Weisbaden - Hessischer Landtag

The Nassau name is inseparably connected with royalty in Europe. The Nassau line dominated Europe royalty for centuries, particularly Holland and Luxembourg.  My only real connection with that name originated with the city of Nassau in the Bahamas.

Since visiting a number of sites, I have felt it necessary to try to understand the relationships between the establishment of cities, the royal and ecclesiastical power brokers of the time and the geographical regions they controlled.  With this information in hand, the politics, disputes, and cultural flavor begins to make sense.

We visited the residence of Adolph, the Grand Duke of Nassau.  He ruled Hesse until the Prussian- Austrian War.  He sided with the losing side and was forced to abdicate.  He moved to Luxembourg and was the Grand Duke there until he died.  The state we now reside in is called Hesse, but it used to be called Nassau-Hesse.  It is the location of the Hesse Legislature governing a population of more than 6 million.  The building was a mix of old and new - to appreciate the facility, we have to go back to its heyday in the mid 19th century.
Wiesbaden, as I mentioned earlier, was the vacation spot of the rich and famous.  Visitors from all over Europe went to Wiesbaden to enjoy the baths and the casino.  More millionaires resided in this small city than any other part of Europe.  The mineral rich waters draw thousands of visitors annually. Locals could be seen drinking from the numerous fountains, claiming a host of health generating benefits.  I found it notably 'flavorful'.
On this tour we had a wonderful guide who went the extra mile to give our group of 30, an informative walk through this magnificent building.



The building pictured here is the equivalent of a city hall.  One side of this building is new as it was largely destroyed during the war.









This column -ade served as a facade to the local theater.  This is a unique landmark as it is the longest column supported structure in the world.

Wiesbaden goes back to Roman times as it was one of several locations that represent the northern line of defense of the Roman Empire against the Germanic tribes.

This visual anomaly was in the center of Wiesbaden, tucked up a side street.  The plaque states that the site also was part of a Roman fortification from the 3rd century.








                                                                                        
 Wiesbaden was destroyed more than once during its tumultuous history. The architecture represents the luxurious  residences of late 19th century.  The design and ornate facades of the building clearly gave evidence of the wealth of former occupants.