Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
28 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
28 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
28 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
28 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Naumburg Statue of Uta von Ballenstedt

Statue of Uta von Ballenstedt

Is this statue at Naumberg Cathedral the fairest of them all?

Naumburg, Germany

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The statue of Uta von Ballenstedt, Naumburg Cathedral.   Matthias Rutkowski
The statue of Uta von Ballenstedt, Naumburg Cathedral.   Matthias Rutkowski
Naumburg Cathedral, Germany.   Flickr/Gitta Zahn
Uta von Ballenstedt, Margravine of Meissen.   Wikimedia/Tilman2007
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Uta von Ballenstedt was the wife of Margrave Eckard II of Meissen, member of the German dynasty known as the House of Ascania. Their marriage created no heir, and any chance of furthering their line ended with Eckard's death in 1046, followed shortly thereafter by Uta's.

Uta's entire estate was donated to the construction of Naumburg Cathedral. Later, in the 13th century, the anonymous Naumburg Meister created a dozen donor figures for the cathedral, including representations of Eckard II and Uta. These life-size statues are relatively rare in the annals of art history, as they depict neither king nor emperor, and are considered masterpieces of Gothic art.

In the 20th century, the statue of Uta had become an icon of German culture, and was subsequently degraded by the Nazi regime by being held up as an "Aryan role model," used in their propaganda campaigns.

On a more positive (and universally familiar) note, the sculpture is said to be among the inspirations behind the Evil Queen in the 1937 Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Indeed, some art connoisseurs consider Uta von Ballenstedt to be an exceptional beauty, even placing her on the same level as Queen Nefertiti and Botticelli's Venus. She attracts many visitors to Naumburg Cathedral to this day.

Related Tags

Statues Art Beauty Cathedral Medieval

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

May 27, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1470/
  • https://www.stripes.com/travel/naumburg-cathedral-immortalizes-most-beautiful-woman-of-the-middle-ages-1.100702
  • https://historywitch.com/tag/uta-of-naumburg/
  • https://meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/uta-of-naumburg
Statue of Uta von Ballenstedt
16 Domplatz
Naumburg, 06618
Germany
51.154713, 11.803985
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Goseck Circle

Goseck, Germany

miles away

Auerworld Palace

Auerstedt, Germany

miles away

Deutsches Kinderwagenmuseum (German Stroller Museum)

Zeitz, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 760
Stories 68

Nearby Places

Goseck Circle

Goseck, Germany

miles away

Auerworld Palace

Auerstedt, Germany

miles away

Deutsches Kinderwagenmuseum (German Stroller Museum)

Zeitz, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 760
Stories 68

Related Places

  • Demons portrayed in the stained-glass windows of Strasbourg Cathedrals.

    Strasbourg, France

    Stained-Glass Demons

    Explore this medieval cathedral by trying to spot all the malevolent monsters hiding in its beautifully colored windows.

  • Nin, Croatia

    Church of the Holy Cross

    The “world’s smallest cathedral” is a remnant of one of Croatia’s medieval royal towns.

  • Tampa, Florida

    Princess Ulele Statues

    Tampa’s most famous native royal comes alive in a duo of arresting bronze statues.

    Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
  • Miss America statues at OCU

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Miss America Statues

    Three bronze beauty queens welcome you to “Miss America University.”

  • Statue of Captain Cook inside The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura

    Auckland, New Zealand

    'The Lighthouse: Tū Whenua-a-Kura'

    A neon-illuminated statue of James Cook at the edge of a historical Auckland wharf makes for an unexpected discovery.

  • Teruel, Spain

    Escalinata del Óvalo

    This grandiose staircase was part of the revival of a medieval Spanish architectural style combining Christian and Islamic influences.

  • ‘Minor Triumph’

    Seoul, South Korea

    ‘Minor Triumph’

    Children’s timeless joy is remembered in the fast-developing Myeongdong district of Seoul.

  • Frederikssund, Denmark

    'Min Indre Svinehund' ('My Inner Beast')

    This striking pig statue was part of a 1993 guerilla art project against racism.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.