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Rheinsprung
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Starting at Schifflände, the Rheinsprung is a steep concourse leading up to the Münsterhügel. Right at the beginning of the ascent, the Elftausendjungferngässlein (which loosely translates as the Street of the Eleven Thousand Virgins) branches off to the right. The name derives from Saint Ursula, who during her pilgrimage to Rome was said to have walked up this narrow street to St Martins Church (Martinskirche) accompanied by her many followers.
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Past the Elftausendjungferngässlein, tiny Medieval artisans' houses cling to the supporting wall of the St Martins Church (Martinskirche) which soars above them. At ground-floor level, these buildings are just a few metres deep. The upper stories, some of which are half-timbered, extend further out over the street. This method of construction enabled house owners to save tax, as property tax was calculated on the basis of the area of the built-up ground.
On the Rhine side of the road stands the Haus zum Kranichstreit (1563) with its pretty Gothic window, decorated with shell patterns in the Renaissance style. The windowless wall of the extension contains a mural by Samuel Buri. This depicts a goose-maid together with the scaffolding from which the artist completed his work in the year 1978.
Following a gap between the buildings, which offers a fine view of the Rhine, comes the college building of the Old University. This was endowed at the request of the Basel Council by Pope Pius II, who acted as a secretary in Basel for many years. The University was opened in 1460 here on the Rheinsprung, and is consequently the oldest in Switzerland.
A little further along the road stand the twin houses built for the brothers Lukas and Jakob Sarasin by Samuel Werenfels in the 1760s in place of the Gothic residences of nobles and commoners. The two brothers were silk merchants who had amassed great wealth through the production and sale of silk ribbons. The principal façades of the splendid Late Baroque buildings face the Rhine, and have exerted a lasting impact on the city's skyline. They are known as the Blaue Haus (Blue House) and the Weisse Haus (White House) after their coloured plaster. Grand courtyards are located to the rear of the buildings, between extensive wings. Today the buildings are owned by the state, and accommodate the Justice Department.
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