Most cities have a particular colour, and Stade's is certainly brick red in all shades. Bricks are the favourite material in a landscape which has no stone quarries which would provide material for building, but at the same time lots of natural clay. Most houses are built from bricks, either pure or in combination with timberframe constructions. Even the pavement in the streets is partly made from bricks. Most timberframe buildings have the "fields" in the walls filled with bricks, often in ornamental setting.
Photographers may want to look for details to create a series. Doors, for example, are a rewarding topic, also details pf brickwork, or carved figures and ornaments on half-timbered houses.
A collection of doors
(And no, the ornament on the last one is not a Nazi swastika, it's much older. It's a sun wheel, an old symbol for eternity.)
The old town is full of discoveries, and the best thing to do is walking the streets and side lanes, strolling around, looking at the streetviews, the houses and their particularities. In this journal entry I am presenting a number of streets and buildings within the old town that caught my eye and interest. They are all just a short walk apart. Stade is not big and can easily be explored on foot. Comfortable walking shoes are nevertheless good to have because the cobblestone pavement is in parts very uneven.
So here we go...
Hökerstraße is the main street of the old town. It leads past the town hall and the entrance to the churchyard of St Cosmae slightly downhill to Fischmarkt and the old port. "Höker" in North-German dialect is just a neutral word for "merchant". To the rest of the country, though, it has the taste of a slang expression for a cheap or even dubious merchant (the verb "verhökern" means sell for a cheap, too cheap price).
Hökerhus
Here, however, the name refers to the wealthy and hopefully honest merchants who built their houses along this street, the best address in town. It is still the backbone of Stade's shopping area and has several nice local shops together with some of the usual chains.
The wealthy merchants have left quite a number of interesting half-timbered houses with ornated facades. The most outstanding of them is the so-called Hökerhus, a late medieval house which survived the fire in 1659 and is one of the few older houses in town. The white timberframe structure is characterisitc for the landscape between Stade and Hamburg. It is now a cafe.
Spiegelberg is an artificial hill by the port and river. It was created in the early middle ages, probably around 900, to build a small castle on top. The castle is long gone. Nowadays it is a residential quarter with a handful of historical half-timbered houses. The general appearance is a bit run down. From the footpath in the back you have a view of the new port and the church of St Wilhadi.
The former Franciscan Monastery of St Johannis was closed down after the Reformation and became a hospital for poor people. Since the big fire of 1659 the church is gone, only the convent building was repaired as a plain half-timbered structure. Nowadays they host the offices of several social and cultural institutions. The modern town archive has been built next-door in the place where the church once used to be. In the courtyard in between, an "archeological garden" shows the ground plan of the basilica. Due to construction works in the street I could not enter the courtyard but that should be over soon. The building complex is surrounded by a rose garden in the South and a little park with old trees.
Bäckerstraße
Bäckerstraße, the “bakers’ street”, is one of the finest streets in Stade’s old town with a number of interesting half-timbered houses. It leads slightly downhill and has a few light bends, which creates interesting photo perspectives.
The most imposing house is the large townhouse at the beginning of the street, No. 1-3, three storeys high. The beams are decorated with carved sun ornaments. An inscription mentions the date 1590 and a dendrochronology of the timbers has, according to my guidebook, proved that this was indeed the date when the house was built. Style and ornaments fit that era. The building actually consists of two houses that were joined, as the different levels of cellar and ground floor show. Note the beautiful front door. Bäckerstraße is a good place to start a photo collection of doors, as there are several other pretty ones.
Lämmertwiete
The house No. 21 is even older, though refurbished later on. Its façade is known for the woodcarved figures of King David, St Peter and another saint attached to the consoles. Following the street further downhill it crosses a bridge over Schwinge river. The houses down there are smaller and belonged to less wealthy people.
Lämmertwiete is the smallest street in the old town with a name of its own - it is rather a narrow passage between two houses. It is completely harmless but rather dark and feels a bit creepy... Its width is less than two outstretched arms. The lane is a shortcut from Bächerstraße to Büttelbrücke and "Little Venice".
