tourism - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1972 - 40 Pfennig

Heidelberg is one of the few German cities that survived the Second World War unscathed. Not only for this reason, but of course now even more than before, the small scale of his romantic cityscape acts as a magnet for international tourism. Above all foreigners - especially those from overseas - like to like Heidelberg with the appearance of Germany. The Heidelberg Romanticism is symbolized by the mighty castle ruins. This former residence of the Electors of the Palatinate was destroyed in the Palatine War of Succession (Orleans War) in 1689 and 1693. At that time the Gothic city also went up in flames. The reconstruction took place in baroque spirit on the old plots and foundations. It was not until the 19th century that Heidelberg outgrew its old city boundaries, which was the successor to Ruprecht, the founder of the university. A considerable part of the oldest German university (founded in 1386) is still to be found in the old quarters. Medicine and science, however, wandered westward into the plain, where the city has been expanding for a hundred years. The focus of visitors and many friends of Heidelberg's all over the world is still »Alt-Heidelberg«, sung in many songs and hits, but also in operetta and film. Preserving this image of the Old Town as a legacy of history, but also to keep it comfortable and not to close it to modern life, is an everlasting task of a magnitude that is not easy to overlook. It must be judged by Friedrich Hölderlin's anthemic point of view: "... where in the joyful valley, leaning on the hill or resting on the shore, your merry lanes rest under fragrant gardens," and Jean Paul's enthusiasm: "Heidelberg, divine in its surroundings and beautiful in the inside ".