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Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
state of
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
after its capital
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest city in Germany. On the Pegnitz River (from its
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with the Rednitz in
Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...
onwards: Regnitz, a
tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
River Main The Main () is the longest tributary of the Rhine. It rises as the White Main in the Fichtel Mountains of northeastern Bavaria and flows west through central Germany for to meet the Rhine below Rüsselsheim, Hesse. The cities of Mainz and Wies ...
) and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it lies in the Bavarian
administrative region Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of
Middle Franconia Middle Franconia (german: Mittelfranken, ) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the west of Bavaria and borders the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach; however, ...
, and is the largest city and the unofficial capital of
Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
. Nuremberg forms with the neighbouring cities of
Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...
,
Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
and Schwabach a continuous conurbation with a total population of 800,376 (2019), which is the heart of the urban area region with around 1.4 million inhabitants, while the larger
Nuremberg Metropolitan Region The Nuremberg Metropolitan Region comprises 3.5 million people on 21,800 square kilometers. With a gross domestic product of 134 billion euros and about 1.9 million employees, this metropolitan area is one of the strongest economic areas in German ...
has approximately 3.6 million inhabitants. The city lies about north of Munich. It is the largest city in the East Franconian dialect area (colloquially: "Franconian"; german: link=no, Fränkisch). There are many institutions of higher education in the city, including the
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
(). With 39,780 students in 2017, it is Bavaria's third-largest and Germany's 11th-largest university, with campuses in Erlangen and Nuremberg and a
university hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following is a l ...
in Erlangen (Universitätsklinikum Erlangen). and are also located within the city. The Nuremberg exhibition centre () is one of the biggest
convention center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
companies in Germany and operates worldwide.
Nuremberg Airport Nuremberg Airport , german: link=no, Albrecht Dürer Flughafen Nürnberg, is the international airport of the Franconian metropolitan area of Nuremberg and the second-busiest airport in Bavaria after Munich Airport. With about 4.1 million pass ...
() is the second-busiest airport in Bavaria after
Munich Airport Munich International Airport- Franz Josef Strauß (german: link=no, Flughafen München) is an international airport serving Munich and Upper Bavaria. It is the second-busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic after Frankfurt A ...
, and the tenth-busiest airport of the country.
Nuremberg Castle Nuremberg Castle (german: Nürnberger Burg) is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one ...
, with its many towers, is one of Europe's largest castles. is one of the five Bavarian state theatres, showing
operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...
, operettas,
musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
, and ballets (main venue: Nuremberg
Opera House An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...
), plays (main venue: ), as well as
concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or musical band, band. Concerts are held in a w ...
(main venue: ). Its orchestra, the
Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg The Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg is the largest Bavarian opera orchestra after the Bavarian State Orchestra. It has 91 musicians and is the orchestra of the Staatstheater Nürnberg. History of the Staatsphilharmonie The history of the Nuremberg ...
, is Bavaria's second-largest opera orchestra after the Bavarian State Opera's Bavarian State Orchestra in Munich. Nuremberg is the birthplace of
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
and
Johann Pachelbel Johann Pachelbel (baptised – buried 9 March 1706; also Bachelbel) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secularity, secular music, and h ...
.
1. FC Nürnberg 1. Fußball-Club Nürnberg Verein für Leibesübungen e. V., often called 1. FC Nürnberg (, en, 1. Football Club Nuremberg) or simply Nürnberg, is a German association football club in Nuremberg, Bavaria, who currently compete in the 2. Bund ...
is the most famous football club of the city and one of the most successful football clubs in Germany. Nuremberg was one of the host cities of the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
.


History


Middle Ages

The first documentary mention of the city, in 1050, mentions Nuremberg as the location of an Imperial castle between the
East Franks East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...
and the Bavarian March of the Nordgau. From 1050 to 1572 the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade-routes. King Conrad III (reigning as King of Germany from 1137 to 1152) established the
Burgraviate of Nuremberg The Burgraviate of Nuremberg (german: Burggrafschaft Nürnberg) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a burgraviate, it was a county seated in the town of Nuremberg; almost two centuries pass ...
, with the first burgraves coming from the Austrian House of Raab. With the extinction of their male line around 1189, the last Raabs count's son-in-law, Frederick I from the House of Hohenzollern, inherited the burgraviate in 1193. From the late 12th century to the
Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...
(1254–1573), however, the power of the burgraves diminished as the
Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...
emperors transferred most non-military powers to a castellan, with the city administration and the municipal courts handed over to an Imperial mayor (german: link=no, Reichsschultheiß) from 1173/74. The strained relations between the burgraves and the castellans, with gradual transferral of powers to the latter in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, finally broke out into open enmity, which greatly influenced the history of the city. The city and particularly
Nuremberg Castle Nuremberg Castle (german: Nürnberger Burg) is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one ...
would become one of the most frequent sites of the Imperial Diet (after
Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
and
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
), the
Diets of Nuremberg The Diets of Nuremberg, also called the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diets of Nuremberg, took place at different times between the Middle Ages and the 17th century.{{cite book, author=Johann Heinrich Kurtz, title=History of the Chri ...
from 1211 to 1543, after the first Nuremberg diet elected Frederick II as emperor. Because of the many Diets of Nuremberg the city became an important routine place of the administration of the Empire during this time and a somewhat 'unofficial
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
' of the Empire. In 1219 Emperor Frederick II granted the ('Great Letter of Freedom'), including
town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
,
Imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...
(), the privilege to mint coins, and an independent customs policy - almost wholly removing the city from the purview of the burgraves.Nürnberg, Reichsstadt: Politische und soziale Entwicklung
(Political and Social Development of the Imperial City of Nuremberg), '' Historisches Lexikon Bayerns''
Nuremberg soon became, with
Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
, one of the two great trade-centers on the route from
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
to Northern Europe. In 1298 the
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
of the town were falsely accused of having desecrated the host, and 698 of them were killed in one of the many
Rintfleisch massacres The Rintfleisch or Rindfleisch movement was a series of massacres against Jews in 1298. The event, in later terminology a pogrom, was the first large-scale persecution in Germany since the First Crusade. History It occurred in the Franconian regio ...
. Behind the massacre of 1298 was also the desire to combine the northern and southern parts of the city, which were divided by the Pegnitz. The Jews of the German lands suffered many massacres during the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
pandemic of the mid-14th century. In 1349 Nuremberg's Jews suffered a
pogrom A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russia ...
. They were burned at the stake or expelled, and a marketplace was built over the former Jewish quarter. The plague returned to the city in 1405, 1435, 1437, 1482, 1494, 1520 and 1534. The largest growth of Nuremberg occurred in the 14th century. Charles IV's Golden Bull of 1356, naming Nuremberg as the city where newly elected kings of Germany must hold their first Imperial Diet, made Nuremberg one of the three most important cities of the Empire. Charles was the patron of the Frauenkirche, built between 1352 and 1362 (the architect was likely
Peter Parler Peter Parler (german: Peter von Gemünd, cs, Petr Parléř, la, Petrus de Gemunden in Suevia; 1333 – 13 July 1399) was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from the Parler family of master builders. Along with his father, Heinrich Parler, ...
), where the Imperial court worshipped during its stays in Nuremberg. The royal and Imperial connection grew stronger in 1423 when the Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxembourg Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia (''jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1 ...
granted the Imperial regalia to be kept permanently in Nuremberg, where they remained until 1796, when the advance of French troops required their removal to
Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
and thence to
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. In 1349 the members of the
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s unsuccessfully rebelled against the patricians in a ('Craftsmen's Uprising'), supported by merchants and some by councillors, leading to a ban on any self-organisation of the artisans in the city, abolishing the guilds that were customary elsewhere in Europe; the unions were then dissolved, and the oligarchs remained in power while Nuremberg was a
free city Free city may refer to: Historical places * Free city (antiquity) a self-governed city during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial eras * Free imperial city, self-governed city in the Holy Roman Empire subordinate only to the emperor ** Free City of ...
(until the early-19th century). Charles IV conferred upon the city the right to conclude alliances independently, thereby placing it upon a politically equal footing with the princes of the Empire. Frequent fights took place with the burgraves – without, however, inflicting lasting damage upon the city. After fire destroyed the castle in 1420 during a feud between Frederick IV (from 1417
Margrave of Brandenburg This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Margraviate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary c ...
) and the duke of
Bavaria-Ingolstadt Bavaria-Ingolstadt ( or ') was a duchy which was part of the Holy Roman Empire from 1392 to 1447. History After the death of Stephen II in 1375, his sons Stephen III, Frederick, and John II jointly ruled Bavaria-Landshut. After seventeen year ...
, the city purchased the ruins and the forest belonging to the castle (1427), resulting in the city's total sovereignty within its borders. Through these and other acquisitions the city accumulated considerable territory. The
Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
(1419–1434), a recurrence of the Black Death in 1437, and the
First Margrave War The First Margrave War (german: Erster Markgrafenkrieg) from 1449–50 was the result of disputes between the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg and Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg. Numerous towns in Franconia in modern Germany were ba ...
(1449–1450) led to a severe fall in population in the mid-15th century. Siding with Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria-Munich, in the Landshut War of Succession of 1503–1505 led the city to gain substantial territory, resulting in lands of , making it one of the largest Imperial city. During the Middle Ages, Nuremberg fostered a rich, varied, and influential literary culture.


