Set includes pageantry sleds from the Urach castle. Pageantry sleds became for the most part attic objects after the French Revolution. Ludwig II may have been the last monarch who indulged in jingle belled cross country sled rides (vanguard of torch riders, some Syberberg movie footage). Single seated snowmobiles came later (Brezhnev goes Bombardier).
Date(s): summer 2007. Photos by Aymar. 1 - 40 of 40 Total. 3386 Visits.
1 Urach Lange Str. or vicinity
2 Urach PB hopeful of 1752. Actually the top ornament of a corner fountain.
3 Urach, Rathaus and fountain This building comes with all the classical attributes of a City Hall as there are: the window boxes with red geraniums, the display clock in the gable, the fountain. Only thing missing is the air raid siren. Possibly wrong angle or concealed inside the turret. The main building dates from 1562.
4 Urach, Rathaus and fountain It is quite easy to build one of those market fountains. You just piledrive a cathedral into the ground until only the spire top is showing. Slightly recast: Peter von Koblenz, the master builder of the St.Amandus Stiftskirche, had a good idea how utilize some left over blueprints. Christoph, biding his time in Urach, Ulrich was not exactly on speaking terms with the more pro-Austrian fraction in his family, had set it up in his spare time. The central figure, view rather obstructed, is a Chistopherus.
5 Urach, Rathaus and fountain
6 Urach, Rathaus and fountain Pinnacles, crockets and gargoyles at eye level. On top the hunting horn of the dukes of Urach.
7 Urach, Rathaus and fountain
8 Urach, Rathaus and fountain A knight mage (permissible character combination) doing a hovering axehead trick. (The next high pressure cleaning will be due in fall.)
9 Urach, Rathaus and fountain Probably just a sword hilt. The blade is gone.
10 Urach, Rathaus and fountain Most likely a stone mason. The quality of the fountain figures is very unequal.
11 Urach the old main street
12 Urach fastest bicycle West of the Erms
13 Urach Cheerful street basker in Robin Hood garb. No donations required. Unusual guitar. Could be be a five string mandolin.
14 Urach Money pouch side.
15 Urach Erms or side channel
16 Urach, Stiftskirche St.Amandus 'Stiftskriche' can be rendered as 'collegiate church' (run by more than one minister under the supervision of a dean). 'Founder endowed organization for the public benefit' would probably come closer. The collegiate aspect is very much a corollary. Few churches (or universities for that matter) are bequeathed to a particular family of office holders. The sponsor (Justinanus) of this church, building as well as perpetual revenues for its maintenance, was Eberhard im Barte. Other better known 'collegiate churches' can be found in Tübingen and Stuttgart (the on and off capital of the reunited duchy). Eberhard's tomb is in the Tübinger church.
17 Urach, Stiftskirche St.Amandus The spire was enhanced in the 19th century. The church itself is late 15th century. Replacing a more modest predecessor.
18 Urach, Stiftskirche Non functional pulpit gargoyle.
19 Urach, Stiftskirche More goat than bull. - The background figure could be Gerson, a contemporary (16th century) master of theology. His portrait is reportedly included for whatever reason.
20 Urach, Stiftskirche Evangelist with frog familiar. Not completely sure if I read this right.
21 Urach, Stiftskirche Prie-dieu of Eberhard V/I (Earl and Duke), 1472. Barbara Gonzaga of Mantua, his bride, is better remembered in Kirchheim. (Wider timeline: Romanov marriages were not yet in fashion.)
22 Urach, Stiftskirche bird feasting
23 Urach, Stiftskirche Slightly different page costumes but selfsame motive as the Patres choir in Maulbronn. Somewhat disappointing. You would at least have expected Eliah descending from heaven in his chariot of fire to congratulate Eberhard in person on the signing of the compact of Münsingen (reunification of the duchy).
24 Urach, Stiftskirche Neckrest and title. This seat is taken.
25 Urach, Stiftskirche The 23 year old Peter von Graveneck was apparently a proud home owner. He posed for this quality epitaph just after slating the roof of his new banqueting hall. The codpiece is somewhat showy. - Locally processed Alb limestone (accept no substitutions). Uniform texture, no visible veining or Solnhofen type petrifactions. (Would otherwise have made a good headline: The archaeopteryx within the knight.)
26 Castle, Pandur sled Pageantry sled of Carl Eugen, ca 1750, workshop Peter Stösser. There are Ghurkas and there are Pandurs. No drawn Khukri knife but two pistols and a brandished Turkish sword. The scabbard is empty. The hand back show raised veins. Systolic blood pressure 150 mmHg plus. Pandurs served in Maria Theresa's armies as special forces.
27 Castle, Pandur sled
28 Castle, hurdy-gurdy sled Another pageantry sled of Carl Eugen by Stösser, ca 1750. Wider picture: 'Canned' music was a big 18th century thing. Various clockwork solutions. The Vitriola gramophones came later.
29 Castle, hurdy-gurdy sled Cranking the pegged drum. The grip board is nose guard protected.
30 Castle, Jonah sled Slapstick version of Jonah and the basking shark. Some man eating tiger licence. 18th century. The sled was most likely commissioned by a frat house. Some carnival usage. (Museum guide wisdom). Whole sled in pic #28, second line. 'Side saddle' riding was not possible.
31 Castle, Jonah sled Proverbial sled top ornament. Freudian fantasy art from Bruegel to Hans Kanters.
32 Castle, Harlequin sled
Harlequin sled of Carl Eugen, about 1750. One note the reverse 'pillow riding' arrangement. Court lady with hooped shirts (pluralis petticoatitis) in front, rein holding gentleman on the small saddle in the rear. - The joint front end of the sled skids is dramatically elongated. Oriental slippers once removed. Should offer some protection against accidental decapitation by fencing wire.
33 Castle, Harlequin sled
34 Castle, Harlequin sled Harlequin in nature, taking off his mask.
The sled dates from 1720, Giorgio Ferretti production, court workshop, Ludwigsburg. Sled comes with a minor post appropriation story: The dog collars, which are real, bear the the wrong monogram. The original pair should have shown the CL of Carl Ludwig or, maybe more honestly, that of his overbearing girl friend (the infamous Lady Grävenitz). Carl Eugen had them apparently replaced with a set from his own collection. [The crucial initials are not visible. The picture shows only a ..HZW (Herzog Wuerttemberg)] - The oak sprig will be a concession to local taste. The bow hand is empty.
Popular rumor claims that Lady Grävenitz had Ludwigburg terraformed with mountains of salt, a sinfully expensive mercantilist commodity at the time (Gabella tax), to organize sled rides in high summer. Minority view, a misunderstood early experiment with thawing salts.
37 Castle, 'impeachment sled' Hidden 'decouplage' mechanism. Half of the sled is left behind if you push the right button. The honor of the test ride fell usually on the court buffoon.
38 Castle, Golden Hall The two-tailed mermaid under the stove. Habitual hang out for that ilk.
39 Castle, Golden Hall Wooden model for an unrealized monument for Duke Heinrich (1519-1572) by Paul Mair. Father of duke Ulrich. Grounded in Urach by Eberhard the Bearded for mental reasons. - The life sized statue of an enormous boar which Ulrich bested in 1507 is also shown. It was originally covered with the trophy hide. (Ulrich might have acquitted himself well as a rodeo star. His courage has never been questioned.)
40 Castle Rural dresses. Not recommended if you seek court admittance.
