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Coburg

Coburg (German pronunciation: [ˈkoːˌbʊʁk] (listen)) is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it was one of the capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Through successful dynastic policies, the ruling princely family married into several of the royal families of Europe, most notably in the person of Prince Albert, who married Queen Victoria in 1840. As a result of these close links with the royal houses of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Coburg was frequently visited by the crowned heads of Europe and their families.

Coburg
View over Coburg
Location of Coburg
Coburg
Coburg
Coordinates: 50°16′N 10°58′E / 50.267°N 10.967°E / 50.267; 10.967Coordinates: 50°16′N 10°58′E / 50.267°N 10.967°E / 50.267; 10.967
CountryGermany
StateBavaria
Admin. regionOberfranken
DistrictUrban district
Government
 • Lord mayor (2020–26) Dominik Sauerteig[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total48.30 km2 (18.65 sq mi)
Elevation
292 m (958 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total40,955
 • Density850/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
96450
Dialling codes09561
Vehicle registrationCO
Websitewww.coburg.de

Coburg is also the location of Veste Coburg, one of Germany's largest castles. In 1530, Martin Luther lived there for six months while translating the Bible into German (the Luther Bible).

Today, Coburg's population is close to 41,500. Since it was little damaged in World War II, Coburg retains many historic buildings, making it a popular tourist destination.

Geography

Location

Coburg lies about 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Erfurt and about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Nuremberg on the river Itz. It is an urban district and is surrounded by the Landkreis Coburg. Coburg lies at the foot of the Thuringian Highland. Coburg, Bavaria was part of West Germany until reunification in 1990, but on three sides it borders Thuringia which was East Germany. The border between Bavaria and Thuringia was also the inner German border.

Subdivisions

 
Coburg pattern English (London) silver spoons, c. 1830

Coburg is divided into 15 Stadtteile:

History

 
Veste Coburg
 
Ehrenburg Palace, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1690, received its Gothic revival exterior in the 19th century

Coburg was first mentioned in a monastic document dated 1056, which marked the transfer of ownership to the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne,[3]: 16  although there was a settlement at the site that predates it called Trufalistat. The origin of the name Coburg is unclear; the first element may be kuh, which would give a literal meaning of "cow borough".[4]

"Coburg" initially referred to a property centred on the hill where Veste Coburg was later built. Its oldest remains date to the 12th or 13th century. In 1248, the castle came into possession of the House of Henneberg and in 1353 it passed to the House of Wettin[3]: 16  with the marriage of Frederick III with Catherine of Henneberg and was initially regarded by them as a Saxon outpost within Franconia.

During the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 reformer Martin Luther spent six months at the castle (located at the southernmost point of the Saxon duchy) while his liege lord, John, Elector of Saxony, attended the Diet. Luther was forbidden to attend by the Elector, who feared that he would be imprisoned and burned as a heretic. While quartered at the castle Luther continued with his translation of the Bible into German.

In 1547, the princely residence was moved from the Veste to a former monastery, rebuilt as a Renaissance palace, the Ehrenburg.[3]: 16 

In 1596, Coburg was raised to the status of capital of one of the dynasty's splintered Saxon-Thuringian territories, the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Coburg under the leadership of Duke John Casimir (ruled 1596–1633). From 1699 to 1826, it was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and from 1826 to 1918 it was a capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Ernest Frederick, the fourth Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, moved his capital from Saalfeld to Coburg in 1764. Coburg then became capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and later of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In the early 19th century, the town's medieval fortifications were demolished and replaced by parks. The duke also started the collection of copperplate engravings that is today part of the Veste Coburg museum. Under his son, Ernest, the Schlossplatz [de] with what is today the Landestheater Coburg was created. He also rebuilt the Ehrenburg in Gothic revival style.[3]: 17 

In the mid-19th century, Duke Ernest II supported national and liberal ideas and Coburg hosted the first meeting of the German National Association, the founding of the Deutscher Sängerbund [de] and the first Deutsches Turnfest [de] (national sports festival).[3]: 17 

During the 19th century, dynastic marriages created ties with the royal families of Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal and Britain. This turned the ducal family from the rulers of a fairly obscure backwater duchy into one playing an influential role in European politics. The era of political influence peaked with Leopold Frederick; born Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, becoming the King of Belgium in 1831 and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born in Schloss Rosenau, marrying his first cousin, Queen Victoria in 1840. The marriage between Albert and Victoria established the present British royal house, which renamed itself Windsor during World War I. This marriage in turn led to a union with Germany's ruling dynasty, the Hohenzollerns, when the couple's eldest child, Victoria, married the future Kaiser Friedrich III.

After her marriage, Queen Victoria said of Coburg:

If I were not who I am, this would have been my real home, but I shall always consider it my second one.[5]

Due to the royal connections among the royal houses of Europe, Coburg was the site of many royal Ducal weddings and visits. Britain's Queen Victoria made six visits to Coburg during her 63-year reign. In 1894 the wedding of Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha brought together Queen Victoria, her son Edward (future Edward VII), her second son Alfred (Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), her daughter the German Dowager Empress Friedrich (Victoria), and many of her grandchildren, such as future Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra of Russia (Alix of Hesse), Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and the future King George V of the United Kingdom.

