Bamberg

Bamberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from getting near to Bamberg. Bamberg is home to nearly 7,000 foreign nationals, including over 4,100 members of the United States Army and their dependents. The name Bamberg is supposed to have its origin in the House of Babenberg.

History

During the post-Roman centuries of Germanic migration and settlement, the region afterwards included in the Diocese of Bamberg was inhabited for the most part by Slavs. The town, first mentioned in 902, grew up by the castle (Babenberch) which gave its name to the Babenberg family. On their extinction it passed to the Saxon house. The area was Christianized chiefly by the monks of the Benedictine Fulda Abbey, and the land was under the spiritual authority of the Diocese of Würzburg.

In 1007, Henry II, King of the Romans, made Bamberg a family inheritance, the seat of a separate diocese. The emperor's purpose in this was to make the Diocese of Würzburg less unwieldy in size and to give Christianity a firmer footing in the districts of Franconia, east of Bamberg. In 1008, after long negotiations with the Bishops of Würzburg and Eichstätt, who were to cede portions of their dioceses, the boundaries of the new diocese were defined, and Pope John XVIII granted the papal confirmation in the same year. Henry II ordered the building of a new cathedral, which was consecrated May 6, 1012. The church was enriched with gifts from the pope, and Henry II had it dedicated in honor of him. In 1017 Henry II also founded Michaelsberg Abbey on the Michaelsberg ("Mount St. Michael"), near Bamberg, a Benedictine abbey for the training of the clergy. The emperor and his wife Cunigunde gave large temporal possessions to the new diocese, and it received many privileges out of which grew the secular power of the bishop. Pope Benedict VIII during his visit to Bamberg (1020) placed the diocese in direct dependence on the Holy See. For a short time Bamberg was the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Henry and Cunigunde were both buried in the cathedral.

From the middle of the 13th century onward the bishops were princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of monumental buildings. In 1248 and 1260 the see obtained large portions of the estates of the Counts of Meran, partly through purchase and partly through the appropriation of extinguished fiefs. The old Bishopric of Bamberg was composed of an unbroken territory extending from Schlüsselfeld in a northeasterly direction to the Franconian Forest, and possessed in addition estates in the Duchies of Carinthia and Salzburg, in the Nordgau (the present Upper Palatinate), in Thuringia, and on the Danube. By the changes resulting from the Reformation, the territory of this see was reduced nearly one half in extent.

The witch trials of the 17th century claimed hundreds of victims, as they did in England, in Bamberg and reached a climax between 1626 and 1631 under the rule of Prince-Bishop Johann Georg II Fuchs von Dornheim. The famous Drudenhaus (witch prison), built in 1627, is no longer standing today; however, detailed accounts of some cases, like that of Johannes Junius, remain.

In 1647, the University of Bamberg was founded as Academia Bambergensis. Bambrzy (Ger. Posen Bambergers) – German Poles are descendants of settlers from the area near Bamberg, who settled in villages around Posen in the years 1719 –1753. In 1759, the possessions and jurisdictions of the diocese situated in Austria were sold to that state. When the secularization of church lands took place (1802) the diocese covered and had a population of 207,000. Bamberg thus lost its independence in 1802, becoming part of Bavaria in 1803.

Bamberg was first connected to the German rail system in 1844, which has been an important part of its infrastructure ever since. After a communist uprising took control over Bavaria in the years following World War I, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed there for almost two years before the Bavarian capital of Munich was retaken by Freikorps units (see Bavarian Soviet Republic). The first republican constitution of Bavaria was passed in Bamberg, becoming known as the Bamberger Verfassung (Bamberg Constitution).

In February 1926 Bamberg served as the venue for the famous Bamberg Conference, convened by Adolf Hitler in his attempt to foster unity and to stifle dissent within the young NSDAP. Bamberg was chosen for its location in Upper Franconia, reasonably close to the residences of the members of the dissident northern Nazi faction but still within Bavaria.See generally See also

In 1973, the town celebrated the 1000th anniversary of its founding.

Historic population

Historic beer

Bamberg is known for Rauchbier (or smoked beer in English). The most famous is Schlenkerla's Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier from the Heller brewery; it can be enjoyed at the Schlenkerla tavern on the Dominikaner Strasse in the Old Town.

Bamberg is currently (2009) home to eight traditional breweries (Brauerei Fässla, Brauerei Greifenklau, Brauerei Heller-Trum (Schlenkerla), Brauerei Kaiserdom, Keesmann Bräu, Klosterbräu, Mahrs Bräu, and Brauerei Spezial) and one modern brewpub (Ambräusianum)Ambräusianum, Bamberg—an unusually high number for a city of 70,000.

Geography

Bamberg is located in Franconia, north of Nuremberg by railway and east of Würzburg, also by rail. It is situated on the Regnitz river, before it flows into the Main river.