The beautiful half-timbered house named Knechthausen in Bungenstraße used to be the guild house of the brewers’ journeymen. The young craftsmen organized themselves – they had to travel and work in various workshops for some years after completing their apprenticeship to gain experience. They were young guys, new in town without family background. The guild house provided accommodation for newcomers until they found a job and a place to stay, and as meeting point for the members. The guild provided a network for company and exchange and help in all emergencies. From the beginning a pub was part of the guild house. The inn “Knechthausen” is still there.
Alter Hafen - Old Port
The old port in the middle of the old town is Stade's top attraction. Surrounded by historical houses from various eras, its setting is as beautiful and romantic as can be. Several restaurants, cafes, pubs have outdoor seating on the quay, so you can spend some enjoyable time there...
The port has been the cause for Stade's wealth and status since the middle ages. The first port on the river Schwinge was probably built around 900 when the castle on Spiegelberg hill was erected. In the 13th century the present basin was dug, its quays were first protected by wooden palisades, since 1870 by brick walls. The dimensions and curved shape of the old port still are those of the middle ages.
The most prominent building is certainly the Old Crane. A crane has been known to be in the port since the 14th century. Two years after the big fire of 1659 a new one was built. Being considered useless, it was demolished in the late 19th century. So the original crane is gone for good. The present one is a reconstruction which was built in the 1970s. It is just the empty shell without the machinery, though. Nevertheless it adds a lot to the flair of the old port. Inside there is an information centre and small exhibition about the history of the port.
The old port is surrounded by historical buildings. Many of them were the residential houses as well as shops and offices of wealthy merchants.
The most splendid facade around the port is the one of Bürgermeister-Hintze-Haus, the house of a mayor of the town and wealthy merchant. Originally it was a late gothic house but it received the new ornated facade in the renaissance style of the Weser region in 1621. The facade, however, is the only preserved part of the house. In the 1930 the house was heavily damaged due to bad foundations, had to be taken down and rebuilt in smaller size. Only the facade was saved. Behind it there is a new building.
The large building by the exit of the old port was erected around 1700 during the Swedish occupation, hence the name. It served as storage for supplies of the Swedish garrison. Nowadays the Schwedenspeicher hosts the historical museum of the town.
The small half-timbered house on the opposite quay used to be the seat of the port master who controlled the trade and the incoming and outgoing ships. The "tree" was a large wooden beam which closed the port entrance and had to be pulled up for ships entering or leaving. Unwanted vessels could be kept out this way. The monument next to it recalls the history of the sailboats that were used for all kinds of transport in former times.
One of these boats is still there. "Willi" is a historical sailboat built in 1926. This type of sailboat is named Ewer. They were used in the 19th and early 20th century for freight transport on rivers and close to the coasts. A typical Ewer is about 16 metres long and has one or two masts. Originally they were only run by windpower in the sails but in the 20th century most of them, like "Willi", were equipped with an additional diesel engine. I found "Willi" moored next to Schwedenspeicher but the ship seems to change its location in the port now and then. The sign with the explanations can be found next to the old crane.
A sculpture by the port depicts a woman selling fish. She proudly presents the largest catch of the day to all passers-by and potential customers. Note the cat who is clearly interested in stealing from the contents of her basket... The stature (1986) had a real model, a woman nicknamed "Mutter Flint mit dem Stint" who used to sell fish by the port before and after World War II.
Fischmarkt is the old market square by the port, where not only fish was traded but most goods which were unloaded from the ships here. The half-timbered building in the middle of the square is the scale where all arriving goods were weighed, controlled and taxed before merchants got the okay to put them on sale.
Nowadays there are several restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating around Fischmarkt and around the port - weather permitting, a nice spot for a lunch, coffee or dinner break.
Historical Museum Schwedenspeicher
The large building by the exit of the old port was erected around 1700 during the Swedish occupation, hence the name. Stade was ruled by the Swedes from the end of the 30 Year War until 1712. It served as storage for supplies of the Swedish garrison.
The building is rather plain, its only ornament is the baroque portal towards the quay. The relief above the portal contains the monogram of the Swedish king Karl XII.
In the 1970s the building was renovated and turned into a historical museum. Exhibitions on three floors present the history of the town and area from the Stone Age to modern times.