 
Old print image of Coburg, seen from the south
 
Veste Coburg at night, 2007

In November 1918, the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, abdicated. The Freistaat Coburg which now came into being had to decide whether to become part of Thuringia or Bavaria. In a November 1919 referendum, the locals voted to join Bavaria with an 88% majority. On 1 July 1920, Coburg joined Bavaria.[3]: 17 

In 1929, Coburg was the first German town in which the Nazi Party won the absolute majority of the popular vote during municipal elections.[6] In 1932, Coburg was the first German town to make Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen.[7]

Coburg had Jewish citizens as early as the 14th century. In the 1870s they were granted permission to lease permanently the Church of St. Nicholas for conversion into a synagogue. In 1931 an unofficial boycott was imposed against Jewish businesses. In 1932 the municipal council abrogated the lease of St. Nicholas Church, and a year later the synagogue was closed down (it still remains standing). On 25 March 1933, 40 Jews in Coburg were arrested and tortured. They were not released until the affair became internationally known. On 9 November 1938 (Kristallnacht), all Jewish men were interned and Jewish homes, shops, and the school were destroyed. Coburg's Jewish community numbered 68 in 1869, 210 (1.3% of the total population) in 1880, 316 (1.3%) in 1925, and 233 (0.9%) in 1933. Around 150 managed to leave by 1942, either emigrating from Germany or moving to other German cities. The rest were deported to Riga, Izbica, and Theresienstadt in three transports between November 1941 and September 1942.[8] The memorial book of the German Federal Archives for the victims of the Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany lists in particular 63 Jewish inhabitants of Coburg, who were deported and mostly murdered.[9] Coburg's Jewish community was not reestablished after the war.

After World War II, which Coburg survived largely undamaged, the town faced the challenge of integrating over 15,000 refugees. In addition, whilst the other Saxon-Thuringian principalities were incorporated into the German Democratic Republic, Bavarian Coburg became part of West Germany. As a result, the town spent the Cold War years lying right next to the Iron Curtain, surrounded by East German territory on three sides and cut off from much of its natural back country.[3]: 17 

In 1946, Polish ambassador Oskar R. Lange alleged that Coburg was a base for the Western Allies to organize a Polish armed insurgency led by Władysław Anders against the Soviet-backed communists in Poland.[10]

Demographics

Over two-thirds of Coburg's population live in the core town of Coburg rather than in one of the Stadtteile merged with it in the 20th century. Some of those retain a largely rural character.[citation needed]

Religion

Most residents of Coburg are members of the Evangelical Church (Lutheran). Other Christian communities are Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, the ICF Movement, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics, Old Catholics and the New Apostolic Church, as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are also three communities of Muslims. Coburg had a large Jewish community until the 1940s. Jews had lived there since the 14th century. The old synagogue was a former church. Today it is used by Old Catholics. Coburg became Protestant after the Reformation. All Catholics were persecuted. A new Catholic community was founded in the 19th century.

Economy

In 1919 Max Brose [de] and Ernst Jüngling established the metal works Max Brose & Co. to manufacture car parts. The company is still in operation today, as Brose Fahrzeugteile.

In 1950, the Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a. G. (today HUK-Coburg [de]) relocated from Erfurt to Coburg. HUK is today the largest employer and largest payer of Gewerbesteuer [de] (local corporate tax) in Coburg.[11][12]

Kapp Werkzeugmaschinen has been a manufacturer of gear-milling machines since 1953, after taking over the production assets of COMAG (Coburger Maschinenbau GmbH).

Waldrich-Coburg, founded in 1920, manufactures CNC-milling machines in a range of sizes, the largest of which can handle an object of size 50 x 14 x 10 metres.[13]

Founded in 1919, Kaeser Compressors produces air compressors in various sizes.

Coburg has an above-average share of goods-producing employees. In 2013, out of 32,962 employees 10,421 worked in the manufacturing or construction sectors (31% vs. a national average of 24%), 4,853 in trade, transport and tourism, 10,381 in professional services and 7,230 in public and private services.[14]: 9 

Hotels in Coburg counted over 61,000 overnight visitors in 2014 (of which around 53,000 were from Germany). They stayed for a total of almost 120,000 nights, or close to two nights per stay on average.[14]: 15 

In 2017, the GDP per inhabitant was €91,506 in Coburg, placing it 5th among the 96 urban and rural districts (Bavarian average: €46,698).[15]

Twin towns – sister cities

Coburg is twinned with:[16]

Coat of arms

Coburg coat of arms
 
From 1493: Profile of Saint Maurice
 
Nazi era: Sword with swastika pommel

Coburg's coat of arms, honouring the town's German patron Saint Maurice, was granted in 1493. In 1934, the Nazi government forbade any glorification of the African race, and they replaced the coat of arms with one depicting a vertical sword with a Nazi swastika on the pommel.[17] The original coat of arms was restored in 1945 at the end of World War II. Today, the silhouette of the patron saint of the city of Coburg can be found mainly on manhole covers and the city coat of arms.[18]

Attractions

Coburg has the typical features of a former capital of a German princely state. There are numerous houses from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The most important landmarks include:

