Goslar
Encyclopedia
Goslar is a historic town
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar
and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz
mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg
are UNESCO
World Heritage Sites.
: the Harz mountains. The Kahlerberg/Schalke
is the highest elevation within the municipal boundaries at 762 m (2,503 ft). The lowest point of 175 m (574 ft) is near the Oker
river. Geographically, Goslar forms the boundary between the Hildesheim Börde
which is part of the Northern German Plain
, and the Harz range, which is the highest, northern-most extension of Germany's Central Uplands
. The Hildesheim Börde is characterised by plain
s with rich clay
soils – used agriculturally
for sugar beet
farming – interlaced with several hill ranges commonly known as the Hildesheim Forest
and Salzgitter Hills
. Immediately to the south, the Harz mountains rise above the historic borough at a height of 636 m (2,087 ft) (Rammelsberg). Forestry
dominates the landscape. Three rivers cross the municipal boundary: the Oker, the Abzucht and the Gose
. The Gose river begins approximately 9 km (5.6 mi) south-west of Goslar at the Auerhahn pass (638 m; 2,093 ft) in the Harz mountains. At the northern foot of the Herz Hill (632 m; 2,074 ft) the smaller Abzucht river meets the Gose before it flows into the Oker. The Dörpke and Gelmke
streams also flow from the Harz foothills to the south into Goslar where they discharge into the Abzucht.
, Vienenburg
, Bad Harzburg
, Clausthal-Zellerfeld
, Langelsheim
.
Goslar has a rich history stretching from the Neolithic
via the ancient Saxon times, the Holy Roman German empire
, Reformation
, Enlightenment
, German Nationalism
, Emancipation
, Militarism
, German Imperialism
, Democratisation, the National Socialist Dictatorship including Racism
& Genocide
, the Iron Curtain
, up to German reunification
. In addition Goslar can field an exciting industrial history
.
Salian Emperor Henry I founded the town in the 10th century after the discovery of silver
deposits in the nearby Rammelsberg
. The wealth derived from silver mining brought Goslar the status of an Imperial City, which attracted the interest of the Holy Roman Emperor
.
The mediæval Imperial Palace
(Kaiserpfalz Goslar) was built in the 11th century and became a summer residence for the emperors, especially Henry III of Germany
who visited his favourite palace about twenty times. Henry is buried in Goslar.
In the winter of 1798, the coldest of the century, the young English poet William Wordsworth
stayed in Goslar. To dispel homesickness he started to write a few verses about his childhood, which would eventually evolve into the masterpiece that was published in thirteen volumes after his death as The Prelude
.
Goslar's Mediæval cathedral
was built at the same time as the Mediæval Imperial Palace, but only the porch survived; the cathedral itself was torn down in 1820. Other sights are the town hall (16th century) and the ancient mines of the Rammelsberg, which now house a mining museum.
In the cold war
, Goslar was a major garrison town for the German army and the Border police. After the fall of the Berlin wall
, the barracks were vacated and a major economic factor was lost.
Year
Inhabitants
1961
54,151
1968
53,819
1970
52,649
1975
53,963
1980
52,556
Year
Inhabitants
1985
49,636
1990
46,251
1995
46,142
2000
44,278
2005
43,119
(count: December 31 of each year)
from November 1, 2006 until October 31, 2011, the seats were allocated as follows:
with: Arcachon
, France
, since 1965 Beroun
, Czech Republic
, since 1989 Brzeg
, Poland
, since 2000 Ra'anana
, Israel
, since 2006 Windsor and Maidenhead, United Kingdom
, since 1969
For a detailed description of Goslar's tourist attractions, please refer to Goslar's Wikitravel entry.
The alternative theatre Culture Power Station Harz or Kulturkraftwerk Harz is housed in a disused powerstation. Being run by volunteers, it produces contemporary theatre, comedy and hosts mostly alternative cultural events. Here the annual Goslar Fringe Culture Days are held from the start to mid June.
The oldest and most traditional sports club is the MTV Goslar (founded in 1849). Its main facilities, a football pitch and gymnasium are located at the Golden Meadow (Goldene Aue) site.
The football department of Goslarer SC 08
earned the right to play in the fourth division Regionalliga Nord
in 2009-10 after winning the Oberliga Niedersachsen
championship.
