HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...
via the rivers Aller and Weser. In 2016, it had a population of 250,704. A powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany, Brunswick was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century. It was the capital city of three successive states: the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1269–1432, 1754–1807, and 1813–1814), the Duchy of Brunswick (1814–1918), and the Free State of Brunswick (1918–1946). Today, Brunswick is the second-largest city in Lower Saxony and a major centre of scientific research and development.


History


Foundation and early history

The date and circumstances of the town's foundation are unknown. Tradition maintains that Brunswick was created through the merger of two settlements, one founded by Brun(o), a Saxon count who died in 880, on one side of the River Oker – the legend gives the year 861 for the foundation – and the other the settlement of a legendary Count Dankward, after whom Dankwarderode Castle ("Dankward's clearing"), which was reconstructed in the 19th century, is named. The town's original name of ''Brunswik'' is a combination of the name Bruno and Low German ''wik'' (related to the Latin ''vicus''), a place where merchants rested and stored their goods. The town's name, therefore, indicates an ideal resting place, as it lay by a ford across the Oker River. Another explanation of the city's name is that it comes from ''Brand'', or burning, indicating a place which developed after the landscape was cleared through burning. The city was first mentioned in documents from the St. Magni Church from 1031, which give the city's name as ''Brunesguik''.


Middle Ages and early modern period

Up to the 12th century, Brunswick was ruled by the Saxon noble family of the Brunonids, then, through marriage, it fell to the House of Welf. In 1142, Henry the Lion of the House of Welf became duke of
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a ...
and made Braunschweig the capital of his state (which, from 1156 on, also included the
Duchy of Bavaria The Duchy of Bavaria (German: ''Herzogtum Bayern'') was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarian tribes and ruled by dukes (''duces'') under ...
). He turned Dankwarderode Castle, the residence of the counts of Brunswick, into his own '' Pfalz'' and developed the city further to represent his authority. Under Henry's rule, the
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
of St. Blasius was built and he also had the statue of a lion, his heraldic animal, erected in front of the castle. The lion subsequently became the city's landmark. Henry the Lion became so powerful that he dared to refuse military aid to the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, which led to his banishment in 1182. Henry went into exile in England. He had previously established ties to the English crown in 1168, through his marriage to King
Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin kin ...
's daughter
Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
, sister of Richard the Lionheart. However, his son Otto, who could regain influence and was eventually crowned Holy Roman Emperor, continued to foster the city's development. During the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, Brunswick was an important center of trade, one of the economic and political centers in Northern Europe and a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th century to the middle of the 17th century. By the year 1600, Brunswick was the seventh largest city in Germany. Although formally one of the residences of the rulers of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire, Brunswick was ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
'' ruled independently by a powerful class of patricians and the
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometim ...
s throughout much of the
Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...
and the Early modern period. Because of the growing power of Brunswick's burghers, the Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who ruled over one of the subdivisions of Brunswick-Lüneburg, finally moved their '' Residenz'' out of the city and to the nearby town of Wolfenbüttel in 1432. The Princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel didn't regain control over the city until the late 17th century, when
Rudolph Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Rudolph or Rudolf may refer to: People * Rudolph (name), the given name including a list of people with the name Religious figures * Rudolf of Fulda (died 865), 9th century monk, writer and theologian * Rudolf von Habsburg-Lothringen (1788� ...
, took the city by siege. In the 18th century Brunswick was not only a political, but also a cultural centre. Influenced by the philosophy of the Enlightenment, dukes like Anthony Ulrich and
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
became patrons of the arts and sciences. In 1745, Charles I founded the ''Collegium Carolinum'', predecessor of the Brunswick University of Technology, and in 1753 he moved the ducal residence back to Brunswick. With this he attracted poets and thinkers such as Lessing, Leisewitz, and
Jakob Mauvillon Jakob Mauvillon (8 March 1743 – 11 January 1794), son of Eleazar Mauvillon, was an 18th-century figure in German liberalism. He was born in Leipzig of French Huguenot descent. He was a professor of politics at Brunswick. He advocated a radical ...
to his court and the city. ''
Emilia Galotti ''Emilia Galotti'' () is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781), which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Brunswick ("Braunschweig" in German). The work is a classic example of German '' bürgerliches Trauerspiel'' (bourgeois ...
'' by Lessing and Goethe's '' Faust'' were performed for the first time in Brunswick.


19th century

In 1806, the city was captured by the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
and became part of the short-lived
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
ic Kingdom of Westphalia in 1807. The exiled Duke Frederick William raised a volunteer corps, the Black Brunswickers, who fought the French in several battles. After the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon ...
in 1815, Brunswick was made capital of the re-established independent Duchy of Brunswick, later a constituent state of the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
from 1871. In the aftermath of the
July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first in 1789. It led to ...
in 1830, in Brunswick duke Charles II was forced to abdicate. His absolutist governing style had previously alienated the nobility and bourgeoisie, while the lower classes were disaffected by the bad economic situation. During the night of 7–8 September 1830, the
ducal palace Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon * Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy * ...
in Brunswick was stormed by an angry mob, set on fire, and destroyed completely. Charles was succeeded by his brother William VIII. During William's reign, liberal reforms were made and Brunswick's parliament was strengthened. During the 19th century, industrialisation caused a rapid growth of population in the city, eventually causing Brunswick to be for the first time significantly enlarged beyond its medieval
fortifications A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''face ...
and the River Oker. On 1 December 1838, the first section of the Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway line connecting Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel opened as the first railway line in Northern Germany, operated by the
Duchy of Brunswick State Railway The Duchy of Brunswick State Railway (''Herzoglich Braunschweigische Staatseisenbahn'') was the first state railway in Germany. The first section of its Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway line between Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel opened on 1 Decem ...
.


