WURZBURG, GERMANY

Wurzburg is a city of water, wine, religion, fortresses and above all, is a city of towers.  Wurzburg is a city with a rich history dating back to about 1000B.C., when the Celtics built a fort where the Marienburg Fortress now stands. In 689A.D. three Irish missionaries arrived, they were Kilian, Kolonat, and Totan.  These three monks became martyr's after they met a horrible death.  The story goes that  while they were trying to convert the Franks to christianity, Kilian committed adultry with a Franconian woman.  Duke Hatan, who was ruler over this area, did not want to kill him.  His wife the Duchess Gailani did not share the same view so she had Kilian, Kolonat and Totan beheaded without the Duke knowing.  Legend says that a man was digging on the site of the Marienburg and he saw blood gushing from where his spade struck the ground.  In 742a.d. St. Burkard became the first bishop, and forty-six years later the first cathedral of St. Kilian was dedicated to him if the presence of the great leader Charlemagne.  In 1156 the Emperor Barbarossa was married in Wurzburg.  In 1397 King wencesalas places Wurzburg under the protection of his empire.  The peasants tried unsuccessfully to storm the Marienburg fortress in 1525.  In 1631 Wurzburg was conqured by Gastaf Adolf of Sweden.  In 1802 the cathedral-chapter was dissolved and Wurzburg became part of the Electorate of Barvaria.  In the years of 1805-1814 the grand duchy of Wurzburg was under the rule of Ferdinand of Tuscany.  In 1814 Wurzburg was finally allocated with Bavaria.  in 1945 Wurzburg was almost completely destroyed after the bombing of Germany.  Wurzburg was the headquaters for the German gestapo which was basically the police force that rounded up all the Jews or any other persons that did not agree with nazism.  The United States saved at least one bomb on every mission they had to drop on Wurzburg.  The reason for this is that three americans were hung in the streets of Wurzburg.  It was immediately rebuilt by Lt. John Silton, who is honored today as the savior of the Residenz. His portrait hangs in a passage of the restored palace.  In 1970 the New University was founded on the outskirts of Wurzburg.
 
 
 
             The Residenz Palace at night is one of the most sepctacular sights I have ever seen.