The Marktplatz ( German for

Marketplace A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from ...

) is a central square in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

's old town, the Altstadt. It has served as a marketplace since the establishment of the city in medieval times. The Hauptstrasse runs along one side and the Church of the Holy Spirit and the are located on the square.

Description and history

The Marktplatz is the oldest square in the city and has served as a marketplace since the city was established. The Hauptstrasse runs along the southern edge of the square and Heiliggeiststrasse along the northern edge. At the eastern end of the Marktplatz is the Town Hall and the Church of the Holy Spirit dominates the western part of the square. The Hercules fountain, which stands in the centre of the square, commemorates the enormous efforts to rebuild the city after it was sacked in the

War of the Palatine Succession The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Relat ...

. In previous centuries the Marktplatz also served as the site of public

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...

s and executions, including the theologian Johann Sylvan in 1572, and the thieves and in 1812. The Martplatz was also used as a car park when the Hauptstrasse was still open to vehicle traffic, but since the end of the 1970s it is only accessible on foot. In winter, the Markplatz is usually used by the Christmas markets and it is lit up in pink after

Advent Sunday Advent Sunday, also called the First Sunday of Advent or First Advent Sunday, is the first day of the liturgical year in the Western Christian Churches and the start of the Christian season of Advent; a time of preparation for the celebration of ...

for "Pink Monday," a

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

holiday, along with the Universitätsplatz.

External links

360°-Panorama of the Marktplatz
{{coord, 49, 24, 44, N, 8, 42, 37, E, region:DE_type:landmark, display=title Squares in Germany Execution sites in Germany Geography of Heidelberg