Gersfeld is in the region called the Rhön. The Fulda flows from there, between the regions Rhön and Vogelsberg; then into Waldhessen and then into Kurhessisches Bergland. There are only four hills to climb on this ride. The steepest of which is a 170-foot hill at mile 40 on the third day. Actually, that hill can be avoided if you so choose. With these minor exceptions, the ride has only gentle, rolling hills that are easy on the knees. Although few Americans have heard of this area or this ride, it is popular with German vacationers and the bike path gets a lot of use. The elevation difference is minor so as many people ride up-river as ride down-river.

The most interesting stops for sightseeing and history are Fulda, Schlitz, Bad Hersfeld, Rotenburg an der Fulda, Melsungen, Kassel and Hann. Münden.

Signage: The route is well signed. You will find eight-inch square signs like this all along the way.

Overnight Accommodations: Overnight accommodations on this tour can be a bit scarce. Therefore, I have noted many of these accommodations as we ride past them. We hope the information is useful on the ride but we acknowledge that constant references to their presence can be wearisome as you read the travelogue.

We prefer “Zimmer Frei” or rooms for rent in private homes because it gives us the opportunity to interact with the people of the area. Larger communities will have hotels, pensions or guesthouses with more rooms if you prefer. Many German Cities have web sites that will list hotels, etc. Use the syntax is http:www.nameofcommunity.de on the Internet. In the case of Kassel, use http://www.kassel.de and click on “Unterkünfte,” then “Auflistung aller Hotelbetriebe in Kassel” for a list of accommodations in the city itself. You can even book on line if you are adept at the German language.

It is possible to book accommodations in advance for Hann. Münden by using this link: http://www.hann.muenden.de/ and then click on "English" if your German is a little rusty like mine.

Maps: Fulda-Radweg R-1, published by BVA Bielefelder Verlagsanstalt, scale 1:50,000. There are other maps such as BDR’s Deutsche Rad-Tourenkarte, scale 1:100,000, numbers 21 and 28. The BDR maps are good but the scale is too small for me and they do not give as much information about the towns that your particular bike route is traversing. They do give useful information about the area in general and some of the towns on the map. The BDR maps also include helpful information about biking in general, (most of which is translated on this web site). Through the city of Kassel, we use Fahrradroutenkarte Region Kassel, scale 1:30,000 published by Stadt Kassel Vermessungsamt. One can find a copy of this map at most bike shops in the region.

Day 1: Gersfeld to Fulda

Day Overview: This day’s ride is 20 miles (32 km). It is a bit shorter than normal because we take all morning making the train ride to Gersfeld. The ride is slightly down hill but today the path is mostly gravel with few stretches of asphalt. There are no hills over 40 feet high to climb. That means your knees can get used to the exercise they will get over the next few days.

It rained during our train ride but as we depart the train in Gersfeld, it’s just cloudy and cool. Good biking weather. The train from Fulda to Gersfeld is a brand new diesel model that is very smooth and quiet. We are joined by a group of about 10 children ranging in age from 5 to 12 with several of their parents in tow (probably to pay for the snacks and take care of the bikes). They are biking from Gersfeld to Fulda today too. They are a noisy lot; full of excitement for the adventure ahead. Given the young age of some of the children, one can appreciate the ease and relative safety of the upcoming terrain.

Mile 0 (0 km): Gersfeld Bahnhof. Ride East, you will see the R-1 sign in about 100 yards. Take the bike path and you are on your way.

Mile 2.6 (4.2 km): Fish Hatchery. We stop at the Imbiss kiosk here for lunch. They have bathrooms too, a blessing because there were none on the train from Fulda.

Mile 14.2 (22.9 km): Enter Löschenrode. There is a hard to see right turn as you come up into the village just in front of the Alte Brauerei (Old Brewery). Just down the street is a bicycle repair and rental shop.

