Coburg 1789481 225004152 2008-07-11T12:20:34Z MER-C 1749459 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/84.233.252.147|84.233.252.147]] ([[User talk:84.233.252.147|talk]]) to last version by Lightbot {{otheruses4|the city in [[Germany]]|other places or things called Coburg|Coburg (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox German Location |type = Stadt |Wappen = Wappen_Coburg.jpg |lat_deg = 50 |lat_min = 16 |lon_deg = 10 |lon_min = 58 |Lageplan = |Bundesland = Bayern |Regierungsbezirk = Oberfranken |Landkreis = Kreisfreie Stadt |Höhe = 292 |Fläche = 48.30 |Einwohner = 42015 |Stand = 2005-06-30 |PLZ = 96450 |Vorwahl = 09561 |Kfz = CO |Website = [http://www.stadt.coburg.de/ www.stadt.coburg.de] |Bürgermeister = Norbert Kastner |Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister |Partei = SPD }} '''Coburg''' is a [[Town#Germany|town]] located on the [[Itz (river)|Itz]] River in [[Bavaria]], Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the [[Thuringia|Thuringian states]] of the [[Ernestine duchies|Wettin line]], it joined with [[Bavaria]] by popular vote in 1920. Before 1918, it was the larger of the two capital cities in the united [[duchy]] of [[Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]. Coburg's [[Coat of Arms]] honoring the city's [[patron]] [[Saint Maurice]] was granted in 1493. ==History== [[Image:Coburg-Ehrenburg1.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Castle Ehrenburg, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1690, received its [[Gothic Revival|neo-Gothic]] exterior in the 19th century.]] Coburg lies about 90 km south of [[Erfurt]] and about 100 km north of [[Nuremberg]]. Coburg was first mentioned in a document dated 1056, although there was a settlement at the site that predates it called Trufalistat. Following several changes of aristocratic ownership, it came into the hands of the [[Wettin (dynasty)|House of Wettin]] in 1353 from the [[House of Henneberg]] with the marriage of Friedrich III, the Strong, with Katherina von Henneberg and was initially regarded by them as a [[Saxony|Saxon]] outpost within [[Franconia]]. In 1596, it was raised to the status of capital of one of the dynasty's splintered [[Thuringia|Saxon-Thuringian]] territories, the new Duchy of [[Saxe-Coburg]] under the leadership of Duke Johann Casimirs (ruled 1596-1633). One of Germany's largest castles, the mighty ''Veste Coburg'' citadel, built starting in 1225 (upon the site of an 11th century chapel), dominates the town from its hilltop. During the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 reformer Martin Luther spent 6 months at the castle (located at the southernmost point of the Saxon duchy) while his lord, the Duke of Saxony, attended the Diet. Luther was forbidden to attend by the duke, who feared that he would be imprisoned and burned as a heretic. While stationed at the castle Luther continued with his translation of the Bible into German. Today the Veste Coburg is home to three museums. One is the Ducal Palace (Fürstenbau), 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 Hunting Room (Jagdzimmer) of 1632, which is completely 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 Armory (Rüstkammer), containing the largest collection of medieval armor and weaponry in Germany, with over 10,500 items. The third is the Art Collections (Kunstsammlungen), which contains a world class collection of 300,000 engravings (Kupferstich-Kabinett), a 20,000 piece coin collection (Münzkabinett), a 7000 piece documentation collection (Briefe & Urkunden), and a 3,500 piece glassware collection (Gläser-Sammlung). In the old town at the base of the castle hill, the Ehrenburg Palace (a former Franciscan Monastery), was rebuilt in 1543. It was gutted by fire in 1690 and rebuilt in a Baroque style, with stuccowork by North Italian craftsmen that includes a famous "Hall of the Giants" (which contains a plaque that states it was the location of the first meeting between Englands Queen Victoria and Franz Josef Emperor of Austria in 1860). Its [[Gothic Revival]] exterior was remodelled by [[Karl Friedrich Schinkel]] in the 19th century. It now also houses a museum as well as a famous library. From 1826 to 1918, Coburg was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of [[Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]. During the nineteenth century, dynastic marriages created ties with the royal families of [[Belgium]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Portugal]], as well as [[Great Britain]], the last being achieved when [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Albert]] of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born at suburban [[Schloss Rosenau]], married his first cousin, [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]]. This marriage established the present British royal house, which renamed itself [[House of Windsor|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, Princess Royal and Empress Frederick|Victoria]], married the future [[Kaiser]] [[Friedrich III, German Emperor|Friedrich III]]. 