Coburg

Coburg
View over Coburg
Coat of arms
Coburg
Coordinates: 50°16′N 10°58′E / 50.267°N 10.967°ECoordinates: 50°16′N 10°58′E / 50.267°N 10.967°E
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Oberfranken
District	Urban district
Government
• Lord Mayor	Norbert Tessmer (SPD)
Area
• Total	48.30 km^2 (18.65 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
• Total	40,994
• Density	850/km^2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	96450
Dialling codes	09561
Vehicle registration	CO
Website	www.coburg.de

Coburg is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it was one of the capital cities of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Coburg's population is close to 41,000.

Geography

Location

Coburg lies about 90 km south of Erfurt and about 100 km north of Nuremberg on the river Itz. It is an urban district and is surrounded by the Landkreis Coburg. Coburg lies at the foot of the Thuringian Highland. On three sides it is surrounded by Thuringia. Until reunification in 1990 the border between Bavaria and Thuringia was also the inner German border.

Subdivisions

Coburg pattern English (London) silver spoons, c. 1830

Coburg is divided into 15 Stadtteile:

• Coburg (town proper)
• Beiersdorf
• Bertelsdorf
• Cortendorf
• Creidlitz
• Glend
• Ketschendorf
• Löbelstein
• Lützelbuch
• Neu- and Neershof
• Neuses
• Rögen
• Scheuerfeld
• Seidmansdorf
• Wüstenahorn

History

Veste Coburg

Ehrenburg Palace, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire in 1690, received its Gothic revival exterior in the 19th century

Coburg was first mentioned in a monastic document dated 1056, which marked the transfer of ownership to the archbishop-elector of Cologne,^[2]:16 although there was a settlement at the site that predates it called Trufalistat. The origin of the name Coburg is unclear; the first element may be kuh, which would give a literal meaning of "cow borough".^[3]

"Coburg" initially referred to a property centred on the hill where Veste Coburg was later built. Its oldest remains date to the 12th or 13th century. In 1248, the castle came into possession of the House of Henneberg and in 1353 it passed to the House of Wettin^[2]:16 with the marriage of Friedrich III with Katherina von Henneberg and was initially regarded by them as a Saxon outpost within Franconia.

During the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 reformer Martin Luther spent six months at the castle (located at the southernmost point of the Saxon duchy) while his liege lord, Elector John of Saxony, attended the Diet. Luther was forbidden to attend by the Elector, who feared that he would be imprisoned and burned as a heretic. While quartered at the castle Luther continued with his translation of the Bible into German.

In 1547, the princely residence was moved from the Veste to a former monastery, rebuilt as a Renaissance palace, the Ehrenburg.^[2]:16

In 1596, Coburg was raised to the status of capital of one of the dynasty's splintered Saxon-Thuringian territories, the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Coburg under the leadership of Duke Johann Casimir (ruled 1596–1633). From 1699 to 1826, it was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and from 1826-1918 it was a capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Ernst Friedrich, the fourth Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, moved his capital from Saalfeld to Coburg in 1764. Coburg then became capital of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and later of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In the early 19th century, the town's medieval fortifications were demolished and replaced by parks. The duke also started the collection of copperplate engravings that is today part of the Veste Coburg museum. Under his son, Ernst, the Schlossplatz with what is today the Landestheater Coburg was created. He also rebuilt the Ehrenburg in Gothic revival style.^[2]:17

In the mid-19th century, Duke Ernst II supported national and liberal ideas and Coburg hosted the first meeting of the German National Association, the founding of the Deutscher Sängerbund and the first Deutsches Turnfest (national sports festival).^[2]:17

During the 19th century, dynastic marriages created ties with the royal families of Belgium, Bulgaria, Portugal and Britain. This turned the ducal family from the rulers of a fairly obscure backwater duchy into one playing an influential role in European politics. The era of political influence peaked with Leopold Friedrich; born Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, becoming the king of Belgians in 1831 and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born in Schloss Rosenau, marrying his first cousin, Queen Victoria in 1840. The marriage between Albert and Victoria 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.

After her marriage, Queen Victoria said of Coburg:

If I were not who I am, this would have been my real home, but I shall always consider it my second one.^[4]

Due to the royal connections among the royal houses of Europe, Coburg was the site of many royal Ducal weddings and visits. Britain's Queen Victoria made six visits to Coburg during her 63-year reign. In 1894 one ceremony brought together Queen Victoria, her son Edward (future Edward VII), her second son Alfred (Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), her daughter the German dowager Empress Friedrich (Victoria), and many of her grandchildren, such as future Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and the future King George V of Britain.

