Nuremberg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Nürnberg (disambiguation).
| Nuremberg (Nürnberg) | |
|---|---|
| Image:Karte nuernberg in deutschland.png |
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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.
Contents |
[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. 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, 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 15th and 16th 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 19th century, when it grew as an industrial center. At the beginning of the 19th 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 commemerate 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 were severely damaged in Allied strategic bombing from 1943-1945. On January 2, 1945, the medieval city center was systematically bombed by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force and about 90 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 16th century. In the 19th century, however, Nuremberg became the "industrial heart" of Bavaria. Companies like Siemens and MAN had their roots in this town. Nuremberg is still an important industrial center with a strong position towards 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 Toy Fair is the biggest worldwide, and several specialized high-technology fairs attract experts from all over the world every year.
Nuremberg has an airport with flights to major German cities and selected European destinations as well as connecting flights worldwide via e.g. Frankfurt or Vienna. The city's location next to numerous highways, railways and a waterway has contributed to its rising importance for trade with Eastern Europe. It is connected by a 300 km/h high speed railway line via Ingolstadt to Munich.
[edit] Culture
Image:Nuremberg sebald castle f lorenz f s.jpg 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 reproduction 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 printery in Nuremberg. In 1493, he published the Nuremberg Chronicles, also know as the World Chronicles (Schedelsche Weltchronik). A 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 mapmaking. Notable among these was navigator and geographer Martin Behaim, who made the first world globe.
Sculptors like 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 St. Sebald church.
Nuremberg is also famous for its Christmas market, which draws thousands of tourists each year.
Image:Nuremberg Frauen Lorenz Rathaus v Burg f n.jpg
[edit] Main sights
The following churches are located inside the city walls: St. Sebald, St. Lorenz, Frauenkirche (Our Lady's Church), St. Klara, St. Martha, St. Jakob, St. Egidien, and St. Elisabeth. The church of the previous Katharienkloster is preserved as a ruin, the Cartause is integrated in 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, etc.) 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 Red Bull District Ride Mountain bike event is held here every year.
[edit] Transport
[edit] Sister cities
Worldwide, Nuremberg is twinned with the following cities:
- Image:Flag of France.svg - Nice, France since 1954
- Image:Flag of Poland.svg - Kraków, Poland since 1979
- Image:Flag of Macedonia.svg - Skopje, Macedonia since 1982
- Image:Flag of Scotland.svg - Glasgow, Scotland since 1985
- Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg - San Carlos, Nicaragua since 1985
- Image:Flag of Germany.svg - Gera, Thuringia (former GDR), since 1988, renewed 1997
- Image:Flag of the Czech Republic (bordered).svg - Prague, Czech Republic since 1990
- Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg - Kharkov, Ukraine since 1990
- Image:Flag of Israel (bordered).svg - Hadera, Israel since 1995
- Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg - Shenzhen, China since 1997 (For this reason, Shenzhen set its Europeen Contact Agency in Nuremberg)
- Image:Flag of Turkey.svg - Antalya, Turkey since 1997
- Image:Flag of Greece.svg - Kavala, Greece since 1998
- Image:Flag of the United States.svg - Atlanta, USA since 1998
- Image:Flag of Italy.svg - Venice, Italy since 1999
[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: Albrecht Dürer, Adam Kraft, Hans Behaim the Elder (architect), Hartmann Schedel, Johann Pachelbel, Anton Koberger, Conrad Paumann, Johann Philipp von Wurzelbauer, Hans Sachs, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach and Max Morlock.
[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] 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
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