Other events include:
The town centre of Goslar serves as a regional shopping centre to the Northern Harz region. Here department stores, several supermarkets, elegant boutiques and restaurants can be found. Once weekly, there is also a market, where farmers sell their local produce. There are also several car dealerships in the borough, some of whom specialise in either discount/reimport or custom car sales.
The tourism sector is a booming sector in Goslar. Several hotels and bed and breakfasts are located in or near the town's centre. In addition, the town has become a popular resort for the elderly and there are many care homes in the town.
Goslar has become a popular conference venue. The Achtermann Hotel and the Kaiserpfalz are popular conference centres, host to the annual German Road & Transport Tribunal Days: the Deutscher Verkehrsgerichtstag
Largest employers in Goslar are H.C. Starck (chemistry company), the tourism sector, and the civil service. Many residents of Goslar commute to Salzgitter
, where car production, steel works and white collar jobs are based.
The Dr.-Herbert-Nieper
-Krankenhaus is a privately owned hospital of the Asklepios Harzkliniken group serving the greater Harz region. A new annex for intensitive medicine is under construction. There are several general practitioners, dentists, and specialist practitioners distributed across the town. There is an emergency service in place.
With the A 7 and the A 395
there are two main Autobahns/Highways within 20 minutes reach of Goslar.
The A 7 connects Hamburg
/Hanover
in the North to Frankfurt
/Munich
in the South. The A 395 branches off the main east-west Autobahn A 2 at Brunswick
and ends at Vienenburg
, some 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Goslar. The A 2 connects Berlin
– to the East – to the Ruhr Area
and the Netherlands
in the West. The Federal highways B 6
and B 82 converge at Goslar and are routed via the four-lane by-pass past the town centre. The B 6 is mostly four-laned and approaches Goslar via the scenic Hildesheim
–Salzgitter
route.
Goslar is served by the German Railway network (Deutsche Bahn
) lines Hanover–Goslar–Halle (Saxony-Anhalt
) as well as Brunswick–Goslar–Kreiensen. The central railway station is located in the vicinity of the town centre. There is a park-and-ride system for commuters to Brunswick and Hanover.
At the railway station there is a central bus station with busses travelling routinely to various destinations in the Harz
mountains. The buses are from DB Stadtverkehr.
Radio Okerwelle GoslarRadio is the regional private radio station based in Brunswick
, which broadcasts contemporary music, information and news in the German language to the Brunswick region.
The supplementary public Waldorf school Harz – Branch Goslar, educates its students along a more spiritual line termed anthroposophy, which is based on the teachings of the Austrian pedagogue Rudolf Steiner
.
At the 10-12 level there are four job training colleges located at Goslar in crafts, economics, and care for the elderly for students from Goslar district and beyond.
The nearest University from Goslar is the old venerable Engineering and Mining School
at Clausthal-Zellerfeld
situated in the Upper Harz
mountains some 21 km (13 mi) South of Goslar within Goslar district. Some 80 km (50 mi) to the South the highly acclaimed University of Göttingen (founded by King George II
of Great Britain
) is based.
The Community College (Volkshochschule) of the district Goslar is dedicated to life-long learning.
The Izmir University of Economics
, an Izmir
-based Turkish university, is on the way to establish an international university in Goslar.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states 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...
. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar
Goslar (district)
Goslar is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Osterode, Northeim, Hildesheim and Wolfenbüttel, the city of Salzgitter, and by the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia .-History:The history of the district is linked with the city of Goslar.The district of Goslar...
and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg
Mines of Rammelsberg
The Rammelsberg is a mountain, high, on the northern edge of the Harz, south of the town of Goslar in the north German state of Lower Saxony. The mountain is the location of an important mine, the only mine which had been working continuously for over 1,000 years when it finally closed in 1988...
are UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites.
Geography
Goslar is situated at the northwestern foot of the Lower Saxon HillsLower Saxon Hills
The Lower Saxon Hills are one the 73 natural regions in Germany defined by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation . Geographically it covers roughly the same area as the Weser Uplands in its wider sense....
: the Harz mountains. The Kahlerberg/Schalke
Schalke (Harz)
The Schalke is a mountain, , in the Upper Harz in the German state of Lower Saxony. It lies in Goslar district north of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and west of Schulenberg....
is the highest elevation within the municipal boundaries at 762 m (2,503 ft). The lowest point of 175 m (574 ft) is near the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
river. Geographically, Goslar forms the boundary between the Hildesheim Börde
Hildesheim Börde
The Hildesheim Börde is a natural region, 272 km2 in area, in the northern part of Hildesheim district, which is known for its especially rich black earth loess soil.- Location :...
which is part of the Northern German Plain
North German plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...
