Nuremberg
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| Nuremberg (Nürnberg) | |
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| Country | Germany |
| State | Bavaria |
| Administrative region | Middle Franconia |
| District | urban district |
| Population | 500,132 (2005) |
| Area | 186.38 km² |
| Population density | 2,666 /km² |
| Elevation | 302 m |
| Coordinates | 49°27′ N 11°5′ E |
| Postal code | 90000-90491 |
| Area code | 0911 |
| Licence plate code | N |
| Mayor | Ulrich Maly (SPD) |
| Website | nuernberg.de |
Nuremberg (German: Nürnberg) is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. It is located about 105 miles north of Munich, at 49.27° N 11.5° E. Population (as of 01/2006) is 500,132.
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[edit] History
[edit] Middle Ages
From 1050 to 1571, the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade routes. It is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Holy Roman Emperor, particularly because Reichstage (Imperial Diets) and courts met at Nuremberg Castle. The Diets of Nuremberg were an important part of the administrative structure of the empire. In 1219 Nuremberg became an Imperial Free City under Emperor Frederick II.[1] Nuremberg soon became, with Augsburg, one of the two great trade centers on the route from Italy to Northern Europe. Nuremberg is known as the home of the Iron Maiden, a notorious fake of a torture device of the Middle Ages. In 1298, the Jews of the town were accused of having desecrated the host and 698 were slain in one of the many Rintfleisch Massacres. Behind the massacre in 1298 was also the desire to combine the northern and southern parts of the city, which were divided by the Pegnitz River. Jews had been settled in that flood-prone area, but as the city leaders realized, this center of town was crucial to the future development of the town. Hence, the Jewish population was to be removed. This area is now the place of the City Market, Frauenkirche and Rathaus (City Hall).
[edit] Early modern age
The cultural flowering of Nuremberg in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries made it the center of the German Renaissance.
In 1525, Nuremberg accepted the Reformation, and in 1532, the religious Peace of Nuremberg, by which the Lutherans gained important concessions, was signed there. In 1632 during the Thirty Years' War, the Imperial general Albrecht von Wallenstein besieged King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in the Siege of Nuremberg. The city declined after the war and recovered its importance only in the nineteenth century, when it grew as an industrial center. At the beginning of the nineteenth century Nuremberg was practically bankrupt. In 1806 with the Holy Roman Empire formally being dissolved, Nuremberg passed to Bavaria. The Bavarian state took over the debts of Nuremberg and did guarantee their amortization. The first German railway, from Nuremberg to nearby Fürth, was opened in 1835.
[edit] Nazi period
Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany period. Because of city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the center of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions–the Nuremberg rallies. The rallies were held to commemorate the Reichsparteitag ("National Day of the Party") and were held annually from 1927 to 1938 in Nuremberg. After Hitler's rise to power in 1933 the Nuremberg rallies became huge state propaganda events, a center of anti-Semitism and Nazi rhetoric. At the 1935 rally, Hitler specifically ordered the Reichstag to convene at Nuremberg to pass the anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws which revoked German citizenship for all Jews. A number of premises were constructed solely for these assemblies, some of which were not finished. Today many examples of Nazi architecture can still be seen in the city. The city was also the home of the Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher, the publisher of Der Stürmer.
During World War II, Nuremberg was the headquarters of Wehrkreis (military district) XIII, and an important site for military production, including airplanes, submarines, and tank engines. The city was severely damaged in Allied strategic bombing from 1943-1945. On January 2, 1945, the medieval city centre was systematically bombed by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force and about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour, with 1800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. In total, about 6000 Nuremberg residents are estimated to have been killed in air raids. Despite this, the city was rebuilt after the war and was to some extent, restored to its pre-war appearance including the reconstruction of some of its medieval buildings.
Between 1945 and 1949, German officials involved in the Holocaust and other war crimes were taken in front of a tribunal in the Nuremberg Trials. The Soviet Union had wanted the trials to take place in Berlin, but Nuremberg was chosen as the site for the trials for specific reasons:
- It was located in the American occupation zone
- The Nuremberg Palace of Justice was spacious and largely undamaged (one of the few that had remained largely intact through extensive Allied bombing of Germany). A large prison was also part of the complex
- Because Nuremberg had been the city of the Nuremberg rallies, there was symbolic value in making it the place of the Nazi demise
- It was also agreed that Berlin would become the permanent seat of the International Military Tribunal and that the first trial (several were planned) would take place in Nuremberg. Because of the Cold War, there were no subsequent trials.