Early modern age

The cultural flowering of Nuremberg in the 15th and 16th centuries made it the centre of the
German Renaissance The German Renaissance, part of the Northern Renaissance, was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among Germany, German thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries, which developed from the Italian Renaissance. Many areas of the arts and ...
. In 1525 Nuremberg accepted the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, and in 1532 the
Nuremberg Religious Peace The Schmalkaldic League (; ; or ) was a military alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although created for religious motives soon after the start of the Reformation, its members later came to ...
was signed there, preventing war between Lutherans and Catholics for 15 years. During the Princes' 1552 revolution against Charles V, Nuremberg tried to purchase its neutrality, but Margrave Albert Alcibiades, one of the leaders of the revolt, attacked the city without a declaration of war and dictated a disadvantageous peace. At the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, the possessions of the Protestants were confirmed by the Emperor, their religious privileges extended and their independence from the
Bishop of Bamberg This is a list of bishops and archbishops of the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg in Germany. __TOC__ Bishops, 1007–1245 * Eberhard I 1007-1040 * Suidger von Morsleben 1040-1046 (Later Pope Clement II) * Hartw ...
affirmed, while the 1520s' secularisation of the monasteries was also approved. Families like the Tucher,
Imhoff Imhoff or Imhof is a German surname. Imhoff means "Im Garten wohnen Wir" which translates to "In the garden we live" in English. Notable people with the surname include: * Imhoff family, one of the oldest patrician families in the German city of Nu ...
or
Haller Haller is a surname of English and German origin. It is the last name of: * Albin Haller (1849–1925), French chemist * Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777), Swiss anatomist and physiologist, also notable for his contributions to botany * Albrecht v ...
run trading businesses across Europe, similar to the
Fugger The House of Fugger () is a German upper bourgeois family that was historically a prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and vent ...
and
Welser Welser was a Germans, German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers t ...
families from
Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
, although on a slightly smaller scale. The state of affairs in the early 16th century, increased trade routes elsewhere and the ossification of the social hierarchy and legal structures contributed to the decline in trade. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, frequent quartering of Imperial, Swedish and
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
soldiers, the financial costs of the war and the cessation of trade caused irreparable damage to the city and a near-halving of the population. In 1632, the city, occupied by the forces of
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
, was
besieged Besieged may refer to: * the state of being under siege * ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci {{disambiguation ...
by the army of Imperial general Albrecht von Wallenstein. The city declined after the war and recovered its importance only in the 19th century, when it grew as an industrial centre. Even after the Thirty Years' War, however, there was a late flowering of architecture and culture – secular
Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...
is exemplified in the layout of the civic gardens built outside the city walls, and in the Protestant city's rebuilding of St. Egidien church, destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 18th century, considered a significant contribution to the baroque church architecture of Middle Franconia. After the Thirty Years' War, Nuremberg attempted to remain detached from external affairs, but contributions were demanded for the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
and the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
and restrictions of imports and exports deprived the city of many markets for its manufactures. The Bavarian elector, Charles Theodore, appropriated part of the land obtained by the city during the Landshut War of Succession, to which Bavaria had maintained its claim; Prussia also claimed part of the territory. Realising its weakness, the city asked to be incorporated into Prussia but Frederick William II refused, fearing to offend Austria,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and France. At the Imperial diet in 1803, the independence of Nuremberg was affirmed, but on the signing of the
Confederation of the Rhine The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine, also known as Napoleonic Germany, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austria an ...
on 12 July 1806, it was agreed to hand the city over to Bavaria from 8 September, with Bavaria guaranteeing the amortisation of the city's 12.5 million guilder public debt.