, and the Harz range, which is the highest, northern-most extension of Germany's Central Uplands
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
. The Hildesheim Börde is characterised by plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s with rich clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
soils – used agriculturally
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
for sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
farming – interlaced with several hill ranges commonly known as the Hildesheim Forest
Hildesheim Forest
The Hildesheim Forest is a range of hills up to in the district of Hildesheim in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Geography :The Hildesheim Forest is located in the Innerste Uplands, part of the Lower Saxon Hills, between the valleys of the Leine to the west, the Innerste to the north and the ...
and Salzgitter Hills
Salzgitter Hills
The Salzgitter Hills is an area of upland up to in height, in the Lower Saxon Hills between Salzgitter and Goslar in the districts of Wolfenbüttel and Goslar and in the territory of the independent town of Salzgitter...
. Immediately to the south, the Harz mountains rise above the historic borough at a height of 636 m (2,087 ft) (Rammelsberg). Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
dominates the landscape. Three rivers cross the municipal boundary: the Oker, the Abzucht and the Gose
Gose River
The Gose is a small river, a left tributary of the Oker, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It flows through the historic town centre of Goslar, where its waters were once used in the brewing of the traditional Gose beer – although within Goslar itself the river is todayknown as the Abzucht...
. The Gose river begins approximately 9 km (5.6 mi) south-west of Goslar at the Auerhahn pass (638 m; 2,093 ft) in the Harz mountains. At the northern foot of the Herz Hill (632 m; 2,074 ft) the smaller Abzucht river meets the Gose before it flows into the Oker. The Dörpke and Gelmke
Gelmke
The Gelmke is a small stream, roughly long, and right-hand tributary of the Abzucht in Lower Saxony, Germany. The stream flows through part of the town of Goslar.- Geography :...
streams also flow from the Harz foothills to the south into Goslar where they discharge into the Abzucht.
Neighbouring municipalities
(clockwise from the North): LiebenburgLiebenburg
Liebenburg is a village and a municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated within the eastern Innerste Uplands, approx...
, Vienenburg
Vienenburg
Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...
, Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg is a town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort.- Location :...
, Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz....
, Langelsheim
Langelsheim
Langelsheim is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The municipality is situated between the river Innerste and its tributary Grane, on the northern edge of the Harz mountain range and the Harz National Park, located about northwest of Goslar.- City subdivisions...
.
Town districts
|
Incorporated in 1972:
|
Climate
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily maximum temperature (°C) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13.75 |
| Average daily minimum temperature (°C) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4.8 |
| Mean total rainfall (mm) | 110 | 80 | 90 | 60 | 60 | 70 | 70 | 90 | 100 | 120 | 120 | 100 | 1070 |
History
Goslar has a rich history stretching from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
via the ancient Saxon times, the Holy Roman German empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, 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...
, Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, German Nationalism
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
, Emancipation
Political emancipation
Emancipation is a broad term used to describe various efforts to obtain political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchised group, or more generally in discussion of such matters...
, Militarism
Militarism
Militarism is defined as: the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests....
, German Imperialism
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, Democratisation, the National Socialist Dictatorship including Racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
& Genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, up to German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
. In addition Goslar can field an exciting industrial history
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I...
.
Salian Emperor Henry I founded the town in the 10th century after the discovery of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
deposits in the nearby Rammelsberg
Mines of Rammelsberg
The Rammelsberg is a mountain, high, on the northern edge of the Harz, south of the town of Goslar in the north German state of Lower Saxony. The mountain is the location of an important mine, the only mine which had been working continuously for over 1,000 years when it finally closed in 1988...
. The wealth derived from silver mining brought Goslar the status of an Imperial City, which attracted the interest of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy 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...
.
The mediæval Imperial Palace
Imperial Palace of Goslar
The Imperial Palace of Goslar is a historical building complex at the foot of the Rammelsberg hill in the south of the town of Goslar north of the Harz mountains, central Germany. It covers an area of about 340 by 180 metres and stands. The palace grounds originally included the Kaiserhaus, the...
