Biberacher Stadtrundgang - Bilder und Informationen aus Biberach an der Riss

Biberach an der Riss - A wintry virtual tour of the town (February 2003) - Part 3

By Dan Boisvert

The virtual tour starts at the Tourist Information bureau (see below) and slowly winds through the following sites:

Tourist-Information

The tour continues at the 7th stop.

Stop 7: Wieland garden houses

Christoph Martin Wieland

Stop 8: Buergerpark (Town Park)

More about the Buergerpark

Stop 9: The public library

When it's open and what you'll find inside.

Stop 10: The Komödienhaus (Comedy House)

Komödienhaus (Schlachtmetzig)

1563 built as slaughterhouse

Uses: Ground floor
Until 1968 city slaughterhouse
1969 - 1975 Trading school's workshop
1975 - 1986 Youth center

Second floor
1655 - 1853 Theatre
1858 - 1962 Sculptor's workshop
1962 - 1984 Practice room for the Drama Society
1686 Drama Society founded
1761 Premiere of Shakespeares "The Tempest" in German as translated by Christoph Martin Wieland.

1853 The last play of the Drama Society was performed on March 13.

1986 - 1990 Renovation and remodeling.

Ground floor: Small stage for artistic productions

Second floor: Meeting room for the Dram Society and storage room for props.

The Comedy House: A place for art, theater, discussions and exhibitions.

11th Stop: The Hospital and Braith-Mali-Museum.

Hospital of the Holy Ghost

This hospital was founded in 1239 by the Biberacher Ammann Berthold Hupmann, Knight Halwig, and Ulrich von Essendorf. This building cared for the sick, poor, old, and the orphans since 1320. Through the years the hospital grew. In 1802, at the end of the Reichsstadt period, the hospital serviced 24 villages.

Today the hospital holds the foundation for public rights especially for the elderly. The highest authority in the building is the municipal council, the decision-making council of the hospital, and the law representative of the hospital administration. The economic base are 1650 hectares of forests and income from rent.

The Hospital - View from the Viehmarktplatz

The old blueprints of the hospital

Braith-Mali-Museum

Natural history - Archeology - History - Art

Since 1898 multiple donors and patrons have laid the groundwork for a Biberach city museum. This museum is found in the historical area near the Hospital of the Holy Ghost and has continually gotten bigger since the grand opening in 1902.

The inheritance of the estates of Anton Braith (1836-1905) and Christian Mali (1832 - 1906) allowed for richly decorated rooms in the museum; today it is a top rate cultural memorial.

Other natural history, local history, and art collections embody the charisma of the area.

Open: Tuesday - Freiday 10:00 -13:00 (10:00am - 1:00pm) and 14:00 - 17:00 (2:00pm - 5:00pm) Saturday and Sunday 11:00 - 17:00 (11:00am - 5:00pm)

View of the inner courtyard of the museum with the controversial fountain.

The Braith-Mali-Museum

We don't know how Johann Baptist Pflug can stand this icy weather. But, he also does it through the worst heat waves. Some of his pictures are in the museum.

This picture, next to the entrance to the museum, shows the main duties of the Hospital.

After going through the museum courtyard, looking at the picture of the hospital and the statue of Johann, we continue our journey between these two buildings to the Kirchplatz (Church square).

On your right hand side is a droll group of small statues by Danielle Bigata that were built under a high level of controversy. Behind them is a picturesque stream, but don't look further than that. Past the stream is an entire street of empty stores.

The stream disappears at this sign. We take a right here towards a shoe store, at the shoe store we will take a left then look down the first street on the right. At the end should be, hopefully: The Ulmer Tor (The Ulm Gate).

To the 12th stop.

Back to the beginning.