How many times have you heard about a place, and it’s been “magical”? How about “mythical”? What if I said the town of Teuchern was “musical”?
Really. How else could you explain how this small town could’ve produced three German composers? The most famous of them is Reinhard Kreiser, then Johann Christian Slater (oh, so that must be where the actor Christian Slater got his name), and Johann Friedrich Fasch.
A museum is found right on Am Markt that’s totally dedicated to the musical stylings of these homegrown composers, at the house of Kreiser’s birth.
Another local boy making good was Johann George Albini, a writer and theologian from the Baroque period. And there’s a memorial to writer Friedrich Schiller too.
I guess I should’ve said that Teuchern was “creative,” instead of just musical.
Teuchern is also a museum town, with a lovely Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) and an interesting Bergbaumuseum (Mining Museum).
Anyone wishing to see a 16th century manor house can do it in the village of Gröbitz.
The best part of this town, that’s been inhabited for over five millennia, are all the festivals. One of the biggest is the Park Festival, held on the last weekend of August.
May kicks off with the Song Festival (didn’t I tell you Teuchern was musical?), and Pentecost holds an annual Football Tournament. I guess I should say Soccer Tournament.
Too bad the Street Festival is only held every other even-numbered year. Well, at least you’ve got the Pfingstbier (yes, that’s beer) and Frühlingfest at Pentecost to look forward to. And what town in Germany is ever complete without a Christmas Market, always held on the first weekend of December.
This little piece of melodious heaven falls in the Leipzig Lowlands. And while it might be on the Naumburg/Nebra Railway Line, a hike might be a better way to see the surrounding countryside — especially when you pop some of the works of Teuchern’s local composers on your iPod. ;-)
