Nuremberg

Nuremberg(/ˈnjʊərəmbɜːrɡ/,NURE-əm-burg; German:Nürnberg[ˈnʏʁnbɛʁk]; in the localEast Franconiandialect:Nämberch[ˈnɛmbɛrç]) is thelargestcity inFranconia, thesecond-largestcity in theGerman stateofBavaria, and its 544,414 (2023) inhabitantsmake it the14th-largest cityin Germany.
Nuremberg sits on thePegnitz, which carries the nameRegnitzfrom its confluence with theRednitzinFürthonwards (Pegnitz→Regnitz→Main→Rhine→North Sea), and on theRhine–Main–Danube Canal, that connects theNorth Seato theBlack Sea. Lying in the Bavarianadministrative regionofMiddle Franconia, it is the largest city and unofficial capital of the entire cultural region ofFranconia. The city is surrounded on three sides by theNürnberger Reichswald[de], a large forest, and in the north liesKnoblauchsland[de](garlic land), an extensive vegetable growing area and cultural landscape.
The city forms a continuous conurbation with the neighbouring cities ofFürth,ErlangenandSchwabach, which is the heart of an urban area region with around 1.4 million inhabitants,while the largerNuremberg Metropolitan Regionhas a population of approximately 3.6 million. It is the largest city in theEast Franconiandialect area (colloquially: "Franconian"; German:Fränkisch).
Nuremberg andFürthwere once connected by theBavarian Ludwig Railway, thefirst steam-hauled and overall second railway opened in Germany(1835). Today, the U1 of theNuremberg U-Bahnruns along this route. Subway lines U2 and U3 are the first German driverless subway lines, automatically moving railcars.Nuremberg Airport(Flughafen Nürnberg "Albrecht Dürer") is the second-busiest airport in Bavaria afterMunich Airport, and the tenth-busiest airport in the country.
Institutions of higher education in Nuremberg include theUniversity of Erlangen-Nuremberg(Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Germany's 11th-largest university, with campuses in Erlangen and Nuremberg and auniversity hospitalin Erlangen (Universitätsklinikum Erlangen),Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm,Hochschule für Musik Nürnbergand the newly foundedUniversity of Technology Nuremberg. The Nuremberg exhibition centre (Messe Nürnberg) is one of the biggestconvention centercompanies in Germany and operates worldwide.
Nuremberg Castle, its medieval old town andthe city's walls, with their many towers, are notable attractions.Staatstheater Nürnbergis one of the five Bavarian state theatres,showingoperas,operettas,musicals, andballets(main venue: NurembergOpera House),plays(main venue:SchauspielhausNürnberg), as well asconcerts(main venue:Meistersingerhalle). Its orchestra, theStaatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, is Bavaria's second-largest opera orchestra after theBavarian State Opera'sBavarian State Orchestrain Munich. Nuremberg is the birthplace ofAlbrecht DürerandJohann Pachelbel.1. FC Nürnbergis the most famous football club of the city and one of themost successful football clubs in Germany. Nuremberg was one of the host cities of the2006 FIFA World Cup.
The first documentary mention of the city, in 1050, mentions Nuremberg as the location of animperial castlebetweenEast Franciaand theMargraviate of the NordgauofBavaria.From 1050 to 1572 the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade-routes.King Conrad III, reigning asKing of Germanyfrom 1137 to 1152, established theBurgraviate of Nuremberg, with the firstburgravescoming from the AustrianHouse of Raabs. With the extinction of their male line around 1189, the last Raabs count's son-in-law,Frederick Iof theHouse of Hohenzollern, inherited the burgraviate in 1193.
From the late 12th century to theInterregnum(1254–1573), however, the power of the burgraves diminished as theHohenstaufenemperors transferred most non-military powers to a castellan, with the city administration and the municipal courts handed over to an Imperial mayor (German:Reichsschultheiß) from 1173/74.The strained relations between the burgraves and the castellans, with gradual transferral of powers to the latter in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, finally broke out into open enmity, which greatly influenced the history of the city.