(Kaiserpfalz Goslar) was built in the 11th century and became a summer residence for the emperors, especially Henry III of Germany
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
who visited his favourite palace about twenty times. Henry is buried in Goslar.
In the winter of 1798, the coldest of the century, the young English poet William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
stayed in Goslar. To dispel homesickness he started to write a few verses about his childhood, which would eventually evolve into the masterpiece that was published in thirteen volumes after his death as The Prelude
The Prelude
The Prelude; or, Growth of a Poet's Mind is an autobiographical, "philosophical" poem in blank verse by the English poet William Wordsworth. Wordsworth wrote the first version of the poem when he was 28, and worked over the rest of it for his long life without publishing it...
.
Goslar's Mediæval cathedral
Goslar Cathedral
The church known as Goslar Cathedral was the Collegiate Church of St. Simon and St. Jude in the town of Goslar in central Germany. It was built between 1040 and 1050 and stood in the district of the Imperial Palace of Goslar. It was demolished in 1819–1822. Today only the porch of the north portal...
was built at the same time as the Mediæval Imperial Palace, but only the porch survived; the cathedral itself was torn down in 1820. Other sights are the town hall (16th century) and the ancient mines of the Rammelsberg, which now house a mining museum.
In the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Goslar was a major garrison town for the German army and the Border police. After the fall of the Berlin wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, the barracks were vacated and a major economic factor was lost.
Demographics
EWLINE
|
|||||||||||||||
| Year | Inhabitants | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 29,538 | ||||||||||||||
| 1939 | 34,371 | ||||||||||||||
| 1946 | 47,855 | ||||||||||||||
| 1950 | 53,804 | ||||||||||||||
| 1956 | 53,236 |
(count: December 31 of each year)
Town council
For the legislatureLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
from November 1, 2006 until October 31, 2011, the seats were allocated as follows:
- SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
: 16 seats (38,38 %) - CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
: 13 seats (32,98 %) - FDPFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
: 5 seats (11,69 %) - Citizens' Alliance: 2 seats (5,81 %)
- Goslarer Linke: 2 seats (5,75 %)
- GrüneAlliance '90/The GreensAlliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
: 2 seats (5,35 %)
Members to Parliament
- European (Constituency: Southern Lower Saxony), Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl (CDU), Erika Mann (SPD)
- Bundestag (Constituency 52: Goslar, Northeim, Osterode), First: Wilhelm Priesmeier (SPD), List: Hans Georg Faust (CDU)
- Landtag Lower Saxony (Constituency 16: Goslar), First: Petra Emmerich-Kopatsch (SPD), List: Dorothee Prüssner (CDU)
Twin towns
Goslar 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: Arcachon
Arcachon
Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
, 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...
, since 1965 Beroun
Beroun
Beroun is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area. It is located 30 km southwest of Prague and has a population of 18,930 . It lies on the confluence of Berounka and Litavka rivers.Despite its small size, it is an...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, since 1989 Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, since 2000 Ra'anana
Ra'anana
Ra'anana is a city in the heart of the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel with a population of 68,300, . Ra'anana is bordered by Kfar Sava on the east and Herzliya on the southwest...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, since 2006 Windsor and Maidenhead, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The 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
Culture and sights
Theatre
The Odeon Theatre is the town's major theatre venue. It has been recently refurbished. It is host to several productions of visiting theatre companies and music groups.The alternative theatre Culture Power Station Harz or Kulturkraftwerk Harz is housed in a disused powerstation. Being run by volunteers, it produces contemporary theatre, comedy and hosts mostly alternative cultural events. Here the annual Goslar Fringe Culture Days are held from the start to mid June.
Museums
- Museum and visitor's mine RammelsbergMines of RammelsbergThe Rammelsberg is a mountain, high, on the northern edge of the Harz, south of the town of Goslar in the north German state of Lower Saxony. The mountain is the location of an important mine, the only mine which had been working continuously for over 1,000 years when it finally closed in 1988...
