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Würzburg (;
Main-Franconian East Franconian (german: Ostfränkisch) or Mainfränkisch, usually referred to as Franconian (') in German, is a dialect which is spoken in Franconia, the northern part of the federal state of Bavaria and other areas in Germany around Nuremberg, ...
: ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in the region 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 ...
in the north 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 **Ge ...
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 l ...
. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''
Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
''
Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. History After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally ...
. It spans the banks of the
Main River Main rivers () are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also some smaller watercourses. A main river is designated by being marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure o ...
. Würzburg is situated approximately east-southeast of
Frankfurt am Main 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 it ...
and approximately west-northwest of
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
(). The population (as of 2019) is approximately 130,000 residents. The administration of the ''Landkreis Würzburg'' ( district of Würzburg) is also located in the town. The regional dialect is
East Franconian East Franconian (german: Ostfränkisch) or Mainfränkisch, usually referred to as Franconian (') in German, is a dialect which is spoken in Franconia, the northern part of the federal state of Bavaria and other areas in Germany around Nuremberg, ...
.


History


Early and medieval history

A
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(
Urnfield culture The Urnfield culture ( 1300 BC – 750 BC) was a late Bronze Age culture of Central Europe, often divided into several local cultures within a broader Urnfield tradition. The name comes from the custom of cremating the dead and p ...
)
refuge castle A refuge castleCreighton, Oliver (2015). ''Early European Castles''. Bloomsbury. or refuge fort (german: Fliehburg, also ''Fluchtburg'', ''Volksburg'', ''Bauernburg'' or ''Vryburg'') is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by rampa ...
, the Celtic Segodunum,Koch, John T. (2020)
CELTO-GERMANIC Later Prehistory and Post-Proto-Indo-European vocabulary in the North and West
p. 131
and later a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
fort, stood on the hill known as the Leistenberg, the site of the present
Fortress Marienberg Marienberg Fortress (German: ''Festung Marienberg'') is a prominent landmark on the left bank of the Main river in Würzburg, in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. The mighty Fortress Marienberg is a symbol of Würzburg and served as a ...
. The former
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
territory was settled by the
Alamanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pre ...
in the 4th or 5th century and by the
Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...
in the 6th to 7th. Würzburg was the seat of a
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...
duke from about 650. It was Christianized in 686 by
Irish missionaries The Hiberno-Scottish mission was a series of expeditions in the 6th and 7th centuries by Gaelic missionaries originating from Ireland that spread Celtic Christianity in Scotland, Wales, England and Merovingian France. Celtic Christianity sprea ...
Kilian Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an Anglicized version of the Irish name Cillian. The name Cillian was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois and Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ...
, Kolonat and Totnan. The city is mentioned in a donation by Duke
Hedan II Heden, Hedan, or Hetan II (died 741), called the Younger, was a Duke of Thuringia, one of the "older" stem duchies (''Stammesherzogtums''), from around 700 until his death. He may have been the Hedan who married Saint Bilihild. One of the chie ...
to bishop
Willibrord Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands. He became the first bishop of Utrecht and died at Echternach, Luxembourg. Early life His fathe ...
, dated 1 May 704, ''in castellum Virteburch''. The Ravenna Cosmography lists the city as ''Uburzis'' at about the same time. The name is presumably of
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
origin, but based on a folk etymological connection to the German word '' Würze'' "herb, spice", the name was Latinized as ''Herbipolis'' in the medieval period. Beginning in 1237, the city seal depicted the cathedral and a portrait of Saint Kilian, with the inscription ''SIGILLVM CIVITATIS HERBIPOLENSIS''. It shows a banner on a tilted lance, formerly in a blue field, with the banner quarterly argent and gules (1532), later or and gules (1550). This coat of arms replaced the older seal of the city, showing Saint Kilian from 1570. The first diocese was founded by
Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...
in 742 when he was appointed the first
bishop of Würzburg A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, Saint Burkhard. The bishops eventually created a secular fiefdom, that extended to Eastern
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 ...
in the 12th century. The city was the site of several Imperial Diets, including the one of 1180, at which
Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (german: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty who ruled as the duke of Saxony and Bavaria from 1142 and 1156, respectively, until 1180. Henry was one of the most powerful German p ...
, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, was banned for three years from the Empire and his
duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a medieval country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between ...
Bavaria was handed over to Otto of Wittelsbach. Massacres of Jews took place in 1147 and 1298. The first church on the site of the present
Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Wür ...
was built as early as 788 and consecrated that same year by
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
; the current building was constructed from 1040 to 1225 in Romanesque style. The
University of Würzburg The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...
was founded in 1402 and re-founded in 1582. The citizens of the city revolted several times against the prince-bishop. In 1397, King
Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia Wenceslaus IV (also ''Wenceslas''; cs, Václav; german: Wenzel, nicknamed "the Idle"; 26 February 136116 August 1419), also known as Wenceslaus of Luxembourg, was King of Bohemia from 1378 until his death and King of Germany from 1376 until he ...
visited the city and promised its people the status of a
free Imperial City In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
. However, the German ruling princes forced him to withdraw these promises. In 1400, the bishop's troops decisively defeated the citizenry in the , and the city fell under his control permanently until the dissolution of the fiefdom.


