Encyclopedia
Nuremberg 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
Main-Danube Canal. It is located about 105 miles north of
Munich, at 49.27° N 11.5° E. Population is 500,132.
History
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 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
Rindfleisch 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 river Pegnitz going through the middle. Jews were forced to settle in that flood prone area. But, as the city leaders realized this center of town is very crucial to the future development of the town, they were thrown out and killed. This area is now the place of the City Market, Frauenkirche and Rathaus .
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.
20th century
Because of its relevance to the
Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, in line with the connotations raised by the term
Third Reich, the
Nazis chose the city as the site of their large
NSDAP party conventions. A number of premises were specially constructed for these assemblies, as well as other buildings, some of which were not finished. To this date, many examples of
Nazi architecture can be seen in the city, making it an interesting visit for those interested in the
History of Germany overall.
After
Adolf Hitler came to power, Nuremberg was made a national shrine by the National Socialists, who held their annual party congresses nearby from 1933 through 1938. The city was the home of the Nazi leader
Julius Streicher and became a center of
anti-Semitic propaganda, as well as the famous
Nuremberg rallies captured in
Leni Riefenstahl's 1934 film
Triumph of the Will.
During
World War II, Nuremberg was the Headquarters of
Military District XIII, and an important site for the production of airplane, submarine, and tank engines. The industrial areas of the city were severely damaged in air raids . On January 2nd, 1945, the medieval city center was systematically bombed by the British and Americans and was largely destroyed in only one hour, with 1,800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 left homeless. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. All in all, 6,000 residents of Nuremberg 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, down to the replication of some of its
medieval buildings. However, the pre-war splendour of the city seems to be lost.
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.
Economy
Nuremberg for many people is still associated with its traditional gingerbread 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.
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 , 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. Others furthered geographical knowledge and travel by mapmaking. Two of these were navigator and geographer
Martin Behaim, who made the first world globe, and Hartmann Schedel, who wrote his
World Chronicles in the local Franconian dialect.
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 is an opera [i] in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner [i] ...
. 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.
Main sights
The following churches are located inside the city walls: St. Sebald, St. Lorenz, Frauenkirche , 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" are part of Nuremberg Castle.
[Frauenkirche:]
[St. Lorenz Church:,]
[St. Elisabeth Church:]
The "Johannisfriedhof" containing many old graves 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.
Transport
Sister cities
Worldwide, Nuremberg is
twinned with the following cities:
-
Nice,
France since 1954
-
Kraków,
Poland since 1979
-
Skopje,
Macedonia since 1982
-
Glasgow,
Scotland since 1985
- San Carlos,
Nicaragua since 1985
- Gera,
Thuringia , since 1988, renewed 1997
-
Prague,
Czech Republic since 1990
-
Kharkov,
Ukraine since 1990
-
Hadera,
Israel since 1995
-
Shenzhen,
China since 1997
-
Antalya,
Turkey since 1997
-
Kavala,
Greece since 1998
-
Atlanta,
USA since 1998
-
Venice,
Italy since 1999
Nuremberg districts
Several old villages now belong to the city of Nuremberg, for example Großgründlach, Kraftshof, and Neunhof in the north-west; Altenfurt and Fischbach in the south-east; and Katzwang and Kornburg in the south. Langwasser is a modern
suburb.
Famous denizens
Other famous denizens of the city include:
Albrecht Dürer,
Adam Kraft, Hans Behaim the Elder , Hartmann Schedel, Anton Koberger, Conrad Paumann,
Johann Philipp von Wurzelbauer,
Hans Sachs,
Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach and Max Morlock.
See also
...
- Labour Exchange Headquarters
- Norisring Racetrack, where Pedro Rodriguez died in 1971
- List of mayors of Nuremberg
- Nuremberg U-Bahn
External links
- - Panoramic Views and virtual Tours
-
- - Attractions in Nuremberg
