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Founded: 15th centuryCategory: Miscellaneous historic sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)
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Stendal town hall is a Brick Gothic building constructed over successive eras and thus its components reflect the use of an eclectic range of styles. The courthouse was built in the 15th century, its Late Gothic arches opening onto the town market; the guardhouse and a side wing also date to this epoch. A cloakroom added in the late 15th century (and today used as a wine cellar) adjoins the courthouse; the main space in this later addition resembles a hall and features two aisles and cross-shaped rib vaulting. The main section of the town hall is basically Late Gothic, although a Renaissance-style facade with interlaced vaulting.
A colossal statue of Roland, who symbolised the freedoms and rights afforded by the medieval city for the urban residents of the Mark of Brandenburg, has stood in front of the Stendal town hall since 1525. The sandstone statue is remarkably large, towering 7.8 metres above street level.
References:The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.
The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.