Braunschweig 51032 225694101 2008-07-14T23:00:47Z Pras 5369448 /* References */ + iw jv {{For|the historical administrative region|Braunschweig (region)}} {{For|the German Navy ships|Braunschweig class corvette}} {{Infobox German Location |Art = Stadt |image_photo = Braunschweig Kohlmarkt.jpg |Wappen = Wappen Braunschweig.svg |lat_deg = 52 | lat_min = 16 | lat_sec = 9 |lon_deg = 10 | lon_min = 31 | lon_sec = 16 |Bundesland = Lower Saxony |Landkreis = Kreisfreie Stadt |Höhe = 75 |Fläche = 192.13 |Einwohner = 245131 |Stand = 2007-06-30 |pop_ref = <ref>[http://www.nls.niedersachsen.de/Tabellen/Bevoelkerung/Ranking_2007.html 2007 population ranking of Lower Saxony]</ref> |PLZ = 38100&ndash;38126 |PLZ-alt = 3300 |Vorwahl = 0531, 05307, 05309 |Kfz = BS |Gemeindeschlüssel = 03 1 01 000 |Gliederung = 20 [[Borough]]s |Adresse = |Website = [http://www.braunschweig.de/ www.braunschweig.de] |Bürgermeister = Gert Hoffmann |Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister |Partei = CDU |ruling_party1 = CDU |ruling_party2 = FDP |ruling_party3 = |year = before 1031 (probably in the 9th century) }} '''Braunschweig''' {{IPA|[ˈbraʊnʃvaɪk]}}, known as '''Brunswiek''' {{IPA|[ˈbrɔˑnsviːk]}} in [[Low German]], is a city of 245,131 people (as of June 30, 2007), located in [[Lower Saxony]], [[Germany]]. It is located north of the [[Harz]] mountains at the farthest navigable point of the [[Oker]] river, which connects to the [[North Sea]] via the rivers [[Aller]] and [[Weser]]. The historic English name for Braunschweig is '''Brunswick'''. == History == The date and circumstances of the town's foundation are unknown. Tradition maintains that Braunschweig was created through the merger of two settlements, one founded by Bruno II, a [[Saxon people|Saxon]] count who died before 1017 on one side of the river Oker - the legend gives the year 861 for the foundation - and the other the settlement of Count Dankward, after whom the still surviving Castle Dankwarderode ''(Dankward's clearing)'' is named. The town's original name of ''Brunswik'' is a combination of the name Bruno and ''wik''<!-- What is the modern German reflex of this? -->, a place where merchants rested and stored their goods. The town's name therefore indicates an ideal resting-place, as it lay by a ford across the Oker River. Documents from the St. Magni Church from 1031 give the city's name as ''Brunesguik''. Another 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. [[Image:Braunschweig.jpg|thumb|left|Braunschweig around 1900.]] [[Image:Burg Dankwarderode.jpg|thumb|left|Dankwarderode Castle]] In the 12th century Duke [[Henry the Lion]] made Braunschweig the capital of his state and built [[Brunswick Cathedral]]. He became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to emperor [[Frederick I Barbarossa]], which led to his condemnation and fall. Braunschweig was a member of the [[Hanseatic League]] from the 13th century to the middle of the 17th century. In the 18th century Braunschweig was not only a political, but also a cultural centre. ''Emilia Galotti'' by [[Gotthold Lessing|Lessing]] and [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]]'s ''[[Goethe's Faust|Faust]]'' were performed for the first time in Braunschweig. Most of the times Braunschweig was the residence of the [[Duchy of Brunswick]], which was a state within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] until 1806 and within the [[German Empire]] from 1871. After [[World War I]] it received a republican constitution as the [[Free State of Brunswick]], being a state within the [[Weimar Republic]]. After World War II the state of Brunswick was dissolved and integrated in the newly formed state of Lower Saxony. [[Image:Brunswick cathedral.JPG|thumb|Brunswick Cathedral, with Lion statue.]] During [[World War II]] thousands of forced [[Eastern workers|Eastern]] and Polish workers were brought to the city. During the years 1943-1945 at least 360 children taken away from the workers died in the [[Ausländerkinder-Pflegestätte|Entbindungsheim für Ostarbeiterinnen]]. During [[World War II]], Braunschweig was a Sub-area Headquarters (Untergebiet Hauptquartier) of Military District (Wehrkreis) XI. It was also the Garrison Town of the 31st Infanterie Division, which took part in the invasions of Poland, Belgium, France, and Russia. It was one of the units that was destroyed during the withdrawal from Russia at the end of the war. As a result, it was severely damaged by Anglo-American aerial attacks. The [[Bombing of Braunschweig in World War II|air raid on October 15, 1944]] destroyed most of the ''Altstadt'' (old town), which was the largest ensemble of half-timbered framework houses in Germany, as well as most of the churches. Only the Cathedral, which was changed into a ''National shrine'' (German: ''Nationale Weihestätte'') by the [[Nazism|Nazi]]-Government, withstood the bombs. After the war, the Cathedral was turned into a [[Protestant]] church again. A small section of the old centre of town did survive the bombing and remains quite distinctive. Much of the remainder, including the historic "Alte Waage" have been restored and now appear again in their pre-war glory. {{Demography 12col|830px|1811|1830|1849|1880|1890|1900|1925|1939|1950|1975|1989|2004 |27,600|35,300|39,000|75,000|100,000|128,200|146,900|196,068|223,767|269,900|253,794|239,921}} ==Main sights== [[Image:Braunschweig, Happy RIZZI House.jpg|thumb|Rizzi-Haus]] [[Image:Braunschweig, St. Andreaskirche (2).jpg|thumb|Andreaskirche]] [[Image:Braunschweig Brunswick Schloss Richmond Frontansicht.jpg|thumb|Schloss Richmond (Richmond Palace)]] [[Image:Braunschweig, Staatstheater.jpg|thumb|Theatre]] [[Image:Ringerbrunnen Braunschweig.jpg|thumb|Car-free zone in downtown]] * The ''Burgplatz'' (Castle Square), comprised of a group of buildings of great historical and cultural significance: the [[Brunswick Cathedral|Cathedral]] (built at the end of the 12th century), the ''Burg Dankwarderode'' (a 19th-century reconstruction of the old castle of Henry the Lion), the [[Neo-Gothic]] Town Hall (built in 1893-1900), as well as some picturesque [[timber framing|half-timbered houses]], such as the ''Gildehaus'' (Guild House), today the seat of the Craftsman's Association. On the centre of the square stands a copy of the ''Burglöwe'', a Romanesque statue of a Lion, cast in bronze in 1166. The original statue can be seen in the museum of the Castle Dankwarderode. Today the lion has become the true symbol of Braunschweig. * The ''Altstadtmarkt'' ("old town market"), surrounded by old town hall (built between the 13th and the 15th centuries in Gothic style), and the ''Martinikirche'' (church of [[Martin of Tours|Saint Martin]], from 1195). * The ''Kohlmarkt'' ("coal market"), a market with many historical houses and a fountain from 1869. * The ''Magniviertel'' (St Magnus' Quarter), a remainder of ancient Braunschweig, lined with cobblestoned streets, little shops and cafés, centered around the 13th-century ''Magnikirche'' (St Magnus' Church). Here is also the ''Rizzi-Haus'', a highly distinctive, cartoonish office building designed by architect [[James Rizzi]] for the Expo 2000. * The Romanesque and Gothic ''Andreaskirche'' (church of [[Saint Andrew]]), built mainly between the 13th and 16th centuries. The church was heavily damaged in World War II, and is expected to enter into its final stage of restoration in 2009 after some sixty years of intermittent work. * The Gothic ''Aegidienkirche'' (church of [[Saint Giles]]), built in the 13th century, with an adjoining monastery, which is today a museum. * The "[[Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum]]", a world-wide important art museum and the oldest public museum in Germany (founded 1754). * The ''Staatstheater'' (State Theater), newly built in the 19th century, goes back to the first standing public theater in Germany, founded in 1690 by Duke Anton Ulrich. * The royal palace of Braunschweig was bombed in [[World War II]] and demolished in 1960. The exterior was rebuilt to contain a palace museum and shopping centre, which opened in 2007. Attractions in the neighbourhood include: * [[Celle]]: a town with old half-timbered houses and a castle. * [[Hildesheim]]: a medieval town famous for its [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO-cultural heritage]] cathedrals, market place and old half-timbered houses. * [[Hamelin]]: a town famous for the folk tale of [[the Pied Piper of Hamelin]] * [[Wolfenbüttel]]: the ''Residenzstadt'' (residential city) of the Dukes of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]] for several centuries, Wolfenbüttel is home to a ''Wasserburg'' (castle surrounded by a moat) and the ''Bibliotheca Augusta'' (Herzog-August Bibliothek, or the Duke August library) housing the largest collection of medieval manuscripts in Europe. The city is historically important also for its numerous half-timber houses, many of which date back several centuries since Wolfenbüttel was left largely untouched by WWII. ==Transportation== ===Automobile=== Two main autobahns serve Braunschweig, the [[Bundesautobahn 2|A2]] (Berlin-Hannover-Dortmund) and the [[Bundesautobahn 39|A39]] (Salzgitter-Wolfsburg). City roads are generally wide, built after [[World War II]] to support the anticipated use of the automobile. There are several car parks in the city. ===Bicycle=== Many residents travel around town via 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]]. [[Deutsche Bahn]] (German Railways) serves the city with local, inter-city and high-speed [[InterCityExpress]] (ICE) trains, with frequent stops at the Hauptbahnhoff (main train station). ===Tram=== The city has an inexpensive and extensive 35 km electric tram system. First opened in 1897, it has been modernized, including a 3.2 km extension in 2007.