NICKLAND X3M Travels: Überlingen, Baden-Würtemberg, Deutschland
Funny mini-clip about Überlingen, a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee).
Überlingen lies on the so called Überlinger Lake portion of Lake Constance, an important watersource for southwestern Germany. The countryside is a hilly moraine, formed in the last Ice Age. he history of Überlingen dates back to Roman times, but a variety of settlements pre-dated Roman occupation. Stone age settlements, discovered along the shoreline of Lake Constance, document that the lake supported several dozen thriving communities of 50--100 individuals. These settlements fall under the category of the Hallstatt culture, and their habits, dress, and diet has been illuminated through the excavation of archaeological sites, such as a major site in Hallstadt, Austria, excavated in the mid-to late 19th century; similar sites, although smaller, have been found in vicinity of Überlingen: a site near Hodingen, another near Dettingen, and a major site near the village of Unteruhldingen, where there is now an open air archaeological museum. The dead were either burned, or buried in mounds or flat graves; women wore jewelry made of Bronze or gold, especially earrings. Tools uncovered in archeological excavation suggest that these communities engaged in a combination of hunting, fishing and agriculture. The Münster St. Nikolaus is the largest late Gothic building in the region and is a city landmark, as well as an emblem of Überlingen. The church has a large wooden altar carved by Jörg Zürn in the late Renaissance. On a pier in the inner altar is a figure of Jakob with his staff and scallop shell. On a wider pier is a cannon ball from the 1634 siege by Swedish troops and their allies; it carries the inscription (loosely translated): Swedish Field Marshal HOX would subdue Überlingen, [his Swedish troops] attempted and lost three stormings [of the city], and afterward he must yield. Maria (Holy Maria) this is your Victory sign. The cannonball was fired into the city and lodged in the main beam of the Hosanna bell tower. The Sylvester Chapel in the city quarter of Goldbach is the oldest church building in the Lake Constance region, and contains frescoes of the Reichenauer School from the 9th century. The City Hall was erected during the Renaissance period. The City Council hall is decorated with a cycle of limewood figures carved by master Jakob Ruß. The figures illustrate the hierarchy of the imperial estates, from princes to peasants, arranged into groups of four - the so-called Imperial quaternions. The decorative programme offers an impression of the power structure in the time of its installation (1490--1494). The Granary served as the center of Überlingen's once great grain trade and, since its complete renovation in 1998, is one of the most visually appealing cultural monuments of the city. Between the landing place and the market place, directly on the shore of the lake, the classic structure of the merchant and grain house can be seen from Mainau. Since its renovation in 1998, it is a notable cultural monument of the city. Documentary evidence through the proclamation of the so-called Grain Ordinance dates the original building to 1421. Construction researchers date the load-bearing oak piers to the year 1382. Foundation remnants suggest it was the site of an older building of similar size. The present-day Granary was constructed in 1788 by Franz Anton Bagnato, in the style of the transitional period from Baroque to Classic. Since 1936/37, it has been protected under the Baden State Building ordinance. The Franciscan church was built in 1348 in the Romanesque style, and in the early 18th century, converted to a Baroque style. It was renovated in the 1990s. The Chapel St. Michael (Aufkirch), outside of the city, was built in the year 1000, and was the city's first parish church. It and the village were severely damaged in the 1634 siege.