The city and particularlyNuremberg Castlewould become one of the most frequent sites of theImperial Diet(afterRegensburgandFrankfurt), theDiets of Nurembergfrom 1211 to 1543, after the first Nuremberg diet electedFrederick IIas emperor. Because of the many Diets of Nuremberg, the city became an important routine place of the administration of the Empire during this time and a somewhat 'unofficialcapital' of the Empire.In 1219 Emperor Frederick II granted theGroßen Freiheitsbrief('Great Charter of Freedom'), includingtown rights,Imperial immediacy(Reichsfreiheit), the privilege to mint coins, and an independent customs policy – almost wholly removing the city from the purview of the burgraves.Nuremberg soon became, withAugsburg, one of the two great trade-centers on the route fromItalyto Northern Europe.
In 1298, theJewsof the town were accused ofhost desecrationand 698 of them were killed in one of the manyRintfleisch massacres. Behind the massacre of 1298 was also the desire to combine the northern and southern parts of the city,which were divided by thePegnitz. The Jews of the German lands sufferedmany massacresduring theplaguepandemic of the mid-14th century.
In 1349, Nuremberg's Jews suffered apogrom.They were burned at the stake or expelled, and a marketplace was built over the former Jewish quarter.The plague returned to the city in 1405, 1435, 1437, 1482, 1494, 1520, and 1534.
The largest growth of Nuremberg occurred in the 14th century.Charles IV'sGolden Bull of 1356, naming Nuremberg as the city where newly electedkings of Germanymust hold their first Imperial Diet, made Nuremberg one of the three most important cities of the Empire.Charles was the patron of theFrauenkirche, built between 1352 and 1362 (the architect was likelyPeter Parler), where the Imperial court worshipped during its stays in Nuremberg. The royal and Imperial connection grew stronger in 1423 when the Holy Roman EmperorSigismund of Luxembourggranted the Imperial regalia to be kept permanently in Nuremberg, where they remained until 1796, when theadvance of French troopsrequired their removal toRegensburgand thence toVienna.
In 1349 the members of theguildsunsuccessfully rebelled against the patricians in aHandwerkeraufstand('Craftsmen's Uprising'), supported by merchants and some by councillors, leading to a ban on any self-organisation of the artisans in the city, abolishing the guilds that were customary elsewhere in Europe; the unions were then dissolved, and the oligarchs remained in power while Nuremberg was afree city(until the early-19th century).Charles IV conferred upon the city the right to conclude alliances independently, thereby placing it upon a politically equal footing with theprinces of the Empire.Frequent fights took place with the burgraves without, however, inflicting lasting damage upon the city. After fire destroyed the castle in 1420 during a feud betweenFrederick IV(from 1417,Margrave of Brandenburg) and the duke ofBavaria-Ingolstadt, the city purchased the ruins and the forest belonging to the castle (1427), resulting in the city's total sovereignty within its borders.
Through these and other acquisitions the city accumulated considerable territory.TheHussite Wars(1419–1434), thesecond Black Death pandemicin 1437, and theFirst Margrave War(1449–1450) led to a severe fall in population in the mid-15th century.Siding withAlbert IV, Duke ofBavaria-Munich, in theWar of the Succession of Landshutof 1503–1505, led the city to gain substantial territory, resulting in lands of 25 sq mi (64.7 km), making it one of the largest imperial cities.
During the Middle Ages, Nuremberg fostered a rich, varied, and influential literary culture.
The cultural flowering of Nuremberg in the 15th and 16th centuries made it the centre of theGerman Renaissance. In 1525 Nuremberg accepted theProtestant Reformation, and in 1532 theNuremberg Religious Peacewas signed there, preventing war between Lutherans and Catholicsfor 15 years.During the Princes'1552 revolutionagainstCharles V, Nuremberg tried to purchase its neutrality, but MargraveAlbert Alcibiades, one of the leaders of the revolt, attacked the city without a declaration of war and dictated a disadvantageous peace.At the 1555Peace of Augsburg, the possessions of the Protestants were confirmed by the Emperor, their religious privileges extended and their independence from theBishop of Bambergaffirmed, while the 1520s' secularisation of the monasteries was also approved.Families like theTucher,ImhofforHallerran trading businesses across Europe, similar to theFuggerandWelserfamilies fromAugsburg, although on a slightly smaller scale.
