Erlangen

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Erlangen
Erlangen Castle is home to a large part of the university administration
Erlangen Castle is home to a large part of the university administration
Coat of arms of Erlangen
Erlangen is located in Germany
Erlangen
Coordinates 49°35′28″N 11°01′28″E / 49.59111°N 11.02444°E / 49.59111; 11.02444
Administration
Country Germany
State Bavaria
Admin. region Middle Franconia
District Urban district
City subdivisions 20 Ortsteile
Lord Mayor Siegfried Balleis (CSU)
Basic statistics
Area 76.90 km2 (29.69 sq mi)
Elevation 280 m  (919 ft)
Population 105,554 (31 December 2009)[1]
 - Density 1,373 /km2 (3,555 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate ER
Postal codes 91001–91058
Area codes 09131,
0911 (OT Hüttendorf),
09132 (OT Neuses),
09135 (OT Dechsendorf)
Website www.erlangen.de
Erlangen around 1915

Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach. Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants.

Erlangen is today dominated by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the numerous branch offices of Siemens AG, as well as a large Institute of the Fraunhofer Society. An event that still influences the city was the settlement of Huguenots after the withdrawal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.

Contents

[edit] History

Erlangen was first mentioned officially in 1002 under the name of Villa Erlangon. In 1361, the village was sold to Emperor Karl IV. Three years later, a city was built close to the village, which in 1374 got its own coining station (mint). In 1398, the municipal rights were confirmed. In 1402, the city was vested to the House of Hohenzollern as part of the principality of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (from 1603 on Brandenburg-Bayreuth), staying under their rule until 1806. During the four year Napoleonic occupation, Erlangen was the capital of the so-called "Low County" (Unterland) of the principality, encompassing the area until Neustadt an der Aisch and separated from the "High County" (Oberland) by a land corridor. In 1810 it became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, together with the rest of former Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

While being part of the Brandenburg-Bayreuth, the first French Huguenot refugees arrived in Erlangen in 1686. Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, built a "new town" (Neustadt) for them. In 1706, the old town (just below the site of the annual Bergkirchweih) was almost completely destroyed by a fire, but soon rebuilt. In 1812, the old and new towns were merged into one.

In 1742, Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, founded a university for the residency town Bayreuth, but due to the rebelliousness of the local students, the university was transferred to Erlangen. Only later did it obtain the name of "Friedrich-Alexander-University" and become a Prussian state university. Famous students of these times were Johann Ludwig Tieck and Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder.

Already during the Bavarian municipal reform of 1818, the city was endowed with its own administration. In 1862, the canton administration Erlangen was founded, from which later arose the administrative district of Erlangen. In 1972, this district was merged with the administrative district of Höchstadt. Erlangen became the capital of this newly founded district Erlangen-Höchstadt. During this municipal reform, Erlangen was effectively enlarged considerably, so that by 1974, it had more than 100,000 inhabitants.

[edit] Points of interest

[edit] Bergkirchweih

The Bergkirchweih is an annual beer festival, similar to the Oktoberfest in Munich but smaller in scope, and therefore more intimate. It takes place during the twelve days before and after Pentecost; this period is called the "fifth season" by the locals. The beer is served at wooden tables in one-liter stoneware jugs under the trees of the "Berg", a small, craggy, and wooded hill with old caves (beer cellars) owned by local breweries.

The beer festival draws more than one million visitors each year. There are carnival rides of high tech quality, food stalls of every imaginable franconian dish like bratwurst, suckling pig, burnt almonds, and giant pretzels.

It is commonly known by local residents as the "Berchkärwa" (pronounced "bairch'-care-va") or simply the "Berch", as in "Gehma auf'n Berch!" ("Let's go up the mountain!").

This is an outdoor event, packed with Franconians in various states of enjoyment. Despite the relatively high number of visitors it is practically unknown by tourists and outside Bavaria.

[edit] Districts

[edit] Historical population

Year Population
1495 292
1630 550
1752 7,939
1830 9,800
December 1, 1871¹ 12,500
December 1, 1890¹ 17,559
December 1, 1900¹ 22,953
December 1, 1910¹ 24,877
June 16, 1925¹ 29,597
June 16, 1933¹ 32,348
May 17, 1939¹ 35,964
September 13, 1950¹ 50,690
June 16, 1961¹ 69,552
May 27, 1970¹ 84,110
June 20, 1975 100,700
June 30, 1980 100,900
June 30, 1985 100,000
May 27, 1987¹ 99,808
June 30, 1997 100,700
December 31, 1997 100,330
December 31, 1998 100,775
December 31, 1999 100,750
December 31, 2000 100,778
December 31, 2001 101,912
December 31, 2002 102,198
December 31, 2003 102,449
December 31, 2004 102,627
December 31, 2005 103,426

[edit] Historical mayors of Erlangen

[edit] International relations

Erlangen is twinned with several cities:

[edit] Further partnerships

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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