Mile 19.2 (30.9 km): Cross the River Fulda and enter the City of Fulda. The city, like many others, formed around a monastery founded originally in 744 by a monk named Sturmius, a contemporary of another monk named St. Boniface (St. Boniface) who is buried (encrypted) in the Dom (Cathedral) here. As an aside, St. Boniface was very famous and influential in Germany. He traveled over much of central Germany establishing churches and monasteries in many places. He was martyred in 752 and later sainted by the Catholic Church. As another aside, Catholics used to like to chop their saints up and move the pieces around to different churches. For example, parts of poor old St. Boniface can be found in Louvain, Mechlin, Prague, Bruges, and Erfurt. A considerable portion of an arm is at Eichfeld. But most of his body is here at Fulda.

To understand why Fulda is historically important one must appreciate the importance of religion in both trade and government. St. Boniface had the power of the Roman pope behind him. He became an Archbishop. The pope also gave him the military support of King Charles Martel (a.k.a., Charlemagne – the first Holy Roman Emperor), whose kingdom then extended from Friesland in the NW corner of Germany to the current French-Spanish border. Since Fulda was St. Boniface’es seat of power for a time, this city was the equivalent of any modern capital city, such as Berlin, Tokyo, New York … you get the picture?

Today, Fulda is a cultural center and a crossing point for business traffic and bicycle traffic alike. As you pass through, be sure to check out the Dom and particularly the garden around the Stadtschloss. There are two other churches and a museum that may be worth your while. If you like fire-fighting equipment, you ride past the German Fire Fighting Museum or Deutsches Feuerwehr Museum.

The Dom is an outstanding example of Baroque architecture. Built in the ninth-century it was the center of religious influence for centuries.

Mile 19.7 (31.7 km): We end the short half-day at Gasthof Drei Linden. To get here, turn left off the path just past Hotel Brauhaus Wiesenmühle (or just past the second “Barockviertel” sign) and ride the half-mile back over the river and under main road into Neuenberg. How we got here is interesting. After checking out the sights to be seen in Fulda and having our afternoon coffee, we found our way back to R-1 and continued out of town. Our preference is to stay in the smaller villages rather than downtown in the hotel district. We find the prices cheaper and the experience richer. This time, we rode two miles to Gaststätte Fuldatal only to find that it is only a restaurant and has no rooms. We should have known that by the name “Gaststätte,” because these places are normally just restaurants. The owner sent us back to Gasthof Martin, which we had passed on the way. As we neared Gasthof Martin, we were checking our map and a motorist stopped to help us (as frequently happens). The Good Samaritan recommended we continue back toward the center of Fulda and stay at Gasthof Drei Linden.

I will agree that the value is very good but I can’t actually compare it with Gasthof Martin since we did not stay there. The owners of Drei Linden are pleasant and accommodating. They speak English and enjoy the opportunity to practice their language skills. The food is very reasonably priced and well prepared. The restaurant itself is stereotypically German, complete with the mandatory display of steins and Krüge (pots) as well as a few antique plates and a few deer horns to prove the hunting skills of some of the current owners ancestors or customers. The owner, Stefan Henning, runs the Gasthof and the butcher shop next door. Herr Henning, his wife, and sons work day and night to make their customers happy. It seems to be working. Their website is http://www.dreilinden-fulda.de/ and you can e-mail them at info@dreilinden-fulda.de/.

Day 2: Fulda to Bebra

Day Overview: Today’s ride will cover 46 miles (72 km) and is flat except for one 90- foot hill at mile 21 (34 km). There are three stretches of gravel totaling about 8 miles. The most interesting places are Fulda, where you start, Schlitz, and Bad Hersfeld.

Mile 0 (0 km): Gasthof Drei Linden.

Mile 0.5 (0.8 km): Radweg (Bike Route) R-1. Turn left, or North. It is raining hard today and we take shelter under the first little bridge until the bulk of the storm passes.

