Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from
Low German
Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
, local dialect: ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
, Germany, north of the
Harz
The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' der ...
Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river
Oker
The Oker () is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller (Germany), Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.
Origin and meanin ...
, which connects it to the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
via the rivers
Aller and
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
. In 2024, it had a
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 272,417. The Braunschweig-Wolfsburg-Salzgitter region had 1.02 million residents including the cities
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
and
Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
, it is the second largest urban center in Lower Saxony after
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
. The
urban agglomeration
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
of Braunschweig had a population of 551,000 with almost 45% having a
migration background
In the Germanosphere, ''migration background'' () is a term used to describe people on the basis of Identity politics, identity and ancestry. Migration background is a variably defined Social structure, socio-demographic characteristic that desc ...
, making it the most diverse urban agglomeration in the whole
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
. The city consists of 37.5% immigrants (approximately 102,000) with a high amount of migrants coming from other
European countries
The list below includes all entities falling even partially under any of the various common definitions of Europe, geographical or political. Fifty generally recognised sovereign states, Kosovo with limited, but substantial, international reco ...
,
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
. 73% of the
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
residing in Braunschweig come from different parts of the country, particularly
North Rhine Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
,
Hessen
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major historic cities are Da ...
and the
former states of East Germany. Braunschweig is considered a
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big city b ...
and a
regiopolis
In Germany, a regiopolis is a city outside the core of a metropolitan area, that serves as an independent driving force for development within a larger region. The concept is used to develop midsized urban regions within regional, national and g ...
. It is one of the largest regiopolitan cities in Northern Germany and the largest regiopolis in Lower Saxony. The city is seen as a major hub within the region due to it having multiple characteristics of a metropolitan city in a smaller scale or in a comparative amount to other metropolitan
cities
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in Germany.
56.8% or 109.2 km² of the city's area is made up of
greenspaces such as
parks and
forests
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...
. Braunschweig has a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 3,285 per km² excluding the green areas because only about 82.8 km² of the total area is properly urban, making it quite a dense city. Many districts of the city have a density over 3,300 people per square kilometer such as Weststadt, Innenstadt, Westliches Ringgebiet, Nordstadt, or Östliches Ringgebiet. Due to the city's limited urban core and efforts in preserving green spaces, 81% of the residential buildings are multi-storey apartments limiting 74% of the flats with a space below 100 square meters. The city is constructing more residential areas within city limits so that by 2030 the population increases over 20%.
A powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany, Brunswick was a member of the
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...
from the 13th until the 17th century. It was the capital city of three successive states: the
Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel () was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, whose history was characterised by numerous divisions and reunifications. It had an area of 3,828 square kilometres in the mid 17th century. Va ...
(1269–1432, 1754–1807, and 1813–1814), the
Duchy of Brunswick
The Duchy of Brunswick () was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918. Its capital city, capital was the city of Braunschweig, Brunswick (). It was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ...
(1814–1918), and the
Free State of Brunswick
The Free State of Brunswick () was a Administrative divisions of Weimar Germany, state of the German Reich in the time of the Weimar Republic. It was formed after the abolition of the Duchy of Brunswick in the course of the German revolution of ...
(1918–1946).
Today, Brunswick is the second-largest city in Lower Saxony and a major centre of
scientific research
The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
and development.
History
Foundation and early history
The date and circumstances of the town's foundation are unknown. Tradition maintains that Brunswick was created through the merger of two settlements, one founded by
Brun(o), a
Saxon
The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
count who died in 880, on one side of the River Oker – the legend gives the year 861 for the foundation – and the other the settlement of a legendary
Count Dankward, after whom
Dankwarderode Castle
Dankwarderode Castle () on the ''Burgplatz'' ("castle square") in Braunschweig (Brunswick) is a Saxon lowland castle. It was the residence of the Brunswick dukes for centuries and, today, is part of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum.
Constructio ...
(the "Castle of Dankward's clearing"), which was reconstructed in the 19th century, is named.
The town's original name of ''Brunswik'' may be a combination of the name Bruno and
Low German
Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
''wik'' (related to the Latin ''vicus''), a place where merchants rested and stored their goods. The town's name, therefore, may indicate a resting place, consistent with its location by a
ford across the Oker River. An alternative explanation of the city's name is that it comes from ''Brand'', or burning, indicating a place which developed after the landscape was cleared through burning. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church from 1031, which give the city's name as ''Brunesguik''.
Middle Ages and early modern period

Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family of the
Brunonids
The Brunonids (or Brunonians, , , i.e. "Brunos") were a Saxon noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia (around Brunswick) and Frisia.
The Brunonids are assumed to be descendants of Brun, Duke of Saxony (d. ...
; then, through marriage, the town fell to the
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...
. In 1142,
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty.
Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...
of the House of Welf became duke of
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
and made Braunschweig the capital of his state (which, from 1156 on, also included the
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria () was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarians, Bavarian tribes and ruled by List of rulers of Bavaria, dukes (''duces'') ...
). He turned Dankwarderode Castle, the residence of the counts of
Brunswick, into his own ''
Pfalz
Pfalz, Pfälzer, or Pfälzisch are German words referring to Palatinate (disambiguation), Palatinate.
They may refer to:
Places
*Pfalz, the Palatinate (region) of Germany
**Nordpfalz, the North Palatinate
**Vorderpfalz, the Anterior Palatinat ...
'' and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. The
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
subsequently became the city's landmark.
Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to the Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aa ...
, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King
Henry II of England
Henry II () was King of England
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...
's daughter
Matilda, sister of
Richard the Lionheart
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
. However, Henry's son
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded fr ...
, who regained influence and was eventually crowned
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
, continued to foster the city's development.
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, Brunswick was an important center of trade, one of the economic and political centers in Northern Europe and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century to the middle of the 17th century. By the year 1600, Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. Although formally one of the residences of the rulers of the
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg (), commonly known as the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg or Brunswick-Lüneburg, was an imperial principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the territory of present day Lower Saxony.
In 1235, Otto I, Duke of ...
, a constituent state of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, Brunswick was ''
de facto'' ruled independently by a powerful class of
patricians
The patricians (from ) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after the Conflict of the Orders (494 BC to 287 B ...
and the
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
s throughout much of the
Late Middle Ages
The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...
and the
Early modern period
The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...
. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's
burghers, the
Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who ruled over one of the subdivisions of Brunswick-Lüneburg, finally moved their ''
Residenz
''Residenz'' () is a German word for "domicile", now obsolete except in the formal sense of an official residence. A related term, ''Residenzstadt'', denotes a city where a sovereign ruler resided, and thus carries a similar meaning to the contemp ...
'' out of the city and to the nearby town of
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...
in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel did not regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when
Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, took the city by siege.
