Aboard the Viking Cruises Ship Jupiter, we crossed the Baltic Sea from Scandinavia to Rostock, Germany. Part of the magic of such travel for me are the historical events and life stories of the local area through the ages. Only recently, in the sense of a lifetime, was Rostock in Communist-run East Germany following World War II. The area was bombed by the Allies during World War II, but many of the original buildings survived the onslaughts. Today, it is a marvelous stop in modern Germany and popular as a jumping-off port for all of the Nordic countries.
In medieval times, Rostock was a thriving town and engaged in trading with the peoples of the Baltic Sea area. The times largely focused on the church, so in 1472, a great clock was constructed and improved throughout the following 200 years. It is an astronomical clock, with times and seasons indicated for church life and planting. Remarkably, the website Astronimical Clock of St. Mary's Church reports that town records show that 6% of the town funds had been dedicated to an earlier clock in the late 1300’s. Later, in 1472, Rostock was not to be outdone by other regions that had recently acquired great clocks. The community dedicated its wealth to a religious clock with seasonal displays.
Every day at St. Mary’s church in Rostock is the procession of the Apostilles as they move across the clock top platform, above the clock face, and Judas brings up the rear. Judas is left outside the door, holding his bag of silver bribes.
The photo below is of the artworks in the altar area of St. Mary's Church.
Figurines of the Apostilles can be seen moving in this excellent UK source for photos and video of the Rostock clock. Link to photos and video of the Rostock clock
This German web source is for The Astronomical Clock of St. Mary’s Church in Rostock; discussion of the history, and full photos of the clock, including its inner parts, is available here
The church photo gallery is available here
Similar, and earlier, automaton figurines were on the astronomical clock in Prague dating from 1410. In comparison, the clock in Prague is outdoors and above the street. When viewing it, notice the larger doors for figurine automatons above the clock face. See my photo of the Prague clock Prague clock
My time in Rostock was brief, but I enjoyed the clock and these local church treasures. On the old town square you can sit outside for a lunch or coffee to wait for the noontime procession of the Apostiles. Also walkable is the Rostock University with many prestigious alumni dating back to 1419.
I was hosted by Viking Cruses, however the opinions in this article are my own.
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