ESSEN
Sightseeing
History I
Sightseeing I
Practical I Hotels in Essen
The Münster.
This is the former collegiate church of the canonesses. It consists of
different parts : the 15th-century Gothic church of St. John, the
11th-century atrium and the main church wich in turn has a Romanesque
11th-century frontage an a Gothic 14th century main part. One of
the real treasures of the church is the Golden Madonna, a statue of the
virgin Mary with the infant made from sheet gold, probably around the
year 980.
The Synagogue.
This is the largest synagogue in Germany. It managed to survive the
Third Reich. The building was constructed in 1911-1913 by Edmund Kömer.
It now serves as a place for commemoration.
Other
buildings.
Essen boasts some remarkable buildings from the 20th century : the St.
Engelbert church (by Dominikus Merzendorf, 1934-1936), the towngarden in
Margarethenhöhe built in 1909 by Georg Metzendorf and the Opera of
Essen, designed by Alva Aalto, a Finnish archtitect.
On the
banks of the Baldeneysee stands the
Villa Hügel,
until 1945 property of the family Krupp. Today the villa is used for art
exhibitions.
The Grugapark
is one of the green lungs of Essen : it is a large green area with
botanical gardens, a zoo and the Grugahalle, where major concerts are
held.
For
modern art enthusiasts there is the
Folkwang Museum
: this museum has a rich collection of 20th-century paintings, with
special attention for the German expressionists. A special section of
the museum is devoted to graphic arts and posters.
Folkwang Museum
: this museum has a rich collection of 20th-century paintings, with
special attention for the German expressionists. A special section of
the museum is devoted to graphic arts and posters.
