Magdeburg

The Cathedral

The green citadel of Magdeburg

After enjoying the interplay of Baroque facades and modern design along Breiter Weg, you will be sure not to miss out on the opportunity to visit one of the last architectural masterpieces by the world-famous artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser: The GREEN CITADEL OF MAGDEBURG – the name which Hundertwasser gave his architectural project – was inaugurated in a ceremonial act on 3rd October 2005. The famous artist worked on this design right up until his death in the year 2000.
The building project by the Austrian artist (1928-2000) was a hot topic which promised not to cool down for quite some time. In fact, his project of an “oasis for humanity and nature within a sea of rational houses" in the "concrete desert" of Magdeburg did succeed in polarising opinions and people.

Old Market / Magdeburg Horseman

In the heart of the city at the Old Market (Alter Markt) you can admire the so-called Magdeburg Horseman, the bronze replica of the first free-standing equestrian statue to be found north of the Alps. While it cannot be said with certainty that the statue, created around 1240, depicts Emperor Otto the First, public opinion has it that the horseman shows the German emperor. The horseman is flanked by two allegoric sculptures depicting maidservants. One of the maids holds a shield with the Imperial Eagle, the other one a lance with a banner, both symbols of the imperial power.
The original Magdeburg Horseman was removed to the Magdeburg Cultural History Museum in 1967 where it has been displayed and admired ever since.

Lukasklause

Since the 13th century this particular tower, the so-called "Welsche Turm" has dominated the north-eastern corner of the city's defence installations. It formed part of the city wall and secured the northern end of the Elbe river fortifications. It was near the tower that imperial troops under Tilly broke through the walls, invaded the city and brought nearly complete destruction upon Magdeburg in 1631.
Since the beginning of the last century it is known as the Lukasklause, a name given to the tower by the "St. Lucas" art society which took over the building in 1900 and carried out architectural changes. Around the Lukasklause building you will find the best-preserved section of the old city wall. Today it hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of the famous scientist and Lord Mayor of Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke. In addition, it is a very popular venue for cultural events, exhibitions and conferences.

Herrenkrug Park

Already in the 17th century many townspeople came to this stretch of land, dominated by meadows and pastures, and they rounded off their little excursion with a visit to the nearby pub which was named Herren or Neuer Krug (new jug).
The green oasis which lies in all its splendour in the north-east of Magdeburg was created by the famous royal-Prussian garden architect Peter Joseph Lenné. In 1829, it was he who was commissioned with the transformation of the area into a stately park which was previously used for agricultural and gardening purposes. The horse race course, added to the park and built in 1906, has become an additional attraction for locals and guests alike.

Millennium Tower in Elbauenpark

Among the many green attractions, the Elbauenpark Magdeburg deserves a special mention. Here state-of-the-art garden architecture covers an area of 100 ha.
In 1999, the Elbauenpark was created in the east of Magdeburg - on an area which was mainly used as a military training camp - in order to host the 25th Federal Garden Show where it has become one of the most beautiful and popular destinations within the region offering many attractions to its visitors.
Many visitors flock to the large park to marvel at former shooting grounds, turned into green ramparts, enjoy the tropical butterfly house as well as the beautifully located Seebühne, a stage surrounded by a lake, and finally take a ride on the Panorama Railway to look at the park from above.
However, the ultimate highlight of the Park is the Millennium Tower which soars to 60m. It houses a unique exhibition which leads the visitors through 6000 years of history of human science and research. We must admit that the Millennium Tower is not as high as the Eiffel Tower and that it is not as famous as the Tower of Babel, but we can proudly say that it is already leaning like the Tower of Pisa. The Millennium Tower, one of the highest wooden constructions in the world, has become one of the new landmarks of the city.

Monastery of Our Lady

It is no wonder that the beautiful Monastery of our Lady in Magdeburg has become the "pearl of the Romanesque Road". The unique well-house, magnificent barrel-vaults and sublime monastery church with its slender towers all make up an architectural marvel which is the rightful centrepiece of all romanesque buildings in Saxony-Anhalt. The Romanesque building hosts both the Magdeburg Art Museum and the Georg Philipp Telemann concert hall, cultural highlights that are always worth a visit.
The Monastery of Our Lady is considered the oldest surviving building in Magdeburg. History desscribes the foundation of the monastery to Archbishop Gero of Magdeburg who ordered the erection of the building in 1017/18. However, nothing has remained of the original construction. It was Archbishop Werner (1063-1078) who arranged for the reconstruction which was completed in the 12th century by the Premonstratensian order to which the Monastery was handed over previously in 1129.
The rotunda with its pointing cones, resembling a monk’s tonsure, is a remarkable architectural feature of the eastern wing. Together with its 32 arcades, the rotunda forms an ensemble which is considered one of the most amazing and interesting structures in european monastery architecture. After 1220, the monastery church was vaulted in early Gothic style.
Also deserving a special mention is the fine collection of sculptures ranging from medieval to contemporary which are displayed in Art Museum of the Monastery. The surrounding area includes a sculpture park created in 1989. The Art Museum offers an extensive permanent exhibition as well as changing and touring exhibitions on contemporary art and young art history.

Old Town Hall

The Town Hall of Magdeburg dates back to the 12th and 13th century. The oldest remains can be found in the vaults which form part of today's Ratskeller restaurant. Pelt dressers, tanners and fellmongers met here in the long hall to trade and stock their precious goods.
After the turmoil of the Thirty Year War, a two-storey sandstone town hall building was erected in Dutch Renaissance style including Italian Renaissance architecture under the direction of engineer commander Heinrich Schmutze.
In the 19th century, it underwent a number of changes and extensions.
In January 1945, however, the Town Hall was again completely destroyed during an air raid - like many other buildings of the city. Construction work on the Town Hall began in 1965; it was rebuilt, true to the original, and restored to its former beauty. The bronze doors of the Town Hall designed by Heinrich Apel and carved with important historical figures and stories from the city's rich past as well as the impressive bell carillon having a range of four octaves deserve a special mention. The carillon is played on market days and also for concerts.

Magdeburg Cultural History Museum

At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was planned and erected by the Viennese architect Friedrich Ohmann. Architectural elements were used to recall the splendour of Renaissance and Gothic style. The Magdeburg Cultural History Museum was opened in 1906 and its first director Theodor Volbehr (1862-1931) took over many art and craft collections from various societies and from the city which were exhibited in the centre of the museum as the most important witnesses to Magdeburg's rich past.
The eastern building was added in a second construction phase in 1912/1913. The museum was partially destroyed at the end of the Second World War and suffered the nearly complete loss of its valuable exhibits which had been stored in other places for safe keeping. Reconstruction work began in 1945/46 and for practical reasons the Museum of Nature was added to the former Cultural Museum. At present, the exhibition contains paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, textiles, precious goblins from Flanders, furniture from various centuries, ceramics and a number of special collections. Special theme exhibitions have contributed to spreading the fame of the museum far beyond the Land of Saxony-Anhalt.