Trier

Today, J and I loaded the kiddos into the van and drove east to the oldest town in Germany, Trier, which lies on the Moselle River near to the French and Luxemburger borders.  The city is listed in records as early as 16 B.C. (though other cities cite themselves as oldest, most were army encampments and did not officially achieve the status of city until after Trier).  In fact, the Romans referred to Trier as 'The Second Rome.'

Upon parking, we walked toward the Porta Nigra, one of four or five Roman gates that was set in the city's walls.   The other gates were pillaged for their stone and iron, but Porta Nigra survived due to the Sainthood of Simeon, a monk who holed himself up into one of the towers in the 11th century and requested to be buried there.  

The gate's name was derived in the Middle Ages and refers to the soot covered stone.

It is still possible to see the Roman chisel marks.

Littlest at the Porta Nigra

Log

Three King's House or House of the Three Magi.  This home was built in the 1230's and ranks as one of Germany's oldest stone homes.  The style incorporates both Romanesque and Gothic architecture.  You may notice a door on the second floor; at the time of this house's construction, the city walls had long fallen to rubble.  The door featured a retractable wooden ladder and served as a means of defense for the inhabitants.  The house is also painted in exotic Moorish patterns influenced by an Arab colony in Sicily, visited by Emperor Frederick II.

As of 1235, Trier was home to four Jewish families who lived in the row pictured below.  The houses shared a common escape tunnel located beneath the yellow house (visible today and is located on a street called Judengasse).  Jews were formally expelled from Trier in 1418.

View of Main Market with St. Peter's Fountain

Detail of fountain; doesn't she look a bit tired?

Religious figures featured in every nook of the Main Market

Market Cross made from a recycled Roman column

We visited Trier Cathedral located near to Main Market and visible in the picture above.  The present church is roughly one quarter of the size it was in the fourth century.  The cathedral was gorgeous, and we spent a great deal of time exploring the chapels, the Baptistry, and altars.  Pictured below is a bit of a fresco visible upon entry and depicts the three kings paying homage to the Christ child.

Sculpture in Mary's chapel

I loved the playfulness depicted in the statue; a baby Jesus impishly tugging at a curly strand of his mother's hair.

Chapel near to the crypt of the bishops

A vaulted ceiling shot for you ;)

Looking toward the Baptistry from the high altar.  Just behind the crucifix was a semi-circle of intricately inlaid wooden panels; the craftmanship was tremendous.  

Littlest is always drawn to the candles lit in hopeful/thankful prayer.  Walking up to the wrought iron racks, she asked, "Mama, does God really hear all of these prayers?"  I assured her that God hears and listens to everyone's prayers even those that are not accompanied by lit candles.  She answered, "But I really like the candle prayers."  

View of the altar housing the cathedral's relic:  a robe of Christ without seams representing the unity of the church.

Imperial Throne Room which houses the largest surviving room from Antiquity and was roofed in 350 A.D!  Once part of the archbishop's palace, today it is a protestant church.

Electoral Palace - home to one of Constantine's throne rooms.  Today, this building houses the district government.  The kiddos skated along a frozen moss colored fountain in front of the palace.

Roman Baths - These baths weren't as large as the Baths of Caracalla that J and I visited in Rome, but they really establish Trier as a prominent Roman outpost in one's mind; Constantine bathed here.  An outdoor amphitheatre was nearby.

Karl Marx was born and raised in Trier.  Below is the home that saw the birth of perhaps the world's greatest critic of the capitalist system.  I enjoyed a visit to the exhibition that traced the beginnings of Marx's socialist inclinations to the far reaching impact of his Manifesto, which has been badly misinterpreted.

A wall in the exhibit featured the names of notable Marxist scholars including Frida Kahlo (seen below), and two of my favorite writers:  Bertolt Brecht and Simone de Beauvoir.  Notably absent from the distinguished list was Lenin.

Interesting extracts taken from a Trier timeline in a Walking Tours pamphlet (the full timeline contains 52 events spanning from 30 B.C. to 2002):

* 802   Charlemagne spends Christmas in Trier

* 1559 Unsuccessful attempt at Calvanist Reformation

* 1635 French conquer Trier

* 1783 First time Protestants are permitted to stay longer than three days in Trier

* 1797  Trier becomes a part of France after it is conquered by Revolutionary troops

* 1815  With Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Trier is returned to Prussia

* WWI French occupy Trier following a total of 22 bombings

* 1933 Hitler comes to power; receives 32% of the popular vote in Trier

* 1939 Trier evacuated for nine months at outbreak of WWII

* 1945 Trier taken by Patton

We had had plans to drive on to Hamm, Luxembourg (to visit the American Cemetery and Patton's grave), but we spent the whole of the day in this remarkable city!  Before returning home, we ate dinner at Jay Jay's, a restaurant touted as an authentic Louisiana food experience (I thought of you, Marlo).  The food was a far cry from Cajun, but the boys got a laugh out of the urinals: behind each wall mounted urinal was a net with a soccer ball (football) suspended from the ceiling by a string enabling the person at the urinal to aim his stream and score goals while relieving himself!  I could not convince J to take a picture.  He thought it bad enough that our blog now features pictures of Hitler's and Marx's birthplaces without adding seedy restroom pictures!  I can assure you that I am neither a Nazi sympathizer nor a Marxist, if a disclaimer was needed!