In the 18th century Brunswick was not only a political, but also a cultural centre. Influenced by the philosophy of the
Enlightenment, dukes like
Anthony Ulrich and
Charles I became patrons of the arts and sciences. In 1745, Charles I founded the ''Collegium Carolinum'', predecessor of the
Brunswick University of Technology, and in 1753 he moved the ducal residence back to Brunswick. With this he attracted poets and thinkers such as
Lessing Lessing is a German surname of Slavic origin. The original Sorbian form, ''Lěsnik'', means either "forest dweller" or "woodman", ''lěs'' meaning "wood forest".
People with the surname Lessing include a German family of writers, artists, musicians ...
,
Leisewitz, and
Jakob Mauvillon to his court and the city. ''
Emilia Galotti
''Emilia Galotti'' () is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781), which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Braunschweig, Brunswick (''Braunschweig'' in German). The work is an example of German ''bürgerliches Trauerspiel'' (bourg ...
'' by Lessing and
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's ''
Faust
Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
'' were performed for the first time in Brunswick.
19th century
In 1806, the city was captured by the
French during the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
and became part of the short-lived
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
ic
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a client state of First French Empire, France in present-day Germany that existed from 1807 to 1813. While formally independent, it was ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte. It was named after Westphalia, ...
in 1807. The exiled Duke
Frederick William The name Frederick William usually refers to several monarchs and princes of the Hohenzollern dynasty:
* Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (1620–1688)
* Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1675–1713)
* Frederick William I of ...
raised a volunteer corps, the
Black Brunswickers
The Brunswick Ducal Field-Corps (), commonly known as the Black Brunswickers, was a volunteer military unit raised by Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel during the Napoleonic Wars. The Duke was a strong opponent of Napoleon's occ ...
, who fought the French in several battles.
After the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
in 1815, Brunswick was made capital of the re-established independent
Duchy of Brunswick
The Duchy of Brunswick () was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918. Its capital city, capital was the city of Braunschweig, Brunswick (). It was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ...
, later a constituent state of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
from 1871. In the aftermath of the
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...
in 1830, in Brunswick duke
Charles II was forced to abdicate. His
absolutist governing style had previously alienated the nobility and
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
, while the lower classes were disaffected by the bad economic situation. During the night of 7–8 September 1830, the
ducal palace in Brunswick was stormed by an angry mob, set on fire, and destroyed completely. Charles was succeeded by his brother
William VIII. During William's reign, liberal reforms were made and Brunswick's parliament was strengthened.
During the 19th century,
industrialisation
Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for th ...
caused a rapid growth of population in the city, eventually causing Brunswick to be for the first time significantly enlarged beyond its medieval
fortifications
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...
and the River Oker. On 1 December 1838, the first section of the
Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway line connecting Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel opened as the first railway line in Northern Germany, operated by the
Duchy of Brunswick State Railway.
Early to mid-20th century

On 8 November 1918, at the end of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, a
socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
workers' council
A workers' council, also called labour council, is a type of council in a workplace or a locality made up of workers or of temporary and instantly revocable delegates elected by the workers in a locality's workplaces. In such a system of polit ...
forced Duke
Ernest Augustus to abdicate. On 10 November, the council proclaimed the Socialist Republic of Brunswick under one-party government by the
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (, USPD) was a short-lived political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of anti-war members of t ...
(USPD); however, the subsequent
''Landtag'' election on 22 December 1918 was won by the
Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: , MSPD) was the name officially used by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) between April 1917 and September 1922. The name differentiated it from the Independent Social Democratic ...
(MSPD), and the USPD and MSPD formed a
coalition government
A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...
. An uprising in Braunschweig in 1919, led by the
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
Spartacus League
The Spartacus League () was a Marxism, Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during World War I. It was founded in August 1914 as the International Group by Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Clara Zetkin, and other members of the So ...
, was defeated when ''
Freikorps
(, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...
'' troops under
Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker took over the city on order of the German Minister of Defence,
Gustav Noske
Gustav Noske (9 July 1868 – 30 November 1946) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as the first Minister of Defence (''Reichswehrminister'') of the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1920. Noske was known for u ...
. An MSPD-led government was subsequently established; in December 1921, a new
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
was approved for the
Free State of Brunswick
The Free State of Brunswick () was a Administrative divisions of Weimar Germany, state of the German Reich in the time of the Weimar Republic. It was formed after the abolition of the Duchy of Brunswick in the course of the German revolution of ...
, now a
parliamentary republic
A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the Executive (government), executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). ...
within the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
, again with Braunschweig as its capital.
After the ''Landtag'' election of 1930, Brunswick became the second state in Germany where the
Nazis
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
participated in government, when the
National Socialist German Workers' Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
(NSDAP) formed a coalition government with several conservative and right-wing parties. With the support of
Dietrich Klagges, Brunswick's minister of the interior, the NSDAP organized a large
SA rally in Braunschweig. On 17–18 October 1931, 100,000 SA stormtroopers marched through the city; street fights between Nazis, socialists, and communists left several dead or injured. On 25 February 1932, the state of Brunswick granted
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
German citizenship to allow him to run in the
1932 German presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Germany on 13 March 1932, with a runoff on 10 April. Independent incumbent Paul von Hindenburg won a second seven-year term against Adolf Hitler of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Communist Party of Germany, Communist ...
. In Braunschweig, Nazis carried out several attacks on political enemies, with the acquiescence of the state government.
After the
Nazi seizure of power
The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...
in 1933, several state institutions were placed in Braunschweig, including the ''
Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt
The ''Deutsche Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt'' (LFA/German Aeronautical Research Institute, also known as the '' Hermann Göring Research Institute'') was a secret German facility for airframe, aeroengine, and aircraft weapons testing during the ...
'' in
Völkenrode, the
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...
Academy for Youth Leadership, and the
SS-
Junkerschule Braunschweig. With the
Reichswerke Hermann Göring
Reichswerke Hermann Göring ("Hermann Göring Reich Works") was an industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate in Nazi Germany from 1937 until 1945. It was established to extract and process domestic iron ores from Salzgitter that were deemed ...
in
Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
and the
Stadt des KdF-Wagens, as well as several factories in the city itself (including
Büssing
Büssing AG was a German bus and truck manufacturer, established in 1903 by Heinrich Büssing (1843–1929) in Braunschweig. It quickly evolved to one of the largest European producers, whose utility vehicles with the Brunswick Lion emblem were w ...
and the
Volkswagenwerk Braunschweig), the Braunschweig region became one of the centres of the German
arms industry.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Braunschweig was a sub-area headquarters of
Wehrkreis XI (one of Germany's military districts), and was the garrison city of the
31st Infantry Division that took part in the invasions of Poland, Belgium, and France, largely being destroyed during its retreat following the invasion of Russia. In this period, thousands of
Eastern workers were brought to the city as
forced labor
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
, and in the 1943–1945 period at least 360 children taken away from such workers died in the ''
Entbindungsheim für Ostarbeiterinnen'' ("Maternity Ward for Eastern Workers").