<ref>[http://www.lightrailnow.org/news/n_newslog2007q1.htm Light Rail Now: Braunschweig (Germany): New light rail tram line to suburbs reverses Transit Holocaust, [[13 February]] [[2007]]]</ref> == [[Town twinning|Sister Cities]] == *{{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Bandung]], [[Indonesia]] *{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[United Kingdom]] *{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Kazan]], [[Russia|Russian Federation]] *{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Magdeburg]], [[Germany]] *{{flagicon|France}} [[Nîmes]], [[France]] *{{flagicon|United_States}} [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]],[[ Nebraska]] [[United States]] *{{flagicon|Israel}} [[Qiryat Tivon]], [[Israel]] *{{flagicon|Tunisia}} [[Sousse]], [[Tunisia]] ==Miscellaneous== Braunschweig has been an important industrial area. Today it is known for its [[Technische Universität Braunschweig|University]] and research institutes, mainly the Federal Agricultural Research Centre and the [[Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt]] (PTB). The PTB Braunschweig maintains the [[atomic clock]] responsible for the [[DCF77]] time signal and the official German time. The region of Braunschweig is the most R&D-intensive area in the whole [[European Economic Area]] investing a whopping 7.1% of its GDP for research & technology. [http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-NS-06-006/EN/KS-NS-06-006-EN.PDF (Eurostat, 2006)] Also located in Braunschweig is the "Martino-Katharineum", a secondary school founded in 1415. It had such famous pupils as [[Carl Friedrich Gauss]], [[Hoffmann von Fallersleben]], [[Richard Dedekind]] and [[Louis Spohr]]. Brunswick is the home of two [[piano]] companies, both known worldwide for the high quality of their instruments: Schimmel and Grotrian-Steinweg (cf. [[Steinway]]). Both companies were founded in the 19th century. Braunschweig is famous for ''[[Till Eulenspiegel]]'', a medieval jester who played many practical jokes on its citizens. It also had — and still has — many breweries, and still a very peculiar kind of [[beer]] is made called ''Mumme'' (see [[:de:Braunschweiger Mumme]]), first quoted in 1390, a malt-extract that was shipped all over the world. Near Braunschweig at Cremlingen-Abbenrode, there is a large medium wave transmitter, which transmits the program of "Deutschlandfunk" on 756 kHz, the [[Cremlingen transmitter]]. The [[Braunschweig-Wolfsburg Regional Airport]] (BWE / EDVE) is located north of the city at {{coor dms|52|19|9|N|10|33|22|E}}, elev. 295 ft. [[Braunschweiger]] [[liverwurst]] is named after the city. Braunschweig's local football team is [[Eintracht Braunschweig]], which plays in the German third division. The club is very traditional. It won the German football championship in 1967. Despite bad times now, the club is supported by a large number of supporters. Time to mention here, too, the Braunschweig Lions [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunschweig_Lions], so far six times German Bowl Defender in American Football - and two times Eurobowl-Winner (July 2008). Many other geographical names are named after Braunschweig such as [[New Brunswick]] in Canada due to the [[personal union]] of the Duchy of Hanover with Great Britain from 1714 to 1837 (see [[House of Hanover]], also referred to as the House of Brunswick, Hanover line). For a list of places named after Braunschweig see [[Brunswick (disambiguation)]]. ==External links== {{sisterlinks|Braunschweig}} * [http://www.brunswick.de/english/index.html Official website] {{en icon}} * [http://www.panorama-cities.net/braunschweig/braunschweig.html Braunschweig - 360° Panoramas] * {{Wikitravel}} ==References== {{reflist}} {{Hanseatic League}} {{Germany districts lower saxony}} [[Category:Braunschweig| ]] {{Link FA|de}} [[af:Braunschweig]] [[ar:براونشفايغ]] [[bg:Брауншвайг]] [[ca:Braunschweig]] [[cs:Braunschweig]] [[da:Braunschweig]] [[de:Braunschweig]] [[et:Braunschweig]] [[es:Brunswick]] [[eo:Braunschweig]] [[fr:Brunswick (Basse-Saxe)]] [[ko:브라운슈바이크]] [[id:Braunschweig]] [[is:Brúnsvík]] [[it:Braunschweig]] [[he:בראונשווייג]] [[jv:Braunschweig]] [[ka:ბრაუნშვაიგი]] [[la:Brunsvicum]] [[lb:Braunschweig]] [[hu:Braunschweig]] [[nl:Braunschweig (stad)]] [[nds-nl:Broenswiek (stad)]] [[ja:ブラウンシュヴァイク]] [[no:Braunschweig]] [[nn:Braunschweig]] [[oc:Brunswick (Bassa Saxònia)]] [[nds:Bronswiek]] [[pl:Brunszwik]] [[pt:Braunschweig]] [[ro:Braunschweig]] [[ru:Брауншвейг]] [[simple:Braunschweig]] [[sl:Braunschweig]] [[sr:Брауншвајг]] [[fi:Braunschweig]] [[sv:Braunschweig]] [[vi:Braunschweig]] [[tr:Braunschweig]] [[uk:Брауншвейг]] [[vo:Braunschweig]] [[zh:不伦瑞克]]