Early to mid-20th century

On 8 November 1918, at the end of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, a socialist workers' council forced Duke Ernest Augustus to abdicate. On 10 November, the council proclaimed the Socialist Republic of Brunswick under one-party government by the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD); however, the subsequent Landtag election on 22 December 1918 was won by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (MSPD), and the USPD and MSPD formed a coalition government. An uprising in Braunschweig in 1919, led by the communist Spartacus League, was defeated when '' Freikorps'' troops under
Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker Georg Ludwig Rudolf Maercker (21 September 1865 in Baldenburg – 31 December 1924 in Dresden) was a German general of World War I. Following the Armistice of 1918 that saw the end of fighting and of the Bolshevik revolution that led to the cr ...
took over the city on order of the German Minister of Defence, Gustav Noske. An SPD-led government was subsequently established; in December 1921, a new
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...
was approved for the Free State of Brunswick, now a parliamentary republic within the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a Constitutional republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in ...
, again with Braunschweig as its capital. After the Landtag election of 1930, Brunswick became the second state in Germany where the Nazis participated in government, when the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) formed a coalition government with several conservative and right-wing parties. With the support of
Dietrich Klagges Dietrich Klagges () (1 February 1891 – 12 November 1971) was a Nazi Party politician and from 1933 to 1945 the appointed premier ('' Ministerpräsident'') of the now abolished Free State of Brunswick. He also went by the pseudonym Rudolf Berg. ...
, Brunswick's minister of the interior, the NSDAP organized a large SA rally in Braunschweig. On 17–18 October 1931, 100,000 SA stormtroopers marched through the city; street fights between Nazis, socialists, and communists left several dead or injured. On 25 February 1932, the state of Brunswick granted
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
German citizenship to allow him to run in the 1932 German presidential election. In Braunschweig, Nazis carried out several attacks on political enemies, with the acquiescence of the state government. After the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, several state institutions were placed in Braunschweig, including the ''
Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt The ''Deutsche Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt'' (English: German Aeronautical Research Institute, LFA, also known as the ''Hermann Göring Research Institute'') was a secret German facility for airframe, aeroengine, and aircraft weapons testing durin ...
'' in
Völkenrode Völkenrode is a quarter (''Stadtteil'') of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany. Formerly a municipality in its own right and part of the district of Braunschweig, it was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig in 1974. Today, it is part of t ...
, the
Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
Academy for Youth Leadership The Academy for Youth Leadership (german: Akademie für Jugendführung) was a Hitler Youth (HJ) leadership school in Braunschweig. It was the highest Nazi training facility for the training of full-time junior executives for Hitler Youth duri ...
, and the SS- Junkerschule Braunschweig. With the Reichswerke Hermann Göring in Salzgitter and the Stadt des KdF-Wagens, as well as several factories in the city itself (including Büssing and the Volkswagenwerk Braunschweig), the Braunschweig region became one of the centres of the German arms industry. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, Braunschweig was a sub-area headquarters of Wehrkreis XI (one of Germany's military districts), and was the garrison city of the 31st Infantry Division that took part in the invasions of Poland, Belgium, and France, largely being destroyed during its retreat following the invasion of Russia. In this period, thousands of Eastern workers were brought to the city as forced labor, and in the 1943–1945 period at least 360 children taken away from such workers died in the '' Entbindungsheim für Ostarbeiterinnen'' ("Maternity Ward for Eastern Workers"). In 1944, a subcamp of the concentration camp Neuengamme was established in Braunschweig. Hundreds of prisoners, mostly Jews, lived in brutal conditions and hundreds died from hunger, disease, and overwork. Piera Sonnino (1922-1999), an Italian author, writes of her imprisonment in that camp in her book, ''This Has Happened'', published in English in 2006 by MacMillan Palgrave. The Allied air raid on October 15, 1944, destroyed most of the city's churches, and the ''Altstadt'' (old town), the largest homogeneous ensemble of half-timbered houses in Germany. The city's cathedral, which had been converted to a ''Nationale Weihestätte'' (national shrine) by the Nazi government, still stood.


Postwar period to the 21st century

Small sections of the city survived Allied bombing, so remain to represent its distinctive architecture. The cathedral was restored to its function as a
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
church. Politically, after the war, the Free State of Brunswick was dissolved by the Allied occupying authorities, Braunschweig ceased to be a capital, and most of its lands were incorporated in the newly formed state of
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
. During the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
, Braunschweig, then part of
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
, suffered economically due to its proximity to the Iron Curtain. The city lost its historically strong economic ties to what was then
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...
; for decades, economic growth remained, on average, below the rest of the country while unemployment was above-average for West Germany. On 28 February 1974, as part of a district reform in Lower Saxony, the rural district of Braunschweig, which had surrounded the city, was disestablished. The major part of the former district was incorporated into the city of Braunschweig, increasing its population by roughly 52,000 people. In the 1990s, efforts increased to reconstruct historic buildings that had been destroyed in the air raid. The façade of the '' Braunschweiger Schloss'' was rebuilt, and buildings such as the ''Alte Waage'' (originally built in 1534) now stand again.


