excellent
work in preserving the monuments by, among others, U. Hammer
und H. Ende this precious example of architecture was given back
to the city almost in its original splendor.
C
ontinuing from the monastery grounds the next stop on
our guided tour is Universitaetsplatz (university square)
lined with buildings from different ages. Next to the gatelike exit from the monastery the classicist structure of the Oberappelationsgericht (Former High-Court) rises. It was built in 1840
under the supervision of Georg Adolf Demmler and has been used
by the university
since 1879. The
Neue Wache (New
Guard Room) of
the ducal palace is
to its left. This classicistic monument
with its six stately
columns and its low
entablature trim-
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B
mings was erected
according to a design by the masterbuilder Karl Theodor Severin from
Bad Doberan and
has also been in use
for university purposes since 1920.
uilt in the year 1714 the former ducal palace is only a few
meters further down the street. Duke Carl Leopold ordered the architect Leonard Christoph Sturm for the realization of this rather plain building as a temporary residence for the
rulers of Mecklenburg. Worth mentioning are the beautiful stucco
ceilings in the rooms of the upper floor. It is only from here that we
can enter the annex building, an addition to the palace including
the Barocksaal (Baroque Ballroom). Duke Christian Ludwig is responsible for this addition of 1750.
The french architect Jean Laurent
Legeay designed it
in late baroque style. Inside the ballroom clearly defined wall structures
and window frames
are embellished
with blossom gar-
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lands carved from wood. On the outside facade the baroque ballroom is distinguished by seven round arch windows, embraced by
sills. The balcony with a wrought-iron railing shows the bullhead
again and hence undermines the importance of the building. Festivities were held here and theatrical plays
were performed. The famous Conrad
Eckhof was featured here with the
theatre group »Schoenemann«. The
baroque ballroom was restored with a
high cost volume in the years 1963 till
1968 and 1983 till 1989 and most likely
is the most beautiful concert hall in all
of northern Germany. Visitors attending these evening events can catch a
glimpse of the fine art awaiting them.
Walking towards the building one can
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N
see the magestic chandeliers gleaming through the fine curtains and
can hardly withdraw from a festive mood.
earby we find the library of the university, which goes
back to about 1569. Eye-catching is the book storage building, put up in 1939, where a considerable share of the
stock is kept, for example manuscripts, old prints and atlases. A little
further down the former monastery of St. Michael’s has been used
by the history department of the university’s library since 1994 and
also for the section »special collections« since 1999. Contents of this
collection are: manuscripts, musicals, incunabula, prints of the 16th
century, portraits, rarities, historic maps and views, the GoetheSchiller collection of Both, the bible collection Masch and family
documents.
L
et’s have a look back. The western side of the university
square is dominated by the Universitaetshauptgebaeude (main building of the university). It consists of
two stylistically different parts. The left part of the front in the style
of late classicism was built as Neues Museum (new museum) of the
university in 1844 according to drafts by G.A. Demmler. It is decorated with portrait-heads of four world famous scholars. From left to
right:
Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642) – italian mathematician
Rene Descartes (1564 - 1650) – french mathematician, philosopher
and physicist
Otto von Guericke (1602 - 1686) – german naturalist
Carl von Linné (1707 - 1788) – swedish naturalist
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T
he building in the center replaces the original Weißes Kolleg (white college), torn down in 1866 due to dilapidation.
The new building was put up from 1867 to 1870 by Herman Willebrand modeled at Fuerstenhof (prince court) in Wismar
and the older parts of the palace in Schwerin. The style is NeoRenaissance. Another model for Willebrand was obviously a façade
of the Type of the Scuola di Marco in Venice. The rich decoration of
the façade in the form of
sculptures, busts and heads is
striking. Above the main entrance, which was made from
sandstone from Nebra, we can
read an inscription. It is: Doctrina multiplex veritas una
(there are a lot of sciences but
only one truth). Right above it
is a medallion of the first chancellor of the university, the
bishop Heinrich of Schwerin.
