The Electorate built a huge fortress on Petersberg hill between 1665 and 1726 to control the city and instituted a governor to rule Erfurt. In 1682 and 1683 Erfurt experienced the worst plague years in its history.
The Jesuit College near Schlösserstraße was built in 1737 and used until the ban of the Jesuits in 1773. The Willy Brandt Square is the southern gate to the city centre in front of the main station.
It was demolished in 1747 and only the steeple remained. The Paulskirche (St Paul's Church) was a parish church in Paul's Street.
It was demolished before 1759.
The Jesuit College near Schlösserstraße was built in 1737 and used until the ban of the Jesuits in 1773. The Willy Brandt Square is the southern gate to the city centre in front of the main station.
On the square are the Minerva Fountain from 1784 and the Erthal Obelisk from 1777.
On the square are the Minerva Fountain from 1784 and the Erthal Obelisk from 1777.
It was part of the Electorate of Mainz during the Holy Roman Empire, and later became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1802.
Governor Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg had close relations with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Gottfried Herder, Christoph Martin Wieland and Wilhelm von Humboldt, who often visited him at his court in Erfurt. === Erfurt during the Napoleonic Wars === Erfurt became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1802, to compensate for territories Prussia lost to France on the Left Bank of the Rhine.
The Baroque church was closed in 1803 and afterwards used for many different purposes.
It was secularised in 1803 and used as a military store house.
In the Capitulation of Erfurt the city, its 12,000 Prussian and Saxon defenders under William VI, Prince of Orange-Nassau, 65 artillery pieces, and the Petersberg Citadel and Cyriaksburg Citadel Cyriaksburg were handed over to the French on 16 October 1806; At the time of the capitulation, Joachim Murat, Marshal of France, had about 16,000 troops near Erfurt.
With the attachment of the Saxe-Weimar territory of Blankenhain, the city became part of the First French Empire in 1806 as the Principality of Erfurt, directly subordinate to Napoleon as an "imperial state domain" (domaine réservé à l'empereur), separate from the Confederation of the Rhine, which the surrounding Thuringian states had joined.
Napoleon first visited the principality on 23 July 1807, inspecting the citadels and fortifications.
In 1808, the Congress of Erfurt was held with Napoleon and Alexander I of Russia visiting the city. During their administration, the French introduced street lighting and a tax on foreign horses to pay for maintaining the road surface.
The Congress of Erfurt took place here in 1808. The Anger (originally the German term for "village green") is a protracted square in the eastern city centre.
Similarly the Cyriaksburg Citadel was damaged by the French, with the city-side walls being partially dismantled in the hunt for imagined treasures from the convent, workers being paid from the sale of the building materials. In 1811, to commemorate the birth of the Prince Imperial, a ceremonial column (Die Napoleonsäule) of wood and plaster was erected on the common.
On 10 July 1813, Napoleon put , baron of the Empire, in charge of the defences of Erfurt.
After a first capitulation signed by d'Alton on 20 December 1813 the French troops withdrew to the two fortresses of Petersberg and Cyriaksburg, allowing for the Coalition forces to march into Erfurt on 6 January 1814 to jubilant greetings; the Napoleonsäule ceremonial column was burned and destroyed as a symbol of the citizens' oppression under the French; similarly the Napoleonshöhe was burned on 1 November 1813 and completely destroyed by Erfurters and their besiegers in 1814.
After a first capitulation signed by d'Alton on 20 December 1813 the French troops withdrew to the two fortresses of Petersberg and Cyriaksburg, allowing for the Coalition forces to march into Erfurt on 6 January 1814 to jubilant greetings; the Napoleonsäule ceremonial column was burned and destroyed as a symbol of the citizens' oppression under the French; similarly the Napoleonshöhe was burned on 1 November 1813 and completely destroyed by Erfurters and their besiegers in 1814.
Finally, in May 1814, the French capitulated fully, with 1,700 French troops vacating the Petersberg and Cyriaksburg fortresses.
