„Look at these cozy houses even surviving your hell!“, I tell my witch searching through photographs over candle light that pictured a very resilient small town, hidden in the hills.
There is one small medieval town not far from where I live that has found a place in my heart. Since it was hidden very cozy in the middle of nowhere, I even visited it during lockdowns and found a wonderful escape from things. But only recently, I had started looking up its history. The small alleys, the framework houses and the hills all around had always spoken for themselves and given me a lot of inspiration, without even knowing what exactly the town had been through.
My witch took a deep breath and put her nose up a little bit. „My town would be just as pretty, if it had not burned down!“
The small town I‘m talking about here is called Monschau. It can be found in the west of Germany, very close to Belgium. To tourists of that region it may already be known for its spots around the river floating through its center. The “Rur”. And they are truly beautiful! But the most beautiful thing about them is how long they have survived! Tourist information sites like to mention that a hotel in a building originally built in 1586 can be booked!
„Okay“, my witch has to admit, still a bit grumpy and sitting outside of the candle light. „That is impressive.“ She hesitates, then admits: „And yes, a date before I was even born.“
This does not mean that the city never had to face challenges. Originally founded in the 12th century, it developed only very slowly and was burned down in the 16th century. Some Duke of the region challenged the head of the German empire of the time – the war itself was not really interesting. Interesting is that the city was rebuilt and was set to survive the next waves of disaster, and let‘s face it! There were a few to come!
For example did Monschau survive the 30-years-war in Germany without any real damage! The war lasted from 1618 and 1648 and took Germany and the regions around apart. The city of Magdeburg lost at least half of its citizens in one night, for years there mercenaries strolling through the country sites looting villages, and all of this with outbreaks of diseases let to at least 5 Million deaths, only in what today is Germany (only got this secure numbers, although the most of Europe suffered damage from this).
But Monschau hidden in the hills was not found by those looting mercenaries, and even built up a stable textile trade during that time. Building up your business while the others are burning down – I call that impressive! As the history in this region proceeds, in the late 18th century, it became French, what actually only modernized the textile production and made it grow.
The following years were not peaceful, but the next big date a place in Europe always had to face was of course at least world war 2. But that as well did not hit our small town. The allies got their grip on that region easily and fast enough and the town was once again so hidden and small that it took no damage.
Even when in the summer of 2021 a flood hit the region, and in some towns and villages of that area whole houses were swallowed by it and hundreds of people died, Monschau survived. I watched the evening news, myself in safety and not able to look out of the window through the masses of rain, and I saw water running through the small alleys I loved to smuch. Still, the damage was not too big.
I find it so impressive that I have found this town that survived these two periods of history and uprooted and scourged most parts of Europe in one or the other way. This little place with its cozy houses hidden between hills really is the best place I can think of to take a deep breath, because the walls are very resilient!
“Sometimes I can see history only as a list of pain and destruction, viewed from a perspective to give sense to it”, I tell my witch. “And the medieval town I photographed the most is one of survival.”
My witch had lost her grumpiness over not being the oldest and most interesting artifact of the night and smiled. “That is impressive. And a reminder to get stuck in your fucking head!”
I will very soon return to this place to take a deep breath.
I hope you enjoyed this little history lesson. I am planning on doing more like this!
Stadt Monschau (2022). Stadtgeschichte. Online: https://www.monschau.de/de/erleben/stadtgeschichte-und-stadtteile/#:~:text=Die%20Stadt%20hat%20ihren%20Ausgang,aus%20dem%20Umfeld%20der%20Kreuzz%C3%BCge.
Eifel-Info (2022). Historische Altstadt. Online: https://www.eifel.info/a-historische-altstadt-monschau.
SWR (2020). Der 30-jährige Krieg. Online: https://www.planet-wissen.de/geschichte/neuzeit/der_dreissigjaehrige_krieg/index.html.
Maissen, T. (2013). Frühe Neuzeit. C.H.Beck.Wissen: München.
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