Archives: Atlas Obscuras

‘Shit-Eater’ Statue

Discover Schlammbeiser Statue in Giessen, Germany: Commemorating a unique medieval profession: men who collected feces.

Straussee Ferry

Discover Straussee Ferry in Strausberg, Germany: A unique, free-floating electric ferry may be the only of its kind in Europe.

Grave of Carl Friedrich Gauss

Discover Grave of Carl Friedrich Gauss in Göttingen, Germany: The man who gave his name to magnetic measurement is buried in the city where he did his best work.

The Three Gossips

Discover The Three Gossips in Giessen, Germany: A statue beloved by—and named by—the local townsfolk it represents.

The Three Gossips

Discover The Three Gossips in Giessen, Germany: A statue beloved by—and named by—the local townsfolk it represents.

The Easter Egg Museum

Discover The Easter Egg Museum in Sonnenbühl, Germany: A collection of decorative eggs to admire in the off-season.

Bayer Cross

Discover Bayer Cross in Leverkusen, Germany: Largest illuminated advertisement sign in the world.

Slab for the Ruhr

Discover Slab for the Ruhr in Essen, Germany: This monolithic slab of art metal crowns a German slag heap.

Fernsehturm Müggelberge

Discover Fernsehturm Müggelberge in Berlin, Germany: This TV tower once secretly housed a GDR intelligence team.

Holbein Horse

Discover Holbein Horse in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: A horse statue that receives constant makeovers from graffiti artists and locals.

Hermann Oberth Space Travel Museum

Discover Hermann Oberth Space Travel Museum in Feucht, Germany: Small museum dedicated to one of the founding fathers of modern astronautics.

Valentin Karlstadt Museum

Discover Valentin Karlstadt Museum in Munich, Germany: A serious museum dedicated to two German comedians.

Site of operation Backfire

Discover Site of operation Backfire in Cuxhaven, Germany: WWII rocket launchpad in rural Germany and site of operation backfire.

Hermannsdenkmal

Discover Hermannsdenkmal in Detmold, Germany: This proud Teutonic warrior rises out of a German forest heralding a victory and measuring lightning.

Schwäbisches Turmuhrenmuseum

Discover Schwäbisches Turmuhrenmuseum in Mindelheim, Germany: Held in an old church, this clockwork museum maintains a special focus on titanic tower timepieces.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

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