Menjenguk di Kawasan sekeliling rumah

Snow di Wiesbaden 2009 ..lagi..

Masa nie snow baru berhenti sekejap... suhu masa nie.. dalam -10 darjah celcius.. Kitaorang baru lepas makan kebab dan tak sangka snow dah mula turun dengan lebat..

Snow di Wiesbaden 2009

Snow di Wiesbaden 2009

Ini la.... dikatakan rezeki.. untuk merasa bermain snow.. tak sangka masa kitaorang jalan-jalan di Wiesbaden.. tiba-tiba snow turun dengan lebat sekali....

Snow in Dec 2009 ... continued

Snow in Dec 2009

Snow in Idstein

Snow..snow..snow.. datang lagi... kali nie agak lebat dan inilah peluang kitaorang suami isteri berjalan-jalan kat atas snow... lihatla..pemandangan ladang dan kawasan rumah kami.. penuh dengan snow dan sayup mata memandang keindahan ciptaan Allah s.w.t

International Nite 09

Ni gambo masa International Night anjuran Cardiff University... setiap pelajar di wajibkan bawa satu masakan bercirikan negara masing-masing... Apa lagi, yang paling senang ialah popia goreng la.. Licin lak tuh...

B'day and Scenery

Idstein Scenery and B’day Party

Jalan-jalan Wallrabenstein di Siang Hari

Cuaca masa nie memang ok sangat tak la.. di tahap beku ataupun sampai kena pakai sarung tangan... memang la... takder salji turun sebab suhu kat sini berubah-ubah.. Nikmatila.. keindahan ciptaan Allah .. kalau musim luruh lagi la.. cantik... Tunggu yer untuk gambar di musim luruh...

Kunjungan ke rumah sahabat malaysia

Minggu lepas... setelah penat lelah Liza study.. tiba la.. masanya untuk berehat sebentar.. biasanya masa yang lapang ialah hari Sabtu dan Ahad.. so.. pada Ahad lepas kitaorang pergila.. melawat sahabat se Malaysia di wallarabanstein... belit nak menyebutnyer.. haa.. Pemandangan kat rumah depa nie memang cantik.. bayangkan kat belakang tu boleh nampak kincir angin dan ada ladang gandum dan macam2 lagi la... siap ader kuda lagi.. kuda tu lak time nak tangkap gambaq.. dia lari lak..Masa tu memang sejuk giler.. tu pasal kener pakai baju tebal2 ... kalau tak mati keras laa.. haha... Tak sangka ciptaan Allah (s.w.t) amat cantik dan maha kaya yer... ok la... nikmati laa..pemandangan tu...

Nasi lemak di pagi hari..

Pagi-pagi lagi wife dah buatkan nasi lemak.. walaupun bahan-bahan agak terhad seperti daun pandan dan halia.. tapi.. masih berpeluang menikmati nasi lemak di pagi hari...

Seperti biasa la.. masa tunggu wife masak nasi lemak.. kasi lelap la.. sikit mata nie.. haha.. sejuk betul cuaca hari tu.. tapi.. berbaloi menunggu la.. sebab memang sedap.. lepas la.. sikit rindu kat nasi lemak.. amacam?... berbaloi-baloi...

Mula-mula waktu beli perabot rumah

Haaa... inilah.. gambo-gambo masa mula-mula pindah ke rumah baru kami di Worsdorf.. gambo nie dalam phone so.. terlupa nak transfer ke laptop nie.. setelah sekian lama.. barula.. berpeluang.. mentransferkan nyer...

Kalau melihat dari keadaan di dalam gambo tu.. ha... kelihatan la.. kelibat 2 orang mat salleh.. iaitu tuan punya rumah ini iaitu Mr Eugen dan Gettey(suami isteri)... dah tua dah depa nie.. tapi...masih kuat dan bersemangat.. bayangkan dengan troli bergerak tu.. kitaorang boleh muatkan sofa 3 biji, katil dan tilam 2 biji... memang canggih diaorang niee...

Lepas dah penat2 angkat perabot.. apa lagi.. dok melepak la.. penat wooo... dah la.. masa tu masih puasa... tapi.. diaorang nie.. memang baik... nasib baik la.. kalau tak bayangkan camner nak beli perabot second hand tu.. dah la.. jauh giler jaraknyer.. dari rumah... dah la. kat sini kenderaan awam memang hampeh dan mahal...

Lepas tu depa siap tolong pasangkan katil lagi lak.. tu.. hahha.. tak tau la.. nak membalas camner jasa baik depa nie....

Bunga Orkid dari Tuan Rumah

Haa... kalau semua nak tau.. inilah bunga orkid yang di beri oleh tuan rumah kitaorang.. masa mula2 pindah ke sini... Cantik kan..

