The city center of Luebeck is located on an island, surrounded by the river Trave. The river ends 10km away in the baltic sea (a very nice beach area). Under certain wind conditions the water of the baltic sea is pushed into the bay of Luebeck and further into the river. Then the water level rises. Usually not much, usually around 50cm above normal. But sometimes it rises higher and starts to flood the lower streets in the northwest of the town. The streets are only 1m above sea level.

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

This happens usually two or three times in a year around the winter storm season. The people living in this area are aware of this and adjusted their homes and lifes to it. The ground floor does not has a carpet. Furnitures can be moved upstairs or are resitant to water. For sure, it is not convenient, but the old houses have that much style and charme, that you will make this sacrify to your life.

Like always, I prefer pictures taken at night. Btw… the picture above is no HDR and it is also not post processed. It is right out of the camera. A lucky shot.

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

Hochwasser

Here are some pictures from „around my house“. Because it is located in the city center, it is also a tourist hot spot. But it is not my intention to write another tourist guide. There are plenty of those in the internet. But some pictures I want to show …

St. Petri Church

Streetview

Street Obertrave

The Petri Church was the last church that was rebuilt after WW2. Most of city center was annihilated on an air raid in 1942. The reconstruction was finished in 1987. I was 11 years old at that time … I am old.

side front of city hall

Nave of Aegidien Church

Marien Church

Detail Marien Church

Market

One big point of interest in Luebeck are the 5 big churches. Built in mideval around 13oo. These churches are master pieces of engineering and design. The Marien church has the highest arc built from bricks. It is 38,5m high. The towers are 125m high. (For everyone who knows the church: The Sky Tree in Tokyo ist 6 times higher !!!)

For engineers: The tower roof was rebuilt by using the Trautsch-Pieper-Method. It uses light-weight conctrete. This method was invented by Erich Trautsch and Klaus Pieper while there were constructing the power plant in Lübeck-Siems in the 1951. The light weight concrete is built from cinder, a waste product of coal-fired power plants.

Ganghäuser

Fronthouse with passage

Passage to the „Ganghäuser“

House

Small street

Another point of interest are the old houses and specially the old houses in second row, the so called „Ganghäuser“. These houses are behind a big higger house that offers a passage to the area behind. In history house in the front was owned by trader or manufacturer. And the employees had a change to life in the Ganghaus. It was close to their work and provided a good living standard (for that time period) … And the employess were always under surveillance by there bosses.

typical house in the city center

Krähenteich (close to my house)

House

common fake front

Warehouses

This is the narrow pathway, the Gang, in front of my house. I wouldn’t call it a street. It is very quite here, because it is a dead end. The street is also located in an area of the city center that is not as pretty as the other areas. So we don’t get bothered by annoying tourists.

The people living next to me are unique. They all decided to live in a Ganghaus. Beside the size and the problems with moving furnitures into the house there is also the drawback, that these houses are very clairaudient. Therefore you are living very close to your neighbors in any way. This forms some special bond. If there is a party, everyone is invited, somehow. Even if I prefer solitude, I like it here.

The „Gang“

One of the five churches

More Rain

Street close to my House

Flowers

Flowers

Street close to my House

Winter Time

Winter Time

This is the „East wing“ of my old house. I lived there only for two years. I never completed all ideas before I moved to the city center.

Entrance

Japanese Style Room

Japanese Style Room

I am living in the city center of Luebeck. An island dominated by ancient houses and 5 really big churches. One specialty of living in Luebeck may be the so called „Ganghaus“. These are very tiny houses in second row. The pathway (called „Gang“), to theses houses is usually very narrow and leads thru the main house in front. It is said that in ancient times there was a law, that the entance gate has to be big enough, so that coffins can pass thru. Indeed, it is just wide enough for a bicycle.

2nd Floor „West Wing“

2nd Floor „East Wing“

2nd Floor „East Wing“

Ground Floor

The house I am living in has a groud plot of 4,5 x 4,5m. Not big. But it has three levels and no wasted space. My live style is somehow influenced by my interest for Japan. I don’t have a bed, just a futon. This really saves space. Beside that, when I moved in, I was not able to move the bed upstairs. The stairway was too narrow and too step.

I don’t have a wall cupboard; not enough space. I don’t have a suite in the living room. There was no way to get it into the house (beside disassemble it and move it upstairs in tiny pieces). This doesn’t bother me. I have no need for it anyway.

Kitchen, small but functional

Bathroom

Kitchen and bath room are small and functional. If you live in a Ganghaus you start to reduce everything to the basics. You only have things you really use. You will be surprised how few things are really necessary in a kitchen.

The bathroom is also small, even tiny. It is implemented below the stairs. This concept is very space efficient. And I have a full size bath tub, while all other houses in the Gang only have a shower cubicle. I also succeeded in converting it into a tiny onsen (without the sulfur smell). Last but not least, this is a man’s world. Therefore I have a proper fridge:

Improved Fridge