Wangen 4

Nooks and Crannies and This and That

A bit further along the city wall from Miss Maria Miller’s mill is this opening in the wall, going out to the river (which often floods, thus the posts for the water barrier). 

A few steps along, one can turn inward again…


…to a narrow lane in which is the Bath house. It is on the end, to the left. If one peeks into the lower windows….

…one sees the bath house interior. Note tubs and heaters. The water came from the overflow of the mill. 

Different times of day were allotted to the gents, and ladies, and children, each separately. 

Bathing attire was strictly regulated. Ladies wore dresses to cover the ankles (no modest female would expose them, after all). Ladies also carried with them “flea bottles” to catch the little critters that inhabited their hair (and who knows where else). If she was rich, hers was made of ivory. If she was very poor, hers might be two walnut halves. 

Gents wore a kind of diaper. We weren’t told what the children wore, but very small children were attached by a broad cloth to the tub, so they wouldn’t slip down in the water.

It’s old.


Gutters in another area.


No wasting of space


The “Sparrow Saddler Steps” I would like to see those tiny saddles on the sparrows.


And another narrow passage to somewhere.


Another gate tower. The picture above the arch is of Jesus and Pilate, signifying that area as being the seat of judgment, the court house. The window above the picture is the room for weddings. The slit window above that was the prison. That may have resulted in some interesting or disconcerting juxtapositions of sounds. 

The attached building to the left is the back of the city hall. 


The front of the city hall, in all its baroque splendor. Note the people is their Fasnacht costumes. 

The building on the far left was a merchant house for a very large international company, older than the USA, but they did do business with the Americans, when they came into existence. 

You can slightly discern a brick outline in the cobblestones. That was where the merchant’s house stood. We heard that his privy was by the city hall door (letting the locals know who was most important, I would guess).


Some old beauties adorned a men’s store.


Appropriately labeled trash cans


A very old fountain.


A door that wants its portrait painted. 


Here used to be another gate tower, but it got too decrepit, so was torn down.



And a fancy gate to a tiny nook. 


To be continued….