Siegen can make no pretense to being a village. With one hundred thousand and more in population, and with a university in the suburbs, it has the characteristics of a city. The old city which our ancestors knew is only a small part of the present city. If they were to return, they would not recognize the city, though they might think that a few of the buildings were familiar. The old city is so inhospitable to automobiles that they have been banned from it, leaving it to the pedestrians. The Sieg River flows through the city literally, as it is underground for several blocks. Downtown, two famous statues depict the Miner and the Iron Worker. These are the industries that made Siegen famous in earlier times.
At the north end of the old city is the Upper Castle, which is perhaps the most interesting point in town. First, the displays inside are extensive and interesting. Outside the building there is an opportunity to view the region, especially to the north, from a slightly elevated position (plus the fact that the castle is on a local hill). Dominating the view northward from the castle in Siegen is a north-south expressway which is elevated over the buildings. It winds around the hills and villages and is a requirement to move the traffic off the clogged city streets. In all directions are low hills, and typically one can see several "ranges". A few miles to the north, the university lies on another hill.
The castle is advertized as built in 1224 but like all buildings in Germany this should be understood cautiously. A building is never torn down, so it seems to me, but is rebuilt, extended, and modified. The original building is seldom clear in its extent.
The bane of the photographer who would like to record the views is atmospheric haze. This dampens or dulls the colors on the longer range shots. This was a problem throughout Germany. The really great photography shots require patience for the clear day and an airplane to get above the buildings.
Another good view point is from the University. It gives a view south over the city of Siegen. The university is not actually in the city of Siegen, but outside the boundaries on the north side. Weidenau is the actual town.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.