Its geography is shaped by the Regnitz and by the foothills of the Steigerwald, part of the German uplands. From northeast to southwest, the town is divided into first the Regnitz plain, then one large and several small islands formed by two arms of the Regnitz (Inselstadt), and finally the part of town on the hills, the "Hill Town" (Bergstadt).

Bamberg extends over seven hills, each crowned by a beautiful church. This has led to Bamberg being called the "Franconian Rome" — although a running joke among Bamberg's tour guides is to refer to Rome instead as the "Italian Bamberg".

Sights

The Old Town of Bamberg is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, primarily because of its authentic medieval appearance. The city established a documentation centre in 2005 to support World Heritage activities. Some of the main sights are:

• Cathedral (1237), with the tombs of emperor Henry II and Pope Clement II
• Alte Hofhaltung, residence of the bishops in the 16th and 17th centuries
• Neue Residenz, residence of the bishops after the 17th century
• Old Town Hall (1386), built in the middle of the Regnitz River, accessible by two bridges
• Klein-Venedig ("Little Venice"), a colony of picturesque fishermen's houses from the 19th century along one side of the river Regnitz.
• Michaelsberg Abbey, built in the 12th century on one of Bamberg's "Seven Hills"
• Altenburg, castle, former residence of the bishops

Cathedral

The cathedral is a late Romanesque building with four grand towers. It was founded in 1004 by the emperor Henry II, finished in 1012 and consecrated on May 6, 1012. It was later partially destroyed by fire in 1081. The new cathedral, built by Saint Otto of Bamberg, was consecrated in 1111 and in the 13th century received its present late-Romanesque form.

The cathedral is long, broad, high, and the four towers are each about high. Of its many historic works of art may be mentioned the magnificent marble tomb of the founder and his wife, considered the masterpiece of the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider, and carved between 1499 and 1513. Another treasure of the cathedral is an equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman (). This statue, possibly belonging to the emperor Conrad III, most likely dates to approximately 1200. The statue also serves as a symbol of the city.

Neue Residenz

The Neue Residenz (New Palace) (1698-1704) was initially occupied by the prince-bishops, and from 1864 to 1867 by the deposed King Otto of Greece. The magnificent Rosengarten (Rose Garden) offers excellent views of the city.

The Altenburg is located at the highest of Bamberg's seven hills. It was mentioned for the first time in 902 BCE. Between 1251 and 1553 it was the residence of Bamberg's bishops. Destroyed in 1553 by Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, it was used, after scanty repairs, only as a prison, and increasingly decayed.

In 1801 doctor A. F. Marcus bought the castle and completely repaired it. His friend, the famous German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann, who was very impressed by the building, lived there for a while. The next owner, Anton von Greifenstein, founded in 1818 an association to save the castle. This society still maintains the whole property today. The Altenburg serves as a high-class restaurant and has a beautiful view.

Other sights

Other noteworthy churches are the Jakobskirche, an 11th-century Romanesque basilica; the St. Martinskirche; the Marienkirche or Obere Pfarrkirche (1320-1387), which has now been restored to its original pure Gothic style. The Michaelskirche, 12th-century Romanesque (restored), on the Michaelsberg, was formerly the church of the Benedictine Michaelsberg Abbey secularized in 1803 and now contains the Bürgerspital, or almshouse, and the museum and municipal art collections.

Of the bridges connecting the sections of the lower town, a very interesting one is the Obere Brücke, completed in 1455. Halfway across this, on an island, is the Rathaus or City Hall (rebuilt 1744-1756). The royal lyceum, formerly a Jesuit college, contains notable collections and the royal library of over 300,000 volumes. The picturesque Old Palace (Alte Hofhaltung) was built in 1591 on the site of an old residence of the counts of Babenberg. Noteworthy among the monuments of the town is the Maximilian fountain (1880), with statues of Maximilian I of Bavaria, the emperor Henry II and his wife, Conrad III and Saint Otto, bishop of Bamberg.

Education

The University of Bamberg, named Otto-Friedrich University, offers higher education in the areas of social science, business studies and the humanities, and is attended by more than 9300 students. Bamberg is also home to eight secondary schools called Gymnasien:

• Clavius-Gymnasium
• Dientzenhofer-Gymnasium
• Eichendorff-Gymnasium
• E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Gymnasium
• Franz-Ludwig-Gymnasium
• Kaiser-Heinrich-Gymnasium
• Maria-Ward-Gymnasium
• Theresianum

There are also numerous other institutes for primary, secondary, technical, vocational and adult education.