The ground floor has a fascinating exhibit of archaeological finds that were discovered during excavations in the old port: personal belongings that fell into the port by accident, broken pieces that people threw into the water on purpose, little things from all centuries. It also includes an interactive model of the historical town, and room for temporary exhibitions.
The first floor is dedicated to Stade’s history, in particular to the late middle ages and early modern era when the town was a member of the mighty Hansa.
The second floor with the prehistoric department has been totally refurbished and only reopened in spring 2015. The brand new permanent exhibition presents archaeological finds from the various prehistoric eras, from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages to the Viking, and explains their background. The early history was of particular interest to historians already in the 19th century and has been thoroughly researched. The region by the mouth of the river Elbe was settled in these early ages. The moors have preserved a lot of testimony, remarkable pieces among them like the four large bronze wheels.
Old Town Hall of Stade
Stade's town hall is a renaissance building, erected after the destruction of its precedessor in the big townwide fire of 1659. Wrought-iron anchors on the facade display the date 1667. The town hall is built from bricks, with whiteish sandstone ornaments and window frames, and resembles Dutch renaissance architecture. The sculpted portal shows the coat of arms of King Karl XI of Sweden, the then governor of the town.
Since a modern administration needs more room, a new town hall has been built beside the old one.
I could not resist the open door and poked my nose in; no idea if I was supposed to or not, but a town hall is a public building, after all. The entrance hall on the ground floor is dominated by the wooden staircase in the middle. Wooden doors, rather early baroque than renaissance, lead into the offices and whatnot. The main hall on the upper floor was unfortunately closed.
Port and Spiegelberg in the 17th century
The most interesting feature was the model of the old town. The entrance hall of the town hall hosts a large model of old Stade in a showcase underneath the stairs, opposite the main entrance. It shows Stade the way it was before the big fire of 1659 that devastated two thirds of the town. The church of St Wilhadi still has its pointed spire. In the location of the arsenal in Pferdemarkt you can spot the ruins of the convent of St Georg, abandoned since the reformation. The fortifications consist of wall and moat, the huge ramparts were built about a century later. The ground plan and outline, including the port and its surroundings, have not changed much.
Church of St Cosmae et Damiani
Short "St Cosmae", this brick gothic church is the oldest parish church of the town, and the most impressive. The first church here was already built in the 9th/10th century. The present church's nave dates from around 1250. Soon after it was extended by the transept and chour. Its most striking feature is the majestic tower above the intersection of nave and transept. The fire of 1659 damaged the church, which was repaired soon after. The baroque spire is an addition of the 1680s.
The whole medieval interior was destroyed in the fire of 1659, all the present interior except one chandelier dates from the baroque era. The parish community hired the best artisans from Hamburg and other surrounding towns to create a worthy environment for their worship. Note the details of the pulpit, a masterrpiece of woodcarving, its many figures are a summary of the Bible in best Lutheran tradition. The main altar (1674-1677 by the sculptor Christian Precht from Hamburg) may resemble Catholic altars but its scenes of the Passion and resurrection of Christ tell once more of Lutheran theology. Several galleries and boxes were installed to separate social groups and provide special seats for the town's V.I.P.'s. The brass chandeliers are a common feature in North German churches.
One single medieval piece is on display in the church: the altarpiece of St Gertrud, around 1500, which originally belonged to the church of St Nicolai. After the demolition of said church in the 19th century it was brought here and found its place in the chapel by the Southern transept.
On the gallery in the Southern transept they had an exhibition about orthodox icons when I visited. This area seems to be used for exhibitions regularly. It is worth going up, even if you are not interested in the exhibition, for the view down into the church and a closer look at the votive ship.
Model ships can be found in many churches along the coast. They are reminders to remember and pray for the seafaring members of the community, and at the same time a symbol of the Christian community in general. They are usually private donations, often from sailors as sign of gratitude for rescue and protection. This one here, though, is rather young, it was created in 1960 and came into the church only in 1998, and it is a donation of the local savings bank. Well they can do with prayers, too...
