Fürth
Encyclopedia
The city of Fürth (ˈfʏɐ̯t) is located in northern Bavaria
, Germany
in the administrative region (Regierungsbezirk
) of Middle Franconia
. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg
, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart.
Fürth, Nuremberg
and Erlangen
, together with some smaller towns, form the "Middle Franconian Conurbation
", which is one of 23 "major centres" in Bavaria and one of the 11 German metropolitan regions.
Fürth celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 2007, its first mention being on 1 November 1007.
The historic centre of the town is to the east and south of the rivers Rednitz
and Pegnitz
, which join to form the Regnitz
to the northwest of the Old Town. To the west of the town, on the far side of the Main-Danube Canal, is the Fürth municipal forest (Fürther Stadtwald). To the east of Fürth, at roughly the same latitude, lies Nuremberg, and to the north is the fertile market-gardening area known as the Knoblauchsland (garlic country), some of which is within the borders of the urban district of Fürth. To the south of the town is an area consisting of wide roads, the canal, and meadows.
Erlangen
and Nuremberg
, which are independent urban districts; Stein
, Oberasbach
, Zirndorf
, Cadolzburg
, Seukendorf, Veitsbronn, and Obermichelbach, which are municipalities within the rural district (Landkreis) of Fürth.
Heinrich II
donated his property in Fürth to the newly created Bishopric of Bamberg
. The name "Fürth" derives from the German word for "ford", as the first settlements originated around a ford. In the following years, Fürth was granted market privileges
, but these were later lost to the neighbouring Nuremberg, under Heinrich III
. From 1062 onward, Fürth was again permitted to have a market, but by that time Nuremberg was already the more important town.
In the following centuries, the town was under varying authority, involving the Bishopric of Bamberg
, the Principality of Ansbach
and the City of Nuremberg
. For a long time, the character of the settlement remained largely agricultural, and in 1600 the population was probably still only between 1000 and 2000.
In the Thirty Years War, Fürth was almost completely destroyed by fire.
In 1835, the first German railway was opened between Nuremberg and Fürth.
Throughout the Cold War, Fürth had a significant NATO presence, especially the U.S. Army
, due to its proximity to both the East German and Czech
borders.
In the Middle Ages
and early Renaissance
, the population of Fürth grew slowly, owing to the numerous wars, epidemics and famines. In the Thirty Years War, the town lost about half its population. When Croatian soldiers set fire to Fürth in 1634, it burned for several days, and was almost completely destroyed. At the end of the war, the population was a mere 800. In 1685, Reformed Christians from France
, or Huguenots, settled in Fürth. By 1700 the restoration of the town had been completed, and the population rose to about 6000.
With the beginning of industrialization in the 19th century, the population began to increase rapidly. In 1800 Fürth had a population of 12,000; by 1895 it had multiplied fourfold to 47,000. In 1950 the population of the town exceeded 100,000, making it a Großstadt. At the end of 2005, as recorded by the Bavarian Statistical Office (Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung), the population (based on principal residence) was 113,076, a historical record. This makes Fürth the second largest town in Middle Franconia, after Nuremberg, and the seventh largest town in Bavaria. As of 2005, the proportion of foreign nationals in Fürth is about 15 percent.
The following table shows the population of Fürth over time. Up to 1818 the figures are mainly estimates; after that they are mostly based on census
results (¹) or official projections from the appropriate statistical offices or the town administration itself.
class="wikitable">
Year
Population
1 December 1875 ¹
27.360
1 December 1880 ¹
31.063
1 December 1885 ¹
35.455
1 December 1890 ¹
43.206
2 December 1895 ¹
46.726
1 December 1900 ¹
54.144
1 December 1905 ¹
60.635
1 December 1910 ¹
66.553
1 December 1916 ¹
56.967
5 December 1917 ¹
57.282
8 October 1919 ¹
68.162
16 June 1925 ¹
73.693
16 June 1933 ¹
77.135
17 May 1939 ¹
82.315
31 December 1945
86.515
class="wikitable">
Year
Population
29 October 1946 ¹
95.369
13 September 1950 ¹
99.890
25 September 1956 ¹
98.643
6 June 1961 ¹
98.332
31 December 1965
96.125
27 May 1970 ¹
94.774
31 December 1975
101.639
31 December 1980
99.088
31 December 1985
97.331
25 May 1987 ¹
97.480
31 December 1990
103.362
31 December 1995
108.418
31 December 2000
110.477
30 December 2005
113.459
¹ Census result
and from 1007 it belonged to the Bishopric of Bamberg
. In 1524, as part of the Reformation
, it became a Protestant town like Nuremberg, and it remained so for many years. However, because of the connections with Bamberg, there were always some Catholics
in the town.
After 1792, the Protestant congregations in Fürth were under the authority of the Prussian consistory in Ansbach
, and when Ansbach was ceded to Bavaria they became part of the Bavarian Protestant Church, which initially comprised Lutheran and Reformed congregations. The congregations later belonged to the Deanery of Zirndorf. In 1885, Fürth became a deanery (Dekanat), subsidiary to Nuremberg.
From the 18th century or earlier, the number of Catholics rose, and in 1829 the first Catholic church since the Reformation was consecrated: the Church of Our Lady. In 1961, Fürth became a Catholic Deanery within the Archdiocese.
The proportion of Protestants to Catholics in the 20th century was about two to one.
Jewish
residents are mentioned as early as 1440; in 1528 the Margrave of Ansbach
, George the Pious, permitted two Jews, Perman und Uriel, to settle in Fürth (in return for high taxes), and from then on the number of Jewish residents increased.
By the 17th century, there was a local Yeshiva
(Talmudic academy) of considerable repute, and in 1617, a synagogue
was built. In 1653, the first Jewish hospital in Germany (and Fürth's first hospital) was built.
When Emperor Leopold I
deported the Viennese Jews in 1670, many upper-class Jewish families moved to Fürth, and by 1716 there were about 400 Jewish families in the town. In 1807, the proportion of Jews in the overall population was about 19%. Following the Mediatization
and the Bavarian Judenedikt (Jewish Edict) of 1813, there were more restrictions on Jews. In particular, the Matrikelparagraph provisions prevented Jewish immigration. In 1824, the Talmudic academy was closed. The Bavarian Judenedikt of 1813, with its restrictions on Jewish life and Jewish immigration was rescinded by the law of 29 June 1851, and further laws dated 16 April 1868, and 22 April 1871, which led to further emancipation of the Jews, and restrictions on residence were removed. By 1840, there were 2535 Jews living in Fürth, more than half of all Bavarian Jews.
In 1862, a Jewish primary school was founded, followed by a secondary school in 1882. The highest number of Jewish residents was reached in 1880, at about 3,300.
