Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Wittelsbach

Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia and the seventh-largest city in Germany, with a population of more than 600.000. The first written mention of Düsseldorf dates back to 1135. In 1186, Düsseldorf came under the rule of the Counts of Berg. In 1288 Count Adolf VIII of Berg granted the village town privileges just after a bloody power struggle had taken place between the Archbishop of Cologne and the count of Berg, culminating in the Battle of Worringen. A market square, protected by city walls, sprang up on the banks of the Rhine. In 1380, the dukes of Berg moved their seat to the town, and Düsseldorf was made the regional capital of the Duchy of Berg. In 1609, the ducal line of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg died out, and Jülich and Berg fell to the Wittelsbach Counts of Palatinate-Neuburg, who made Düsseldorf their main domicile. Destruction and poverty struck Düsseldorf after the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon made Berg a Grand Duchy and Düsseldorf it's capital. After Napoleon's defeat, the whole Rhineland including Berg was given to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815. By the mid-19th century, Düsseldorf enjoyed a revival thanks to the Industrial Revolution as the city boasted 100,000 inhabitants by 1882; the figure doubled in 1892.

Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia and the seventh-largest city in Germany, with a population of more than 600.000. The first written mention of Düsseldorf dates back to 1135. In 1186, Düsseldorf came under the rule of the Counts of Berg. In 1288 Count Adolf VIII of Berg granted the village town privileges just after a bloody struggle for power had taken place between the Archbishop of Cologne and the count of Berg, culminating in the Battle of Worringen. A market square, protected by city walls, sprang up on the banks of the Rhine. In 1380, the dukes of Berg moved their seat to the town, and Düsseldorf was made the regional capital of the Duchy of Berg. In 1609, the ducal line of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg died out, and Jülich and Berg fell to the Wittelsbach Counts of Palatinate-Neuburg, who made Düsseldorf their main domicile. Destruction and poverty struck Düsseldorf after the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon made Berg a Grand Duchy and Düsseldorf it's capital. After Napoleon's defeat, the whole Rhineland including Berg was given to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815. By the mid-19th century, Düsseldorf enjoyed a revival thanks to the Industrial Revolution as the city boasted 100,000 inhabitants by 1882; the figure doubled in 1892.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The naves were completed around 1200, the apse added 100 years later. The structure got a vaulting 1515. The youngest parts are the impressive, neo-Romanesque towers, which were added 1864/66.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Very large horizonal imposts, "crown" some of the pillars here. The capitals below these imposts are kind of "traditional", but the horizontal carvings on the imposts are unique. These large horizontal ("swimming") sculptures are carved in a different, more sophisticated style, than the carvings seen on the other side of the cloister.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The style of many works here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. This large capital differs from the rough style first seen (mermaid), but as well of the style, the many horizontal "swimmers" and lions were carved in. There is only this single capital in this extensive, artistic style. So far most faces seen had almond shaped eyes, here the bulging eyes are wide open. The artist used a stone driller, to create the pupil. The artist was a master - and left a masterpiece in this cloister.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Very large horizonal imposts, "crown" some of the pillars here. The capitals below these imposts are kind of "traditional", but the horizontal carvings on the imposts are unique. These large horizontal ("swimming") sculptures are carved in a different, more sophisticated style, than the carvings seen on the other side of the cloister, but not all have the same elegance. The right "swimmer" has lost his nose. He holds a small ball in his open hand.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. This door leads from the church down to the cloister, so that the noble Canons had a shortcut from their rooms to the choir stalls inside the church. The door is guarded by this a large lion, with a really impressing mane.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. At least most of it survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. This door leads from the church down to the cloister, where I stand now, so that the noble Canons had a shortcut from their rooms to the choir stalls inside the church. The door is guarded by a large lion. A pride of fierce lions loiters all around the cloister - since more than 800 years.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Here is a (heraldic?) flower on top. In the center is a mermaid, holding her overlong tail fins with tiny arms. Small fins seem to cover her body like a shirt. The figure below is even stranger. A human head, with a spiral in the neck (a bandeau?). A fur has grown on his shoulders and the arms end in paws. Actually I have the impression, that this pillar was longer once, as in the right corner may be a part of another paw, what would mean, that the lower part of the body is cut off. A lion/man?

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. This carving is next to that large man, just seen. A sitting man, as well wearing a hood or helmet plays the harp, while a dog (bear?) above him, seems to dance.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. This elegant lion, holding down a strange beast with his paws, was probably once placed outside the cloister, where it is now. It has a kind of saddle on his back, as probably he was the base of a pillar, flanking a portal.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Very large horizonal imposts, "crown" some of the pillars here. The capitals below these imposts are kind of "traditional", but the horizontal carvings on the imposts are unique. These large horizontal ("swimming") sculptures are carved in a different, more sophisticated style, than the carvings seen on the other side of the cloister, but not all have the same elegance. A winged dragon attacks a lion.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister, At least most of it survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Very large horizonal imposts, "crown" some of the pillars here. The capitals below these imposts are kind of "traditional", but the horizontal carvings on the imposts are unique. These large horizontal ("swimming") sculptures are carved in a different, more sophisticated style, than the carvings seen on the other side of the cloister. This is the short side of the impost just seen before.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. Very large horizonal imposts, "crown" some of the pillars here. The capitals below these imposts are kind of "traditional", but the horizontal carvings on the imposts are unique. These large horizontal ("swimming") sculptures are carved in a different, more sophisticated style, than the carvings seen on the other side of the cloister, but not all have the same elegance. Here a bald tamer holds two lions.

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The style of many works here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. This large capital differs from the rough style first seen (mermaid), but as well of the style, the many horizontal "swimmers" and lions were carved in. This side of the large caital has a well, dressed, dreaming/sad (cross-eyed) young person in the center, with almond shaped eyes. He is flanked by two corner-lions.