Orkid ni masih tegak berdiri dan bunga dia pun masih segar... rasanya dah kene air kan akarnya.. tapi.. kalau mengikut buku.. bunga orkid nie boleh meresap air dari sekitarnya.. so... dia boleh dapatkan air secara direct dari sekeliling nya.. wallahuallam..

Snow ... snow.. datang dah...

Snow.. snow.. dan snow.... Kat sini snow dah mula turun.. pagi tadi ajer suhu dalam -2 darjah celcius.. sesetengah tempat snow turun dengan lebatnyer.. cuba lihat pada bumbung dan cermin depan kereta tu... dah mula banyak snow.. nampak gayanyer kena la.. pakai baju tebal lagi.. pastu.. kalau berjalan dah kener pakai boot lak.. sebab kalau tak... sejuk di buatnyer...

VISA atau Residence Permit

Haaa.. sudah sekian lama menunggu.. akhirnya.. Residence Permit atau Visa untuk kami duduk lama di Germany siap juga... Hari nie.. baru siap.. lega rasanya.. sebab dah dekat sebulan tersadai di sebabkan masalah health insurance... Dengan ini... secara rasminya.. sah lah.. kami nie sebagai warga negara German untuk sementara jer tau.. 2 tahun jer.. lepas 2 tahun .. balik Malaysia la.. hehe..

Exam.. time...

Haa... setelah 2 minggu bertungkus-lumus.. tiba lah.. masanya wife aku.. menghadapi exam... tu gambor tengah berdebar tu... sebab lagi 10 minit dah nak kene masuk bilik peperiksaan.. lepas exam.. aku lak.. apa lagi.. memasak la.. tu la.. dia.. dapat la.. masak ayam masak merah... kalau nak rasa meh la.. sini...

Demam.. demam...

Setelah sekian lama dok kat Germany nie.. haa.. datang dah.. penyakit demam niee.. tah la.. nie barulah dikatakan perubahan cuaca.... Dah tiga hari demam di serta batuk dan selsema.. mula-mula tu dok tibai la.. panadol M'sia.. tapi.. tak baik2 jugak... Apa lagi.. pergi la.. farmasi.. depa iaitu Apoteke... so.. belila.. item2 nie.. sini takde panadol tapi... depa dok guna Aspirin.. beli yg Plus C.. lebih kurang panadol solouble... so... barulah.. demam tu hilang.. ler nie.. dah ok dah.. hanya masih ader batuk2... yer la.. kalau sakit tu.. semua benda tak boleh buat.... yg satu lagi tu.. gambo air mineral kat sini... tapi yang peliknyer.. sini mineral water dia... di campur dengan gas... so.. dah rasa macam minum air gas lak.. tapi.. kalau nak yg kurang gas.. kener la..beli yg ader tulis STILL.. unik dan pelik la.. sini..

Idstein Tour

Setelah sekian lama dok kat Idstein nie.. barulah.. pihak Universiti dan City Hall kat sini buat tour untuk student-student Uni.. especially yang Student International... Penat juga dibuatnya tour nie.. ye la... berjalan keliling pekan Idstein dan siap naik Witch Tower iaitu Hexenturm... dah la.. anak tangga banyak.. dan makin tinggi makin cerun lak.. tangga dia.. memang kene naik satu2.. lak tu.. gelap... memang mencabar...

Ini lah pekan Idstein yang memang penuh dengan sejarah dan kalau tak salah pekan nie jer dah berumur dekat lebih 300 tahun.. dan masih mengekalkan bangunan bersejarah niee...

Raya di Frankfurt

Baru-baru nie.. Konsulat Jeneral Malaysia di Frankfurt telah mengadakan majlis rumah terbuka sempena sambutan Aidilfitri... Apa lagi.. kitaorang dan sahabat di sini pun idok la.. melepaskan peluang ke emasan nie.. yee la... ini lah masanya nak bertemu sahabat-sahabt lain dari M'sia yang juga belajar dan bekerja di German.. masa di Konsulat nie.. tak sangka pula Chef Celebrity iaitu Chef Ismail yang masak rupanya.. patutla.. sedap dan tambah 3 kali.. tapi.. sayang sekali takde satay.. Memang meriah sungguh la... rumah terbuka tu.. ramai jugak orang German yang hadir...

Kebanyakan yang hadir ialah student Malaysia yang buat degree so.. masih muda dan fresh... dan ader jugak yang buat internship di sini... Anyway.. makanan memang sedap dan harap2 tahun depan aderla.. lagi Chef Ismail yang masak... ker.. Chef Wan lak....

Pertama kali ke Wiesbaden

Haa... kalau kawan-kawan nak tau.. inilah..bandar Wiesbaden.. didalam daerah Hessen.. bandar nie memang sibuk .. so... aku nie tak lah suker sangat keadaan kat sini.. dah macam kat KL lak.. sibuk.. tapi.. masih takder traffic jem la... Kat Wiesbaden nie.. boleh jumpa Asian Market.. so.. hari tu.. sempatlah aku dan wife beli barangan dapur macam serai, roti canai segera, bawang putih, cili padi dan macam2 lagi la.. harganya ok la.. tapi.. jangan convert ke RM la.. sebab memang mahal dan pengsan di buatnyer...

