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Forchheim (Oberfranken)
Encyclopedia
Forchheim is a large town in Upper Franconia
in northern Bavaria
, and also the seat of the administrative district of Forchheim
. Forchheim is a former royal city, and is sometimes called the “Gateway to the Franconian Switzerland
”, as the region is known. Its population, as of October 2008, was 30,806, and its land area is 44.95 km². Its position is 49° 44' N, 11° 04' E, and its elevation is 265 m above sea level.
(German Post) issued special commemorative stamps worth 45 cents. In 2004, the city played host to the Bavarian provincial Exhibition. There were about 199,100 visitors.
was bestowed upon the town at the beginning of the 13th century, people wrongly believed that their town’s name, "Vorchheim" originates from the Old High German
word vorhe (“trout”). This resulted in the coat of arms showing two trout (above). Although the rivers around the town were certainly home to a great number of trout in those days, it seems likelier that the town's name was actually derived from the Old High German word vorha (“pine”). Hence, the name means “pine home” with a probability bordering on certainty.
The name most likely originates in the 7th century, when Frankish
settlers first ensconced themselves in the region. They established many riverside towns with names ending in –heim.
Through Forchheim run Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 470 and B 4.
Rail traffic from the station goes towards Bamberg
, Nuremberg
and Ebermannstadt
. The railway line to Höchstadt
was permanently closed on 1 April 2005. By 2010, Forchheim is also to be connected to the Nuremberg S-Bahn
; work began on this project in 2006.
Local public transportation, such as buses and hailed shared taxis, is incorporated into the Greater Nuremberg transport area.
The city lies right on the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
and lies roughly 30 minutes from Nuremberg Airport
.
In 805, the town was mentioned in the Diedenhofener Kapitular, a capitulary
(royal order) from Charlemagne
forbidding the two towns that it named – Magdeburg
was the other – to trade weapons with the Slavs, issued at Diedenhofen (now Thionville
, France). This is the first documentary evidence of the town’s existence.
In the following centuries, Forchheim saw many imperial diets
and princely gatherings. On 10 November, 911, Conrad I was elected and crowned the first “German” king.
On 1 November 1007, Emperor Heinrich II
granted Forchheim, then under Crown ownership, the Bishopric
of Bamberg
. By 1039, however, Emperor Heinrich III
had brought the town back under Imperial administration until it was finally made part of the Bishopric of Bamberg on 13 July 1063, a status which lasted up until the secularization in 1802-1803.
In Heinrich IV’s
time, Rudolf von Rheinfelden was chosen to be the Gegenkönig (“anti-king”) on 15 March 1077, in Forchheim.
Sometime between 1200 and 1220, Forchheim was raised to city, and was given its current coat of arms.
Owing to Forchheim’s fortifications, it got through the Thirty Years' War
without being overrun even once. The Prince-Bishop
of Bamberg fled the Swedes
in this war, seeking shelter for himself, and also for his cathedral treasure, in the strongly defended fortress town of Forchheim. The Swedes laid siege to the town several times from 1632 to 1634. It was also in this era of Forchheim’s history that some of the townsfolk earned the rather unflattering nickname Mauerscheißer (“wall shitters”). This came from their practice of defecating over the city walls during the siege, to demonstrate to the Swedes that there was still enough to eat in the city, and that their siege was ineffective and pointless.
On 6 September 1802, Forchheim was occupied by Bavarian troops and annexed to the Electorate of Bavaria.
In 1889, Forchheim became a kreisfreie Stadt
, conferring on it certain enhanced local powers. It lost this status in 1972 under Bavarian regional government reform, and was united with Landkreis Forchheim, the local district.
The local lore has it that Forchheim was Pontius Pilate
’s birthplace.
Besides those big and famous events, Forchheim offers a plenty of different festivals around the year. Especially in the summer there is a lot going on in the city. Africafestival, Streetmusicfestival, Winefestival or even some special Neighboorhood- or Streetfestivals with live music are pretty common.
The so-called "Jahn Halle", a kind of "Townhall," offers live music performances during the year.
.
In Forchheim. the company Siemens
runs a large site for production and development of medical devices, particularly for computed tomography
. Together with the company's sites in Erlangen
and Nuremberg, it is part of the "Siemens Medical Valley".
There is a famous pedestrian precinct downtown (see picture above). Plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés can be found there, as well as cultural and architectural
artwork.