In 1944, two
subcamps of the
Neuengamme concentration camp
Neuengamme was a network of Nazi concentration camps in northern Germany that consisted of the main camp, Neuengamme, and List of subcamps of Neuengamme, more than 85 satellite camps. Established in 1938 near the village of Neuengamme, Hamburg, N ...
were established in Braunschweig. The subcamp ''Schillstraße'' or ''Büssing-NAG/Schillstraße'', located where the BraWo Park's parking lot is today, held about 800 male prisoners, who were forced to work in the arms production at
Büssing-NAG. After about 300 had died due to disease, hunger, and maltreatment over the course of just a few months, a further 200 were transferred to the infirmary of a nearby subcamp in early January 1945 in order to reduce the number of deaths. However, this was only effective to some degree, as another 80 bodies landed in the city's crematory until the subcamp's closing in March 1945, when Büssing-NAG had to halt production due to severe bombing damages.
Today the
Gedenkstätte Schillstraße'' located very close to the former premises of the subcamp, documents Braunschweig's history during the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
.
Büssing-NAG also had another subcamp in the nearby
Vechelde, which held a further 400 male prisoners.
The subcamp ''SS-Reitschule'', named so as it was located on the former premises of the
SS-Junker School's riding school, held approximately 800 prisoners, all female, who were tasked with clearing away rubble. This subcamp was commissioned by the city of Braunschweig. Although it was only open for two months - from December 1944 until February 1945, there were at least 17 deaths and a transfer of about 50 prisoners to a nearby subcamp's infirmary. The number of survivors is unknown.
Piera Sonnino (1922–1999), an Italian author, writes of her imprisonment in Braunschweig in her book, ''This Has Happened'', published in English in 2006 by MacMillan Palgrave.
The
Allied air raid on October 15, 1944, destroyed most of the city's churches, and the ''Altstadt'' (old town), the largest homogeneous ensemble of half-timbered houses in Germany. 100 out of 800 half-timbered houses survived as well as the most important places and streets, preserved in 5 areas of the old town.
The city's cathedral, which had been converted to a ''Nationale Weihestätte'' (national shrine) by the Nazi government, still stood.
Postwar period to the 21st century
About 10% of the inner city survived Allied bombing and remain to represent its distinctive architecture. The cathedral was restored to its function as a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
church. Outside the old town city centre large historic quarters remain like
Östliches Ringgebiet with its
Gründerzeit
The (; ) was a period of Economic history of Europe (1000 AD–present), European economic history in mid- and late-19th century German Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary between Industrialization in Germany, industrialization and the great P ...
architecture.
Politically, after the war, the Free State of Brunswick was dissolved by the
Allied occupying authorities, Braunschweig ceased to be a capital, and most of its lands were incorporated in the newly formed state of
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
.
During the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, Braunschweig, then part of
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
, suffered economically due to its proximity to the
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
. The city lost its historically strong economic ties to what was then
East Germany
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
; for decades, economic growth remained, on average, below the rest of the country while unemployment was above-average for West Germany.
On 28 February 1974, as part of a district reform in Lower Saxony, the
rural district
A rural district was a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. I ...
of
Braunschweig
Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...
, which had surrounded the city, was disestablished. The major part of the former district was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig, increasing its population by roughly 52,000 people.
In the 1990s, efforts increased to reconstruct historic buildings that had been destroyed in the air raid. The façade of the ''
Braunschweiger Schloss'' was rebuilt, and buildings such as the ''Alte Waage'' (originally built in 1534) now stand again.
Population
Braunschweig has a population of 272,000 and is the 2nd largest city in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
. Braunschweig is considered as one of the oldest cities in Germany, founded in 1031 by
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty.
Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...
. Braunschweig first reached its peak of over 100,000 in 1890. In the 1960s and 1970s industrialization boomed in Braunschweig due to automobile and other companies coming to Braunschweig and surrounding cities like
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
and
Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
. Braunschweig's population reached its highest peak of population in 1975 with population of about 273,000 and is expected to exceed this count during the year 2025 and other years. Braunschweig's population started to decline in the 1980s. In the 1990s - after the
German reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
- it began to grow again as many East Germans moved there due to its close proximity to former
East Germany
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
, 75% of the Germans living in Braunschweig come from different parts of Germany; most are from
Former East Germany,
Hessen
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major historic cities are Da ...
and
North Rhine Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
. Currently, Braunschweig has a strong focus on research and development. According to 2019 data, it has the highest
R&D intensity (ratio of R&D expenditure to
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...
) in the entire EU and over 4% of all employed people are R&D personnel.
Religion
In 2015, 91,785 people (or 36.3% of the population) were
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
and 34,604 (13.7%) people were
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
; 126,379 people (50.0%) either adhered to other denominations or followed no religion.
Islam
Roughly 27,000 Muslims (9.8% of the population)
were in Braunschweig during 2024. Mosques like DMK Moschee, Fatih Moschee Braunschweig and cultural clubs are present throughout the city but mosque buildings with minerates have not been built in Braunschweig but can be seen in its
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
for example the Grüne Moschee in Wolfenbüttel, Fatih Moschee Salzgitter and the Albanischer-Kulturverein in Gifhorn. The region had around 95,000 to 105,000 Muslims, accounting to approximately 10% of the total region's population.
Immigration
A total of 102,156 of Braunschweig's residents, including citizens with
second passport, had a
migration background
In the Germanosphere, ''migration background'' () is a term used to describe people on the basis of Identity politics, identity and ancestry. Migration background is a variably defined Social structure, socio-demographic characteristic that desc ...
in 2024 (37.5% of the total population). People from over 175 nations live in Braunschweig, contributing to its
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
atmosphere and demographics. A high proportion of foreigners in the city come from
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, something not seen in many cities in a similar size range. One of the main
asylums, for refugees and asylum seekers, of Lower Saxony is located in Braunschweig as well as multiple smaller asylums are present throughout the city too, contributing to a higher amount of migrants and refugees in the city compared to other parts of the state though a high number of them are not counted as residents. The city's
universities
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
and interest in increasing the number of families from foreign countries has led to a higher trend in immigration. Braunschweig has had a relatively stable population because of multiple housing restrictions and other factors but many Germans are leaving the city so in order to take up their spaces, many foreigners are coming to the city. Multiple
residential areas are being constructed in order to withstand the high inflow of migrants to the city.
By the year
2030
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1 – 1934 in literature, Books, 1934 in film, films and other works published in 1934 will enter the public domain.
* February 1 – February 17 – The 2030 Winter Olympics is scheduled to be held ...
, over 44% of the population in Braunschweig is projected to have a foreign background, this includes first and second
generation
A generation is all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It also is "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and b ...
foreigners and
naturalized foreigners due to around 51% of the population below 18 having foreign ancestry and high immigration rate. The population is also expected to increase by 20% by the year 2030 from 2020.
