The edifice was built as a theatre by architect Wilhelm Vernukken in the years 1603/1606. The commissioner was Landgraf Moritz, who named the Ottoneum after his son Otto. Today, a natural history museum is housed here. Well-known collection pieces are a Xylotheque and the Ratzenberger Herbarium. [German]
The inscription “Ora et Labora” refers to the motto of the Benedictines. It translates into “Pray and Work”. The depiction is located on a chimney of Seitenstetten Abbey (Stift Seitenstetten). This is a large Benedictine monastery in the Austrian region of Mostviertel. [German]
The castle in Wels is generally known as the Castle (Die Burg) or as the Wels Castle (Die Welser Burg). It was first mentioned in 776. At that time, the site was just a wooden building with palisades. The construction in stone took place in the 12th or 13th century. [German]
It was really a cold day when I took this photo of a frozen fountain on the grounds of the Würzburg Residence (Würzburger Residenz). The Baroque palace which was completed in 1744 is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A pretty narrative mural on the Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing (Inštitut za hmeljarstvo in pivovarstvo Slovenije) in Žalec. This institute is located next to the museum about hop-growing and brewing industry in Slovenia (Ekomuzej hmeljarstva in pivovarstva).
The former moated castle is considered one of the best-preserved castles in the Rhineland. Its origins date back to the 12th century. Today, the walls of Satzey Castle (Burg Satzvey) serve as a venue for knight games and medieval festivals. [German]
On the manhole covers in Füssen you can see the local city arms. Even though the name of the town origins from a latin word (fauces) the coat of arms refers to the later interpretation of the word Füssen which sounds like the German term Füße. Especially in Bavarian areas, this term is used for legs.
This sundial on the parish church of Tamsweg was created in 1741. It shows James, son of Zebedee (Jakobus, Sohn des Zebedäus) The saint is also known as James the Great (Jakobus, der Ältere). The depiction of this structure refers to the fact that James is the patron of the church. [German]
Finstergrün Castle (Burg Finstergrün) is located high over Ramingstein, a place of the Lungau region in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The castle was first mentioned in the 12th century. Today it houses a hostel. The pic was taken on a rail trip with a local train of the Styrian Railway (STB). [German]
The manhole covers in the Thuringian capital Erfurt show the city arms. The wheel in this coat of arms is derived from the Wheel of Mainz (Mainzer Rad). This is an indication of the time when Erfurt formed part of the archbishopric of Mainz. [German]