Speyer – The city for new beginnings

From one-horse town to powerful metropolis. That is a fitting description of the evolution of Speyer in the Middle Ages. Because within a short span of time Speyer turns from an unknown spot into a powerful city on the Rhine.

Would you like to visit the most important stops of this historical rise?

Then take a trip to Speyer Cathedral. Today this impressive building is one of the oldest preserved Romanesque Cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Powerful personalities were laid to rest in its crypt. Many of them belonged to the Salian dynasty, like empress Gisela I., Conrad II. or their son Henry III. Speyer owed its growing power in the Rhine region not only to the Salian family.

In 1084 the bishop of Speyer invited the jewish community to settle in the city. He wanted to boost Speyer’s commercial success and improve its cultural reputation. And he suceeded. Like in Mainz and Worms jews settled in Speyer and made it a part of the SchUM-cities. Well preserved to this day are the Jewish Courtyard of Speyer and its ritual bath, the Mikve.

Urban development

Would you like to find out more about everyday life in the Middle Ages? Then visit the “Archaelogical Window” in Speyer. It presents the exhibition “From one-horse town to metropolis Germaniae – Speyer city development from 800 to 1200”. Archaelogical discoveries give an insight into the city’s sudden growth and tell the stories of the people who lived here in the Middle Ages. https://gdke.rlp.de/de/ueber-uns/landesarchaeologie/landesarchaeologie-speyer/archaeologisches-schaufenster-speyer/

History Museum of Palatine

Another absolute must-see in Speyer is the History Museum of Palatine. Here you can immerse yourself in the exiting history of the city and enjoy many interactive displays. The museum’s special exhibition invites you to discover the history of medicine from Antiquity to the present: https://museum.speyer.de/aktuell/medicus/