Demographics


Population development

, the population of Braunschweig was 252,768. Today, Braunschweig is among the twenty German cities found to be most attractive to young people between the ages of 25 and 34, leading to an influx of younger residents.


Religion

In 2015, 91,785 people or 36.3% of the population were
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
and 34,604 (13.7%) people were
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
; 126,379 people (50.0%) either adhered to other denominations or followed no religion.


Immigration

A total of 64,737 of Braunschweig's residents, including German citizens, had an immigrant background in 2015 (25.6% of the total population). Among those, 25,676 were non-German citizens (10.2%); the following table lists up the largest minority groups:


Main sights

*The ''Burgplatz'' (Castle Square), comprising a group of buildings of great historical and cultural significance: the
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
( St Blasius, built at the end of the 12th century); the ''Burg Dankwarderode'' (Dankwarderode Castle) (a 19th-century reconstruction of the old castle of Henry the Lion); the Neo-Gothic Town Hall (built in 1893–1900); as well as some picturesque half-timbered houses, such as the ''Gildehaus'' (Guild House), today the seat of the Craftsman's Association. In the centre of the square stands a copy of the '' Burglöwe'' (Brunswick Lion), a Romanesque statue of a lion, cast in bronze in 1166. The original statue can be seen in the museum of Dankwarderode Castle. The lion remains the symbol of Braunschweig today. *The ''Altstadtmarkt'' ("Old Town market"), surrounded by the Old Town town hall (built between the 13th and the 15th centuries in Gothic style), and the ''Martinikirche'' (Church of Saint Martin, from 1195), with important historical houses including the '' Gewandhaus'' (the former house of the drapers' guild, built sometime before 1268) and the ''Stechinelli-Haus'' (built in 1690) and a fountain from 1408. *The ''Kohlmarkt'' ("coal market"), a market with many historical houses and a fountain from 1869. *The ''Hagenmarkt'' (" Hagen market"), with the 13th-century ''Katharinenkirche'' (Church of Saint Catherine) and the ''Heinrichsbrunnen'' ("Henry the Lion's Fountain") from 1874. *The ''Magniviertel'' ( St Magnus' Quarter), a remainder of ancient Braunschweig, lined with cobblestoned streets, little shops and cafés, centred on the 13th-century ''Magnikirche'' (St Magnus' Church). Here is also the ''Rizzi-Haus'', a highly distinctive, cartoonish office building designed by architect
James Rizzi James Rizzi (October 5, 1950 – December 26, 2011) was an American pop artist who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Biography Rizzi graduated from University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He came up with the idea of 3D multipl ...
for the
Expo 2000 Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially some 40 million people were exp ...
. *The Romanesque and
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
''Andreaskirche'' (Church of Saint Andrew), built mainly between the 13th and 16th centuries with stained glass by
Charles Crodel Charles Crodel (September 16, 1894 – November 11, 1973) was a German painter and stained glass artist. Life Crodel was born in Marseille, he studied in 1914 with Richard Riemerschmid, one of the founders of the Deutscher Werkbund, at the Mun ...
. Surrounding the church are the '' Liberei'', the oldest surviving freestanding library building in Germany, and the reconstructed ''Alte Waage''. *The Gothic '' Aegidienkirche'' (Church of Saint Giles), built in the 13th century, with an adjoining monastery, which is today a museum. *The '' Staatstheater'' (State Theatre), newly built in the 19th century, goes back to the first standing public theatre in Germany, founded in 1690 by Duke Anthony Ulrich. *The ducal palace of Braunschweig was bombed in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and demolished in 1960. The exterior was rebuilt to contain a palace museum, library and shopping centre, which opened in 2007. *The baroque palace ''
Schloss Richmond Richmond Castle (german: 'Schloss Richmond') is a castle built from 1768 to 1769 in Braunschweig, Germany for Princess (later Duchess) Augusta, wife of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. It lies near the Oker river in the south of the city. The architect w ...
'' ("Richmond Palace"), built between 1768 and 1769 with a surrounding English garden for Princess Augusta of Great Britain, wife of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, to remind her of her home in England. *
Riddagshausen Abbey Riddagshausen Abbey (german: Kloster Riddagshausen) was a Cistercian monastery just outside the city of Braunschweig, Brunswick in Germany. History It was founded as Marienzelle by Ludolf the Wend, a ''ministerialis'' of Henry the Lion and stew ...
(German: ''Kloster Riddagshausen''), a former Cistercian monastery, with the surrounding
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...
and arboretum. The nature reserve ''Riddagshäuser Teiche'' is designated as an Important Bird Area and Special Protection Area. File:Braunschweiger Burgplatz.jpg, ''Burgplatz'', with Castle, Cathedral, lion, and Town Hall. File:Braunschweiger Loewe Original Brunswick Lion.jpg, Brunswick Lion, original on display in castle museum. File:Braunschweig, Rathaus (1).jpg, Town Hall File:Braunschweig, Handwerkskammer.jpg, ''Veltheimsches Haus'' (left) and ''Gildehaus'' (right) File:Braunschweig Brunswick Gewandhaus Ostfassade.jpg, ''Gewandhaus'' File:Braunschweig Altstadtrathaus mit Brunnen.jpg, ''Altstadtmarkt'', with Old Town town hall (left) and ''Stechinelli-Haus'' File:Braunschweig St.Martini 2005-01-23 (south).jpg, Church of St. Martin File:Braunschweig Brunswick Ritter St Georg (2006).JPG, ''Altstadt'' ("Old Town") File:Braunschweig Brunswick Haus zum Stern (2004).JPG, ''Haus zum Stern'' on ''Kohlmarkt'' File:Braunschweig, St. Katharinen, Heinrichsbrunnen (2).jpg, Church of St. Catherine and Henry the Lion's Fountain File:Braunschweig Brunswick Magni-Kirche Turm Suedosten (2006).JPG, St. Magnus' Church File:Braunschweig fachwerk 02.jpg, ''Magniviertel'' File:Happy RIZZI House Braunschweig von Süden.jpg, Happy Rizzi House File:Braunschweig, St. Andreaskirche (2).jpg, ''Andreaskirche'' File:Braunschweig, Alte Waage (1).jpg, ''Alte Waage'' File:Aegidienkirche 03 1a.jpg, Church of St. Giles File:TheaterBS.jpg, State Theatre File:ECE Schloss 06u07 1b.jpg, Rebuilt exterior of Brunswick Palace File:Braunschweig Brunswick Schloss Richmond Frontansicht.jpg, ''Schloss Richmond'' (Richmond Palace) File:Braunschweig Brunswick Klosterkirche Riddagshausen Osten (2006).jpg, Riddagshausen Abbey


