The fifth who joined "those born on August 8" (ie in the same day as me) is called Benedikt Binder (danken Ihnen, Benedikt) and is the first male (even if is only 12 years old) from this category, what calmed me a little. Not that I wouldn't like the ladies company, God forbid, but I strongly believe in balance and I was, though, too isolated.
Benedikt sent me a postcard with the city near which he lives, respectively Limburg. More specifically Limburg an der Lahn, which has no connection either with the former Duchy of Limburg (now divided betwen Belgium - provinces of Liège and Limburg, Netherlands - province of Limburg, and Germany - a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia) nor with the castle from Sasbach am Kaiserstuhl, nor with the ruined abbey from Rhineland-Palatinate. Located, as the name implies, on the River Lahn, on the route between Cologne and Frankfurt am Main, Limburg was first mentioned in documents in 910 (under the name of Lintpurc), and in 1214 it was granted town rights.
Sankt-Georgs-Dom (Saint George’s Cathedral – in image), built on an old monastery church’s site, was consecrated in 1235, and about the same time was built, in its current form, Limburg Castle (also in image). Actually the church was initially the church of the monastery and parish church, becoming cathedral in 1827, when was established the diocese of Limburg. The cathedral was restored between 1969 and 1985, the old paint and the dirt being removed and the original paint colours dating back to the time of construction being restored.
From whichever direction you approach the town, the cathedral with its seven towers (number of sacraments) is omnipresent. Right behind it’s the Limburg Castle, today called simply Das Schloss (The Castle), situated on a rock dropping steeply to the valley of the river Lahn. The oldest part still standing is the central housing tower, with vaulted rooms connected to each other by a very narrow staircase as thick as the wall. Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg, who was the Queen consort of Adolf of Nassau (King of Germany between 1292 and 1298), grew up in this tower. In nowadays the castle is used by the town archives and other public facilities.
The first stamp, depicted Tagetes, belong to the set Blumen (17 values), of which I have also 3, the 75c (here) and the 5c and 10c (here).
The second, issued on January 3, 2011, and showing a painting by Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), is part of Deutsche Malerei (German Painting) series, started many years ago.
sender: Benedikt Binder (direct swap)
sent from Limburg an der Lahn (Germany), on 27.01.2012
foto: Prof. Dr. Heun
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