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Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen
Bad Frankenhausen lies in the Kyffhäuser Mountains, a lovely low range, often described as a mini-Harz, which is popular with hikers and cyclists who enjoy the often gentle slopes and fine views. Bad Frankenhausen itself has the largest oil painting in the world in the Panoramamuseum, Am Schlachtberg 9. A 1975 round building, known locally as the "elephant toilet," houses this painting measuring 14½ by 123 m (46 x 394 feet), entitled Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany. It was painted by Werner Tübke between 1976 and 1987, and depicts the Peasants’ Revolt of the early 16th century. The realistic painting features 75 major scenes and around 3,000 people. The revolt was led by Thomas Müntzer, a one-time ally of Martin Luther. However, he was condemned by Luther after demanding full social revolution, including the overthrow of nobles, and the destruction of monasteries and other religious centers. He led peasants into a one-sided battle against the armies of the nobles. The peasants were slaughtered at the battle of Schlachtberg in 1525. Müntzer was captured, tortured, and executed. Not surprisingly, Thomas Müntzer became a hero in the German Democratic Republic, while Martin Luther was initially viewed as a traitor of the people. Luther was only rehabilitated in the late 1950s.
Kyffhausen
Nearby, on the road to Kelbra are the ruins of the former imperial castle of Kyffhausen with the Kaiser Wilhelm- Nationaldenkmal (Emperor Wilhelm National Monument). According to legend, Emperor Friederich I Barbarossa, who drowned in a river while on a crusade in 1190, never really died, but was merely resting inside the hill of Kyffhausen, waiting to return to the throne when the time was right. The never-modest Hohenzollern regime of the late 19th century, decided that the restoration of the Empire by Prussia in 1871 clearly implied that the popular Barbarossa had risen in the form of the new emperor. A bombastic 81-m (259-foot) high monument was erected in 1896 featuring an enormous imperial crown and a 10-m (32-foot) high equestrian statue of KaiserWilhelm I. Just over 230 stairs lead to a viewing platform with grand views.
These sights are best reached by private transportation and are about a 45-minute drive from Erfurt and half an hour from Nordhausen.
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