Altdorf bei Nürnberg (ˈaltdɔʁf baɪ ˈnʏʁnbɛʁk) is a town in south-eastern Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is situated 25 km east of Nuremberg

Nuremberg

Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...

, in the district Nürnberger Land

Nürnberger Land

Nürnberger Land is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Forchheim, Bayreuth, Amberg-Sulzbach, Neumarkt, Roth and Erlangen-Höchstadt, and by the city of Nuremberg.-History:...

. Its name literally means Altdorf near Nuremberg, to distinguish it from other Altdorfs.

History

Altdorf is first mentioned in 1129. In 1504 the town was conquered by the Imperial Free City of Nuremberg. In the 16th century, the city government of Nuremberg founded an academy in Altdorf, which became a university in 1622. The university lasted until 1809. Among the alumni of the University of Altdorf

University of Altdorf

The University of Altdorf was a university in Altdorf bei Nürnberg, a small town outside Nuremberg. It was founded in the late 16th century, received university privileges in 1622 and was closed in 1809 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria....

 were the soldier Albrecht von Wallenstein

Albrecht von Wallenstein

Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...

 and the philosopher and scientist Gottfried Leibniz

Gottfried Leibniz

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician. He wrote in different languages, primarily in Latin , French and German ....

.

Monuments

Altdorf's chief monuments are the church of St. Laurentius, the city hall and the Wichernhaus, which once housed the university. Altdorf also boasts some impressive remnants of its fortifications.

Economy

Even though the times of its once famous university have long passed, Altdorf is the seat of several educational institutions. It is also the home of a number of mid-scale industrial enterprises.

International relations

Altdorf bei Nürnberg is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with:

• Altdorf
  Altdorf, Switzerland
  Altdorf is the capital of the Swiss canton of Uri. The municipality covers an area of and is located at a height of above sea-level, to the right of the river Reuss.-Location:...
  
  , Switzerland

External links

• Official homepage of Altdorf