This is another Official Postcrossing card from Germany! We’ve got a lot to talk about here, so we’re gonna start with a brief overview, and then jump into exploring the individual sights. This card features the town of Schwerte, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. It’s known as the “Hanseatic City on the Ruhr”, as it is located by the Ruhr River, and as it was once a part of the Hanseatic League, which was a trade association of medieval times that consisted of around 200 towns and cities. Now let’s jump into talking about some neat landmarks! We’re gonna start with the 12 o’clock structure and move counterclockwise. Let me warn you though – I couldn’t deduce what some of these were, so any insights are appreciated! 1.) The town hall: as always, The European multiview cards share their town halls! This one admittedly looks pretty unique compared to others. 2.) The TechnologieZentrum, or Technopark: this is a complex built in the 90s that houses around 40 different companies… pretty much a business center. 3.) The Church of St. Victor: this church was built in the 1000s, and its original nave from the 1100s is still intact today. On the left side of the church you can see the Ruhr Valley Museum, which features artifacts of the town and the surrounding Ruhr Valley that date back thousands of years ago. 4.) Couldn’t figure this one out… wondering if it’s part of the old town, though? 5.) This one also eluded me. Definitely looks like a waterpark of sorts. There’s the outdoor pool Elsebad, but I don’t think that’s what’s shown here. 6.) Haus Villigst: this is a conference center for the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. A manor house that existed during the 1100s was first built on this site, and the current building was constructed in the early 1800s in the classicist style (not enough space to talk about this, but in very short, think Greek buildings). 7.) Huh you look familiar… 8.) St. Marien Church: this is a Catholic church that’s fairly close to St. Victor. I think it came about in the 1600s? 9.) And lastly… don’t know this one either XD So, I get a 67% this time… still passing, but barely. I think I should go back to researcher school. Thank you very much for this postcard!