After the Napoleonic Wars

After the fall of
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 ...
, the city's trade and commerce revived; the skill of its inhabitants together with its favourable situation soon made the city prosperous, particularly after its public debt had been acknowledged as a part of the Bavarian national debt. Having been incorporated into a Catholic country, the city was compelled to refrain from further discrimination against Catholics, who had been excluded from the rights of citizenship. Catholic services had been celebrated in the city by the priests of the
Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
, often under great difficulties. After their possessions had been confiscated by the Bavarian government in 1806, they were given the Frauenkirche on the Market in 1809; in 1810 the first Catholic parish was established, which in 1818 numbered 1,010 souls. In 1817, the city was incorporated into the district of
Rezatkreis The Rezatkreis, between 1806 and 1837, was one of the 15 districts of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Its name meant in German the “District of the Rezat” because the Fränkische Rezat River ran through it. It was the predecessor of the ''Regieru ...
(named for the river
Franconian Rezat The Franconian Rezat (german: Fränkische Rezat) is a river in southern Germany. It is the western, left source river of the Rednitz. It rises in the Franconian Heights near Oberdachstetten. It flows generally east through the towns Lehrberg, ...
), which was renamed to
Middle Franconia Middle Franconia (german: Mittelfranken, ) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the west of Bavaria and borders the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach; however, ...
(german:
Mittelfranken Middle Franconia (german: Mittelfranken, ) is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the west of Bavaria and borders the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach; however, ...
) on 1 January 1838. The first German railway, the
Bavarian Ludwigsbahn The Bavarian Ludwig Railway (''Bayerische Ludwigseisenbahn'' or ''Ludwigsbahn'') was the first steam-hauled railway opened in Germany. The ''Königlich privilegierte Ludwigs-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft'' ("Royal Privileged Ludwig Railway Company ...
, from Nuremberg to nearby
Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...
, was opened in 1835. The establishment of railways and the incorporation of Bavaria into Zollverein (the 19th-century German Customs Union), commerce and industry opened the way to greater prosperity. In 1852, there were 53,638 inhabitants: 46,441 Protestants and 6,616 Catholics. It subsequently grew to become the more important industrial city of Southern Germany, one of the most prosperous towns of southern Germany, but after the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
it was given to
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
as part of their telegraph stations they had to give up. In 1905, its population, including several incorporated suburbs, was 291,351: 86,943 Catholics, 196,913 Protestants, 3,738 Jews and 3,766 members of other creeds.


Nazi era

Nuremberg held great significance during the
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
era. Because of the city's relevance to the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
and its position in the centre of Germany, the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions – the Nuremberg rallies. The rallies were held in 1927, 1929 and annually from 1933 through 1938. After
Adolf Hitler's rise to 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 the Nuremberg rallies became huge
Nazi propaganda The propaganda used by the German Nazi Party in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's dictatorship of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 to 1945 was a crucial instrument for acquiring and maintaining power, and for the implementation o ...
events, a centre of Nazi ideals. The 1934 rally was filmed by
Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, photographer and actress known for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. A talented swimmer and an artist, Riefenstahl also became in ...
, and made into a propaganda film called ''Triumph des Willens'' (''
Triumph of the Will ''Triumph of the Will'' (german: Triumph des Willens) is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his na ...
''). At the 1935 rally, Hitler specifically ordered the Reichstag to convene at Nuremberg to pass the
Nuremberg Laws The Nuremberg Laws (german: link=no, Nürnberger Gesetze, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of th ...
which revoked German
citizenship Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
for all Jews and other non-Aryans. A number of premises were constructed solely for these assemblies, some of which were not finished. Today many examples of
Nazi architecture Nazi architecture is the architecture promoted by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime from 1933 until its fall in 1945, connected with urban planning in Nazi Germany. It is characterized by three forms: a stripped neoclassicism, typified by the ...
can still be seen in the city. The city was also the home of the Nazi
propagandist Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
Julius Streicher Julius Streicher (12 February 1885 – 16 October 1946) was a member of the Nazi Party, the ''Gauleiter'' (regional leader) of Franconia and a member of the '' Reichstag'', the national legislature. He was the founder and publisher of the virul ...
, the publisher of ''
Der Stürmer ''Der Stürmer'' (, literally "The Stormer / Attacker / Striker") was a weekly German tabloid-format newspaper published from 1923 to the end of the Second World War by Julius Streicher, the ''Gauleiter'' of Franconia, with brief suspensions ...
''. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Nuremberg was the headquarters of ''
Wehrkreis The military districts, also known in some English-language publications by their German name as Wehrkreise (singular: ''Wehrkreis''), were administrative territorial units in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The task of military distr ...
'' (military district) XIII, and an important site for military production, including aircraft, submarines and tank engines. A subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here, and extensively used
slave labour Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. On 2 January 1945, the medieval city centre was systematically bombed by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and the
U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
and about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour, with 1,800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. In total, about 6,000 Nuremberg residents are estimated to have been killed in air raids. Nuremberg was a heavily fortified city that was captured in a fierce battle lasting from 17 to 21 April 1945 by the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, 42nd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division, which fought house-to-house and street-by-street against determined German resistance, causing further urban devastation to the already bombed and shelled buildings. Despite this intense degree of destruction, 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. Much of this reconstructive work and conservation was done by the organisation '
Old Town Friends Nuremberg The Old Town Friends Nuremberg (German: Altstadtfreunde Nürnberg e. V.) are an association that supports the preservation and restoration of the existing historical old town houses and other architectural monuments in Nuremberg that are worth pres ...
'. However, over half of the historic look of the center, and especially the northeastern half of the old Imperial Free City was not restored.


Nuremberg trials

Between 1945 and 1946, German officials involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg trials. The
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
had wanted these trials to take place in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. However, Nuremberg was chosen as the site for the trials for specific reasons: * The city had been the location of the Nazi Party's Nuremberg rallies and the laws stripping Jews of their citizenship were passed there. There was symbolic value in making it the place of Nazi demise. * The Palace of Justice was spacious and largely undamaged (one of the few that had remained largely intact despite extensive Allied bombing of Germany). The already large courtroom was reasonably easily expanded by the removal of the wall at the end opposite the bench, thereby incorporating the adjoining room. A large prison was also part of the complex. * As a compromise, it was 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. Due to 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 ...
, subsequent trials never took place. Following the trials, in October 1946, many prominent German Nazi politicians and military leaders were executed in Nuremberg. The same courtroom in Nuremberg was the venue of the
Nuremberg Military Tribunals The subsequent Nuremberg trials were a series of 12 military tribunals for war crimes against members of the leadership of Nazi Germany between December 1946 and April 1949. They followed the first and best-known Nuremberg trial before the Inte ...
, organized by the United States as
occupying power Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...
in the area.


Geography

Several old villages now belong to the city, for example Grossgründlach, Kraftshof,
Thon Thon may refer to: Events *Walkathon, a fundraising event where participants walk a long distance *Telethon, a televised fundraising event Fiction and mythology * Thon ''(A Canticle for Leibowitz)'', an academic rank similar to a university ...
, and Neunhof in the north-west; Ziegelstein in the northeast, Altenfurt and Fischbach in the south-east; and
Katzwang Katzwang, formerly a separate municipality, has been a part of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany, since 1 July 1972. It is located on a ford across the Rednitz river, in the south of the city (approx. 8 km away from the center). The village was ...
, Kornburg in the south. Langwasser is a modern suburb.


Climate

Nuremberg has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
( Köppen ''Cfb'') with a certain humid continental influence (''Dfb''), categorized in the latter by the 0 °C isotherm. The city's climate is influenced by its inland position and higher altitude. Winters are changeable, with either mild or cold weather: the average temperature is around to , while summers are generally warm, mostly around at night to in the afternoon. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, although February and April tend to be a bit drier whereas July tends to have more rainfall.


Demographics

Nuremberg has been a destination for immigrants. 39.5% of the residents had an immigrant background in 2010 (counted with MigraPro).