Modern history

The
Würzburg witch trial 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 i ...
s, which occurred between 1626 and 1631, are one of the largest peace-time mass trials. In Würzburg, under Bishop Philip Adolf, an estimated 600 to 900 alleged witches were burnt. In 1631, Swedish King Gustaf Adolf invaded and ended the witch burnings. In 1720, the foundations of the
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style, were involved in the construction, ...
were laid. In 1796, the
Battle of Würzburg The Battle of Würzburg was fought on 3 September 1796 between an army of the Habsburg monarchy led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen and an army of the First French Republic led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan. The French attacked the archduke's ...
between
Habsburg Austria The term Habsburg Austria may refer to the lands ruled by the Austrian branch of the Habsburgs, or the historical Austria. Depending on the context, it may be defined as: * The Duchy of Austria, after 1453 the Archduchy of Austria * The '' Erblande' ...
and the
First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 ...
took place. The city passed to the
Electorate of Bavaria The Electorate of Bavaria (german: Kurfürstentum Bayern) was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. The Wittelsbach dynasty which ruled the Duchy of Ba ...
in 1803 but, two years later, in the course of the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
, it became the seat of the Electorate of Würzburg (until September 1806), the later
Grand Duchy of Würzburg The Grand Duchy of Würzburg (german: Großherzogtum Würzburg) was a German grand duchy centered on Würzburg existing in the early 19th century. As a consequence of the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville, the Bishopric of Würzburg was secularized in ...
. In 1814, the town became part of the
Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...
and a new bishopric was created seven years later, as the former one had been secularized in 1803 (see also
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss The ' (formally the ', or "Principal Conclusion of the Extraordinary Imperial Delegation"), sometimes referred to in English as the Final Recess or the Imperial Recess of 1803, was a resolution passed by the ' (Imperial Diet) of the Holy Roman Em ...
). In 1817,
Friedrich Koenig Friedrich Gottlob Koenig (17 April 1774 – 17 January 1833) was a German inventor best known for his high-speed steam-powered printing press, which he built together with watchmaker Andreas Friedrich Bauer. This new style of printing pres ...
and Andreas Bauer founded ''Schnellpressenfabrik Koenig & Bauer'' (the world's first steam-driven
printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...
manufacturer). The Hep-Hep riots from August to October 1819 were pogroms against Ashkenazi Jews, beginning in the Kingdom of Bavaria, during the period of Jewish emancipation in the German Confederation. The antisemitic communal violence began on August 2, 1819 in Würzburg and soon reached the outer regions of the German Confederation. Many Jews were killed, and much Jewish property was destroyed. In 1848, Catholic bishops held the Würzburg Bishops' Conference, a forerunner of later German and Austrian conferences. By distinction, the ''Würzburg Conference'' is a name given to the meeting of representatives of the smaller German states in 1859 to devise some means of mutual support. The conference, however, had no result. Würzburg was bombarded and taken by the
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 e ...
ns in 1866 when it ceased to be a fortress. In the early 1930s, around 2,000 Jews lived in Würzburg, which was also a rabbinic centre. During the ''
Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation fro ...
'', in 1938, many Jewish houses and shops were raided, looted, or destroyed. The contents of two synagogues were stolen or destroyed. Many Jews were imprisoned and tortured by the
Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...
. Between November 1941 and June 1943 Jews from the city were sent to the
Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as con ...
in Eastern Europe. From April 1943 to March 1945 a subcamp of the
Flossenbürg concentration camp Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of Flo ...
was located in the city, with dozens of prisoners, mostly from Poland and 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 nationa ...
.


