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The European Route of Brick Gothic was awarded a gold medal for "outstanding achievements in the preservation of historic monuments in Europe" at the denkmal2010 fair in Leipzig.
Germany
Hanseatic City of Stendal
The Hanseatic City of Stendal – A Lovely and Living Old Brandenburg Town
In the north of the German State of Sachsen-Anhalt, where the German lowlands begin, you'll find the Hanseatic City of Stendal, the "Heart of the Old Mark of Brandenburg" and the largest town in its region. As well as being a Hanseatic City, Stendal is a Brick Gothic highlight and the birthplace of legendary art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmanns. Mentioned for the first time in archival records dating to 1022, Stendal was granted its charter in 1165 Stadtrecht und today is divided into districts with ca. 43 000 residents.
In the 15th century, Stendal blossomed, becoming a flourishing Hanseatic City. During this epoch, the town's characteristic Brick Gothic buildings were constructed, including not just the town's churches, but also St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall, as well as the town hall and two prominent town gates, named after neighbouring villages Tangermünd und Uengling. The latter is regarded as amongst the best city gates built in the Brick Gothic style; only Lübeck's Holsten Gate surpasses it.
Stendal's well preserved and newly restored medieval inner city, which boasts a rich collection of artistic and cultural heritage sites, notably five gothic hall churches (St. Nicolas' Cathedral and the churches named after St. Mary, St. Jacob, St. Peter and St. Annen) and the landmark Brick Gothic towers, is extraordinarily interesting for visitors, invited them to linger for hours in the historical Old Town.
The best preserved and largest scale collection of ornate carved wood panels in the town hall; the third largest statue of Brandenburg icon Roland in Germany at the old town market; and the best attended to of all the town walls are without comparison in its region. Aside from the Winkelmann and Old Mark Museum, other attractions are the town's Museum of the Fire Service; the historic home of the Hans and Eugenia Foundation; St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall; the Theatre of the Old Mark- and Northern Sachsen-Anhalt. Services in the town include a variety of schools, diverse facilities for young people, the sports centre and water recreation cetnre "AltOa" and a landmark cinema. The town's sister city agreements with Grenoble (France), Pulawy (Poland), Svitavy (in the Czech Republic) and the Old Hanseatic City of Lemgo (North Rhine-Westphalia) have fostered the town's links with its neighbours, both within Germany and without.
In the 15th century, Stendal blossomed, becoming a flourishing Hanseatic City. During this epoch, the town's characteristic Brick Gothic buildings were constructed, including not just the town's churches, but also St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall, as well as the town hall and two prominent town gates, named after neighbouring villages Tangermünd und Uengling. The latter is regarded as amongst the best city gates built in the Brick Gothic style; only Lübeck's Holsten Gate surpasses it.
Stendal's well preserved and newly restored medieval inner city, which boasts a rich collection of artistic and cultural heritage sites, notably five gothic hall churches (St. Nicolas' Cathedral and the churches named after St. Mary, St. Jacob, St. Peter and St. Annen) and the landmark Brick Gothic towers, is extraordinarily interesting for visitors, invited them to linger for hours in the historical Old Town.
The best preserved and largest scale collection of ornate carved wood panels in the town hall; the third largest statue of Brandenburg icon Roland in Germany at the old town market; and the best attended to of all the town walls are without comparison in its region. Aside from the Winkelmann and Old Mark Museum, other attractions are the town's Museum of the Fire Service; the historic home of the Hans and Eugenia Foundation; St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall; the Theatre of the Old Mark- and Northern Sachsen-Anhalt. Services in the town include a variety of schools, diverse facilities for young people, the sports centre and water recreation cetnre "AltOa" and a landmark cinema. The town's sister city agreements with Grenoble (France), Pulawy (Poland), Svitavy (in the Czech Republic) and the Old Hanseatic City of Lemgo (North Rhine-Westphalia) have fostered the town's links with its neighbours, both within Germany and without.