(France
) Rovereto
(Italy
) Lavis
(Italy
) Roppen
(Austria
) Pößneck
(Thuringia
) Gherla
(Romania
) Broumov
(Czech Republic
)
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Upper Franconia
Upper Franconia is a Regierungsbezirk of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia , all now part of the German Federal State of Bayern .With more than 200 independent breweries which brew...
in northern Bavaria
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...
, and also the seat of the administrative district of Forchheim
Forchheim (district)
Forchheim is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Bamberg, Bayreuth, Nürnberger Land and Erlangen-Höchstadt.-History:...
. Forchheim is a former royal city, and is sometimes called the “Gateway to the Franconian Switzerland
Franconian Switzerland
The Little Switzerland is an upland in Upper Franconia, northern Bavaria and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the Pegnitz River in the east and the south, the Regnitz River in the west and the Main River in the north, its relief reaches 600 metres in height.The Franconian Switzerland is...
”, as the region is known. Its population, as of October 2008, was 30,806, and its land area is 44.95 km². Its position is 49° 44' N, 11° 04' E, and its elevation is 265 m above sea level.
Forchheim today
In 2005, Forchheim celebrated its 1,200th anniversary of first documentary mention, on the occasion of which the Deutsche PostDeutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
(German Post) issued special commemorative stamps worth 45 cents. In 2004, the city played host to the Bavarian provincial Exhibition. There were about 199,100 visitors.
Name and coat of arms
When the 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...
was bestowed upon the town at the beginning of the 13th century, people wrongly believed that their town’s name, "Vorchheim" originates from the Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
word vorhe (“trout”). This resulted in the coat of arms showing two trout (above). Although the rivers around the town were certainly home to a great number of trout in those days, it seems likelier that the town's name was actually derived from the Old High German word vorha (“pine”). Hence, the name means “pine home” with a probability bordering on certainty.
The name most likely originates in the 7th century, when Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
settlers first ensconced themselves in the region. They established many riverside towns with names ending in –heim.
Transport connections
Forchheim is directly connected to the Autobahn network by way of the A 73.Through Forchheim run Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 470 and B 4.
Rail traffic from the station goes towards 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...
, 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 Ebermannstadt
Ebermannstadt
Ebermannstadt is a town in the district of Forchheim, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 10 km northeast of Forchheim and 25 km southeast of Bamberg.-Districts:*Breitenbach*Ebermannstadt*Gasseldorf*Niedermirsberg*Rüssenbach*Neuses-Poxstall...
. The railway line to Höchstadt
Höchstadt
-Geography:Höchstadt is situated on the river Aisch, 18 km northwest of Erlangen and 22 km south of Bamberg. Originally it was the capital of the Höchstadt district, but then it became part of the new Erlangen-Höchstadt district.-Division of the town:...
was permanently closed on 1 April 2005. By 2010, Forchheim is also to be connected to the Nuremberg S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
; work began on this project in 2006.
Local public transportation, such as buses and hailed shared taxis, is incorporated into the Greater Nuremberg transport area.
The city lies right on 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...
and lies roughly 30 minutes from Nuremberg Airport
Nuremberg Airport
Nuremberg Airport is the international airport of the Franconian metropolitan area of Nuremberg and the second-busiest airport in Bavaria. The airport is ranked 10th among German airports and 87th in Europe. It is also a hub for Air Berlin - Germany's second largest airline...
.
Neighbourhoods
- Buckenhofen (on the left bank of the Regnitz; first mentioned in documents in 1251, but likely older; has about 4,500 inhabitants)
- Burk (likely older than the town itself; known for its Dreikönigskirche {Three Kings Church, i.e. the three wise men/magi}, the only one so dedicated in the whole diocese of BambergBambergBamberg 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...
) - Kersbach with Sigritzau
- Reuth
- Serlbach (northeast of Forchheim; its name is a corruption of an older name, Zum Erlebach)
History
In the 8th century, a royal court and a palace were built in Forchheim.In 805, the town was mentioned in the Diedenhofener Kapitular, a capitulary
Capitulary
A capitulary was a series of legislative or administrative acts emanating from the Frankish court of the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, especially that of the first emperor, Charlemagne...
(royal order) from Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
forbidding the two towns that it named – Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
was the other – to trade weapons with the Slavs, issued at Diedenhofen (now Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
, France). This is the first documentary evidence of the town’s existence.
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
and princely gatherings. On 10 November, 911, Conrad I was elected and crowned the first “German” king.
On 1 November 1007, Emperor 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...
granted Forchheim, then under Crown ownership, the Bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
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...
. By 1039, however, Emperor 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...
had brought the town back under Imperial administration until it was finally made part of the Bishopric of Bamberg on 13 July 1063, a status which lasted up until the secularization in 1802-1803.