Parks and gardens

Parks and gardens in the city include the
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
'' Botanischer Garten der Technischen Universität Braunschweig'', founded in 1840 by Johann Heinrich Blasius, the ''Bürgerpark'', the ''Löwenwall'' with an obelisk from 1825, the ''Prinz-Albrecht-Park'', and the ''Inselwallpark''. Other parks and recreation areas are ''Stadtpark'', ''Westpark'', ''Theaterpark'', ''Museumpark'', ''Heidbergsee'', ''Südsee'', ''
Ölper Ölper, formerly a village, is a quarter (''Stadtteil'') of the city of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies to the north of the city centre on the river Oker. It is part of the ''Stadtbezirk'' Lehndorf-Watenbüttel. History The firs ...
see'', the zoological garden ''Arche Noah Zoo Braunschweig'' and the nearby Essehof Zoo.


Politics


Subdivisions

Braunschweig is made up of 19
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
s (German: ''
Stadtbezirk A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as " borough". In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a me ...
e''), which themselves may consist of several quarters (German: ''Stadtteile'') each. The 19 boroughs, with their official numbers, are: *112: Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach1 *113:
Hondelage Hondelage is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) on the river Schunter in the north-eastern part of Braunschweig, Germany. History The village of Hondelage was first mentioned in documents in 1179. During the early 16th century, the farming village bec ...
*114: Volkmarode *120:
Östliches Ringgebiet The Östliches Ringgebiet is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the eastern part of Braunschweig, Germany. With a population of 26,559 (2020) it is the city's second most populous district. History Originally located outside of the city, the ''Öst ...
*131: Innenstadt *132: Viewegsgarten-Bebelhof *211: Stöckheim-Leiferde *212: Heidberg-Melverode *213: Südstadt-Rautheim-Mascherode *221: Weststadt *222: Timmerlah-Geitelde-Stiddien *223: Broitzem *224:
Rüningen Rüningen is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) on the river Oker in the southern part of Braunschweig, Germany. History The village of Rüningen was first mentioned as ''Riungi'' in documents during the late 8th century. The village outside of Braunsc ...
*310: Westliches Ringgebiet *321:
Lehndorf-Watenbüttel Lehndorf-Watenbüttel is a ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) in the northwestern part of Braunschweig, Germany. The Stadtbezirk comprises the quarters Kanzlerfeld, Lamme, Lehndorf, Ölper, Völkenrode, and Watenbüttel. History The district consists of ...
*322: Veltenhof-Rühme *323: Wenden-Thune-Harxbüttel *331: Nordstadt *332: Schunteraue File:Braunschweig Stadtbezirke.png, Boroughs of Braunschweig File:Braunschweig Stadtteile.png, ''Stadtteile'' of Braunschweig File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Innenstadt (2011).JPG, ''Innenstadt'' File:Braunschweig Luftaufnahme Oestliches Ringgebiet (2011).JPG, ''Östliches Ringgebiet'' File:Braunschweig Madamenweg (2010).JPG, ''Westliches Ringgebiet'' File:Braunschweig Weststadt Luftbild.jpg, ''Weststadt'' File:Riddagshausen 5.jpg, ''Riddagshausen'' (''Wabe-Schunter-Beberbach'') 1Formed in 2011 out of the former boroughs of Wabe-Schunter and Bienrode-Waggum-Bevenrode.