, an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial HeritageEuropean Route of Industrial HeritageThe European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains... - Museum in the Mediaeval Imperial Palace (Kaiserpfalz)
- Monks' House, Mönchehaus Museum for Contemporary and Modern Arts
- Goslar Museum
- Museum in the Gothic Town Hall
- Zwinger Tower and Dungeon, Museum for Late Mediaeval History
Religion
- Protestant: -Lutheran
- Congregation Marktkirche, Market Church (build 1151, North Tower mountable)
- Congregation Neuwerk, Newark Church
- Congregation St. Stephani, Saint Stephen
- Congregation Zum Frankenberge, Frankenberg Church
- Congregation Gustav-Adolf-Stabkirche, Gustav Adolf stave churchGustav Adolf stave churchThe Protestant Gustav Adolf Stave Church is a stave church situated in Hahnenklee, in the Harz region, Germany....
in Hahnenklee - Congregation Martin-Luther-Kirche, Martin Luther Church
- Congregation St.Paulus Kirche, St. Paul's Church, in Oker
- Congregation St. Georg, St. George
- Congregation St. Johannes, St. John
- Parish Church St. Kilians in Hahndorf
- Congregation St. Lukas, St. Luke
- Parish Church St. Matthäus, St. Matthew's, in Jerstedt
- Congregation St. Peter
- Baptist
- Congregation Christuskirche, Church of Christ
- Roman Catholic
- Congregation St. Jakobi, Saint James the Greater (built in 1073, Goslar's oldest romanesque church still in use)
- Congregation Maria Schnee, St. Mary in the Snow in Hahnenklee
- Congregation St. Barbara (part of St. James's)
- Congregation St. Konrad, St. Conrad (part of St. James) in Oker
- Congregations St. Benno & St. George
- Abbey St. George
- Islamic Faith
- Mosque of the Turkish-German Society
- Goslar Mosque
Sports
Situated at the foot of the Harz hills, Goslar offers a great deal of outdoor pursuit, from swimming to rock climbing; from motor sports and aviation to sailing and cross-country biking.The oldest and most traditional sports club is the MTV Goslar (founded in 1849). Its main facilities, a football pitch and gymnasium are located at the Golden Meadow (Goldene Aue) site.
The football department of Goslarer SC 08
Goslarer SC 08
The Goslarer SC 08 is a German association football club from the city of Goslar, Lower Saxony.The clubs most notable achievement was winning the tier-five Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost and earning promotion to the Regionalliga Nord in 2009....
earned the right to play in the fourth division Regionalliga Nord
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany...
in 2009-10 after winning the Oberliga Niedersachsen
Oberliga Niedersachsen
The Niedersachsenliga, sometimes referred to as Oberliga Niedersachsen, is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony . Since 1994, the league was split into a western and an eastern group. From 2010, it returned to a...
championship.
Celebrations and Events
In the year 2006 Goslar hosts the Salier Year to celebrate the foundation of this ancient German Imperial dynasty a millennium ago.Other events include:
- Annual award (since 1975) of the "Imperial Ring" to a personality who has made an outstanding contribution to society and the arts. Its laureates include Henry MooreHenry MooreHenry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, Joseph BeuysJoseph BeuysJoseph Beuys was a German performance artist, sculptor, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and pedagogue of art.His extensive work is grounded in concepts of humanism, social philosophy and anthroposophy; it culminates in his "extended definition of art" and the idea of social...
, ChristoChristo and Jeanne-ClaudeChristo and Jeanne-Claude were a married couple who created environmental works of art...
, Dani KaravanDani KaravanDani Karavan is an Israeli sculptor best known for site specific memorials and monuments which merge into the environment, though he has made important installations as well as other significant contributions to art and architecture.- Biography :Dani Karavan's father Abraham was the chief...
etc. - Goslar International Concerto Days, Mid to End August
- The Goslar Fair, Beginning to Mid July
- Annual Artisans market in the old town, usually beginning of August
- Old Town Festival, mid-September
- Hanseatic Days, Spring (usually during the EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
holidays)
Economy and infrastructure
The tourism sector is a booming sector in Goslar. Several hotels and bed and breakfasts are located in or near the town's centre. In addition, the town has become a popular resort for the elderly and there are many care homes in the town.
Goslar has become a popular conference venue. The Achtermann Hotel and the Kaiserpfalz are popular conference centres, host to the annual German Road & Transport Tribunal Days: the Deutscher Verkehrsgerichtstag
Largest employers in Goslar are H.C. Starck (chemistry company), the tourism sector, and the civil service. Many residents of Goslar commute to Salzgitter
Salzgitter
Salzgitter is an independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitter is one of the seven Oberzentren of Lower Saxony...
, where car production, steel works and white collar jobs are based.