Economy

Nuremberg for many people is still associated with its traditional gingerbread (''
Lebkuchen (), or , are a honey-sweetened German cake molded cookie or bar cookie that has become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. It is similar to gingerbread. Etymology The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term ''Lebkuchen'' is uncertain. Pro ...
'') products, sausages, and handmade toys.
Pocket watch A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a watch, wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wr ...
es — '' Nuremberg eggs'' — were made here in the 16th century by Peter Henlein. Only one of the districts in the 1797-1801 sample was early industrial; the economic structure of the region around Nuremberg was dominated by metal and glass manufacturing, reflected by a share of nearly 50% handicrafts and workers. In the 19th century Nuremberg became the "industrial heart" of
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
with companies such as
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'', '' ...
and MAN establishing a strong base in the city. Nuremberg is still an important industrial centre with a strong standing in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Items manufactured in the area include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products, motor vehicles, writing and drawing paraphernalia, stationery products and printed materials. The city is also strong in the fields of automation, energy and medical technology. Siemens is still the largest industrial employer in the Nuremberg region but a good third of German market research agencies are also located in the city. The
Nuremberg International Toy Fair The Nuremberg International Toy Fair (German language, German: ''Spielwarenmesse''), held annually since 1949, is the largest international trade fair for toys and games. Only trade visitors associated with the toy business, journalists and inv ...
, held at the city's exhibition centre is the largest of its kind in the world.


Tourism

Nuremberg is
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
's second largest city after
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, and a popular tourist destination for foreigners and Germans alike. It was a leading city 500 years ago, but 90% of the town was destroyed in 1945 during the war. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, many medieval-style areas of the town were rebuilt.


Attractions

Beyond its main attractions of the Imperial Castle, St. Lorenz Church, and Nazi Trial grounds, there are 54 different museums for arts and culture, history, science and technology, family and children, and more niche categories, where visitors can see the world's oldest globe (built in 1492), a 500-year-old Madonna, and Renaissance-era German art. There are several types of tours offered in the city, including historic tours, those that are
Nazi 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 ...
-focused, underground and night tours, walking tours, sightseeing buses, self guided tours, and an old town tour on a mini train. Nuremberg also offers several parks and green areas, as well as indoor activities such as
bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...
, rock wall climbing, escape rooms,
cart racing ''CART: Flag to Flag'', known as in Japan, is a racing video game developed by ZOOM Inc. and published by Sega for the Dreamcast console. Gameplay ''Flag to Flag'' is licensed by the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) racing league. It is ba ...
, and
mini golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
, theaters and cinemas, pools and
thermal spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneothe ...
s. There are also six nearby
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
s. The city's tourism board sells the Nurnberg Card which allows for free use of
public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
ation and free entry to all museums and attractions in Nuremberg for a two-day period.


Culinary tourism

Nuremberg is also a destination for food lovers. Culinary tourists can taste the city's famous
lebkuchen (), or , are a honey-sweetened German cake molded cookie or bar cookie that has become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. It is similar to gingerbread. Etymology The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term ''Lebkuchen'' is uncertain. Pro ...
,
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...
, local
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
, and Nürnberger Rostbratwürstchen, or Nuremberg sausages. There are hundreds of restaurants for all tastes, including traditional
franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
n restaurants and
beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...
s. Also offers 17
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
and
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...
restaurants, seven fully
organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
restaurants. Nuremberg also boasts a two
Michelin Star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...
rated restaurant, Essigbrätlein.


Pedestrian zones

Like many European cities, Nuremberg offers a pedestrian-only zone covering a large portion of the old town, which is a main destination for shopping and specialty retail, including year-round
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
stores where tourists and locals alike can purchase
Christmas ornament Christmas ornaments, baubles, "Christmas bulbs" or "Christmas bubbles" are decoration items, usually to decorate Christmas trees. These decorations may be woven, blown (glass or plastic), molded (ceramic or metal), carved from wood or expande ...
s, gifts, decorations, and additions to their toy
Christmas village A Christmas village (or putz) is a decorative, miniature-scale village often set up during the Christmas season. These villages are rooted in the elaborate Christmas traditions of the Moravian church, a Protestant denomination. Mass-produced ca ...
s. The Craftsmen's Courtyard, or Handwerkerhof, is another tourist shopping destination in the style of a
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
village. It houses several local family-run businesses which sell handcrafted items from
glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
,
wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
,
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
,
pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
, and
precious metal Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. ...
s. The Handwerkerhof is also home to traditional German restaurants and beer gardens. The Pedestrian zones of Nuremberg host festivals and markets throughout the year, most well known being
Christkindlesmarkt A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...
, Germany's largest Christmas market and the gingerbread capital of the world. Visitors to the Christmas market can peruse the hundreds of stalls and purchase local wood crafts, nutcrackers, smokers, and prune people, while sampling Christmas sweets and traditional '' Glühwein''.


Hospitality

In 2017, Nuremberg saw a total of 3.3 million overnight stays, a record for the town, and is expected to have surpassed that in 2018, with more growth in tourism anticipated in the coming years. There are over 175 registered places of accommodation in Nuremberg, ranging from
hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared b ...
s to luxury
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
s, bed and breakfasts, to multi-hundred room properties. As of 19 April 2019, Nuremberg had 306 Airbnb listings.


Culture

Nuremberg was an early centre of humanism, science, printing, and mechanical invention. The city contributed much to the science of
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
. In 1471 Johannes Mueller of
Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
(Bavaria), later called Regiomontanus, built an astronomical observatory in Nuremberg and published many important astronomical charts. In 1515,
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
, a native of Nuremberg, created woodcuts of the first maps of the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres, producing the first printed star charts, which had been ordered by Johannes Stabius. Around 1515 Dürer also published the "Stabiussche Weltkarte", the first perspective drawing of the terrestrial globe. Printers and publishers have a long history in Nuremberg. Many of these publishers worked with well-known artists of the day to produce books that could also be considered works of art. In 1470 Anton Koberger opened Europe's first print shop in Nuremberg. In 1493, he published the ''Nuremberg Chronicles'', also known as the ''World Chronicles'' (''Schedelsche Weltchronik''), an illustrated history of the world from the creation to the present day. It was written in the local Franconian dialect by
Hartmann Schedel Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514) was a German historian, physician, humanist, and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press. He was born and died in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor. ...
and had illustrations by Michael Wohlgemuth, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, and Albrecht Dürer. Others furthered geographical knowledge and travel by map making. Notable among these was navigator and geographer Martin Behaim, who made the first world globe. Sculptors such as Veit Stoss,
Adam Kraft Adam Kraft (or Krafft) (c. 1460?January 1509) was a German stone sculptor and master builder of the late Gothic period, based in Nuremberg and with a documented career there from 1490. It is not known where Kraft was born and raised; his hand ...
and
Peter Vischer Peter Vischer the Elder (c. 1455January 7, 1529) was a German sculptor, the son of Hermann Vischer, and the most notable member of the Vischer Family of Nuremberg. Biography Peter was born in Nuremberg, where he also died. He became "master" in ...
are also associated with Nuremberg. Composed of prosperous artisans, the guilds of the Meistersingers flourished here.
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
made their most famous member, Hans Sachs, the hero of his opera ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...
''. Baroque composer
Johann Pachelbel Johann Pachelbel (baptised – buried 9 March 1706; also Bachelbel) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secularity, secular music, and h ...
was born here and was organist of St. Sebaldus Church. The academy of fine arts situated in Nuremberg is the oldest art academy in central Europe and looks back to a tradition of 350 years of artistic education. Nuremberg is also famous for its
Christkindlesmarkt A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...
(Christmas market), which draws well over a million shoppers each year. The market is famous for its handmade ornaments and delicacies.


