Quedlinburg - Himmler's Center of the Nazi Religion

Lulu and Joan - on the way to Quedlinburg
first class

On Easter Monday we took the train to Quedlinburg with Joan. She wanted to get out into the German countryside - you certainly cannot judge Germany by just being in Berlin. So we got up at 6 AM - and caught an early train west out of the central station. Germany trains are quiet and smooth - they are also on time. I enjoy watching my iPhone to see if the trains pull out exactly on time - when the minute changes - the wheels move. We went through Potsdam and then a train switch in Magdeburg - in about 3 hours we were in the abandoned station at Quedlinburg. 

Quedlinburg is one of the top 15 sites in Germany to see. The town is full of half-timbered houses - some people mistakenly call them Tudor buildings. Hall-timbered buildings are made of a railroad tie thick lumber frame - held together by wooden pegs. Then the spaces between the frames are bricked or stuccoed. They seem to last forever because most of the buildings in this town are from medieval times - circa 800 to 1500. Although this town was in old East Germany - government funds are being used restore it. 

The most interesting place to me was the old cathedral castle up on the hill. It was built in the ninth century. It is a protestant church - but during the war the Nazi’s were attempting to make it into a shrine to the Nazi religion. It was Heinrich Himmler’s idea. 

Heinrich Himmler was the head of the Nazi SS - his handpicked 10,000 police force with the job of caring for Hitler and the Third Reich. Heinrich I - or Henry the Fowler - is buried in the crypt of the castle cathedral. Himmler was trying to make him the patron saint of the Nazis. In 1936 - on the 1000th  anniversary of Heinrich I’s death - the Nazi’s decorated this town and had a full military procession through the streets and up to the cathedral - to the crypt. They had thrown the protestants out of the cathedral - and from 1936 to 1944 - this place was a Nazi shrine. 

Quedlinburg is a beautiful little town - as my pictures will show. We enjoyed the shops - food - sights - people - and prices. Food in East Germany is inexpensive - both in stores and restaurants. I had way too many sugar cones of gelato at 1 euro each. We had very nice weather but at times it got windy. After supper we walked back to the station and waited for our 6:30 train. By 10 PM - we were home and tired. 

Old abandoned station

Our train

Too much shopping

Half timbered buildings

Town Hall - Quedlinburg - Rathaus

Half-timbered alleys

Word Haus

800 AD castle on the hill

Short doors

This white house is only 6 feet wide

Himmler's Nazi Cathedral

Rooftops form the castle.

Buildings from the 1500's

Pig door handle

Heinrich I - Henry the Fowler - in cathedral

Nazi Shrine Church from 1936 to 1944

Nazi's paraded thru streets on July 2nd 1936 -
1000th anniversary of Heinrich I death

This building was the
Texas Tech Center

This building settled a lot

Checking email for free in town 

Train Station needs work