Mile 1.6 (2.6 km): Just past downtown Fulda in Horas, ride on Slitzer Strasse, a busy street, for a block then turn left on "an den Höfen," a continuation of Bonifatiusstrasse. At this corner is Gasthaus Martin.

Mile 11.6 (18.7 km): Enter Pfordt. There is a Gasthaus here, Gasthof Porta, telephone 06642-480. It is the first overnight facility since Hotel Martin. It looks nice from the outside.

Mile 14 (22.5 km): The crossroad to Schlitz. We ride into this village because the guidebook speaks highly of it. We are not disappointed. On the short path into Schlitz, it started raining again. I don’t mind the rain – a day biking in the rain beats two weeks working in an air-conditioned office. As we stop to don our raincoats, an octogenarian rides up on his antique bike and commences to tell us that we should take all our clothes off and let the blessed rain soak into our skin. (In my case, it would not be a pretty sight.) I take his advise with a grain of salt – I smell alcohol on his breath. No doubt, he has been at the schnapps before lunch already, maybe even a few too many. In any event, he is wearing clothes so he isn’t taking his own advice. We thank him and hurriedly ride off with our raincoats on.

Mile 15.8 (25.4 km): Schlitz, perhaps the source of the name of the American Beer (or at least the source of Joseph Schlitz’s name), is a pretty little town with a Middle Age town wall and four towers. One of the towers resembles a candle when it is lit up for Christmas. The Guinness Book of Records calls it the largest candle in the world. (I was less than impressed with this fact.) The city was first established 1,200 years ago (812CE) when St. Boniface consecrated a massive stone basilica here. Schlitz was named after the short river that flows through it, which in some early form of early German meant sliding water.

The 1,200-year-old church in Schlitz was Catholic until 1546 when the Reformation reached the town. As you may know, much of South Germany is Catholic today and most of North Germany is Protestant. The two faction’s territories collide in the area around Central Germany. Here one village may be Catholic and the next, half a mile away may be Protestant. Can you imagine the bad feelings that must have been present for hundreds of years between the villages over their respective religions? During the Thirty-Years War (1618 to 1648), these bad feelings led to much bloodshed and carnage.

Mile 19.7 (31.7 km): Here in Queck are two overnight possibilities along the trail.

Mile 23.0 (37.0 km): Ride past Unter Schwartz where you will find at least one Fremdenzimmer or overnight accommodation. From Unter Schwarz, climb a 90-foot hill to Richthof. As we climb this hill, we meet a family group of bikers whom we have seen earlier on the trail coming down the hill towards us. As the first one flies past me, she says, “This is the wrong way.” But by the time I check the map and communicate to the group that it is too the right way, only the last one gets the word. She stops to confirm that I know what I am saying but by the time I convince her, the rest of the family, including three children, are back at the bottom. Now they will have to climb it all over again. Poor kids, they are probably already tired. There is a “Tierpark” or a kind of a zoo at the top of the hill but we don’t stop because it doesn’t look like much from the road.

Mile 24.2 (38.9 km): After riding under Autobahn A7 and into Solms you will find another overnight accommodation, this one is called a Gaststätte. Remembering our experience last night one would think that normally Gaststätten are restaurants only; but this one has an icon of a bed on the sign indicating a guest room. Go figure.

Mile 26.4 (42.5 km): Enter Mengshausen. Here is Gasthaus Land Krug; yet another Gasthaus or overnight accommodation.

Mile 30.8 (49.6 km): Turn right between Kohlnhausen and Asbach.

Mile 33.9 (54.6 km): Wasserschloss Eichhof is here but it is an agricultural research and teaching facility and not something you can visit. Wasserschloss translates to “water palace” but they are seldom used as palaces nowadays.

Mile 35.0 (56.3 km): We enter Bad Hersfeld in search of a good Konditorei for a coffee break. Wonder of wonders, we have success. Bad Hersfeld is well known for its annual theater festival in the Stiftsruine, the most extensive Romanesque church ruins north of the Alps, according to the Insight Guide, Germany.