Museums

* Germanisches Nationalmuseum * House of Albrecht Dürer *
Kunsthalle Nürnberg The Kunsthalle Nürnberg is an art centre founded in 1967, near the city centre. It organizes exhibitions by contemporary international artists in its galleries in Nuremberg. The Kunsthalle commissions new work by a majority of the artists it wo ...
*
Kunstverein Nürnberg The Kunstverein Nürnberg (art association Nuremberg, official name "Kunstverein Nürnberg - Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft e.V.") is a venue for exhibitions of contemporary art. The association was founded in 1792 and is Germany's oldest arts assoc ...
* Neues Museum Nürnberg (Modern Art Museum) * Nuremberg Toy Museum * Nuremberg Transport Museum


Performing arts

The Nuremberg State Theatre, founded in 1906, is dedicated to all types of opera, ballet and stage theatre. During the season 2009/2010, the theatre presented 651 performances for an audience of 240,000 persons. The State Philharmonic Nuremberg (
Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg The Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg is the largest Bavarian opera orchestra after the Bavarian State Orchestra. It has 91 musicians and is the orchestra of the Staatstheater Nürnberg. History of the Staatsphilharmonie The history of the Nuremberg ...
) is the orchestra of the State Theatre. Its name was changed in 2011 from its previous name: The Nuremberg Philharmonic (''Nürnberger Philharmoniker''). It is the second-largest opera orchestra in Bavaria. Besides opera performances, it also presents its own subscription concert series in the
Meistersingerhalle Meistersingerhalle is the municipal culture and congress centre of Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is named after the tradition of the Meistersinger (Master singers) in the town, which Wagner reflected in his opera ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnber ...
. Christof Perick was the principal conductor of the orchestra between 2006 and 2011. Marcus Bosch heads the orchestra since September 2011. The
Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (German: Nürnberger Symphoniker) is a German orchestra based in Nuremberg. Its principal concert venue is the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra's current ''Intendant'' (managing and artistic director) is Lucius ...
(''Nürnberger Symphoniker'') performs around 100 concerts a year to a combined annual audience of more than 180,000. The regular subscription concert series are mostly performed in the ''Meistersingerhalle'' but other venues are used as well, including the new concert hall of the ''Kongresshalle'' and the ''Serenadenhof''.
Alexander Shelley Alexander Gordon Shelley (born 8 October 1979) is an Echo Music Prize-winning English conductor. He is currently music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, as well as principal associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic ...
has been the principal conductor of the orchestra since 2009. The Nuremberg International Chamber Music Festival (''Internationales Kammermusikfestival Nürnberg'') takes place in early September each year, and in 2011 celebrated its tenth anniversary. Concerts take place around the city; opening and closing events are held in the medieval ''Burg''. The
Bardentreffen The Bardentreffen (German for bards' meeting) is an annual open-air music festival in Nuremberg, Germany. The first Bardentreffen took place on the 400th anniversary of the death of meistersinger Hans Sachs in 1976. Setup The venues are ...
, an annual folk festival in Nuremberg, has been deemed the largest world music festival in Germany and takes place since 1976. 2014 the Bardentreffen starred 368 artists from 31 nations.


Cuisine

Nuremberg is known for Nürnberger Bratwurst, which is shorter and thinner than other bratwurst sausages. Another Nuremberg speciality is Nürnberger
Lebkuchen (), or , are a honey-sweetened German cake molded cookie or bar cookie that has become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. It is similar to gingerbread. Etymology The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term ''Lebkuchen'' is uncertain. Pro ...
, a kind of gingerbread eaten mainly around Christmas time.


Education

Nuremberg offers 51 public and 6 private elementary schools in nearly all of its districts. Secondary education is offered at 23
Mittelschule ''Mittelschule'' is a German term literally translating to "Middle School" (i.e. a level "intermediate" between elementary and higher education). It is used in various senses in the education systems of the various parts of German-speaking Europe, n ...
n, 12 Realschulen, and 17 Gymnasien (state, city, church, and privately owned). There are also several other providers of secondary education such as Berufsschule, Berufsfachschule, Wirtschaftsschule etc.


Higher education

Nuremberg hosts the joint university Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, two Fachhochschulen (
Technische Hochschule Nürnberg The Technische Hochschule Nürnberg ''Georg Simon Ohm'' (shortened ''TH Nürnberg;'' English name ''Nuremberg Institute of Technology Georg Simon Ohm'') is a public Technische Hochschule in Nuremberg, Bavaria. With its 12,200 students and 1,800 ...
and ''Evangelische Hochschule Nürnberg''), a pure art academy (''Akademie der Bildenden Künste Nürnberg'', the first art academy in the German-speaking world) in addition to the design faculty at the TH and a music conservatoire (
Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg The Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg (formerly ''Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg-Augsburg'') is a music conservatoire based in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. The conservatoire has a secondary building in Augsburg. The Hochschule The Hochschule für ...
). There are also private schools such as the ''Akademie Deutsche POP Nürnberg'' offering higher education.