The synagogue was destroyed in the Reichskristallnacht, during the pogroms of November 1938. Of the Jews that remained in Fürth after the pogroms, many were later deported.
After the end of the Second World War, a Displaced persons camp
for Jewish "displaced persons" was established in Fürth (Finkenschlag), and in 1945 it housed 850 inhabitants; it was dissolved in July 1950.
There is a memorial to the Jewish community in the Geleitsgasse square, just off Königstrasse. Archaeologists discovered a Mikvah
(ritual bath) in a house in the centre of Fürth, and this building now houses the Jewish Museum of Franconia, which opened in 1998.
The old Jewish cemetery (Weiherstraße), which was created in 1607, is one of the oldest in Germany. It suffered considerable destruction and desecration during the Nazi regime and the Second World War but was restored in 1949 and is now one of the best preserved Jewish cemeteries in Germany. A new Jewish cemetery was created in 1880, and this has been in use from 1906 to the present day.
. Along the nature trail, different habitats and their importance for the flora and fauna of the area are explained (e.g. the churchyard of St. Michael's Church, the municipal cemetery, Scherbsgraben stream). The trail references the designation of some areas as protected area
s, and explains problems of measures that affect the environment, such as river regulation.
Average sunshine duration is 1766 hours per year.
The Gustav-Adolph natural spring, near Weikershof, by the River Rednitz was restored in 2000 and a pavilion was erected. Until the 1980s, the spring water, which comes out of the ground at 19°C, was used for a swimming pool.
depicts a green trefoil
(three-leaved clover
) on a white (argent) background. The town colours are green and white. The trefoil first appeared on a seal of the governor of the city for the Bamberg Diocese, which depicted a trefoil held by a hand and between two crescents. Its origin is unclear, but the trefoil probably represents the three powers responsible for Fürth during the Middle Ages
as well as being a symbol of the Trinity. From 1792 onward, there were three trefoils on a triple hill. In 1818, the town acquired a new coat of arms depicting a green trefoil surrounded by an oak branch (acorned). This coat of arms was retained for over 100 years. However, in 1939, the oak branch was removed. At that time, a new flag was introduced; it had two green stripes on a green background and the coat of arms on a green background on the upper part. Later, however, the flag was simplified to the colours white (below) and green (above).
Since 2002 Thomas Jung, (SPD), has been the First Mayor.
with:
As of October 2006, unemployment
in Fürth was 10.1 percent.
The toy industry is a major factor in the economy of Fürth, housing a variety of toy-makers from small crafts to large industrial enterprises.
Brewing was once important in Fürth. The five large breweries were Humbser, Geismann, Grüner, Evora & Meyer, and Berg Bräu. Around the turn of the 20th century, Fürth was more important than Munich as a "beer town".
Quelle
, the largest mail-order company in Europe, is based in Fürth.
Fürth is also a centre of solar energy technology. The non-profit organization Solid, a centre for information on and demonstration of solar technology, is based there. Since the end of 2004, during the day when the sun shines, an average of two Megawatts of electricity are fed into the grid by Infra Fürth, the local energy utility, using photovoltaic
technology. The plant in Atzenhof, on a former landfill, produces 1 MW, the largest share. In 2004, an additional 31 units were added to the existing 103 units.
In 2003, a new pumping station was built by the River Regnitz, near the confluence of the Pegnitz and the Rednitz. It provides artificial irrigation to the Knoblauchsland market garden area to the north-east of the city.
In 1914, an aerodrome was built at Atzenhof for the Third Bavarian Army Corps, which was extended in the following years. After the First World War, it became "Fürth–Nuremberg" international airport, which saved it from being completely dismantled. Fürth-Nuremberg Airport was the eighth largest of the 88 German airports. The importance of the airport increased further when Junkers transferred first its central repair workshop, and then the final assembly line for its aircraft from Dessau to Fürth.
In 1928, the town of Nuremberg took over the main share of the airport's operations. Until civil aviation operations ended in 1933, the airport was called "Nuremberg-Fürth". It was later replaced by a larger airport in the Marienberg district of Nuremberg.
Under the Nazis, the airport at Atzenhof was expanded and used as a flying school. After Fürth was occupied by Allied troops, the US Army
used the site as a barracks, until 1993. The US Army built the "Monteith Barracks" golf course on the site and maintained the historic buildings.
by Stephenson
, the builder of the famous Rocket
.
Nuremberg and Fürth are joined by an underground railway (subway)
connection.
See also: Fürth Hauptbahnhof
, Nuremberg U-Bahn
, was completed in 1992, creating a navigable connection from the Rhine delta in Rotterdam to the Danube Delta on the Black Sea.
; today it is a separate newspaper but is in fact the same newspaper as Nürnberger Nachrichten with some additional sections for the town and the rural district of Fürth, respectively.
Another publishing company in Fürth is Computec Media AG, which has a number of publications in the field of electronic entertainment.
, was founded by Gustav Schickedanz
on 26 October 1927. KarstadtQuelle Versicherungen, an insurance arm, was created in 1984.
Grundig
had its headquarters and a number of manufacturing plants in Fürth, from the time the company was founded until the middle of 2000. The former headquarters on Kurgartenstraße was converted into a technology park ("Uferstadt Fürth"), and it now accommodates Technikum Neue Materialien (research center into new materials), an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Sellbytel (a call centre operation), Computec Media AG, and the Radio Museum.
Siemens AG
, based in Munich
has several locations in Fürth.
Uvex headquarters and a manufacturing unit are in Fürth.
The toy manufacturers Simba-Dickie-Group (Simba, Dickie, BIG) and Bruder are based in Fürth.
Faurecia, the largest automotive components supplier in France
, has a research and development centre for exhaust technology in the Stadeln area of Fürth.
), in order of foundation: Hardenberg-Gymnasium (1833), Heinrich-Schliemann-Gymnasium (1896), and Helene-Lange-Gymnasium (1907). There are two "commercial" schools (Wirtschaftsschule/Realschule): the Hans Böckler School and the Leopold Ullstein School; there are also a number of vocational schools.
The siting of Erlangen-Nuremberg University
's Central Institute for New Materials and Process Technology in Fürth in 2004 makes Fürth a university town.
Fürth has a municipal library, with a number of branches; since 2003 it has been possible to access the catalogue via the Internet. There is a town archive in Burgfarrnbach.
, which was designed by the same architects.
Another playhouse, the Comödie Fürth, is now housed in the Jugendstil
building known as the Berolzheimerianum. Regular appearances are made by the Franconian cult comedians Volker Heißmann and Martin Rassau, better known by their alter egos Waltraud and Mariechen. The playhouse hosts other appearances by German stars of comedy theatre.