Although enclosed by Thuringian territory in the west, south and east, the city remained part of the Prussian Province of Saxony until 1944. === Since 1815 === After the 1848 Revolution, many Germans desired to have a united national state.
It closed in 1816 and was re-established in 1994, with the main modern campus on what was a teachers' training college.
The Peterskirche suffered under the French occupation, with its inventory being auctioned off to other local churches – including the organ, bells and even the tower of the Corpus Christi chapel (Fronleichnamskapelle) – and the former monastery's library being donated to the University of Erfurt (and then to the Boineburg Library when the university closed in 1816).
In 1953, the Hochschule of education was founded, followed by the Hochschule of medicine in 1954, the first academic institutions in Erfurt since the closing of the university in 1816. On 19 March 1970, the East and West German heads of government Willi Stoph and Willy Brandt met in Erfurt, the first such meeting since the division of Germany.
The University of Erfurt, founded in 1379 and closed in 1816, was refounded in 1994 with a focus on social sciences, modern languages, humanities and teacher training.
It was demolished in 1819, but the steeple remained. The Kartäuserkirche St.
The population of Erfurt was 21,000 in 1820, and increased to 32,000 in 1847, the year of rail connection as industrialization began.
Next to the Wenigemarkt in Futterstraße is the Kaisersaal building, a neoclassicistic event hall from 1831 (current building).
An attempt in this direction was the failed Erfurt Union of German states in 1850. The Industrial Revolution reached Erfurt in the 1840s, when the Thuringian Railway connecting Berlin and Frankfurt was built.
They built their synagogue on the banks of the Gera river and used it from 1840 until 1884.
The population of Erfurt was 21,000 in 1820, and increased to 32,000 in 1847, the year of rail connection as industrialization began.
Although enclosed by Thuringian territory in the west, south and east, the city remained part of the Prussian Province of Saxony until 1944. === Since 1815 === After the 1848 Revolution, many Germans desired to have a united national state.
An attempt in this direction was the failed Erfurt Union of German states in 1850. The Industrial Revolution reached Erfurt in the 1840s, when the Thuringian Railway connecting Berlin and Frankfurt was built.
cauliflowers, potatoes, cabbage and sugar beets) and grain on more than 60% of the municipal territory. Industrialization in Erfurt started around 1850.
One of the biggest was the "Royal Gun Factory of Prussia" in 1862.
The number of inhabitants grew from 40,000 around 1870 to 130,000 in 1914 and the city expanded in all directions. The "Erfurt Program" was adopted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany during its congress at Erfurt in 1891. Between the wars, the city kept growing.
After the Unification of Germany in 1871, Erfurt moved from the southern border of Prussia to the centre of Germany, so the fortifications of the city were no longer needed.
About 1168 this was extended to run around the western side of Petersberg hill, enclosing it within the city boundaries. After German Unification in 1871, Erfurt became part of the newly created German Empire.
The demolition of the city fortifications in 1873 led to a construction boom in Erfurt, because it was now possible to build in the area formerly occupied by the city walls and beyond.
The Gunda-Niemann-Stirnemann Halle was the second indoor speed skating arena in Germany. === Cityscape === Erfurt's cityscape features a medieval core of narrow, curved alleys in the centre surrounded by a belt of Gründerzeit architecture, created between 1873 and 1914.
In 1873, the city's fortifications were demolished and it became possible to build houses in the area in front of the former city walls. In the following years, Erfurt saw a construction boom.
The largest building here is the former Municipal Corn Storage in Gothic style from 1466 with a floor area of . =====Fortifications===== From 1066 until 1873 the old town of Erfurt was encircled by a fortified wall.
Today, it houses the German horticulture museum. =====19th- and 20th-century architecture in the outskirts===== Between 1873 and 1914, a belt of Gründerzeit architecture emerged around the city centre.
On the north side lies the courthouse, a historic building from 1880.
Lutherkirke Church in Magdeburger Allee (1927), is an Art Deco building. The former malt factory "Wolff" at Theo-Neubauer-Straße in the east of Erfurt is a large industrial complex built between 1880 and 1939, and in use until 2000.
