From cathedral to cathedral - Thietmar's river journey

On the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the consecration of Merseburg Cathedral, the Hallische Hanse
e.V. goes on a great river trip for the last time

Unfortunately, the famous bishop and chronographer Thietmar of Merseburg (975 - 1018) did not live to see the completion of his life's work: in 1021, in the presence of the imperial couple Henry II and his wife Kunigunde, Merseburg Cathedral was consecrated, for which Bishop Thietmar himself had laid the foundation stone 6 years earlier.

The Hallische Hanse e.V. had made it its business to commemorate this construction period as well as the work of Bishop Thietmar with a 1000-year interval and to hold an annual one-week boat trip in July as in the times of the Ottonian rulers between the 3 cathedral cities of Magdeburg, Halle and Merseburg. In 2021, the last season of "Thietmar's River Journey" will take place with the title "The Consecration". The amateur actors, musicians, medieval performers, technicians and story writers around Thomas Kirchhoff thus join the many celebrations around the 1000-year anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral.

On Thietmar's farewell trip, hthe audience will perceive the tour along the 138 river kilometers like an art festival. In 5 cities, a kind of musical bridge-building can be experienced: Starting with the sacral sounds of the Leipzig ensemble Nimmersêlich, where you can almost physically imagine the dignified entry of an episcopal procession, the arc goes over the broad spectrum of the angel trumpet to the Celtic-Irish tunes of the Berlin band "The Sandsacks" to the sounds of the baroque folk bard Klaus Adolphi and his men from Horch. History and music can be experienced in this way from July 23 to 31, 2021, always close to the river.

On July 31, 2021, the "Askania" docks for the last time at the foot of Merseburg Cathedral. After 6 exciting years, the old bishop strides up the steps to the moat at the head of his faithful to tell his last chapter of an exciting mission before a grandiose evening concert.

"Thietmar's River Journey" is an event of the Verein zur Förderung der Hansekultur der Hansestadt „Halle an der Saale“ e.VYou can find more information about the event program here.