World War II bombing

On 16 March 1945, about 90% of the city was destroyed in 17 minutes by firebombing from 225 British
Lancaster bombers The Avro Lancaster is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the S ...
during a
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
air raid. Würzburg became a target for its role as a traffic hub and to break the spirit of the population. All of the city's churches, cathedrals, and other monuments were heavily damaged or destroyed. The city centre, which mostly dated from medieval times, was destroyed in a
firestorm A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...
in which 5,000 people perished. Over the next 20 years, the buildings of historical importance were painstakingly and accurately reconstructed. The citizens who rebuilt the city immediately after the end of the war were mostly women – '' Trümmerfrauen'' ("rubble women") – because the men were either dead or still
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
. On a relative scale, Würzburg was destroyed to a larger extent than was Dresden in a firebombing the previous month.


Battle of Würzburg

On 3 April 1945, Würzburg was occupied by the U.S.
12th Armored Division The 12th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army in World War II. It fought in the European Theater of Operations United States Army, European Theater of Operations in France, Germany and Austria, between November 194 ...
and the U.S. 42nd Infantry Division in a series of frontal assaults masked by smokescreens. The battle continued until the final Wehrmacht resistance was defeated on 5 April 1945.
Mass stabbing A mass stabbing is a single incident in which multiple victims are harmed or killed in a knife-enabled crime. In such attacks, sharp objects are thrust at the victim, piercing through the skin and harming the victim. Examples of sharp instruments ...
s occurred in 2016 and
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
.


Geography

Würzburg spans the banks of the river Main in the region of Lower Franconia in the north of the state of Bavaria, Germany. The heart of the town is on the locally eastern (
right Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...
) bank. The town is enclosed by the ''Landkreis Würzburg'' but is not a part of it. Würzburg covers an area of 87.6 square kilometres and lies at an altitude of around 177 metres. Of the total municipal area, in 2007, building area accounted for 30%, followed by agricultural land (27.9%), forestry/wood (15.5%), green spaces (12.7%), traffic (5.4%), water (1.2%) and others (7.3%). The centre of Würzburg is surrounded by hills. To the west lies the 266-meter Marienberg and the Nikolausberg (359 m) to the south of it. The Main flows through Würzburg from the southeast to the northwest.


City structure

Würzburg is divided into 13 '' Stadtbezirke'' which are additionally structured into 25
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
s. The following overview shows the boroughs and their numbers allocated to the 13 municipalities.


Demographics

Würzburg had 128,538 inhabitants as of 31 December 2016.


Foreign population


Religion


Economy

Würzburg is mainly known as an administrative centre. Its largest employers are the Julius-Maximilians-University and the municipality. The largest private employers are Brose Fahrzeugteile followed by
Koenig & Bauer Koenig & Bauer AG (; ) is a German company that makes printing presses based in Würzburg. It was founded by Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer in Würzburg in 1817, making it the oldest printing press manufacturer in the world still ...
, a maker of printing machines. Würzburg is also the capital of the German wine region
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 ...
which is famous for its mineral-rich dry white wines, especially from the
Silvaner Sylvaner or Silvaner is a variety of white wine grape grown primarily in Alsace and Germany, where its official name is Grüner Silvaner. While the Alsatian versions have primarily been considered simpler wines, it was included among the vari ...
grape.
Würzburger Hofbräu The Würzburg Hofbräu is the only brewery in Würzburg, Germany. It was founded in 1643 by the Franconian Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn and is deeply rooted in the region of Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) ...
brewery also locally produces a well-known pilsner beer. Würzburg is home to the oldest pizzeria in Germany. Nick di Camillo opened his restaurant named ''Bier- und Speisewirtschaft Capri'' on 24 March 1952. Camillo received the honour of the
Italian Order of Merit The Italian honours system is a means to reward achievements or service to the Italian Republic, formerly the Kingdom of Italy including the Italian Social Republic. Orders of chivalry Italian Republic There are five orders of knighthood ...
. In 2017, the
GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...
per inhabitant was €62,229, placing the district 13th out of 96 districts (rural and urban) in Bavaria (overall average: €46,698).