 
Eastern choir of Morizkirche
 
Casimirianum
 
Schlossplatz with Landestheater and Palais Edinburgh
 
Town hall
 
Stadthaus (town house)
  • Ehrenburg, a former Franciscan convent built in 1220 and turned into a palace in 1543–1549. It was repeatedly renovated until the 19th century. Ehrenburg was gutted by fire in 1690 and rebuilt in a Baroque style, with stucco work by North Italian craftsmen that includes a "Hall of the Giants" (which contains a plaque that states it was the location of the first meeting between Britain's Queen Victoria and Franz Josef Emperor of Austria in 1860). The internal decoration dates from the late 17th to early 18th centuries. Its Gothic Revival exterior was remodelled by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the 19th century. It now also houses a museum as well as a library.
  • Stadtkirche St. Moriz ("St. Maurice", 14th–16th centuries), is a Gothic edifice on the Hallenkirche plan with two towers. The interior, remade in the 18th century, include the notable funerary moment of Duke Johann Casimir for his parents, a 13 m-tall alabaster sculpture painted with statue and reliefs (1595–1598).
  • The medieval Veste Coburg, one of the biggest castles in Germany, built starting in 1225 (upon the site of an 11th-century chapel). It was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century. It has a triple line of walls with numerous towers. Today the Veste Coburg is home to three museums. One is the Fürstenbau (ducal palace), with many furnished rooms of the Dukes of Coburg, including the apartment where Martin Luther lived in 1530. Probably the most notable room in the castle (unique in all of Germany) is the Jagdzimmer (hunting room) of 1632, which is entirely made of marquetry wood inlay, done up with over 60 marquetry panels, deeply coffered marquetry ceilings and a wood paneled floor. Another museum is the Rüstkammer (armory), containing the largest collection of medieval armour and weaponry in Germany, with over 10,500 items. The third is the Kunstsammlungen, which contains a collection of 300,000 copperplate engravings (Kupferstich-Kabinett), a 20,000 piece coin collection (Münzkabinett), a 7,000 piece documentation collection (Briefe & Urkunden), and a 3,500 piece glassware collection (Gläser-Sammlung).
  • Gymnasium Casimirianum, a Renaissance building begun in 1601
  • Arsenal (1616–21).
  • Landestheater Coburg, a Neoclassical theatre on Schlossplatz, whose other landmarks include the Ehrenburg, the Palais Edinburgh (1865), the Arkaden (1840), Reithalle (1852) and Marstall (rebuilt in 1920).
  • The Coburg Doll Museum is located near the Schlossplatz and the city centre. It was once the residence of the poet Friedrich Rückert. It houses over 1,000 dolls, including the grandmother of the world-famous "Barbie".[19]
  • Natural history museum [de].
  • Coburger Rathaus [de], the town hall, part of the ensemble of structure on the market market square [de] that also includes the Stadthaus (see below), the former Beyersches Haus, the Hof-Apotheke [de], the Stadtbrunnen (fountain) and the central statue of Prince Albert. The seat of the public administration of Coburg was moved here in 1438. The original Gothic building proved to be too small and after 1570 the town bought additional properties and erected a Renaissance building at the corner with Ketschengasse. In another rebuilding in 1750-2 both structures were merged. The appearance of the town hall changed, only the round bay on the corner remained. The old roofs were replaced by the current garret roof and the colourful paintings were added to the façade in the 18th century. Another renovation took place in 1903, when the balcony to the market square was added and stairwell and entrance were redesigned.[3]: 57–8 
  • Stadthaus [de], a late Renaissance building from 1597 to 1599 built under Duke Johann Casimir to house the ducal administration. It occupies the complete northern side of the market square.[3]: 66–7 
  • Rose Garden, park.
  • Callenberg Castle, with Saxe-Coburg family art collection and National Shooting Museum.
  • Schloss Rosenau near Coburg.
  • St. Augustin, Catholic parish church opened in 1860.
  • The Baroque Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen, 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside the town.
  • The Coburg Bay Windows, a variant of the corner bay window, so only in Coburg was built. It dates from the end of the 16th century and is characterized by three architectural features. These are a supporting pillar in front of the corner of the house, a two-story construction and the closure with a Welsche hood.

Arts and culture

Coburg is home to two major festivals: Samba-Festival Coburg [de] and Johann Strauss Musiktage. Coburg is referred to as "Europe's Capital of Samba."[20]

As a result of the large presence of the US Army prior to German re-unification, Americans and American culture are still present in Coburg and the surrounding area. This influence ranges from American-style pubs and restaurants to two sports clubs sponsoring[21] baseball teams.

Trivia

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council asserts that Frankfurt is traditionally credited with originating the frankfurter. According to the council, this claim is disputed and the hot dog was created in the late 17th century by Johann Georghehner, a butcher, living in Coburg.[22]

A popular local delicacy is the Coburger bratwurst, a sausage (the official measure of which is denoted by the marshall's staff held by the statue of the town's patron, Sankt Mauritius, located on the town hall and overlooking the square) roasted over a pine cone fire.[3]: 58  The sausage is served in a semmel (a small bread bun, a third the size of the sausage itself), and is highly popular with locals and tourists alike. According to rumours, the Coburger bratwurst was first produced in 1530 on the occasion of a stay and boarding of Martin Luther and the Electoral Train.[23]

Coburg Peak on Trinity Peninsula in Graham Land, Antarctica, is named after the town, in connection with the Bulgarian royal house of Coburg (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha).[24]

Infrastructure

Transport

Car

Coburg can be reached by car via B 303 Schweinfurt-Coburg-Schirnding, B 4 Hamburg-Coburg-Nuremberg or motorway A 73 Suhl-Coburg-Nuremberg.

Railways

Coburg has four train stations:

  • Coburg-Neuses
  • Coburg-Nord
  • Coburg main station
  • Coburg-Creidlitz

From the main station one can go to Lichtenfels, Bamberg, Forchheim, Erlangen, Fürth and Nuremberg, to Neustadt bei Coburg, Sonneberg, to Bad Rodach and to Kulmbach, Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg. Since December 2017, the Coburg station is served by Intercity Express high speed trains of the Munich-Nuremberg-Coburg-Erfurt-Berlin(-Hamburg) line (Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway).

Airports

Small planes can land on the two airfields:

  • Coburg Brandensteinsebene (ICAO-Code: EDQC, founded in 1912)
  • Coburg Steinrücken (ICAO-Code: EDQY)

Large airports nearby are in Frankfurt, Erfurt and Nuremberg.