Mayor

The current mayor of Braunschweig is Thorsten Kornblum of the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD) since 2021. The most recent mayoral election was held on 12 September 2021, with a runoff held on 26 September, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thorsten Kornblum , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
, 41,734 , 38.4 , 79,861 , 65.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Kaspar Haller , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 29,011 , 26.7 , 41,401 , 34.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Tatjana Schneider , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens , 24,802 , 22.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Mirco Hanker , align=left, Alternative for Germany , 4,704 , 4.3 , - , , align=left, Birgit Huvendieck , align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig , 3,215 , 3.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Anke Schneider , align=left, The Left , 2,827 , 2.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thomas Hofmann , align=left, Die PARTEI , 1,904 , 1.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Erdmann Gust , align=left,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
, 614 , 0.6 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 108,811 ! 99.3 ! 121,262 ! 98.1 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 721 ! 0.7 ! 2,407 ! 1.9 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 109,532 ! 100.0 ! 123,669 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 197,728 ! 55.4 ! 197,414 ! 62.6 , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig


City council

The Braunschweig city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD) , 93,546 , 29.5 , 3.5 , 16 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 71,880 , 22.7 , 10.6 , 12 , 5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 69,670 , 22.0 , 4.2 , 12 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 18,704 , 5.9 , 1.4 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, Citizens' Initiative Braunschweig , 16,778 , 5.3 , 0.7 , 3 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD) , 13,512 , 4.3 , 4.6 , 2 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 12,428 , 3.9 , 0.7 , 2 , 1 , - , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 6,467 , 2.0 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 6,302 , 2.0 , 0.5 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party (Piraten) , 3,261 , 1.0 , 1.4 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Grassroots Democratic Party (dieBasis) , 2,999 , 0.9 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgoclor=, , align=left,
Alliance for Innovation and Justice The Alliance for Innovation and Justice (german: Bündnis für Innovation und Gerechtigkeit; BIG) is a minor party in Germany aimed primarily at immigrants of islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic ...
(BIG) , 1,646 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 317,193 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 107,850 ! 98.5 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 1,606 ! 1.5 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 109,456 ! 100.0 ! ! 54 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 197,728 ! 55.4 ! 0.2 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Braunschweig


Twin towns – sister cities

Braunschweig is twinned with: * Bandung, Indonesia (1960) * Nîmes, France (1962) *
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, England (1971) * Sousse, Tunisia (1980) * Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel (1985) * Magdeburg, Germany (1987) *
Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzan is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and t ...
, Russia (1988) * Omaha, United States (1992) * Zhuhai, China (2011)


Transport

Braunschweig's city centre is mostly a car-free pedestrian zone.


Road

Two main autobahns serve Braunschweig, the A2 (
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
HanoverDortmund) and the A39 ( SalzgitterWolfsburg). City roads are generally wide, built after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
to support the anticipated use of the car. There are several car parks in the city.


Bicycle

Many residents travel around town by bicycle using an extensive system of bicycle-only lanes. The main train station includes a bicycle parking area.


Train

The city is on the main rail line between
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
and Berlin. Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) serves the city with local, inter-city and high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) trains, with frequent stops at Braunschweig Central Station (German: ''Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof'').


Tram and bus

The Braunschweig tramway network is an inexpensive and extensive long electric
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
way system. First opened in 1897, it has been modernized, including a extension in 2007. The network has an
gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
, unique for a European railway or tramway network. However, it is being supplemented in stages by a third rail, to allow future joint working with the main railway network. The municipally owned Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG currently operates five tram lines and several bus lines. The tram lines are:


Air

Braunschweig Airport Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport (german: Flughafen Braunschweig-Wolfsburg) is an airport in Braunschweig, Germany. Originally constructed by the German Air Ministry in the 1930s, it is located on the northern edge of Braunschweig, which is situa ...
(BWE / EDVE) is located north of the city at , elev. .


Name

Many other geographical locations around the world are named Brunswick, after the historical English name of Braunschweig. Between 1714 and 1837, the House of Hanover ruled Great Britain in
personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interli ...
with the Electorate of Hanover. The House of Hanover was formally known as the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Hanover line. As a result, many places in the British colonies were named after Brunswick, such as the province of
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
in Canada. Ironically, the city of Braunschweig was not ruled by the Hanoverians while its name was being given to other Brunswicks around the world. Starting in 1269, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg underwent a series of divisions and mergers, with parts of the territory being transferred between various branches of the family. The city of Braunschweig went to the senior branch of the house, the Wolfenbüttel line, while Lüneburg eventually ended up with the Hanover line. Although the territory had been split, all branches of the family continued to style themselves as the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1884, the senior branch of the House of Welf became extinct. The Hanover line, being the last surviving line of the family, subsequently held the throne of the Duchy of Brunswick from November 1913 until November 1918.


Government offices

The offices of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA, "Federal Aviation Office") and the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) are located in Braunschweig.


