The first imperial assembly took place in Goslar in 1009. As the residence of German kings and emperors, according to franciscogardening, Goslar made history until 1253. The mighty imperial palace still reminds of this today. The old town with its artfully carved half-timbered houses and towers of the churches and chapels indicate that Goslar was a wealthy center of mining and the Christian faith. The Rammelsberg visitor mine is a reminder of the millennial mining history of the Harz city. In 2010 the site was expanded to include the water system created in the 12th and 13th centuries to supply energy to the mining industry.
Goslar and Rammelsberg: facts
| Official title: | Rammelsberg mine, old town of Goslar and Upper Harz water management |
| Cultural monument: | Residence of the emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and, thanks to the Rammelsberg mine, an important Hanseatic city, including 23 churches that are still preserved today, such as the Markt and Neuwerk churches, with patrician houses such as »Brusttuch« (1526) and »Kaiserworth« (1494) as well as evidence of city fortifications such as the Breiten Tor and the Zwinger (1517); in 2010 expansion by the “Oberharzer Wasseregal”, a historical water management system used from the Middle Ages to the end of mining for machine operation with 107 historical ponds, 310 km of ditches and 31 km of watercourses |
| Continent: | Europe |
| Country: | Germany, Lower Saxony |
| Location: | Goslar, Harz |
| Appointment: | 1992, extension 2010 |
| Meaning: | Imperial city with well-preserved, medieval half-timbered architecture and significant evidence of mining history in Germany |
Goslar and Rammelsberg: history
| 3rd century | Start of ore mining |
| 968 | documentary mention of the Rammelsberg |
| 1009 | first imperial assembly |
| 1039-56 | under Heinrich III. New building of the Kaiserpfalz |
| around 1150 | Construction of the Rathstiefsten tunnel, today one of the oldest tunnels in German mining |
| 1187 | Foundation of the Walkenried Monastery by Adelheid von Walkenried |
| 1340 | Goslar Free Imperial City |
| 1450 | Construction of the town hall with the »tribute hall« |
| 1552 | Rammelsberg mine and parts of the Harz fall to the Brunswick dukes |
| 1692-94 | Construction of the Siemenshaus, the headquarters of the Siemens industrial family |
| 1868-79 | Restoration of the imperial palace |
| 1937 | Sinking of the Rammelsbergschacht |
| 1988 | Closure of the Rammelsberg mine |
| 1989 | Establishment of the Rammelsberg mining museum |
The Old National Gallery
The temple-like building with the monumental outside stairs and the bronze equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Is considered a masterpiece of museum architecture of the 19th century. The building was planned by Friedrich August Stüler, Johann Heinrich Strack was in charge of the construction. The Old National Gallery was opened in 1876. With its high plinth and the dominant stairs in front of the main facade, the building became a symbol of the patriotic self-confidence that was emerging at the time, which was also emphasized by the programmatic inscription on the gable, “Der Deutschen Kunst”. The house was completely renovated from 1998 to 2001 and reopened on December 2, 2001 as the first building on Museum Island. The Alte Nationalgalerie presents works of Classicism, Romanticism, Biedermeier, Impressionism and the beginning of modernism.
The Bode Museum
The Bode Museum is located at the confluence of the Spree and the Kupfergraben on the northwestern tip of the Museum Island. The building, built in the neo-baroque style according to plans by Ernst Eberhard von Ihne, seems to cross the Spree like a ship. In March 1929, under the mighty dome of the palatial house, one of the city’s most active museum directors, Wilhelm von Bode, lay in state, solemnly bid farewell to this life with pomp and splendor by the political representatives of the Weimar Republic. In 1956 the museum was renamed in his honor. After the renovation, the Bode Museum has been open to the public again since 2006 with the sculpture collection, the Museum of Byzantine Art, the Coin Cabinet and works from the Gemäldegalerie.
The Pergamon Museum is a crowd-puller
The Pergamon Museum was built by Ludwig Hoffmann from 1907 to 1930 according to plans by Alfred Messel. It presents parts of the Antikensammlung, the Vorderasiatisches Museum and the Museum für Islamische Kunst. With the monumental Pergamon Altar, it is the highlight of Berlin’s Museum Island for many visitors. In addition to the grandiose staging of the altar, the main attractions include the processional street, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the magnificent Roman market gate of Miletus. As part of the master plan, the Pergamon Museum has been refurbished in sections since 2008 according to plans by the architectural office OM Ungers. A fourth wing will also be added, and the James Simon Gallery will later serve as the new entrance building. Due to the enlargement, the monumental architectural exhibits of Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, Rome and the Islamic cultural area can be experienced in a unique tour. The renovation and expansion will be completed in 2025.