Weststadt has the highest migration percentage of all
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
being 63.2%, followed by Nordstadt-Schunteraue with 55.8%, Westliches Ringgebiet with 52.4% and
Mitte
Mitte () is the first and most central borough of Berlin. The borough consists of six sub-entities: Mitte proper, Gesundbrunnen, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Tiergarten and Wedding.
It is one of the two boroughs (the other being Friedrichshain-Kreuz ...
with 49.6%.
Among the 37.5% of people with a migration background, 47,946 were Non-German citizens (17.6%);
the following table lists up the largest minority groups, including citizens with a
migration background
In the Germanosphere, ''migration background'' () is a term used to describe people on the basis of Identity politics, identity and ancestry. Migration background is a variably defined Social structure, socio-demographic characteristic that desc ...
from a specific nation or region:
43,537 residents in the city are from Asia and largest groups of people from Asia are
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
(10.665),
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
(5.770),
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
(4.235),
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(3.100) and
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
(3.085).
From other European countries, there are 38,734 residents with majority of the people coming from
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
(13.365),
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
(8.278),
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
(3.630) and
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
(3.462).
15,398 people with African descent live in the city.
Majority are from
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
(2.233),
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
(2.215),
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
(1.100) and
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
(871).
The combined population of residents with decent from bot
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
is 4,233 with the two most predominant nations present being
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
(786) and
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
(713).
Urban agglomeration
The
urban agglomeration
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
area of Braunschweig is approximately 551,000 in 2024, making it one of the largest
regiopolis
In Germany, a regiopolis is a city outside the core of a metropolitan area, that serves as an independent driving force for development within a larger region. The concept is used to develop midsized urban regions within regional, national and g ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and the largest one in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
. This area includes
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...
,
Meine, northern parts of
Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
,
Weddel,
Sickte,
Timmerlah,
Lengede and other towns and regions within a 15 kilometer radius though Salzgitter is an exception being 20 kilometers away. The field area and green spaces are not counted because a high amount of the areas are not registered. Braunschweig's urban area makes it a bigger city compared to others with a similar size e.g.
Aachen
Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants.
Aachen is locat ...
,
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
or
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
, and since the urban area is not significantly smaller than
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
, it makes itself an important and major city in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
. Companies like
New Yorker
New Yorker may refer to:
* A resident of New York:
** A resident of New York City and its suburbs
*** List of people from New York City
** A resident of the New York (state), State of New York
*** Demographics of New York (state)
* ''The New Yor ...
,
Salzgitter AG,
Jägermeister
( , ) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation, and the drink contin ...
,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
,
Bosch,
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
,
Nordzucker,
Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne
* Continen ...
, and others are headquartered or have a branch in this area.
The
metropolitan population of Braunschweig is 1.66 million and is considered as
Region Braunschweig, including cities and towns such as Wolfsburg, Goslar or Gifhorn, which is the further range of Braunschweig and is not the same as the smaller ranged urban aggomeration.
The metropolitan region of Braunschweig is a subdivision of the larger
Metropolregion Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg.
Information about the urban agglomeration in 2024
The population of the urban aggomeration with a
migration background
In the Germanosphere, ''migration background'' () is a term used to describe people on the basis of Identity politics, identity and ancestry. Migration background is a variably defined Social structure, socio-demographic characteristic that desc ...
in 2024 was 246,995: almost 45% of the population.
This makes the agglomeration one of the most diverse in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and the most in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
. Over 70% of the Germans in the urban agglomeration come from different parts of Germany with most of them coming from eastern States due to the proximity. The city is unique because unlike most cities with immigrant populations concentrated inside the city itself, higher number of migrant populations are also found in surrounding areas. Braunschweig's
urban agglomeration
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
has a higher
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
percentage compared to its city due to industrialization and other major factors since 2011. One of the largest
Chinese,
Indian,
Cameroonian,
Russians
Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
,
Polish,
Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...
and
Tunisian communities in Germany are located in the surroundings and within Braunschweig.
Braunschweig-Salgitter-Wolfsburg Area
The three cities form a
Oberzentren and a
sub-metropolitan area.
The area is primarily dependent on the
steel
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...
,
automotive and R&D
industries. The population of the area is a bit over 1 million (1,014,477) as of 2023. The three main cities have a total population of 512,600, where over half the population lives. The area has 40.6% of the population with a migration background. The area contributes highly to the economy of the country especially due to Volkswagen, Siemens, Salzgitter AG and other companies. The area has one of the highest GDP per Capita in the whole of Europe with Wolfsburg having the highest in the whole country and Braunschweig having one of the highest.
Climate
Braunschweig's climate is classified as
oceanic (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Cfb'';
Trewartha: ''Dobk''). The average annual temperature in Braunschweig is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
The Braunschweig weather station has recorded the following extreme values:
[
* Highest Temperature on 20 July 2022.
* Warmest Minimum on 10 July 2010.
* Coldest Maximum on 11 February 1929.
* Lowest Temperature on 11 February 1929.][
* Highest Daily Precipitation on 17 July 2002.
* Wettest Month in July 2002.
* Wettest Year in 2002.
* Driest Year in 1959.
* Earliest Snowfall: 4 October 1925.
* Latest Snowfall: 22 April 1929.
* Longest annual sunshine: 2,128.2 hours in 2018.
* Shortest annual sunshine: 1,270.4 hours in 1960.
]
Main sights
*The ''Burgplatz'' (Castle Square), comprising a group of buildings of great historical and cultural significance: the Cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
( St Blasius, built at the end of the 12th century); the ''Burg Dankwarderode'' (Dankwarderode Castle) (a 19th-century reconstruction of the old castle of Henry the Lion); the Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
Town Hall (built in 1893–1900); as well as some picturesque half-timbered houses, such as the ''Gildehaus'' (Guild House), today the seat of the Craftsman's Association. In the centre of the square stands a copy of the '' Burglöwe'' (Brunswick Lion), a Romanesque statue of a lion, cast in bronze in 1166. The original statue can be seen in the museum of Dankwarderode Castle. The lion remains the symbol of Braunschweig today.
*The ''Altstadtmarkt'' ("Old Town market"), surrounded by the Old Town town hall (built between the 13th and the 15th centuries in Gothic style), and the ''Martinikirche'' (Church of Saint Martin, from 1195), with important historical houses including the ''Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus () is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics.
History
The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'')
The ...
'' (the former house of the drapers' guild, built sometime before 1268) and the ''Stechinelli-Haus'' (built in 1690) and a fountain from 1408.
*The ''Kohlmarkt'' ("coal market"), a market with many historical houses and a fountain from 1869.
*The ''Hagenmarkt'' ("Hagen
Hagen () is a city in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, on the southeastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme meet the Ruhr (river), Ruhr. In 2023, the ...
market"), with the 13th-century ''Katharinenkirche'' (Church of Saint Catherine) and the ''Heinrichsbrunnen'' ("Henry the Lion's Fountain") from 1874.
