Heidelberg – A beautiful Home to Art and Culture.

By Anum Jamal

Anum is a visual artist and a researcher, apart from working as an Assistant Professor at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA), in Karachi. She has done her MA in Contemporary Arts from Coventry University, UK and her Bachelors in Fine Art from IVSAA, Karachi. Apart from making artworks, she loves to travel and pen down her experiences with the newly visited cities and its people.

“Hallo!” was how I was a greeted by an elderly lady when I stepped down from the train that reached Heidelberg. It was evident from my luggage bag and a wide-eyed look that I was clearly a first-time visitor to this city. However, I was certain that the coming week here would be an extremely memorable one.

I visited Heidelberg to present my paper at the three-day ‘International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies’, held at Universität Heidelberg (Heidelberg University), however, I reached here a few days early to explore this city. I had heard about this place before, since our national poet and visionary Allama Iqbal stayed here to learn German as well as prepare for his PhD dissertation that he submitted at University of Munich in 1907. Moreover, there is a road named after him as Iqbal-Ufer (Iqbal Shore), which was a must visit! It was an amazing and uplifting experience to see his name and how celebrated he was in this city.

The visit to the University itself, was a positive experience, since the modern architecture and allocation of spaces to various departments, boasted its development and success over the many decades. It was initially founded as Heidelberg College in 1850 and, according the University’s website, “offers students a strong liberal arts education with professional development opportunities.”

My journey within the Heidelberg was heavily art based, being an artist myself, I was mostly drawn to the visual culture and their museums. Therefore, I visited an area called Heidelberg Altstadt (Old Heidelberg), which is known to showcase the vibrant history of this city. Mere walking through these narrow streets was a unique experience in itself. After every short distance, I came across either beautiful statues or street musicians/artists showcasing their skills to earn livelihood. The various melodies added further flavour to this historic area. These streets at the Altstadt housed shops selling souvenirs, clothes, travel equipment, books and had cute European street cafés at every step of the way. One particular café, named ‘Café Romantic’, served unforgettably delicious latté, which I couldn’t help but revisit to have it again! The ambiance of these shops clearly exhibited Heidelberg’s cultural history.

The prime attraction there was the Heiliggeistkirche or ‘Church of the Holy Spirit’, which is the most famous church in the city. This late-Gothic masterpiece is known for its tower, which has a functional staircase. Visitors, for a nominal charge, can climb the stairs. The view from there, without a doubt, boasts of Heidelberg’s magnificence. The beautiful stain-glass works in the church were a visual delight, which documented famous Biblical events. The height and intense colours of the works increased the dramatic elements of those stories. The beautiful colourful shadows that these works casted within the interior space of the Church, added to the holy aura that the space already inhabited. What I also admired was that the Church invited people from all religions to visit and pay their respects, which is why the crowd was very diverse.

While touring the city, I also came across a haunting space called Studentenkarzer (Student Prison), which was part of Alte Universität Heidelberg (Old University of Heidelberg), when it was situated in the Old Town. This student prison closed down 1914 and is barren. It used to house those students who were miscreants and/or weren’t rule abiding and needed to be punished. What is troubling, yet mesmerising, is that the entire building’s interior space is inundated with graffiti comprised of sayings, conversations, semiotics, and an unusual amount of portrait silhouettes. The eerie silence of the space is just as chaotic, punctuated by the visual pandemonium of such markings that engulfs the visitor the moment one enters it. It was a visual experience that is truly etched in my memory.

Another memorable visit was to Kurpfälzisches Museum (Palatinate Museum), showcasing art and archaeology of various eras. The museum is actually the private collection of Charles de Graimberg, a notable artist and art historian. The city of Heidelberg bought his collection and made it public. I was automatically drawn to the Romanticism period, as well as the additional collection of Modern Art. One can view rare works that aren’t part of history books, especially of artists such as Max Beckman. The quiet ambiance of the museum encourages one to witness the works at their own leisure and view German history.

Throughout the week, I ensured that I tried various cuisines to get the ‘flavourful’ tour of the Heidelberg. Although there were many amazing places, one that stood out for me was a place called Mahmoud’s, which sold scrumptious falafel salad. Another memorable place was Zafferano, which served delicious cheese pizza, which was excellent for a quick bite.

All in all, Heidelberg is a remarkable city to visit, since it not only boasts rich history and culture, but also houses a valuable institution of knowledge and learning, apart from a homage to Iqbal. It embodied a famous quote for me ‘Take only memories, leave only footprints.’ – Chief Seattle