Würzburg: Germany

Würzburg: Germany
Würzburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main river, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken. The city of Würzburg is not included in Würzburg (district), but is its administrative seat. Its population is about 127,000 as of 2000.
Arts and Architecture
Notable artists that lived in Würzburg include poet Walther von der Vogelweide (12th and 13th cent.), philosopher Albertus Magnus and painter Mathias Grunewald. Two artist that made a lasting impression were sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider (1460-1531), who was also mayor and participated in the Peasants’ War, and Balthasar Neumann (1687-1753), baroque architect and builder of the Würzburg Residence that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interiour was decorated by Giovanni and Domenico Tiepolo.
Many of the cities “100 churches� survived intact with styles ranging from romanesque, gothic, baroque to modern. Parts of the cathedral St. Kilian were built in the romanesque periods. The “Käppele� on the other side of the Main river was planned by Balthasar Neumann.
Würzburg hosts the Mainfranken Museum, with artefacts from prehistory until modern times, a Museum of the cathedral, galleries for ancient and modern art, and the “Kulturspeicher� from 2002. Notable festivals include the Afrika Fest in Mai and the Mozart Fest, in June/July.
Other Famous Citizens
Philipp von Siebold was among the first Westerners to visit and work in Japan (1823). Werner Heisenberg was born in Würzburg in 1901. It is the location of Wilhelm Röntgen’s original laboratory, where he discovered x-rays. The University granted Alexander Graham Bell an honorary Ph.D. for his pioneering scientific work. Würzburg is also the hometown of NBA star Dirk Nowitzki.
[edit]
Historic Buildings in Würzburg
The Fortress Marienberg is the castle on a hill across the Old Main Bridge, overlooking the whole town area as well as the surrounding hills.
Among Würzburgs’ many notable churches are the Käppele, a small Baroque/Rococo chapel by Balthasar Neumann, the Schönborn Chapel, a side-chapel of the Dome has interior decoration made of human bones and skulls. Look for statues of Adam and Eve by Riemenschneider in the Market Church.
The Julius Spital is a baroque hospital with a courtyard and a church built by the prince bishop Julius Echter. Its medieval wine cellar, together with those of the Würzburg Residence and the Bürgerspital are one place where to taste the Frankenwein. With 168ha area under cultivation, the Julius Spital is the second largest winery in Germany.