Mile 36.5 (58.7 km): Back on the trail at Bad Hersfeld, we head in the direction of Bebra. This is a bike path next to a very heavily traveled Landstrasse or primary road. With all the exhaust and noise, it is not pleasant but still better than actually sharing the road.

Mile 39.4 (63.4 km): In Friedlos we turn right and cross the Landstrasse. This may seem like a mistake because we are following R-15 signs instead of R-1 but riding into the fields is pleasant change and the real R-1 ends up joining us in about a mile. There are overnight accommodations here but we push on because Friedlos does not look a like nice quite little town, more like a noisy, industrial, spread out along the Landstrasse type of town.

Mile 41.6 (66.9 km): After fixing a flat tire (due to a broken beer bottle on the path) we enter Mecklar and enjoy a nice dinner at Gaststätte Zum Weissen Rössl. These nice people are completely booked or we would have stayed the night. They did help me with my bike (my old pump can not put much pressure in the tire so they allow me to use their compressor) and they call ahead to the next Gasthaus and reserve a room for us there.

Mile 46.1 (74.2 km): Enter Breitenbach and turn left off the trail for a block into Gasthof Breitenbacher Hof. We spend the night here and owner Harald Döttger proudly shows us his team of horses and other farm animals. The rooms are comfortable and quite; just what we search for.

Day 3: Bebra to Kassel and on to Hann. Münden

Day Overview: Today’s ride is 66.4 miles (106 km). Admittedly, this is a long ride. We have our home base in Kassel, so we will stop there for the night. However, if that were not the case, as it probably isn’t in your case, you may be well advised to find lodging either in Guxhagen or Guntershausen. There are very few overnight accommodations between Guxhagen and Kassel and the hotels in Kassel are likely to be more expensive than in the outlying villages.

There are a couple of hills at about mile 17 and 40. Most of the path is paved but much of it is on lightly traveled roads.

Mile 0 (0 km): We start the day on the trail in front of Breitenbacher Hof and head toward the Fulda River, turning left, on the R-1 bike path just as we get to the river.

Mile 5.0 (8.0 km): We are riding into Rotenburg an der Fulda, a very picturesque Middle Age half-timbered city. The Altstadt (on the left bank) is a perfect stopping place for something to eat or drink. The Pfarrkirche St. Jacob here was first mentioned on historical documents in 1248. The main part of the church is from the thirteenth-century and the altar is actually from the sixteenth-century. The Glockenspiel (bells) plays four times daily at 9:21, 11:31, 15:31, and 18:31. The building across from the church has been there since 1597.

Mile 5.5 (8.9 km): Follow R-1 through a Feuchtwiese or a wetland area. For less than half a mile, the path is first rough gravel then deteriorates into a single dirt footpath. You can easily skirt this part of the path by staying on the automobile road out Rotenburg to the north and then cutting over to the riverbank in a mile or so. (You know this, but we don’t so we ride it the hard way.)

Mile 10.7 (17.2 km): Jog right then left between the two towns of Niederellenbach (Alheim) and Heinebach (Alheim). There is no sign for the first part of the jog but there is one for the last part of the jog. There is an overnight accommodation in Heinebach.

Mile 12.9 (20.8 km): Jog right across the railroad track. There is no sign here except the advertisement for Gasthaus Semmler.

Mile 14.6 (23.5 km): This is Altmorschen, the site of an ancient monastery. In the sixteenth-century the monastery was converted into a palace for members of Landgrave Karl’s family. Landgrave Karl is famous for Karlshafen and encouraging the Baroque architectural style in this part of Germany.

Mile 17.1 (27.5 km): Enter Binsförth after climbing a small hill. Then drop back down to river level before climbing another small hill into Bieseförth at mile 18.3 (29.5 km). There are two overnight accommodations here.

