Theatre, Fountain, Spanners and Bells.



Staatstheater Braunschweig.



The Emil Cimiotti Fountain.

On Thursday afternoon I visited the Theatre in order to find a programme of  May's events.  There is much from which to choose and I need time to ponder.   Goethe's Faust 1 was premiered here in 1829, and a lovely carved monument in the foyer gives details of the loss of the building by fire during the last war, and its subsequent rebuilding.   The fountain is wonderful, a huge bowl full of fishes, plants, snakes and water creatures constantly doused in pouring water,  I was mesmerised.   Wikipedia has plenty of info about Braunschweig/the Staatstheater/der Dom/Faust/Goethe/etc,  usw.

I went back to the Dom to sit on my favourite seat, and saw a man carrying a huge bunch of large, heavy spanners, which he promptly dropped onto the cobbles with a loud crash.   He was chatting to another man about the bells, so I listened in and gathered that he was doing some maintenance up in the tower on the peel of twelve.  

Each bell has a name and inscription and they are rung before services and at 17.00 each day for the short "Andacht" a Devotion or Meditation which is accompanied by organ music.  Lovely music and with German spoken so slowly that I can understand every word.  Well virtually every one!