Military

Following World War II, Würzburg was host to the U.S. Army's
1st First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
and
3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * H ...
Infantry Divisions as well as an army hospital and various other U.S. military units that maintained a presence in Germany. The last troops were withdrawn from Würzburg in 2008, thus concluding more than 60 years of U.S. presence there.


Arts and culture

Notable artists who lived in Würzburg include poet
Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170c. 1230) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs (" Sprüche") in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundr ...
(12th and 13th centuries), philosopher
Albertus Magnus Albertus Magnus (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop. Later canonised as a Catholic saint, he was known during his li ...
and painter
Matthias Grünewald Matthias Grünewald ( – 31 August 1528) was a German Renaissance painter of religious works who ignored Renaissance classicism to continue the style of late medieval Central European art into the 16th century. His first name is also given ...
. Sculptor
Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculpture, sculptor and wood carving, woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic ar ...
(1460–1531) served as mayor and participated in the
German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt (german: Deutscher Bauernkrieg) was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It failed because of intense oppositi ...
. Some of the city's "100 churches" survived intact. In style they range from Romanesque (
Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Wür ...
),
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 ...
('' Marienkapelle''),
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 ide ...
('),
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
(') to modern (St. Andreas). Major festivals include the ''Africa Festival'' in May, the '' Mozart Festival'' in June/July, and the ''Kiliani Volksfest'' in mid-July.