Research and science

Braunschweig has been an important industrial area. Today it is known for its
University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
and research institutes, mainly the ''Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute'', the '' Julius Kühn-Institut'', and the ''Institute for Animal Food'' of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, until the end of 2007 all part of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre, the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The PTB Braunschweig maintains the
atomic clock An atomic clock is a clock that measures time by monitoring the resonant frequency of atoms. It is based on atoms having different energy levels. Electron states in an atom are associated with different energy levels, and in transitions betwe ...
responsible for the DCF77 time signal and the official German time. In 2006 the region of Braunschweig was the most R&D-intensive area in the whole European Economic Area investing 7.1% of its GDP for research & technology. In 2014, the figure had risen to 7.7%, making Braunschweig retain its ranking as the most R&D-intensive region in Germany. Braunschweig was named Germany's ''City of Science 2007'' (german: Stadt der Wissenschaft 2007). Braunschweig University of Technology (German: ''Technische Universität Braunschweig'') was founded in 1745 and is the oldest member of
TU9 TU9 German Universities of Technology e. V. is the alliance of nine leading Technical Universities in Germany. The current president of TU9 is Wolfram Ressel, rector of the University of Stuttgart. Overview TU9 was established in 2003 as a ...
, an incorporated society of the nine most prestigious, oldest, and largest universities focusing on engineering and technology in Germany. With approximately 18,000 students, Braunschweig University of Technology is the third largest university in Lower Saxony.


Education

Also located in Braunschweig is the , a secondary school founded in 1415. It had such famous pupils as Carl Friedrich Gauss, Hoffmann von Fallersleben, Richard Dedekind and Louis Spohr. Since 2004, Braunschweig also has an ''International School''. Other notable secondary schools include the Gymnasium Neue Oberschule, Gymnasium Gaussschule, , , , and .
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
's only university of art, founded in 1963, can be found in Braunschweig, the ''
Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig The Braunschweig University of Art (Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, HBK) is the second largest College of Fine Arts in Germany. History The history goes back to the “Zeichnen-Instithut” (Drawing Institute) founded by the Brun ...
'' (Braunschweig College of Fine Arts). The HBK is an institution of higher artistic and scientific education and offers the opportunity to study for interdisciplinary artistic and scientific qualifications. Additionally, one of the campuses of the Eastphalia University of Applied Sciences (German: ''Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften'', formerly ''Fachhochschule Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel'') was located in the city until 2010.


Economy

In 2015, the German weekly business news magazine '' Wirtschaftswoche'' ranked Braunschweig as one of the most dynamic economic spaces in all of Germany. Braunschweig was one of the centres of the industrialization in Northern Germany. During the 19th and early 20th century the canning and
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
industries and the
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
production were of great importance for Braunschweig's economy, but eventually other branches such as the
automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % ...
became more important, while especially the canning industry began to vanish from the city after the end of World War II. The defunct truck and bus manufacturer Büssing was headquartered in Braunschweig. Current factories in the city include
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
, Siemens, Bombardier Transportation, and Bosch. The fashion label NewYorker, the publishing house
Westermann Verlag Westermann Verlag (English: "Westermann Publishing") is a German publishing firm, founded in the 19th century in Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick by George Westermann (23 February 1810 in Leipzig; 7 September 1879 in Wiesbaden). Several other ge ...
,
Nordzucker Nordzucker AG, headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, is Europe’s second largest sugar manufacturer. The production of sugar, liquid sugars and other specialities for the application in the nutrition, beverage and sweets industry as well a ...
, Volkswagen Financial Services and Volkswagen Bank have their headquarters in the city as well as the Volkswagen utility vehicle holding. Also two major optical companies were headquartered in Braunschweig: Voigtländer and
Rollei Rollei () was a German manufacturer of optical instruments founded in 1920 by and in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, and maker of the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord series of cameras. Later products included specialty and nostalgic type films for the ...
. During the 1980s and early 1990s the
computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These prog ...
companies Atari and Commodore International both had branches for development and production within the city. Braunschweig is the home of two
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
companies, both known worldwide for the high quality of their instruments:
Schimmel Schimmel is a German and Dutch surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Annemarie Schimmel (1922–2003), German Islam scholar * Corrie Schimmel (born 1939), Dutch swimmer * Hendrik Jan Schimmel (1823–1906), Dutch poet and novelist ...
and Grotrian-Steinweg. Both companies were founded in the 19th century. Additionally Sandberg Guitars is based in Braunschweig.


Culture

Braunschweig is famous for '' Till Eulenspiegel'', a medieval jester who played many practical jokes on its citizens. It also had many breweries, and still a very peculiar kind of beer is made called '' Mumme'', first quoted in 1390, a malt-extract that was shipped all over the world. Two major breweries still produce in Braunschweig, the , founded in 1627, and the former brewery, founded in 1871, now operated by Oettinger Beer. Braunschweiger Mettwurst, a soft, spreadable smoked pork sausage, is named after the city. Other traditional local dishes include white asparagus, ''Braunschweiger
Lebkuchen (), or , are a honey-sweetened German cake molded cookie or bar cookie that has become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. It is similar to gingerbread. Etymology The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term ''Lebkuchen'' is uncertain. Pro ...
'', ''Braunkohl'' (a variant of kale served with Bregenwurst), and ''Uhlen un Apen'' (Low German for " Owls and Guenons", a pastry).