*The ''Magniviertel'' ( St Magnus' Quarter), a remainder of ancient Braunschweig, lined with cobblestoned streets, little shops and cafés, centred on the 13th-century ''Magnikirche'' (St Magnus' Church). Here is also the ''Rizzi-Haus'', a highly distinctive, cartoonish office building designed by architect James Rizzi
James Rizzi (October 5, 1950 – December 25, 2011) was an American pop artist who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
Biography
Rizzi graduated from University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He came up with the idea of 3D multiple ...
for the Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially, some 40 million people were ...
.
*The Romanesque and Gothic ''Andreaskirche'' (Church of Saint Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus.
The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...
), built mainly between the 13th and 16th centuries with stained glass by Charles Crodel. Surrounding the church are the '' Liberei'', the oldest surviving freestanding library building in Germany, and the reconstructed ''Alte Waage''.
*The Gothic '' Aegidienkirche'' (Church of Saint Giles
Saint Giles (, , , , ; 650 - 710), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 7th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly legendary. A ...
), built in the 13th century, with an adjoining monastery, which is today a museum.
*The '' Staatstheater'' (State Theatre), newly built in the 19th century, goes back to the first standing public theatre in Germany, founded in 1690 by Duke Anthony Ulrich.
*The ducal palace of Braunschweig was bombed in World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and demolished in 1960. The exterior was rebuilt to contain a palace museum, a library and a shopping centre, which opened in 2007.
*The baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
palace '' Schloss Richmond'' ("Richmond Palace"), built between 1768 and 1769 with a surrounding English garden
The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...
for Princess Augusta of Great Britain
Augusta of Great Britain (Augusta Frederica; 31 July 1737 – 23 March 1813) was a British princess, granddaughter of George II and the only elder sibling of George III. She was Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenb ...
, wife of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, to remind her of her home in England.
*The BraWoPark is a shopping and a business center near Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof ("Braunschweig Central Station
Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
") and contains three office towers, with the tallest having a height of 90 meters.
* Riddagshausen Abbey (German: ''Kloster Riddagshausen''), a former Cistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monastery, with the surrounding nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
and arboretum
An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
. The nature reserve ''Riddagshäuser Teiche'' is designated as an Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
and Special Protection Area
A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...
.
*Gründerzeit
The (; ) was a period of Economic history of Europe (1000 AD–present), European economic history in mid- and late-19th century German Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary between Industrialization in Germany, industrialization and the great P ...
quarters like östliches Ringgebiet, westliches Ringgebiet and Nordstadt-Schunteraue.
File:Braunschweiger Burgplatz.jpg, ''Burgplatz'', with Castle, Cathedral, lion, and Town Hall
File:Braunschweiger Loewe Original Brunswick Lion.jpg, Brunswick Lion, original on display in castle museum
File:Braunschweig, Rathaus (1).jpg, Town Hall
File:Braunschweig, Handwerkskammer.jpg, ''Veltheimsches Haus'' (left) and ''Gildehaus'' (right)
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Gewandhaus Ostfassade.jpg, ''Gewandhaus''
File:Braunschweig Altstadtrathaus mit Brunnen.jpg, ''Altstadtmarkt'', with Old Town town hall (left) and ''Stechinelli-Haus''
File:Braunschweig St.Martini 2005-01-23 (south).jpg, Church of St. Martin
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Ritter St Georg (2006).JPG, ''Altstadt'' ("Old Town")
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Haus zum Stern (2004).JPG, ''Haus zum Stern'' on ''Kohlmarkt''
File:Braunschweig, St. Katharinen, Heinrichsbrunnen (2).jpg, Church of St. Catherine and Henry the Lion's Fountain
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Magni-Kirche Turm Suedosten (2006).JPG, St. Magnus' Church
File:Braunschweig fachwerk 02.jpg, ''Magniviertel''
File:Happy RIZZI House Braunschweig von Süden.jpg, Happy Rizzi House
File:Braunschweig, St. Andreaskirche (2).jpg, ''Andreaskirche''
File:Braunschweig, Alte Waage (1).jpg, ''Alte Waage''
File:Aegidienkirche 03 1a.jpg, Church of St. Giles
File:TheaterBS.jpg, State Theatre
File:ECE Schloss 06u07 1b.jpg, Rebuilt exterior of Brunswick Palace
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Schloss Richmond Frontansicht.jpg, ''Schloss Richmond'' (Richmond Palace)
File:BS BraWoPark BusinessCenter II.JPG, alt=The second building of BraWoPark, Building BraWoPark
File:BS BraWoPark 3 Baustelle.JPG, alt=Third building for BraWoPark, Business Center BraWoPark
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Klosterkirche Riddagshausen Osten (2006).jpg, Riddagshausen Abbey
File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Oestliches Ringgebiet (2011).JPG, Östliches Ringgebiet
File:Grundschule-Bueltenweg BS-Img01.jpg, Nördliches Ringgebiet
File:Wolfenbuettel Schloss (2006).jpg, Wolfenbüttel Castle in nearby Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...
with its around 1,000 timber-framed
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
buildings
File:Botanischer Garten Braunschweig - Wasserfall.jpg, ''Botanischer Garten''
File:Braunschweig Brunswick Portikus Teich Buergerpark (2007).JPG, ''Bürgerpark''
File:Braunschweig park 02.jpg, ''Löwenwall''
File:Inselwallpark Plastik.jpg, ''Inselwallpark''
File:Museumpark Oker.JPG, ''Museumpark''
Parks and gardens
Parks and gardens in the city include the botanical garden ''Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Braunschweig'', founded in 1840 by Johann Heinrich Blasius, the ''Bürgerpark'', the ''Löwenwall'' with an obelisk from 1825, the ''Prinz-Albrecht-Park'', and the ''Inselwallpark''. Other parks and recreation areas are ''Stadtpark'', ''Westpark'', ''Theaterpark'', ''Museumpark'', ''Heidbergsee'', ''Südsee'', ''Ölpersee'', the zoo, zoological garden ''Arche Noah Zoo Braunschweig'' and the nearby Essehof Zoo.
