Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'',

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

: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer lies south of

Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning " Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it form ...

and Mannheim, and south-west of Heidelberg. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities. Speyer Cathedral, a number of other churches, and the Altpörtel (''old gate'') dominate the Speyer landscape. In the cathedral, beneath the high altar, are the tombs of eight

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

s and

German kings This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (''Regnum Teutonicum''), from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the collapse of the German Empir ...

. The city is famous for the 1529 Protestation at Speyer. One of the ShUM-cities which formed the cultural center of Jewish life in Europe during the Middle Ages, Speyer and its

Jewish courtyard The Jewish courtyard in Speyer (also known as the Speyer Jewry-Court), is an historic and archeological site located in the inner city of Speyer, Germany. Built in stages between 1104 (when the synagogue was consecrated) and the 14th century, the ...

was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.

History

The first known names were ''Noviomagus'' and ''Civitas Nemetum'', after the Teutonic tribe, Nemetes, settled in the area. The name ''Spira'' is first recorded in the 7th century, taken from ''villa Spira'', a Frankish settlement situated outside of ''Civitas Nemetum''.

Timeline

* In 10 BC, the first Roman military camp is established (situated between the town hall and the episcopal palace). * In AD 150, the town appears as Noviomagus on the world map of the Greek geographer Ptolemy. * In 346, a bishop for the town is mentioned for the first time. * 4th century, ''Civitas Nemetum'' appears on the Peutinger Map. * 5th century, ''Civitas Nemetum'' is destroyed. * 7th century, the town is re-established, and named ''Spira'' after a nearby Frankish settlement. * In 1030, emperor

Conrad II Conrad II ( – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdoms ...

starts the construction of Speyer Cathedral, today one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also in the 11th century, the first city wall is built. * In 1076, emperor Henry IV embarks from Speyer, his favourite town, for Canossa. * In 1084, establishment of the first Jewish community in Speyer. * In 1096, as Count Emicho's Crusader army rages across the Rhineland slaughtering Jewish communities, Speyer's Bishop John, with the local leader Yekutiel ben Moses, manages to secure the community's members inside the episcopal palace and later leads them to even stronger fortifications outside the town. It was ruled that anyone harming a Jew would have his hands chopped off. * In 1294, the bishop loses most of his previous rights, and from now on Speyer is a Free Imperial Town of the Holy Roman Empire. * In 1349, the Jewish community of Speyer is wiped out. * Between 1527 and 1689, Speyer is the seat of the Imperial Chamber Court. * In 1526, at the Diet of Speyer (1526) interim toleration of Lutheran teaching and worship is decreed. * In 1529, at the Diet of Speyer (1529) the Lutheran states of the empire protest against the anti- Reformation resolutions (19 April 1529 Protestation at Speyer, hence the term Protestantism). * In 1635, Marshal of France Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, together with

Jacques Nompar de Caumont Jacques Nompar de Caumont, 1st Duke of La Force () (30 December 1558 – 10 May 1652) was a Marshal of France and Peer of France. He was the son of a Huguenot, Francois de Caumont, lord of Castelnau, and Philippe de Beaupoil. He survived the St. ...

, duc de La Force, conquers Heidelberg and Speyer at the head of the Army of Germany. * In 1689, the town is heavily damaged by French troops. * Between 1792 and 1814, Speyer is under French jurisdiction after the

Battle of Speyer A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...

. * In 1816, Speyer becomes the seat of administration of the Palatinate and of the government of the Rhine District of Bavaria (later called the Bavarian Palatinate), and remains so until the end of World War II. * In 1861, Albert Edward was introduced to Alexandra by Crown Princess Victoria. * Between 1883 and 1904, the Memorial Church is built in remembrance of the Protestation of 1529. * In 1947, the State Academy of Administrative Science is founded (later renamed German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer). * In 1990, Speyer celebrates its 2000th anniversary.

Main sights

* Cathedral * Altpörtel – Old Town Gate * Gedächtniskirche – Memorial church * Dreifaltigkeitskirche – Trinity church *

(''Judenhof Speyer'') – remnants of medieval synagogue and intact mikve, UNESCO World Heritage Site *

Technikmuseum Speyer The Technik Museum Speyer is a technology museum in Speyer (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. 208 History The museum was opened in 1991 as a sister museum of the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim and is run by a registered alliance called "Auto & Te ...