Contact
Hanseatic City of Stendal Tourism Bureau
Kornmarkt 8
D-39576 Stendal
Tel.: +49 3931 651190
Fax: +49 3931 651195
E-Mail:
touristinfo@stendal.de
Internet:
www.stendal.de
Kornmarkt 8
D-39576 Stendal
Tel.: +49 3931 651190
Fax: +49 3931 651195
E-Mail:
touristinfo@stendal.de
Internet:
www.stendal.de
Highlights
The Uengling Gate, reputedly built by masterbuilder Steffen Boxtehude ca. 1450 to 1460 is regarded as one of the most splendid late medieval town gates in northern Germany.
Experience the World of Brick Gothic
The first Margrave* of Brandenburg Albrecht the Bear founded a market village on the site of today's Stendal ca. 1160-1165, soon granting the market a reknowned Charter of Magdenburg. The town, placed at a favourable crossroad location for traders, soon developed into a well-known merchant town that maintained links with Lübeck (the later chief Hanseatic City) from the 12th century on.
With trading and town privileges, Stendal became a flourishing Hanseatic City in the 15th century. The town's signature Brick Gothic buildings were built during this epoch: St. Nicolas' Cathedral; St. Mary's, St. Jacob's, St. Peter's and St. Annen's Churches; St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall, as well as Stendal's town hall (and the nearby statue of regional icon Roland) and the town fortifications including the Tangermünd and Uengling Gates; the latter is regarded today as one of the most significant northern German Brick Gothic city gates.
The extensive use of Brick Gothic throughout the nearly 100 ha. Old Town is thus both Stendal's architectural inheritance and a trump card for the town.
*A margrave looked after a dangerous border province for the King.
With trading and town privileges, Stendal became a flourishing Hanseatic City in the 15th century. The town's signature Brick Gothic buildings were built during this epoch: St. Nicolas' Cathedral; St. Mary's, St. Jacob's, St. Peter's and St. Annen's Churches; St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall, as well as Stendal's town hall (and the nearby statue of regional icon Roland) and the town fortifications including the Tangermünd and Uengling Gates; the latter is regarded today as one of the most significant northern German Brick Gothic city gates.
The extensive use of Brick Gothic throughout the nearly 100 ha. Old Town is thus both Stendal's architectural inheritance and a trump card for the town.
*A margrave looked after a dangerous border province for the King.
Guided Tours
Experience an unforgettable trip through time in the one-time capital of the Old Mark of Brandenburg. The Hanseatic City of Stendal Tourist Bureau offers visitors varied guided tours through the Old Town, where you'll learn about various aspects of the regional centre of the Old Mark. Further information about the tours is available here… Or else stumble through the streets of the Hanseatic City of Stendal, taking in all its sights and artistic heritage landmarks. A multilingual tourguide offering you all the most important information about the various tours on offer in Stendal is available here, or on request in the town's Tourist Information Bureau.
Beyond Brick Gothic
Johann Joachim Winckelmann is regarded as the founded of classical archeology and modern art history and theory. His birthplace in Stendal has housed the sole museum dedicated to the intellectual since 1955. Amongst the artefacts on display in the museum are first and early editions of his work, alongside portraits of Winckelmann and his contemporaries, his sketches of Italy and a small antiques collection. The largest Trojan Horse in the world is an evergreen attraction for young and old.
St. Catherine's Church and Concert Hall organises around 50 concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events annually. Particularly worth a night out are the concerts held by the Hans and Eugenia Jütting Foundation, which give a chance to the next generation of young and gifted artists.
Visitors will find this real slice of nature in the city located on the town lake. The town's nature reserve was setup in 1952 for the use of pets and today houses many animals threatened by extinction e.g. the Siberian tiger, ocelot, European big cats and many different species of primates. Playgrounds and eating out facilities will ensure that a visit to the reserve is even more pleasant than it would be otherwise.
Facts and Figures
Historians reckon that Stendal was a member of the Hanseatic League from 1358 to 1518. Along with Brandenburg an der Havel, the town was one of two granted the right to manufacture their own currency in the Mark of Brandenburg. Stendal Silver was well-known and much-used currency in the Middle Ages.
Brick Gothic Buildings