Mile 20.5 (33 km): Here the signs differ from the map (ours may be older than yours). The map shows the trail on the left bank but the signs take us over to the right bank. Once over the bridge, turn left and follow the signed path.

Mile 22.1 (35.6 km): Turn left just before the Landstrasse. Ride along a newly paved path that soon runs along side the Landstrasse.

Mile 23.1 (37.2 km): There is a campground on the other side of the river. In three-quarters of a mile, you can take a bridge over the river and ride back to the campground.

Mile 23.7 (38.1 km): Enter Melsungen, (notice the bridge to your left to get you back to the campground if you want). Turn left off the Landstrasse onto a path that turns quickly to gravel. This is still not the R-1 shown on the map but it is well signed and easy riding, so I don’t complain.

Mile 29.3 (47.2 km): Here is postcard-pretty Lobenhausen. The short four sided onion shaped church steeple here is typical of many we have seen along the Fulda River Valley.

Mile 31.3 (50.4 km): Enter Wagenfurth and climb a 90-foot hill before entering Grabenau.

Mile 30.5 (49.1 km): We coast down a short steep hill into Grabenau. At the bottom, we have a decision. Take the short way where you ride on a major Landstrasse for a ½ mile with almost no shoulder, climb a 60-foot hill, and then cross the Landstrasse with very little visibility of on-coming BMWs. Or, spend about 20 minutes longer and follow the river around the Schlinge or the oxbow. The choice is easy, turn left and follow the river.

Mile 32.8 (52.8 km): Cross the Fulda on a new footbridge. This bridge and the bike path (actually a very narrow street) are not shown on our map. It is a recent change to the R-1 bike route. Once across the bridge, turn left – there is no sign.

Mile 33.7 (54.2 km): Stay to the left at the Y in the road. At the next sign, you’ll take a very sharp, narrow turn to the right. There you’ll climb a steep 40-foot hill.

Mile 34.9 (56.2 km): Here you enter Guxhagen. After you cross under the bridge, turn left at the T in the road.

Mile 35.3 (56.8 km): Here one would normally ride straight ahead along the left bank of the Fulda. However, today there is an “Umleitung! Brücke Gesperrt!” sign that means “Detour! Bridge Closed.” I take the Umleitung. I am also familiar with the closed path since I have ridden that many times in the past. Regardless of which path is open when you get here, both are quite acceptable. I prefer the one along the river because of the lack of traffic and the scenery – but there is an 80-foot hill (up and down in ½ mile) just after you cross under the Autobahn on the riverbank route.

Given the construction on the bike path that is part of the Umleitung or detour, I would not be surprised if the R-1 route was permanently changed to follow this way.

Mile 35.9 (57.8 km): Cross over the Autobahn on a bike path next to the Landstrasse.

Mile 37.0 (59.5 km): As you enter Grifte, the route takes a hard right turn along a railroad track. In a short distance, you will ride on hard packed gravel for about a mile. Interestingly, the path turns into a hiking trail and you must push your bike uphill (it’s too steep and the surface too soft to ride up) just before Guntershausen. As you leave Guntershausen, you will be back on the riverbank until you get to the bridge into the Fuldabrück community of Dittershausen.

Mile 40.7 (65.5 km): Here is the bridge into Dittershausen. You have two choices here. The “hill route” or “R-1 Alt” is the best-marked path that will take you up the 170-foot hill to the north, through the fields on dirt and gravel paths, then back down the hill at the outskirts of Kassel. The “new footbridge” route or the new R-1 route will take you across the bridge here into Dittershausen. Then through the next little community of Dennhausen before it crosses the Fulda again and heads off through the flats to a brand new footbridge across the Fulda again. This route is mostly on small roads and city streets but fortunately, it lacks hills. While it is not well marked (at the time I ride it), I know that the path generally follows the river through Kassel and it is easy to navigate the streets.

