Photos

When you drive into Magdeburg from the villages to the west of the city, this wall is directly in front of you at the place where you turn to go into the city. It says "Willkommen in MD-Diesdorf" which means "Welcome to Magdeburg-Diesdorf."

The motif of the horses pulling on the copper globe is a symbol of Magdeburg, in memory of Otto von Guericke who invented the Magdeburg Hemispheres, the world's first-ever vacuum. He proved the strength of the vacuum by putting the hemispheres together, pumping the air out with an air pump of his own invention, and hitching horses to both halves. The horses could not pull the two pieces apart, even though nothing was holding them together except the force of the vacuum!

I have always liked this colorful landmark, and I have several ordinary pictures of it, but for some reason I like this shot best, with some typical Magdeburgers riding past on their bicycles. As I watch people going about their daily routines in the city, I wonder how many of them ever stop to look at their beautiful and unique surroundings. When we are in our own home city, usually our lives just go on and we don't notice all the history around us.