Hidden Treasures of NRW: Herford
Around three months ago, I took inspiration from my favorite poet Robert Frost and took the road less traveled by. While exploring the towns of NRW, I landed myself in a little town that seemed untouched by tourists. Herford was magical, out of touch with reality and frankly turned out to be an eye opener for me!
It took me a long time to write about Herford because this fleeting moment of a trip was followed by other longer trips in the months that followed. When I finally got time to sit and reminisce about Herford, I realised that not writing about it will do grave injustice to it.
MARTa Herford
Most artists know Herford, for it is home to MARTa Herford, a huge museum of contemporary art. Knowing well enough that contemporary art would be wasted on me, I decided to spend time in the town instead. The Old Town was, well, old (no surprises there)! The town was founded by the Romans to guard a ford crossing the Werre river. Walking through the town felt like walking through centuries, for even buildings which had the most ordinary purpose (like grocery stores) were built in 13th or 14th century! When you live in a country where most towns were heavily destroyed in the war, finding a well preserved town is very special.
Left to Right: River Werre and Saint James’ Church
Old Town
I couldn’t help but notice a similarity between Herford and Bratislava: both had prominent statues in the town. I took a nice trip down memory lane. By this time Herford was starting to feel like a piece of art waiting to be understood. Herford Minster stood tall and it is one of the earliest hall churches in Germany. When I dug a little deeper, I found that this was in fact one of the oldest women’s religious houses in the country. The town Herford grew around this site. The statue at Herford Minster commemorates the women that birthed the town. I was mighty impressed by the importance women were so rightly given in the history of the town. I started thinking of Herford as a town that had always been ahead of its time, and I would have continued believing so had I not stopped by the river Aa.
Statues in the Old Town
Herford Minster
My excitement was short-lived and it soon turned into shock, quite like a toddler who is tempted with an ice-cream only to be fed brocolli! I have always known Germany to have a troubled history, but I had no idea how far back this history went. This country seizes every chance it gets to remind its citizens about its past misdeeds. While I often find it interesting, this particular reminder unsettled me. The next two paragraphs explore a dark theme, so please feel free to skip to the end if it gets too upsetting.
Witch hysteria plagued Europe after 1400s, and Germany had the highest witchcraft execution rate. 80% of these witches were women who were believed to be spreading evil by conspiring with the Devil. A water test was carried out on these women to check if they were witches. Herford witnessed a mass execution of witches in 1627 and witch’s steps is a harsh reminder of the same. Such executions were common in South and West Germany, but I’m guessing most of the places of executions were bombed by other evils that later destroyed this country.
I have heard of such stories even in India, but what got to me was suddenness of this! I was simply exploring this place on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a plan to reach home in time for an afternoon nap. What I saw and read there, in fact, didn’t let me sleep for a long time that night. Centuries pass, but crimes against women do not cease to exist! They evolve and take new forms. My visit to Herford showed me how much things have changed, but also made me wonder if they had changed at all!
Witch Hunt Memorial
I will visit Herford again before I leave Germany for good, for it is too beautiful a place to be remembered only for the unfortunate events it witnessed. I was disturbed by my visit, but living in a country as an adult involves exploring and accepting everything that is written in its book of memories. This quaint town showed me how even pain and grief can birth beautiful art, and this is an experience I will not forget for a really long time.