The state of affairs in the early 16th century, increased trade routes elsewhere and the ossification of the social hierarchy and legal structures contributed to the decline in trade.During theThirty Years' War, frequent quartering of Imperial, Swedish andLeaguesoldiers, the financial costs of the war and the cessation of trade caused irreparable damage to the city and a near-halving of the population.In 1632, the city, occupied by the forces ofGustavus Adolphus of Sweden, wasbesiegedby the army of Imperial generalAlbrecht von Wallenstein. The city declined after the war and recovered its importance only in the 19th century, when it grew as an industrial centre. Even after the Thirty Years' War, however, there was a late flowering of architecture and culture; secularBaroque architectureis exemplified in the layout of the civic gardens built outside the city walls, and in the Protestant city's rebuilding ofSt. Egidien church, destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 18th century, considered a significant contribution to the baroque church architecture of Middle Franconia.
After the Thirty Years' War, Nuremberg attempted to remain detached from external affairs, but contributions were demanded for theWar of the Austrian Successionand theSeven Years' Warand restrictions of imports and exports deprived the city of many markets for its manufactures.The Bavarian elector,Charles Theodore, appropriated part of the land obtained by the city during theLandshut War of Succession, to which Bavaria had maintained its claim; Prussia also claimed part of the territory. Realising its weakness, the city asked to be incorporated into Prussia butFrederick William IIrefused, fearing to offend Austria,Russiaand France.At the Imperial diet in 1803, the independence of Nuremberg was affirmed, but on the signing of theConfederation of the Rhineon 12 July 1806, it was agreed to hand the city over to Bavaria from 8 September, with Bavaria guaranteeing theamortisationof the city's 12.5 million guilder public debt.
After the fall ofNapoleon, the city's trade and commerce revived; the skill of its inhabitants together with its favourable situation soon made the city prosperous, particularly after its public debt had been acknowledged as a part of the Bavarian national debt. Having been incorporated into a Catholic country, the city was compelled to refrain from further discrimination against Catholics, who had been excluded from the rights of citizenship. Catholic services had been celebrated in the city by the priests of theTeutonic Order, often under great difficulties. After their possessions had been confiscated by the Bavarian government in 1806, they were given the Frauenkirche on the Market in 1809; in 1810 the first Catholic parish was established, which in 1818 numbered 1,010 people.
In 1817, the city was incorporated into the district ofRezatkreis(named for the riverFranconian Rezat), which was renamed toMiddle Franconia(German:Mittelfranken) on 1 January 1838.The first German railway, theBavarian Ludwigsbahn, from Nuremberg to nearbyFürth, was opened in 1835. The establishment of railways and the incorporation of Bavaria intoZollverein(the 19th-century German Customs Union), commerce and industry opened the way to greater prosperity.In 1852, there were 53,638 inhabitants: 46,441 Protestants and 6,616 Catholics. It subsequently grew to become the more important industrial city of Southern Germany, one of the most prosperous towns of southern Germany, but after theAustro-Prussian Warit was given toPrussiaas part of their telegraph stations they had to give up. In 1905, its population, including several incorporated suburbs, was 291,351: 86,943 Catholics, 196,913 Protestants, 3,738 Jews and 3,766 members of other religions.TheFränkischer Kurierwas published as a local newspaper in Nuremberg.
Nuremberg held great significance during theNazi Germanera. Because of the city's relevance to theHoly Roman Empireand its position in the centre of Germany, theNazi Partychose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions: theNuremberg rallies. The rallies were held in 1927, 1929 and annually from 1933 through 1938. A number of buildings and large gathering areas known collectively as theNazi Party Rally Grounds, some of which were not finished, were designed byAlbert Speerand were constructed solely for these assemblies. AfterAdolf Hitler's rise to powerin 1933 the Nuremberg rallies became hugeNazi propagandaevents, a centre of Nazi ideals. The 1934 rally was filmed byLeni Riefenstahl, and made into a propaganda film calledTriumph des Willens(Triumph of the Will). At the 1935 rally, Hitler specifically ordered theReichstagto convene at Nuremberg to pass theNuremberg Lawswhich revoked Germancitizenshipfor all Jews and other non-Aryans.