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 6 visits to Coburg during her 64 year reign. In 1896 one ceremony 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 Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and the future King George V of Great Britain. [[Image:Coburg-1915.jpg|thumb|280px|Coburg in 1915.]] [[Image:VesteCoburgNight.jpg|thumb|280px|Veste Coburg at Night, 2007.]] [[Image:Coburg-Rathaus1.jpg|thumb|280px|The Town Hall.]] In 1920, two years after the abdication of the last duke, the locals voted to join [[Bavaria]]. Thus whilst the other Saxon-Thuringian principalities were later incorporated into the [[German Democratic Republic]] after [[World War II]], 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. ==Main sights== Coburg has the typical features of a former capital of German little states. There are numerous houses from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The most important landmarks include: *[[Ehrenburg]], a former Franciscan convent built in 1220 and turned into a castle in 1543–1549, and renovated until the 19th century. The internal decoration dates from the late 17th-early 18th centuries. *St.-Moriz Church ("St. Maurice", 14th-16th centuries), is a [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] edifice on the [[Hallenkirche]] plan with two towers. The interior, remade in 1701, include the notable funerary moment of Duke John Casimir, a 12&nbsp;m-tall alabaster sculpture painted with statue and reliefs (1595-1598). *The medieval [[Veste Coburg]], one of the biggest and most beautiful castles in Germany. It was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century. It has a triple line of walls with numerous towers. [[Martin Luther]] resided here in 1530. The edifices contain today 3 museums with armories, art galleria, exhibitions and other attractions. *Casimirium, an elegant Renaissance edifice from 1598. *Gymnasium Caimirianum, begun in 1601. *Arsenal (1616-1621). *Coburg State Theater *Coburg Doll Museum *Callenberg Palace *Town Hall (1414) *Castle Rosenau near Coburg *The Baroque sanctuary at the [[Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen]], 20 km outside the city. ==Religion== Most residents of Coburg are members of the [[Evangelical Church]] ([[Lutheranism]]). Other [[Christian]] communities are [[Baptists]], [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|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 [[Muslim]]s. Coburg had a large [[Jewish]] community until the 1940s. Jews have 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. ==Districts== Coburg is divided into 15 districts: [[Image:CoburgPatternSilverSpoons.jpg|thumb|right|280px|<sub>''Coburg pattern'' English (London) silver spoons, c1830</sub>]] *[[Coburg City]] *[[Beiersdorf (Coburg)|Beiersdorf]] *[[Bertelsdorf (Coburg) and Glend (Coburg)|Bertelsdorf]] *[[Cortendorf (Coburg)|Cortendorf]] *[[Creidlitz (Coburg)|Creidlitz]] *[[Bertelsdorf (Coburg) and Glend (Coburg)|Glend]] *[[Ketschendorf (Coburg)|Ketschendorf]] *[[Lützelbuch (Coburg) and Löbelstein (Coburg)|Löbelstein]] *[[Lützelbuch (Coburg) and Löbelstein (Coburg)|Lützelbuch]] *[[Neu- and Neershof (Coburg)|Neu- and Neershof]] *[[Neuses bei Coburg|Neuses]] *[[Rögen (Coburg)|Rögen]] *[[Scheuerfeld (Coburg)|Scheuerfeld]] *[[Seidmansdorf (Coburg)|Seidmansdorf]] *[[Wüstenahorn (Coburg)|Wüstenahorn]] Over two thirds of Coburg's population live in Coburg City. ==Culture== Coburg is home to two major festivals: Samba Festival and Johann Strauss Musiktage. Coburg is referred to as "Europe's Capital of Samba" [http://www.campusgermany.de/english/4.22.3.1479.html]. 