April 2016 - 101cityscapes

29. April 2016Jörg Dietrich

Pécs | Hungary | University | Week 22

Pécs [german: Fünfkirchen; latin: Quinque Ecclesiae; serbian: Pečuj], known in the 3rd century Roman Empire as Sopianae, then first mentioned as Quinque Basilicae (english: five cathedrals) in 871, lies in a triangle south of Budapest, east of Zagreb and northwest of Belgrade about 150-200 km away from each of these capitals. 5th largest city in Hungary.

Population: 146.000 [2015] | 170.000 [1990] | 74.000 [1930] | 54.000 [1900]

Pécs is one of the oldest cities in Hungary and known for its multicultural flair and history. It is the capital of the Baranya County and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pecs. The Early Christian Necropolis of Pecs (Sopianae) has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000. The city had been a part of Hungary since the late 9th century. It fell under Ottoman Rule in 1543 and was freed again 1686 to become part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I it became part of the new state Hungary in 1921. Pécs has been a European Capital of Culture in 2010.

The University of Pécs (Pécsi Tudományegyetem) has first been founded in 1367 by Louis I. the Great and was the first university in Hungary. It was however discontinued under Ottoman Rule. The modern university of Pecs was founded in 1912 in Pozsony (now Bratislava) and moved to Pecs in 1921. Above we see the front facade of its main building, housing the Faculty of Business and Economics (KTK).

Click for larger view:

For classic view and more infos about the streetview (german link):

Another street view we documented is from Széchenyi Square with the Nádor Szálló and Pécs Town Hall (Városháza), previewed here:

These panoramas of Pécs were created based on photographies taken by the hungarian photographer Kerényi Zoltán.

19. April 2016Jörg Dietrich

Greiz | Germany | Train Station | Week 21

Greiz, first mentioned as Grewcs in 1209, lies 80 km south of Leipzig, 120 km west of Dresden and ca. 250 km east of Frankfurt on the river Weisse Elster. 18th largest city of the german state Thuringia (german: Thüringen).

Population: 21.000 [2014] | 36.000 [1984] | 39.000 [1931] | 23.000 [1905]

Greiz, also nicknamed the „Pearl of the Vogtland“ is situated in the thuringian Vogtland, named after the Vögte (advocats) of Weida, Gera, Plauen and Greiz. First a residence in the mid 13th century it has been home to the „House of Reuss“, a ruling german dynasty, from the 14th century to 1918. They have built the two castles in the city, the Oberes Schloss (Upper Castle) and Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle). As a former residence city Greiz is known for its representative buildings, some of them in Art Nouveau style, and the english style Greizer Park with its Sommerpalais (summer palace).

Here we see the main train station building of Greiz with its annexe buildings. The station building was errected in the 1870s when the connection to Plauen was established. At the time of this photograph in 2014 it was uninhabited and as a sign on its door declares „for sale“ – though trains are still stopping at the station. However we chose this street view as an example of train stations in linear panorama views. The historic station buildings all over europe often occupied a complete street front hard to be photographed in its entirety. You can find more examples in our train station archive.

Click for larger view:

For classic view and more infos about the streetview (german link):

Previously published streetlines from Thuringia and Greiz

Yet unpublished here is a linear view of the central ensemble with the Lower Castle, the Gymnasium and the Upper Castle in the back:

We documented a number of train station buildings across europe (inlcuding Istanbul, Prague, Paris, Milan, Glasgow…) which are yet unedited, here are some unfinnished examples:

top to bottom: Görlitz, Quedlinburg, Worms, Luxor, Prague

8. April 2016Jörg Dietrich

Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Victoria Street | Week 20

Edinburgh [scottish gaelic: Dùn Èideann; french: Édimbourg], the hill forth Din Eidyn by the Gododdin tribe was built sometime before 600 AD and the city was founded as a royal burgh in the early 12th century. Situated about 70 km east of Glasgow and ca. 550 km north of London on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. 2nd largest city in Scotland, 8th largest city in the United Kingdom and 61st largest city in the european union.

Population: 493.000 [2014] | 419.000 [1991] | 439.000 [1991] | 395.000 [1901]

Edinburgh, lying east of Glasgow in the scottish central belt, has been the capital of Scotland since the mid 15th century, hence it is the seat of the Scottish Parliament and of the monarchy in Scotland. The city is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1995, notably for its Old Town with Edinburgh Castle, the Holyrood Palace and the Royal Mile connecting the two, as well as the planned 18th century Georgian New Town. The city is also home to the National Museum and the National Library of Scotland as well as the Scottish National Gallery. Today the city is known for its strong economic, especially in the financial sector and the tourism industry, as well as its cultural festivals, especially the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe Festival.

Victoria Street is the historical, being called West Bow then, entrance to the Castle Hill from western direction. It was transformed to its current shape in the early 19th century and renamed Victoria Street when Queen Victoria was crowned. Most buildings were errected in the mid 19th century, though some older buildings remained at the foot of the street. Here we see the grand India Buildings from 1864 on the left and the former St. John’s Church from 1838 in the middle.

For more Edinburgh street views visit our Edinburgh Architecture blog post.

Click for larger view:

For classic view and more infos about the street:

We documented several more streetline views in the Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh (see Edinburgh blog post) including the complete Royal Mile. This section of the Royal Mile (Lawnmarket) has been published before:

And a preview of the Royal Mile along the High Street:

Another unfinnished preview of the Jenners department store in the New Town: