Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the North Sea via the rivers

Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...

and Weser. In 2016, it had a population of 250,704. A powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany, Brunswick was a member of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

from the 13th until the 17th century. It was the capital city of three successive states: the

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (german: Fürstentum Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel) was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose history was characterised by numerous divisions and reunifications. It had an area of 3,828 ...

(1269–1432, 1754–1807, and 1813–1814), the Duchy of Brunswick (1814–1918), and the Free State of Brunswick (1918–1946). Today, Brunswick is the second-largest city in Lower Saxony and a major centre of scientific research and development.

History

Foundation and early history

The date and circumstances of the town's foundation are unknown. Tradition maintains that Brunswick was created through the merger of two settlements, one founded by Brun(o), a

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

count who died in 880, on one side of the River Oker – the legend gives the year 861 for the foundation – and the other the settlement of a legendary Count Dankward, after whom Dankwarderode Castle ("Dankward's clearing"), which was reconstructed in the 19th century, is named. The town's original name of ''Brunswik'' is a combination of the name Bruno and

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

''wik'' (related to the Latin ''vicus''), a place where merchants rested and stored their goods. The town's name, therefore, indicates an ideal resting place, as it lay by a ford across the Oker River. Another explanation of the city's name is that it comes from ''Brand'', or burning, indicating a place which developed after the landscape was cleared through burning. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church from 1031, which give the city's name as ''Brunesguik''.

Middle Ages and early modern period

Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family of the Brunonids, then, through marriage, it fell to the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...

. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became duke of Saxony and made Braunschweig the capital of his state (which, from 1156 on, also included the Duchy of Bavaria). He turned Dankwarderode Castle, the residence of the counts of Brunswick, into his own '' Pfalz'' and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the Cathedral of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. The

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

subsequently became the city's landmark. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King Henry II of England's daughter Matilda, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

, continued to foster the city's development. During the Middle Ages, Brunswick was an important center of trade, one of the economic and political centers in Northern Europe and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century to the middle of the 17th century. By the year 1600, Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. Although formally one of the residences of the rulers of the

Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (german: Herzogtum Braunschweig und Lüneburg), or more properly the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was a historical duchy that existed from the late Middle Ages to the Late Modern era within the Holy Roman ...

, a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire, Brunswick was '' de facto'' ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the guilds throughout much of the Late Middle Ages and the Early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who ruled over one of the subdivisions of Brunswick-Lüneburg, finally moved their '' Residenz'' out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel didn't regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when

Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Rudolph or Rudolf may refer to: People * Rudolph (name), the given name including a list of people with the name Religious figures * Rudolf of Fulda (died 865), 9th century monk, writer and theologian * Rudolf von Habsburg-Lothringen (1788� ...

, took the city by siege. In the 18th century Brunswick was not only a political, but also a cultural centre. Influenced by the philosophy of the

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

, dukes like Anthony Ulrich and Charles I became patrons of the arts and sciences. In 1745, Charles I founded the ''Collegium Carolinum'', predecessor of the Brunswick University of Technology, and in 1753 he moved the ducal residence back to Brunswick. With this he attracted poets and thinkers such as

Lessing Lessing is a German surname of Slavic origin, originally ''Lesnik'' meaning "woodman". Lessing may refer to: A German family of writers, artists, musicians and politicians who can be traced back to a Michil Lessigk mentioned in 1518 as being a lin ...

, Leisewitz, and

Jakob Mauvillon Jakob Mauvillon (8 March 1743 – 11 January 1794), son of Eleazar Mauvillon, was an 18th-century figure in German liberalism. He was born in Leipzig of French Huguenot descent. He was a professor of politics at Brunswick. He advocated a radical ...

to his court and the city. ''

Emilia Galotti ''Emilia Galotti'' () is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781), which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Brunswick ("Braunschweig" in German). The work is a classic example of German '' bürgerliches Trauerspiel'' (bourgeois ...

'' by Lessing and Goethe's '' Faust'' were performed for the first time in Brunswick.

19th century

Braunschweig Brunswick BS-Landtag (2005)

In 1806, the city was captured by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

during the Napoleonic Wars and became part of the short-lived

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

ic Kingdom of Westphalia in 1807. The exiled Duke Frederick William raised a volunteer corps, the

Black Brunswickers The Brunswick Ducal Field-Corps (german: Herzoglich Braunschweigisches Feldcorps), commonly known as the Black Brunswickers in English and the ''Schwarze Schar'' (Black Troop, Black Horde, or Black Host) or ''Schwarze Legion'' (Black Legion) in G ...

, who fought the French in several battles. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Brunswick was made capital of the re-established independent Duchy of Brunswick, later a constituent state of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

from 1871. In the aftermath of the July Revolution in 1830, in Brunswick duke Charles II was forced to abdicate. His absolutist governing style had previously alienated the nobility and

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

, while the lower classes were disaffected by the bad economic situation. During the night of 7–8 September 1830, the

ducal palace Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon *Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy *Pa ...

in Brunswick was stormed by an angry mob, set on fire, and destroyed completely. Charles was succeeded by his brother William VIII. During William's reign, liberal reforms were made and Brunswick's parliament was strengthened. During the 19th century,

industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

caused a rapid growth of population in the city, eventually causing Brunswick to be for the first time significantly enlarged beyond its medieval fortifications and the River Oker. On 1 December 1838, the first section of the Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway line connecting Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel opened as the first railway line in Northern Germany, operated by the Duchy of Brunswick State Railway.

Early to mid-20th century

On 8 November 1918, at the end of World War I, a socialist workers' council forced Duke Ernest Augustus to abdicate. On 10 November, the council proclaimed the Socialist Republic of Brunswick under one-party government by the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD); however, the subsequent Landtag election on 22 December 1918 was won by the

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

(MSPD), and the USPD and MSPD formed a

coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...

. An uprising in Braunschweig in 1919, led by the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

Spartacus League The Spartacus League (German: ''Spartakusbund'') was a Marxism, Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during World War I. It was founded in August 1914 as the "International Group" by Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Clara Zetkin, ...

, was defeated when '' Freikorps'' troops under

Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker (21 September 1865 in Baldenburg – 31 December 1924 in Dresden) was a German general of World War I. Following the Armistice of 1918 that saw the end of fighting and of the Bolshevik revolution that led to the cre ...

took over the city on order of the German Minister of Defence, Gustav Noske. An SPD-led government was subsequently established; in December 1921, a new constitution was approved for the Free State of Brunswick, now a

parliamentary republic A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). There are a number ...

within the Weimar Republic, again with Braunschweig as its capital. After the Landtag election of 1930, Brunswick became the second state in Germany where the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

participated in government, when the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) formed a coalition government with several conservative and right-wing parties. With the support of Dietrich Klagges, Brunswick's minister of the interior, the NSDAP organized a large SA rally in Braunschweig. On 17–18 October 1931, 100,000 SA stormtroopers marched through the city; street fights between Nazis, socialists, and communists left several dead or injured. On 25 February 1932, the state of Brunswick granted Adolf Hitler German citizenship to allow him to run in the

1932 German presidential election Presidential elections were held in Germany on 13 March 1932, with a runoff on 10 April. Independent incumbent Paul von Hindenburg won a second seven-year term against Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). Communis ...

. In Braunschweig, Nazis carried out several attacks on political enemies, with the acquiescence of the state government. After the

Nazi seizure of power Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919 when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. Be ...

in 1933, several state institutions were placed in Braunschweig, including the ''

Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt The ''Deutsche Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt'' (English: German Aeronautical Research Institute, LFA, also known as the ''Hermann Göring Research Institute'') was a secret German facility for airframe, aeroengine, and aircraft weapons testing during ...

'' in

Völkenrode Völkenrode is a quarter ('' Stadtteil'') of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany. Formerly a municipality in its own right and part of the district of Braunschweig, it was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig in 1974. Today, it is part o ...

, the Hitler Youth

Academy for Youth Leadership The Academy for Youth Leadership (german: Akademie für Jugendführung) was a Hitler Youth (HJ) leadership school in Braunschweig. It was the highest Nazi training facility for the training of full-time junior executives for Hitler Youth during ...

, and the SS- Junkerschule Braunschweig. With the Reichswerke Hermann Göring in Salzgitter and the Stadt des KdF-Wagens, as well as several factories in the city itself (including Büssing and the

Volkswagenwerk Braunschweig Volkswagenwerk Braunschweig is a factory site for Volkswagen automobile parts in Braunschweig (Gifhorner Str.), Germany. Production started on 1938-02-23 (before Volkswagenwerk Wolfsburg) for manufacturing steering components of „ KdF-Wagen" ...

), the Braunschweig region became one of the centres of the German arms industry. During the Second World War, Braunschweig was a sub-area headquarters of Wehrkreis XI (one of Germany's military districts), and was the garrison city of the 31st Infantry Division that took part in the invasions of Poland, Belgium, and France, largely being destroyed during its retreat following the invasion of Russia. In this period, thousands of

Eastern workers : ' (, "Eastern worker") was a Nazi German designation for foreign slave workers gathered from occupied Central and Eastern Europe to perform forced labor in Germany during World War II. The Germans started deporting civilians at the beginnin ...

were brought to the city as forced labor, and in the 1943–1945 period at least 360 children taken away from such workers died in the '' Entbindungsheim für Ostarbeiterinnen'' ("Maternity Ward for Eastern Workers"). In 1944, a subcamp of the concentration camp Neuengamme was established in Braunschweig. Hundreds of prisoners, mostly Jews, lived in brutal conditions and hundreds died from hunger, disease, and overwork. Piera Sonnino (1922-1999), an Italian author, writes of her imprisonment in that camp in her book, ''This Has Happened'', published in English in 2006 by MacMillan Palgrave. The Allied air raid on October 15, 1944, destroyed most of the city's churches, and the ''Altstadt'' (old town), the largest homogeneous ensemble of half-timbered houses in Germany. The city's cathedral, which had been converted to a ''Nationale Weihestätte'' (national shrine) by the Nazi government, still stood.

Postwar period to the 21st century

Small sections of the city survived Allied bombing, so remain to represent its distinctive architecture. The cathedral was restored to its function as a Protestant church. Politically, after the war, the Free State of Brunswick was dissolved by the Allied occupying authorities, Braunschweig ceased to be a capital, and most of its lands were incorporated in the newly formed state of Lower Saxony. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, Braunschweig, then part of West Germany, suffered economically due to its proximity to the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...

. The city lost its historically strong economic ties to what was then East Germany; for decades, economic growth remained, on average, below the rest of the country while unemployment was above-average for West Germany. On 28 February 1974, as part of a district reform in Lower Saxony, the

rural district Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...

of Braunschweig, which had surrounded the city, was disestablished. The major part of the former district was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig, increasing its population by roughly 52,000 people. In the 1990s, efforts increased to reconstruct historic buildings that had been destroyed in the air raid. The façade of the ''

Braunschweiger Schloss Brunswick Palace (german: Braunschweiger Schloss or ''Braunschweiger Residenzschloss'') on the ''Bohlweg'' in the centre of the city of Brunswick (german: Braunschweig), was the residence of the Brunswick dukes from 1753 to 8 November 1918. Hi ...