Politics
Subdivisions
Braunschweig is made up of 19 boroughs (German: ''Stadtbezirke''), which themselves may consist of several quarters (German: ''Stadtteile'') each. The 19 boroughs, with their official numbers, are:
*112: Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach
*113: Hondelage
*114: Volkmarode
*120: Östliches Ringgebiet
*131: Innenstadt (Braunschweig), Innenstadt
*132: Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof
*211: Stöckheim-Leiferde
*212: Heidberg-Melverode
*213: Südstadt-Rautheim-Mascherode
*221: Weststadt
*222: Timmerlah-Geitelde-Stiddien
*223: Broitzem
*224: Rüningen
*310: Westliches Ringgebiet
*321: Lehndorf-Watenbüttel
*322: Veltenhof-Rühme
*323: Wenden-Thune-Harxbüttel
*331: Nordstadt
*332: Schunteraue
File:Braunschweig Stadtbezirke.png, Boroughs of Braunschweig
File:Braunschweig Stadtteile.png, ''Stadtteile'' of Braunschweig
File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Innenstadt (2011).JPG, ''Innenstadt''
File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Oestliches Ringgebiet (2011).JPG, ''Östliches Ringgebiet''
File:Braunschweig Madamenweg (2010).JPG, ''Westliches Ringgebiet''
File:Braunschweig Weststadt Luftbild.jpg, ''Weststadt''
File:Riddagshausen 5.jpg, ''Riddagshausen'' (''Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach'')
;Notes:
Mayor
The current mayor of Braunschweig is Thorsten Kornblum of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD); he has been mayor since 2021. The most recent mayoral election was held on 12 September 2021, with a runoff held on 26 September, and the results were as follows:
! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate
! rowspan=2, Party
! colspan=2, First round
! colspan=2, Second round
, -
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
, -
,
, align=left, Thorsten Kornblum
, align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party
, 41,734
, 38.4
, 79,861
, 65.9
, -
,
, align=left, Kaspar Haller
, align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union
, 29,011
, 26.7
, 41,401
, 34.1
, -
,
, align=left, Tatjana Schneider
, align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens
, 24,802
, 22.8
, -
,
, align=left, Mirco Hanker
, align=left, Alternative for Germany
, 4,704
, 4.3
, -
,
, align=left, Birgit Huvendieck
, align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig
, 3,215
, 3.0
, -
,
, align=left, Anke Schneider
, align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left
, 2,827
, 2.6
, -
,
, align=left, Thomas Hofmann
, align=left, Die PARTEI
, 1,904
, 1.7
, -
,
, align=left, Erdmann Gust
, align=left, Independent politician, Independent
, 614
, 0.6
, -
! colspan=3, Valid votes
! 108,811
! 99.3
! 121,262
! 98.1
, -
! colspan=3, Invalid votes
! 721
! 0.7
! 2,407
! 1.9
, -
! colspan=3, Total
! 109,532
! 100.0
! 123,669
! 100.0
, -
! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout
! 197,728
! 55.4
! 197,414
! 62.6
, -
, colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig
City council
The Braunschweig city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows:
! colspan=2, Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
, -
,
, align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD)
, 93,546
, 29.5
, 3.5
, 16
, 2
, -
,
, align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
, 71,880
, 22.7
, 10.6
, 12
, 5
, -
,
, align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
, 69,670
, 22.0
, 4.2
, 12
, 2
, -
,
, align=left, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party (FDP)
, 18,704
, 5.9
, 1.4
, 3
, 1
, -
,
, align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig
, 16,778
, 5.3
, 0.7
, 3
, ±0
, -
,
, align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD)
, 13,512
, 4.3
, 4.6
, 2
, 3
, -
,
, align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left (Die Linke)
, 12,428
, 3.9
, 0.7
, 2
, 1
, -
, -
,
, align=left, Volt Germany (Volt)
, 6,467
, 2.0
, New
, 1
, New
, -
,
, align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI)
, 6,302
, 2.0
, 0.5
, 1
, ±0
, -
,
, align=left, Pirate Party Germany, Pirate Party (Piraten)
, 3,261
, 1.0
, 1.4
, 1
, ±0
, -
,
, align=left, Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany, Grassroots Democratic Party (dieBasis)
, 2,999
, 0.9
, New
, 1
, New
, -
, colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey,
, -
,
, align=left, Alliance for Innovation and Justice (BIG)
, 1,646
, 0.5
, New
, 0
, New
, -
! colspan=2, Total
! 317,193
! 100.0
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Valid votes
! 107,850
! 98.5
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Invalid votes
! 1,606
! 1.5
!
!
!
, -
! colspan=2, Total
! 109,456
! 100.0
!
! 54
! ±0
, -
! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout
! 197,728
! 55.4
! 0.2
!
!
, -
, colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig
Transport
Braunschweig's city centre is mostly a car-free pedestrian zone.
Road
Two main autobahns serve Braunschweig, the Bundesautobahn 2, A2 (Berlin—Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
—Dortmund) and the Bundesautobahn 39, A39 (Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
—Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
). City roads are generally wide, as they were built after World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
to support the anticipated use of the car. There are several car parks in the city.
Bicycle
Many residents travel around town by bicycle using an extensive system of bicycle-only lanes. The main train station includes a bicycle parking area.
Train
The city is on the main rail line between Frankfurt and Berlin, as well as a small hub on a few South- and North-bound branches to Bad Harzburg; Salzgitter
Salzgitter (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Soltgitter'') is an independent city#Germany, independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitte ...
; Gifhorn and two electrified 2 track branches towards Lehrte (and the Hannover-Berlin mainline), and towards Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
linking to the same mainline.
Around 110,000 people use the main station daily.
Deutsche Bahn (German Railways, with their DB Regio Subsidiary) serves the city with a few local services, although Errix towards Uelzen (Northwards) and Bad Harzburg (Southwards) operate the aforementioned directions, as well as Hildesheim and Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
(West-East respectively) trains having been handed to Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft, Enno, and the RE70 service to Hannover being run by the Westfalenbahn.
Deutsche Bahn (German Railways, in this case their Fehrnverkehr subsidiary) operates inter-city and high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains, with frequent stops at Braunschweig Central Station, with usual next/last stops being Hannover; Hildesheim; Magdeburg (on the Frankfurt-Berlin mainline)or Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...
.
(German: ''Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof'').
Tram and bus
The Trams in Braunschweig, Braunschweig tramway network is an inexpensive and extensive long electric tramway system. First opened in 1897, it has been modernized, including a extension in 2007. The network has an Track gauge, gauge, unique for a European railway or tramway network. However, it is being supplemented in stages by a third rail, to allow future joint working with the main railway network. Projects to extend the tram system 18 Kilometers more are planned to be completed by the year 2030. The daily ridership of the trams in Braunschweig is 135,000 and 75,000 for the Busses with an approximate count of 65 million annual passengers using the public transport system.
The municipally owned Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG currently operates six tram lines and several bus lines. The tram lines are:
Air
Braunschweig Airport (BWE / EDVE) is located north of the city at , elev. .
Name
Many other geographical locations around the world are named Brunswick, after the historical English name of Braunschweig. Between 1714 and 1837, the House of Hanover ruled Great Britain in personal union with the Electorate of Hanover. The House of Hanover was formally known as the House of Welf, House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Hanover line. As a result, many places in British Empire, the British colonies were named after Brunswick, such as the province of New Brunswick in Canada.