The NaziOberbürgermeisterof the city,Willy Liebel, embarked upon a program of urban architectural renewal that he felt befitted one of the centers of Nazi pageantry. The aim was to restore the city center to the medieval look of centuries past by eliminating late nineteenth-century styling. Among the buildings he slated for demolition was theGrand Synagogue of Nuremberg. He felt that this "foreign" building with itsMoorish revivalarchitecture could not be reconciled with the image that he strove to create, and he succeeded in having the building completely demolished around the time of the Party rally in September 1938.Many examples ofNazi architecturecan still be seen in the city.
The city was also the headquarters of the NazipropagandistJulius Streicher, the Nazi PartyGauleiterofFranconia, a viciousantisemiteand the publisher ofDer Stürmer. During the anti-Jewishpogromknown asKristallnachton 10 November 1938, the two remaining synagogues and numerous Jewish-owned shops were burned to the ground. Of the 91 Jews in Germany who met their deaths as a result ofKristallnacht, 26 (including ten suicides) were in Nuremberg. Between 2,000 and 3,000 of Nuremberg's Jews fled from Germany. By 1941, only about 1,800 remained, over 1,600 of whom were rounded-up and transported to variousextermination campswhere they were killed.At the end of the war in 1945, there were no Jews left in Nuremberg. There are manyStolpersteineinstalled in the streets of the city;these commemorate Jews who were persecuted by the Nazi regime.
During theSecond World War, Nuremberg was the headquarters ofWehrkreis(military district) XIII, and an important site for military production, including aircraft, submarines, and tank engines. A subcamp ofFlossenbürg concentration campwas located here, and extensively usedslave labour.
On2 January 1945, the medieval city centre was systematically bombedby theRoyal Air Forceand theU.S. Army Air Forcesand about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour, with 1,800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. In total, about 6,000 Nuremberg residents are estimated to have been killed in air raids.
Nuremberg was a heavily fortified city that was captured ina fierce battlelasting from 17 to 20 April 1945 by the U.S.3rd Infantry Division,42nd Infantry Divisionand45th Infantry Division, which fought house-to-house and street-by-street against determined German resistance, causing further urban devastation to the already bombed and shelled buildings.Despite this intense degree of destruction, the city was rebuilt after the war and was to some extent restored to its pre-war appearance, including the reconstruction of many of its medieval buildings.Much of this reconstructive work and conservation was done by the organisation 'Old Town Friends Nuremberg'. Today 25% of Nürnberg's buildings date to before World War IIand the old town is a declared protected area,so the northeastern half of the oldImperial Free Cityhad to be largely reconstructed.
Between 1945 and 1946, German officials involved inwar crimesand crimes against humanity were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg trials. TheSoviet Unionhad wanted these trials to take place inBerlin. However, Nuremberg was chosen as the site for the trials for specific reasons:
Following the trials, in October 1946, many prominent German Nazi politicians and military leaders wereexecuted in Nuremberg.
The same courtroom in Nuremberg was the venue of theNuremberg Military Tribunals, organized by the United States asoccupying powerin the area.
In order to come to terms with the role Nuremberg played during theThird Reich, the city established theNuremberg International Human Rights Awardin 1995, awarded every two years to individuals or groups defending human rights worldwide.
Several old villages now belong to the city, for exampleGrossgründlach,Kraftshof,Thon, andNeunhofin the north-west;Ziegelsteinin the northeast,AltenfurtandFischbachin the south-east; andKatzwang,Kornburgin the south.Langwasseris a modern suburb.
Nuremberg has anoceanic climate(KöppenCfb) with a certainhumid continentalinfluence (Dfb), categorized in the latter by the 0 °C isotherm.The city's climate is influenced by its inland position and higher altitude. Winters are changeable, with either mild or cold weather: the average temperature is around −3 °C (27 °F) to 4 °C (39 °F), while summers are generally warm, mostly around 13 °C (55 °F) at night to 25 °C (77 °F) in the afternoon. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, although February and April tend to be a bit drier whereas July tends to have more rainfall.
Nuremberg has been a destination for immigrants. 50.1% of the residents had an immigrant background in 2022 (counted with MigraPro).
