European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Varburg continued from Page 5 the Center of the old town. At the crosswalk we were greeted by audible traffic lights another marburg Surprise. There Are Many Blind students studying Here she explained the beeps Tell them when the lights have  the walk to the old town took us Over what in the medieval period was part of a Commerce route running from marburg to Mainz. The Early Trade routes did not go through the valleys but Over the hilltops explained Lienert. The lower lands were too  the half timbered houses to the lower level on our left were narrow and Small compared to the Noble ones at the right. In bygone Days there was no City drainage and rain water and refuse flowed Down the Hill making the lower level less desirable. The wealthy townsfolk built on the High dry ground. The less fortunate had to put up with wet feet Lienert said. The old town is a Beehive of narrow crooked alleys with fun names among them the Barfuss Strasse or Bare feet Street. The Rathaus or town Hall dates Back to the 1500s and originally was More than a place of just local officialdom. Parliament met in the Middle floors the basement was used by a Butcher and the ground floor by weavers and cloth merchants. Lienert pointed out a Metal Rod called an Elle embedded in the Wall it was placed there to use As a yardstick for measuring lengths of cloth. Today s City Fountain is probably not the original she noted for it was in front of the town Hall that a car suddenly Sank not Long ago. Where the car Sank was probably was the site of the old City Well she said. From the Rathaus it is a Long climb up the Hill to the vast marburg Castle. The Castle dates Back to 1200 and came into being when the counts of Thuringia inherited a part of Hesse and had to protect it from the archbishop of Mainz. Marburg offered the Hilltop fortification they needed. The Castle has undergone Many additions Over the years in styles from romanesque through gothic to Renaissance. It was there that protestant religious leaders Luther and Zwingli tried in vain to reconcile their ideologies. The most interesting rooms Are the Small vaulted gothic knights Hall and the South Wing Chapel which is considered a perfect example of High gothic Church architecture. In 1815, the Castle was degraded to a prison and Many of the rooms damaged. They were restored in 1870 and the Castle became the repository for state archives and the University collection of cultural history which can be visited today in the Wilhelms Bau. It is open tuesdays through sundays from 11 . To 1 . And from 2 to 5 . If you Are a museum Buff and have grown tired of tripping up and Down stairs you might appreciate a visit to some of the other City museums. Among them Are the mineralogical museum at Deutschhause Platz open wednesdays from 10 . To 1 . And from 3 to 6 ., thursdays and fridays from 10 . To 1 ., and saturdays and sundays from 11 . To 3 . The University museum for graphic arts Olsen Haus biege Strasse. 11 open april 1 through sept. 30, wednesdays through mondays from 10 . To 1 . And from 3 to 5 ., and from october through March from 11 . To 1 . And from 3 to 5 . And the Brothers Grimm apartment at Markt 23 open tuesdays through sundays from 11 . To 1 . And from 3 to 6 . Both Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm studied at marburg. During his stay in the Early 1800s, Jacob wrote in marburg you have to put your legs to use and climb up and Down  he would find it no different today. Two women descend the ships in a narrow marburg Awtey stripes Magazine january 12, 1989