'' was rebuilt, and buildings such as the ''Alte Waage'' (originally built in 1534) now stand again.

Demographics

Population development

, the population of Braunschweig was 252,768. Today, Braunschweig is among the twenty German cities found to be most attractive to young people between the ages of 25 and 34, leading to an influx of younger residents.

Religion

In 2015, 91,785 people or 36.3% of the population were Protestant and 34,604 (13.7%) people were Roman Catholic; 126,379 people (50.0%) either adhered to other denominations or followed no religion.

Immigration

A total of 64,737 of Braunschweig's residents, including German citizens, had an immigrant background in 2015 (25.6% of the total population). Among those, 25,676 were non-German citizens (10.2%); the following table lists up the largest minority groups:

Main sights

*The ''Burgplatz'' (Castle Square), comprising a group of buildings of great historical and cultural significance: the Cathedral ( St Blasius, built at the end of the 12th century); the ''Burg Dankwarderode'' (Dankwarderode Castle) (a 19th-century reconstruction of the old castle of Henry the Lion); the Neo-Gothic Town Hall (built in 1893–1900); as well as some picturesque half-timbered houses, such as the ''Gildehaus'' (Guild House), today the seat of the Craftsman's Association. In the centre of the square stands a copy of the '' Burglöwe'' (Brunswick Lion), a Romanesque statue of a lion, cast in bronze in 1166. The original statue can be seen in the museum of Dankwarderode Castle. The lion remains the symbol of Braunschweig today. *The ''Altstadtmarkt'' ("Old Town market"), surrounded by the Old Town town hall (built between the 13th and the 15th centuries in Gothic style), and the ''Martinikirche'' (Church of

Saint Martin Saint Martin may refer to: People * Saint Martin of Tours (c. 316–397), Bishop of Tours, France * Saint Martin of Braga (c. 520–580), archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal) * Pope Martin I (598–655) * Saint Mart ...

, from 1195), with important historical houses including the '' Gewandhaus'' (the former house of the drapers' guild, built sometime before 1268) and the ''Stechinelli-Haus'' (built in 1690) and a fountain from 1408. *The ''Kohlmarkt'' ("coal market"), a market with many historical houses and a fountain from 1869. *The ''Hagenmarkt'' ("

Hagen Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...

market"), with the 13th-century ''Katharinenkirche'' (Church of Saint Catherine) and the ''Heinrichsbrunnen'' ("Henry the Lion's Fountain") from 1874. *The ''Magniviertel'' ( St Magnus' Quarter), a remainder of ancient Braunschweig, lined with cobblestoned streets, little shops and cafés, centred on the 13th-century ''Magnikirche'' (St Magnus' Church). Here is also the ''Rizzi-Haus'', a highly distinctive, cartoonish office building designed by architect James Rizzi for the Expo 2000. *The Romanesque and Gothic ''Andreaskirche'' (Church of

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

), built mainly between the 13th and 16th centuries with stained glass by

Charles Crodel Charles Crodel (September 16, 1894 – November 11, 1973) was a German painter and stained glass artist. Life Crodel was born in Marseille, he studied in 1914 with Richard Riemerschmid, one of the founders of the Deutscher Werkbund, at the M ...

. Surrounding the church are the '' Liberei'', the oldest surviving freestanding library building in Germany, and the reconstructed ''Alte Waage''. *The Gothic '' Aegidienkirche'' (Church of

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, la, Aegidius, french: Gilles), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly lege ...

), built in the 13th century, with an adjoining monastery, which is today a museum. *The '' Staatstheater'' (State Theatre), newly built in the 19th century, goes back to the first standing public theatre in Germany, founded in 1690 by Duke Anthony Ulrich. *The ducal palace of Braunschweig was bombed in World War II and demolished in 1960. The exterior was rebuilt to contain a palace museum, library and shopping centre, which opened in 2007. *The

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

palace ''

Schloss Richmond Richmond Castle (german: 'Schloss Richmond') is a castle built from 1768 to 1769 in Braunschweig, Germany for Princess (later Duchess) Augusta, wife of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. It lies near the Oker river in the south of the city. The architect w ...

'' ("Richmond Palace"), built between 1768 and 1769 with a surrounding English garden for Princess Augusta of Great Britain, wife of

Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Charles William Ferdinand (german: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswic ...

, to remind her of her home in England. * Riddagshausen Abbey (German: ''Kloster Riddagshausen''), a former

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

monastery, with the surrounding nature reserve and

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

. The nature reserve ''Riddagshäuser Teiche'' is designated as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

