Bad Nauheim

One of the highlights of my trip to Germany was a visit to the Sprudelhof (fountain court) in Bad (spa) Nauheim. Around 1900, its healing waters made Bad Nauheim one of the most popular spas in Germany. Grand duke Ernst Ludwig, seizing the moment, erected the huge Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) facility. Construction took from 1905 to 1912. The fountain in my picture shows Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Demeter, his sister. Now look at their legs. Myth has it that Poseidon pursued Demeter, and she, trying to escape his attentions, turned herself into a mare. Whereupon he turned himself into a stallion.

 

For years, German socialized medicine allowed patients, recovering from illness or surgery, to spend time at spas. Many of the businesses in Bad Nauheim traditionally catered to these visitors. Today, many of the benefits have been curtailed, and the city is feeling the downturn.

 

On another note ~ Elvis Presley lived in Bad Nauheim from 1958 - 1960 while in the service. A statue stands in front of his former residence, and people still decorate it with flowers. There is even an Elvis Presley Association in Bad Nauheim.