Shopping facilities in Fürth include the City Center mall as well as many retail shops and an open market.
Fürth survived the Second World War with less damage than most German cities, and many historic buildings remain. Fürth has a very high density of historic buildings and monuments per head of population (17 per 1000 inhabitants).
The city centre is typified by the streets with intact architecture from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the old town, around the Church of St. Michael, there are ensembles of buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Of particular note is the Hornschuch Promenade with Gründerzeit
and Jugendstil apartment houses. The Südstadt, the southern part of the town, also has many historic buildings, but these tend to be former workers' tenements, so the house fronts are less grand.
The Rathaus, built in the Italian style by Friedrich Bürklein
between 1840 and 1850, is modelled on the Palazzo Vecchio
in Florence
.
Church of St. Michael is the oldest building in Fürth. Its beginnings go back to around 1100, the 45-metre (150 ft) tower was added around 1400 at the beginning of the Late Gothic period, and most of the building work was carried out in the 15th century. The interior of the church is mainly Neo-Gothic in character, with most of the Late Gothic ornaments having been replaced in the 19th century. The only remaining late Gothic ornament is the tabernacle
on the North wall; it is 6.8 metres (22 ft 4 in) high and was probably created around 1500-1510 by artists near to Adam Kraft
. It is the church's most valuable work of art.
The Catholic
Church of Our Lady (1824-1828
) is a Classical building, as is the Protestant "Church of the Resurrection" (1825/26), originally belonging to the cemetery and therefore aligned in a north-south direction. In the Südstadt area are the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Paul and the Neo-Baroque Church of St. Henry and Kunigunde. Other churches include the Catholic Church of Christ the King (Christkönig), which was built in the 1970s.
The renovated Liershof was built in 1621 as a two-story stone-block building with high house ends and a two-story timber-framed spire.
The Lochnersche Gartenhaus (Theaterstraße 33) was built about 1700; the polygonal staircase tower was probably added about 1750.
Fürth Rathaus (Town Hall), with its 55 m high tower in the Italian style, was built in 1840-50
by Georg Friedrich Christian Bürklein with the help of Eduard Bürklein, both students of Friedrich von Gärtner. The tower is modelled on the Palazzo Vecchio
in Florence
and is now the main landmark of Fürth. The Rathaus was built after Fürth was granted the right to self-administration.
The station building of the historic main rail station was designed by Eduard Rüber and built in 1863/1864.
The former abattoir, now a "cultural" centre is to be found below the Stadthalle near the River Rednitz.
On the Schwabacher Straße is a brewery with buildings from the beginning of the 20th century.
The Gauklerbrunnen, (2004), created by Harro Frey at the Grüner Markt is the most recent fountain in Fürth; it comprises 3 independent groups of figures, two of which are connected by water elements.
In the latter half of 2004 the Südstadtpark, on a former barracks, was opened to the public.
.
. The club is currently (2009/2010) playing in the Second National League (2. Bundesliga). The football stadium is in Ronhof (Trolli Arena).
The baseball
team Fürth Pirates was promoted to the premier national baseball league in 2002 and became vice-champion in the 2004 season.
Each August, Fürth plays host to the annual Paul Hunter Classic
, which is now a pro-am minor ranking snooker
event and part of the European Players Tour Championship
.
and the swimming pool. It is shaded by trees and has barbecue facilities and fixed seating.
There are minigolf courses in the Stadtpark, by the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
, near Burgfarrnbach, and by the Pegnitz, a little upstream from the confluence with the Rednitz and near the municipal cemetery.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
in the administrative region (Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
) of Middle Franconia
Middle Franconia
Middle Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is in the west of Bavaria and adjoins the state of Baden-Württemberg...
. It is now contiguous with the larger city 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...
, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart.
Fürth, 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...
and Erlangen
Erlangen
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....
, together with some smaller towns, form the "Middle Franconian Conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
", which is one of 23 "major centres" in Bavaria and one of the 11 German metropolitan regions.
Fürth celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 2007, its first mention being on 1 November 1007.
Geography
Rednitz
The Rednitz is a river in Franconia, Germany, tributary of the Regnitz . The Rednitz is formed by the confluence of the rivers Fränkische Rezat and Schwäbische Rezat, in Georgensgmünd . The Rednitz flows north through Roth bei Nürnberg, Schwabach and the southwestern quarters of Nuremberg...
and Pegnitz
Pegnitz River
The Pegnitz is a small river in Franconia in the German federal state of Bavaria. The Pegnitz has its source in the city of the same name at an altitude of and meets the Rednitz at northwest of Fürth...
, which join to form the Regnitz
Regnitz
The Regnitz is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Main and is in length.The river is formed by the confluence of the rivers Rednitz and Pegnitz, which meet in the city of Fürth. From there the Regnitz runs northwards through the cities of Erlangen and Forchheim...
to the northwest of the Old Town. To the west of the town, on the far side of the Main-Danube Canal, is the Fürth municipal forest (Fürther Stadtwald). To the east of Fürth, at roughly the same latitude, lies Nuremberg, and to the north is the fertile market-gardening area known as the Knoblauchsland (garlic country), some of which is within the borders of the urban district of Fürth. To the south of the town is an area consisting of wide roads, the canal, and meadows.
Neighbouring municipalities
The following towns and municipalities share borders with Fürth; they are listed in clockwise order, starting in the north:Erlangen
Erlangen
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....
and 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...
, which are independent urban districts; Stein
Stein, Bavaria
Stein is a municipality in the district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 7 km south of Fürth, and 7 km southwest of Nuremberg ....
, Oberasbach
Oberasbach
Oberasbach is a municipality in the district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 6 km southwest of Fürth, and 10 km west of Nuremberg .-See also:...
, Zirndorf
Zirndorf
Zirndorf is a town, which is part of the district of Fürth. It is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the Regierungsbezirk of Middle Franconia.-Neighbouring municipalities:...
, Cadolzburg
Cadolzburg
Cadolzburg is a municipality in the district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 11 km west of Fürth.In the year 2007 Cadolzburg celebrated its 850th anniversary.- Notable persons :* Albert III, Elector of Brandenburg...
, Seukendorf, Veitsbronn, and Obermichelbach, which are municipalities within the rural district (Landkreis) of Fürth.