Old print image of Coburg, seen from the south

Coburg in 1915

Veste Coburg at Night, 2007

In November 1918, Karl Eduard abdicated. The Freistaat Coburg which now came into being had to decide whether to become part of Thuringia or Bavaria. In a November 1919 referendum, the locals voted to join Bavaria with a 88% majority. On 1 July 1920, Coburg joined Bavaria.^[2]:17

In 1929, Coburg was the first German city in which the Nazi Party won the absolute majority of the popular vote during municipal elections.^[5]

After World War II, which Coburg survived largely undamaged, the town faced the challenge of integrating over 15,000 refugees. In addition, whilst the other Saxon-Thuringian principalities were incorporated into the German Democratic Republic, Bavarian Coburg became part of West Germany. 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 and cut off from much of its natural back country.^[2]:17

In 1946, Polish ambassador Oskar R. Lange alleged that Coburg was a base for the Western Allies to organize a Polish armed insurgency led by Władysław Anders against Soviet-backed communists in Poland.^[6]

Demographics

Over two thirds of Coburg's population live in the core town of Coburg rather than in one of the Stadtteile merged with it in the 20th century. Some of those retain a largely rural character.

Religion

Most residents of Coburg are members of the Evangelical Church (Lutheran). Other Christian communities are Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, the ICF Movement, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics, Old Catholics and the New Apostolic Church, as well as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are also three communities of Muslims. Coburg had a large Jewish community until the 1940s. Jews had lived there since the 14th century. The old synagogue was a former church. Today it is used by Old Catholics. Coburg became Protestant after the Reformation. All Catholics were persecuted. A new Catholic community was founded in the 19th century.

Governance

Town twinning

Coburg is twinned with:

• Cobourg, Ontario, Canada
• Gais, South Tyrol
• Garden City, New York, USA
• Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
• Niort, France
• Oudenaarde, Belgium

Coat of arms

Coburg's coat of arms, honoring the city's patron Saint Maurice, was granted in 1493.

Attractions

Coburg has the typical features of a former capital of a German princely state. There are numerous houses from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The most important landmarks include:

Eastern choir of Morizkirche

Casimirianum

Schlossplatz with Landestheater and Palais Edinburgh

Town hall

Stadthaus (town house)

• Ehrenburg, a former Franciscan convent built in 1220 and turned into a palace in 1543–1549. It was repeatedly renovated until the 19th century. Ehrenburg was gutted by fire in 1690 and rebuilt in a Baroque style, with stucco work by North Italian craftsmen that includes a "Hall of the Giants" (which contains a plaque that states it was the location of the first meeting between Britain's Queen Victoria and Franz Josef Emperor of Austria in 1860). The internal decoration dates from the late 17th to early 18th centuries. Its Gothic Revival exterior was remodelled by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the 19th century. It now also houses a museum as well as a library.
• Stadtkirche St. Moriz ("St. Maurice", 14th-16th centuries), is a Gothic edifice on the Hallenkirche plan with two towers. The interior, remade in the 18th century, include the notable funerary moment of Duke Johann Casimir for his parents, a 13 m-tall alabaster sculpture painted with statue and reliefs (1595–1598).
• The medieval Veste Coburg, one of the biggest castles in Germany, built starting in 1225 (upon the site of an 11th-century chapel). It was mostly rebuilt in the 19th century. It has a triple line of walls with numerous towers. Today the Veste Coburg is home to three museums. One is the Fürstenbau (ducal palace), with many furnished rooms of the Dukes of Coburg, including the apartment where Martin Luther lived in 1530. Probably the most notable room in the castle (unique in all of Germany) is the Jagdzimmer (hunting room) of 1632, which is entirely made of marquetry wood inlay, done up with over 60 marquetry panels, deeply coffered marquetry ceilings and a wood paneled floor. Another museum is the Rüstkammer (armory), containing the largest collection of medieval armour and weaponry in Germany, with over 10,500 items. The third is the Kunstsammlungen, which contains a collection of 300,000 copperplate engravings (Kupferstich-Kabinett), a 20,000 piece coin collection (Münzkabinett), a 7,000 piece documentation collection (Briefe & Urkunden), and a 3,500 piece glassware collection (Gläser-Sammlung).
• Gymnasium Casimirianum, a Renaissance building begun in 1601
• Arsenal (1616–21)
• Landestheater Coburg, a Neoclassical theatre on Schlossplatz, whose other landmarks include the Ehrenburg, the Palais Edinburgh (1865), the Arkaden (1840) Reithalle (1852) and Marstall (rebuilt in 1920).
• Coburg Doll Museum
• Natural history museum
• Coburger Rathaus, the town hall, part of the ensemble of structure on the market market square that also includes the Stadthaus (see below), the former Beyersches Haus, the Hof-Apotheke, the Stadtbrunnen (fountain) and the central statue of Prince Albert. The seat of the public administration of Coburg was moved here in 1438. The original Gothic building proved to be too small and after 1570 the town bought additional properties and erected a Renaissance building at the corner with Ketschengasse. In another rebuilding in 1750-2 both structures were merged. The appearance of the town hall changed, only the round bay on the corner remained. The old roofs were replaced by the current garret roof and the colourful paintings were added to the façade in the 18th century. Another renovation took place in 1903, when the balcony to the market square was added and stairwell and entrance were redesigned.^[2]:57-8
• Stadthaus, a late Renaissance building from 1597-9 built under Duke Johann Casimir to house the ducal administration. It occupies the complete northern side of the market square.^[2]:66-7
• Rose Garden, park
• Callenberg Castle, with Saxe-Coburg family art collection and National Shooting Museum
• Schloss Rosenau near Coburg
• St. Augustin, Catholic parish church opened in 1860.
• The Baroque Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen, 20 km outside the city.