Nuremberg for many people is still associated with its traditional gingerbread (Lebkuchen) products, sausages, and handmade toys.Pocket watches—Nuremberg eggs— were made here in the 16th century byPeter Henlein. Only one of the districts in the 1797–1801 sample was early industrial; the economic structure of the region around Nuremberg was dominated by metal and glass manufacturing, reflected by a share of nearly 50% handicrafts and workers.In the 19th century Nuremberg became the "industrial heart" ofBavariawith companies such asSiemensandMANestablishing a strong base in the city. Nuremberg is still an important industrial centre with a strong standing in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Items manufactured in the area include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products, motor vehicles, writing and drawing paraphernalia, stationery products and printed materials.
The city is also strong in the fields of automation, energy and medical technology. Siemens is still the largest industrial employer in the Nuremberg region but a good third of German market research agencies are also located in the city.
TheNuremberg International Toy Fair, held at thecity's exhibition centre, is the largest of its kind in the world.
Nuremberg isBavaria's second largest city afterMunich, and a popular tourist destination for foreigners and Germans alike. It was a leading city 500 years ago, but 90% of the town was destroyed in 1945 during the war. AfterWorld War II, many medieval-style areas of the town were rebuilt.
Beyond its main attractions of theImperial Castle,St. Lorenz Church, andNazi Trial grounds, there are 54 different museums for arts and culture, history, science and technology, family and children, and more niche categories,where visitors can see the world's oldest globe (built in 1492), a 500-year-old Madonna, and Renaissance-era German art.There are several types of tours offered in the city, including historic tours, those that areNazi-focused, underground and night tours,walking tours, sightseeing buses, self guided tours, and an old town tour on a mini train. Nuremberg also offers several parks and green areas, as well as indoor activities such asbowling,rock wall climbing,escape rooms,cart racing, andmini golf, theaters and cinemas, pools andthermal spas. There are also six nearbyamusement parks.The city's tourism board sells the Nurnberg Card which allows for free use ofpublic transportationand free entry to all museums and attractions in Nuremberg for a two-day period.
Notable foods available in the city includelebkuchen,gingerbread, localbeer,Schäufele, andNürnberger Rostbratwürstchen, or Nuremberg grilled sausages. There are hundreds of restaurants for all tastes, including traditionalFranconianrestaurants andbeer gardens. It also hasvegan,vegetarianandorganicrestaurants. Nuremberg boasts a twoMichelin Star-rated restaurant, Essigbrätlein.
Like many European cities, Nuremberg offers apedestrian-only zonecovering a large portion of the old town, which is a main destination for shopping and specialty retail,including year-roundChristmasstores where tourists and locals alike can purchaseChristmas ornaments, gifts, decorations, and additions to their toyChristmas villages. The Craftsmen's Courtyard, or Handwerkerhof, is another tourist shopping destination in the style of amedievalvillage. It houses several local family-run businesses which sell handcrafted items fromglass,wood,leather,pottery, andprecious metals. The Handwerkerhof is also home to traditional German restaurants and beer gardens.
The Pedestrian zones of Nuremberg host festivals and markets throughout the year, the best known beingChristkindlesmarkt, Germany's largestChristmas marketand the gingerbread capital of the world. Visitors to the Christmas market can peruse the hundreds of stalls and purchase local wood crafts andnutcrackerswhile sampling Christmas sweets and traditionalGlühwein.
In 2017, Nuremberg saw a total of 3.3 millionovernight stays, a record for the town, and is expected to have surpassed that in 2018, with more growth in tourism anticipated in the coming years.There are over 175 registered places of accommodation in Nuremberg, ranging fromhostelsto luxuryhotels,bed and breakfasts, to multi-hundred room properties.
Nuremberg was an early centre of humanism, science, printing, and mechanical invention. The city contributed much to the science ofastronomy. In 1471 Johannes Mueller ofKönigsberg(Bavaria), later calledRegiomontanus, built an astronomical observatory in Nuremberg and published many important astronomical charts.
In 1515,Albrecht Dürer, a native of Nuremberg, created woodcuts of the first maps of the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres, producing the first printed star charts, which had been ordered byJohannes Stabius. Around 1515 Dürer also published the "Stabiussche Weltkarte", the first perspective drawing of the terrestrial globe.
Printers and publishers have a long history in Nuremberg. Many of these publishers worked with well-known artists of the day to produce books that could also be considered works of art. In 1470Anton Kobergeropened Europe's first print shop in Nuremberg. In 1493, he published theNuremberg Chronicles, also known as theWorld Chronicles(Schedelsche Weltchronik), an illustrated history of the world from the creation to the present day. It was written in the local Franconian dialect byHartmann Schedeland had illustrations byMichael Wohlgemuth,Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, and Albrecht Dürer. Others furthered geographical knowledge and travel by map making. Notable among these was navigator and geographerMartin Behaim, who made the first world globe.
Sculptors such asVeit Stoss,Adam KraftandPeter Vischerare also associated with Nuremberg.
Composed of prosperous artisans, the guilds of theMeistersingersflourished here.Richard Wagnermade their most famous member,Hans Sachs, the hero of his operaDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Baroque composerJohann Pachelbelwas born here and was organist ofSt. Sebaldus Church.
Theacademy of fine artssituated in Nuremberg is the oldest art academy in central Europe and looks back to a tradition of 350 years of artistic education.
Nuremberg is also famous for itsChristkindlesmarkt(Christmas market), which draws well over a million shoppers each year. The market is famous for its handmade ornaments and delicacies.
TheNuremberg State Theatre, founded in 1906, is dedicated to all types of opera, ballet and stage theatre. During the season 2009/2010, the theatre presented 651 performances for an audience of 240,000 persons.The State Philharmonic Nuremberg (Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg) is the orchestra of theState Theatre. Its name was changed in 2011 from its previous name: The Nuremberg Philharmonic (Nürnberger Philharmoniker). It is the second-largest opera orchestra in Bavaria.Besides opera performances, it also presents its own subscription concert series in theMeistersingerhalle.Christof Perickwas the principal conductor of the orchestra between 2006 and 2011.Marcus Boschheads the orchestra since September 2011.
TheNuremberg Symphony Orchestra(Nürnberger Symphoniker) performs around 100 concerts a year to a combined annual audience of more than 180,000.The regular subscription concert series are mostly performed in theMeistersingerhallebut other venues are used as well, including the new concert hall of theKongresshalleand theSerenadenhof.Alexander Shelleyhas been the principal conductor of the orchestra since 2009.
The Nuremberg International Chamber Music Festival (Internationales Kammermusikfestival Nürnberg) takes place in early September each year, and in 2011 celebrated its tenth anniversary. Concerts take place around the city; opening and closing events are held in the medievalBurg. TheBardentreffen, an annual folk festival in Nuremberg, has been deemed the largestworld musicfestival in Germany and takes place since 1976. 2014 the Bardentreffen starred 368 artists from 31 nations.
Nuremberg is known for NürnbergerBratwurst, which is shorter and thinner than other bratwurst sausages.
Another Nuremberg speciality is NürnbergerLebkuchen, a kind of gingerbread eaten mainly around Christmas time.
Nuremberg has 51 public and 6 private elementary schools in nearly all of its districts. Secondary education is offered at 23Mittelschulen, 12Realschulenand 17Gymnasien(state, city, church, and privately owned). There are also several other providers of secondary education such as Berufsschule, Berufsfachschule, Wirtschaftsschule etc.
Nuremberg hosts the joint universityFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, two Fachhochschulen (Technische Hochschule NürnbergandEvangelische Hochschule Nürnberg), a pure art academy (Akademie der Bildenden Künste Nürnberg, the first art academy in the German-speaking world) in addition to the design faculty at the TH and a music conservatoire (Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg).There are also private schools such as theAkademie Deutsche POP Nürnbergoffering higher education.
Nuremberg is represented in theBundestagby twoconstituencies;Nuremberg NorthandNuremberg South. Since 2002, both constituencies have been held by the CSU.
At the local level, Nuremberg has historically been left-leaning in the conservative state of Bavaria – since the end of World War II, the city has mainly electedSPDmayors with the exception ofLudwig Scholz(elected 1996, served until 2002) and Marcus König (elected 2020). From 1957 to 1987, the position of Chief Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) was continuously held by Andreas Urschlechter (SPD) for 30 years.
The current mayor of Nuremberg is Marcus König of theChristian Social Union(CSU). The most recent mayoral election was held on 15 March 2020, with a runoff held on 29 March, and the results were as follows:
The Nuremberg city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 15 March 2020, and the results were as follows:
The city's location next to numerous highways, railways, and a waterway has contributed to its rising importance for trade with Eastern Europe.
Nürnberg Hauptbahnhofis a stop forICandICEtrains on the German long-distance railway network. TheNuremberg–Ingolstadt–Munich high-speed linewith 300 km/h (186 mph) operation opened 28 May 2006, and was fully integrated into the rail schedule on 10 December 2006. Travel times to Munich have been reduced to as little as one hour. TheNuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railwayopened in December 2017.
TheNuremberg tramway networkwas opened in 1881. As of 2008, it extends a total length of 36 km (22 mi), has six lines, and carried 39.152 million passengers annually. The first segment of theNuremberg U-Bahnmetro system was opened in 1972. Nuremberg's trams,busesand U-Bahn are operated by theVerkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg(VAG; Nuremberg Transport Corporation), a member of theVerkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg(VGN; Greater Nuremberg Transport Network).
There is also aNuremberg S-Bahnsuburban metro railway and a regional train network, both centred onNürnberg Hauptbahnhof. Since 2008, Nuremberg has had the first U-Bahn in Germany (U2/U21 and U3) that works without a driver. It also was the first subway system worldwide in which both driver-operated trains and computer-controlled trains shared tracks.
Nuremberg is located at the junction of several important Autobahn routes. TheA3(Netherlands–Frankfurt–Würzburg–Vienna) passes in a south-easterly direction along the north-east of the city. TheA9(Berlin–Munich) passes in a north–south direction on the east of the city. TheA6(France–Saarbrücken–Prague) passes in an east–west direction to the south of the city. Finally, theA73begins in the south-east of Nuremberg and travels north-west through the city before continuing towards Fürth andBamberg.
Nuremberg Airporthas flights to major German cities and many European destinations. The largest operators are currentlyEurowingsandTUI fly Deutschland, while the low-costRyanairandWizz Aircompanies connect the city to various European centres. A significant amount of the airport's traffic flies to and from mainly touristic destinations during the peak winter season. The airport (Flughafen) is the terminus ofNuremberg U-Bahn Line 2; until 2021, it was the only airport in Germany served by aU-Bahnsubway system.Stuttgart Airportis also now served by its U-Bahn network, with the line U6 terminating there.
Nuremberg is an important port on theRhine–Main–Danube Canal.
1. FC Nürnberg, known locally asDer Club(English: "The Club"), was founded in 1900 and currently plays in the2.Bundesliga. The official colours of the association are red and white, but the traditional colours are red and black. They won their first regional title in theSouthern German championshipin 1916 closely followed by their first national title in 1920. Besides the eleven regional championships they won theGerman championshipfor a total of nine times. With this they held the record for the most German championship titles until 1986 when the current record holder FC Bayern München surpassed them. The current chairmen are Nils Rossow and Dieter Hecking. They play inMax-Morlock-Stadionwhich was refurbished for the2006 FIFA World Cupand accommodates 50,000 spectators.
TuS Bar Kochbais a league that was founded in 1913 as a social-sport club for the Jewish community in Nürnberg. Established as the "Jewish Gymnastics and Sports Club Nuremberg", the league was dissolved by the Nazi party in 1939. It was reformed in 1966.The club plays in the senior A-league of theBavarian Football Association.
TheBaskets Nürnbergplayed in theBasketball Bundesligafrom 2005 to 2007. Since then, teams from Nuremberg have attempted to return to Germany's elite league. The recently foundedNürnberg Falcons BChave already established themselves as one of the main teams in Germany's second divisionProAand aim to take on the heritage of the SELLBYTEL Baskets Nürnberg. The Falcons play their home games at theKIA Metropol Arena.
TheNürnberg Ice Tigersplay in the country's premier league, theDeutsche Eishockey Liga. They've been runner-up in 1999 and 2007. The Ice Tigers play their home games at theArena Nürnberger Versicherung.
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