Local public transport system

The public transport system in Coburg is operated by SÜC (Stadt- und Überlandwerke Coburg) with 9 bus lines. The OVF (Omnibus Verkehr Franken) covers Coburg's surrounding countryside with an additional 11 bus lines.

Notable people

 
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, May 1860

Born in Coburg

Before 1900

After 1900

 
Yvonne Desportes 1930

Lived at Coburg

  • Baroness Louise Lehzen (1784–1870), governess and confidante of Queen Victoria
  • Walter von Boetticher (1853–1945), historian, genealogist and physician
  • Hans Berger (1873–1941), psychiatrist
  • Johann Strauss, he lived the last 13 years of his life in Coburg, and buried in Vienna
  • Adolf Hitler in 1922 led several hundred stormtroopers in a march through the city, fighting pitched street battles with communists. During the Nazi era, the Coburg Badge (made to honor the participants) was one of the most prestigious party medals.

References

  1. ^ Liste der Oberbürgermeister in den kreisfreien Städten, accessed 19 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Tabelle 12411-003r Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes: Gemeinden, Stichtag" (in German). Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik. June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Klüglein, Norbert (1991). Coburg Stadt und Land (German). Verkehrsverein Coburg.
  4. ^ "Etymologie-Newsletter". Etymologie.info.
  5. ^ David Duff, Victoria and Albert (1972), p. 9
  6. ^ , Time, 2 January 1939
  7. ^ Oltmann, Joachim (18 January 2001). "Seine Königliche Hoheit der Obergruppenführer (German)". Zeit Online. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  8. ^ Encyclopedia Judaica: Coburg, Germany
  9. ^ Gedenkbuch. Suche im Namenverzeichnis. Suchen nach: Coburg – Wohnort. In: bundesarchiv.de, retrieved 20 December 2016.
  10. ^ The Milwaukee Journal – Google News Archive Search
  11. ^ Schmidt, Oliver. "Von 1933 bis heute: Die Unternehmensgeschichte der HUK-COBURG (German)". HUK Coburg. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  12. ^ Schmidt, Oliver (2 April 2014). "Auch Brose kritisiert Erhöhung der Gewerbesteuer in Coburg (German)". In Franken (joint newspaper website). Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Waldrich-Coburg PowerTec". 15 November 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Statistik Kommunal 2014 (German)" (PDF). Bayerisches Statistisches Landesamt. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  15. ^ "VGR der Länder, Kreisergebnisse für Deutschland – Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bruttowertschöpfung in den kreisfreien Städten und Landkreisen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2000 bis 2017 (German)". Statistische Ämter der Länder und des Bundes. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Städtepartnerschaften". coburg.de (in German). Coburg. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  17. ^ Lips, Julius E. (1937). The Savage Strikes Back. Yale University Press. p. xxv.
  18. ^ "Stadtwappen: Coburger Mohr (Heiliger Mauritius) | Ferienwohnung Müller" (in German). 18 January 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Ferienwohnung Müller - Ihr Zuhause in Coburg - Puppenmuseum". www.fewoco.de. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  20. ^
  21. ^ . Archived from the original on 11 February 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^
  23. ^ "Ferienwohnung Müller - Ihr Zuhause in Coburg - Coburger Bratwurst". www.fewoco.de. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  24. ^ Coburg Peak. SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.

Further reading

External links

  • Coburg Tourist Board
  • World sites atlas 28 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  • Schloss- und Gartenverwaltung Coburg