– Transportation Museum * Historical Museum of the Palatinate

Transportation

Speyer lies on the Schifferstadt-Wörth railway and offers hourly connections to Mannheim and Karlsruhe.

Mayors

Since 1923 the mayor was a Lord Mayor.

Twin towns – sister cities

Speyer is twinned with: * Spalding, United Kingdom, since 1956 *

Chartres Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...

, France, since 1959 *

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

, Russia, since 1989 * Ravenna, Italy, since 1989 * Gniezno, Poland, since 1992 * Yavne, Israel, since 1998 *

Rusizi District Rusizi is a district (''akarere'') in Western Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Cyangugu, the major city of the Rwandan south-west and the district contains large parts of the former Cyangugu Province. Geography, flora and fauna The district lie ...

, Rwanda, since 1982/2001 * Ningde, China, since 2013

Notable people

Born before 1900

Samuel of Speyer Samuel ben Kalonymus he-Hasid of Speyer (1120-1175) ( he, שמואל החסיד), was a Tosafist, liturgical poet, and philosopher of the 12th century, surnamed also "the Prophet" (Solomon Luria, ResponsaNo. 29. He seems to have lived in Spain and ...

(after 1096–death unknown), Exeget of Torah and Midrash * Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (1140–1217), scribe and philosopher *

Julian of Speyer Julian of Speyer ( la, Julianus Teutonicus; died c. 1250), also known as Julian of Spires, was a German Franciscan composer, poet and historian of the thirteenth century. Born in Speyer, Julian studied at the University of Paris and was the musica ...

(before 1225– ~ 1250), medieval choir master, composer and poet from the Order of the Franciscans * Gabriel Biel (~ 1415–1495), scholastic philosopher *

Dietrich Gresemund Dietrich Gresemund (1477 – 14 October 1512) was a German humanist writer. Biography Gresemund was born at Speyer. His father, also named Dietrich, was a native of Meschede in Westphalia. Gresemund was educated first at Erfurt, where he became ' ...

(1477–1512), author * Georg von Speyer (1500–1540), conquistador * Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (1588–1635), Reichsgraf of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg * Johann Joachim Becher (1635–1682), German physician, alchemist, precursor of chemistry, scholar and adventurer *

Moritz Georg Weidmann Moritz Georg Weidmann (January 23, 1686 – May 3, 1743 ) was a German bookseller and publisher based in Leipzig, accredited to the courts of Poland and the Electorate of Saxony. He was the son of the Moritz Georg Weidmann Senior. He entered ...

(1658–1693), publisher and bookseller *

Adolf von Dalberg Dalberg is the name of an ancient and distinguished German noble family, derived from the hamlet and castle (now in ruins) of Dalberg or Dalburg, near Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate. History In the 14th century, the original house of Dalber ...

(1678–1737), Prince of Fulda *

Simha of Speyer Simḥa ben Samuel of Speyer (13th century) was a German rabbi and tosafist. Neither the year of his birth nor that of his death is known. He was one of the leading signatories of the Takkanot Shumcompare Moses Minz, Responsa, No. 202 He was a nephe ...

(13th century) German rabbi and tosafist. He was one of the leading signatories of the Takkanot Shum. *

Philipp Hieronymus Brinckmann Philipp Hieronymus Brinckmann or Brinkman (1709 – 21 December 1760) was a German painter and engraver Life He was a student of Johann Georg Dathan in Speyer. In 1733, he was named a court painter by Elector Charles Philipp in Mannheim. He ...

(1709–1760), landscape and historical painters as well as copper cutters *

Johann Martin Bernatz Johann Martin Bernatz (22 March 1802 – 19 December 1878), was a German landscape artist. Born in Speyer and trained in Vienna, Austria, he spent much of his life in Munich. He accompanied an expedition to Egypt and the Holy Land in 1836, and ...

(1802–1878), landscape painter * Anselm Feuerbach (1829–1880), German painter *

Carl Jakob Adolf Christian Gerhardt Carl Jakob Adolf Christian Gerhardt (there are several variations regarding the arrangement of his 3 middle names; 5 May 1833 – 22 July 1902) was a German internist born in Speyer. Biography He studied medicine at the University of Wür ...

