“A curious nickname, don’t you think?” Our journey today brings us to Zum Bären in Bamberg. Though “Bär” means bear in German, this establishment’s story has a rather unusual connection to the arctic creature. Zum Bären wasn’t always known by this name. Originally, in 1676, a man named Pankraz Behr founded a brewery here called “zum Schwartzen Adler,” meaning “The Black Eagle.” Pankraz, nicknamed “Pohla Behr,” unwittingly set the stage for a linguistic transformation. Over time, “Pohla Behr” became associated with the building. By 1732, the brewery was known as “zum Pohla Behr.” This evolved to “zum Pola Bären” by 1833. Finally, in 1870, the name officially became Brauerei zum Polarbären, or Polar Bear Brewery. This playful shift from a man’s nickname to an arctic animal is a unique piece of Bamberg’s history. The brewery even embraced the polar bear, placing a sculpture of one above the archway at Judenstrasse 9 after an expansion in 1918. Underneath, the year 1928 and the initials of the then-owner, Rudolf Diebitsch, mark the renovation. While the brewery at this location is no more, the name and a bit of the story live on, a testament to the quirky evolution of language and local lore.
Hauptsmoorwald
Hidden in plain sight, the Hauptsmoorwald whispers secrets of emperors and soldiers. The Hauptsmoorwald is Bamberg’s largest protected area. It