Speyer Things to Do

In Maximilian Strasse, a stone throw away from the cathedral you come accross this statue of St. Jacob. Speyer always has been destination for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela (Portugal). Still today many Catholics walk the traditional Jakob's roads through Europe.

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In 1981, Speyer Cathedral was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Treasures as one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture. The emperors crypt is the resting place of eight German Emperors and kings as well as three queens and is considered to be a symbol of the medieval empire.

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A very interesting detail is somehow hidden in the Cathedral’s park – the statues of Salian kings. When I first discovered them I was fascinated about the sculpturing and looked for more information mostly to learn about the poses the kings are shown in, but didn’t find any. So I contacted Speyer Tourist office and got some info (thanks Mrs. P.H.).
The statues are not that old (as I have assumed first) and have a somewhat… gruesome story, but this explains the poses and the fact that I didn’t find more info in official papers, books or websites. Germany’s horror subject Hitler had given the order to produce them, as the nazis wanted to misuse the Cathedral for their dirty purposes and to declare her national nazi monument. Subject H. needed the Salian kings to declare itself their “heir”, but the statues didn’t meet its expectations. This resulted in banning of the sculptor Ludwig Cauer, and the statues were given to Speyer to be hidden somewhere in cellars. Thanks to the massive protest of Domkapitel, the Cathedral was not raped to become “Reichsdom”. But the statues still had the stigma of their original planned purpose and have been a big discussion for Speyer’s officials issue over the years. Finally, they have been placed here, in the Cathedral’s park.
I was a bit sad to hear this, as the kings, which they represent, are not to be held responsible for the gruesome idea behind the sculptures making. But it is good that Speyer city finally has decided to give them their place.
The statues are of Konrad II and his wife Gisela, their son Heinrich III, their grandson Heinrich IV (the one who went to Canossa) and their grand-grandson Heinrich V.

(sorry, I cannot refer to the subject as “him” and cannot write their bloody name in big capital letters).

Unfortunately my pictures did not turn out. However, the town of Speyer has a very nice Romanesque Cathedral, that is the burial of several German emperors. The original structure dates to the 1000s. There are also some very nice frescos inside the Cathedral.
Across the main square in front of the Cathedral are some very nice German brew houses... a great place for some good German beer after walking around the Cathedral.

Maximilianstraße is the main street that leads from the cathedral to the Altpörtl tower. It is a pedestrian area now with nice shops, wonderful side alleys to the right and left and always that gorgeous view of the cathedral!

Das Stadthaus is right opposite of the cathedral. It was the first picture that my husband took - not really interested in the fabulous cathedral behind him.....

Still, it is a nice building and it is the new townhall of Speyer. The Mayor has his office there and the administration of Speyer is right here.

Here is the official brief description of the UNESCO World Heritage Site website:

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.
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Stepping inside such an important Cathedral left me truely amazed. The first thing I noticed were the twelve huge paintings which hang high up on both sides at the clerestory in the Nave depicting the life of Saint Mary - Schraudolph 1853. The paintings are the only decorative feature to be found in the Cathedral but this only lets you see its simplistic beauty and great size as you view the Nave with its perfectly carved symmetrical arches. I was emotionally, and perhaps spiritually moved to see the Altar - a simple table spread with a pure white cloth decorated only with humble Crosses, two plain candles with equallity plain holders stand to each side of the centre piece - again an unpretentious wooden Crucifix. The Crypt dates back to Konrad ll the burial place of German Emperors for 500 years. The colours are the same here as in the Cathedral - white pink and pale grey.
Opening hours April - October Monday - Friday 9.00 - 19.00 Saturday - Sunday 1.30 - 6.00
November - March 9.00 - 17.00 daily