Kitaorang pergi masa nie dengan sahabat2 wife aku.. depa nie bukannya Islam.. so... depa leh la.. belasah apa2 pun.. kitaorang minum air kosong jer... tu pun dah 4 Euro.. kalau convert mau jadi RM20... sini susah nak dapat makanan segera halal.. so.. kalau pergi Fast food ker.. tak dijamin Halal.. Ni la.. first time naik train laju... tapi.. idok la.. laju jugak.. pelik kan.. perjalanan dari Idstein ke Wiesbaden ambil masa 1/2 jam... Oh ye.. hari tu juga sempatla.. beli printer untuk wife aku... almaklumla.. student.. so.. banyak la.. assignment nak kene print...

Kunjungan Sahabat Se Malaysia

Gambar nie di ambil semasa kunjungan sahabat dan satu-satunya keluarga yang tinggal di Idstein, Germany nie... Isteri kepada sahabat saya nie juga melanjutkan pelajaran di Idstein dalam jurusan yang sama dengan Isteri saya.. iaitu Master of Science in PharmacoEconomics... tapi depa dah duk sini dekat setahun lebih... dan tak lama lagi grad la.. Seronok rasanya dapat kunjungan dari sahabat se Malaysia walaupun hanya 1 jer keluarga yang ada...

Lebaran di Germany

We enjoyed our cooking , still ada nasi minyak dan kurma untuk santapan. Siapa cakap raya di luar negara tak boleh makan sedap2..Raya di mana2 pun sama je, cuma erti Hari Raya sebenarnya ialah berkumpul bersama mereka yang tersayang, dan seronoknya tengok suasana kampung.

Ingatkan nak jalan2 ke Frankfurt raya di Embassy , tapi disebabkan raya Ahad so better not, sebab esok dah ada aktiviti di Universiti, takpa lah still gor plenty of time to venture that. Hariana and family raya di Bingen, dan mereka bercuti sehingga Isnin baru balik.

Kebetulan semalam, tuan rumah bagi buah plum, banyak sangat. Mereka petik belakang umah je. So we all takut sangat plum tu busuk sebab takan termakan, we had an idea to transform the plum to marmalade. Letak sedikit gula, kayu manis dan bunga cengkih...taaadaaaa not bad. Boleh jimat tak payah beli jam. Makan dengan butter and jem ni memang mantaplah. So bolehlah..suddenly we realize that we do things that we never did back in Malaysia. Its awesome!!!

Buka puasa di Rumah Rakan Se Universiti Isteri

Inilah satu2nyer warga Malaysia yang menetap dan juga pelajar Master di sini... depa semua dah lama dah di sini dan Al-hamdulillah pada se hari sebelum Hari Raya Aidilfitri nie.. depa ajak kitaorang berbuka puasa bersama-sama di rumah depa kat Wallrabenstein Feldgasse..

Kebetulan semalam hari Sabtu .. kat sini kalau hari Sabtu dan Ahad memang kene book kenderaan awam... maknanya wife saya kene call untuk booking kenderaan ke mana2 aje la... tu la... kalau di pikir2 kiter memang bertuah dok kat Malaysia dari kat German niee... ye la.. nak gie mana2 waktu weekend berlambak bas (cuma tak ontime ajer la) ... dan LRT pun ader.. sini hampeh.. gak.. hehhe...

Lagi foto rumah baru

Haa... nie lagi gambo rumah baru dan tuan rumah sangat berbesar hati nak bagi buah plum yang di tanam kat laman rumah dia jer... banyak jugak buah plum yang di beri... adalah dalam satu bekas sederhana.. jenuh nak menghabiskan nyer... almaklum la.. buah plum nie.. masam ader manis pun ader.. so.. kenela.. pilih yg dah dekat nak masak...

Rumah Baru Kami

Yesss.. setelah beberapa hari menetap di Holiday Flat di Idstein, kitaorang berpindah ker rumah baru kami di Worsdorf.. jarak nya dari Idstein adalah dalam 4km.. kalau jalan kaki hari2 memang la.. boleh kuruih.. di buatnyerr.. Rumah baru nie jenis flat... kat sini memang banyak flat yang di diami oleh student... itu pun mahal wooo.. dalam Euro 450 sebulan (itulah yang paling murah kat Idstein, ni pun dah berapa kali nego) ... kire sendiri la.. yer dalam matawang RM.... Kalau dari Idstein atau University boleh naik bas no 225 atau 226..

