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NURNBERG - GERMANY
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.
Population (as of 2002): 494,000.
It is known as the location of the Nuremberg rallies of the Nazi Party, and
for the Nuremberg Trials of Nazis after World War II.
History
Middle Ages
From 1050 to 1571, the city was a regular stop on the progression 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.
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. During the Thirty Years War, in 1632, Gustavus II was besieged
in Nuremberg by Wallenstein. The city declined after the war and recovered
its importance only in the 19th century, when it grew as an industrial
center. In 1806, Nuremberg passed to Bavaria. The first German railroad,
from Nuremberg to nearby Fürth, was opened in 1835.
20th century
Because of its relevance to the Holy Roman Empire, in line with the
connotations raised by the term Third Reich, the Nazis chose the city as the
site of their humongous NSDAP party conventions (as seen in Triumph of the
Will). 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. Until 1945, Nuremberg was
the site of roughly half the total German production of airplane, submarine,
and tank engines; as a consequence, the city was heavily bombed by the
Allies during World War II and was largely destroyed. Despite this, the city
was rebuilt after the war and was restored as closely to its pre-war
appearance as possible, down to the replication of many of its medieval
buildings.
After the end of World War II, the city became famous for the trials of Nazi
officials for war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression - the
Nuremberg Trials.
Economy
A notable industrial center, Nuremberg is still associated with its
traditional gingerbread (lebkuchen) products and handmade toys. The first
pocket watches, the Nürnberg eggs, were made here in the 16th century. Its
manufactures include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products,
motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles, and printed materials.
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 (Schedelsche Weltchronik) 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.
Famous denizens
Other famous denizens of the city include: Adam Kraft, Hans Behaim the Elder
(architect), Anton Koberger, and Hans Sachs.
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