Main sights

*'' Würzburger Residenz'': A
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, the vast compound near the center of the town was commissioned by two prince-bishops, the brothers Johann Philipp Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn. Several architects, including
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (14 November 1668 – 16 November 1745) was an Austrian baroque architect and military engineer who designed stately buildings and churches and whose work had a profound influence on the architecture of the Habsburg E ...
and Maximilian von Welsch, supervised the construction between 1720 and 1744, in imitation of the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
, but it is mainly associated with the name of
Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; 27 January 1687 (?) – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...
, the creator of its famous Baroque staircase. The palace suffered severe damage in the British bombing of March 1945 but has been completely rebuilt. The main attractions are: **''Hofkirche'': The church interior is richly decorated with paintings, sculptures and stucco ornaments. The altars were painted by
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...
. **''Treppenhaus'': Here Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created the largest fresco in the world, which adorns the vault over the staircase designed by
Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; 27 January 1687 (?) – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...
. **''Kaisersaal'': The "Imperial Hall", the centerpiece of the palace, testifies to the close relationship between Würzburg and the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
. *'' Festung Marienberg'' is a fortress on ''Marienberg'', the hill to the west of the city centre, overlooking the whole town area and the surrounding hills. Most current structures date to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but the chapel's foundations go back to the 8th century. *' (Old Main Bridge) was built in 1473–1543 to replace the destroyed Romanesque bridge dated 1133. In two phases, beginning in 1730, the bridge was adorned with twelve 4.5-meter statues of saints and historically important figures like
John of Nepomuk John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus ...
,
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...
,
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
and
Pepin the Short the Short (french: Pépin le Bref; – 24 September 768), also called the Younger (german: Pippin der Jüngere), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian to become king. The younger was the son of ...
. Explosives damaged the bridge in the final days of World War II. US troops threw the original Pepin into the river to make way for an anti-aircraft gun. * The ''Rathaus'' or city hall of Würzburg differs from those of most
Imperial Cities In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
in that it was not a sumptuous edifice purpose-built in Renaissance style. Rather, the motley collection of buildings and wings reflects that after 1426 the city was permanently under the bishop's control, who did not allow a representative new building. The ''Rathaus'' consists of parts dating from 1339 (chapel), 1453 (tower with the town's first public clock), 1544 (southwest oriel), and 1659/60 (''Roter Bau''). In 1822 the three-winged structure of the neighboring ''Karmeliterkloster'' (monastery of the
Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount C ...
) was added to the city hall. The "Renaissance" row on Karmeliterstrasse was built only in 1898. *Among Würzburg's many notable churches are the '' Käppele'', a small Baroque/Rococo chapel by Balthasar Neumann, perched on a hill facing the fortress, and the ''Dom'' (
Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Wür ...
). The Baroque ''Schönbornkapelle'', a side-chapel of the cathedral, has interior decoration of (artificial) human bones and skulls. Also in the cathedral are two of
Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculpture, sculptor and wood carving, woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic ar ...
's most famous works, the tombstones of
Rudolf II von Scherenberg Rudolf II von Scherenberg (c. 1401 – 1495) was Bishop of Würzburg from 1466 until his death. His longevity (about 94) and long reign were significant. Rudolf von Scherenberg was the son of Erhard von Scherenberg and Anna von Massbach. On ...
(1466–1495) and
Lorenz von Bibra Lorenz von Bibra, Duke in Franconia (1459, Mellrichstadt – 6 February 1519, Würzburg) was Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg from 1495 to 1519. His life paralleled that of Maximilian I (1459–1519), who ruled the Holy Roman ...
(1495–1519). At the entrance to the '' Marienkapelle'' (on the market square; built between 1377 and 1441) stand replicas of the statues of Adam and Eve by Riemenschneider. The '' Neumünster'' is a Romanesque (11th century) minster church with a Baroque façade and dome. Its crypt (''Kiliansgruft'') houses the relics of Kilian, Totnan, and Kolonat. There are also two stone sarcophagi from the 8th century, the tombs of the first and second Bishop of Würzburg, Burkard and Megingaud. The latter's tomb features the oldest post-Roman monumental inscription in Franconia. Next to the ''Neumünster'' is the '. It contains a memorial from 1930 to
Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170c. 1230) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs (" Sprüche") in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hundr ...
, who very likely was buried here in 1230. Only the church remains of the town's oldest abbey, St Burchard's Abbey founded around 750. It was transformed into a
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...
in 1464 and dissolved in 1803. Among the Baroque churches in the city centre is ''Stift Haug'' (1670–1691), ', ' and ''St. Peter''. The church of St Burkhard was built between 1033 and 1042 in the Romanesque style and was restored in 1168. The Late Gothic choir dates from 1494 to 1497. *The '' Juliusspital'' is a Baroque hospital with a courtyard and a church originally established by prince-bishop
Julius Echter Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (18 March 1545 – 9 September 1617) was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1573. He was born in Mespelbrunn Castle, Spessart ( Lower Franconia) and died in Würzburg. Life He was educated in Mainz, Leuven, ...
in 1576. The 160 m long northern wing was added by Italian architect in 1700–1704. Beneath it lies the similarly sized wine cellar, which (together with those of the Würzburg Residence and the '' Bürgerspital'') offers a chance to taste the local '' Frankenwein'' in a unique environment. The Juliusspital is the second largest winery in Germany, growing wine on . *The ' on Marktplatz, next to the ''Marienkapelle'', with its ornate stucco façade, is an achievement of the Würzburg Rococo period. In the past, it served as an inn, and today it houses a public library and the tourist information office. *The ''Stift Haug'' (formally the ''Stiftskirche St. Johannis im Haug'', dedicated to
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
and
John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given ...
) was built in the years 1670–1691 as the first Baroque church in Franconia. It was designed by Antonio Petrini. The former church had been demolished as it was in the way of new city fortifications built by Johann Philipp von Schönborn. In 1945 most of the church's interior was destroyed. Works of art include a
crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...
by
Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed wit ...
loaned by the
Bavarian State Painting Collections The Bavarian State Painting Collections (german: Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen), based in Munich, Germany, oversees artwork held by the Free State of Bavaria. It was established in 1799 as ''Centralgemäldegaleriedirektion''. Artwork includes ...
. *The ''
Würzburger Stein Würzburger Stein is a vineyard in the German wine region of Franconia that has been producing a style of wine, known as ''Steinwein'' since at least the 8th century. Located on a hill overlooking the Main river outside the city of Würzburg, t ...
'' vineyard just outside the city is one of Germany's oldest and largest vineyards.