Tuan rumah nie memang baik betull.... macam mak dan ayah angkat... bayangkan sofa, almari dan katil tu kitaorang beli kat luar dari Worsdorf di mana jaraknya lebih kurang 20km dan diaorang drive ke sana untuk beli perabot tu... Dah la.. bawak kitaorang ke sana.. siap tolong pasangkan lagi... Mr Kempf (Tuan rumah) nie asalnya seorang tukang kayu.. so.. bab2 pasang memasang nie dia memang expert... tapi... bayangkan dah laa flat kitaorang nie 2 tingkat dan kitaorang menginap kat tingkat 2 nak mengangkat perabot2 tu ke atas jenuh jugak dibuatnyer.. dan almaklumla.. bulan puasa lak tu.... dahaga tak ingat tahan jer la.. sampai buka puasa..Tuan rumah suruh we all buka (minum air kosong)..........Alhamdulilah Iman masih kukuh dan apa sangatlah puasa di cuaca yang sejuk macam Germany ni, walaupun berpuasa lebih 14 jam. So no hal punya....

Semua barang yang we all beli adalah second hand kaufhaus. We all dapat sofa, bed frame, study table and almari semuanya dalam Euro 230 (dalam RM1000)..percaya atau tidak???dan conditionnya masih baik dan cantik. Berbaloi sangat membeli.

Pengalaman Pertama Naik Bas

Haaa.. ini dia setelah beberapa hari di Idstein, tibalah masanya kami berdikari sendiri.. pengalaman pertama iaitu jalan kaki ke kedai Islam iaitu Selam Market berdekatan pasaraya KIK. Di KIK kitaorang beli la.. sedikit barangan dan berjalan balik ke BusBahnhof untuk ambil bas ke rumah baru di Worsdorf....

Quite an exciting experience living in Idstein. Yang paling liza suka sekali because its possible to walk (kalau nak)...sebab boleh lah kurus sikit. Nampak macam jauh nak jalan but with chill weather, i think its a really worth walking. Kalau di Malaysia, memang bercinta kalau nak jalan, naik kereta pun mengeluh sebab cuaca panas. Indahnya ciptaan Allah yang Maha Esa..

Aktiviti Di Idstein

Ni lagi gambar2 menarik sepanjang jalan2 di Idstein bersama Prof Helen. Its chill, windy and drizzling ..........sejuk sangat. belum winter lagi. Kalau winter....we wonder how?

Holiday Flat... 50 Euro Per Night

Inilah tempat penginapan kami di pekan Idstein iaitu di Holiday Flat... semalam harganyer.. 50 Euro.

Ini hanya untuk sementara waktu sahaja... kitaorang dah pun melawat flat yang bakal kami duduki iaitu di Worsdorf... cantik juga..

So.. kalau sesiapa nak ke Idstein aku memang recommend dok kat holiday flat niee.. haa.. kat Speicher ni... kemudahan semuanya lengkap.. ada dapur (tak pakai gas tau.. pakai letrik.. kelas gitu), sofa, katil semuanya ader... lebih kurang macam hotel 5 star la.. hehhe.. Ok la disamping itu makanan yang menjadi menu utama di sini ialah roti (brot)... macam2 roti adaaa.....

Penginapan dan Wakil Universiti

Gambor ni di ambil lepas sampai ke pekan Idstein... Wakil dari Universiti (Willtrud) yang ambil we all kat Airport Frankfurt Main. Walaupun namanya holiday 'flat' tapi... semalam 50 Euro... takpela.. hanya untuk 4 hari jer tinggal sementara kitaorg punye rumah sewa dah ready.. dalam 15hb niee.. Oh yee.. highway yg korang tgk ni.. tu la.. Autobahn.. memang takde speed limit untuk certain tempat... dioarang nie memang bawak kereta macam tak iingat dunie.. ala maklum la.. keter semuanya best belaka... VW..Audi... BMW ... merc.. keter Hyundai dan Swift pun ader.. agaak... tak berani la.. kawe nak bawok.. hehee

Oh yer.. Suasana sana memang windy .. suhu dalam 14 darjah celcius dan ke bawah.. kalau kene tiup angin lagi la.. sejuk... tapi lum tahap beku la.. tak lama lagi la.. hehhe.. Wife azam tengah bergambar di depan Universiti dia (the main one) ... sini kereta semuanya best2 belaka.. VW dan BMW banyak... bestnyer kalau ader banyak duit... Rumah wakil universiti i pun memang sangat cantik dan di belakang laman pulak siap tanam Pokok Epal.. bayangkan.. kalau nak makan Epal.. pergi jer kat belakang rumah.. haa.. petik la.. sebakul pun takper.. dah boleh makan dah...

Holiday flat nie ok sangat.. semua facilities ader.. sofa, tempat memasak dan lain2 lagi... emm.. masa sampai ker sana.. wakil Uni... terus bawa kitaorg gie shopping barangan dapur untuk 4 hari nie.. sebab di sini hari ahad.. kedai semua tutup (Ahad they all ni pergi church ).. kalau yg buka pun hanya untuk sejam dua ajer.... Yang paling best sekali bila u all tengok roti2 dia, luar keras, dalam isinya lembut sangat. They come in variety of sizesssssssssssss.............sangat cantik dan geram bila tengok roti2 masa bulan puasa. But for muslims as usual ask them about ingredients...yang lain2 mungkin biasa seperti flour, raising agent, egg, butter... but mungkin dia letak sedikit wine/ alcohol.