I choose the “hill route” for this travelogue. But if you chose the other route, you should know that the path through the Karl’s Aue, a large park along the river in Kassel, and it takes you through the “FKK” area. An FKK area is like a nude beach without the beach. FKK stands for Freie Körper Kultur or Free Body Culture. Just turn right, following R-1 signs, just before you cross the Damaschkebrücke in Kassel. Keep your eyes on the path.

Mile 41.1 (66.1 km): The top of the 170-foot hill. Make a hairpin right here, following the signs to Kassel - Fulda Aue and Kassel - Niederzwehren. In a short distance, you will take a short tunnel under the Autobahn. On the other side, turn right, following the signs to Kassel - Niederzwehren.

Hann. Müden

HannMuendenConfluence.jpg (155246 bytes)

Mile 42.8 (68.9 km): You enter Kassel in the Neue Mühle area. The Forellen Hof restaurant here is good, it’s name roughly translates to the “Trout House.” One block past the Forellen Hof, jog right then left following the R-1 signs.

Mile 44.3 (71.3 km): Just after passing a campground, you find yourself at the Damaskebrücke and Damaskestrasse. The other bike path (and the Karl’s Aue with the small FKK area) is just on the other side of the river. The R-1 signs will direct you across the river to the right bank at the next footbridge then back across to the left bank of the Fulda at the Hafenbrücke. (I mention this in case you opt to search out a hotel on this side of the river – there is a fairly inexpensive one right downtown, next to the Rathaus.)

Mile 44.3 (71.3 km): This is west side of the Hafenbrücke. You have just crossed over from the right bank. Turn right on the bike path just over the bridge. Stay to the left at the Y in the path and continue to follow the R-1 signs through the fields toward Hann. Münden.

Mile 43.7 (86.4 km): Here is a restaurant/hotel called the Graue Katze, a great place for a break and to view the small village of Spiekershausen on the other side of the Fulda.

Mile 8.7 (14.0 km): Continuing, we cross a cute covered bridge over one of the many streams that flow into the Fulda. We note a sign indicating that a bike friendly Gasthaus is to the left in Simmershausen. The river bends back on itself here making an oxbow (in German a Schlinge) and we are on the outside of the oxbow. Across the river, inside the bend is Gut Kragenhof. A Gut is a set of buildings for a large farm. A Hof is also building for a large farm but the building for a Hof is of the kind that includes dwelling for people and the barn all in the same structure. A Hof typically forms an L or a U shape with the barnyard in the middle.

Simmershausen is part of the community of Fuldatal – the town where the Grimm brothers’ fairytale Hans in Luck is based. In this fairytale, Hans, who had just completed his 7-year vocational apprenticeship was paid a lump of gold. As he made his way through Fuldatal, he traded his hard earned gold first for a horse, and then he traded the horse for a cow, then the cow for a pig, then the pig for a goose and finally the goose for a grindstone. Obviously, one would question the business acumen of someone who traded away 7-years work for a grindstone, right? Well, it gets worse. Upon losing the grindstone down a well, Hans proclaimed, “I am the luckiest man on Earth.” And with a light heart and no weight of wealth upon his shoulders, he walked home to his mother. The message? Perhaps people unburdened with wealth have a happier life.

Mile 63.2 (101.7 km): After crossing a bridge over a small creek, we see a Grenzstein on the right of the path. These tombstone-like markers were used on the boundary of properties such as kingdoms and fiefdoms in the past. In this case, only the date 1838 is readable.

Mile 65.8 (105.9 km): Turn left at the Altstadt and Werratal sign following them into the Old Town area of Hann. Münden. Remember, it is possible to book accommodations in advance for Hann. Münden by using this link: http://www.hann.muenden.de/ and click on "English" if your German is a little rusty like mine.