Museums and galleries

*The ''Museum für Franken'' (formerly the ') in the fortress is home to the world's largest collection of works by
Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculpture, sculptor and wood carving, woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic ar ...
. In a space of , art by regional artists is exhibited. Exhibitions include a pre-historic collection, artifacts of the Franconian wine culture, and an anthropological collection with traditional costumes. *''Fürstenbaumuseum'': Also in the fortress, the restored ''Fürstenbau'' (former residence of the prince-bishops) houses not only the renovated living quarters but also an exhibit on the history of Würzburg. Another exhibit features ecclesial gold jewelry and a collection of liturgical vestments. The museum also displays two models of the city: Würzburg in 1525 and Würzburg in 1945. *'' Museum im Kulturspeicher'', housed in a historic grain storage building combined with modern architecture, has more than 3,500 m2 of exhibit space. Collections include the "Peter C. Ruppert Collection", with European Concrete art after 1945 from artists such as
Max Bill Max Bill (22 December 1908 – 9 December 1994) was a Swiss architect, artist, painter, typeface designer, industrial designer and graphic designer. Early life and education Bill was born in Winterthur. After an apprenticeship as a silversmit ...
and
Victor Vasarely Victor Vasarely (; born Győző Vásárhelyi, ; 9 April 1906 – 15 March 1997) was a Hungarian-French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the Op art movement. His work entitled ''Zebra'', created in 1937, is consid ...
; works from the Age of Romanticism, the Biedermeier period,
Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...
,
Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it ra ...
as well as contemporary art. *'' Museum am Dom'' (Museum at the Cathedral), opened in 2003. It features about 700 pieces of art spanning the past 1,000 years. The 1,800 m2 exhibit contrasts contemporary art with older works. *''Shalom Europe'', a Jewish museum. Built around 1,504 tombstones discovered and excavated in the old city, the museum uses modern information technology to portray present and traditional Jewish lifestyles and their survival over the past 900 years in Würzburg. *''
Martin von Wagner Museum The Martin von Wagner Museum contains the art collection of the University of Würzburg and has been located in the south wing of the Würzburg Residence since 1963. It is among the largest university museums in Europe. History Franz Joseph F ...
'', with objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It is housed in the south wing of the Residence and displays ancient marble statues and burial objects. There are also ten exhibition halls with art from the 14th to the 19th centuries. *''Siebold-Museum'', which houses permanent and temporary exhibits, including the estate of the 19th-century local physician and Japan researcher
Philipp Franz von Siebold Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (17 February 1796 – 18 October 1866) was a German physician, botanist and traveler. He achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora and fauna and the introduction of Western medicine in Japan. He w ...
. *The '' Röntgen Memorial Site'' in Würzburg, Germany is dedicated to the work of the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) and his discovery of X-rays, for which he was granted the Nobel Prize in physics. It contains an exhibition of historical instruments, machines, and documents.


Sports

Former NBA basketball player
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
was born and grew up in Würzburg. Nowitzki and numerous other German national team players started their careers at the local Baskets Würzburg club that plays in the
Basketball Bundesliga The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) ( English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL seas ...
. In the past, the club played in international competitions such as the Eurocup. Würzburg is also home to the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
teams ''
Würzburger Kickers Würzburger Kickers is a German association football club playing in Würzburg, Bavaria. In pre-World War II football, the club competed briefly at the highest level in the Bezirksliga Bayern, and during the war, in the Gauliga Bayern. Post-war, ...
'' playing 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 ...
'' and ''
Würzburger FV FV 04 Würzburg is a German association football club from the city of Würzburg, Bavaria founded in 1904 as ''1. Würzburger FV 04''. The club emerged as ''WFV'' in 1923 after leaving a short-lived union formed with a gymnastics club. __TOC__ ...
'' playing in the ''
Fußball-Bayernliga The Bayernliga (English: Bavarian league) is the highest amateur football league and the second highest football league (under the Regionalliga Bayern) in the state of Bavaria (german: Bayern) and the Bavarian football league system. It is one o ...
''. ''SV Würzburg 05'' is a swimming and water polo club in the German Water Polo League.


Governance

Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''
Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
''
Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. History After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally ...
. The administration of the ''Landkreis Würzburg'' (district) is also located in the town.


Mayor

Since April 2014, the mayor of Würzburg has been (
CSU CSU may refer to: * Channel service unit, a Wide area network equivalent of a network interface card * Chari Aviation Services, Chad, by ICAO airline code * Christian Social Union (UK), an Anglican social gospel organisation * Christian Social ...
).