and Special Protection Area. File:Braunschweiger Burgplatz.jpg, ''Burgplatz'', with Castle, Cathedral, lion, and Town Hall. File:Braunschweiger Loewe Original Brunswick Lion.jpg, Brunswick Lion, original on display in castle museum. File:Braunschweig, Rathaus (1).jpg, Town Hall File:Braunschweig, Handwerkskammer.jpg, ''Veltheimsches Haus'' (left) and ''Gildehaus'' (right) File:Braunschweig Brunswick Gewandhaus Ostfassade.jpg, ''Gewandhaus'' File:Braunschweig Altstadtrathaus mit Brunnen.jpg, ''Altstadtmarkt'', with Old Town town hall (left) and ''Stechinelli-Haus'' File:Braunschweig St.Martini 2005-01-23 (south).jpg, Church of St. Martin File:Braunschweig Brunswick Ritter St Georg (2006).JPG, ''Altstadt'' ("Old Town") File:Braunschweig Brunswick Haus zum Stern (2004).JPG, ''Haus zum Stern'' on ''Kohlmarkt'' File:Braunschweig, St. Katharinen, Heinrichsbrunnen (2).jpg, Church of St. Catherine and Henry the Lion's Fountain File:Braunschweig Brunswick Magni-Kirche Turm Suedosten (2006).JPG, St. Magnus' Church File:Braunschweig fachwerk 02.jpg, ''Magniviertel'' File:Happy RIZZI House Braunschweig von Süden.jpg, Happy Rizzi House File:Braunschweig, St. Andreaskirche (2).jpg, ''Andreaskirche'' File:Braunschweig, Alte Waage (1).jpg, ''Alte Waage'' File:Aegidienkirche 03 1a.jpg, Church of St. Giles File:TheaterBS.jpg, State Theatre File:ECE Schloss 06u07 1b.jpg, Rebuilt exterior of Brunswick Palace File:Braunschweig Brunswick Schloss Richmond Frontansicht.jpg, ''Schloss Richmond'' (Richmond Palace) File:Braunschweig Brunswick Klosterkirche Riddagshausen Osten (2006).jpg, Riddagshausen Abbey

Parks and gardens

Parks and gardens in the city include the botanical garden '' Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Braunschweig'', founded in 1840 by Johann Heinrich Blasius, the ''Bürgerpark'', the ''Löwenwall'' with an obelisk from 1825, the ''Prinz-Albrecht-Park'', and the ''Inselwallpark''. Other parks and recreation areas are ''Stadtpark'', ''Westpark'', ''Theaterpark'', ''Museumpark'', ''Heidbergsee'', ''Südsee'', ''

Ölper Ölper, formerly a village, is a quarter (''Stadtteil'') of the city of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies to the north of the city centre on the river Oker. It is part of the ''Stadtbezirk'' Lehndorf-Watenbüttel. History The first m ...

see'', the zoological garden ''Arche Noah Zoo Braunschweig'' and the nearby Essehof Zoo.

Politics

Subdivisions

Braunschweig is made up of 19 boroughs (German: ''

Stadtbezirk A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as "borough". In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a metropo ...

e''), which themselves may consist of several quarters (German: ''Stadtteile'') each. The 19 boroughs, with their official numbers, are: *112:

Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the north-eastern and eastern part of Braunschweig, Germany. The district is named after the river Schunter and its tributaries Wabe and Beberbach. The Stadtbezirk comprises the quarters ...

¹ *113:

Hondelage Hondelage is a '' Stadtbezirk'' (borough) on the river Schunter in the north-eastern part of Braunschweig, Germany. History The village of Hondelage was first mentioned in documents in 1179. During the early 16th century, the farming village bec ...

*114: Volkmarode *120:

Östliches Ringgebiet The Östliches Ringgebiet is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the eastern part of Braunschweig, Germany. With a population of 26,559 (2020) it is the city's second most populous district. History Originally located outside of the city, the ''Öst ...

*131: Innenstadt *132:

Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof is a '' Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the southern part of Braunschweig, Germany. The district has a population of 13,121 (2020). History and geography The district of Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof was established in 1981. It is nam ...

*211:

Stöckheim-Leiferde Stöckheim-Leiferde is a borough (''Stadtbezirk'') in the southern part of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany. The population of 8,460 (2020) lives mostly in single-family homes. The Stadtbezirk comprises the quarters Stöckheim, Leiferde and Fr ...

*212:

Heidberg-Melverode Heidberg-Melverode is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the southern part of Braunschweig, Germany. The Stadtbezirk comprises the quarters Heidberg and Melverode. History Melverode is at least 1100 years old, but was first mentioned in documents i ...

*213: Südstadt-Rautheim-Mascherode *221: Weststadt *222: Timmerlah-Geitelde-Stiddien *223:

Broitzem Broitzem is a '' Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the south-western part of Braunschweig, Germany. History The village of Broitzem was first mentioned in documents during the 12th century. Originally mostly a farming village, Broitzem became connected ...

*224: Rüningen *310: Westliches Ringgebiet *321:

Lehndorf-Watenbüttel Lehndorf-Watenbüttel is a '' Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the northwestern part of Braunschweig, Germany. The Stadtbezirk comprises the quarters Kanzlerfeld, Lamme, Lehndorf, Ölper, Völkenrode, and Watenbüttel. History The district consists o ...

*322: Veltenhof-Rühme *323: Wenden-Thune-Harxbüttel *331: Nordstadt *332: Schunteraue File:Braunschweig Stadtbezirke.png, Boroughs of Braunschweig File:Braunschweig Stadtteile.png, ''Stadtteile'' of Braunschweig File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Innenstadt (2011).JPG, ''Innenstadt'' File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Oestliches Ringgebiet (2011).JPG, ''Östliches Ringgebiet'' File:Braunschweig Madamenweg (2010).JPG, ''Westliches Ringgebiet'' File:Braunschweig Weststadt Luftbild.jpg, ''Weststadt'' File:Riddagshausen 5.jpg, ''Riddagshausen'' (''Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach'') ¹Formed in 2011 out of the former boroughs of Wabe-Schunter and Bienrode-Waggum-Bevenrode.

Mayor

The current mayor of Braunschweig is Thorsten Kornblum of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) since 2021. The most recent mayoral election was held on 12 September 2021, with a runoff held on 26 September, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thorsten Kornblum , align=left, Social Democratic Party , 41,734 , 38.4 , 79,861 , 65.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Kaspar Haller , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 29,011 , 26.7 , 41,401 , 34.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Tatjana Schneider , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

, 24,802 , 22.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Mirco Hanker , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

, 4,704 , 4.3 , - , , align=left, Birgit Huvendieck , align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig , 3,215 , 3.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Anke Schneider , align=left, The Left , 2,827 , 2.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thomas Hofmann , align=left, Die PARTEI , 1,904 , 1.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Erdmann Gust , align=left, Independent , 614 , 0.6 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 108,811 ! 99.3 ! 121,262 ! 98.1 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 721 ! 0.7 ! 2,407 ! 1.9 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 109,532 ! 100.0 ! 123,669 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 197,728 ! 55.4 ! 197,414 ! 62.6 , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig

City council

The Braunschweig city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 93,546 , 29.5 , 3.5 , 16 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(Grüne) , 71,880 , 22.7 , 10.6 , 12 , 5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 69,670 , 22.0 , 4.2 , 12 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...

(FDP) , 18,704 , 5.9 , 1.4 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig , 16,778 , 5.3 , 0.7 , 3 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(AfD) , 13,512 , 4.3 , 4.6 , 2 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 12,428 , 3.9 , 0.7 , 2 , 1 , - , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 6,467 , 2.0 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 6,302 , 2.0 , 0.5 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Pirate Party Pirate Party is a label adopted by Political party, political parties around the world. Pirate parties support Civil and political rights, civil rights, direct democracy (including e-democracy) or alternatively Participatory democracy, partici ...

(Piraten) , 3,261 , 1.0 , 1.4 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Grassroots Democratic Party (dieBasis) , 2,999 , 0.9 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgoclor=, , align=left,

Alliance for Innovation and Justice The Alliance for Innovation and Justice (german: Bündnis für Innovation und Gerechtigkeit; BIG) is a minor party in Germany aimed primarily at immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of wh ...

(BIG) , 1,646 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 317,193 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 107,850 ! 98.5 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 1,606 ! 1.5 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 109,456 ! 100.0 ! ! 54 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 197,728 ! 55.4 ! 0.2 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig

Twin towns – sister cities

Braunschweig is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

, Indonesia (1960) *

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

, France (1962) *

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, England (1971) *

Sousse Sousse or Soussa ( ar, سوسة, ; Berber:''Susa'') is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf ...

, Tunisia (1980) * Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel (1985) * Magdeburg, Germany (1987) * Kazan, Russia (1988) *

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, United States (1992) * Zhuhai, China (2011)

Transport

Braunschweig's city centre is mostly a car-free pedestrian zone.

Road

Two main autobahns serve Braunschweig, the A2 ( Berlin— Hanover—

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

) and the A39 ( Salzgitter— Wolfsburg). City roads are generally wide, built after World War II to support the anticipated use of the car. There are several car parks in the city.

Bicycle

Many residents travel around town by bicycle using an extensive system of bicycle-only lanes. The main train station includes a bicycle parking area.

Train

The city is on the main rail line between Frankfurt and Berlin.

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...

(German Railways) serves the city with local, inter-city and high-speed

InterCityExpress The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...

(ICE) trains, with frequent stops at

Braunschweig Central Station Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in the German city of Braunschweig (Brunswick). It is about southeast of the city centre and was opened on 1 October 1960, replacing the old passenger station on the southern edge of the old tow ...

(German: ''Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof'').

Tram and bus

The Braunschweig tramway network is an inexpensive and extensive long electric tramway system. First opened in 1897, it has been modernized, including a extension in 2007. The network has an gauge, unique for a European railway or tramway network. However, it is being supplemented in stages by a third rail, to allow future joint working with the main railway network. The municipally owned

Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG The Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG is responsible for public transport in Braunschweig, Germany. It uses a track gauge of for its Braunschweig tramway network, a gauge that remains in use on only one other tram system worldwide, Rio de Janeiro ...

currently operates five tram lines and several

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

lines. The tram lines are:

Air

Braunschweig Airport Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport (german: Flughafen Braunschweig-Wolfsburg) is an airport in Braunschweig, Germany. Originally constructed by the German Air Ministry in the 1930s, it is located on the northern edge of Braunschweig, which is situat ...

(BWE / EDVE) is located north of the city at , elev. .

Name

Many other geographical locations around the world are named Brunswick, after the historical English name of Braunschweig. Between 1714 and 1837, the House of Hanover ruled Great Britain in personal union with the

Electorate of Hanover The Electorate of Hanover (german: Kurfürstentum Hannover or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, located in northwestern Germany and taking its name from the capital city of Hanover. It was formally known as ...

. The House of Hanover was formally known as the

House of Brunswick-Lüneburg The Duchy of Brunswick (german: Herzogtum Braunschweig) was a historical German state. Its capital was the city of Brunswick (). It was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by the Congress of Vienna ...

, Hanover line. As a result, many places in the British colonies were named after Brunswick, such as the province of New Brunswick in Canada. Ironically, the city of Braunschweig was not ruled by the Hanoverians while its name was being given to other Brunswicks around the world. Starting in 1269, the

underwent a series of divisions and mergers, with parts of the territory being transferred between various branches of the family. The city of Braunschweig went to the senior branch of the house, the Wolfenbüttel line, while Lüneburg eventually ended up with the Hanover line. Although the territory had been split, all branches of the family continued to style themselves as the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1884, the senior branch of the House of Welf became extinct. The Hanover line, being the last surviving line of the family, subsequently held the throne of the Duchy of Brunswick from November 1913 until November 1918.

