Bach Cities and Bach Places: Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany
1 Why Is Eisenach One of the Bach Cities?
So, why is Eisenach one of the Bach cities? I believe you just don't guess it. And actually Eisenach is not "one of the Bach cities" or even worse "just one of the Bach cities". Eisenach is the Bach City. For all those who are on their way in the footsteps of Johann Sebastian Bach, Eisenach is even the "Mother of all Bach Cities".
First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is born in Eisenach. Not in the Bach House, but some 300 feet away. From there you are able to see the Bach House. Whether the house, which is located at that very place, really is the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, or whether the original house is replaced by a newer one, that is what experts still fight about today.
Johann Ambrosius, father of Johann Sebastian Bach, first bought a house right on the other side of the little nowadays "Bach House Garden". Later he bought the today's Bach House, in which little Johann Sebastian lived for almost 10 years. Here he played with his siblings. However, he met only three of them. He was the youngest of eight, but half of Johann Sebastian's siblings died early. They died even earlier than Johann Sebastian Bach was born. Of course, Johann Sebastian Bach went to school in Eisenach. This school is still existing today. The distance to St. Georg's Church it was a walk of four minutes, and it was the same amount of time to get to the middle of the city, where his father Johann Ambrosius was a musician at the City Palace. Of course, Johann Sebastian got his first lessons of music in the Bach city of Eisenach. Several family members were Johann Sebastian's teachers.
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Really Tenthousands of Music Gifts?
My secret insider's tip is a location, which you can visit on the Internet, but even much better in Eisenach. There Christiane Möller offers, close to the Bachhaus, namely at the address "Karlsplatz 27 - 31", textile art. Check on the art work above, which the artist also designs in variations and in your desired measurements. You get to her website with a click here.
Very suddenly Johann Sebastian Bach approached a time in the age of almost ten years, when in a row of sad events first his mother died. Almost one year later next his uncle and finally his dad died. In this time, Johann Sebastian knew his stepmother, his dad had married again, only for a few months and she was unable to feed all of Johann Ambrosius' children. This was the reason, Johann Sebastian had to end his time in Eisenach. He had to move in with his oldest brother in Ohrdrurf and he didn't knock on his brother's door alone. He brought his older brother with him to Ohrdrurf.
Today Eisenach, this "Bach city of all Bach cities" – nine or if you like this better thirty-three – provides you with the biggest "Bach advantage". What now is a "Bach advantage"? See me smiling? Here is the answer: how much "Bach" can you possibly get for time and money when you travel? Of course this would only be true for folks who are able to beam (...yes like "... beam me up, Scotty ...") right into the "Land of the Bache" or even more casual we call it "Bach Country". The "Bach advantage" is linked massively , from where you travel and it's of course only related to travel matters. If you live close to Köthen or Leipzig, than there is a lot of "Bach advantage" close to your home without any travel at all. If you live in Suhl the same is true for Arnstadt. But we leave these two sample constellations alone. And let's overdo it a little. Let us assume, you are living in Passau, Southern Germany or in Rostock, Northern Germany or even abroad? Than the question is, where to "invest" your time best, to experience most "Bach related places".
And now our "Bach City of all Bach cities" wins clearly - correct, now you know it, it's Eisenach. Because nowhere else you learn and experience so much related to the history and the family of this star musician and his family like in Eisenach. First of all, Eisenach offers five original places respectively places of importance today related to Johann Sebastian Bach: it is the Bach House, next is the modern Bach Museum plus one of the most famous Bach monuments. Next, very close, it's the St. Georg's Church, in which Bach was baptized. And just some 500 feet away is the school located where once Johann Sebastian Bach was learning. The most exciting advantage of this Bach city however is, that you only have to "invest" a real tiny time to travel to a second, third, fourth and fifth Bach city or Bach place, which are located close. That isn't true for Leipzig and as well not for Köthen. Because between Leipzig and the "heartland of the Bach Family" it's a distance of one and a half hours drive, and from Köthen it's even thirty minutes more.
However, finally counts, how attractive the offer is of each particular Bach city and each Bach place. That is, how much did they do to make the offer around Bach's work attractive, and how much do they do today to attract you as a visitor. In this discipline, Eisenach again wins against all other Bach cities and Bach places – by far. The one city who wins every category - just wins the whole "Bach Tourism Cup". Is there such a thing like a Johann Sebastian Bach Tourism Cup"? No. There's not.
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2 Music by Bach + Pics from Eisenach
No narration, just music and pics: Eisenach, a Bach place.
3 The Bach City of Eisenach on 6 Pictures
Bach cities, Bach places – great pictures. Eisenach on additional pics? Just click here.
4 Info About the Bach City of Eisenach
Eisenach is located in western Thuringia and is one of the Luther's cities. The Wartburg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the first thing people associate with the city. It was here that Luther threw an inkwell at the devil when he was translating the Bible. There are nine districts and about 42,000 residents live there. Eisenach is also an industrial center, the Wartburg is a reminder of the recent past, Opel and Bosch create several thousand jobs. Touristically, Eisenach offers several options, from the Burschenschaftsdenkmal to the lovingly restored old town beyond the destinations mentioned. And there's much more, of course, not here, but on two other websites, namely, as usual, Wikipedia and also the city's official website.
A Short Video: the Bach City of Eisenach
Film, pics, music and narration: Eisenach presented in a likeable tiny video. Eisenach is clearly a category A Bach city, better a Johann Sebastian Bach city. Or even better, this Bach city is rewarding Bach enthusiasts most. Maybe even a tiny little bit more than the music metropolis of Leipzig, a Bach city equal to Eisenach.
Eisenach is located in the west of the German Federal State of Thuringia and is one of the so-called Luther City too. Most people think of the castle Wartburg, when they hear the name of Eisenach. The Wartburg is UNESCO world cultural heritage and once Martin Luther threw his ink pot after the devil, when he was translating the bible. Eisenach, that is 9 districts and some 42,000 residents are living there. Eisenach is an industry center as well. At the time of the GDR (DDR), there was a car with the name of "Wartburg" as well, which reminds of the city. Today Opel and Bosch, two German industry heavyweights, are providing several thousand jobs. Eisenach offers great options for tourists, that starts with the "Burschenschaftsdenkmal" and leads to the well restored old city beyond the mentioned destinations. Much more to discover about Eisenach is what you won't find here on my website, but on two additional ones, which are, like always, on Wikipedia, but as well there is the official website of the city.
Where Exactly Is this Bach City Located?
33 maps, 33 Bach cities or places. Eisenach is a category A Bach city.
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