Friday, April 4, 2008

Munich, Germany

My dad brought me this one from one of the times he went to Germany....cant recall which year though....my dad never sends the cards, but he is always thoughtful to buy me and bring me some



This card here shows Marienplatz, the Townhall with Carillon.....hmmm, ok, Townhall, thats clear....im puzzled what Carillon is....hope i wont drown in shame for my ignorance once i google this...
Ok...here is what i got...

Marienplatz actually means St. Mary's Square....it is the heart of the city of Munich. In the Middle Ages, the square used to be a market place as well as the place where tournaments and festivities took place.
In 1807 Marienplatz's market moved to the nearby Viktualienmarkt, but the square still continued to be the city's focal point. Important public events such as tournaments or executions were still held here.
The square was originally known as Schrannen but it was renamed Marienplatz as a way to ask Virgin Mary to protect the town from a cholera epidemic.

now thats an interesting info...

The square is dominated by the new Townhall. The monumental, 79 meters high Townhall was built between 1867 and 1909 by Georg Joseph Hauberrisser in Flemish Gothic style to alleviate the overcrowded Altes Rathaus nearby.

and here is what i was looking for....its also interesting :)

At 11, 12 and 17 o'clock each day, visitors can watch the famous Glockenspiel or carillon. The figures perform the Schläffertanz or cooper's dance, which was originally performed in 1517 at the Marienplatz to commemorate the end of the plague.

ok, either im blind or those figures actually arent shown on the card....probably they are just mentioned since this is the place where they perform....

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