Government offices

The offices of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA, "Federal Aviation Office") and the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) are located in Braunschweig.

Research and science

Braunschweig has been an important industrial area. Today it is known for its University and research institutes, mainly the ''Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute'', the '' Julius Kühn-Institut'', and the ''Institute for Animal Food'' of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, until the end of 2007 all part of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre, the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, and the

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the national metrology institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, with scientific and technical service tasks. It is a higher federal authority and a public-law institution directly under fed ...

(PTB). The PTB Braunschweig maintains the atomic clock responsible for the DCF77 time signal and the official German time. In 2006 the region of Braunschweig was the most R&D-intensive area in the whole European Economic Area investing 7.1% of its GDP for research & technology. In 2014, the figure had risen to 7.7%, making Braunschweig retain its ranking as the most R&D-intensive region in Germany. Braunschweig was named Germany's ''City of Science 2007'' (german: Stadt der Wissenschaft 2007). Braunschweig University of Technology (German: ''Technische Universität Braunschweig'') was founded in 1745 and is the oldest member of TU9, an incorporated society of the nine most prestigious, oldest, and largest universities focusing on engineering and technology in Germany. With approximately 18,000 students, Braunschweig University of Technology is the third largest university in Lower Saxony.

Education

Also located in Braunschweig is the , a secondary school founded in 1415. It had such famous pupils as Carl Friedrich Gauss, Hoffmann von Fallersleben,

Richard Dedekind Julius Wilhelm Richard Dedekind (6 October 1831 – 12 February 1916) was a German mathematician who made important contributions to number theory, abstract algebra (particularly ring theory), and the axiomatic foundations of arithmetic. His ...

and Louis Spohr. Since 2004, Braunschweig also has an ''International School''. Other notable secondary schools include the Gymnasium Neue Oberschule,

Gymnasium Gaussschule Gymnasium Gaussschule is a '' Gymnasium'' (high school) in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany. History The school was founded in 1909. From 1933 to 1944 the number of students dropped from 415 to 244, under pressure from the Nazi regime. In 2005 ...

, , , , and . Lower Saxony's only university of art, founded in 1963, can be found in Braunschweig, the ''

Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig The Braunschweig University of Art (Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, HBK) is the second largest College of Fine Arts in Germany. History The history goes back to the “Zeichnen-Instithut” (Drawing Institute) founded by the Brun ...

'' (Braunschweig College of Fine Arts). The HBK is an institution of higher artistic and scientific education and offers the opportunity to study for interdisciplinary artistic and scientific qualifications. Additionally, one of the campuses of the Eastphalia University of Applied Sciences (German: ''Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften'', formerly ''Fachhochschule Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel'') was located in the city until 2010.

Economy

In 2015, the German weekly business news magazine '' Wirtschaftswoche'' ranked Braunschweig as one of the most dynamic economic spaces in all of Germany. Braunschweig was one of the centres of the

industrialization Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...

in Northern Germany. During the 19th and early 20th century the

canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although u ...

and railroad industries and the

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

production were of great importance for Braunschweig's economy, but eventually other branches such as the automotive industry became more important, while especially the canning industry began to vanish from the city after the end of World War II. The defunct truck and bus manufacturer Büssing was headquartered in Braunschweig. Current factories in the city include Volkswagen,

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...

, and Bosch. The fashion label NewYorker, the publishing house Westermann Verlag,

Nordzucker Nordzucker AG, headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, is Europe’s second largest sugar manufacturer. The production of sugar, liquid sugars and other specialities for the application in the nutrition, beverage and sweets industry as well as ...

, Volkswagen Financial Services and Volkswagen Bank have their headquarters in the city as well as the Volkswagen utility vehicle holding. Also two major optical companies were headquartered in Braunschweig: Voigtländer and Rollei. During the 1980s and early 1990s the

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

companies

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

and Commodore International both had branches for development and production within the city. Braunschweig is the home of two piano companies, both known worldwide for the high quality of their instruments:

Schimmel Schimmel is a German and Dutch surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Annemarie Schimmel (1922–2003), German Islam scholar * Corrie Schimmel (born 1939), Dutch swimmer * Hendrik Jan Schimmel (1823–1906), Dutch poet and novelist * ...

and Grotrian-Steinweg. Both companies were founded in the 19th century. Additionally Sandberg Guitars is based in Braunschweig.

Culture

Braunschweigs Industrie (Postkarte 1904)

Braunschweig is famous for '' Till Eulenspiegel'', a medieval jester who played many practical jokes on its citizens. It also had many breweries, and still a very peculiar kind of beer is made called '' Mumme'', first quoted in 1390, a malt-extract that was shipped all over the world. Two major breweries still produce in Braunschweig, the , founded in 1627, and the former brewery, founded in 1871, now operated by Oettinger Beer. Braunschweiger Mettwurst, a soft, spreadable smoked pork sausage, is named after the city. Other traditional local dishes include

white asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

, ''Braunschweiger Lebkuchen'', ''Braunkohl'' (a variant of

kale Kale (), or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head ...

served with

Bregenwurst ''Bregenwurst'' (also ''Brägenwurst'') is a German sausage variety commonly served in parts of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is traditionally made of pork, pork belly, and pig or cattle brain, however animal brains have been forbidden in fo ...

), and ''Uhlen un Apen'' (Low German for " Owls and Guenons", a pastry).