The Dr.-Herbert-Nieper
Hans Alfred Nieper
Hans Alfred Nieper was a well-known controversial German orthomolecular physician. He is best known for his treatments of cancer and multiple sclerosis, although his foundational work with substances that he believed would increase the availability of minerals to the body, what he called "mineral...
-Krankenhaus is a privately owned hospital of the Asklepios Harzkliniken group serving the greater Harz region. A new annex for intensitive medicine is under construction. There are several general practitioners, dentists, and specialist practitioners distributed across the town. There is an emergency service in place.
Transportation
Goslar has excellent road links, as well as rail links connecting it to the major European population centres. Goslar also serves as a major transport hub for the Upper Harz mountains (highest peak at 1,141 m (3,744 ft) altitude).With the A 7 and the A 395
Bundesautobahn 395
is an autobahn in Germany.The A 395 begins at an interchange with the A 39 and B 248 south of Brunswick . From there, the road heads in a general southerly direction, bypassing Wolfenbüttel, Schladen and other, smaller towns....
there are two main Autobahns/Highways within 20 minutes reach of Goslar.
The A 7 connects Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
/Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
in the North to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
/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...
in the South. The A 395 branches off the main east-west Autobahn A 2 at Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and ends at Vienenburg
Vienenburg
Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...
, some 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Goslar. The A 2 connects Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
– to the East – to the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in the West. The Federal highways B 6
Bundesstraße 6
The Bundesstraße 6 runs from the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to the Polish border.- History :...
and B 82 converge at Goslar and are routed via the four-lane by-pass past the town centre. The B 6 is mostly four-laned and approaches Goslar via the scenic Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
–Salzgitter
Salzgitter
Salzgitter is an independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitter is one of the seven Oberzentren of Lower Saxony...
route.
Goslar is served by the German Railway network (Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
) lines Hanover–Goslar–Halle (Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
) as well as Brunswick–Goslar–Kreiensen. The central railway station is located in the vicinity of the town centre. There is a park-and-ride system for commuters to Brunswick and Hanover.
At the railway station there is a central bus station with busses travelling routinely to various destinations in the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains. The buses are from DB Stadtverkehr.
Media
The regional newspaper is the Goslar Chronicle Goslarsche Zeitung which has an estimated daily readership of 90,000. The General-Anzeiger is a gazette owned by the Heinrich Bauer publishing group with an editorial office in Goslar. Aside from this there are two freely distributed gazettes.Radio Okerwelle GoslarRadio is the regional private radio station based in Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, which broadcasts contemporary music, information and news in the German language to the Brunswick region.
Education
The three tier education system in Goslar district falls under Lower-Saxon legislation. The language of tuition at all schools is the German language. The nine primary schools are distributed across the entire municipality and the associated hamlets. There are two advanced secondary schools (5-12/13), the Christian-von-Dohm-Gymnasium, and the more traditional Ratsgymnasium, both of which prepare their students for an academic career. Three intermediate level schools (5-10), the Andre-Mouton Realschule, the Realschule Hoher Weg, and the Realschule Goldene Aue prepare their pupils for a professional career. Furthermore, two vocational schools (5-9/10) exist: the Hauptschule Oker, and the Hauptschule Kaiserpfalz. The Sonderschule caters to children with learning difficulties and special needs.The supplementary public Waldorf school Harz – Branch Goslar, educates its students along a more spiritual line termed anthroposophy, which is based on the teachings of the Austrian pedagogue Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
.
At the 10-12 level there are four job training colleges located at Goslar in crafts, economics, and care for the elderly for students from Goslar district and beyond.
The nearest University from Goslar is the old venerable Engineering and Mining School
Clausthal University of Technology
The Clausthal University of Technology is an institute of technology in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany...
at Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz....
situated in the Upper Harz
Upper Harz
The Upper Harz refers to the western and higher part of the Harz mountain range in central Germany. Much of the Upper Harz is over , but at its eastern edge in the High Harz it climbs to over on the Brocken massif.- Geography :...
mountains some 21 km (13 mi) South of Goslar within Goslar district. Some 80 km (50 mi) to the South the highly acclaimed University of Göttingen (founded by King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
) is based.
The Community College (Volkshochschule) of the district Goslar is dedicated to life-long learning.