The ship in St Cosmae is a four-masted tall ship named Hoffnung, hope. The best spot to see it is from the gallery in the Southern transept - pretend to be interested in the exhibition which is shown up there.
The church's greatest pride is their organ. The magnificent instrument fills the whole Western wall of the nave. It was designed and begun by the master organ builder Berendt Huß from Glückstadt in 1668. His assistant and cousin Arp Schnitger, who later became a master organ builder much more famous than his teacher and mentor, took an important part in the completion. In 1675 the organ was completed. During the following years Schnitger added some more features. After several repairs, changes and renovations the organ has recently been restored to its original shape and sound. - The three gilded statues on top symbolize the Christian virtues of Faith, Love and Hope.
In addition to seeing the interior, it is worth walking round the whole church on the outside. The surroundings offer some little discoveries. A house in the corner of Cosmae-Kirchhof to the street behind has a cute sundial high up on the facade. The sun is half-hidden but twinkling at you - exactly the weather I experienced that day.
A small half-timbered house in the corner behind the church of St Cosmae et Damiani. It has been well restored and served as a residential house now. A plaque on the wall tells that this was the former synagogue of the Jewish community in Stade.
Church of St Wilhadi
St Wilhadi is the other large medieval city church in Stade. It used to be the church of the Archbishop of Bremen, and parish church for the southern part of the old town. Since the reformation it has been a protestant church.
The gothic church is entirely built from bricks. The nave dates from the 14th century, the steeple might even be a bit older. In former times the steeple had a roof as high and pretty as St Cosmae, but it was destroyed by lightning in 1724 and substituted by the current low roof. Photographers: A fine view of the steeple can be caught when walking towards it along Flutstraße.
The church corresponds the “hall” scheme, i.e. three naves of equal height. While the architecture is medieval, the furnishing dates from the 17th and 18th century. They had to be renewed after a big city fire that badly damaged the interior of the church, although the brick structure withstood the blaze. Altar and pulpit were donated by a merchant from Hamburg and are the work of Hamburg masters. The magnificent baroque organ is often used for concerts.
Büttelbrücke:
Stade's 'Little Venice'
Every town with water must have a "Little Venice", LOL. Before entering the old port, the river Schwinge runs along a canal through the town. From the bridge in the middle, you have a view to both sides which reveal the houses' back fronts, balconies and gardens known as Klein-Venedig in Stade. I have seen many "Little Venices" in various places and this one qualifies as the most low-key one, LOL. Anyway, it is a nice walk and a convenient shortcut, as the bridge connects Bäckerstraße and Bungenstraße, two side streets with very interesting old houses.
Schwinge has no lock towards the Elbe, hence the water level changes with the tides. At low tide it is almost dry and even less impressive...
On the Ramparts of the Swedish Fortress
At the end of the 30 Year War Stade was occupied by the Swedes and remained in their hands for almost seven decades, from 1645 to 1712. Sweden used Stade as seat of the administration and, most of all, as a garrison town. The town was surrounded by huge fortifications, the necessarily ground for which was taken from private property without compensation. The citizens had to accommodate permanently about a thousand soldiers, many of them with wives and children. The arsenal building in Pferdemarkt is a testimony of the Swedish era, too, as well as the storage building in the port that hosts the museum.
The historical drawing, which is on display on an information board, shows an 18th century plan with the baroque fortifications. They covered more ground than the town itself and formed a tight belt that handicapped the town’s further development for centuries.
The fortifications were abandoned and turned into park promenades in the 19th century. They are still clearly visible in the town map and the townscape, though. The moat around the old town follows a zigzag line around what used to be the bastions of the fortress. The high and steep ramparts are used for a major road on the eastern and southern side, park walks on the other. One ravelin is still there, now simply called Insel (island) and occupied by the open-air museum.
Walking the promenade on the ramparts near Schiffertor, two animal statues catch the eye: a huge moose which is impossible to overlook, and a much smaller elephant among the lawns and flower beds a few steps further ahead.
The moose, together with the inscribed boulder next to it, is a memorial for the refuge at the end of World War II. Stade has a partner district in East Prussia, the town and district of Goldap, that the inscription on the boulder refers to: “Remember the lost homeland.” The moose is the iconic animal of East Prussia.