Media

Braunschweig's major local newspaper is the '' Braunschweiger Zeitung'', first published in 1946. Papers formerly published in Braunschweig include the ''Braunschweigische Anzeigen''/''Braunschweigische Staatszeitung'' (1745–1934), the ''Braunschweigische Landeszeitung'' (1880–1936) and the ''Braunschweiger Stadtanzeiger''/''Braunschweiger Allgemeiner Anzeiger'' (1886–1941), and the social-democratic ' (1871–1933). Near Braunschweig at
Cremlingen Cremlingen is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, Germany. It borders Lehre, Königslutter, Sickte, and Braunschweig. Parts of it are adjacent to the Elm hills. History From May 8, 1944 until April 12, 1945 a concent ...
-Abbenrode, there is a large medium wave transmitter, which transmits the program of '' Deutschlandfunk'' on 756 kHz, the
Cremlingen transmitter The Cremlingen transmitter is a large mediumwave transmission facility established in 1962 for transmitting the programme of Deutschlandfunk on 756 kHz near Cremlingen-Abbenrode. It was also known as ''Sender Braunschweig'' or ''Sender König ...
.


Festivals

'' Schoduvel'', a medieval Northern German form of carnival was celebrated in Braunschweig as early as the 13th century. Since 1979 an annual Rosenmontag parade is held in Braunschweig, the largest in Northern Germany, which is named Schoduvel in honour of the medieval custom. An annual ''Weihnachtsmarkt'' ( Christmas market) is held in late November and December on the Burgplatz in the centre of Braunschweig. In 2008 the market had 900,000 visitors.


Museums and galleries

The city's most important museum is the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, a well known art museum and the oldest public museum in Germany, founded in 1754. It houses a collection of masters of Western art, including Dürer, Giorgione, Cranach, Holbein, Van Dyck,
Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...
, Rubens, and Rembrandt. The State Museum of Brunswick (''Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum''), founded in 1891, houses a permanent collection documenting the history of the Brunswick area ranging from its early history to the present. The Municipal Museum of Brunswick (''Städtisches Museum Braunschweig''), founded in 1861, is a museum for art and cultural history, documenting the history of the city of Braunschweig. The State Natural History Museum is a zoology museum founded in 1754. Other museums in the city include the Museum of Photography (''Museum für Photographie''), the Jewish Museum (''Jüdisches Museum''), the Museum for Agricultural Technology ''Gut Steinhof'', and the Gerstäcker-Museum. Frequent exhibitions of contemporary art are also held by the Art Society of Braunschweig (German: ''Kunstverein Braunschweig''), housed in the ''Villa Salve Hospes'', a classicist villa built between 1805 and 1808.


Music and dance

The '' Braunschweig Classix Festival'' was an annual classical music festival. It is the largest promoter of classical music in the region and one of the most prominent music festivals in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
. From 2001 to 2009, and again since 2013, the annual finals of the international
breakdance Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in ...
competition Battle of the Year have been held at the
Volkswagen Halle Volkswagen Halle is an indoor sporting arena located in Braunschweig, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 8,000 people. It is currently home to the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig basketball team. Sports Aside from serving as the home venue of ...
in Braunschweig. ''Braunschweiger TSC'' is among the leading competitive formation dance teams in the world and has won multiple World and European championship titles.


Sports

Braunschweig's major local football team is Eintracht Braunschweig. Founded in 1895, Eintracht Braunschweig can look back on a long and chequered history. Eintracht Braunschweig won the
German football championship German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
in 1967, and currently plays in the
2. Bundesliga The 2. Bundesliga ( ) is the second division of professional football in Germany. It was implemented 11 years after the founding of the Fußball-Bundesliga as the new second division for professional football. The 2. Bundesliga is ranked below ...
, the second tier of German football, and attracts a large number of supporters. Braunschweig was also arguably the city in which the first ever game of football in Germany took place. The game had been brought to Germany by the local school teacher
Konrad Koch Wilhelm Carl Johann Conrad Koch, commonly known as Konrad Koch (13 February 1846 – 13 April 1911) was a German teacher and football pioneer. Early life and career Koch was born on 13 February 1846 in Braunschweig, Duchy of Brunswick. After ...
, also the first to write down a German version of the rules of football,However, Koch's original German version of the rules of football, published in 1875, still resembled Rugby football—the unmodified rules of The Football Association were not commonly used in Germany before the 1900s. who organized the first match between pupils from his school ''Martino-Katharineum'' in 1874. The 2011 German drama film Lessons of a Dream is based on Koch. Eintracht Braunschweig also fields a successful women's
field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...
team that claimed nine national championship titles between 1965 and 1978. In the past, the club also had first or second-tier teams in the sports of
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
, field handball, and water polo. The New Yorker Lions (formerly Braunschweig Lions) are the city's
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
team, winning a record number of 12 German Bowl titles, as well as five Eurobowls (a shared record). The city's professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team, the
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig Basketball Löwen Braunschweig ( en, Basketball Lions Braunschweig) is a basketball club based in Braunschweig, Germany. The club currently plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the top tier of German basketball. The club's home arena is Volkswag ...
, plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the highest level in Germany. The Löwen's predecessor
SG Braunschweig SG Braunschweig is a basketball club based in Braunschweig, Germany. History The team was formed in 1978 as a cooperation between the basketball sections of the clubs FT Braunschweig and MTV Braunschweig. In 2000–01 the club passed its Baske ...
had previously played in the Bundesliga as well. Eintracht Braunschweig's women's basketball team plays in the , the second tier of women's basketball in Germany. In handball, MTV Braunschweig, the city's oldest sports club (founded in 1847), plays in the semi-professional 3. Liga. Other sports clubs from Braunschweig that play or have played at the
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footb ...
or 2nd Bundesliga level include (
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
), (field hockey), (handball),
Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig is a German rugby union team from Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga. The team is part of a larger sports club, TuRa Braunschweig, which apart from rugby also offers other sports ...
(
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
), and (
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
). Annual sporting events held in Braunschweig include the international
equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
tournament ''Löwen Classics'', ''Rund um den Elm'', Germany's oldest road bicycle race, and the professional tennis tournament '' Sparkassen Open''.