coburg, this, article, about, town, germany, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sou. This article is about the town in Germany For other uses see Coburg disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Coburg news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Coburg German pronunciation ˈkoːˌbʊʁk listen is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria Germany Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920 Until the revolution of 1918 it was one of the capitals of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg and Gotha and the Duchy of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld Through successful dynastic policies the ruling princely family married into several of the royal families of Europe most notably in the person of Prince Albert who married Queen Victoria in 1840 As a result of these close links with the royal houses of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Coburg was frequently visited by the crowned heads of Europe and their families CoburgTownView over CoburgFlagCoat of armsLocation of CoburgCoburgShow map of GermanyCoburgShow map of BavariaCoordinates 50 16 N 10 58 E 50 267 N 10 967 E 50 267 10 967 Coordinates 50 16 N 10 58 E 50 267 N 10 967 E 50 267 10 967CountryGermanyStateBavariaAdmin regionOberfrankenDistrictUrban districtGovernment Lord mayor 2020 26 Dominik Sauerteig 1 SPD Area Total48 30 km2 18 65 sq mi Elevation292 m 958 ft Population 2021 12 31 2 Total40 955 Density850 km2 2 200 sq mi Time zoneUTC 01 00 CET Summer DST UTC 02 00 CEST Postal codes96450Dialling codes09561Vehicle registrationCOWebsitewww wbr coburg wbr de Coburg is also the location of Veste Coburg one of Germany s largest castles In 1530 Martin Luther lived there for six months while translating the Bible into German the Luther Bible Today Coburg s population is close to 41 500 Since it was little damaged in World War II Coburg retains many historic buildings making it a popular tourist destination Contents 1 Geography 1 1 Location 1 2 Subdivisions 2 History 3 Demographics 3 1 Religion 4 Economy 5 Twin towns sister cities 6 Coat of arms 7 Attractions 8 Arts and culture 8 1 Trivia 9 Infrastructure 9 1 Transport 9 1 1 Car 9 1 2 Railways 9 1 3 Airports 9 1 4 Local public transport system 10 Notable people 10 1 Born in Coburg 10 1 1 Before 1900 10 1 2 After 1900 10 2 Lived at Coburg 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksGeography EditLocation Edit Coburg lies about 90 kilometres 56 miles south of Erfurt and about 100 kilometres 62 miles north of Nuremberg on the river Itz It is an urban district and is surrounded by the Landkreis Coburg Coburg lies at the foot of the Thuringian Highland Coburg Bavaria was part of West Germany until reunification in 1990 but on three sides it borders Thuringia which was East Germany The border between Bavaria and Thuringia was also the inner German border Subdivisions Edit Coburg pattern English London silver spoons c 1830 Coburg is divided into 15 Stadtteile Coburg town proper Beiersdorf Bertelsdorf Cortendorf Creidlitz Glend Ketschendorf Lobelstein Lutzelbuch Neu and Neershof Neuses de Rogen Scheuerfeld Seidmansdorf WustenahornHistory Edit Veste Coburg Ehrenburg Palace rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1690 received its Gothic revival exterior in the 19th century Coburg was first mentioned in a monastic document dated 1056 which marked the transfer of ownership to the Archbishop Elector of Cologne 3 16 although there was a settlement at the site that predates it called Trufalistat The origin of the name Coburg is unclear the first element may be kuh which would give a literal meaning of cow borough 4 Coburg initially referred to a property centred on the hill where Veste Coburg was later built Its oldest remains date to the 12th or 13th century In 1248 the castle came into possession of the House of Henneberg and in 1353 it passed to the House of Wettin 3 16 with the marriage of Frederick III with Catherine of Henneberg and was initially regarded by them as a Saxon outpost within Franconia During the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 reformer Martin Luther spent six months at the castle located at the southernmost point of the Saxon duchy while his liege lord John Elector of Saxony attended the Diet Luther was forbidden to attend by the Elector who feared that he would be imprisoned and burned as a heretic While quartered at the castle Luther continued with his translation of the Bible into German In 1547 the princely residence was moved from the Veste to a former monastery rebuilt as a Renaissance palace the Ehrenburg 3 16 In 1596 Coburg was raised to the status of capital of one of the dynasty s splintered Saxon Thuringian territories the newly created Duchy of Saxe Coburg under the leadership of Duke John Casimir ruled 1596 1633 From 1699 to 1826 it was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld and from 1826 to 1918 it was a capital of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg Gotha Ernest Frederick the fourth Duke of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld moved his capital from Saalfeld to Coburg in 1764 Coburg then became capital of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld and later of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg and Gotha In the early 19th century the town s medieval fortifications were demolished and replaced by parks The duke also started the collection of copperplate engravings that is today part of the Veste Coburg museum Under his son Ernest the Schlossplatz de with what is today the Landestheater Coburg was created He also rebuilt the Ehrenburg in Gothic revival style 3 17 In the mid 19th century Duke Ernest II supported national and liberal ideas and Coburg hosted the first meeting of the German National Association the founding of the Deutscher Sangerbund de and the first Deutsches Turnfest de national sports festival 3 17 During the 19th century dynastic marriages created ties with the royal families of Belgium Bulgaria Portugal and Britain This turned the ducal family from the rulers of a fairly obscure backwater duchy into one playing an influential role in European politics The era of political influence peaked with Leopold Frederick born Prince of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld becoming the King of Belgium in 1831 and Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha born in Schloss Rosenau marrying his first cousin Queen Victoria in 1840 The marriage between Albert and Victoria established the present British royal house which renamed itself Windsor during World War I This marriage in turn led to a union with Germany s ruling dynasty the Hohenzollerns when the couple s eldest child Victoria married the future Kaiser Friedrich III After her marriage Queen Victoria said of