Nanti aku upload lagi banyak gambar dalam blog nie.. Tschüß

Bermulanya satu Perjalanan ke Idstein, Germany

Perjalanan ke Frankfurt dari KLIA memang memenatkan tapi.. berbaloi-baloi... makan tak berhenti-henti dan sedap... Aku dan wife salute kat pilot sebab dalam perjalanan memang kapal terbang (Boeing 777) bergegar la.. terutamanya melalui kawasan pergunungan dan lautan Andaman... tapi.. semuanya berjalan lancar dan tiada masalah... ini semua berkat doa ibu dan ayah.. serta rakan-rakan di Malaysia... Kitaorang miss u all sooo much!!!

Banyak betul.. beg yang didalam nya terkandung makanan dan rempah ratus.. plus beras.. tau... tapi.. alhamdulillah.. biler sampai jer Airport Frankfurt.. semuanya ok.. lepas.. takde pun anjing pengesan ker atau Kastam sana kacau.. best giler... perjalanan ambil masa 12 jam... nie ader la.. jet leg..... rasa mengantuk sangat...

Anyway.. tatapla.. gambar-gambar sebelum dan selepas berlepas ke Frankfurt...

German Class Photos

 

Mari Belajar Bahasa German

Memang menyeronokkan pada hari pertama belajar bahasa German sehinggalah last day we all... Cikgu kami, Mr Frank (native speaker from Germany) amat mahir dalam mengajar bahasa German di samping itu dia nie memang kelakar habis (kalau ngajar...siap dengan gaya2 dialah sampai we all terfikir yang dia ni ex actor kat Germany ka..hahahah)

Dengan gaya dia mengajar tak kering gusi dibuatnya dan sangat baik hati... Pada hari pertama dapatla belajar sepatah dua perkataan yang begitu asing buat kami.. seperti Guten Tag!, Guten Morgen, Wie Gehts..... sehr gut....lalalalal dan banyak lagi.... But now, okaylah setakat nak baca sign age dan tengok waktu, pesan makanan (walaupun tak akan pesan punya), beli barang, tengok harga, baca packaging kat makanan...bolehlah sikit2 heheheh. Bak kata cikgu we all nie, our speaking is okay and tak nampak weird sangat. But nama pun org Malaysia, mana boleh sebut macam org Germany...melampaulah tu kan!

Visas ready

Ni nak citer pasal visa lah....dokumen dan prosedurnya sangat birokrasi. Sebenarnya banyak perkara yang tidak dinyatakan dalam checklist seperti perlu ada rental contract dan insurance policy. But we were lucky enough to have guidance from lovely Hariana dan Prof Helen (my prof in Germany)....so everything went just right and perfect. So at the end of Julai 2009.............we finally got our visas and it took only 3 weeks from the date we submitted the application (unbelievably fast....normally boleh sampai 2-3 bulan).

So those yang berangan sangat nak study kat Germany so pleaselah see tips below:

i. Tolonglah get your documents(seperti birth cert anak2, marriage cert and etc) legalised di Wisma Putra (Min. of Foreign Affair)
ii. Lepas legalised , barulah gie buat translation
iii.dapatkan document for rental contract
iv. dapatkan document for insurance policy (mungkin tak boleh dapat lagi policy, but correspondence dengan insurance company will be good enough)
v. Kalau husband with none degree / master/phd holder, kena ada bukti belajar bahasa atau lulus level A1 German langguage.kalau nak belajar bahasa, yang diiktiraf untuk this purpose cuma di Goethe Institute je ye...dan harga nya boleh tahan lah. Kalau ada degree/ master/ phd.....exempted. nak belajar boleh, taknak belajar pun suka hati. tapi we all belajar lah.....tapi di Language House sahaja sebab suka2 saja. Itu pun harga dia dah cecah RM4k...hanya untuk 24 hours. Hanya boleh cakap sepatah2...dah kira baguslah tu. hahahah So guys take a look at our visas!

History of Idstein - A Town of Tradition

From royal seat to modern city


The name Idstein first appears in 1102 in a court document involving Udalrich and his brother Konrad von Etichestein.
Their ancestors probably built the castle. Certainly the owners of Idstein castle were stewards to the monastery of Bleidenstadt, which was founded by the archibishops of Mainz.
Count Udalrich was succeeded in Idstein by the counts of Laurenburg, relatives of the archibishop of Mainz, who gave Idstein castle to them. They are credited with extending the influence of Mainz in the Taunus region (name of the local ridge of hills) and strengthening the power of the empire. From the middle of the 12th century the Laurenburg family named themselves after the castle of Nassau. During this period Idstein became attached to Nassau and remained so until 1866.