[edit] Economy
Nuremberg for many people is still associated with its traditional gingerbread (Lebkuchen) products, sausages, and handmade toys. The first pocket watches, the Nürnberg eggs, were made here in the sixteenth century. In the nineteenth century, however, Nuremberg became the "industrial heart" of Bavaria. Companies such as Siemens and MAN had their roots in this town. Nuremberg is still an important industrial center with a strong position toward markets in Central and Eastern Europe. Items manufactured include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products, motor vehicles, and printed materials. To the economic profile add strong activities in the automation, energy, and medical technology sector. There are many "hidden champions" with a leading role in the world markets which have their seats in Nuremberg. The biggest industrial employer in the Nuremberg region still is the Siemens company. A third of the German consumer research companies are located in Nuremberg. The Nuremberg International Toy Fair is the biggest worldwide, and several specialized high-technology fairs attract experts from all over the world every year.
[edit] Culture
Nuremberg was an early center of humanism, science, printing, and mechanical invention.
The city contributed much to the science of astronomy. In 1471 Johannes Mueller of Königsberg (Bavaria), later called Regiomontanus, built an astronomical observatory in Nuremberg and published many important astronomical charts. In 1515, Albrecht Dürer, a native of Nuremberg, mapped the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres, producing the first printed star charts, which had been ordered by Johann Stabius. Around 1515 Dürer also published the "Stabiussche Weltkarte", the first perspective drawing of the terrestrial globe. Perhaps most famously, the main part of Nicolaus Copernicus' work was published in Nuremberg in 1543.
Printers and publishers have a long history in Nuremberg. Many of these publishers worked with well-known artists of the day to produce books that could also be considered works of art. In 1470 Anton Koberger opened Europe's first print shop in Nuremberg. In 1493, he published the Nuremberg Chronicles, also know as the World Chronicles (Schedelsche Weltchronik), an illustrated history of the world from the creation to the present day. It was written in the local Franconian dialect by Hartmann Schedel and had illustrations by Michael Wohlgemuth, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, and Albrecht Dürer. Others furthered geographical knowledge and travel by map making. Notable among these was navigator and geographer Martin Behaim, who made the first world globe.
Sculptors such as Veit Stoss and Peter Vischer are also associated with Nuremberg.
Composed of prosperous artisans, the guilds of the Meistersingers flourished here. Richard Wagner made their most famous member, Hans Sachs, the hero of his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel was born here and was organist of Saint Sebald church.
Nuremberg is also famous for its Christmas market, which draws thousands of tourists each year.
[edit] Main sights
The southern part of the old town,known as Lorenzer Seite,is separated from the northern part by the river Pegnitzand encircled to the south by the city walls.
- Kaiserburg:The three castles that tower over the city including central burgraves' castle,with Free Reich's buildings to the east,the Imperial castle to the west.
- Heilig-Geist-Spital:In the centre of the town,on the bank of the Pegnitz,stands the Hospital of the Holy Spirit.Founded in 1332,this is one of the largest hospital in the Middle Ages.
Lepers were kept here at some distance from the other patients.It is now houses an old-folks' home and a restaurant.
- Hauptmarkt:It provides a picturesque setting and famous market for gingerbread.Nuremburg's star attraction is the Gothic Schoner Brunnen(Beautiful Fountain) which erected around 1385 but it replaced with a replica(original fountain kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum).
The following churches are located inside the city walls: Saint Sebald, Saint Lorenz, Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church), Saint Klara, Saint Martha, Saint Jakob, Saint Egidien, and Saint Elisabeth.
- st Lorenz-Kirche(St. Lorenz church):the most important building of Nuremburg is the Gothic church of St. Lorenz.Main body was built around 1270-1350.
The church of the previous Katharienkloster is preserved as a ruin, the Cartause is integrated into the building of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the choir of the previous Franzikanerkirche is part of a modern building. The Walburga Chapel and the romanic "Doppelkapelle" (Chapel with two floors) are part of Nuremberg Castle.
The "Johannisfriedhof," containing many old graves (Albrecht Dürer, Willibald Pirckheimer, and others) and the "Rochusfriedhof", or the Wöhrder Kirchhof, are near the Old Town.
There is also a medieval market just inside the city walls, selling hand crafted goods.