Coburg If I were not who I am this would have been my real home but I shall always consider it my second one 5 Due to the royal connections among the royal houses of Europe Coburg was the site of many royal Ducal weddings and visits Britain s Queen Victoria made six visits to Coburg during her 63 year reign In 1894 the wedding of Ernest Louis Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe Coburg and Gotha brought together Queen Victoria her son Edward future Edward VII her second son Alfred Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha her daughter the German Dowager Empress Friedrich Victoria and many of her grandchildren such as future Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra of Russia Alix of Hesse Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and the future King George V of the United Kingdom Old print image of Coburg seen from the south Veste Coburg at night 2007 In November 1918 the last Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha Charles Edward abdicated The Freistaat Coburg which now came into being had to decide whether to become part of Thuringia or Bavaria In a November 1919 referendum the locals voted to join Bavaria with an 88 majority On 1 July 1920 Coburg joined Bavaria 3 17 In 1929 Coburg was the first German town in which the Nazi Party won the absolute majority of the popular vote during municipal elections 6 In 1932 Coburg was the first German town to make Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen 7 Coburg had Jewish citizens as early as the 14th century In the 1870s they were granted permission to lease permanently the Church of St Nicholas for conversion into a synagogue In 1931 an unofficial boycott was imposed against Jewish businesses In 1932 the municipal council abrogated the lease of St Nicholas Church and a year later the synagogue was closed down it still remains standing On 25 March 1933 40 Jews in Coburg were arrested and tortured They were not released until the affair became internationally known On 9 November 1938 Kristallnacht all Jewish men were interned and Jewish homes shops and the school were destroyed Coburg s Jewish community numbered 68 in 1869 210 1 3 of the total population in 1880 316 1 3 in 1925 and 233 0 9 in 1933 Around 150 managed to leave by 1942 either emigrating from Germany or moving to other German cities The rest were deported to Riga Izbica and Theresienstadt in three transports between November 1941 and September 1942 8 The memorial book of the German Federal Archives for the victims of the Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany lists in particular 63 Jewish inhabitants of Coburg who were deported and mostly murdered 9 Coburg s Jewish community was not reestablished after the war After World War II which Coburg survived largely undamaged the town faced the challenge of integrating over 15 000 refugees In addition whilst the other Saxon Thuringian principalities were incorporated into the German Democratic Republic Bavarian Coburg became part of West Germany As a result the town spent the Cold War years lying right next to the Iron Curtain surrounded by East German territory on three sides and cut off from much of its natural back country 3 17 In 1946 Polish ambassador Oskar R Lange alleged that Coburg was a base for the Western Allies to organize a Polish armed insurgency led by Wladyslaw Anders against the Soviet backed communists in Poland 10 Demographics EditOver two thirds of Coburg s population live in the core town of Coburg rather than in one of the Stadtteile merged with it in the 20th century Some of those retain a largely rural character citation needed Religion Edit Most residents of Coburg are members of the Evangelical Church Lutheran Other Christian communities are Baptists Seventh day Adventists the ICF Movement Jehovah s Witnesses Catholics Old Catholics and the New Apostolic Church as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints There are also three communities of Muslims Coburg had a large Jewish community until the 1940s Jews had lived there since the 14th century The old synagogue was a former church Today it is used by Old Catholics Coburg became Protestant after the Reformation All Catholics were persecuted A new Catholic community was founded in the 19th century Economy EditIn 1919 Max Brose de and Ernst Jungling established the metal works Max Brose amp Co to manufacture car parts The company is still in operation today as Brose Fahrzeugteile In 1950 the Haftpflicht Unterstutzungs Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a G today HUK Coburg de relocated from Erfurt to Coburg HUK is today the largest employer and largest payer of Gewerbesteuer de local corporate tax in Coburg 11 12 Kapp Werkzeugmaschinen has been a manufacturer of gear milling machines since 1953 after taking over the production assets of COMAG Coburger Maschinenbau GmbH Waldrich Coburg founded in 1920 manufactures CNC milling machines in a range of sizes the largest of which can handle an object of size 50 x 14 x 10 metres 13 Founded in 1919 Kaeser Compressors produces air compressors in various sizes Coburg has an above average share of goods producing employees In 2013 out of 32 962 employees 10 421 worked in the manufacturing or construction sectors 31 vs a national average of 24 4 853 in trade transport and tourism 10 381 in professional services and 7 230 in public and private services 14 9 Hotels in Coburg counted over 61 000 overnight visitors in 2014 of which around 53 000 were from Germany They stayed for a total of almost 120 000 nights or close to two nights per stay on average 14 15 In 2017 the GDP per inhabitant was 91 506 in Coburg placing it 5th among the 96 urban and rural districts Bavarian average 46 698 15 Twin towns sister cities EditSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany Coburg is twinned with 16 Cobourg Canada Gais Italy Isle of Wight England United Kingdom Niort France Oudenaarde Belgium Toledo United StatesCoat of arms EditCoburg coat of arms From 1493 Profile of Saint Maurice Nazi era Sword with swastika pommel Coburg s coat of arms honouring the town s German patron Saint Maurice was granted in 1493 In 1934 the Nazi government forbade any glorification of the African race and they replaced the coat of arms with one depicting a vertical sword with a Nazi swastika on the pommel 17 The original coat of arms was restored in 1945 at the end of World War II Today the silhouette of the patron saint of the city of Coburg can be found mainly on manhole covers and the city coat of arms 18 Attractions EditCoburg has the typical features of a former capital of a German princely state There are numerous houses from the 16th 17th and 18th centuries The most important landmarks include Eastern choir of Morizkirche Casimirianum Schlossplatz with Landestheater and Palais Edinburgh