Arts and culture

Coburg is home to two major festivals: Samba-Festival Coburg and Johann Strauss Musiktage. Coburg is referred to as "Europe's Capital of Samba."^[7]

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^[8] baseball teams.

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 17th century by Johann Georghehner, a butcher, living in Coburg.^[9]

Coburg was the first German town to elect a Nazi Mayor.

A popular local delicacy is the Coburger Bratwurst, a sausage (the official measure of which is denoted by the a Marshall's staff held by the statue of the town's patron, Sankt Mauritius, located on the town hall and overlooking the square) roasted over a pine cone fire.^[2]:58 The sausage is served in a Semmel (a small bread bun, a third the size of the sausage itself), and is highly popular with locals and tourists alike.

Coburg Peak on Trinity Peninsula in Graham Land, Antarctica is named after the town, in connection with the Bulgarian royal house of Coburg (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha).^[10]

Infrastructure

Transport

Car

Coburg can be reached by car via B 303 Schweinfurt-Coburg-Schirnding, B 4 Hamburg-Coburg-Nürnberg or motorway A 73 Suhl-Coburg-Nürnberg.

Railways

Coburg has four train stations:

• Coburg-Neuses
• Coburg-Nord
• Coburg main station
• Coburg-Creidlitz

From the main station 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 the future, some Intercity-Express high speed trains will stop in Coburg on the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway, part of a new Berlin-Erfurt-Coburg-Nürnberg route.

Airports

Small planes can land on the two airfields:

• Coburg Brandensteinsebene (ICAO-Code: EDQC, founded in 1912)
• Coburg Steinrücken (ICAO-Code: EDQY)

Large airports nearby are in Frankfurt, Erfurt and Nuremberg.

Local public transport system

The public transport system in Coburg is operated by SÜC (Stadt- und Überlandwerke Coburg) with 22 bus lines. The OVF (Omnibus Verkehr Franken) covers Coburg's surrounding countryside with an additional 11 bus lines.

Notable people

Besides various royalty, other famous individuals associated with Coburg include Hans Berger (graduated), William Frishmuth (born), and Eduard Study (born).

• In 1887, Johann Strauss, better known as the Waltz King, left Vienna when the Roman Catholic Church forbade his divorce from his second wife. So he moved to Lutheran Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with his future third wife Adele, where he lived the last 13 years of his life in Coburg. He was however buried in Vienna.
• In 1922, Adolf Hitler led several hundred stormtroopers in a march through the city, fighting pitched street battles with leftists and communists. During the Nazi era, the Coburg Badge (made to honor the participants) was one of the most prestigious party medals.
• Hans Morgenthau, founder of International Relations as a field of study, was born here.
• Fritz Mollwitz, professional baseball player, was born here.
• Baroness Louise Lehzen, governess and adviser to Queen Victoria, lived here.
• Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, was born in Schloss Rosenau, Coburg.

References

1. "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes". Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung (in German). 31 December 2013.
2. Klüglein, Norbert (1991). Coburg Stadt und Land (German). Verkehrsverein Coburg.
3. "Etymologie-Newsletter". Etymologie.info.
4. David Duff, Victoria and Albert (1972), p. 9
5. Man of the Year, TIME Magazine, 2 January 1939
6. The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search
7. DAAD - Studieren in Deutschland
8. http://www.sgroedental.de/Baseball
9. National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
10. Coburg Peak. SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.

External links

• Coburg Tourist Board
• World sites atlas
• Schloss- under Gartenverwaltung Coburg
• Sister Cities of Coburg