When in 1255 the Counts of Nassau divided up their estates and the river Lahn formed the border between the territories belonging to Otto and Walram, Idstein became the major castle and thereby also the focal point of power in the Taunus region and further beyond to the south of the river Lahn. Around this core area grew the town, for which Count Adolf of Nassau secured civic status through King Rudolf of Habsburg in 1287. Count Adolf of Nassau, himself King of the German nation from 1292 to 1298, was killed in the battle of Göllheim against Albrecht of Austria.
It was from this first golden age of Idstein that the watch-tower originated, which derives its name "witches' tower" from the witch trials around 1676. The tower was probably built in 1170 and is the oldest preserved building in Idstein. Alongside the development of the castle into a town came the organisation of the church. The oldest church building was built Idstein became a town. Parts of it are still to be found in the protestant church, the Union Church.
At the beginning of the 14th century Count Gerlach von Nassau-Idstein began the
development of a spiritual center, succeeding in 1340 with the founding of St.Martin's Seminary. This brought with it the first school in Idstein, thus beginning the long and diverse scholastic history which gave Idstein the name of "town of schools". Between 1346 and 1475, the house of the Counts of Idstein produced four archbishops of Mainz (Gerlach 1346-1371, Adolf 1373-1390, Johann 1396-1419 and Adolf II. 1461-1475) and thereby also secured influence on impirial policies. After the end of the 15th century Idstein lost its impetus for political expansion and extended its territorial influences no further. In 1502 Emperor Maximilian I. visited Idstein. In 1497 Count Philip I built the gatehouse and probably altered the upper parts of the old watch-tower. The gatehouse has hardly changed since then, whilst the engravings of Dilich, Meisner and Merian show what the watch-tower looked like. Its present form dates from alterations carried out in 1810. The castle buildings between the arch of the gatehouse and the witches tower were erected in the period between 1500 and 1588.

The oldest remaining house, at no. 2 Obergasse, was built around from 1410.
Many of the houses in the old part of Idstein date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries and their position, size, half-timbered construction and rich decorative features are proof of the wealth and pride of their architects and owners.
This indicates that, despite the decline of the town's influence on imperial politics, town life flourished and indeed grew steadily, before finally being extinguished in the difficult years of the 30 years war; the buildings, however, survived the war and to this day testify to the civic consciousness of the town.

The older Idstein lineage died out in 1605. The heirs were the counts of Nassau-Weilburg, starting in 1629 with Count Johannes. The thirty-year war forced him into exile in Straßburg, from where he returned in 1646, before the peace accord of Westfalen. Johannes devoted himself to rebuilding his country, by completing the construction of the palace begun in 1614 and then establishing the palace gardens between 1650 and 1675. The "Florilegium" (flower book) by Johannes Walter gives a good impression of the palace gardens. The palace was built by employees of the Nassau family, engineer Jost Heer (Hoer) and his son Henrich. The architect Henrich Heer built the imposing building at the end of "Obergasse" for himself. For many years the house bore the name of the well-known artist Ernst Toepfer (1878-1955), who owned the house from 1911. Following a change of ownership in 1989 and thorough restoration, since 1992 the building has been a hotel and restaurant. In the final years of Count Johannes' rule, the old town church was renovated. Due to alterations and interior furnishings, the church became a unique example in a Nassau residence of the desire of the time to both build and impress. The wall and ceiling paintings, by artists of the Rubens school are especially significant in art history.
During the rule of count Johannes, the witches trials took place between 1675 and 1677, in the course of which 35 women and 8 men (following charges, torture and hearings) were executed. After the death of count Johannes in 1677 his son, Georg August Samuel took over the title. He continued with the reconstruction and improvements of his father and through his work highlighted the importance of Idstein, before the family line finally died out in 1721.
Under Georg August Samuel, who took over the royal title in 1688, Idstein underwent the first planned expansion outside the original walled city. The draining of the "Weiherwiese" created the area of construction between "Borngasse" and "Kreuzgasse", the second market-place was laid out and the Latin school, which evolved out of the St. Martin's seminary, became the Augusteum grammar school. The death of Georg August Samuel in 1721 ended Idstein's history as a Nassau royal residence. This heralded a new era.

During the reformation, the Martin seminary was converted into a Latin school, its reputation attracting pupils of all social classes. The school continued as a grammar school until 1817, when the Weilburg grammar school was designated as the only grammar school in the Nassau state. In 1779 a teaching department was established in Idstein which supported the reforms to the schooling system in Nassau from 1817, and realized Pestalozzi's ideas and notions in teacher training and school work.

