A Tour With the Tower Writer

On the move with the Tower Writer…

Let’s suppose you are coming by train. At the small station you will immediately see the name “Deidesheim” written in ornate, old letters. Now you know that you have arrived in the Eastern Palatinate and, as a matter of fact, you are only a few steps away from the heart of the town. On the left-hand side there is a beautiful fountain – very modern and playful. The Geißbockbrunnen. So why is there a billy goat on it? That is a very long story in which even Napoleon has his part. However, the billy goat is not even from Deidesheim, but that is another story. A few steps further, you will come to an amazing stone building with high windows. It is the former synagogue, which survived the years of persecution because it had already been sold in 1936. Diagonally opposite it, the former castle lies hidden behind old and stately trees. Once, when it was still a real castle, it served as the summer residence for the prince bishops of Speyer. In front of it, above the lush gardens of the long since waterless moat, there is the most beautiful inn garden I have ever seen, at least in the evenings or early summer nights. On the right, you will come to a small bridge leading over the empty moat. At the bridge you will find a stairway down to the moat.

Down there, idyllically situated on the right-hand side, sits the tower of Deidesheim’s tower writer. If you were to stand on top of the tower, which is by no means very high, and looked out of the window with the writer, you would be able to enjoy a limited but amazingly beautiful view of the bushes and trees, the old walls of the town and the small bridge.

Let us head back to the bridge, up the stairs and then to the right. The middle of the town is just a few steps away from here. There is a lot to see in the center of the small town, such as the Church of St. Ulrich, the one on the opposite side with the graceful Madonna figure on the cornice. In fact, although the figure is somewhat out of place in Deidesheim, it fits in perfectly with its surroundings. Then, there is the “Deidesheimer Hof”, a hotel I don’t have to recommend here as it recommends itself. A beautiful, Italian-style fountain plays in front of the building. The fountain really is a small masterpiece, which is almost hidden by the fluttering flags of the restaurant. Another magnificent sight which is very difficult to overlook, is the old town hall, located a bit further to the left. It features two beautiful sets of stairs, which meet at a small tower in the middle. The tower is only slightly higher than the ledge.

What about other “must-sees?” You will of course want to see the inside of the old town hall with the small hall and the Museum of Wine Culture. Then there is also the “Spital” from the 15th century, a truly impressive complex, and the Museum of Film- and Photo Technology, which is a different but fascinating location. Eventually, if you go to the northern outskirts of the town, you will see the slightly weathered, yet impressive and touching shrine at the “Grain,” which shows a crucifixion in the year 1431. The “Grain” is also an appellation, of which there are plenty to be found here.

The particularly famous appellation “Paradiesgarten” is the rightful home of another famous attraction – The “Eva of Stone”, who wears a most serious and faraway expression and has her own tale too…but that is another story! Oh, just don’t miss the forest, the Palatinate Forest!

Tower Writer 1996/97

Hans-Martin Gauger