(1832–1902), German physician * Henry Villard (1835–1900), German-American journalist *

Hermann von Stengel Hermann Guido Leopold Freiherr von Stengel (19 July 1837 – 1919) was a Bavarian administrator, a German politician and Finance Minister of the German Empire from 1903 to 1908. Early life He was born in Speyer, Electorate of the Palatinate, on 19 ...

(1837–1919), Bavarian Administrative Officer *

Wilhelm Meyer (philologist) Wilhelm Meyer (1 April 1845, Speyer – 9 March 1917, Göttingen) was a German classical scholar, initially a librarian and literary scholar, who worked also on musicology. He became professor of Classical and Medieval Latin Philology at the Uni ...

(1845–1917), classical philologist, mediavist and librarian * Karl Heinrich Emil Becker (1879–1940), general of the artillery, ballist and defense scientist *

Hans Purrmann Hans Marsilius Purrmann (April 10, 1880 – April 17, 1966) was a German artist. He was born in Speyer where he also grew up. He completed an apprenticeship as a scene painter and interior decorator, and subsequently studied in Karlsruhe and ...

(1880–1966), painter, graphic artist, art writer and collector * Hermann Detzner (1882–1970), leader of the German Schutztruppe in German New Guinea * Karl-Adolf Hollidt (1891–1985), Army officer (Generaloberst) and war criminal * George Waldbott (1898–1982), German-American physician

Born after 1900

George John Dasch George John Dasch (7 February 1903 – 1992) was a German agent who landed on American soil during World War II. He helped to destroy Nazi Germany's espionage program in the United States by defecting to the American cause, but was tried and ...

(1903–1992), WWII spy who foiled terrorist attacks in the U.S. by Nazi Germany *

Jakob Brendel Jakob Brendel (18 September 1907 in Speyer - 13 February 1964) was a German wrestler and Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Olympics Brendel competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los � ...

(1907–1964), wrestler * Karl Haas (1913–2005), German-American music educator and radio presenter * Helmut Bantz (1921–2004), gymnast * Alfred Cahn (1922–2016), German musician and composer * Edgar E. Stern (born 1926), clinical social worker and author of ''The Peppermint Train: Journey to a German-Jewish Childhood'' *

Gabriel Kney Gabriel Kney (born 21 November 1929) is a Canadian builder of pipe organs based in London, Ontario. Kney was born in Speyer, Germany. At the age of 15, he apprenticed to Paul Sattel of Speyer to become an organ builder, and concurrently studied org ...

(born 1929), Canadian organ builder *

Karl Hochreither Karl Hochreither (27 October 1933 – 23 October 2018) was a German organist, conductor, music educator and musicologist. Life Born in Speyer, the son of a carpenter made his first musical experiences as a choir singer under the elementary scho ...

(1933–2018), German organist and musicologist *

Volker Straus Volker Straus (b. July 5, 1936 in Speyer, Germany – d. April 21, 2002 in Bilthoven, Netherlands) was one of the foremost Tonmeisters of the twentieth century. He sound-engineered some 590 albums – the vast majority uncredited – during his rem ...

(1936–2002) German

tonmeister Tonmeister is most often found as a job description in the music and recording industries. It describes a person who is a sound master (a literal translation of the German word): a person who creates recordings or broadcasts of music who is both d ...

Jürgen Brecht Jürgen Brecht (born 1 March 1940) is a German fencer. He represented the United Team of Germany in 1960 and 1964 and West Germany in 1968. He won a bronze medal in the team foil event at the 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( i ...

(born 1940), fencer * Wolf Frobenius (1940–2011), musicologist *

Gerhard Vollmer Gerhard Vollmer (born 17 November 1943) is a German physicist and philosopher. He is perhaps best known for his development of an evolutionary theory of knowledge. Life Vollmer was born in Speyer. He studied in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and Freib ...

(born 1943), physicist and philosopher * Jürgen Creutzmann (born 1945), politician ( FDP) *

Hans-Joachim Lang Hans-Joachim Lang (born 6 August 1951) is a German journalist, historian, and Adjunct Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the Ludwig-Uhland Institute for Empirical Cultural Studies University of Tübingen. Dr. Lang researched and authored th ...