Main sights

*
Nuremberg Castle Nuremberg Castle (german: Nürnberger Burg) is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one ...
: the three castles that tower over the city including central burgraves' castle, with Free Reich's buildings to the east, the Imperial castle to the west. *''
Heilig-Geist-Spital The Heilig-Geist-Spital (English: Holy Spirit Hospital) in Nuremberg was the largest hospital in the former Free Imperial City of Nuremberg. It was used as a hospital and nursing home. Its chapel was also the depository of the Imperial Regalia, ...
''. In the centre of the city, on the bank of the river Pegnitz, stands the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. Founded in 1332, this is one of the largest hospitals of the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Lepers were kept here at some distance from the other patients. It now houses elderly persons and a restaurant. *The ''Hauptmarkt'', dominated by the front of the unique
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
'' Frauenkirche'' (Our Lady's Church), provides a picturesque setting for the famous Christmas market. A main attraction on the square is the Gothic ''
Schöner Brunnen Schöner Brunnen (en:beautiful fountain) is a 14th-century fountain located on Nuremberg's main market next to the town hall and is considered one of the main attractions of the city's Historical Mile. The fountain is approximately 19 meters high a ...
'' (Beautiful Fountain) which was erected around 1385 but subsequently replaced with a replica (the original fountain is kept in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum). The unchanged
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
bridge '' Fleischbrücke'' crosses the Pegnitz nearby. *The
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
'' Lorenzkirche'' (St. Laurence church) dominates the southern part of the walled city and is one of the most important buildings in Nuremberg. The main body was built around 1270–1350. *The even earlier and equally impressive '' Sebalduskirche'' is St. Lorenz's counterpart in the northern part of the old city. *The church of the former '' Katharinenkloster'' is preserved as a ruin, the charterhouse (''Kartause'') is integrated into the building of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum and the choir of the former ''Franziskanerkirche'' is part of a modern building. *Other churches located inside the city walls are: St. Laurence's, Saint Clare's, Saint Martha's, Saint James the Greater's, Saint Giles's, and Saint Elisabeth's. *The Germanisches Nationalmuseum is Germany's largest museum of cultural history, among its exhibits are works of famous painters such as Albrecht Dürer,
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 ...
, and
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-centur ...
. *The Neues Museum Nürnberg is a museum for modern and contemporary art. *The Walburga Chapel and the Romanesque ''Doppelkapelle'' (Chapel with two floors) are part of Nuremberg Castle. *The ''Johannisfriedhof'' is a medieval cemetery, containing many old graves (Albrecht Dürer,
Willibald Pirckheimer Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City ...
, and others). The ''Rochusfriedhof'' or the Wöhrder Kirchhof are near the Old Town. *The Chain Bridge (''Kettensteg''), the first chain bridge on the European continent. *The
Tiergarten Nürnberg Nuremberg Zoo (german: Tiergarten Nürnberg) is a zoo located in the Nuremberg Reichswald ("imperial forest"), southeast of Nuremberg, Germany. With an area of , approximately 300 animal species are kept by the zoo. History In the Middle ...
is a zoo stretching over more than in the
Nürnberger Reichswald Nürnberger may refer to: Places near Nuremberg, Germany * Nürnberger Land, a district in Bavaria, Germany * Nürnberger Burg or Nuremberg Castle * Nürnberger Reichswald, the location of Nuremberg Zoo Other uses * Albert Nürnberger (1854–1 ...
forest. *There is also a medieval market just inside the city walls, selling handcrafted goods. *Th
German National Railways Museum
(an Anchor Point of ERIH, The
European Route of Industrial Heritage The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. This is a tourism industry information initiative to present a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe. The a ...
) is located in Nuremberg. *The Nuremberg Ring (now welded within an iron fence of Schöner Brunnen) is said to bring good luck to those that spin it. *The
Nazi party rally grounds The Nazi party rally grounds (german: Reichsparteitagsgelände, literally: ''Reich Party Congress Grounds'') covered about 11 square kilometres in the southeast of Nuremberg, Germany. Six Nuremberg Rally, Nazi party rallies were held there betwe ...
with the documentation-center.


Politics

Nuremberg is represented in the
Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...
by two constituencies;
Nuremberg North Nuremberg North (german: Nürnberg-Nord) is an electoral constituency (German: ''Wahlkreis'') represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as co ...
and Nuremberg South. Since 2002, both constituencies have been held by the CSU. At local level, Nuremberg has historically been left-leaning in the conservative state of Bavaria - since the end of World War II, the city has mainly elected
SPD 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 ...
mayors with the exception of
Ludwig Scholz Ludwig Scholz (30 June 1937 in Juliusberg, Landkreis Oels, Lower Silesia, now Dobroszyce, Oleśnica County, Poland – 20 September 2005 in Nuremberg, Bavaria) was a German politician of the CSU and the mayor of Nuremberg. Politics Ludwig ...
(elected 1996, served until 2002) and Marcus König (elected 2020). From 1957 to 1987, the position of Chief Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) was continuously held by Andreas Urschlechter (SPD) for 30 years.


Mayor

The current mayor of Nuremberg is Marcus König of the Christian Social Union (CSU) since 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 15 March 2020, with a runoff held on 29 March, 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, Marcus König , align=left, Christian Social Union , 66,521 , 36.5 , 103,865 , 52.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thorsten Brehm , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
, 63,742 , 34.9 , 95,237 , 47.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Verena Osgyan , 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 ...
, 27,535 , 15.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Roland Hübscher , 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 ...
, 7,696 , 4.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Titus Schüller , align=left, The Left , 4,631 , 2.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Florian Betz , 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 ...
/ Die PARTEI , 2,153 , 1.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Rechholz , align=left,
Ecological Democratic Party The Ecological Democratic Party (german: Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei, ÖDP) is a conservative and ecologist minor party in Germany. The ÖDP was founded in 1982. The strongest level of voting support for the ÖDP is in Bavaria, where in ...
, 2,029 , 1.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Ümit Sormaz , 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 ...
, 1,905 , 1.0 , - , , align=left, Marion Padua , align=left, Left List Nuremberg , 1,469 , 0.8 , - , , align=left, Fridrich Luft , align=left, Citizens' Initiative A (BIA) , 869 , 0.5 , - , , align=left, Philipp Schramm , align=left, The Good Ones (Guten) , 637 , 0.4 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 182,493 ! 99.6 ! 199,102 ! 99.2 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 790 ! 0.4 ! 1,626 ! 0.81 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 183,283 ! 100.0 ! 200,728 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 390,547 ! 47.1 ! 388,998 ! 51.6 , - , colspan=7, Source: City of Nuremberg
1st round


City council

The Nuremberg city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 15 March 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Social Union (CSU) , 3,584,755 , 31.3 , 1.9 , 22 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD) , 2,943,118 , 25.7 , 18.4 , 18 , 13 , - , bgcolor=, , 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 ...
(Grüne) , 2,283,988 , 20.0 , 11.0 , 14 , 8 , - , bgcolor=, , 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 ...
(AfD) , 650,369 , 5.7 , New , 4 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 449,463 , 3.9 , New , 3 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters of Bavaria (FW) , 324,475 , 2.8 , 0.0 , 2 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Ecological Democratic Party The Ecological Democratic Party (german: Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei, ÖDP) is a conservative and ecologist minor party in Germany. The ÖDP was founded in 1982. The strongest level of voting support for the ÖDP is in Bavaria, where in ...
(ÖDP) , 265,079 , 2.3 , 0.2 , 2 , ±0 , - , 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) , 241,329 , 2.1 , 0.1 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI/
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 ...
(PARTEI/Piraten) , 194,693 , 1.7 , New , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Socio-Cultural Freedom, Participation and Sustainability (Politbande) , 190,710 , 1.7 , New , 1 , New , - , , align=left, Left List Nuremberg , 151,992 , 1.3 , 2.8 , 1 , 2 , - , , align=left, The Good Ones (Guten) , 95,862 , 0.8 , 0.9 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Citizens' Initiative A (BIA) , 62,374 , 0.6 , 2.5 , 0 , 2 , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 178,999 ! 97.7 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 4,124 ! 2.3 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 183,123 ! 100.0 ! ! 70 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 389,547 ! 47.0 ! 2.7 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Nuremberg


Transport

The city's location next to numerous highways, railways, and a waterway has contributed to its rising importance for trade with Eastern Europe.


Railways

Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof (German for ''Nuremberg main station'') or Nuremberg Central Station
is a stop for IC and
ICE Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
trains on the German long-distance railway network. The Nuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich high-speed line with operation opened 28 May 2006, and was fully integrated into the rail schedule on 10 December 2006. Travel times to Munich have been reduced to as little as one hour. The
Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway The Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway is a German high-speed railway, between Nuremberg and Erfurt. The line is listed in Germany's federal transport plan as ''Verkehrsprojekt Deutsche Einheit Nr.'' ("German Unity transport project no") ''8.1 ...
opened in December 2017.


City and regional transport

The Nuremberg tramway network was opened in 1881. , it extends a total length of , has six lines, and carried 39.152 million passengers annually. The first segment of the Nuremberg U-Bahn metro system was opened in 1972. Nuremberg's trams, buses and U-Bahn are operated by the '' Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg'' (VAG; Nuremberg Transport Corporation), a member of the ''
Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg The (VGN; Transport Association Region Nuremberg) is the transit authority of the city of Nuremberg, the second largest city of the German state of Bavaria. Its jurisdiction covers the city and its surrounding area, responsible for the Nurember ...
'' (VGN; Greater Nuremberg Transport Network). There is also a Nuremberg S-Bahn suburban metro railway and a regional train network, both centred on
Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof (German for ''Nuremberg main station'') or Nuremberg Central Station
. Since 2008, Nuremberg has had the first U-Bahn in Germany (U2/U21 and U3) that works without a driver. It also was the first subway system worldwide in which both driver-operated trains and computer-controlled trains shared tracks.


Motorways

Nuremberg is located at the junction of several important Autobahn routes. The
A3 (''
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
''–
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...
–''
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
'') passes in a south-easterly direction along the north-east of the city. The A9 (Berlin–Munich) passes in a north–south direction on the east of the city. The A6 (''France''–
Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...
–''
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
'') passes in an east–west direction to the south of the city. Finally, the A73 begins in the south-east of Nuremberg and travels north-west through the city before continuing towards Fürth and
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
.


Airport

Nuremberg Airport Nuremberg Airport , german: link=no, Albrecht Dürer Flughafen Nürnberg, is the international airport of the Franconian metropolitan area of Nuremberg and the second-busiest airport in Bavaria after Munich Airport. With about 4.1 million pass ...
has flights to major German cities and many European destinations. The largest operators are currently Eurowings and
TUI fly Deutschland TUI fly Deutschland, formerly ''TUIfly'', is a German leisure airline owned by the travel and tourism company TUI Group. It is headquartered at Hannover Airport with bases at several other German airports. TUI fly Deutschland is part of TUI Gro ...
, while the low-cost
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
and
Wizz Air Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...
companies connect the city to various European centres. A significant amount of the airport's traffic flies to and from mainly touristic destinations during the peak winter season. The airport (Flughafen) is the terminus of Nuremberg U-Bahn Line 2; until 2021, it was the only airport in Germany served by a U-Bahn subway system.
Stuttgart Airport Stuttgart Airport (German: ''Flughafen Stuttgart'', formerly ''Flughafen Stuttgart-Echterdingen'') is the international airport of Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is christened in honor of Stuttgart's forme ...
is also now served by its U-Bahn network, with the line U6 terminating there.


Canals

Nuremberg is an important port on the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal.


Sport


Football

1. FC Nürnberg 1. Fußball-Club Nürnberg Verein für Leibesübungen e. V., often called 1. FC Nürnberg (, en, 1. Football Club Nuremberg) or simply Nürnberg, is a German association football club in Nuremberg, Bavaria, who currently compete in the 2. Bund ...
, known locally as ''Der Club'' (English: "The Club"), was founded in 1900 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 official colours of the association are red and white, but the traditional colours are red and black. They won their first regional title in the Southern German championship in 1916 closely followed by their first national title in 1920. Besides the eleven regional championships they won the German championship for a total of nine times. With this they held the record for the most German championship titles until 1986 when the current record holder FC Bayern München surpassed them. The current chairmen are Nils Rossow and Dieter Hecking. They play in Max-Morlock-Stadion which was refurbished for the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
and accommodates 50,000 spectators. *German Champion: 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1936, 1948, 1961, 1968 *German Cup: 1935, 1939, 1962, 2007 TuS Bar Kochba is a league that was founded in 1913 as a social-sport club for the Jewish community in Nürnberg. Established as the "Jewish Gymnastics and Sports Club Nuremberg", the league was dissolved by the Nazi party in 1939. It was reformed in 1966. The club plays in the senior A-league of the
Bavarian Football Association The Bavarian Football Association (german: Bayerischer Fussball-Verband), the ''BFV'', is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association, the ''DFB'', and covers the state of Bavaria.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 ...
from 2005 to 2007. Since then, teams from Nuremberg have attempted to return to Germany's elite league. The recently founded
Nürnberg Falcons BC Nürnberg Falcons BC, formerly called Nürnberger BC (abbreviated as NBC) is a basketball club based in Nuremberg, Germany. The team currently in the ProA, the German professional second division. In 2010–11 the team promoted from the ProB to t ...
have already established themselves as one of the main teams in Germany's second division ProA and aim to take on the heritage of the SELLBYTEL Baskets Nürnberg. The Falcons play their home games at the ''Halle im Berufsbildungszentrum (BBZ)''.


International relations


Twin towns – sister cities

Nuremberg is twinned with: *
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
, France, since 1954 *
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
, Poland, since 1979 *
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, North Macedonia, since 1982 * San Carlos, Nicaragua, since 1985 *
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, United Kingdom, since 1985 *
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, Czech Republic, since 1990 *
Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Hadera, Israel, since 1995 *
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
, China, since 1997 *
Antalya Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...
, Turkey, since 1997 *
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, United States, since 1998 *Kavala, Greece, since 1999 *Córdoba, Spain, Córdoba, Spain, since 2010


Cooperation

Nuremberg also cooperates with: *Venice, Italy; since 1954 a twin town, relations renewed in 1999 as a cooperation agreement


Associated cities

Nuremberg maintains friendly relations with: *Klausen, South Tyrol, Klausen, Italy, since 1970 *Gera, Germany, since 1988, renewed 1997 *Kalkudah, Sri Lanka, since 2005 *Bar Municipality, Bar, Montenegro, since 2006 *Brașov, Romania, since 2006 *Changping District, Changping, China, since 2006 *Montan, Italy, since 2012 *Nablus, Palestine, since 2015


Notable people

;The arts *Michael Wolgemut (1434–1519), painter and printmaker *Hans Folz (c. 1437–1513), author and poet * Veit Stoss (c. 1450–1533), Renaissance sculptor, mostly in wood *Peter Vischer the Elder (c. 1455–1529), sculptor *
Adam Kraft Adam Kraft (or Krafft) (c. 1460?January 1509) was a German stone sculptor and master builder of the late Gothic period, based in Nuremberg and with a documented career there from 1490. It is not known where Kraft was born and raised; his hand ...
(c. 1460–1509), stone sculptor, master builder and architect *
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
(1471–1528), painter, engraver, printmaker and theorist of the German Renaissance *Hans Leonhard Schäufelein (c. 1480–1540), artist, painter and designer of woodcuts *Augustin Hirschvogel (1503–1553), artist, mathematician and cartographer *Michael Sigismund Frank (1770–1847), Catholic artist, rediscovered glass-painting *Lorenz Ritter (1832–1921), painter and etcher *Philipp Rupprecht (1900–1975), cartoonist of anti-Semitic caricatures *Hermann Kesten (1900–1996), novelist and dramatist *Eliyahu Koren (1907–2001), master typographer, graphic artist and designer *Hermann Zapf (1918–2015), typographer and calligrapher *Peter Angermann (born 1945), painter *Christoph Dreher (born 1952), filmmaker, musician and scriptwriter *Katy Garretson (born 1963), American TV director and producer *Martina Schradi (born 1972), author, cartoonist and psychologist ;Music *Conrad Paumann (c. 1410–1473), organist, lutenist and composer * Hans Sachs (1494–1576), Meistersinger, poet, playwright, and shoemaker *Sebald Heyden (1499–1561), musicologist, cantor, theologian and hymn-writer *
Johann Pachelbel Johann Pachelbel (baptised – buried 9 March 1706; also Bachelbel) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secularity, secular music, and h ...
(1653–1706), composer, organist, and teacher *Hugo Distler (1908–1942), organist, choral conductor, teacher and composer *Martha Mödl (1912–2001), ''Wagner'' soprano/mezzo-soprano *Chaya Arbel (1921–2007), Israeli classical composer *Siegfried Jerusalem (born 1940), operatic tenor *Kevin Coyne (1944–2004), English musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and writer *Rudi Mahall (born 1966), contemporary jazz bass clarinet player ;Acting *Margarete Haagen (1889–1966), actress *Wolfgang Preiss (1910–2002), actor *Heinz Bernard (1923–1994), British actor and director and theatre manager *Annette Carell (1926–1967), American actress *Sandra Bullock (born 1964), American actress, producer, and philanthropist *Tom Beck (actor), Tom Beck (born 1978), actor, singer, and entrepreneur ;Science and business * Anton Koberger (c. 1440–1513), goldsmith, printer and publisher *Katerina Lemmel (1466–1533), patrician businesswoman and Birgittine nun * Peter Henlein (1485–1542), locksmith and clockmaker, invented the world's first watch *Kunz Lochner (1510–1567), plate armourer, blacksmith and silversmith *Joachim Camerarius the Younger (1534–1598), physician, botanist and zoologist *Kaspar Uttenhofer (1588–1621), astronomer, author *Johann Christoph Volkamer (1644–1720), merchant, manufacturer and botanist *Maria Sybilla Merian (1647–1717), naturalist and scientific illustrator *Johann Philipp von Wurzelbauer (1651–1725), astronomer *John Miller (botanical illustrator), John Miller (1715–c. 1792), engraver and botanist active in London *Johann Kaspar Hechtel (1771–1799), brass factory owner, non-fiction writer and designer of parlour games *Ernst von Bibra (1806–1878), scientist, naturalist and author *Friedrich Sigmund Merkel (1845–1919), anatomist and histopathologist *Johann Sigmund Schuckert (1846–1895), electrical engineer, pioneer of the electrical industry *Siegfried Bettmann (1868–1951), bicycle, motorcycle and car manufacturer *Ernst Stromer, Ernst Freiherr Stromer von Reichenbach (1871–1952). paleontologist *Ulrich Rück (1882–1962), collector of musical instruments, chemist and dealer in pianos *Karl Bechert (1901–1981), theoretical physicist in atomic physics and politician *Peter Owen (publisher), Peter Owen (1927–2016), British publisher, founded Peter Owen Publishers *Manfred M. Fischer (born 1947), Austrian-German regional scientist and academic ;Public thinking and public service *St. Sebaldus of Nuremberg (11th century), the patron saint of Nuremberg *Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368–1437), King of Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Bohemia and Italy; Holy Roman emperor from 1433 until 1437 *Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg (1371–1440), the last Burgrave of Nuremberg in 1397–1427 *Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia (1361–1419), King of Bohemia and German King *
Hartmann Schedel Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514) was a German historian, physician, humanist, and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press. He was born and died in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor. ...
(1440–1514), physician, humanist, historian and cartographer *Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532), Abbess at the time of the Reformation *Johannes Pfefferkorn (1469–1523), Catholic theologian and convert from Judaism *
Willibald Pirckheimer Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City ...
(1470–1530), Renaissance humanist, lawyer and author *Franz Schmidt (executioner), Franz Schmidt (1555–1634), executioner and diarist *Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach (1804–1872), philosopher and anthropologist *Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless (1806–1879), Lutheran theologian *Helene von Forster (1859–1923), women's rights activist and author *Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein (1870–1948), general *August Engelhardt (1875–1919), founded a sect of sun worshipers in German New Guinea *Johanna Hellman (1889–1982), German-Swedish surgeon *Lucie Adelsberger (1895–1971), Jewish physician, imprisoned at Auschwitz and Ravensbrück concentration camp, Ravensbrück *Karl Holz (Nazi), Karl Holz (1895–1945), Nazi Party politician *Käte Strobel (1907–1996), politician, Federal Minister of Healthcare (1966-1969), Federal Minister of Youth, Family and Health (1969-1972) *Ronald Grierson (1921–2014), British banker, businessman, government advisor and British Army officer *Werner Heubeck CBE (1923–2009), Luftwaffe PoW and a British transport executive *Arnold Hans Weiss (1924–2010), U.S. Army intelligence officer, helped find Hitler's will *Günther Beckstein (born 1943), politician, Minister President of Bavaria (2007-2008) *Robert Kurz (philosopher), Robert Kurz (1943–2012), Marxist philosopher, social critic and journalist *Thomas Händel (born 1953), politician and Member of the European Parliament *Ulrich Maly (born 1960), politician, Mayor of Nuremberg (2002-2020) *Markus Söder (born 1967), politician, Minister President of Bavaria since 2018 *Ines Eichmüller (born 1980), politician, former national spokesperson for the Green Youth (Germany), Green Youth ;Sport *Heinrich Stuhlfauth (1896–1966), soccer-player *Hans Nüsslein (1910–1991), tennis player and coach *Olga Jensch-Jordan (1913–2000), springboard diver *Max Morlock (1925–1994), soccer-player *Günther Meier (1941–2020), amateur boxer, bronze medalist at the 1968 Summer Olympics *Norbert Schramm (born 1960), figure skater *Alex Wright (born 1975), British-German professional wrestler *Deniz Aytekin (born 1978), soccer-referee *Hannah Stockbauer (born 1982), swimmer, bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics *Florian Just (born 1982), pair skater *Absolute Andy (born 1983), professional wrestler *Maximilian Müller (born 1987), field hockey player, gold medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics *Nicole Vaidišová (born 1989), Czech tennis player *Dominik Eberle (born 1996), American football player


See also

*List of mayors of Nuremberg *Norisring Racetrack, where Pedro Rodríguez (racing driver), Pedro Rodriguez died in 1971 *Nuremberg Architecture Prize


Notes and references


Notes


References


Bibliography


External links

* *
English website of the cityKUNSTNÜRNBERG – Online – Magazine for Contemporary Art and History of Art in Nuremberg and Franconia49 digitised objects on Nuremberg
in European Library, The European Library {{Authority control Nuremberg, World War II sites in Germany