It is surrounded by renaissance-style patrician houses and the town hall, a neo-gothic building from 1882.
Large parts of the inner city are a pedestrian area which can not be reached by car (except for residents). ==== By light rail and bus ==== The Erfurt public transport system is marked by the area-wide Erfurt Stadtbahn (light rail) network, established as a tram system in 1883, upgraded to a light rail (Stadtbahn) system in 1997, and continually expanded and upgraded through the 2000s.
They built their synagogue on the banks of the Gera river and used it from 1840 until 1884.
It is also open to visitors. A larger synagogue, the Große Synagoge (Great Synagogue), was opened in 1884 because the community had become larger and wealthier.
On its northern side is the main post office, built in 1886 in neo-gothic style with its prominent clock tower.
In the north-east there is the Martin Luther monument from 1889 in front of the Merchants' Church.
The west end of the square is marked by the Angerbrunnen fountain from 1890.
The road was set out in the 1890s by closing a branch of the Gera river.
The number of inhabitants grew from 40,000 around 1870 to 130,000 in 1914 and the city expanded in all directions. The "Erfurt Program" was adopted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany during its congress at Erfurt in 1891. Between the wars, the city kept growing.
Pachelbel composed approximately seventy pieces for organ while in Erfurt. After 1906 the composer Richard Wetz (1875–1935) lived in Erfurt and became the leading person in the town's musical life.
Between the church and the Ursuline monastery lies the "Anger 1" department store from 1908.
More former industrial districts are Ilversgehofen (incorporated in 1911), Hohenwinden and Sulzer Siedlung in the north.
The number of inhabitants grew from 40,000 around 1870 to 130,000 in 1914 and the city expanded in all directions. The "Erfurt Program" was adopted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany during its congress at Erfurt in 1891. Between the wars, the city kept growing.
In 1914, the company Topf and Sons began the manufacture of crematoria later becoming the market leader in this industry.
The Gunda-Niemann-Stirnemann Halle was the second indoor speed skating arena in Germany. === Cityscape === Erfurt's cityscape features a medieval core of narrow, curved alleys in the centre surrounded by a belt of Gründerzeit architecture, created between 1873 and 1914.
Today, it houses the German horticulture museum. =====19th- and 20th-century architecture in the outskirts===== Between 1873 and 1914, a belt of Gründerzeit architecture emerged around the city centre.
It merged with the former Adam-Ries-Fachhochschule in 2013. The world renowned Bauhaus design school was founded in 1919 in the city of Weimar, approximately from Erfurt, 12 minutes by train.
She studied at the Bauhaus from 1926 to 1930, and while there worked with Marcel Breuer on his innovative chair designs.
The Great Depression between 1929 and 1932 led to a disaster for Erfurt, nearly one out of three became unemployed.
She studied at the Bauhaus from 1926 to 1930, and while there worked with Marcel Breuer on his innovative chair designs.
Whereas the A 4 was built in the 1930s, the A 71 came into being after the reunification in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Great Depression between 1929 and 1932 led to a disaster for Erfurt, nearly one out of three became unemployed.
In 1938, the new synagogue was destroyed during the Kristallnacht.
This moorish style building was destroyed during nationwide Nazi riots, known as Kristallnacht on 9–10 November 1938. In 1947 the land which the Great Synagogue had occupied was returned to the Jewish community and they built their current place of worship, the Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue) which opened in 1952.
Lutherkirke Church in Magdeburger Allee (1927), is an Art Deco building. The former malt factory "Wolff" at Theo-Neubauer-Straße in the east of Erfurt is a large industrial complex built between 1880 and 1939, and in use until 2000.
Although enclosed by Thuringian territory in the west, south and east, the city remained part of the Prussian Province of Saxony until 1944. === Since 1815 === After the 1848 Revolution, many Germans desired to have a united national state.
In 1944, the church was badly damaged by Allied bombing.