Town hall Stadthaus town house Ehrenburg a former Franciscan convent built in 1220 and turned into a palace in 1543 1549 It was repeatedly renovated until the 19th century Ehrenburg was gutted by fire in 1690 and rebuilt in a Baroque style with stucco work by North Italian craftsmen that includes a Hall of the Giants which contains a plaque that states it was the location of the first meeting between Britain s Queen Victoria and Franz Josef Emperor of Austria in 1860 The internal decoration dates from the late 17th to early 18th centuries Its Gothic Revival exterior was remodelled by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the 19th century It now also houses a museum as well as a library Stadtkirche St Moriz St Maurice 14th 16th centuries is a Gothic edifice on the Hallenkirche plan with two towers The interior remade in the 18th century include the notable funerary moment of Duke Johann Casimir for his parents a 13 m tall alabaster sculpture painted with statue and reliefs 1595 1598 The medieval Veste Coburg one of the biggest castles in Germany built starting in 1225 upon the site of an 11th century chapel It was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century It has a triple line of walls with numerous towers Today the Veste Coburg is home to three museums One is the Furstenbau ducal palace with many furnished rooms of the Dukes of Coburg including the apartment where Martin Luther lived in 1530 Probably the most notable room in the castle unique in all of Germany is the Jagdzimmer hunting room of 1632 which is entirely made of marquetry wood inlay done up with over 60 marquetry panels deeply coffered marquetry ceilings and a wood paneled floor Another museum is the Rustkammer armory containing the largest collection of medieval armour and weaponry in Germany with over 10 500 items The third is the Kunstsammlungen which contains a collection of 300 000 copperplate engravings Kupferstich Kabinett a 20 000 piece coin collection Munzkabinett a 7 000 piece documentation collection Briefe amp Urkunden and a 3 500 piece glassware collection Glaser Sammlung Gymnasium Casimirianum a Renaissance building begun in 1601 Arsenal 1616 21 Landestheater Coburg a Neoclassical theatre on Schlossplatz whose other landmarks include the Ehrenburg the Palais Edinburgh 1865 the Arkaden 1840 Reithalle 1852 and Marstall rebuilt in 1920 The Coburg Doll Museum is located near the Schlossplatz and the city centre It was once the residence of the poet Friedrich Ruckert It houses over 1 000 dolls including the grandmother of the world famous Barbie 19 Natural history museum de Coburger Rathaus de the town hall part of the ensemble of structure on the market market square de that also includes the Stadthaus see below the former Beyersches Haus the Hof Apotheke de the Stadtbrunnen fountain and the central statue of Prince Albert The seat of the public administration of Coburg was moved here in 1438 The original Gothic building proved to be too small and after 1570 the town bought additional properties and erected a Renaissance building at the corner with Ketschengasse In another rebuilding in 1750 2 both structures were merged The appearance of the town hall changed only the round bay on the corner remained The old roofs were replaced by the current garret roof and the colourful paintings were added to the facade in the 18th century Another renovation took place in 1903 when the balcony to the market square was added and stairwell and entrance were redesigned 3 57 8 Stadthaus de a late Renaissance building from 1597 to 1599 built under Duke Johann Casimir to house the ducal administration It occupies the complete northern side of the market square 3 66 7 Rose Garden park Callenberg Castle with Saxe Coburg family art collection and National Shooting Museum Schloss Rosenau near Coburg St Augustin Catholic parish church opened in 1860 The Baroque Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen 20 kilometres 12 miles outside the town The Coburg Bay Windows a variant of the corner bay window so only in Coburg was built It dates from the end of the 16th century and is characterized by three architectural features These are a supporting pillar in front of the corner of the house a two story construction and the closure with a Welsche hood Arts and culture EditCoburg is home to two major festivals Samba Festival Coburg de and Johann Strauss Musiktage Coburg is referred to as Europe s Capital of Samba 20 As a result of the large presence of the US Army prior to German re unification Americans and American culture are still present in Coburg and the surrounding area This influence ranges from American style pubs and restaurants to two sports clubs sponsoring 21 baseball teams Trivia Edit The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council asserts that Frankfurt is traditionally credited with originating the frankfurter According to the council this claim is disputed and the hot dog was created in the late 17th century by Johann Georghehner a butcher living in Coburg 22 A popular local delicacy is the Coburger bratwurst a sausage the official measure of which is denoted by the marshall s staff held by the statue of the town s patron Sankt Mauritius located on the town hall and overlooking the square roasted over a pine cone fire 3 58 The sausage is served in a semmel a small bread bun a third the size of the sausage itself and is highly popular with locals and tourists alike According to rumours the Coburger bratwurst was first produced in 1530 on the occasion of a stay and boarding of Martin Luther and the Electoral Train 23 Coburg Peak on Trinity Peninsula in Graham Land Antarctica is named after the town in connection with the Bulgarian royal house of Coburg Saxe Coburg Gotha 24 Infrastructure EditTransport Edit Car Edit Coburg can be reached by car via B 303 Schweinfurt Coburg Schirnding B 4 Hamburg Coburg Nuremberg or motorway A 73 Suhl Coburg Nuremberg Railways Edit Main article Railway stations in Coburg Coburg has four train stations Coburg Neuses Coburg Nord Coburg main station Coburg CreidlitzFrom the main station one can go to Lichtenfels Bamberg Forchheim Erlangen Furth and Nuremberg to Neustadt bei Coburg Sonneberg to Bad Rodach and to Kulmbach Neuenmarkt Wirsberg Since December 2017 the Coburg station is served by Intercity Express high speed trains of the Munich Nuremberg Coburg Erfurt Berlin Hamburg line Nuremberg Erfurt high speed railway Airports Edit Small planes can land on the two airfields Coburg Brandensteinsebene ICAO Code EDQC founded in 1912 Coburg Steinrucken ICAO Code EDQY Large airports nearby are in Frankfurt Erfurt and Nuremberg Local public transport system Edit The public transport system in Coburg is operated by SUC Stadt und Uberlandwerke Coburg with 9 bus lines The OVF Omnibus Verkehr Franken covers Coburg s