Göttingen , 1 hôtel

This fountain sculpture has been in its place on the market square since 1901, and is nowadays one of the city’s landmarks. It celebrates Liesel, the patron saint of the poor. According to legend, the model who posed for the sculpture had to work as a gooseherdess as she was born the illegitimate child of a highly respected man who wished to keep his paternity of her a secret. The “Gänseliesel” is by now probably one of the most-kissed women in Göttingen, as it is a popular custom among university graduates to kiss the sculpture after passing their doctoral exams. Since 1990 visitors have only been able to see a replica on the market square, as the original is in the Metropolitan Museum.

St. Jacob’s Church, with its 72-metre-high tower, is one of Göttingen’s most significant buildings. It was built between 1361 and 1459 in Gothic style. The most eye-catching feature inside the church is the large double-winged altar. Its wings are adorned with magnificent bible scenes. To this day the identity of the craftsman behind the valuable masterpiece remains a mystery. The dual wings give the altar three different fascias, which change depending on whether it’s a weekday, Sunday or religious holiday. On weekdays it shows eight depicted scenes, on Sundays 16 and on religious holidays the whole altar is opened up to be seen in all its glory.

The plans for the historic observatory were drawn up by university architect Georg Heinrich Bortheck. Once the observatory was completed in 1816 the researcher Carl Friedrich Gauß lived and worked there. The observatory was developed as a research institute. With its building design, which among others allowed instruments to be mounted free of vibrations, it set new standards. Together with his fellow physicist Wilhelm Weber, Gauß developed the first electronic telegraph system here. To this day, those visiting the observatory can see some of the scholars’ most important technical equipment.