Parts of town
As well as the town proper, the urban district comprises another 20 localities:
|
|
|
Vach Vach is a district in town of Fürth, Germany since 1972. It is first mentioned in documents in 1059. The village is located between the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the Regnitz, into which the Zenn and, further north, the Michaelbach flows... |
History
The first mention of the settlement of Fürth, which had probably already existed for some time, was in a document dated 1 November 1007, in which the EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Heinrich II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
donated his property in Fürth to the newly created Bishopric of Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
. The name "Fürth" derives from the German word for "ford", as the first settlements originated around a ford. In the following years, Fürth was granted market privileges
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, but these were later lost to the neighbouring Nuremberg, under Heinrich III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
. From 1062 onward, Fürth was again permitted to have a market, but by that time Nuremberg was already the more important town.
In the following centuries, the town was under varying authority, involving the Bishopric of Bamberg
Archdiocese of Bamberg
The Archdiocese of Bamberg is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria and is one of 27 Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. About a third of the population is Catholic. With 15.6% this diocese has one of higher numbers of worshippers on Sunday in Germany...
, the Principality of Ansbach
Principality of Ansbach
The Principality of Ansbach or Brandenburg-Ansbach was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Ansbach...
and the City 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...
. For a long time, the character of the settlement remained largely agricultural, and in 1600 the population was probably still only between 1000 and 2000.
In the Thirty Years War, Fürth was almost completely destroyed by fire.
In 1835, the first German railway was opened between Nuremberg and Fürth.
Throughout the Cold War, Fürth had a significant NATO presence, especially the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, due to its proximity to both the East German and Czech
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
borders.
Expansion
In the course of time, a number of municipalities or other administrative divisions were integrated into the urban district of Fürth:- 1 January 1899: the western part of the municipality of Höfen, including Weikershof (to the south of the Schwabacher Straße)
- 1 January 1900: the municipality of Poppenreuth (to the east of the historic centre of the city, on the far side of the river Pegnitz)
- 1 January 1901: the municipality of Dambach (to the west of the current Südstadt (South Town), as well as Unterfürberg and Oberfürberg
- 1 January 1918: Atzenhof (to the north-west, on the right bank of the River Zenn between Unterfarrnbach and Vach)
- 1 January 1918: the municipality of Unterfarrnbach (to the west, on the bank of the river Farrnbach)
- 3 December 1923: the municipality of Burgfarrnbach (to the north-west, on the far side of the canal, not contiguous with Fürth proper)
- 1 July 1927: the municipality of Ronhof, and Kronach
- 1 July 1972: the municipality of Sack, including Bislohe, which is north of the Knoblauchsland and is not separately listed in official documents.
- 1 July 1972: the municipality of Stadeln
- 1 July 1972: the municipality of VachVachVach is a district in town of Fürth, Germany since 1972. It is first mentioned in documents in 1059. The village is located between the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the Regnitz, into which the Zenn and, further north, the Michaelbach flows...
(to the north of Fürth, west of the rivers Crap and Zenn - 1 July 1972: Herboldshof and Steinach, previously parts of the municipality of Boxdorf
Population development
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and early Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, the population of Fürth grew slowly, owing to the numerous wars, epidemics and famines. In the Thirty Years War, the town lost about half its population. When Croatian soldiers set fire to Fürth in 1634, it burned for several days, and was almost completely destroyed. At the end of the war, the population was a mere 800. In 1685, Reformed Christians from France
Reformed Church of France
The Reformed Church of France is a denomination in France with Calvinist origins. It is the original and largest Protestant denomination in France....
, or Huguenots, settled in Fürth. By 1700 the restoration of the town had been completed, and the population rose to about 6000.
With the beginning of industrialization in the 19th century, the population began to increase rapidly. In 1800 Fürth had a population of 12,000; by 1895 it had multiplied fourfold to 47,000. In 1950 the population of the town exceeded 100,000, making it a Großstadt. At the end of 2005, as recorded by the Bavarian Statistical Office (Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung), the population (based on principal residence) was 113,076, a historical record. This makes Fürth the second largest town in Middle Franconia, after Nuremberg, and the seventh largest town in Bavaria. As of 2005, the proportion of foreign nationals in Fürth is about 15 percent.
The following table shows the population of Fürth over time. Up to 1818 the figures are mainly estimates; after that they are mostly based on census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
results (¹) or official projections from the appropriate statistical offices or the town administration itself.
| class="wikitable"> | Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1604 | 1.600 |
| 1648 | 800 |
| 1700 | 6.000 |
| 1795 | 12.000 |
| 1809 | 12.438 |
| 1818 | 12.700 |
| 1 July 1830 ¹ | 13.900 |
| 1 December 1840 ¹ | 15.100 |
| 3 December 1852 ¹ | 16.700 |
| 3 December 1855 ¹ | 17.341 |
| 3 December 1858 ¹ | 18.241 |
| 3 December 1861 ¹ | 19.100 |
| 3 December 1864 ¹ | 21.100 |
| 3 December 1867 ¹ | 22.500 |
| 1 December 1871 ¹ | 24.580 |
¹ Census result
Christianity
The population of Fürth was originally under the Bishopric of WürzburgBishopric of Würzburg
The Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
and from 1007 it belonged to the Bishopric of Bamberg
Archdiocese of Bamberg
The Archdiocese of Bamberg is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bavaria and is one of 27 Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. About a third of the population is Catholic. With 15.6% this diocese has one of higher numbers of worshippers on Sunday in Germany...
. In 1524, as part of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, it became a Protestant town like Nuremberg, and it remained so for many years. However, because of the connections with Bamberg, there were always some Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the town.
After 1792, the Protestant congregations in Fürth were under the authority of the Prussian consistory in Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
, and when Ansbach was ceded to Bavaria they became part of the Bavarian Protestant Church, which initially comprised Lutheran and Reformed congregations. The congregations later belonged to the Deanery of Zirndorf. In 1885, Fürth became a deanery (Dekanat), subsidiary to Nuremberg.
From the 18th century or earlier, the number of Catholics rose, and in 1829 the first Catholic church since the Reformation was consecrated: the Church of Our Lady. In 1961, Fürth became a Catholic Deanery within the Archdiocese.
The proportion of Protestants to Catholics in the 20th century was about two to one.
Judaism
The position enjoyed by Jews in Fürth (compared with other towns) led to the sobriquet "Franconian Jerusalem", though this is based on an older, pejoratively intended reference to Fürth.Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
residents are mentioned as early as 1440; in 1528 the Margrave of Ansbach
Principality of Ansbach
The Principality of Ansbach or Brandenburg-Ansbach was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Ansbach...
, George the Pious, permitted two Jews, Perman und Uriel, to settle in Fürth (in return for high taxes), and from then on the number of Jewish residents increased.
By the 17th century, there was a local Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
(Talmudic academy) of considerable repute, and in 1617, a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was built. In 1653, the first Jewish hospital in Germany (and Fürth's first hospital) was built.
When Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
deported the Viennese Jews in 1670, many upper-class Jewish families moved to Fürth, and by 1716 there were about 400 Jewish families in the town. In 1807, the proportion of Jews in the overall population was about 19%. Following the Mediatization
Mediatization
Mediatisation is the loss of imperial immediacy. Broadly defined it is the subsumption of one monarchy into another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of the annexed state keeps his sovereign title and, sometimes, a measure of local power...
and the Bavarian Judenedikt (Jewish Edict) of 1813, there were more restrictions on Jews. In particular, the Matrikelparagraph provisions prevented Jewish immigration. In 1824, the Talmudic academy was closed. The Bavarian Judenedikt of 1813, with its restrictions on Jewish life and Jewish immigration was rescinded by the law of 29 June 1851, and further laws dated 16 April 1868, and 22 April 1871, which led to further emancipation of the Jews, and restrictions on residence were removed. By 1840, there were 2535 Jews living in Fürth, more than half of all Bavarian Jews.
In 1862, a Jewish primary school was founded, followed by a secondary school in 1882. The highest number of Jewish residents was reached in 1880, at about 3,300.
The synagogue was destroyed in the Reichskristallnacht, during the pogroms of November 1938. Of the Jews that remained in Fürth after the pogroms, many were later deported.
After the end of the Second World War, a Displaced persons camp
Displaced persons camp
A displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
for Jewish "displaced persons" was established in Fürth (Finkenschlag), and in 1945 it housed 850 inhabitants; it was dissolved in July 1950.
There is a memorial to the Jewish community in the Geleitsgasse square, just off Königstrasse. Archaeologists discovered a Mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
(ritual bath) in a house in the centre of Fürth, and this building now houses the Jewish Museum of Franconia, which opened in 1998.
The old Jewish cemetery (Weiherstraße), which was created in 1607, is one of the oldest in Germany. It suffered considerable destruction and desecration during the Nazi regime and the Second World War but was restored in 1949 and is now one of the best preserved Jewish cemeteries in Germany. A new Jewish cemetery was created in 1880, and this has been in use from 1906 to the present day.
Nature
The "Nature Trail for Urban Ecology" was established in 1999 (3 km, 10 stops) and expanded in 2003 to include a second route (7 km, 10 stops). Both tours begin at the Stadthalle underground railway stationStadthalle (Nuremberg U-Bahn)
Stadthalle is a Nuremberg U-Bahn station, located on the U1 in Fürth....
. Along the nature trail, different habitats and their importance for the flora and fauna of the area are explained (e.g. the churchyard of St. Michael's Church, the municipal cemetery, Scherbsgraben stream). The trail references the designation of some areas as protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s, and explains problems of measures that affect the environment, such as river regulation.
Average sunshine duration is 1766 hours per year.
The Gustav-Adolph natural spring, near Weikershof, by the River Rednitz was restored in 2000 and a pavilion was erected. Until the 1980s, the spring water, which comes out of the ground at 19°C, was used for a swimming pool.
Coat of arms
The Fürth coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
depicts a green trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
(three-leaved clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
) on a white (argent) background. The town colours are green and white. The trefoil first appeared on a seal of the governor of the city for the Bamberg Diocese, which depicted a trefoil held by a hand and between two crescents. Its origin is unclear, but the trefoil probably represents the three powers responsible for Fürth during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as well as being a symbol of the Trinity. From 1792 onward, there were three trefoils on a triple hill. In 1818, the town acquired a new coat of arms depicting a green trefoil surrounded by an oak branch (acorned). This coat of arms was retained for over 100 years. However, in 1939, the oak branch was removed. At that time, a new flag was introduced; it had two green stripes on a green background and the coat of arms on a green background on the upper part. Later, however, the flag was simplified to the colours white (below) and green (above).
Administration
Until the end of the 18th century, the administration of Fürth was in the hands of a representative of the Diocese of Bamberg. Fürth was transferred to Bavaria in 1806; in 1808 it was made a "class II" city and was under the direct authority of the state. From 1818 Fürth became a "class I" city; this meant that it was responsible for its own administration.Since 2002 Thomas Jung, (SPD), has been the First Mayor.
International relations
Fürth is twinnedTown 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:
- Paisley
PaisleyPaisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
(United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), since 1969 - Limoges
LimogesLimoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), since 1992 - Marmaris
MarmarisMarmaris is a port city and a tourist resort on the Mediterranean coast, located in southwest Turkey, in Muğla Province.Marmaris' main source of income is tourism. Little is left of the sleepy fishing village that Marmaris was just a few decades ago after a construction boom in the 1980s...
(TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), since 1995 - Xylokastro
XylokastroXylokastro is a town and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Xylokastro-Evrostina, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 40 km W of Corinth via Greek National Road 8A/E65...
(GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), since 2006 ("friendship" since 2001)
Economy and infrastructure
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
in Fürth was 10.1 percent.
The toy industry is a major factor in the economy of Fürth, housing a variety of toy-makers from small crafts to large industrial enterprises.
Brewing was once important in Fürth. The five large breweries were Humbser, Geismann, Grüner, Evora & Meyer, and Berg Bräu. Around the turn of the 20th century, Fürth was more important than Munich as a "beer town".
Quelle
KarstadtQuelle
Arcandor AG is a holding company located in Essen, Germany that oversees companies operating in the businesses of mail order and internet shopping, department stores and tourism services. It was created in 1999 through the merger of Karstadt Warenhaus AG, which was founded in 1920, and Quelle...
, the largest mail-order company in Europe, is based in Fürth.
Fürth is also a centre of solar energy technology. The non-profit organization Solid, a centre for information on and demonstration of solar technology, is based there. Since the end of 2004, during the day when the sun shines, an average of two Megawatts of electricity are fed into the grid by Infra Fürth, the local energy utility, using photovoltaic
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
technology. The plant in Atzenhof, on a former landfill, produces 1 MW, the largest share. In 2004, an additional 31 units were added to the existing 103 units.
In 2003, a new pumping station was built by the River Regnitz, near the confluence of the Pegnitz and the Rednitz. It provides artificial irrigation to the Knoblauchsland market garden area to the north-east of the city.
Airport
In 1928, the town of Nuremberg took over the main share of the airport's operations. Until civil aviation operations ended in 1933, the airport was called "Nuremberg-Fürth". It was later replaced by a larger airport in the Marienberg district of Nuremberg.
Under the Nazis, the airport at Atzenhof was expanded and used as a flying school. After Fürth was occupied by Allied troops, the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
used the site as a barracks, until 1993. The US Army built the "Monteith Barracks" golf course on the site and maintained the historic buildings.
Rail
The first railway line with steam trains in Germany was between Fürth and Nuremberg, and opened on December 7, 1835. The locomotive, named Adler (Eagle) was built in NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
by Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
, the builder of the famous Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...