Ironically, the city of Braunschweig was not ruled by the Hanoverians while its name was being given to other Brunswicks around the world. Starting in 1269, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg (), commonly known as the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg or Brunswick-Lüneburg, was an imperial principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the territory of present day Lower Saxony.
In 1235, Otto I, Duke of ...
underwent a series of divisions and mergers, with parts of the territory being transferred between various branches of the family. The city of Braunschweig went to the senior branch of the house, the List of rulers of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Wolfenbüttel line, while Lüneburg eventually ended up with the House of Hanover, Hanover line. Although the territory had been split, all branches of the family continued to style themselves as the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1884, the senior branch of the House of Welf became extinct. The Hanover line, being the last surviving line of the family, subsequently held the throne of the Duchy of Brunswick from November 1913 until November 1918.
Government offices
The offices of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA, "Federal Aviation Office") and the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) are located in Braunschweig.
Research and science
Braunschweig has been an important industrial area.
Today it is known for its Braunschweig University of Technology, University and research institutes, mainly the ''Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute'', the ''Julius Kühn-Institut'', and the ''Institute for Animal Food'' of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, until the end of 2007 all part of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre, the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The PTB Braunschweig maintains the atomic clock responsible for the DCF77 time signal and the official German time. In 2006 the region of Braunschweig was the most R&D-intensive area in the whole European Economic Area, investing 7.1% of its GDP for research & technology. In 2019, the figure had risen to 7.79%, making Braunschweig retain its ranking as the most R&D-intensive region in Germany. In 2007 Braunschweig was presented the City of Science award by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
Braunschweig University of Technology (German: ''Technische Universität Braunschweig'') was founded in 1745 and is the oldest member of TU9, an incorporated society of the nine most prestigious, oldest, and largest universities focusing on engineering and technology in Germany. With approximately 18,000 students, Braunschweig University of Technology is the third largest university in Lower Saxony.
Education
Also located in Braunschweig is the , a secondary school founded in 1415. It has had several notable pupils, such as Carl Friedrich Gauss, Hoffmann von Fallersleben, Richard Dedekind and Louis Spohr. Since 2004, Braunschweig also has an ''International School''. Other notable secondary schools include the Gymnasium Neue Oberschule, Gymnasium Gaussschule, , , , and .
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
's only university of art, founded in 1963, can be found in Braunschweig, the ''Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig'' (Braunschweig College of Fine Arts). The HBK is an institution of higher artistic and scientific education and offers the opportunity to study for interdisciplinary artistic and scientific qualifications. Additionally, one of the campuses of the Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften, Eastphalia University of Applied Sciences (German: ''Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften'', formerly ''Fachhochschule Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel'') was located in the city until 2010.
Economy
In 2015, the German weekly business news magazine ''Wirtschaftswoche'' ranked Braunschweig as one of the most dynamic economic spaces in all of Germany.
Braunschweig was one of the centres of the industrialization in Northern Germany. During the 19th and early 20th century the canning and railroad industries and the sugar production were of great importance for Braunschweig's economy, but eventually other branches such as the automotive industry became more important, while especially the canning industry began to vanish from the city after the end of World War II. The defunct truck and bus manufacturer Büssing
Büssing AG was a German bus and truck manufacturer, established in 1903 by Heinrich Büssing (1843–1929) in Braunschweig. It quickly evolved to one of the largest European producers, whose utility vehicles with the Brunswick Lion emblem were w ...
was headquartered in Braunschweig. Current factory, factories in the city include Volkswagenwerk Braunschweig, Volkswagen, Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
, Bombardier Transportation, and Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch.
The fashion label NewYorker, the publishing house Westermann Verlag, Nordzucker, Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Financial Services and Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Bank have their headquarters in the city as well as the Volkswagen utility vehicle holding. Also two major optical companies were headquartered in Braunschweig: Voigtländer and Rollei.
During the 1980s and early 1990s the computer companies Atari and Commodore International both had branches for development and production within the city.
Braunschweig is the home of two piano companies, both known worldwide for the high quality of their instruments: Wilhelm Schimmel, Schimmel and Grotrian-Steinweg. Both companies were founded in the 19th century. Additionally :de:Sandberg Guitars, Sandberg Guitars is based in Braunschweig.
Culture
Braunschweig is famous for ''Till Eulenspiegel'', a medieval jester who played many practical jokes on its citizens.
It also had many breweries, and still a very peculiar kind of beer is made called ''Brunswick Mum, Mumme'', first quoted in 1390, a malt-extract that was shipped all over the world. Two major breweries still produce in Braunschweig, the , founded in 1627, and the former brewery, founded in 1871, now operated by Oettinger Beer.
Braunschweiger (sausage), Braunschweiger Mettwurst, a soft, spreadable smoked pork sausage, is named after the city. Other traditional local dishes include Asparagus, white asparagus, ''Braunschweiger Lebkuchen'', ''Braunkohl'' (a variant of kale served with Bregenwurst), and ''Uhlen un Apen'' (Low German for "Owls and Guenons", a pastry).
Media
Braunschweig's major local newspaper is the ''Braunschweiger Zeitung'', first published in 1946. Papers formerly published in Braunschweig include the ''Braunschweigische Anzeigen''/''Braunschweigische Staatszeitung'' (1745–1934), the ''Braunschweigische Landeszeitung'' (1880–1936) and the ''Braunschweiger Stadtanzeiger''/''Braunschweiger Allgemeiner Anzeiger'' (1886–1941), and the social-democratic ' (1871–1933).
Near Braunschweig at Cremlingen-Abbenrode, there is a large medium wave transmitter, which transmits the program of ''Deutschlandfunk'' on 756 kHz, the Cremlingen transmitter.
Festivals
'':de:Schoduvel, Schoduvel'', a medieval Northern German form of Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, carnival was celebrated in Braunschweig as early as the 13th century. Since 1979 an annual Rosenmontag parade is held in Braunschweig, the largest in Northern Germany, which is named Schoduvel in honour of the medieval custom.
An annual ''Weihnachtsmarkt'' (Christmas market) is held in late November and December on the Burgplatz in the centre of Braunschweig. In 2008 the market had 900,000 visitors.
Museums and galleries
The city's most important museum is the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, a well known art museum and the oldest public museum in Germany, founded in 1754. It houses a collection of masters of Western art, including Albrecht Dürer, Dürer, Giorgione, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Cranach, Hans Holbein the Younger, Holbein, Anthony van Dyck, Van Dyck, Jan Vermeer, Vermeer, Peter Paul Rubens, Rubens, and Rembrandt.
The Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum, State Museum of Brunswick (''Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum''), founded in 1891, houses a permanent collection documenting the history of the Brunswick Land, Brunswick area ranging from its early history to the present.
The Municipal Museum of Brunswick (''Städtisches Museum Braunschweig''), founded in 1861, is a museum for art and cultural history, documenting the history of the city of Braunschweig.