(born 1951), journalist, Germanist, historian and honorary professor *

Axel Schimpf Axel Schimpf (born 1 October 1952) is a retired ''Vizeadmiral'' (vice admiral) of the German Navy. Biography Schimpf served as Inspector of the Navy The Inspector of the Navy (german: Inspekteur der Marine) is the commander of the Navy of the m ...

(born 1952), Vice Admiral of the German Navy * Eberhard Bosslet (born 1953), artist *

Kay Friedmann Kay Friedmann (born 15 May 1963 in Speyer) is a retired German football player. From 1995 to 2008 he worked as a physiotherapist for 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Honours * Bundesliga champion: 1990–91 * DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knoc ...

(born 1963), footballer * Markus Kranz (born 1969), football player *

Christoph Bechmann Christoph Bechmann (born 23 November 1971 in Speyer am Rhein, Rheinland-Pfalz) is a field hockey player from Germany, who was a member of the Men's National Team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The str ...

(born 1971), German field-hockey player * Anke Vondung (born 1972), opera singer *

Ralf Schmitt Ralf Schmitt (born January 21, 1977 in Speyer) is a German former footballer. He made his debut on the professional league level in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt on April 14, 2001 when he came on as a substitute in the 87th minute in a ...

(born 1977), football player *

Simone Weiler Simone Weiler (née Karn, 16 December 1978) is a German swimmer who won a gold medal in the 4×100 m medley relay at the 2002 European Aquatics Championships (50 m pool). She also won three bronze medals in breaststroke in 2003–2005 at short-cou ...

(born 1978), swimmer * Jochen Kühner (born 1980), rower *

Martin Kühner Martin Kühner (born 15 October 1980 in Speyer) is a German competitive rower. He has won four medals at the World Rowing Championships with his twin brother Jochen. Competitions * 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's lightweight coxless ...

(born 1980), rower *

Matthias Langkamp Matthias Langkamp (born 24 February 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a defender. Club career Born in Speyer, Langkamp first signed professional terms with Arminia Bielefeld and enjoyed an impressive debut season i ...

(born 1984), football player *

Christian Reif Christian Reif (born 24 October 1984 in Speyer) is a retired German long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Alo ...

(born 1984), long jumper *

David McCray David McCray (born 6 November 1986) is a German retired basketball player and current coach. Standing at , he mainly played as point guard. He is a current assistant coach at Riesen Ludwigsburg. His number 4 was retired by Riesen Ludwigsburg. Pr ...

(born 1986), basketball player * Florian Krebs (born 1988), football player *

Sebastian Langkamp Sebastian Langkamp (born 15 January 1988) is a German professional footballer who last played as a defender for Perth Glory in the Australian A-League. His brother Matthias Langkamp is also a professional footballer. Club career Karlsruher ...

(born 1988), footballer *

Lars Stindl Lars Edi Stindl (born 26 August 1988) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for and captains Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. He represents the Germany national team. He can also play as a forward. He ...

(born 1988), German footballer * Elias Harris (born 1989), German international basketball player *

Jonas Marz Jonas Marz (born 13 May 1989) is a German footballer who plays for KSV Hessen Kassel KSV Hessen Kassel is a semi-professional German football club based in Kassel, Hesse. KSV competes in the German Regionalliga Südwest, the fourth tier of ...

(born 1989), footballer *

Gianluca Korte Gianluca Korte (born 29 August 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for TSV Steinbach. Career Korte was born in Speyer. He joined 2. Bundesliga club Eintracht Braunschweig in 2011 from Oberliga Südwest side TuS ...

(born 1990), footballer *

Raffael Korte Raffael Korte (born 29 August 1990) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Korte was born in Speyer. He joined 2. Bundesliga club Eintracht Braunschweig in 2011 from Oberliga Südwest side TuS Mechtershe ...

(born 1990), footballer

Notes

External links

speyer.de
the town website (partly in English)
museum.speyer.de
Historical Museum of the Palatinate
dom-speyer.de
website of Speyer Cathedral
Explore the ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture

Model Map of Medieval Speyer

Speyer, its cathedral and the library of its chapter

Technical (Transport) Museum

www.speyer.de: living history in past times

www.speyer-tour.de: Guided tours through Speyer

{{Authority control 1792 disestablishments History of the Palatinate (region) States and territories established in 1294 Palatinate (region)