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Life in the community

Bamberg

There are not many cities in which the enchantment of history is as evident as in Bamberg. This lends the upper Franconian city its incomparable and distinctive character. The slogan "Gift of a Millennium" points out that the city of Bamberg was able to preserve its appearance over many centuries. Therefore, this diocesan city is often referred to as an urban jewel, as a repository of famous art treasures. The importance of this city in history is evident in the four-domed imperial cathedral harboring the tombs of Emperor Henry II and his wife Kunigunde.

It is also the site of the sole papal tomb north of the Alps; Pope Clemens II is buried here. World famous is the "Bamberger Reiter", the statue of the "Bamberg Horseman", created by an unknown sculptor and considered to be the embodiment of the ideal medieval king or knight.

Other imposing monuments are the former Benedictine monastery on Michaelsberg mountain and the "Alte Bruckenrathaus", or old bridge town hall, in the middle of the Regnitz river. Come and discover the city’s treasures in the Diocesan Museum, in the "Alte Hofhaltung" (Historical museum) and in the "Neue Residenz", or "New Residence".

The city’s name is derived from Babenbergem, whose castle was probably located on the present day "Domberg", the cathedral hill. The area was previously settled by the Slavs and the Franks. Bamberg is first mentioned in 902 in connection with the "Babenberger Fehde", or Babenberg dispute, as "Castrum Babenberg". Emperor Otto II presented the "civitas Papinberc" to his cousin, the Bavarian Duke Heinrich der Zanker in 973. When the Bavarian duke’s son, who later became Emperor Henry II (1002 - 1024), married Kunigunde of Luxembourg, the latter was presented with Bamberg as a wedding gift. After the election of Henry II as the German king, a bishopric was established in Bamberg as part of a contest over power. In the 11^th century, along the Regnitz river, a merchant settlement was founded at the foot of the "Domberg". Later on, the citizenry built a town hall on a city island, and patrician families guided the destiny of the city. Bishops, nobility and patrician merchants became patrons of numerous artists in the late Middle Ages. But Bamberg also became on eof the focal points of German humanism.

The first printed and illustrated book came out of a Bamberg printing press in 1460/61. The Peasant War, the Thirty Years’ War, and the witch hunts decimated the population. Between 1693 and 1746, however, under the leadership of the bishops of Schonborn, the city experienced an economic miracle. The siege of the city by Bavarian troops in 1802 ended the independence of the diocesan city of Bamberg.

In 1808 the author E.T.A. Hoffman was commissioned as the music director of the theater. At the same time, the philosopher Georg F.W. Hegel published a newspaper which, however, fell victim to censorship. In 1841, Bamberg was the northernmost point of the "Ludwigkanal", or Ludwig Canal.

Today, Bamberg has 70,000 inhabitants, 8,000 of whom are students at the Otto-Friedrich- University. Among the numerous cultural establishments are the E.T.A. Hoffman Theater, libraries, archives, museums and 25 orchestras. The most notable orchestra is the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, which carries Bamberg’s fame to the far corners of the globe.

Important events in Bamberg’s calendar are the "Sandkirchweih", (in late August), a fair in front of the backdrop of the former fishermen’s settlement "Klein Venedig" ("Little Venice") and the Calderon Festival (June/July), which takes place is the "Alte Hofhaltung". Both events draw many visitors from near and far.

The Heinrichfest Celebrations took place in July 2007, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Catholic Diocese. Fr Keenan of St. Joseph's Church on Brereton Road was invited to Bamberg to take part in this august celebration. Below is a report that Fr Keenan put together of the event.

Fr Keenan's Heinrichfest Report ( NaN Kb ) - DOWNLOAD

Bamberg Tourist Officer
Geyersworthstrasse 3
96047 Bamberg
Germany.

Tel. 0049 951 2976 200    Fax 0049 951 87 1960

Website www.tourismus.bamberg.de

2005 Bamberg Bedford Sports Festival Results. ( 9 KB ) - DOWNLOAD

The Bedford-Bamberg Association was formed 25 years ago by a group of Bedfordians with the aim of forging links with families in Bamberg. Visit their website at www.bedfordbamberg.org.uk.

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