The German National Railways Museum (German) (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage) is located in Nuremberg.
The Red Bull District Ride Mountain bike event is held here every year.
The Nuremberg Ring, mysteriously held within an iron fence, is said to bring good luck to those that touch it.
[edit] Transport
The city's location next to numerous highways, railways, and a waterway has contributed to its rising importance for trade with Eastern Europe.
[edit] Motorways
Nuremberg is conveniently located at the junction of several important Autobahn routes. The A3 (Netherlands-Frankfurt-Passau-Vienna) passes in a south-easterly direction along the north-east of the city. The A9 (Berlin-Munich) passes in a north-south direction on the east of the city. The A6 (France-Saarbrücken-Prague) passes in an east-west direction to the south of the city. Finally, the A73 begins in the south-east of Nuremberg and travels north-west through the city before continuing towards Fürth and Bamberg.
[edit] Railways
Nuremberg Central Station is a stop for IC and ICE trains on the German long-distance railway network. The Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich High-Speed line with 300-km/h operation opened May 28, 2006, and was fully integrated into the rail schedule on December 10, 2006. Travel times to Munich have been reduced to as little as one hour.
[edit] Airport
Nuremberg Airport has flights to major German cities and selected European destinations, as well as connecting flights worldwide, for example via Frankfurt or Vienna.
[edit] City and Regional Transport
The first segment of the Nuremberg_U-Bahn metro system was opened in 1972. The system, along with trams and buses, are operated by the VAG Nürnberg (Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft Nürnberg or Nuremberg Transport Corporation), itself a member of the VGN (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg or Greater Nuremberg Transport Network). There is also a Nuremberg S-Bahn suburban metro railway and a regional train network, both centred on Nuremberg Central Station.
[edit] Canals
Nuremberg is an important port on the Main-Danube Canal.
[edit] Sister cities
Worldwide, Nuremberg is twinned with the following cities:
- Nice, France since 1954
- Kraków, Poland since 1979
- Skopje, Republic of Macedonia since 1982
- Glasgow, Scotland since 1985
- San Carlos, Nicaragua since 1985
- Gera, Thuringia (former GDR), since 1988, renewed 1997
- Prague, Czech Republic since 1990
- Kharkov, Ukraine since 1990
- Hadera, Israel since 1995
- Shenzhen, China since 1997 (For this reason, Shenzhen set its European Contact Agency in Nuremberg)
- Antalya, Turkey since 1997
- Kavala, Greece since 1998
- Atlanta, USA since 1998
- Venice, Italy since 1999
[edit] Partner Cities
[edit] Nuremberg districts
Several old villages now belong to the city of Nuremberg, for example Großgründlach, Kraftshof, Thon, and Neunhof in the north-west; Altenfurt and Fischbach in the south-east; and Katzwang, Kornburg, and Ziegelstein in the south. Langwasser is a modern suburb.
[edit] Famous citizens
Other famous citizens of the city include: Chaya Arbel (Israeli composer), Hans Behaim the Elder, Peter Bucher, Albrecht Dürer, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach, Adam Kraft (sculptor and architect), Anton Koberger, Max Morlock, Conrad Paumann, Hans Sachs, Hartmann Schedel, Veít Stoß, Peter Vischer the Elder and Johann Philipp von Wurzelbauer.
[edit] See also
- Nuremberg Trials
- Nuremberg Rally
- Christkindlesmarkt
- Nürnberger Bratwürste
- Lebkuchen (gingerbread, specialty of Nuremberg)
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Nuremberg Toy Museum ("Spielzeugmuseum")
- de:Geschichte der Stadt Nürnberg (History of the City of Nuremberg, in German)
- de:Germanisches Nationalmuseum (German)
- Labour Exchange Headquarters ("Arbeitsamt", now "Agentur für Arbeit")
- Norisring Racetrack, where Pedro Rodriguez died in 1971
- List of mayors of Nuremberg
- Nuremberg Underground
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- English website of the city
- Nuremberg City Panoramas - Panoramic Views and virtual Tours
- Carnival's Schembart run turns Nuremberg into a medieval city again
- Nuremberg info and gallery
- Nuremberg by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- more Nuremberg Panoramas
- Architecture of Nuremberg
- Nuremberg
- Tramway in Nuremberg
- Article at jewishencyclopedia.com
- Nuremberg travel guide from Wikitravel