Mile 66.4 (106.9 km): Here is the end of the ride, the city of Hannoversch Münden. The natives refer to their city as simply Münden but the maps refer to it as Hann. Münden. As Shakespeare said, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. This city is said by some to be the best example of Middle Age architecture in this part of Germany. It certainly is one of the best-preserved Fachwerk or half-timbered towns in Germany. The town was established before 1247. There is a small Schloss or palace here and on the hill overlooking the town is a defensive structure called the Tilly Schanze. In the Rathaus, (town hall) there are murals that tell of floods, being conquered by the Swede Tilly in the 17th Century, and a doctor Eisenbart, who died here in 1727. Doctor Eisenbart was thought to be a quack. Many thought his methods were ill advised and some of his patients died. However, later some of his methods were held to be correct and ahead of their time. Not soon enough though to prevent a catchy tune about his quackery becoming popular among school-age children. The Rathaus glockenspiel plays this tune at Noon, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM daily. Inside the Rathaus has a tourist information office too.

I found a bit more on the good doctor Eisenbart on the Internet. The following is attributed to http://www.hann.muenden.de/.

"Johann Andreas Eisenbart was born in Oberviechtach on 27th March 1663 as the son of an eye doctor who also carried out hernia- and groinoperations. After a 10-year apprenticeship with his brother-in-law Alexander Biller in Bamberg, he began working on his own in Altenburg/Thuringia, where his family lived from 1685 - 1703. He toured the markets throughout Germany.

"There is evidence of Doctor Eisenbart actively working in over 83 places. Ten German Princes granted him privileges within their principalities.

"He treated people mainly for eye complaints (cataracts), inguinal and scrotal hernias, bladder stones, harelips and cancer. He invented a needle for performing cataract operations and an instrument for the removal of adenoids.

Furthermore, he prepared many medicines himself and manufactured hernia trusses, false teeth and artificial eyes, to mention but a few. With the help of his wife, who later was to bear him seven children, he also treated women's diseases.
On 1st September 1727, suffering from gout in the feet and the after-effects of a stroke, he made his will in Göttingen at the Inn "Zum Schwarzen Bären". He is believed to have then spent some time in Hann. Münden, where he died in the building on Lange Strasse 34, (then the Inn "Zum Wilden Mann", owned by the baker Berthold Schepeler) on 11th November 1727.
Doctor Eisenbart was buried in a crypt in the choir room in front of the altar in the Church of St. Aegidius. In 1837, a tombstone was erected on the northern wall of the church in his memory.

He was better than his reputation ...

"He was not a quack or a charlatan, but an extremely successful doctor with a great sense of responsibility. His somewhat distorted image in many literal publications and plays and in the Doctor Eisenbart song is simply due to the fact that he was misjudged, and his talents as a skilled physician in the Baroque era were not sufficiently recognized during the 19th and 20th century.

"People then failed to realise that this itinerant physician was the only surgeon ever to exist between the 13th and the 18th century. At that time, academically trained doctors were only treating internal illnesses.

"Among his contemporaries, Doktor Eisenbart was admired has a gifted surgeon who knew how to cleverly attract his patients with the help of a large stage of travelling comedians, artists and musicians. When he was carrying out his operations, the entertainer´s performance and loud music had to drown the patient´s bloodcurdling screams, because in those days anaesthetics were not yet available. For this reason, many of his envious contemporaries called him a barker, a swindler and a charlatan. Numerous attestations of gratitude on record, however, bear witness to his medical skills and his successful cures. Nevertheless, historically Doctor Eisenbart is still regarded as an ostentatious charlatan and none too gentle physician using questionable methods.

"A research institute dedicated to Doctor Eisenbart has been in existence in Oberviechtach in the Oberpfälzer Wald since 1963. A museum was established by the local chemist Karl Foißner and an archive was set up by Dr Erich Mathieu. These institutions all aim to restore the professional reputation of this skillful doctor who has been so greatly misjudged and yet was the most famous among his countless colleagues of his time."

Revised: June 14, 2008