Media

Braunschweig's major local newspaper is the '' Braunschweiger Zeitung'', first published in 1946. Papers formerly published in Braunschweig include the ''Braunschweigische Anzeigen''/''Braunschweigische Staatszeitung'' (1745–1934), the ''Braunschweigische Landeszeitung'' (1880–1936) and the ''Braunschweiger Stadtanzeiger''/''Braunschweiger Allgemeiner Anzeiger'' (1886–1941), and the social-democratic ' (1871–1933). Near Braunschweig at Cremlingen-Abbenrode, there is a large medium wave transmitter, which transmits the program of ''

Deutschlandfunk Deutschlandfunk (DLF, ''Broadcast Germany'') is a public-broadcasting radio station in Germany, concentrating on news and current affairs. It is one of the four national radio channels produced by Deutschlandradio. History Broadcasting in the ...

'' on 756 kHz, the

Cremlingen transmitter The Cremlingen transmitter is a large mediumwave transmission facility established in 1962 for transmitting the programme of Deutschlandfunk on 756 kHz near Cremlingen-Abbenrode. It was also known as ''Sender Braunschweig'' or ''Sender König ...

Festivals

'' Schoduvel'', a medieval Northern German form of

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

was celebrated in Braunschweig as early as the 13th century. Since 1979 an annual Rosenmontag parade is held in Braunschweig, the largest in Northern Germany, which is named Schoduvel in honour of the medieval custom. An annual ''Weihnachtsmarkt'' ( Christmas market) is held in late November and December on the Burgplatz in the centre of Braunschweig. In 2008 the market had 900,000 visitors.

Museums and galleries

Braunschweig Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum nachts

The city's most important museum is the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, a well known art museum and the oldest public museum in Germany, founded in 1754. It houses a collection of masters of Western art, including Dürer, Giorgione,

Cranach Cranach is a German-language surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Augustin Cranach (1554–1595), German painter *Hans Cranach (c. 1513–1537), German painter *Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472–1553), German artist *Lucas Cranach th ...

, Holbein, Van Dyck, Vermeer,

Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

, and

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

. The State Museum of Brunswick (''Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum''), founded in 1891, houses a permanent collection documenting the history of the Brunswick area ranging from its early history to the present. The Municipal Museum of Brunswick (''Städtisches Museum Braunschweig''), founded in 1861, is a museum for art and cultural history, documenting the history of the city of Braunschweig. The State Natural History Museum is a zoology museum founded in 1754. Other museums in the city include the Museum of Photography (''Museum für Photographie''), the Jewish Museum (''Jüdisches Museum''), the Museum for Agricultural Technology ''Gut Steinhof'', and the Gerstäcker-Museum. Frequent exhibitions of contemporary art are also held by the Art Society of Braunschweig (German: ''Kunstverein Braunschweig''), housed in the ''Villa Salve Hospes'', a classicist villa built between 1805 and 1808.

Music and dance

The ''

Braunschweig Classix Festival The ''Braunschweig Classix Festival'' was an annual classical music festival held in South East Lower Saxony (North Germany), in an area around Braunschweig (Brunswick) located between Hannover (Hanover) and Magdeburg, Wolfsburg and Fürstenberg. ...

'' was an annual classical music festival. It is the largest promoter of classical music in the region and one of the most prominent music festivals in Lower Saxony. From 2001 to 2009, and again since 2013, the annual finals of the international breakdance competition Battle of the Year have been held at the

Volkswagen Halle Volkswagen Halle is an indoor sporting arena located in Braunschweig, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 8,000 people. It is currently home to the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig basketball team. Sports Aside from serving as the home venue of ...

in Braunschweig. ''Braunschweiger TSC'' is among the leading competitive formation dance teams in the world and has won multiple World and European championship titles.

Sports

Braunschweig's major local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team is

Eintracht Braunschweig Braunschweiger Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht von 1895 e.V., commonly known as Eintracht Braunschweig () or BTSV (), is a German association football, football and sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding ...

. Founded in 1895, Eintracht Braunschweig can look back on a long and chequered history. Eintracht Braunschweig won the German football championship in 1967, and currently plays in the

2. Bundesliga The 2. Bundesliga ( ) is the second division of professional football in Germany. It was implemented 11 years after the founding of the Fußball-Bundesliga as the new second division for professional football. The 2. Bundesliga is ranked below ...

, the second tier of German football, and attracts a large number of supporters. Braunschweig was also arguably the city in which the first ever game of football in Germany took place. The game had been brought to Germany by the local school teacher

Konrad Koch Wilhelm Carl Johann Conrad Koch, commonly known as Konrad Koch (13 February 1846 – 13 April 1911) was a German teacher and football pioneer. Early life and career Koch was born on 13 February 1846 in Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick. After fi ...

, also the first to write down a German version of the rules of football,However, Koch's original German version of the rules of football, published in 1875, still resembled Rugby football—the unmodified rules of The Football Association were not commonly used in Germany before the 1900s. who organized the first match between pupils from his school ''Martino-Katharineum'' in 1874. The 2011 German drama film Lessons of a Dream is based on Koch. Eintracht Braunschweig also fields a successful women's field hockey team that claimed nine national championship titles between 1965 and 1978. In the past, the club also had first or second-tier teams in the sports of ice hockey, field handball, and water polo. The New Yorker Lions (formerly Braunschweig Lions) are the city's American football team, winning a record number of 12 German Bowl titles, as well as five Eurobowls (a shared record). The city's professional basketball team, the

Basketball Löwen Braunschweig Basketball Löwen Braunschweig ( en, Basketball Lions Braunschweig) is a basketball club based in Braunschweig, Germany. The club currently plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the top tier of German basketball. The club's home arena is Volkswage ...