The department existed until 1851. Idstein achieved special political significance through the "Regional Congress" of 1849, in which several hundred delegates assembled in the Union Church demanding democracy. One of the principal initiators of the action was Idstein resident Gustav Justi.
This revolutionary meeting was partly responsible for the relocation of the teaching department (and its continuation as two institutions of different denominations; one in Usingen and one in Montabaur). Closely connected with the teacher training was the work of the Agricultural Institute, which, under the leadership of Wilhelm Albrecht, ran a model farm on "Hof Gassenbach" in order to improve regional agriculture and cultural development. In 1834 the institute was moved to Wiesbaden. However, the foundation of more schools in the 19th century secured Idstein's reputation as the "town of schools". In 1858 the secondary school was opened, followed in 1869 by the founding of the "School of Architecture", which underwent several changes of name and support, finally becoming part of the Technical College in Wiesbaden. In 1995, the "Fresenius European Technical College" moved in to the building.

In 1888, the Kalmenhof Institute was created, mainly provided for by Jewish citizens of Francfurt, for the care and support of handicapped children. For decades the Kalmenhof was of great benefit to the community until, in this area too, the campaign of murder by the Nazis was carried out. A memorial on the site of the "Kalmenhof" commemorates the members of the institute who died during the second world war.
At the same time as the new educational establishments were set up in Idstein, the centuries old tradition of tannery was replaced by a new trade, the production of fine leather. The first leather factory was founded in 1810 (today the hotel "Felsenkeller"). This signalled the start of the industrialisation of Idstein and a boom, particulary during the years of great economic expansion and subsequently after the railway was built ub 1877, which ended only after the first world war. Right up to the present day, the leather industry has been heavily represented in Idstein. However, the only surviving evidence of the old trade is the last remaining tannery (drying room) in "Löhergasse".

In 1817, the Union of Nassau was sealed in Idstein, in which the Lutheran and Reform churches were united in one church, the Protestant church of the duchy of Nassau, later to become the Protestant Church of Hessen and Nassau.
1806 saw the formation, for the first time since the reformation, of an independent Catholic parish church in Idstein, which erected its own church in 1888. This church stood on "Wiesbadener Straße" and was demolished in 1964 to make way for the new church of St. Martin's. A synagogue for the Jewish community in Idstein has existed since 1793 having been rebuilt several times, and its location at the present time is in "Felix-Lahnstein-Straße". The Jewish community existed in Idstein until 1938m whereupon most of the community fled to the larger cities, a few succeeded in escaping abroad, others took their own lives, and many were deported to concentration camps.

Idstein castle, together with earlier buildings on the site, dates back to the 11th century and was for many centuries the residence of the counts (since 1688, the princes) of Nassau-Idstein, one line of a very large Nassau family. Reconstruction and extensions carried out between 1614 and 1634 transformed the former castle into a palace. Originally built in the renaissance style, the building took on a baroque style at the beginning of the 18th century.


When the royal line of Nassau-Idstein died out in 1721, the palace lost its role as residence of the sovereign and seat of the government, serving several functions over the last 270 years, for example, acting as the headquarters of the Nassau Public Archive from 1729 to 1881, the preceding body to the Central Public Record Office of Hessen, based in Wiesbaden. In 1946, the newly founded Idstein Grammar school (Pestalozzi school) was set up in the palace.
For centuries life in Idstein was defined by its roles as the royal, spiritual and intellectual focus of an area, which until the last years of the Middle Ages was of significant importance in the realm of state politics. During the 19th century the town of Idstein was a centre of law and seat of the Supreme Court, until the Union of Nassau with Preußen in 1866. However, even afterwards, Idstein performed many functions over and above that of a town and indeed added more to the list.
Besides schools, district hospital, law court, Forestry office, protestant deanery, railway station, motorway police and other institutions and public bodies all provide the infrastructure for an expanding catchment area.

After 1945, the structure of Idstein changed fundamentally. The influx of exiled people (approximately one in four inhabitants of Idstein comes from the east of Germany or from eastern or south-eastern European countries), the systematic expansion of the town through the construction of new residential areas, the settlement of larger industrial plants of global importance, the district reforms (between 1971 and 1977 eleven formerly independent villages were incorporated into the town) and therefore the increasing functions of Idstein - not least its role in the transport system - made the former royal seat with a population in 1939 of approximately 4,500 inhabitants into a key centre. Idstein offers its current population of over 20,000 not only residential and employment opportunities, but also contends with a variety of demands on the town, all the while meeting the needs of modern life. The appearance of the town has altered dramatically, especially in the last few years. Prime examples of these changes are the new residential area of Gänsberg, the restoration of the old town, the pedestrian precinct and town by-pass, the town-hall, the extension to the grammar school and new buildings on the site of the old Landauer leather factory ("Löherplatz).
Idstein is, nevertheless, conscious of its history, not only the high points, but also the darker periods. Information thereon is provided by noticeboards and commemorative plaques on buildings and furnishings.