The Naturhistorisches Museum (Braunschweig), State Natural History Museum is a zoology museum founded in 1754.
Other museums in the city include the Museum of Photography (''Museum für Photographie''), the Jewish Museum (''Jüdisches Museum''), the Museum for Agricultural Technology ''Gut Steinhof'', and the Friedrich Gerstäcker, Gerstäcker-Museum. Frequent exhibitions of contemporary art are also held by the Art Society of Braunschweig (German: ''Kunstverein Braunschweig''), housed in the ''Villa Salve Hospes'', a classicist villa built between 1805 and 1808.
Music and dance
The ''Braunschweig Classix Festival'' was an annual classical music festival. It is the largest promoter of classical music in the region and one of the most prominent music festivals in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
.
From 2001 to 2009, and again since 2013, the annual finals of the international breakdance competition Battle of the Year have been held at the Volkswagen Halle in Braunschweig.
''Braunschweiger TSC'' is among the leading competitive formation dance teams in the world and has won multiple World and European championship titles.
Sports
Braunschweig's major local Association football, football team is Eintracht Braunschweig. Founded in 1895, Eintracht Braunschweig can look back on a long and chequered history. Eintracht Braunschweig won the List of German football champions, German football championship in 1966–67 Bundesliga, 1967, and currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football, and attracts a large number of supporters. Braunschweig was also arguably the city in which the first ever game of football in Germany took place. The game had been brought to Germany by the local school teacher Konrad Koch, also the first to write down a German version of the Laws of the Game (association football), rules of football,[However, Koch's original German version of the rules of football, published in 1875, still resembled Rugby football—the unmodified rules of The Football Association were not commonly used in Germany before the 1900s.] who organized the first match between pupils from his school ''Martino-Katharineum'' in 1874. The 2011 German drama film Lessons of a Dream is based on Koch.
Eintracht Braunschweig also fields a successful women's field hockey team that claimed nine national championship titles between 1965 and 1978. In the past, the club also had first or second-tier teams in the sports of ice hockey, field handball, and water polo.
The New Yorker Lions (formerly Braunschweig Lions) are the city's American football team, winning a record number of 12 German Bowl titles, as well as five Eurobowls (a shared record).
The city's professional basketball team, the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig, plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the highest level in Germany. The Löwen's predecessor SG Braunschweig had previously played in the Bundesliga as well. Eintracht Braunschweig's women's basketball team plays in the , the second tier of women's basketball in Germany.
In handball, MTV Braunschweig, the city's oldest sports club (founded in 1847), plays in the semi-professional :de:3. Liga (Handball), 3. Liga.
Other sports clubs from Braunschweig that play or have played at the Bundesliga (disambiguation), Bundesliga or 2nd Bundesliga (disambiguation), 2nd Bundesliga level include (baseball), (field hockey), (handball), Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig (rugby union), and (volleyball).
Annual sporting events held in Braunschweig include the international Equestrianism, equestrian tournament ''Löwen Classics'', ''Rund um den Elm'', Germany's oldest Road bicycle racing, road bicycle race, and the professional tennis tournament ''Sparkassen Open''.
Twin towns – sister cities
Braunschweig is Sister city, twinned with:
* Bandung, Indonesia (1960)
* Nîmes, France (1962)
* Bath, Somerset, Bath, England (1971)
* Sousse, Tunisia (1980)
* Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel (1985)
* Magdeburg, Germany (1987)
* Kazan, Russia (1988)
* Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, United States (1992)
* Zhuhai, China (2011)
* Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay, (2024)
Notable people
;Alphabetical list of some notable people associated with Braunschweig
See also
*Hannover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region
Notes
References
Bibliography
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*Reinhard Bein, Ernst-August Roloff (eds.): ''Der Löwe unterm Hakenkreuz. Reiseführer durch Braunschweig und Umgebung 1930–1945.'' MatrixMedia Verlag, Göttingen 2010, .
*Luitgard Camerer, Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1992, .
*Oskar Doering: ''Braunschweig.'' E. A. Seemann, Leipzig 1905.
*Hermann Dürre: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Mittelalter.'' Grüneberg, Braunschweig 1861.
*Reinhard Dorn: ''Mittelalterliche Kirchen in Braunschweig.'' Niemeyer, Hameln 1978, .
*F. Fuhse (ed.): ''Vaterländische Geschichten und Denkwürdigkeiten der Lande Braunschweig und Hannover, Band 1: Braunschweig.'' 3rd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 1925.
*Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon. Ergänzungsband.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1996, .
*Otto Hohnstein: ''Braunschweig am Ende des Mittelalters.'' Ramdohr, Braunschweig 1886.
*Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Gerhard Schildt (eds.): ''Die Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte. Jahrtausendrückblick einer Region.'' 2nd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2001, .
*Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Dieter Lent et al. (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 8. bis 18. Jahrhundert.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, .
*Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Günter Scheel (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 19. und 20. Jahrhundert.'' Hahnsche Buchhandlung, Hannover 1996, .
*Jörg Leuschner, Karl Heinrich Kaufhold, Claudia Märtl (eds.): ''Die Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte des Braunschweigischen Landes vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.'' 3 vols. Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim 2008, .
*Richard Moderhack (ed.): ''Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte im Überblick.'' 3rd edition, Braunschweigischer Geschichtsverein, Braunschweig 1979.
*Richard Moderhack: ''Braunschweiger Stadtgeschichte.'' Wagner, Braunschweig 1997, .
*E. Oppermann: ''Landeskunde des Herzogtums Braunschweig. Geschichte und Geographie.'' E. Appelhans, Braunschweig 1911.
*Rudolf Prescher: ''Der Rote Hahn über Braunschweig.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1955.
*Birte Rogacki-Thiemann: ''Braunschweig. Eine kleine Stadtgeschichte.'' Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2005, .
*Ernst-August Roloff: ''Braunschweig und der Staat von Weimar.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1964.
*Ernst-August Roloff: ''Wie braun war Braunschweig? Hitler und der Freistaat Braunschweig.'' Braunschweiger Zeitung, Braunschweig 2003.
*Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Braunschweig – Das Bild der Stadt in 900 Jahren. Geschichte und Ansichten.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1985.
*Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Brunswiek 1031 – Braunschweig 1981. Die Stadt Heinrichs des Löwen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1982.
*Werner Spieß: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Nachmittelalter. Vom Ausgang des Mittelalters bis zum Ende der Stadtfreiheit 1491–1671.'' 2 vols., Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1966, .
*Henning Steinführer, Gerd Biegel (eds.): ''1913 – Braunschweig zwischen Monarchie und Moderne.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2015, .
External links
Official website
Daily newspaper Braunschweiger Zeitung
{{Authority control
Braunschweig,
Capitals of former nations
Duchy of Brunswick
Members of the Hanseatic League
Urban districts of Lower Saxony