Politics

Würzburg (electoral district)


Town twinning

Würzburg is twinned with: Associated: * Faribault, U.S., since 1949 *
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, Japan, since 2013


Education and research

Würzburg has several internationally recognized institutions in science and research:


University

The
University of Würzburg The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...
(official name ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') was founded in 1402 and is one of the oldest universities in Germany. Academic disciplines are
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
,
biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...
,
Catholic theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on Biblical canon, canonical Catholic Bible, scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by ...
,
chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...
,
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
,
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
, economics, Pedagogy, educational and social sciences, geography, history, languages and linguistics, law, literature, mathematics, medicine (human medicine, dentistry and biomedicine), pharmacy, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology and sociology. Today, the ten faculties are spread throughout the city. The university currently enrolls approximately 29,000 students, out of which more than 1,000 come from other countries. *Wilhelm Röntgen's original laboratory, where he discovered X-rays in 1895, is at the University of Würzburg. *The university awarded Alexander Graham Bell an honorary Ph.D for his pioneering scientific work. *The Botanischer Garten der Universität Würzburg is the university's botanical garden.


University of Applied Science

The University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt was founded in 1971 as an institute of technology with departments in Würzburg and Schweinfurt. Academic disciplines are architecture, business economics, business informatics, civil engineering, computational engineering,
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
, electrical engineering, engineering management, geodesy, graphic design, logistics, mechanical engineering, mass media, media, nursing theory, plastics engineering, and social work. With nearly 8,000 students, it is the second largest university of applied science in Franconia.


Conservatory

The Conservatory of Würzburg is an institution with a long tradition as well as an impressive success story of more than 200 years. It was founded in 1797 as ''Collegium musicum academicum'' and is Germany's oldest conservatory. Nowadays, it is known as Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, University of Music Würzburg. After the commutation from the conservatory to the university of music in the early 1970s, science and research were added to complement music education.


Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research

The "Fraunhofer ISC" in Würzburg is part of the Fraunhofer Society, Europe's largest application-oriented research organization. It develops materials for tomorrow's products, offering cooperation to small and medium-sized enterprises and large-scale industrial companies.


Media

Würzburg is home to the daily newspaper . Radio stations like ' and state broadcaster ''Bayerischer Rundfunk'' have local studios. The latter also maintains a large broadcasting station at ' on the Nikolausberg. The private stations ' and ' are based in Würzburg. The TV branch of Bayerischer Rundfunk has its ''Studio Mainfranken'' in the town. is a local private TV station.


Transport


Roads

Due to its central position Würzburg is an important traffic hub. It is the site of the interchange of Autobahn highways Bundesautobahn 3, A3 (Cologne – Frankfurt – ''Würzburg'' –
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
) and Bundesautobahn 7, A7 (Hamburg – Hanover – Kassel – ''Würzburg'' – Ulm) as well as the start of Bundesautobahn 81, A81 (''Würzburg'' – Heilbronn – Stuttgart). Furthermore, Bundesstraße highways Bundesstraße 8, B8, B13, B19 and Bundesstraße 27, B27 pass through the city.


Rail

The city's Würzburg Hauptbahnhof, main station is a central hub for long-distance and regional services. Würzburg lies at the southern end of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line that offers frequent InterCityExpress and InterCity connections to cities such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Vienna. In addition to the main station, there are two regional stations, Würzburg-South and Würzburg Zell.


Trams/Trains

Würzburg has a tram network of five lines with a length of . The proposed Line 6 from Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) to Hubland university campus via Residenz is scheduled to be completed after 2018.


Buses

27 bus lines connect several parts of the city and the inner suburbs. Twenty-five bus lines connect the ''Würzburg district, Landkreis Würzburg'' to the city.


Port

The Main (river), Main river flows into the Rhine and is connected to the Danube via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. This makes it part of a trans-European waterway connecting the North Sea to the Black Sea.


Bicycle

Designated bicycle paths are located throughout the city, and the Main-Radweg long-distance bicycle trail passes through the old town.


Infrastructure


Utilities

The local public utility is ' supplying power, natural gas and water as well as public transportation and parking services. It also owns a majority stake in the port and runs local garbage collection/recycling. ' is owned by the utility.


Health care

' provides health care services, with over 5,300 employees and over 1,400 hospital beds. ''Juliusspital'' also offers hospital services with 342 beds.