To the left and right beside it
are the first president Petrus
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Stenbecke and the mayor of the town Heinrich Katzow, who took
great part in the foundation of the university. To both sides of the
large center window in the recesses we spot the statues of the two
ducal founders of the university Johann III and Albrecht V as well as
above them the medallion-heads of two mecklenburgian grand
dukes of the 19th century. To the left Grand duke Friedrich Franz I
(reigning from 1785 to 1837) and to the right Grand duke Friedrich
Franz II (reigning from 1842-1883). Above all this the dates 1419 and
1867 point to the year of the foundation and the construction of this
present building.
T
he center piece of the three-part gable is the coat of
arms of the dukes, consisting of seven fragments. Griffin and bullhead show up twice. The coat of arms mirrors the former territorial structure of the country: the Duchy Mecklenburg (bullhead, upper left), the Rulers of Rostock (stalking griffin, upper right), the Principality Schwerin (stalking griffin above a
green rectangle, center left), the County Schwerin (divided shield
red and gold, center), the Principality Ratzeburg (silver cross with a
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crown on red
background, center right), the
Rulers of Stargard
(female arm on
red background,
lower left) and the
Principality Wenden (slanting bullhead, lower right). In the side
panels are portraits of the secretary von Schroeter (died 1875) and
vice-principal von Both (died 1875). Further down in the center part
we can see four seemingly single coats of arms. The divided shield
with the colors red and gold left-hand is the coat of arms of the former county Schwerin, whereas the bullhead and griffin are already familiar to us. The crossed crosiers to the very left point to the
Episcopal seat of Schwerin.
T
he four pillars on the building carry allegoric female statues. From left to right: medicine, theology, jurisprudence
and philosophy. In the frieze above the first floor (ground
floor) portrait heads of four excellent representatives of science,
who worked at the university in the 16th/17th century at the faculties represented by the allegoric statues, look down on us. They are:
the medic Jakob Bording (1550-1557), the theologian David Chytraeus (1551-1600), the lawyer Ernst Cothmann (1595-1624) and the
philologist Johannes Caselius (1568-1590). Additional elements in
the pictorial program of the façade are the ornamentally framed
sketches in the style of »Grisaille« painting (an imitation of Sgraffito)
in-between the windows across the third floor. They present the
names of ten virtues. From left to right:
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Pietas – piety
Fides – reliability
Probitas – probity
Justitia – justice
Diligentia – diligence
Prudentia – prudence
Modestia – modesty
Patentia – patience
Temperantia – temperance
Sapientia – wisdom
W
hile the main façade takes up
the patterns of the late medieval foundation period, the
front facing Kroepeliner Street shows elements of the humanismand reformation period. The two displayed Dukes Johann Albrecht I
(reigned from 1547 to 1576) and Ulrich von Guestrow (reigned
from 1555 to 1603) executed the reformation at the university. Nicolaus Marschalk, Nathan Chytraeus and Olaf Tychsen earned rewards
concerning their book and library work. Here, as we’ve already seen
at the main front, four virtues in Grisaille painting can be recognized. They are (starting from the left):
Doctrina – erudition
Verecunda – respect
Ficorentia – admiration
Religio – piety
To the left and right the careful observer spots allegoric portrayals
of Historia and Astronomia. Overall the picturesque design mainly
focuses on science, principality and religion. At the back side of the
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university main building portrait heads set a memorial for the three
master builders Willebrand, Luckow and Prahst.
Among the treasures of the university is the certificate issued by
Pope Martin V on the February 18 1419, which states his approval of
the foundation of a university. On November 12 this same year the
foundation was officially celebrated. This university was the very first
one in Northern Europe and the fourth oldest in Germany following
Heidelberg, Cologne and Leipzig.
A
constructional gap on the north side of university square
was closed in 1986 by the so called Fuenfgiebelhaus
(Five-Gable House). The architect was Prof. Peter Baumann. It blends in harmoniously into the existing historic structures. Many artists from Rostock and the region contributed to the
completion of the building and helped to make it unique. At the
corner Breite Straße a carillon was attached. It can be played
manually and automatically. The technical construction was carried
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