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Magdeburg |
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On March 21 2009 I gave a talk at the international
Computer Games / Players / Game Cultures
conference in Magdeburg. I had never been to Magdeburg before. As
the program was very packed I played truant one morning just to be
able to see Magdeburg by daylight (and take some pictures). |
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Magdeburg of course is famous for the Magdeburg hemispheres and their inventor Otto von Guericke, after whom the university is named. As the city was severely bombed in the aftermaths of WWII many of the original buildings have been destroyed. Still parts of the city have been beautifully restored. |
| As Magdeburg belonged to East Germany after WWII you find the typical pedestrian crossing lights all over the city |
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My workplace is in Amsterdam, so the trams in Magdeburg were a welcome reminder of home. It is an easy way to get around, but as everything was concentrated in the city centre I could walk and didn't need to take the tram. |
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| As part of the reconstruction of the lost Baroque and Gründerzeit buildings in the city centre Die Grüne Zitadelle von Magdeburg by the famous architect Hundertwasser was finished in 2005. | |
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Fortunately parts of the mediaeval city of Magdeburg have been
preserved, rebuild and restored. Unfortunately on my morning walk
the famous Dom was not yet open to the public and I did not have
time to visit the museum. As I love everything mediaeval this was a
great pity. I guess I just have to plan a tour of the Norman cities
and places in Germany. The tower you see on the right, part of the
city wall near the Elbe, is called 'Kiek in de köken"
as it overlooks the kitchen garden of the monastery. Philologically
this is interesting as it is pronounced completely identically as it
is in Maastrichts. As I may be descended (through my mother) from the infamous Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly their might be a link between my family and the sack of Magdeburg in 1631 during the Thirty Year War. (Best not mention it) |
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| The university is a campus university. The building we were in had a baroque look outside, but it really reminded me of my old primary school on the inside (which is not necessarily a bad thing, I guess newcomers to the VU will be more taken aback by the utilitarian build it has). The campus is large and the buildings have all kinds of different styles. They even have a very large tower, much like the main VU building, which was being renovated when I was there. | |
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| To finish a picture of Richard Bartle, the opening keynote speaker of the conference. | |
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