Notable people

*Joseph Friedrich Abert (1879–1959), historian and archivist *Heinrich Albert (guitarist), Heinrich Albert (1870–1950), classical guitarist and composer *Yehuda Amichai ("Ludwig Pfeuffer"; 1924–2000), Israeli poet *Thomas Bach (born 1953), Olympic gold medalist in fencing & IOC President since 2013 *Frank Baumann (footballer), Frank Baumann (born 1975), footballer *Fritz Bayerlein (1899–1970),
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
general *
Lorenz von Bibra Lorenz von Bibra, Duke in Franconia (1459, Mellrichstadt – 6 February 1519, Würzburg) was Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg from 1495 to 1519. His life paralleled that of Maximilian I (1459–1519), who ruled the Holy Roman ...
(1459–1519), Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1495 to 1519 *Mark Bloch (artist), Mark Bloch (born 1956), American artist *Walter von Boetticher (1853–1945), historian and physician studied medicine at Würzburg *Oskar Dirlewanger (1895–1945), war criminal and S.S. leader of the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger *Christian von Ditfurth (born 1953), writer and historian *Jutta Ditfurth (born 1951), sociologist, writer and historian *Brendan Donovan (born 1997). baseball player St. Louis Cardinals *Freimut Duve (1936–2020), politician and author *Björn Emmerling (born 1975), field hockey player *Gottfried Feder (1883–1941), economist, anti-capitalist and national socialist *Leonhard Frank (1882–1961), expressionist writer *Manfred H. Grieb (1933–2012), entrepreneur and art collector *Duane Harden (born 1971), dance music vocalist *Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist *Alfred Jodl (1890–1946), World War II general *Klaus Iohannis (born 1959), President of Romania, elected 2014 *Wilhelm Keilmann (1908–1999), composer *Friederich von Kleudgen (1856–1924), painter *Maxi Kleber, Maximilian Kleber (born 1992), basketball player *Joseph Küffner (1776–1856), composer *Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria (1821–1912) *Ernst Mayr (1904–2005), evolutionary biologist *Waltraud Meier (born 1956), opera singer *Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (1545–1617), Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and leader of the Counter-Reformation *Johann Balthasar Neumann (1687–1753), architect and military engineer *
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
(born 1978), basketball player *Franz Oberthür (1745–1831), theologian *Cage (rapper), Christian "Cage" Palko (born 1973), American hip hop artist *Burkard Polster (born 1965), mathematician who runs the YouTube channel Mathologer *Anthony Randolph (born 1989), basketball player * Erich Rieger (born 1935), astrophysicist, discoverer of the Erich Rieger#Rieger periodicities, Rieger periodicities that permeate the Solar System *
Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculpture, sculptor and wood carving, woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic ar ...
(c. 1460–1531), German sculptor and woodcarver *Emy Roeder (1890–1971), expressionist sculptress and artist *Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923), physicist, discovered X-rays *
Philipp Franz von Siebold Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (17 February 1796 – 18 October 1866) was a German physician, botanist and traveler. He achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora and fauna and the introduction of Western medicine in Japan. He w ...
(1797–1866), physician and botanist, among the first Westerners to visit and work in Japan *Philipp Stöhr (1849–1911), anatomist *Stephanie Wehner (born 1977), quantum physicist and computer scientist


Twin towns – sister cities

Würzburg is Sister city, twinned with: * Bray, County Wicklow, Bray, Ireland * Caen, France * Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom * Mwanza, Tanzania * Ōtsu, Japan * Rochester, New York, Rochester, United States * Salamanca, Spain * Suhl, Germany * Trutnov, Czech Republic * Umeå Municipality, Umeå, Sweden * County Wicklow, Ireland


See also

*Bishopric of Würzburg


Notes


References


Further reading

* Avraham (Rami) Reiner
"The Role and Significance of the Titles written on the Tombstones in the Wurzburg Cemetery,"
*Congress – Tourismus – Wirtschaft (A municipal enterprise of the City of Würzburg): ''Würzburg. Visitors' Guide.'' Würzburg 2007. A leaflet.


External links

*
The Story of the Jewish Community in Würzburg
– on the Yad Vashem website {{DEFAULTSORT:Wurzburg Würzburg, Würzburg (district) Holocaust locations in Germany Populated places on the Main basin Populated riverside places in Germany