 |
| Freiburg Minster. Cathedral. Freiburg. Baden Wurttemberg. Germany |
Freiburg
is a city in Baden-Württemberg Germany and located in the extreme south-west of
the country. It is one of the famous old German university towns. Freiburg was founded by Konrad and Duke
Bertold III of Zähringen (Zähringen is the name of an old German
family that founded a large number of cities in what are today Switzerland and
Baden-Württemberg) in 1120 as a free market town; hence its name, which
translates to “free (or independent) town” – the word “frei” meaning “free”
and Burg, like the modern English word borough, was
used in those days for an incorporated city or town, usually one with some
degree of autonomy. However, the German word “Burg” also means “a fortified
town” as in Hamburg. Thus, it is likely that the name of this place means a
“fortified town of free citizens”.
We visited Freiburg from
Switzerland on 25th.Jun 2011. It is 1 hr. journey by train to reach
Freiburg. Freiburg was incorporated in the early 12th century and developed
into a major commercial, intellectual, and ecclesiastical centre of the upper
Rhine region. The city is known for its ancient university and
its medieval minster,
as well as for its high standard of living and advanced environmental
practices. The city is situated in the heart of a major wine-growing region and
serves as the primary tourist entry point to the scenic beauty of the Black
Forest. According to meteorological statistics, the city is
the sunniest and warmest in Germany. Because of its scenic beauty, relatively
warm and sunny climate and easy access to the Black Forest, Freiburg is a hub
for regional tourism.
The city has an unusual
system of gutters (called Bächle)
that run throughout its centre. These Bächle, once used to supply water to
fight fires and feed livestock. Water in the Bachle constantly flowing day
night, with water from the river Dreisam.
This river water is fed to the Bachle and runs continuously. These Bächle were
never used for sewage, as such usage could lead to harsh penalties, even in the
Middle Ages. During the summer, the running water provides natural cooling of
the air, and offers a pleasant, gurgling water flow sound. It is said that if
you fall or step accidentally into a Bächle, you will marry a Freiburger.
 |
| Buchle (Gutter) clean water flowing 24 hours. |
No comments:
Post a Comment