surrounding countryside with an additional 11 bus lines Notable people Edit Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg Gotha May 1860 Born in Coburg Edit Before 1900 Edit Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 1685 1767 Princess and Countess of Hanau Munzenberg Princess Luise Dorothea of Saxe Meiningen 1710 1767 Duchess of Saxony Gotha and Altenburg Anton Schweitzer 1735 1787 composer Prince Josias of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld 1737 1815 Austrian field marshal Johann Christian August Clarus 1774 1854 physician Leopold I of Belgium 1790 1865 born to Francis Duke of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld first king of the Belgians Gustav Konig 1808 1869 painter Prince Albert 1819 1861 husband of Queen Victoria was born in Schloss Rosenau William Frishmuth 1830 1893 architect and metallurgist Ernst Marlier 1875 1948 German pharmaceutical manufacturer who built the Wannsee Villa venue of the Wannsee Conference Alexander von Mensdorff Pouilly 1813 1871 Austrian statesman Fritz Mollwitz 1890 1967 professional baseball player was born here Ernest II Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha 1818 1893 Heinrich Ruckert 1823 1875 historian and Germanist Felix Draeseke 1835 1913 composer Max Bruckner 1836 1919 theater painter Princess Amalie of Saxe Coburg and Gotha 1848 1894 Princess and Duchess in Bavaria Bernhard Fischer 1852 1915 hygienist Eduard Study 1862 1930 mathematician Anna Ritter nee Nuhn 1865 1921 poet and writer Otto Appel 1867 1952 phytomedicine doctor Anna Bernhardine Eckstein 1868 1947 champion of world peace Hans Berger 1873 1941 neurologist and psychiatrist Princess Alexandra of Saxe Coburg and Gotha 1878 1942 Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and a member of the House of Saxony Coburg and the Gotha family and later by marriage Princess to Hohenlohe Langenburg Louis Oppenheim 1879 1936 utility graphic artist Fred Immler 1880 1965 actor Charles Edward Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha 1884 1954 the last Duke of Saxony Coburg and GothaAfter 1900 Edit Yvonne Desportes 1930 Hans Morgenthau 1904 1980 jurist and political scientist Kurt Eccarius 1905 died after 1969 head of the detention area in Sachsenhausen concentration camp Ernst Kupfer 1907 1944 fighter pilot in the Second World War Yvonne Desportes 1907 1993 French composer Princess Sibylla of Saxe Coburg and Gotha 1908 1972 Princess of Sweden married to hereditary prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden and mother of King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden Gunther Weissenborn 1911 2001 pianist composer and conductor Eva Ahnert Rohlfs 1912 1954 astronomer Wolfgang Stammberger 1920 1982 politician FDP SPD Member of Bundestag Federal Minister of Justice Lord Mayor of Coburg Heinrich Strecker 1922 2013 composer of operettas and Viennese music Werner Scheler born 1923 physician and pharmacologist Tatunca Nara born 1941 German Brazilian impostor Klaus Volk born 1944 lawyer and criminal lawyer Klaus Peter Gopfert born 1948 wrestler Michael Stoschek born 1948 1949 businessman and entrepreneur Klaus Janson born 1952 American comic artist Martin May born 1961 actor author and narrator Bernd Friedmann born 1965 musician and producer Frank Greiner born 1966 footballer Claudia Porwik born 1968 tennis player Andreas Hackethal born 1971 professor Julia Stoschek born 1975 art collector Cevat Yerli born 1978 computer game developer Martin Forkel born 1979 footballer Andreas Wolf born 1990 handball player Marius Wolf born 1995 footballerLived at Coburg Edit Baroness Louise Lehzen 1784 1870 governess and confidante of Queen Victoria Walter von Boetticher 1853 1945 historian genealogist and physician Hans Berger 1873 1941 psychiatrist Johann Strauss he lived the last 13 years of his life in Coburg and buried in Vienna Adolf Hitler in 1922 led several hundred stormtroopers in a march through the city fighting pitched street battles with communists During the Nazi era the Coburg Badge made to honor the participants was one of the most prestigious party medals References Edit Liste der Oberburgermeister in den kreisfreien Stadten accessed 19 July 2021 Tabelle 12411 003r Fortschreibung des Bevolkerungsstandes Gemeinden Stichtag in German Bayerisches Landesamt fur Statistik June 2022 a b c d e f g h i j Kluglein Norbert 1991 Coburg Stadt und Land German Verkehrsverein Coburg Etymologie Newsletter Etymologie info David Duff Victoria and Albert 1972 p 9 Man of the Year Time 2 January 1939 Oltmann Joachim 18 January 2001 Seine Konigliche Hoheit der Obergruppenfuhrer German Zeit Online Retrieved 14 July 2016 Encyclopedia Judaica Coburg Germany Gedenkbuch Suche im Namenverzeichnis Suchen nach Coburg Wohnort In bundesarchiv de retrieved 20 December 2016 The Milwaukee Journal Google News Archive Search Schmidt Oliver Von 1933 bis heute Die Unternehmensgeschichte der HUK COBURG German HUK Coburg Retrieved 1 June 2016 Schmidt Oliver 2 April 2014 Auch Brose kritisiert Erhohung der Gewerbesteuer in Coburg German In Franken joint newspaper website Retrieved 1 June 2016 Waldrich Coburg PowerTec 15 November 2021 a b Statistik Kommunal 2014 German PDF Bayerisches Statistisches Landesamt Retrieved 1 June 2016 VGR der Lander Kreisergebnisse fur Deutschland Bruttoinlandsprodukt Bruttowertschopfung in den kreisfreien Stadten und Landkreisen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2000 bis 2017 German Statistische Amter der Lander und des Bundes Retrieved 4 February 2020 Stadtepartnerschaften coburg de in German Coburg Retrieved 11 February 2021 Lips Julius E 1937 The Savage Strikes Back Yale University Press p xxv Stadtwappen Coburger Mohr Heiliger Mauritius Ferienwohnung Muller in German 18 January 2021 Retrieved 2 March 2021 Ferienwohnung Muller Ihr Zuhause in Coburg Puppenmuseum www fewoco de Retrieved 17 August 2019 DAAD Studieren in Deutschland Archived copy Archived from the original on 11 February 2006 Retrieved 17 March 2006 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link National Hot Dog amp Sausage Council Ferienwohnung Muller Ihr Zuhause in Coburg Coburger Bratwurst www fewoco de Retrieved 17 August 2019 Coburg Peak SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica Further reading EditJohn M Jeep ed 2001 Coburg Medieval Germany an Encyclopedia Garland Publishing ISBN 0 8240 7644 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coburg Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Coburg Coburg Tourist Board World sites atlas Archived 28 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Schloss und Gartenverwaltung Coburg Twin towns of Coburg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Coburg amp oldid 1129703024, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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