Where does one get all dressed in medieval costumes and reenact scenes from the Middle Ages all the way to the 18th century?
In Seesen, of course, as they put on the Sehusafest, the largest renactment parade in all of Northern Germany. It’s held the first weekend in September in the town that’s a 1,000 years young. (Seesen, sitting high in the Harz Mountains, was “created” by Otto II when he granted the land in 974 A.D.)
It’s great the town celebrates now since there wasn’t much to celebrate in Seesen during the Middle Ages. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) had ravaged so much of the town and time and time it was destroyed by fire. So much had been destroyed that not many of the baroque period buildings remain.
What does remain is the St. Vitus Tower built some time in the 13th or 14th century (no one is quite sure when it WAS built) while the original church was torn down in the 1800s. The Sehusa Castle also remains after standing in the center of town since 1592. It’s also where the Sehusafest takes place.
The Ratskeller is another building from the 16th century, originally owned by the Brewer’s Guild (more beer!) and used for marriages of its members.
At the end of the 17th century, the town’s Duke had St. Andreas Church built with his own funds, giving it to the town as a gift in 1702. The acoustics of the church are incredible and many classical music concerts are still held here.
A stop at the City Museum is a good idea since it will give you not only a geological history, but a cultural one as well. The museum has a piano construction exhibit since none other than Henry Steinway, of the fabulous and very famous Steinway Pianos, was born in Seesen as Henrich Steinweg.
It’s hard not to love a place with such a unique and interesting history, so come to Seesen, you’ll be really glad you did.