.
Nuremberg and Fürth are joined by an underground railway (subway)
Nuremberg U-Bahn
The Nuremberg U-Bahn is a metro run by VAG Nürnberg , which itself is a member of the VGN . The Nuremberg U-Bahn is Germany's newest metro...
connection.
See also: Fürth Hauptbahnhof
Fürth Hauptbahnhof
Fürth Hauptbahnhof is the central railway hub for the city of Fürth in Bavaria, Germany. The station is mainly frequented by regional services...
, Nuremberg U-Bahn
Nuremberg U-Bahn
The Nuremberg U-Bahn is a metro run by VAG Nürnberg , which itself is a member of the VGN . The Nuremberg U-Bahn is Germany's newest metro...
Water transport
A canal between Bamberg and Nuremberg started operation in 1843. There was a port at Poppenreuth. A new canal with a port in Fürth, the Rhine-Main-Danube CanalRhine-Main-Danube Canal
The Rhine–Main–Danube Canal , located in Bavaria, Germany, connects the Main and the Danube rivers across the European Watershed, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim...
, was completed in 1992, creating a navigable connection from the Rhine delta in Rotterdam to the Danube Delta on the Black Sea.
Media
The Fürther Nachrichten is published daily. It was first published in 1946 as a local page in Nürnberger NachrichtenNürnberger Nachrichten
The Nürnberger Nachrichten was originally a local daily in the Nuremberg-Erlangen-Fürth area. With its regional editions it now covers the whole of Middle Franconia and parts of Upper Franconia and the Upper Palatinate. With a total circulation of, currently, about 300,000, it is one of Germany's...
; today it is a separate newspaper but is in fact the same newspaper as Nürnberger Nachrichten with some additional sections for the town and the rural district of Fürth, respectively.
Another publishing company in Fürth is Computec Media AG, which has a number of publications in the field of electronic entertainment.
Companies in Fürth
The mail-order business Quelle, now merged with Karstadt to form KarstadtQuelleKarstadtQuelle
Arcandor AG is a holding company located in Essen, Germany that oversees companies operating in the businesses of mail order and internet shopping, department stores and tourism services. It was created in 1999 through the merger of Karstadt Warenhaus AG, which was founded in 1920, and Quelle...
, was founded by Gustav Schickedanz
Gustav Schickedanz
Gustav Abraham Schickedanz was a German entrepreneur. He had two daughters, Madeleine Schickedanz and Louise Dedi.Schickedanz came from a modest background...
on 26 October 1927. KarstadtQuelle Versicherungen, an insurance arm, was created in 1984.
Grundig
Grundig
Grundig AG is a German manufacturer of consumer electronics for home entertainment which transferred to Turkish control in 2004-2007. Established in 1945 in Nuremberg by Max Grundig, the company changed hands several times before becoming part of the Turkish Koç Holding group...
had its headquarters and a number of manufacturing plants in Fürth, from the time the company was founded until the middle of 2000. The former headquarters on Kurgartenstraße was converted into a technology park ("Uferstadt Fürth"), and it now accommodates Technikum Neue Materialien (research center into new materials), an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Sellbytel (a call centre operation), Computec Media AG, and the Radio Museum.
Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, based in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
has several locations in Fürth.
Uvex headquarters and a manufacturing unit are in Fürth.
The toy manufacturers Simba-Dickie-Group (Simba, Dickie, BIG) and Bruder are based in Fürth.
Faurecia, the largest automotive components supplier in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, has a research and development centre for exhaust technology in the Stadeln area of Fürth.
Education
In Fürth, there are a total of 22 elementary schools. There are also 3 high schools (gymnasiaGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
), in order of foundation: Hardenberg-Gymnasium (1833), Heinrich-Schliemann-Gymnasium (1896), and Helene-Lange-Gymnasium (1907). There are two "commercial" schools (Wirtschaftsschule/Realschule): the Hans Böckler School and the Leopold Ullstein School; there are also a number of vocational schools.
The siting of Erlangen-Nuremberg University
Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg
The Universität Erlangen Nürnberg is a university in the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. It is the second largest state university in Bavaria, having five Schools, 308 chairs, and 12,000 employees. There are 28,735 students enrolled at the university, of which about 2/3 are...
's Central Institute for New Materials and Process Technology in Fürth in 2004 makes Fürth a university town.
Municipal amenities
At Scherbsgraben, there was an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool, a diving pool with a 10-metre tower, a large pool for non-swimmers and a sauna. The 50-year old facilities are currently being completely renovated. When finished, as well as the open-air pool, which was opened in June 2006 with restricted operation, there will also be a new thermal spa (called Fürthermare), which is to open at the end of 2007. When finished, the complex will no longer be run by the municipal authorities but will be completely privatized.Fürth has a municipal library, with a number of branches; since 2003 it has been possible to access the catalogue via the Internet. There is a town archive in Burgfarrnbach.
Theatre
The municipal theatre (Stadttheater Fürth) was built by the Viennese theatre architects Fellner & Helmer in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque styles. It is very similar to the municipal theatre of the Ukrainian town of ChernivtsiChernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
, which was designed by the same architects.
Another playhouse, the Comödie Fürth, is now housed in the Jugendstil
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
building known as the Berolzheimerianum. Regular appearances are made by the Franconian cult comedians Volker Heißmann and Martin Rassau, better known by their alter egos Waltraud and Mariechen. The playhouse hosts other appearances by German stars of comedy theatre.
Pubs, restaurants, shopping etc.
Fürth's main district for eating out and drinking is around the Gustavstraße, which is in the Old Town, near the Rathaus. There are many small pubs, cafés and cocktail bars, as well as restaurants serving Franconian cuisine.Shopping facilities in Fürth include the City Center mall as well as many retail shops and an open market.
Monuments
The city centre is typified by the streets with intact architecture from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the old town, around the Church of St. Michael, there are ensembles of buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Of particular note is the Hornschuch Promenade with Gründerzeit
Gründerzeit
' refers to the economic phase in 19th century Germany and Austria before the great stock market crash of 1873. At this time in Central Europe the age of industrialisation was taking place, whose beginnings were found in the 1840s...
and Jugendstil apartment houses. The Südstadt, the southern part of the town, also has many historic buildings, but these tend to be former workers' tenements, so the house fronts are less grand.
The Rathaus, built in the Italian style by Friedrich Bürklein
Friedrich Bürklein
Georg Friedrich Christian Bürklein was a German architect and a pupil of Friedrich von Gärtner.He was born in Burk, Middle Franconia...
between 1840 and 1850, is modelled on the Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Museums
- The Jewish Museum in Franconia' (Königstraße 89), which also has a branch in SchnaittachSchnaittach-Geographical location:Schnaittach is on a river of the same name, a tributary of the Pegnitz.-Religions:Until 1806 the Christian population of Schnaittach was Catholic, in contrast to the surrounding areas. Schnaittach has had a large Jewish community since the 15th century...