Only one of the wall's fortified towers was left standing, on Boyneburgufer, but this was destroyed in an air raid in 1944. The Petersberg Citadel is one of the largest and best preserved city fortresses in Europe, covering an area of 36 hectares in the north-west of the city centre.
Bombed as a target of the Oil Campaign of World War II, Erfurt suffered only limited damage and was captured on 12 April 1945, by the US 80th Infantry Division.
The central building of the old university, Collegium Maius, was built in 1515, destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945 and originally rebuilt in 1999. The Juri-Gagarin-Ring is an inner-city circular road following the former inner city wall.
After 1945, the companies were nationalized by the GDR government, which led to the decline of some of them.
This moorish style building was destroyed during nationwide Nazi riots, known as Kristallnacht on 9–10 November 1938. In 1947 the land which the Great Synagogue had occupied was returned to the Jewish community and they built their current place of worship, the Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue) which opened in 1952.
In 1948, Erfurt became the capital of Thuringia, replacing Weimar.
Trolleybuses were in service in Erfurt from 1948 until 1975, but are no longer in service. ==== By airplane ==== Erfurt-Weimar Airport lies west of the city centre.
From 1949 until 1990 Erfurt was part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The University of Erfurt was founded in 1379, making it the first university to be established within the geographic area which constitutes modern-day Germany.
In the following decades Erfurt grew up to 130,000 at the beginning of World War I and 190,000 inhabitants in 1950.
In 1952, the Länder in the GDR were dissolved in favour of centralization under the new socialist government.
This moorish style building was destroyed during nationwide Nazi riots, known as Kristallnacht on 9–10 November 1938. In 1947 the land which the Great Synagogue had occupied was returned to the Jewish community and they built their current place of worship, the Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue) which opened in 1952.
In 1953, the Hochschule of education was founded, followed by the Hochschule of medicine in 1954, the first academic institutions in Erfurt since the closing of the university in 1816. On 19 March 1970, the East and West German heads of government Willi Stoph and Willy Brandt met in Erfurt, the first such meeting since the division of Germany.
In 1953, the Hochschule of education was founded, followed by the Hochschule of medicine in 1954, the first academic institutions in Erfurt since the closing of the university in 1816. On 19 March 1970, the East and West German heads of government Willi Stoph and Willy Brandt met in Erfurt, the first such meeting since the division of Germany.
The largest green area is the , a horticultural exhibition park and botanic garden established in 1961. === Sights and architectural heritage === ==== Churches, monasteries and synagogues ==== The city centre has about 25 churches and monasteries, most of them in Gothic style, some also in Romanesque style or a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic elements, and a few in later styles.
It was built from 1665 on Petersberg hill and was in military use until 1963.
In 1953, the Hochschule of education was founded, followed by the Hochschule of medicine in 1954, the first academic institutions in Erfurt since the closing of the university in 1816. On 19 March 1970, the East and West German heads of government Willi Stoph and Willy Brandt met in Erfurt, the first such meeting since the division of Germany.
During the 1970s and 1980s, as the economic situation in GDR worsened, many old buildings in city centre decayed, while the government fought against the housing shortage by building large Plattenbau settlements in the periphery.
Between 1970 and 1990 large Plattenbau settlements with high-rise blocks on the northern (for 50,000 inhabitants) and southeastern (for 40,000 inhabitants) periphery were constructed.
Opposite to the station is the former hotel Erfurter Hof, where the first meeting of the East- and West-German heads of government took place in 1970.
The fountain on this square with the sculpture "Scuffling Boys" was created in 1975.
Trolleybuses were in service in Erfurt from 1948 until 1975, but are no longer in service. ==== By airplane ==== Erfurt-Weimar Airport lies west of the city centre.
During the 1970s and 1980s, as the economic situation in GDR worsened, many old buildings in city centre decayed, while the government fought against the housing shortage by building large Plattenbau settlements in the periphery.
A maximum was reached in 1988 with 220,000 persons.
The Peaceful Revolution of 1989/1990 led to German reunification. With the re-formation of the state of Thuringia in 1990, the city became the state capital.
