Quedlinburg: Rich in history, but very lively

This was perhaps once the most dignified dwelling in the entire: small, difficult to reach, but with a wonderful view. High up on the tower of the Marktkirche church there is an annex, where the tower keeper has lived since the late 16th century. The task once carried a lot of responsibility — to keep an eye on the city and immediately report any smoke from a fire to prevent major catastrophes. Therefore, says city guide Regina Peukert, the tower keeper always had to stay sober. Nobody liked to walk the arduous path up to the tower keeper's residence and so nobody noticed how much he liked the beer from one of the many breweries in town. Until, one day, the tower caught fire. And the keeper only survived because his goat pushed him down the stairs. After that, says Regina Peukert, the office of tower keeper was abolished in Quedlinburg.

A fairy-tale land

Fortunately, most of the houses for which he was supposed to be looking out survived the course of time. American soldiers who occupied the city for four weeks in 1945 raved about their arrival in fairyland (which did not prevent one of them from stealing the monastery treasure that was returned only decades later for a generous finder's fee). And just like them, almost every visitor today falls for the charm of Quedlinburg, one of Germany's best-preserved historic towns with over 2,000 half-timbered houses spanning seven centuries — colorfully painted and decorated with great attention to detail.

25 years ago, UNESCO added the entire romantic cobblestoned treasure trove to its World Heritage List — including the Collegiate Hill with the Romanesque Collegiate Church, where the tomb of the first German royal couple is located, and the Münzberg district with the remains of the Marienkloster convent. 

Unique Quedlinburg

In fact, Quedlinburg is not only a prime example of timber-frame construction, but it also has a special place in German history. As early as the 10th century, under King Heinrich I, the town developed into an important political and cultural center. The aristocratic women's convent founded after Henry's death deserves a special mention. Not only did it quickly acquire considerable wealth, it was also an important center of power for centuries.

Back in 1993, the town recorded less than 30,000 overnight stays, compared with 473,145 last year. World Heritage status is attracting more and more visitors, mainly from Germany, but increasingly from other European countries as well.

And the Chinese are coming!

In small groups they walk through the city, climb up the well-trodden path to the Stiftsberg Collegiate Mount and take selfies with a panoramic view of the old town in the background. They bring their own tour guide with them. And they are thrilled by so much history. Whether they also like what is served up in the restaurants and cafes is something they don't divulge. In most cases, hearty food is on offer, occasionally with a Mediterranean touch. And cakes. Lots of cakes.

Cake and culture

The Vincent cheesecake bakery serves 197 different cheesecakes — from sweet to spicy, from traditional to exotic. Maureen Vincent-Wehrenpfennig runs the business, including a cafe with her husband. Guests can choose from a menu that changes daily — maybe after visiting the Collegiate Hill and before they take in the birthplace of the poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (1724 - 1803) or the Lyonel Feininger Gallery, just a few steps away, with a fine collection of prints and watercolors by the German-American exponent of classical modernism. Alternatively they can simply wander through the maze of medieval lanes with their magnificent houses and all the shops where they can discover many beautiful souvenirs.

"We're small and beautiful! We are not a museum, but a functioning town," Katrin Kaltschmidt, Quedlinburg's World Heritage Coordinator, enthuses. She came here in 1987 and immediately fell in love with the place, even though the town at that time was very dilapidated. A travelling exhibition on 25 panels, put together to mark the 25th anniversary of Quedlinburg's inclusion in the World Heritage List, also recalls this time.

The arduous journey to World Heritage status

Kaltschmidt explains that seven or eight houses had already been restored under the former East German government. But most of the crumbling, abandoned buildings were in a terrible condition: small, damp and draughty rooms with coal-fired heating, steep, worn out staircases and toilets in the courtyard.

Most people preferred to move into apartments in a newly-constructed prefabricated building on the outskirts of the town. Others, however, saw the value of the historic buildings and even imposed a demolition ban at the end of the 1980s. Katrin Kaltschmidt says that after German reunification, this lobby of dedicated citizens then oversaw the redevelopment and restoration of the old town — with financial assistance from the federal government, the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the EU and the German Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Buildings ("Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz").

Since Quedlinburg was added to the list of World Heritage sites, the funds have naturally been flowing more generously. Over the years, house after house has been entrusted to new owners and restored with a great deal of expertise.

Doreen Severin-Heiroth, managing director of the venerable hotel "Zum Bär," has also renovated a house with her family. This took five years. "At some point you think you can't go on. But when it's done, you have a unique object." Quedlinburg residents are not the only ones to think this way; many an investor has also discovered the city. Second homes and holiday apartments as well as one or two small hotels were created as a result in these timber-framed houses.

Proud people of Quedlinburg

"The small, beautiful, cozy houses are all taken," says Katrin Kaltschmidt. Every visitor to the city quickly notices how proud the owners are of what they have created. Everywhere you meet friendly people who talk about the redevelopment. You can look around, walk through old courtyards, admire stairwells and stairways. And on Open Monuments Day (the next takes place on September 8, 2019), many Quedlinburg residents even invite you to view their homes. "At that point genuinely private people proudly let the visitors walk from the basement to the attic, through the bedrooms and kitchen to show them what they have achieved," says Kaltschmidt.

Quedlinburg has for a long time been home to a whole range of artisan companies that have acquired special skills in the course of many years of renovation work. Some, like the Schneemelcher glass workshops, are not only in demand in Germany but even worldwide. And yet there is still plenty to do in Quedlinburg. Around 70% of listed heritage buildings have been renovated, says Katrin Kaltschmidt, but there are a number of large structures that are still waiting for a concept of use and new owners. Larger streets also need to be renovated. What she doesn't mention is the desolate state of Quedlinburg's railway station. A historic building — abandoned, neglected, and forgotten. This beautiful town really deserves a better entrance point!