Marburg
"Grenzburg" (Border castle) is the original meaning of the city's name. Marburg played a major role in German history back in the middle ages. Names like Martin Luther, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, Clemens Brentano, Alfred Wegener, Ferdinand Sauerbruch and Otto Hahn are mentioned in the same breath as Marburg even today. This university city, on the banks of the Lahn River, is worth a visit for its castle, with its 15th-century Wilhelmsbau (Knights Hall) addition. The Wilhelmsbau was the site of the Marburg Religious Discussions of 1529 between Martin Luther and Swiss reformer Zwingli. The castle also houses the Museum for Cultural History. Another highlight of Marburg is the Elisabethkirche, the oldest gothic church in Germany, built between 1235 and 1283. The Brothers Grimm both studied law in Marburg and began collecting regional folktales here. To discover the charm of Marburg and and enjoy the beautiful view we suggest taking an hour to walk through the Old Town and up to the castle.

The Old Town
The picturesque skyline of the old town, called the "Oberstadt", is dominated primarily by plain halftimbered houses dating back to the 16th-19th centuries.



Steps
Marburg is known for its innumerable steps in the steep and narrow lanes. Supposingly Jacob Grimm once said "I believe there are more steps in the street than in the houses". There are also many crooked, bumpy and angular lanes to be found, especially in Marburg's Old Upper City.

Market Place
The town hall was built in late Gothic style between 1512 and 1526. One of the attractions is the rooster on the tower, which flaps its wings and crows every hour on the hour.


Photo: Brock

The Old University
Philipp the Magnanimous assigned the secularized Dominican monastery to his university, which was founded in 1527. The Old University, which in its current state originates from the nineteenth century, now only accommodates the Department of Protestant Theology and the magnificent assembly hall. Philipps-Universität is not only a German university steeped in tradition, it is also the oldest university in the world that was founded 1527 as a Protestant institution. It has been a place of research and teaching for nearly five centuries. More information about the profile of Philipps-Universität, its history and a virtual sightseeing tour can be found under http://www.uni-marburg.de/profile-en



Elizabeth Church
The church is named after Landgravine Elisabeth von Thüringen. Due to her social commitment for the sick and the poor she was cononized shortly after her early death in 1235.The church was built between 1235 and 1281 by the Teutonic Order over the grave of St. Elizabeth and is a so called impressive work of early gothic architecture.

Castle
The castle was first mentioned in 1140 and the main building was completed at the beginning of the 14th century. The founder of the university, Philipp the Magnanimous, was born here in 1504. The castle has had numerous functions: residential seat, fortress, military barracks, prison and store house. Today it is under the care of the Phillipps University.The Knights or Royal room of the castle is considered the largest Gothic function hall in Germany.



Old Botanical Garden
The Old Botanical Garden below the upper part of town, with magnificent trees and pond, was laid out between 1810 and 1814 and is nowadays used predominantly for relaxation rather than research.

New Botanical Garden of the University
The New Botanical Garden on Lahn Hills was built in addition to the Old Botanical Garden in 1977. The main attractions of the 20-hectare park, which contains almost 12,500 plants, arethe open-air conifers and the fern gorge. In addition, seven greenhouses, which are open to the public, contain special plants. A guided tour will be available on Tuesday afternoon. If you are interested to join, you can subscribe at the registration desk up on arrival in Marburg.
Guided tours are available by appointment. Tel.: 06421 / 282 15 07
Opening hours:
May-September daily, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
October-April Sun.-Fri. 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Please find more information on the following webpage http://web.uni-marburg.de/botgart/allgemeines.html

Romanticisim Karl von Savigny founded Marburg's age of Romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century. Other famous inhabitants are Clemens von Brentano and Clemens von Arnim who composed the first German collection of folk songs. The brothers Grimm started their fairy tales collection and Bettina von Arnim wrote her "Sternengesänge".

Guided tours
In Marburg you will find a diverse and attractive palette of guided tours waiting to draw you into the heart of the city and to the original sites of a history rich in tradition. You can spontaneously join individually or in small groups (of max. 6 persons). Reservations are not required. Please visit the following link to get further details:http://www.marburg.de/detail/24778

Impressions of Marburg

Photo: Brock