On 4 December 1989, the building was occupied by local residents.
From 1949 until 1990 Erfurt was part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The University of Erfurt was founded in 1379, making it the first university to be established within the geographic area which constitutes modern-day Germany.
The Peaceful Revolution of 1989/1990 led to German reunification. With the re-formation of the state of Thuringia in 1990, the city became the state capital.
In addition, the population began to increase once again. A school shooting occurred on 26 April 2002 at the Gutenberg-Gymnasium. Since the 1990s, organized crime has gained a foothold in Erfurt, with several mafia groups, including the Armenian mafia present in the city.
It occurred after reunification for a short time in the 1990s, but most of the suburban areas were situated within the administrative city borders. The birth deficit was 200 in 2012, this is −1.0 per 1,000 inhabitants (Thuringian average: -4.5; national average: -2.4).
Most of them migrated to Erfurt from Russia and Ukraine in the 1990s. == Culture, sights and cityscape == === Residents notable in cultural history === Martin Luther (1483–1546) studied law and philosophy at the University of Erfurt from 1501.
Between 1970 and 1990 large Plattenbau settlements with high-rise blocks on the northern (for 50,000 inhabitants) and southeastern (for 40,000 inhabitants) periphery were constructed.
It was conserved in the 1990s and in 2009 it became a museum of Jewish history. A rare Mikveh, a ritual bath, dating from c.1250, was discovered by archeologists in 2007.
After 1990, the houses were redeveloped by private individuals so that it is one of the favourite neighbourhoods today.
Since 1990, it has been significantly restored and is now open to the public as an historic site. The is a smaller citadel south-west of the city centre, dating from 1480.
However, in the early 1990s the federal government started to subsidize the foundation of new companies.
Whereas the A 4 was built in the 1930s, the A 71 came into being after the reunification in the 1990s and 2000s.
It was significantly extended in the 1990s, with flights mostly to Mediterranean holiday destinations and to London during the peak Christmas market tourist season.
Connections to longer haul flights are easily accessible via Frankfurt Airport, which can be reached in 2 hours via a direct train from Frankfurt Airport to Erfurt, and from Leipzig/Halle Airport, which can be reached within half an hour. ==== By bike ==== Biking is becoming increasingly popular since construction of high quality cycle tracks began in the 1990s.
In 1994, the new university was opened, as was the Fachhochschule in 1991.
The University has an international reputation and participates in international student exchange programmes. The Fachhochschule Erfurt, is a university of applied sciences, founded in 1991, which offers a combination of academic training and practical experience in subjects such as social work and social pedagogy, business studies, and engineering.
It closed in 1816 and was re-established in 1994, with the main modern campus on what was a teachers' training college.
In 1994, the new university was opened, as was the Fachhochschule in 1991.
The University of Erfurt, founded in 1379 and closed in 1816, was refounded in 1994 with a focus on social sciences, modern languages, humanities and teacher training.
Large parts of the inner city are a pedestrian area which can not be reached by car (except for residents). ==== By light rail and bus ==== The Erfurt public transport system is marked by the area-wide Erfurt Stadtbahn (light rail) network, established as a tram system in 1883, upgraded to a light rail (Stadtbahn) system in 1997, and continually expanded and upgraded through the 2000s.
The central building of the old university, Collegium Maius, was built in 1515, destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945 and originally rebuilt in 1999. The Juri-Gagarin-Ring is an inner-city circular road following the former inner city wall.
Lutherkirke Church in Magdeburger Allee (1927), is an Art Deco building. The former malt factory "Wolff" at Theo-Neubauer-Straße in the east of Erfurt is a large industrial complex built between 1880 and 1939, and in use until 2000.
Whereas the A 4 was built in the 1930s, the A 71 came into being after the reunification in the 1990s and 2000s.
Large parts of the inner city are a pedestrian area which can not be reached by car (except for residents). ==== By light rail and bus ==== The Erfurt public transport system is marked by the area-wide Erfurt Stadtbahn (light rail) network, established as a tram system in 1883, upgraded to a light rail (Stadtbahn) system in 1997, and continually expanded and upgraded through the 2000s.