In Heinrich IV’s
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry 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...
time, Rudolf von Rheinfelden was chosen to be the Gegenkönig (“anti-king”) on 15 March 1077, in Forchheim.
Sometime between 1200 and 1220, Forchheim was raised to city, and was given its current coat of arms.
Owing to Forchheim’s fortifications, it got through the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
without being overrun even once. The Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
of Bamberg fled the Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in this war, seeking shelter for himself, and also for his cathedral treasure, in the strongly defended fortress town of Forchheim. The Swedes laid siege to the town several times from 1632 to 1634. It was also in this era of Forchheim’s history that some of the townsfolk earned the rather unflattering nickname Mauerscheißer (“wall shitters”). This came from their practice of defecating over the city walls during the siege, to demonstrate to the Swedes that there was still enough to eat in the city, and that their siege was ineffective and pointless.
On 6 September 1802, Forchheim was occupied by Bavarian troops and annexed to the Electorate of Bavaria.
In 1889, Forchheim became a kreisfreie Stadt
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
, conferring on it certain enhanced local powers. It lost this status in 1972 under Bavarian regional government reform, and was united with Landkreis Forchheim, the local district.
The local lore has it that Forchheim was Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
’s birthplace.
Things to see
- Rathaus (City Hall), 14th–16th centuries with décor by Hans Ruhalm, 1523.
- Kaiserpfalz, prince-bishop’s palace, 14th century.
- Martinskirche (church), 12th–15th centuries.
- Marienkapelle (chapel), 12th century.
- Festungsmauer (fortification wall), 1560-1750 with mediaeval Saltorturm (tower).
- Kammerersmühle (a quaintly leaning old mill, now used as a wine bar), 17th century.
- Katharinenspital (hospital), 1611 and Spitalkirche (hospital church), 1490
- Klosterkirche and Kloster (monastery church, and monastery) 17th century.
- Stadtpark (Citypark), surrounded by the old city wall, big grassed area.
Regular events
- January/February: Carnival festival and Carnival parade
- April/May: Theatertage (“Theatre days”)
- June: Altstadtfest (“Old Town Festival“)
- July/August: AnnafestAnnafestThe Annafest is a Franconian folk festival held yearly about 26 July in the Kellerwald – not to be confused with the Kellerwald in Hesse - in the town of Forchheim...
- December: Schönster Adventskalender der Welt (“World’s loveliest Advent calendar”)and actually the biggest one in the world (Entry in the "World Guiness Book Records")
Besides those big and famous events, Forchheim offers a plenty of different festivals around the year. Especially in the summer there is a lot going on in the city. Africafestival, Streetmusicfestival, Winefestival or even some special Neighboorhood- or Streetfestivals with live music are pretty common.
The so-called "Jahn Halle", a kind of "Townhall," offers live music performances during the year.
Economy
Forchheim's economy is mainly shaped by its proximity to NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
In Forchheim. the company Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
runs a large site for production and development of medical devices, particularly for computed tomography
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
. Together with the company's sites in 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, it is part of the "Siemens Medical Valley".
There is a famous pedestrian precinct downtown (see picture above). Plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés can be found there, as well as cultural and architectural
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
artwork.
Twinned cities
Le Perreux-sur-MarneLe Perreux-sur-Marne
Le Perreux-sur-Marne is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:...
(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...
) Rovereto
Rovereto
Rovereto is a city and comune in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.-History:Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier between the bishopric of Trento - an independent state until 1797 - and the republic of Venice, and later...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) Lavis
Lavis
Lavis is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 7 km north of Trento...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) Roppen
Roppen
Roppen is a municipality in the Imst district and is located 5 km southeast of Imst between the mouths of the Pitze River and the Ötztaler Ache. The village was mentioned in documents in 1260 for the first time as „Roupen“ but settlement already began 3000 years ago. It has 1630...
(Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) Pößneck
Pößneck
Pößneck is a town in the Saale-Orla-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 19 km east of Rudolstadt, and 26 km south of Jena....
(Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
) Gherla
Gherla
Gherla is a city in Cluj County, Romania . It is located 45 km from Cluj-Napoca on the Someşul Mic River, and has a population of 24,083....
(Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
) Broumov
Broumov
Broumov is a town in the Czech Republic, in the Náchod District of the Hradec Králové Region near the Polish border. The municipality at the small Stěnava River is the center of the Broumovsko area, along with the adjacent Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, a protected area popular with mountain...
(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....
)
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