, was opened in 1999. The main part of the house goes back to the 17th century; Jewish families lived here until the late 19th century. The stucco ceilings, a historic SukkahSukkahA sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes...
and a MikvahMikvahMikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
in the basement have remained intact. The museum is also meant to be a meeting place, and has a bookshop and a cafeteria.
- Fürth Radio museum (Kurgartenstraße 37)
- Stadtmuseum (Municipal/Town Museum), now at Schloss in Burgfarrnbach, but soon to move to the old Leopold-Ullstein schoolhouse
- The kunst galerie fürth (Königsplatz 1), which was opened at the end of 2002, is a place for modern art, with varying exhibitions.
- The Jakob-Henle-Haus houses a collection of dialysis technology.
Churches
The ProtestantEvangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
Church of St. Michael is the oldest building in Fürth. Its beginnings go back to around 1100, the 45-metre (150 ft) tower was added around 1400 at the beginning of the Late Gothic period, and most of the building work was carried out in the 15th century. The interior of the church is mainly Neo-Gothic in character, with most of the Late Gothic ornaments having been replaced in the 19th century. The only remaining late Gothic ornament is the tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
on the North wall; it is 6.8 metres (22 ft 4 in) high and was probably created around 1500-1510 by artists near to Adam Kraft
Adam Kraft
Adam Kraft was a German stone sculptor and master builder of the late Gothic period, based in Nuremberg and with a documented career there from 1490...
. It is the church's most valuable work of art.
The Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Church of Our Lady (1824-1828
1820s
The 1820s decade ran from January 1, 1820, to December 31, 1829.- East Asia :* February 14, 1820 – Minh Mang starts to rule in Vietnam.* Java War * 1828 Siamese-Lao War: Siam invades and sacks Vientiane....
) is a Classical building, as is the Protestant "Church of the Resurrection" (1825/26), originally belonging to the cemetery and therefore aligned in a north-south direction. In the Südstadt area are the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Paul and the Neo-Baroque Church of St. Henry and Kunigunde. Other churches include the Catholic Church of Christ the King (Christkönig), which was built in the 1970s.
Secular buildings
The Lochnersche Gartenhaus (Theaterstraße 33) was built about 1700; the polygonal staircase tower was probably added about 1750.
Fürth Rathaus (Town Hall), with its 55 m high tower in the Italian style, was built in 1840-50
1840s
- Wars :*Mexican-American War was fought between Mexico and the United States of America. The latter emerged victorious and gained undisputed control over Texas while annexing portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico....
by Georg Friedrich Christian Bürklein with the help of Eduard Bürklein, both students of Friedrich von Gärtner. The tower is modelled on the Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and is now the main landmark of Fürth. The Rathaus was built after Fürth was granted the right to self-administration.
The station building of the historic main rail station was designed by Eduard Rüber and built in 1863/1864.
The former abattoir, now a "cultural" centre is to be found below the Stadthalle near the River Rednitz.
On the Schwabacher Straße is a brewery with buildings from the beginning of the 20th century.
The Gauklerbrunnen, (2004), created by Harro Frey at the Grüner Markt is the most recent fountain in Fürth; it comprises 3 independent groups of figures, two of which are connected by water elements.
Parks
The Stadtpark (municipal park) is by the Pegnitz and there is a gradual transition to the water meadows further down the river. As well as paths and park benches, the park offers duck ponds, a children's playground, a minigolf course, a rose garden, a grassland orchard laid out in 2001, a few statues, and a botanical educational (school project) garden.In the latter half of 2004 the Südstadtpark, on a former barracks, was opened to the public.
Regular events
- May: Burgfarrnbach fair (Bürgerfest)
- Spring and Autumn: Grafflmarkt flea marketFlea marketA flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
- Summer: Fürth Festival (in town centre)
- Summer: Hardhöhe festival
- Summer: saints' day fairs in various locations (fairs to celebrate the consecration of the local church)
- September/October: Michaeliskirchweih fair. This is one of the largest of such events in Bavaria, and also the largest and most important festivals in Fürth, it has been going on for more than 800 years. It starts on September 29 (MichaelmasMichaelmasMichaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
), if it is a Saturday, or on the first Saturday following September 29). It usually lasts 12 days. In 2007 it lasted 16 days in celebration of Fürth's 1000th anniversary. - December: Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) at Fürther Freiheit
- December: Old Town Christmas (Altstadtweihnacht) organized by the Old Town Association ( Altstadtverein) at Waagplatz.
Prizes awarded by the town of Fürth
Every two years, since 1996, Fürth has awarded the Jakob-Wassermann prize, a prize for literature in honour of Fürth's famous author Jakob WassermannJakob Wassermann
Jakob Wassermann was a Jewish-German writer and novelist.- Life :Born in Fürth, Wassermann was the son of a shopkeeper and lost his mother at an early age. He showed literary interest early and published various pieces in small newspapers...
.
Sport
In the sporting world, Fürth came to fame through its football club SpVgg Fürth, which was German football champion three times. Since merging with the football section of TSV Vestenbergsgreuth the club is now called SpVgg Greuther FürthSpVgg Greuther Fürth
SpVgg Greuther Fürth is a German association football club based in Fürth, Bavaria. The club was formed when the senior football side of newcomer Turn- und Sportverein Vestenbergsgreuth joined traditional club Spielvereinigung Fürth on 1 July 1996...
. The club is currently (2009/2010) playing in the Second National League (2. Bundesliga). The football stadium is in Ronhof (Trolli Arena).
The baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team Fürth Pirates was promoted to the premier national baseball league in 2002 and became vice-champion in the 2004 season.
Each August, Fürth plays host to the annual Paul Hunter Classic
Paul Hunter Classic
The Paul Hunter Classic is a pro-am minor-ranking snooker tournament. From 2010 it is part of the Players Tour Championship, and is the first of the tour events to take place in mainland Europe.-History:...
, which is now a pro-am minor ranking snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
event and part of the European Players Tour Championship
Players Tour Championship
The Players Tour Championship is a snooker series comprising 12 regular events and a Grand Final. Each event lasts for at least three days, with a qualifying event for amateurs should the event be oversubscribed...
.
Leisure
The largest public barbecue area within Fürth is on the Rednitz, near the railway line to WürzburgWürzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
and the swimming pool. It is shaded by trees and has barbecue facilities and fixed seating.