The former runs along the Gera river valley from the Thuringian forest to the river Unstrut; the latter follows the medieval Via Regia from Eisenach to Altenburg via Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar, and Jena. The Rennsteig Cycle Way was opened in 2000.
In addition, the population began to increase once again. A school shooting occurred on 26 April 2002 at the Gutenberg-Gymnasium. Since the 1990s, organized crime has gained a foothold in Erfurt, with several mafia groups, including the Armenian mafia present in the city.
The bad economic situation in eastern Germany after the reunification resulted in a decline in population, which fell to 200,000 in 2002 before rising again to 206,000 in 2011.
Between 2005 and 2008, the economic situation improved as the unemployment rate decreased and new enterprises developed.
In September 2005, the opera Waiting for the Barbarians by Philip Glass premiered in the opera house.
In 2005, a performance of Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Hänsel und Gretel stirred up the local press since the performance contained suggestions of pedophilia and incest.
It still took a long time before the economic situation stabilized around 2006.
Since 2006, Andreas Bausewein of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has been mayor.
It was conserved in the 1990s and in 2009 it became a museum of Jewish history. A rare Mikveh, a ritual bath, dating from c.1250, was discovered by archeologists in 2007.
Between 2005 and 2008, the economic situation improved as the unemployment rate decreased and new enterprises developed.
The opera was advertised in the program with the addition "for adults only". On 12 April 2008, a version of Verdi's opera Un ballo in maschera directed by Johann Kresnik opened at the Erfurt Theater.
The average growth of population between 2009 and 2012 was approximately 0.68% p.
It was conserved in the 1990s and in 2009 it became a museum of Jewish history. A rare Mikveh, a ritual bath, dating from c.1250, was discovered by archeologists in 2007.
On 27 January 2011 a memorial and museum dedicated to the Holocaust victims was opened at the former company premises in Erfurt. During World War II, Erfurt experienced more than 27 British and American air raids, about 1600 civilians lost their lives.
The bad economic situation in eastern Germany after the reunification resulted in a decline in population, which fell to 200,000 in 2002 before rising again to 206,000 in 2011.
The most important regions of origin of Erfurt migrants are rural areas of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony as well as foreign countries like Poland, Russia, Syria, Afghanistan and Hungary. Like other eastern German cities, foreigners account only for a small share of Erfurt's population: circa 3.0% are non-Germans by citizenship and overall 5.9% are migrants (according to the 2011 EU census). Due to the official atheism of the former GDR, most of the population is non-religious.
14.8% are members of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and 6.8% are Catholics (according to the 2011 EU census).
It has been accessible to visitors on guided tours since September 2011. In 2015 the Old Synagogue and Mikveh were nominated as a World Heritage Site.
The average growth of population between 2009 and 2012 was approximately 0.68% p.
It occurred after reunification for a short time in the 1990s, but most of the suburban areas were situated within the administrative city borders. The birth deficit was 200 in 2012, this is −1.0 per 1,000 inhabitants (Thuringian average: -4.5; national average: -2.4).
The net migration rate was +8.3 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012 (Thuringian average: -0.8; national average: +4.6).
There are 4,800 hotel beds and (in 2012) 450,000 overnight visitors spent a total of 700,000 nights in hotels.
The access to the city is restricted as Umweltzone since 2012 for some vehicles.
It merged with the former Adam-Ries-Fachhochschule in 2013. The world renowned Bauhaus design school was founded in 1919 in the city of Weimar, approximately from Erfurt, 12 minutes by train.
Among other events, there has been a robbery and an arson attack targeting the gastronomy sector and in 2014 there was a shoot-out in an open street.
It has been accessible to visitors on guided tours since September 2011. In 2015 the Old Synagogue and Mikveh were nominated as a World Heritage Site.
In 2016 an application was made for it to be included in the already existing UNESCO World Heritage Site "Luther sites in Central Germany". The Kaufmannskirche St.
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05