Districts of Idstein

Old villages, fortified sites, religious authorities and the Limes

The centre of Idstein is surrounded by eleven districts. These previously independent villages were incorporated into the town of Idstein during the district reforms of 1971.
Of the eleven districts, Walsdorf and Wörsdorf are the oldest, with documents recordings the dates of 774 and 790 respectively. The remaining districts were created during the High Middles Ages, but documentary evidence only exists since the 12th century.
In addition to the districts of Walsdorf and Wörsdörf, Heftrich was also a place of great importance. Even today these districts stand out from the rest by virtue of their population and role as local centres.
Walsdorf and Heftrich achieved special status, as both districts were granted privileges similar to civic status and both were surrounded by a wall. The most heavily fortifed was Walsdorf, which at times was even called "Walstadt". The special privileges were granted to these places due to their exposed positions. As fortified "little cities" they formed the eastern stronghold of the Idstein territory and were to protect the counties and palace from their neighbours (the counts of Diez and the Lords of Eppstein). The fortifications in Walsdorf remain largely intact and the Hattower (Hutturm), which still stands has became a local landmark.
Even in the early Middle Ages, Wörsdorf was an affluent farming village and home to both the monastary of Bleidenstadt and the Order of the Teutonic Knights.
Over the centuries even the smaller districts have been, during their long history, important parishes and have provided schools, mills and administrative centres incorporating registry and forestry offices.
This is particularly so of Oberauroff. As an old parish village it was the centre of the "Auroffer Grund" (Auroffer foundation), whose parish comprised Oberauroff, Niederauroff, Eschenhahn, Ehrenbach and the villages of Görsroth and Kesselbach, of whom the latter two now belong to the district of Hünstetten. The "Auroffer Grund" belonged to the Benedictine monastery of Schlüchtern which, following its sale in 1160 became part of the archbishopric of Mainz. In 1230 Count Heinrich the Rich of Nassau (1190-1253) named himself the Master of Auroff.
Eschenhahn and Ehrenbach are westernmost districts of Idstein and were first documented in 1117 and 1371 respectively. Their boundaries are touched or crossed by the Limes, a border fortification erected by the Romans in 86 AD, which was also extended and strengthened several times. Ultimately, seen from the side of the enemy, it was made up of a 2-metre high palisade with stakes made out of oak trees, a 3-metre wide ditch, which was also as deep as the height of a man, and a wall along which sentries patrolled. Close to the Limes watch-towers were built within sight of each other. During the middle of the 3rd century, the Huns broke through the Limes signalling the end of the Roman Empire. At Ehrenbach, part of the Limes, including a watch-tower, has been reconstructed. It can be found in the vicinity of the Roman fort "Zugmantel".

Kröftel, Nieder- and Oberrod are the easternmost districts of Idstein and lie just on the foothills of the "Großer Feldberg" hill. They were documented in the early 13th century. The artist Carl Jakob Frankenbach was born in Oberrod in 1861. He produced many paintings depicting the people of Nassau and their lives and wrote the comprehensive work on the uniforms of Nassau troops entitled "Die herzoglich nassauischen Truppen". A mayor part of Frankenbach's estate was left to the town of Idstein.

The smallest districts of Idstein are Dasbach and Lenzhahn, firstly mentioned in documents in 1354 and 1283 respectively. The "Limes" also ran through Dasbach and in 1613 the Dasbach church was built on the foundations of a watch-tower. Until that time the people of Dasbach attended church in the village of Wolfsbach (south of Idstein) which no longer exists. Dasbach belongs nowadays to the parish of Niederseelbach.
In 1939 Dasbach had a population of 124, while Lenzhahn had 62. Until the district reforms Lenzhahn had no local government representation and the town was governed "in a traditional manner", in which decisions were made by all those entitled to vote.

The oldest evidence of human settlement in Idstein is the "Limes". It crosses the district from west to the east for approximately 15 kilometres and is still visible in many places. In the Idstein section there were two forts: Zugmantel and Alteburg. The Zugmantel fort lay not in the district of Idstein, but close to the southern border of the district at Ehrenbach, nowadays within Taunusstein district. The Alteburg fort was situated on high ground approximately one kilometre south of Heftrich. For generations its ruins were used as a quarry and even the town wall of Heftrich was built to a large extent from materiel from the fort. The "Alteburger" market now takes place up to three times a year within the confines of the fort. Formerly a cattle and fleamarket with an important commercial and supply function, it is now more of a regional fair.
According to the age and significance of the centuries-old districts, countless buildings were erected which are remarkable in terms of art and construction history and a chosen few will be presented in an extra leaflet.
Idstein Today

How to Reach Idstein

How to reach Idstein

by train:
Frankfurt bzw. Wiesbaden - Niedernhausen - Idstein
Zugauskunft

by car:
highway A 3
Köln - Frankfurt
exit Idstein
Routenplaner

by bus:
www.rmv.de/coremedia/generator/RMV

Map of Idstein