These “homeland” memorials often have a certain aftertaste. The associations of the war refugees from what used to be the easternmost parts of Germany are very conservative if not outright right-wing, still fret about the lost past and won’t accept that times have changed. Goldap belongs to Poland now. My father’s family are refugees from East Prussia themselves so I feel entitled to an opinion. Both sides have suffered and both sides have done wrong. We need to remember the bad things that happened but also discuss the reasons why, and accept the reality of the present.
The elephant probably has no particular significance, it is just a statue – maybe it is meant as a contrast to the moose. It has the size of a youngster, maybe half a year old, and looks very realistic. Seeing a young elephant promenading the park and aiming at the flower bed for a snack is quite a surprise... until you notice that he is not alive.
New Port and River Lock
Stade’s active river port is the so-called “new” port on the eastern side of the old town. It is entered from the Elbe through the mouth of Schwinge river, and open so the water level changes with the tides.
It is navigable for rather small vessels only. Small freighters are able to enter, a historical one docked along the quay and two cranes tell of the active times as a trade port. Sailboats and yachts use it, as well as the water police. I doubt there are too many goods loaded and unloaded nowadays.
On the opposite quay, modern and rather posh-looking apartment houses have been built.
Underneath the road bridge there is a lock that closes the moat behind and keeps the water level constant in there. The stronger and higher outward gate of the lock also serves as flood gate in case of storm surges.
Fish and Fisherman Fountain – A Fairytale
This fairytale is referred to in a fountain in Pferdemarkt square, the former horse market. This square is the entrance to the old town when you are coming from the train station. The lower part is occupied by the bus station and a taxi stand. Car traffic can enter this part and continue into a parking garage but not proceed any further. The rest of the square is for pedestrians only, as are the three shopping streets that begin here.
The most prominent building is the former arsenal (Zeughaus). The large white building was built in the era of the Swedish occupation shortly before 1700. It served as arsenal for the troops in the fortress. The inscription on the portal contains the date 1698. The relief in the gable shows the monogram of the Swedish King Carl XII and the royal crown. The arsenal now contains a number of shops and some gastronomy. The Italian ice cream parlour on the front side towards the square deserves an honourable mentioning! Get yourself a sweet and cool treat between sightseeing, sit down by the fountain and read a fairytale...
The fountain with the fish and the fisherman (unfortunately without water when I took the photos) refers to a fairy tale from the collection of the Brothers Grimm: The Fisherman and His Wife, De Fischer und sine Fru – originally told in North German dialect. Here is the tale in a summarizing translation by yours truly.
A poor fisherman lives in a shabby hut by the seashore together with his ambitious wife. Every day he goes fishing. One day he catches a large golden fish. The wish is bewitched, he can speak, and he begs the fisherman to set him free. The fisherman is a kind and gentle guy and lets the fish go.
When he returns home and tells his wife, she gets angry at him: “Didn’t you at least make a wish? He would surely have granted you a wish for his freedom!”
“Oh well, what should I wish for”, says the fisherman.
“Now look, husband, we are living in this shabby dirty shed – I want a nice house with a garden and a courtyard for chickens and ducks.”
The fisherman returns to the seashore and calls the fish:
“Buttje, Buttje, Timpetee, Buttje, Buttje in de See,
mine Fru, de Ilsebill will nich so, as ick wohl will.”
(My wife Ilsebill doesn’t want what I want.)
“So what does she want”, asks the fish. – “Well, since I set you free she keeps lamenting that I should have made a wish, she so much wants a nice little house…”
“All right”, says the fish, “go home and see.”
And indeed, he returns home and finds his wife in a pretty cottage surrounded by a blooming garden.
All is well and they live happily – for a fortnight or so. Then the wife suddenly finds the house too narrow and the garden too small. She wants a palace.
Unwillingly the fisherman goes back to the sea shore to speak to the fish again. This wish is granted, as are the further ones. She wants to be King, then Emperor, then even Pope – everything is fulfilled. But the wife still can’t get enough. In the end she wants to be like the Lord.
And poof – they are back in their poor shabby shed.