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 [http://www.sgroedental.de/Baseball] [[baseball]] teams. ==Famous people== Amongst the associated royalty, one individual's 20th century association with Coburg proved especially tragic. This was that of the British Royal [[Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] who ended up arrested and tried as a Nazi. Besides various royalty, other famous individuals associated with Coburg include [[Hans Berger]] (graduated), [[William Frishmuth]] (born), and [[Eduard Study]] (born). In 1530, [[Martin Luther]] stayed in the ''Veste Coburg'' to follow negotiations at the [[Imperial Diet]] in [[Augsburg]]. He also preached at St. Moriz church.[http://www.heavenlytours.com/destins/luthergermany.html] In 1887, [[Johann Strauss]], better known as the Waltz King, left Vienna when the Roman Catholic Church forbade his divorce from his 2nd wife. So he moved to Lutheran Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with is future 3rd wife Adele, where he lived the last 13 years of his life in Coburg. He was however buried in Vienna. In 1922, [[Adolf Hitler]] led several hundred [[Sturmabteilung|stormtroopers]] in a march through the city, fighting pitched street battles with leftists. During the Nazi era, the [[Coburg Badge]] was one of the most prestigious party medals. [[Hans Morgenthau]], founder of [[International Relations]] as a field of study, was born here. ==Trivia== The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council asserts that [[Frankfurt]] is traditionally credited with originating the [[hot dog|frankfurter]]. According to the Council, this claim is disputed and that the hot dog was created in the late 1600s by [[Johann Georghehner]], a butcher, living in Coburg.[http://www.hot-dog.org/hotdoghistory.html] Coburg was the first German town to elect a Nazi Mayor. A popular local delicacy is the Coburger bratwurst, a sausage (the official size of which is denoted by a statue of a man holding a bratwurst located on the town hall, overlooking the square) roasted over a pinecone fire. 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. ==Traffic== ===Car=== Coburg can be reached by car via B 303 [[Schweinfurt]]-Coburg-Schirnding, B 4 [[Hamburg]]-Coburg-[[Nürnberg]] or highway A 73 [[Suhl]]-Coburg-Nürnberg. Seven-times Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher has been a recently noted driver in Coburg. ===Train=== Coburg has four train stations *Coburg-Neuses *Coburg-Nord *Coburg mainstation *Coburg-Creidlitz From the Mainstation one can go to [[Lichtenfels, Bavaria|Lichtenfels]], [[Bamberg]], [[Forchheim (Oberfranken)|Forchheim]], [[Erlangen]], [[Fürth]] and [[Nürnberg]], to [[Neustadt bei Coburg]], [[Sonneberg]], to [[Bad Rodach]] and to [[Kulmbach]], Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg. In future the high speed train [[InterCityExpress|ICE]] will stop in Coburg, on the new route [[Berlin]]-[[Erfurt]]-Coburg-[[Nürnberg]] ===Airports=== With little planes you can land on the two [[airfields]]: *Coburg Brandensteinsebene *Coburg Steinrücken Bigger Airports are in [[Frankfurt International Airport|Frankfurt]], [[Erfurt Airport|Erfurt]] and [[Nuremberg Airport|Nürnberg]] ===Public transportation system === The public transportation system in Coburg is operated by SÜC ("Stadt- und Überlandwerke Coburg") with 22 bus lines. The OVF ("Omnibus Verkehr Franken") covers Coburg's surrounding countryside with additional 11 bus lines. At the moment a central bus station is being built near Theatre Square. ==Twin towns== *{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Cobourg]], [[Canada]] *{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Gais, Italy]] *{{flagicon|USA}} [[Garden City]], [[USA]] *{{flagicon|UK}} [[Isle of Wight]], [[United Kingdom]] *{{flagicon|France}} [[Niort]], [[France]] *{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Oudenaarde]], [[Belgium]] ==External links== * [http://www.coburg-tourist.com/ Coburg Tourist Board] * [http://dg.ian.com/index.jsp?cid=10429&action=viewLocation&locationId=36489 World sites atlas] * [http://www.sgvcoburg.de/ Schloss- under Gartenverwaltung Coburg] * [http://www.muenchen-flughafentransfer.de/images/coburg4k.jpg Aerial view of the Castle] * [http://www.bb-fotostudio.de.vu Lots of Photos from Coburg] {{Germany_districts_bavaria}} [[ar:كوبورغ]] [[az:Koburq]] [[bg:Кобург]] [[ca:Coburg]] [[da:Coburg]] [[de:Coburg]] [[et:Coburg]] [[es:Coburgo]] [[eo:Coburg]] [[fr:Cobourg]] [[id:Coburg]] [[it:Coburgo]] [[la:Coburgus]] [[nl:Coburg (stad)]] [[ja:コーブルク]] [[no:Coburg]] [[pms:Coburg]] [[pl:Coburg]] [[pt:Coburgo]] [[ro:Coburg]] [[ru:Кобург]] [[simple:Coburg]] [[fi:Coburg]] [[sv:Coburg]] [[vo:Coburg (Bayern)]] [[zh:科堡]]