Bamberg - city and district

Bamberg has a long history - the city experienced its first heyday in the Middle Ages.

The city is completely enclosed by the district.

• The

  city

  and the district of

  Bamberg

  are conveniently located in the west of Franconia.

• The

  economy

  in the Bamberg region is shaped by vegetable growing as well as by craft and industry and has been prospering for centuries.

• Bamberg offers numerous important

  sights

  , the old town with the Bamberg

  Cathedral

  is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bamberg - On April 7, 1919, the members of the Bavarian state government under the leadership of Johannes Hoffmann arrived in Bamberg.

The members of the government were on the run from the unrest that arose through the establishment of the Bavarian Council Republic in Munich.

From the Upper Franconian town they organized the support of the Reichswehr and Freicorps to put down the uprising.

Then in the following August they constituted the Bamberg Constitution as the first democratic constitution of the Free State of Bavaria.

Bamberg: location and geography

The city and the district of Bamberg are located in the western part of Upper Franconia.

The city extends over an area of ​​almost 55 square kilometers, the district has a size of approximately 1,167 square kilometers.

The district completely includes the independent city of Bamberg.

The location of the Bamberg region is characterized by three large natural areas, these are:

• Steigerwald

• Franconian Switzerland

• Hate Mountains

The Regnitz crosses the district.

The city of Bamberg lies in its river valley.

The highest point in the region is the Geisberg at almost 600 meters.

Bamberg: The story from the beginning to the beginning of modern times

The Bamberg region was already settled in the early days.

This is evidenced by the “Bamberg idols” that were excavated on the banks of the Regnitz in the middle of the 19th century.

The sculptures represent deities and, according to science, were probably made in the Stone Age.

In the 7th century there was a larger castle complex in Bamberg.

The first written mention of the city comes from the year 902. In this document the fortification "Castrum Babenberch" was described.

The castle was owned by the Babenberg family.

After their extinction, the castle fell to the king.

In 973, the Roman-German Emperor Otto II gave the castle and the associated settlement to Heinrich, the Duke of Bavaria.

After his death, his son, King Heinrich II, who was crowned emperor in 1014, inherited these properties.

The ruler had the settlement massively expanded and the first Bamberg cathedral built.

In addition, Heinrich II founded the diocese of Bamberg in 1007.

In the 15th century the Bohemian revolutionary Hussites planned an attack on Bamberg.

Thereupon the clergy including the bishop and most of the citizens fled.

However, the city was not taken by the Hussites, as Margrave Friedrich von Brandenburg agreed an armistice with their leader.

Bamberg: The story from the early modern era to the First World War

As in numerous regions of Germany, there were extensive witch hunts in Bamberg during the 16th century.

They reached their climax under the reign of Bishop Johann Georg II.

In total, around 600 people fell victim to the witch hunt in Bamberg.

During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the city was captured by Swedish troops.

Bamberg experienced its heyday from the end of the 17th century until the middle of the following century: The Prince-Bishops Lothar Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn had numerous splendid Baroque buildings built in their residence and supported the economy.

Bamberg has belonged to Bavaria since 1803 after the prince-bishopric was dissolved.

In 1817 Bamberg was appointed an archbishopric.

In the 1840s, transport links were improved with the inauguration of the Ludwig-Danube-Main Canal and the connection of the region to the Bavarian railway network.

Bamberg: The story from the world wars to the present

While around 1,330 Bamberg citizens died in World War I, around 3,500 men died in World War II.

After the First World War, Bavaria's first democratic constitution was passed in Bamberg.

Around 1,000 Jewish citizens were murdered or expelled in the Third Reich.

During the Second World War there were no major attacks on Bamberg, so that the old town remained largely undamaged.

After the capture of Bamberg by allied US troops, the city and district became a US zone of occupation in the post-war period.

In 1993 the old town of Bamberg was placed under the protection of UNESCO as a "World Heritage Site of Humanity".

In 2012 the cathedral's thousandth anniversary was celebrated.

The Bamberg district comprised different parts of the country in the course of history.

It was given its current form in the course of the regional reform in Bavaria in 1972.

The area of ​​the district was enlarged by adding the following municipalities and previous districts, among others:

• Heiligenstadt in Upper Franconia

• Ebermannstadt

• Boars

• Relay stone

Bamberg: residents and economy

The independent city of Bamberg had around 77,000 inhabitants as of the end of 2019, and more than 147,000 people lived in the district of the same name.

As a result of the influx of displaced people from the former German eastern regions, the population of Bamberg rose from almost 60,000 in the prewar period to over 75,000 after the Second World War.

Suppliers to the automotive industry play an important role in the region's economy.

In addition, numerous other manufacturing companies have their headquarters in Bamberg.

The best-known employers in this branch of industry include:

• Bosch

• Wieland Electric

• Brose vehicle parts

• T-Systems

Famous organ builders traditionally practice their craft in Bamberg.

Beer has been brewed on a large scale in Bamberg for many centuries.

In addition, the rural district traditionally represents a vegetable growing area. In the rural district the agricultural area is almost 45 percent of the total area.

Bamberg: politics and administration

Politics in the city of Bamberg is largely determined by the parties CSU, The Greens and SPD.

The last local election took place on March 15, 2020, with the Greens gaining a majority with 27 percent, followed by the CSU with just under 23 percent and the SPD with around 16 percent.

Andreas Starke (SPD) has held the office of Lord Mayor of Bamberg since 2006.

Today there are 36 municipalities in the Bamberg district, including the following cities:

• Baunach

• Hallstadt

• Scheßlitz

• Key field

Bamberg has the following districts:

• Mountain area

• Island city

• Gardener's town

• St. Gangolf

• Wonder castle

• St. Otto

• Gereuth

• St Heinrich

• St. Kunigunda

• Bruckertshof

• Bug

• Bughaf

• Gaustadt

• Deer knock

• Wildensorg

• Kramersfeld

Bamberg: culture and important sights

Over 12,500 people studied at Otto Friedrich University in the 2019/20 winter semester.

The college was built in the 17th century.

The Bamberg Cathedral is a landmark and one of the most important sights of the city and is known far beyond the country's borders.

The sacred building forms the center of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bamberg's old town and rises on the Domberg so that it can be seen from afar.

In its current form, the cathedral was consecrated in 1237, several destroyed buildings existed before.

In and around Bamberg Cathedral, visitors can see the following works of art, among others:

• People's Altar

• Bamberg rider

• Kathedra (bishop's chair)

• Pope Clement II's

  grave

• Prince portal

Those interested can get an overview of the cultural monument in the Bamberg World Heritage Visitor Center.

Bamberg: Further sights

The city of Bamberg is home to a large number of different museums, including the following:

• Museum of Office and Communication History

• Natural History Museum

• Franconian Brewery Museum

• Bamberg Nativity Museum

• historical Museum

The district of Bamberg also attracts numerous visitors every year with its sights.

For example, the Steigerwald treetop path offers an excellent panoramic view of the region's forests.

Numerous castles and palaces in the Bamberg area can be visited, including:

• Lisberg Castle

• Greifenstein Castle

• Seehof Castle

• Wernsdorf Castle

In various museums, tourists can find out about the way of life of the population in earlier eras, including the Baunach Local History Museum and the Franconian Fishing Museum.

The Ebing and Bamberger Land farmers' museums also provide an insight into everyday life in past centuries.