Erlangen

[er-lahng-uhn]

Erlangen, city (1994 pop. 102,380), Bavaria, S Germany, at the confluence of the Schwabach and Regnitz rivers. It is an industrial and transportation center. Manufactures include medical equipment, gloves, hats, and drapery. Erlangen belonged to the bishopric of Bamberg from 1017 to 1361, when it was sold to Emperor Charles IV. Chartered in 1398, it passed (1402) to the Franconian branch of the house of Hohenzollern, under which it shared the history of Bayreuth. Industry began in Erlangen in the late 17th cent. with the settlement of Huguenot refugees from France. The city passed to Bavaria in 1810. Rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1706, the present city center has a predominantly baroque character; there are also modern industrial and residential sections. Erlangen is well known for its university (founded 1742 at Bayreuth and transferred to Erlangen in 1743). The philosopher Schelling and the theologian Schleiermacher taught at the university in the 19th cent.

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Licensed from Columbia University Press

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.

Erlangen is today dominated by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the numerous branch offices of Siemens AG, as well as a large Institute of the Fraunhofer Society. An event that still influences the city was the settlement of Huguenots after the withdrawal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.

History

Erlangen was first mentioned officially in 1002 under the name of "villa erlangon". In 1361, the village was sold to Emperor Karl IV. Three years later, a city was built close to the village, which in 1374 got its own coining station (mint). In 1398, the municipal rights were confirmed. In 1402, the city was vested to the House of Hohenzollern as part of the principality of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (from 1603 on Brandenburg-Bayreuth), staying under their rule until 1806. During the four year Napoleonic occupation, Erlangen was the capital of the so-called "Low County" (Unterland) of the principality, encompassing the area until Neustadt an der Aisch and separated from the "High County" (Oberland) by a land corridor. In 1810 it became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria, together with the rest of former Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

While being part of the Brandenburg-Bayreuth, the first French Huguenot refugees arrived in Erlangen in 1686. Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, built a "new town" (Neustadt) for them. In 1706, the old town (just below the site of the annual Bergkirchweih) was almost completely destroyed by a fire, but soon rebuilt. In 1812, the old and new towns were merged into one.

In 1742, Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, founded a university for the residency town Bayreuth, but due to the rebelliousness of the local students, the university was transferred to Erlangen. Only later did it obtain the name of "Friedrich-Alexander-University" and become a Prussian state university. Famous students of these times were Johann Ludwig Tieck and Wilhelm Heinrich Wackenroder.

Already during the Bavarian municipal reform of 1818, the city was endowed with its own administration. In 1862, the canton administration Erlangen was founded, from which later arose the administrative district of Erlangen. In 1972, this district was merged with the administrative district of Höchstadt. Erlangen became the capital of this newly founded district Erlangen-Höchstadt. During this municipal reform, Erlangen was effectively enlarged considerably, so that by 1974, it had more than 100,000 inhabitants.

University

The University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, ) was founded in 1742 by Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, in the city of Bayreuth, but was relocated to Erlangen the next year. Today, it features 11 departments (German "Fakultäten"), 2 of which (Economics and Education) are located in Nuremberg. About 24,000 students study at this university, of which about 20,000 are located in Erlangen.

Bergkirchweih

The Bergkirchweih is an annual beer festival, similar to the Oktoberfest in Munich but smaller in scope, and therefore more intimate. It takes place during the twelve days before and after Pentecost, under the spring trees of the "Berg" and draws more than one million visitors each year.

It is commonly known by local residents as the "Berchkärwa" (pronounced "bairch'-care-va") or simply the "Berch", as in "Gehma auf'm Berch?" ("Let's go to the mountain?").

Districts

Am Anger
Alterlangen
Bruck, pop. 20,000
Büchenbach
Burgberg
Dechsendorf
Eltersdorf, pop. around 3,200
Frauenaurach
Häusling
Hüttendorf
Innenstadt
Kosbach
Kriegenbrunn
Neusses
Röthelheim
Schallershof
Siedlung Sonnenblick
Sieglitzhof/Buckenhofer Siedlung
Steudach
Tennenlohe

Historical population

Year	Population
1495	292
1630	550
1752	7,939
1830	9,800
December 1, 1871¹	12,500
December 1 1890¹	17,559
December 1, 1900¹	22,953
December 1 1910¹	24,877
June 16 1925¹	29,597
June 16 1933¹	32,348
May 17 1939¹	35,964
September 13 1950¹	50,690
June 16 1961¹	69,552
May 27 1970¹	84,110
June 20 1975	100,700
June 30 1980	100,900
June 30 1985	100,000
May 27 1987¹	99,808
June 30, 1997	100,700
December 31 1997	100,330
December 31 1998	100,775
December 31 1999	100,750
December 31 2000	100,778
December 31 2001	101,912
December 31 2002	102,198
December 31 2003	102,449
December 31 2004	102,627
December 31 2005	103,426