Old town of Wetzlar

Rasha Almaqaleh

Last week, I attended a seminar for a couple days in a town called Wetzlar. It is located in the state of Hesse in west-central Germany. Living in North Germany for two years, this was the first time for me to see a different part of the country. Therefore, I was very excited about my trip to Wetzlar, the city that is more than 400 km away from where I live!

 I was particularly concerned about the weather because I've heard that central Germany is hot comparing to the cold rainy weather in the Northern parts. However, the weather was not that different; it was the typical German mixture of cloudy, rainy and sunny! But, it was nice for the most part, not very hot. 

The view from my room's window in the educational center where I stayed during my visit, reminded me a little bit of Taiz city in Yemen. The town has some elevation and the roads go up and down just like in Taiz. I actually liked the up and down roads but I am sure that the cyclists might disagree! 

View from my room's window

Wetzlar is known for its historic ancient town which was a former ‘free  imperial city’ that was subordinate to the Holy Roman Empire. When I walked through the old historic town, it felt magical. The narrow stone streets along with the old houses give a sense of warm and intimacy. Going uphill and down the curvy alleyways was such a pleasant experience that I wished it would never end! 

I specifically liked ‘Jerusalemhaus’ which is a museum dedicated to Karl Wilhelm Jerusalem and the story behind it. In front of the museum which is called ‘Jerusalemhaus’ there is a sign that says in German: “This is the house where Jerusalem lived until his tragic suicide in 1772.”

Jerusalemhaus

So, who is Jerusalem? Before visiting Wetzlar, I really had no idea! Interestingly, Jerusalem who was a legation secretary was friends with the famous German poet and playwright: Goethe. Locals here in Wetzlar are so proud that Goethe spent around four months in their town. He came to Wetzlar in the middle of 1772 as an intern to practice the law and left in September of the same year. 

 It is strongly believed that Goethe was inspired by Jerusalem's suicide when he wrote his most famous novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. The inspiration was obvious in the tragic death of Werther in which he shoots himself in the head, the same way that Jerusalem killed himself!

Goethe lived in the Green house

Another important attraction in the old town of Wetzlar is the Cathedral, or ‘Dom’ in German. What is interesting about this huge church is that its construction started in 1230 and is still unfinished!

Wetzlar Cathedral

The Lahn old bridge which was built in the 13^th century adds a wonderful touch to the scenery.

Old Lahn Bridge

One funny thing that caught my attention during my visit was that the bathroom in my room in the educational center have a floor drain! That was a bit of a surprise to me as the bathrooms in Germany don’t typically have drain holes on the floor.

Overall, my trip to Wetzlar was memorable. It seems that one can never get enough history in the old town of Wetzlar where every corner and every alley have a story to tell. Wherever you turn your eyes, you will see charm. And wherever you walk, the roads will take you back in time to somewhere fascinating.