Notable people

Alphabetical list of some notable people associated with Braunschweig:


See also

* Hannover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Richard Andree: ''Braunschweiger Volkskunde.'' 2nd edition. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1901. *Reinhard Bein, Ernst-August Roloff (eds.): ''Der Löwe unterm Hakenkreuz. Reiseführer durch Braunschweig und Umgebung 1930–1945.'' MatrixMedia Verlag, Göttingen 2010, . *Luitgard Camerer, Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1992, . *Oskar Doering: ''Braunschweig.'' E. A. Seemann, Leipzig 1905. *Hermann Dürre: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Mittelalter.'' Grüneberg, Braunschweig 1861. * Reinhard Dorn: ''Mittelalterliche Kirchen in Braunschweig.'' Niemeyer, Hameln 1978, . *F. Fuhse (ed.): ''Vaterländische Geschichten und Denkwürdigkeiten der Lande Braunschweig und Hannover, Band 1: Braunschweig.'' 3rd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 1925. *Manfred Garzmann, Wolf-Dieter Schuegraf (eds.): ''Braunschweiger Stadtlexikon. Ergänzungsband.'' Joh. Heinr. Meyer Verlag, Braunschweig 1996, . *Otto Hohnstein: ''Braunschweig am Ende des Mittelalters.'' Ramdohr, Braunschweig 1886. *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Gerhard Schildt (eds.): ''Die Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte. Jahrtausendrückblick einer Region.'' 2nd edition. Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2001, . *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Dieter Lent et al. (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 8. bis 18. Jahrhundert.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2006, . *Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Günter Scheel (eds.): ''Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 19. und 20. Jahrhundert.'' Hahnsche Buchhandlung, Hannover 1996, . *Jörg Leuschner, Karl Heinrich Kaufhold,
Claudia Märtl Claudia Märtl (born 3 July 1954 in Amberg) is a German historian. She is a professor of Medieval history at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her research focuses on English and Romance languages. In March 2011 she was elected to succeed ...
(eds.): ''Die Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte des Braunschweigischen Landes vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.'' 3 vols. Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim 2008, . *Richard Moderhack (ed.): ''Braunschweigische Landesgeschichte im Überblick.'' 3rd edition, Braunschweigischer Geschichtsverein, Braunschweig 1979. *Richard Moderhack: ''Braunschweiger Stadtgeschichte.'' Wagner, Braunschweig 1997, . *E. Oppermann: ''Landeskunde des Herzogtums Braunschweig. Geschichte und Geographie.'' E. Appelhans, Braunschweig 1911. *Rudolf Prescher: ''Der Rote Hahn über Braunschweig.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1955. *Birte Rogacki-Thiemann: ''Braunschweig. Eine kleine Stadtgeschichte.'' Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2005, . *Ernst-August Roloff: ''Braunschweig und der Staat von Weimar.'' Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1964. *Ernst-August Roloff: ''Wie braun war Braunschweig? Hitler und der Freistaat Braunschweig.'' Braunschweiger Zeitung, Braunschweig 2003. *Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Braunschweig – Das Bild der Stadt in 900 Jahren. Geschichte und Ansichten.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1985. *Gerd Spies (ed.): ''Brunswiek 1031 – Braunschweig 1981. Die Stadt Heinrichs des Löwen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart.'' 2 vols., Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, Braunschweig 1982. *Werner Spieß: ''Geschichte der Stadt Braunschweig im Nachmittelalter. Vom Ausgang des Mittelalters bis zum Ende der Stadtfreiheit 1491–1671.'' 2 vols., Waisenhaus-Buchdruckerei und Verlag, Braunschweig 1966, . *Henning Steinführer, Gerd Biegel (eds.): ''1913 – Braunschweig zwischen Monarchie und Moderne.'' Appelhans Verlag, Braunschweig 2015, .


External links


Official website

Daily newspaper Braunschweiger Zeitung
{{Authority control Capitals of former nations Duchy of Brunswick Members of the Hanseatic League