Infrastructure

Railway

The InterCityExpress main line #28 ( Munich - Nuremberg - Leipzig - Berlin / Hamburg) runs through Bamberg. To Munich the train journey takes about two hours. To Berlin it takes about four hours as of 2007; but construction of a new, shorter and faster connection through the Thuringian mountains has been underway for some years.
East-west connections are poorer. Bamberg is connected to other towns in eastern Upper Franconia such as Bayreuth, Coburg, and Kronach, with usually at least an hourly regional service. Connections to the west are hourly regional trains to Würzburg, which is fully connected to the ICE network. Tourists arriving at Frankfurt International Airport will have to change trains in Würzburg to get to Bamberg or take a detour via Nuremberg.

Motorways

Bamberg is not near any of the major (i.e. single-digit) Autobahns. But it is nevertheless well connected to the network: the A70 from Schweinfurt (connecting to the A7 there) to Bayreuth (connecting to the A9) runs along the northern edge of the town. The A73 on the eastern side of town connects Bamberg to Nuremberg (connecting to the A9) and Thuringia, ending at Suhl.

Air transport

Bamberg is served by Bamberg-Breitenau Airfield. At "Flugplatz Bamberg-Breitenau" are operating mostly public aircraft, although it is classificated as a military airport (IATA-Code: ZCD, ICAO-Code: ETEJ).
It is also possible to charter public flights to and from this airport.
Most international tourists who travel by plane arrive at Frankfurt International Airport or Munich Airport. The nearest bigger airport is Nuremberg Airport which can be reached within half an hour by car or one hour by train.

Water transport

The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal begins near Bamberg. With its completion in 1992, uninterrupted water transport was made possible between the North Sea and the Black Sea.

Local transport

Local transport within Bamberg relies exclusively on buses. More than 20 lines connect the outlying quarters and some villages in the vicinity to the Central Bus Station. In addition, there are several "Night Lines" (the last of these, though, tend to run around midnight) and some Park and Ride lines from parking lots on the periphery to the town centre.
A short-lived tram system existed in the 1920s.

Politics

Bamberg is an independent city. Its town council (Stadtrat) and its Lord Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) are elected every six years, though not in the same year. Thus, the last municipal election for the town council was in 2008, for the Lord Mayor in 2006.

As of March 2008, the 44 member-town-council comprises 15 CSU councillors, 10 SPD councillors, 7 Green councillors, 5 councillors of the Bamberger Bürger-Block and 3 of the Freie Wähler (Free Voters), both local political movements. These five parties achieved the number of councillors necessary to form a caucus. In addition, there are 2 councillors of the Bamberger Realisten and one of the FDP and the far-right Republicans (Germany), making them ineligible for caucus status.

This is the result of the municipal elections of 2 March 2008.

Lord Mayors since 1945

Twin towns

• Bedford, United Kingdom
• Esztergom, Hungary
• Feldkirchen, Austria
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Rodez, France
• Villach, Austria

Famous residents

• Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (1907-1944), German officer - July 20 Plot attempt to assassinate German dictator Adolf Hitler
• Conrad III of Germany, king of Germany
• E.T.A. Hoffmann, author and composer
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher
• Ida Noddack-Tacke, chemist and physicist; she discovered element 75 Rhenium
• Karl Friedrich Gottlob Wetzel, writer and illustrator Fränkischen Merkur
• Paul Maar, writer and illustrator
• Pope Clement II, bishop of Bamberg from 1040 to 1046
• Willy Messerschmitt (1898–1978), aircraft designer Flugzeugbau Messerschmitt GmbH
• Mike Rose, painter, set designer and writer

Gallery

See also

• Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
• Rintfleisch-Pogrom

References

• JewishEncyclopedia

External links

• Official website
• Bamberg info for visitors , , , , , ,
• Schlenkerla Brewery website ,
• Bamberg travel information
• Bamberger-Bier.de - everything you have to know about Bamberg's brewing tradition ,
• Bamberg beer guide
• US Army garrison Bamberg
• Description on the UNESCO World Heritage website
• Images from Bamberg ,

bar:Båmberg

bg:Бамберг ca:Bamberg cv:Бамберг cs:Bamberk da:Bamberg de:Bamberg et:Bamberg es:Bamberg eo:Bamberg fr:Bamberg hr:Bamberg id:Bamberg it:Bamberga he:במברג kk:Бамберг la:Bamberga lt:Bambergas lmo:Bamberg hu:Bamberg nah:Bamberg nl:Bamberg (stad) ja:バンベルク no:Bamberg nn:Bamberg uz:Bamberg pms:Bamberg pl:Bamberg pt:Bamberg ro:Bamberg ru:Бамберг simple:Bamberg sk:Bamberg sl:Bamberg sr:Бамберг fi:Bamberg sv:Bamberg th:แบมเบิร์ก uk:Бамберг vec:Bamberg vo:Bamberg (Bayern) zh:巴姆贝格

Categories: Buildings | Buildings in Germany | Buildings in , Germany | UNESCO World Heritage Sites | UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe and North America | UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany