Speyer

**Speyer** (formerly known as *Spires* in English) is a ceety o Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany wi approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Locatit beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25&nbsp;km sooth o Ludwigshafen an Mannheim. Foondit bi the Romans, it is ane o Germany's auldest ceeties. The first kent names wur *Noviomagus* an *Civitas Nemetum*, efter the Teutonic tribe, Nemetes, settled in the aurie. Aroond the year 500 the name **Spira** first appeared in written documents. *Spire*, *Spira*, an *Espira* are still names uised for Speyer in the French, Italian, an Spaingie leids.

Speyer is dominatit bi the Speyer Cathedral, a number o kirks an the Altpörtel (*auld gate*). In the cathedral, beneath the heich altar, are the tombs o aicht Holy Roman emperors an German kings.

## Timeline

* In 10 BC, the first Roman military camp is established (situatit atween the toun haw an the episcopal palace).
* In 150, the toun appears as Noviomagus on the warld map o the Greek Ptolemaios
* In 346, a bishop for the toun is mentioned for the first time.
* In 1030, emperor Conrad II stairts the construction o Speyer Cathedral, the day ane o the UNESCO Warld Heritage Steids.
* In 1076, emperor Henry IV embarks frae Speyer, his favourite toun, for Canossa.
* In 1084, establishment o the first Jewish community in Speyer
* In 1294, the bishop lost maist o his previous richts, an frae nou on Speyer is a Free Imperial Ceety o the Holy Roman Empire.
* In 1349, the Jewish community o Speyer is totally wiped oot
* Atween 1527 an 1689, Speyer is the seat o the Imperial Chamber Court.
* In 1526, at the First Diet o Speyer, interim toleration o Lutheran teachin an worship is decreed.
* In 1529, at the Seicont Diet o Speyer, the Lutheran states o the empire protestit against the anti-Reformation resolutions (19 Aprile 1529 Protestation at Speyer, hence the term Protestantism.)
* In 1689, the ceety wis hivily damaged bi French troops.
* Atween 1792 an 1814, Speyer wis unner French jurisdiction.
* In 1816, Speyer became the seat o admeenistration o the Palatinate an o the govrenment o the Rhine Destrict o Bavarie (later cried the Bavarian Palatinate), an remained so til the end o Warld War II.
* Atween 1883 an 1904, the Memorial Kirk is built in remembrance o the Protestation o 1529.
* In 1947, the State Academy o Admeenistrative Science wis foondit (later renamed German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer ).
* In 1990, Speyer celebrates its 2000t anniversary.

## Main sichts
* Technikmuseum Speyer - Transportation Museum

## Twin touns — sister ceeties

Speyer is twinned wi:
* Spalding, Unitit Kinrick, syne 1956
* Chartres, Fraunce, syne 1959
* Kursk, Roushie, syne 1989
* Ravenna, Italy, syne 1989
* Gniezno, Poland, syne 1992
* Yavne, Israel, syne 1998
* Rusizi, Rwanda, syne 2001
* Tønsberg, Norawa

## Notes

## Freemit airtins

*speyer.de  the ceety wabsteid (pairtly in Inglis)
*museum.speyer.de  Historical Museum o the Palatinate 
*dom-speyer.de wabsteid o Speyer Cathedral 
* Model Map o Medieval Speyer
* Speyer, its cathedral an the library o its chapter 
* Technical (Transport) Museum
* www.historische-fuehrung-speyer.de: livin history in past times
* www.speyer-tour.de: Guidit tours through Speyer