, plays in the

Basketball Bundesliga The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season ...

, the highest level in Germany. The Löwen's predecessor

SG Braunschweig SG Braunschweig is a basketball club based in Braunschweig, Germany. History The team was formed in 1978 as a cooperation between the basketball sections of the clubs FT Braunschweig and MTV Braunschweig. In 2000–01 the club passed its Bask ...

had previously played in the Bundesliga as well. Eintracht Braunschweig's women's basketball team plays in the , the second tier of women's basketball in Germany. In

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

MTV Braunschweig Braunschweiger MTV von 1847, commonly known as MTV Braunschweig, is a German sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. History MTV Braunschweig was founded as a gymnastics club in 1847 and is the second oldest sports club in Lower Saxony ...

, the city's oldest sports club (founded in 1847), plays in the semi-professional

3. Liga The 3. Liga is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga. The modern 3. Liga was formed for t ...

. Other sports clubs from Braunschweig that play or have played at the Bundesliga or 2nd Bundesliga level include ( baseball), (field hockey), (handball), Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig ( rugby union), and ( volleyball). Annual sporting events held in Braunschweig include the international equestrian tournament ''Löwen Classics'', ''Rund um den Elm'', Germany's oldest road bicycle race, and the professional tennis tournament ''

Sparkassen Open The Brawo Open, known as '' Nord/LB Open'' until 2010 and the ''Sparkassen Open'' until 2021, is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor red clay courts. It is currently part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challen ...

''.

Notable people

Alphabetical list of some notable people associated with Braunschweig:

Notes

References

Bibliography

Richard Andree Richard Andree (26 February 1835 – 22 February 1912) was a German geographer and cartographer, noted for devoting himself especially to ethnographic studies. He wrote numerous books on this subject, dealing notably with the races of his own co ...

: ''Braunschweiger Volkskunde.'' 2nd edition. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1901. *Reinhard Bein, Ernst-August Roloff (eds.): ''Der Löwe unterm Hakenkreuz. Reiseführer durch Braunschweig und Umgebung 1930–1945.'' MatrixMedia Verlag, Göttingen 2010, . *Luitgard Camerer, Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1992, . *Oskar Doering: ''Braunschweig.'' E. A. Seemann, Leipzig 1905. *Hermann Dürre: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Mittelalter.'' Grüneberg, Braunschweig 1861. *

Reinhard Dorn Reinhard Dorn (21 June 1934 – 28 June 1982) was a German architect, non-fiction writer and university lecturer. Life Dorn was head of the Stadtkirchenbauamtes des Evangelisch-lutherischer Stadtkirchenverband Braunschweig from 1971 to 1980, be ...

: ''Mittelalterliche Kirchen in Braunschweig.'' Niemeyer, Hameln 1978, . *F. Fuhse (ed.): ''Vaterländische Geschichten und Denkwürdigkeiten der Lande Braunschweig und Hannover, Band 1: Braunschweig.'' 3rd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 1925. *Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon. Ergänzungsband.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1996, . *Otto Hohnstein: ''Braunschweig am Ende des Mittelalters.'' Ramdohr, Braunschweig 1886. *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Gerhard Schildt (eds.): ''Die Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte. Jahrtausendrückblick einer Region.'' 2nd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2001, . *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Dieter Lent et al. (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 8. bis 18. Jahrhundert.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, . *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Günter Scheel (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 19. und 20. Jahrhundert.'' Hahnsche Buchhandlung, Hannover 1996, . *Jörg Leuschner, Karl Heinrich Kaufhold,

Claudia Märtl Claudia Märtl (born 3 July 1954 in Amberg) is a German historian. She is a professor of Medieval history at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her research focuses on English and Romance languages. In March 2011 she was elected to succe ...

(eds.): ''Die Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte des Braunschweigischen Landes vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.'' 3 vols. Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim 2008, . *Richard Moderhack (ed.): ''Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte im Überblick.'' 3rd edition, Braunschweigischer Geschichtsverein, Braunschweig 1979. *Richard Moderhack: ''Braunschweiger Stadtgeschichte.'' Wagner, Braunschweig 1997, . *E. Oppermann: ''Landeskunde des Herzogtums Braunschweig. Geschichte und Geographie.'' E. Appelhans, Braunschweig 1911. *Rudolf Prescher: ''Der Rote Hahn über Braunschweig.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1955. *Birte Rogacki-Thiemann: ''Braunschweig. Eine kleine Stadtgeschichte.'' Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2005, . *Ernst-August Roloff: ''Braunschweig und der Staat von Weimar.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1964. *Ernst-August Roloff: ''Wie braun war Braunschweig? Hitler und der Freistaat Braunschweig.'' Braunschweiger Zeitung, Braunschweig 2003. *Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Braunschweig – Das Bild der Stadt in 900 Jahren. Geschichte und Ansichten.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1985. *Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Brunswiek 1031 – Braunschweig 1981. Die Stadt Heinrichs des Löwen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1982. *Werner Spieß: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Nachmittelalter. Vom Ausgang des Mittelalters bis zum Ende der Stadtfreiheit 1491–1671.'' 2 vols., Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1966, . *Henning Steinführer, Gerd Biegel (eds.): ''1913 – Braunschweig zwischen Monarchie und Moderne.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2015, .

External links

Official website

Daily newspaper Braunschweiger Zeitung
{{Authority control Capitals of former nations Duchy of Brunswick Members of the Hanseatic League