There are minigolf courses in the Stadtpark, by the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
The Rhine–Main–Danube Canal , located in Bavaria, Germany, connects the Main and the Danube rivers across the European Watershed, running from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim...
, near Burgfarrnbach, and by the Pegnitz, a little upstream from the confluence with the Rednitz and near the municipal cemetery.
Notable people associated with Fürth
- Max BernsteinMax BernsteinMax Bernstein was a German art and theatre critic and author. He was the husband of Elsa Bernstein.- The Salon Bernstein :Bernstein and his wife Elsa had one of the most prominent salons during the millennium...
, (1854–1925; born in Fürth), lawyer, art- and theatre critic and author. - Hans BöcklerHans BöcklerHans Böckler was a German politician and union leader.- Biography :Böckler was born in Trautskirchen near Neustadt an der Aisch and grew up in a family with limited means. When his father died in 1888 he quit school and worked as an apprentice Goldbeater to support his family...
(1875–1951), German politician and union leader. - Sandra BullockSandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
(1964- ; lived in Fürth), actress - Ludwig ErhardLudwig ErhardLudwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is notable for his leading role in German postwar economic reform and economic recovery , particularly in his role as Minister of Economics under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer...
(1897–1977; born in Fürth), former German chancellor - Roger C. FieldRoger C. FieldRoger C. Field is an inventor with over 100 patents, an award winning industrial designer and a guitarist.He is best known as the inventor of the Foldaxe folding electric guitar. He has also been written about in Playboy magazine in ten countries and in Penthouse magazine four times in Europe...
(1945- ; lived in Fürth for thee years), inventor, designer - Max GrundigMax GrundigMax Grundig was the founder of electronics company Grundig AG. He was raised by his parents in Nuernberg where he delayed his final school exams and completed training as an electrician. In 1930 he and a colleague opened a store selling radios under the name Fuerth, Grundig & Wurzer , generating...
(1908–1989; lived in Fürth), founder of electronics company GrundigGrundigGrundig AG is a German manufacturer of consumer electronics for home entertainment which transferred to Turkish control in 2004-2007. Established in 1945 in Nuremberg by Max Grundig, the company changed hands several times before becoming part of the Turkish Koç Holding group...
. - Ralph F. HirschmannRalph F. HirschmannRalph Franz Hirschmann was a German American biochemist who led a team that was responsible for the first organic synthesis of an enzyme, a ribonuclease.-Early life and education:...
(1922–2009), biochemistBiochemistBiochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
who led synthesis of the first enzyme. - Henry KissingerHenry KissingerHeinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
(1923- ; born in Fürth), former Secretary of State of the United States - Wilhelm Löhe (1808–1872; born in Fürth), Lutheran pastor
- Julius Ochs (1826–1888; born in Fürth), father of Adolph Ochs, publisher of New York Times
- Gustav SchickedanzGustav SchickedanzGustav Abraham Schickedanz was a German entrepreneur. He had two daughters, Madeleine Schickedanz and Louise Dedi.Schickedanz came from a modest background...
(1895–1977; born in Fürth), German entrepreneur. - Leopold UllsteinLeopold UllsteinLeopold Ullstein was an important German publisher of Jewish heritage from Fürth, Bavaria. He founded or purchased several successful German language newspapers, including B. Z. and Berliner Morgenpost. Many of these are still published today. He also founded Ullstein-Verlag.-External links:* *...
(1826–1899; born in Fürth), important German publisher. - Jakob WassermannJakob WassermannJakob Wassermann was a Jewish-German writer and novelist.- Life :Born in Fürth, Wassermann was the son of a shopkeeper and lost his mother at an early age. He showed literary interest early and published various pieces in small newspapers...
(1873–1934; born in Fürth), writer and novelist - Kraft-Alexander zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen (1925–2006; died in Fürth), actor and artistic director
Sources
- Official Fürth Web site
- Official site for Fürth's 1000th anniversary in 2007
- Official Fürth Website: Historical data and facts
- Official Fürth web site Jewish history in Fürth
- Official Web site, Jewish Museum of Franconia in Fürth
- Web site of non-profit organization History for All, Institute for Regional History: Fürth
- Web site of non-profit organization History for All, Institute for Regional History: A home for centuries - history of the Jews in Fürth
- Bayern 2 state radio: Fürth - the Franconian Jerusalem
- Alemannia Judaica home page
- Alemannia Judaica: Fürth Jewish cemetery
- International Civic Heraldry web site: Fürth
- JewishEncyclopaedia.com: Fürth, by Gotthard Deutsch, A. Eckstein
Literature
- Georg Dehio: Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler. Bayern. Bd I. Franken. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 1999, P.363ff. ISBN 3422030514
- Adolf Schwammberger: Fürth von A bis Z. Ein Geschichts-Lexikon. Fürth 1968.
- Gerd Walther (Hrsg.): Fürth - Die Kleeblattstadt - Rundgänge durch Geschichte und Gegenwart". Städtebilder-Verlag, Fürth 1991. ISBN 3-927347-22-1
- Gerd Walther: Die Fürther Altstadt rund um Sankt Michael. Fürth 1990. ISBN 3-927347-21-3
- Andrea Sommer: Die Fürther Südstadt. 4 parts. in: Fürther Heimatblätter. Published by the Verein für Heimatforschung Alt-Fürth. NF 39.1989, P.1, NF 40.1990, P.1, NF 40.1990, P.81 und NF 41.1991, P.10.
- Ralf Nestmeyer: Nürnberg, Fürth, Erlangen. Reisehandbuch. Michael Müller, Erlangen 2006. ISBN 3-89953-318-6.
- Deutsches Städtebuch. Handbuch städtischer Geschichte. vol. 5. Bayerisches Städtebuch. T 1. part volume Unter-, Mittel- und Oberfranken. Commissioned by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der historischen Kommissionen and with the support of the Deutscher Städtetag, the Deutscher Städtebund and the Deutscher Gemeindetag, edited by Erich Keyser. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1971.
- Katrin Bielefeldt: Geschichte der Juden in Fürth. Jahrhundertelang eine Heimat. Historische Spaziergänge. Vol. 3. Edited by Geschichte Für Alle e. V. Sandberg-Verlag, Nuremberg 2005. ISBN 3-930699-44-3.
Literature
- Simon Pearce: Bridget and Jane. A children's audio series set in Fürth in the early 19th century. Sydney 2006. Unpublished.
External links
- Official Fürth Site
- FürthWiki.de Free city wikiCity wikiA city wiki is a wiki used as a knowledge base and social network for a specific geographical locale. The term 'city wiki' or its foreign language equivalent is sometimes also used for wikis that cover not just a city, but a small town or an entire region. A city wiki contains information about...
about Fürth