What we want

Maintenance of Renaissance Monuments in Halle and Saalkreis

The city of Halle (Saale) has a rich range of early and late Renaissance Monuments. The "sole Renaissance-Cathedral of reunited Germany" (Diemar Bartetzko) and the Residence, "one of the leading buildings belonging to the Central German Early Renaissance" (Hans-Joachim Krause) arise above an affluent of the river Saale.

Near at hand, grown over by a chestnut tree, stands the New Mill (1582). The north-west of the market-place is delimited by a voluminous building from the middle of the 16th century. It is based on an angular ground-plan and overlooked by a turret with a winding staircase. Some yards to the north, at the end of a narrow lane, Italian gable-ends can be seen. Here in 1531 Hans von Schönitz, a rich merchant, erected an impressing city-palace with a splendid hall in the second floor. To the east of the old city-centre the "Stadtgottesacker" (central city cemetery) is located. Consecrated in 1529, construction of the ninety-four arches on a rectangular ground-plan began as late as 1557 by Nickel Hoffmann.

Although in the Saalkreis (rural administrative unit surrounding Halle) only few works of art in Renaissance style can be found, late gothic altar-pieces and crucifixes do present an interesting counterpart.

The initiative wants to help these monuments and works of art. It wants to bring home to the people of Halle and its visitors the fascinating cultural wealth of Renaissance Central Germany. At the same time IfHaS wants to collect money for the maintenance of Renaissance monuments and works of art. This the initiative tries to do by offering guided city-tours, walking-tours to the beautiful "Mansfelder Land" and the publication of small brochures dealing with the history of the city.

Training Possibilities for Students of History and History of Art

The institutes of history and history of art at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg instruct young students. IfHaS looks for students in the final years of their studies, who want to work out and lead guided tours by themselves. Excellent papers will be given due attention by publication as small brochures. Students will win experience for their work-life by research focussed on application and public appearance. Finally a publication can be a decisive incentive to future employers.

- back to index -