Gera

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For other uses, see Gera (disambiguation).

Gera


Country	Germany
State	Thuringia
District	urban district
Population	104,737 source (2005)
Area	151.93 km²
Population density	689 /km²
Elevation	205 m
Coordinates	50°52′ N 12°5′ E
Postal code	07545-07557
Area code	+49 (0) 365, (0) 36695
Licence plate code	G
Mayor	Dr. Norbert Vornehm (SPD)
Website	gera.de

Gera is the largest City in the east of Thuringia, Germany. In 2003 it had about 105,000 inhabitants. It covers an area of 151 km².

1 History
2 Sights
3 Transportation
4 Twin Towns
5 Notable natives
6 External links

[edit] History

The city was founded in the year 995. Since 1564, Gera was the residence of the Younger Line of the Reuss monarchy. In 1920 the city became part of Thuringia (German: Thüringen). Large portions of the city were destroyed by aerial bombing in 1945. Until German reunification in 1990, the city belonged to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

[edit] Sights

Sights in Gera:

Town Hall (build 1576, Renaissance)
Market Square with Simson-fountain
Castle Osterstein (largely destroyed 1945)
City Pharmacy
Theater (build 1902)
Villa Schulenburg, architect: Henry van de Velde
St. Johannis church (Neo-Gothic), St. Salvator church (Baroque with Art Nouveau interior decoration), St. Marien church (Late Gothic), St. Trinitatis church (Late Gothic)
Old beer cellars called "Geraer Höhler"
Zoo Gera (since 1973)

Museums in Gera:

City Museum
Otto Dix House
Art Galley "Orangerie"
Museum of Natural History ("Schreiber House", oldest building in the city)
Museum for Applied Arts ("Ferber House")

In 2007 Gera, together with Ronneburg, is venue of the Bundesgartenschau (the ferderal horticultural show).

[edit] Transportation

Altenburg-Nobitz Airport

[edit] Twin Towns

[edit] Notable natives

Johann Heinrich Gottfried Koch, *1705-†1775
Ernst August Geitner, *1783-†1852 in Schneeberg, chemist and developer of nickel silver (Argentan)
Dr. Heinrich Gustav Beck, *1857-†1933, Ministerpräsident of Saxony 1914-1918
Otto Dix, *1891-†1969
Rudolf Paul, *1893-†1978, President of Thuringia 1945-1947
Karl Weschke, *1925-†2005, painter
Georg Buschner, *1925, head coach East Germany national football team
Helga Königsdorf, *1938, mathematician and author
Olaf Ludwig, *1960, racing cyclist
Wolfgang Tiefensee, * 1955, Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development, mayor of Leipzig till 2005
Heike Drechsler, *1964
Jens Heppner, *1964, racing cyclist