Coburg

This article is about the city in Germany. For other places or things called Coburg, see Coburg (disambiguation).

Coburg is a city located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2003 population was 42,257. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920. Before 1918, it was the capital of the small duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Coburg's Coat of Arms honoring the city's patron Saint Maurice was granted in 1493.

Castle Ehrenburg, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1690, received its neo-Gothic skin in the 19th century.

History

Coburg lies about 90 km south of Erfurt and about 100 km north of Nuremberg. Coburg was first mentioned in the eleventh century. Following several changes of aristocratic ownership, it came into the hands of the House of Wettin in 1353, and was initially regarded by them as a Saxon outpost within Franconia. In 1586, it was raised to the status of capital of one of the dynasty's splintered Saxon-Thuringian territories, the new Duchy of Saxe-Coburg.

One Germany's largest castles, the mighty Veste Coburg, built in 1225, dominates the town from its hillside. Presently it is home to three museums. Downtown, the Ehrenburg, built in 1543, was gutted by fire in 1690 and rebuilt in Baroque style, with stuccowork by North Italian craftsmen that includes a famous "Hall of the Giants". 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-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 Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, born at suburban Schloss Rosenau, married his first cousin, Queen Victoria. This marriage 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.

File:Coburg-1915.jpg

Coburg 1915

In 1920, two years after the abdication of the last duke, the locals voted to join Bavaria. Unlike other Saxon-Thuringian principalities, having joined Bavaria avoided later incorporation into the German Democratic Republic after World War II. 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.

Quarters

Coburg is arranged into 15 quarters:

• Coburg City
• Beiersdorf
• Bertelsdorf
• Cortendorf
• Creidlitz
• Glend
• Ketschendorf
• Löbelstein
• Lützelbuch
• Neu- and Neershof
• Neuses
• Rögen
• Scheuerfeld
• Seidmansdorf
• Wüstenahorn

Over two thirds live in Coburg City, the eastguarters like Löbelstein, Lützelbuch, Rögen are rather rural, whereby the others are more urban.

Sights

• Coburg State Theater
• Coburg Doll Museum
• Ehrenburg
• Callenberg Palace
• St.-Moriz Church (14th-16th centuries)
• Town Hall (1414)
• Veste Coburg (One of the biggest and most beautiful castles in Germany, containing 3 museums)
• Schloss Rosenau near Coburg

Culture

Coburg is home to two major festivals: Samba Festival and Johann Strauss Musiktage. Coburg is referred to as "Europe's Capital of Samba" [1].

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 [2] baseball teams.

Famous Individuals

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.[3]

In 1922, Adolf Hitler led several hundred 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 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.[4]

Traffic

Car

With a car you can go to Coburg over B 303 Schweinfurt-Coburg-Schirnding, B 4 Hamburg-Coburg-Nürnberg or over highway A 73 Suhl-Coburg-Nürnberg.

Train

Coburg has four train stations

• Coburg-Neuses
• Coburg-Nord
• Coburg mainstation
• Coburg-Creidlitz

From the Mainstation one can go to Lichtenfels, Bamberg, Forchheim, Erlangen, Fürth and Nürnberg, to Neustadt bei Coburg, Sonneberg, to Bad Rodach and to Kulmbach, Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg.

In future the ICE will stop in Coburg, on the new route Berlin-Erfurt-Coburg-Nürnberg

Airports

With little planes you can land on the two Airports:

• Coburg Brandensteinsebene
• Coburg Steinrücken

Bigger Airports are in Frankfurt, Erfurt and Nürnberg

Public local passenger traffic

The public local passenger traffic in Coburg of the SÜC operated it gives 22 lines. The OVF (Omnibus Traffic Franconia) starts Coburgs surrounding countryside from Coburg with 11 lines. Its planned tu build an Zentral Omnibusstation beside the Mainstation. At the Theaterplace SÜC is buiöding an Busrendevouzpoint.

External links

• Coburg Tourist Board
• World sites atlas
• Schloss- under Gartenverwaltung Coburg
• Aerial view of the Schloss