Bamberg. Schönleinsplatz (Johann Schönlein square)

The Lange Straße led me to the large triangular Schönleinsplatz, the largest square in Bamberg. This is a typical example of urban architecture of the Wilhelminian era. The square is located outside the old city wall, in front of the main gate. Until the second half of the 19th century, there were mainly craft workshops, hop breweries and breweries located here. The square received its current appearance after the construction of the Regnitz River canal, which saved this part of the city from flooding.

The need for reconstruction of the square was outlined after the construction of Sophienstraße (now Willy-Lessing-Straße). Thus, the square became the border between the old and new city. In 1877, gardener Daniel Mayer was commissioned by the city council to improve the square. However, the final appearance of the square was 20 years later, already according to the project of Peter Kromm (Peter Kromm) in 1894. In 1897, a fountain appeared on the square. In 1905, the square became an important transport hub, where tram routes to different parts of the city began. In 1914, gas lamps were replaced with electric ones.

The square is named after the German medical researcher Johann Lukas Schönlein (1793-1864). The scientist is known as an opponent of the natural philosophy direction in medicine and the founder of the school of applying precise research methods-chemical analyzes, a microscope, and created the classification of diseases.

A bust of Johann Schoenlein made of Carrara marble was installed on November 30, 1873, on his hundredth birthday, by the famous Viennese sculptor Caspar von Zumbusch.

On the square there is an equestrian statue of Luitpold of Bavaria (Luitpold von Bayern, Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm, 1821-1912), he was the third son of King Ludwig I and in 1886 became regent of his mentally ill nephew and heir to the throne Ludwig II until the latter's death.

Ludwig's successor, King Otto I, was also in poor mental health, so Luitpold retained his position, remaining all these years the de facto ruler of Bavaria. The mysterious death of the first ward caused a lot of rumors that the case was dirty, but Luitpold, thanks to his organizational qualities, became one of the most popular rulers of Bavaria in history. As a liberal, Luitpold achieved economic growth, and Munich became the cultural center of Europe. The monument was opened in 1889 by Ferdinand von Miller.

The Bambergr Hof Hotel was built in 1896 by architect Jakob Mayer. In the early years of operation, there were many complaints from guests about smoke and soot coming from the surrounding breweries and workshops that operated until the early 20th century.

The square also has the famous Messerschmitt Wine House, which I described in the previous article.

Even before the First World War, the square became the center of cultural life: in numerous cafes and restaurants, a refined audience gathered and famous artists performed. In 1916, complaints were sent to the city council that there were too many noisy children in the square, and all the benches were occupied by their mothers and governesses. The city authorities were asked to put "adult only" signs on the benches. History is silent about how this initiative ended. For a century and a half of the square's existence, it has received a wide variety of reviews: from "the most beautiful place in Bamberg, to "the shame of Bamberg". Now there is little left of the square's splendor: carefully planned flower beds in the 19th century are cut by highways and the square serves as a transport interchange.