The Izmir University of Economics
Izmir University of Economics
- General information :İzmir University of Economics is a higher education institution that aims to nurture individuals who are creative, dedicated and wholly committed to Atatürk’s principles and reforms...
, an Izmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
-based Turkish university, is on the way to establish an international university in Goslar.
Persons
- Siemens Family. The ancestral home of the Siemens family, who can count toward their more famous offspring, the Prussian-British-Russian industrial pioneers Werner von SiemensErnst Werner von SiemensErnst Werner Siemens, von Siemens since 1888, was a German inventor and industrialist. Siemens' name has been adopted as the SI unit of electrical conductance, the siemens...
, Sir William SiemensCarl Wilhelm SiemensCarl Wilhelm Siemens was a German born engineer who for most of his life worked in Britain and later became a British subject.-Biography:...
and Carl von SiemensCarl Heinrich von SiemensCarl Heinrich von Siemens was a German entrepreneur, a child of a tenant farmer. He is a brother of Ernst Werner von Siemens and William Siemens, sons of Christian Ferdinand Siemens and wife Eleonore Deichmann...
, is in Goslar - Henning von TresckowHenning von TresckowGeneralmajor Herrmann Karl Robert "Henning" von Tresckow was a Major General in the German Wehrmacht who organized German resistance against Adolf Hitler. He attempted to assassinate Hitler in March 1943 and drafted the Valkyrie plan for a coup against the German government...
(1901–1944), German military officer and leading anti-Hitler conspirator, was a student at the Goslar Realgymnasium (now Ratsgymnasium Goslar) from 1913 until 1917, when he left to join the army. He boarded in a private home near the school since his own home was far away. - Ernst JüngerErnst JüngerErnst Jünger was a German writer. In addition to his novels and diaries, he is well known for Storm of Steel, an account of his experience during World War I. Some say he was one of Germany's greatest modern writers and a hero of the conservative revolutionary movement following World War I...
(1895–1998), German soldier (recipient of the Pour le MéritePour le MériteThe Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
decoration in World War One) and author, lived in Goslar from December 1933 to 1936. This time represented the beginning of his innere Emigration, a distancing himself from direct political commentary, as he left Berlin following the Gestapo search of his house in April 1933
People from Goslar
- Henry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
(1050–1106), King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor - Maurice, comte de SaxeMaurice, comte de SaxeMaurice de Saxe was a German in French service who was Marshal and later also Marshal General of France.-Childhood:...
(1696–1750), Marshal General of France. Adversary of the HanoveriansHouse of HanoverThe House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. - Wilhelm RipeWilhelm RipeWilhelm Ripe was a German painter and graphic designer.Ripe was born in Hahn's Klee in 1818. His contributions were during the era of Romanticism.He died in Goslar in 1885.- References :...
(1818-85), painter and graphic designer - Albert NiemannAlbert Niemann (chemist)Albert Friedrich Emil Niemann was a German chemist. In 1859 - about the same time as Paolo Mantegazza - he isolated cocaine, and he published his finding in 1860.-Life:...
(1834–1861), chemist and pharmacist. Credited with the discovery of cocaineCocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. - Ernst PistullaErnst PistullaErnst Pistulla was a German boxer who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. Pistulla was the Amateur German lightheavyweight champion in 1928...
(1906–1944), a German boxer. Competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics1928 Summer OlympicsThe 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de... - Heinz Günther GuderianHeinz Günther GuderianHeinz Günther Guderian was a German officer in the Wehrmacht and later a Major General and Inspector of Panzer Troops in the West German Bundeswehr and NATO. He was the son of World War II General Heinz Guderian....
(1914–2004), officer in the WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and later Inspector of Panzer Troops in the BundeswehrBundeswehrThe Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
and NATO - Sigmar GabrielSigmar GabrielSigmar Gabriel is a German politician currently chairing the Social Democratic Party of Germany .On 15 December 1999, after the resignation of Gerhard Glogowski, who had succeeded Gerhard Schröder in office, Gabriel became Minister-President of Lower Saxony and served until 4 March 2003...
(born 1959), Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, politician (SPD) - Aaron HuntAaron HuntAaron Hunt is a German footballer who plays for Werder Bremen.-Club career:After spending his first season at Werder Bremen in the reserves, in the year the side achieved the double, Hunt made his first division debut on 18 September 2004, as a substitute against Hannover 96...
(born 1986), footballer for Werder BremenSV Werder BremenSV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
.