A Brief History of Nürnberg

The Early Years of Nürnberg

The oldest reference to Nürnberg goes back to 1050 and eight centuries of glorious history followed. Two towns on either side of the River Pegnitz, Lorenz and Sebald, developed separately until they united in the 14th century. Emperor Konrad II built a palace in Lorenz and Emperor Heinrich III started the castle in Sebald.

In 1219, Nürnberg received a privilege called Stapelrecht, which forced all traders passing through to offer their wares first for sale to local merchants for three days before being allowed to continue their journeys. Nürnberg thus developed as one of the more important cities on the trade routes from Venice to the north.

The Golden Bull, forced on Emperor Karl IV in 1356, stipulated that all new emperors had to hold their first Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) in Nürnberg – a tradition that continued until 1543. The imperial jewels were kept in Nürnberg from 1424 to 1796, and again briefly during the Nazi period.

The Golden Age of Nürnberg

Nürnberg’s golden age was in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. During this period, it was at the peak of its economic and cultural development. Several artists and scientists were based here. Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), the man who brought the Renaissance to Germany, was born and spent most of his life in Nürnberg. The poet Hans Sachs (1494-1576); the sculptor Veit Stoß (1445-1533); Peter Henlein (1480-1542), the builder of the first pocket watch; and Martin Behaim (1459-1506), the cosmographer and creator of the first globe – all worked here during the period.

Ironically, it was the maps created in Nürnberg that helped with the discoveries of sea routes to the east. This altered trade patterns and spelled the end of wealth for the area for centuries. Additionally, Nürnberg decided for the Reformation early on and thus upset the staunchly Catholic emperors. They ceased holding parliaments in the town and, worse, favored Augsburg in southern Bavaria, which increasingly took away trade and culture. The decline continued until the area industrialized in the 19th century. The town became part of Bavaria in 1806. The first railway in Germany ran from here to nearby Fürth in 1835.

Nazis and World War II

The Nazis picked Nürnberg, probably because of its location at the center of Germany, for a party rally in 1927. The symbolism of the town was not lost on the Nazis and from 1933, it was the permanent home of the annual party rallies that attracted up to 1.6 million participants. At the 1935 rally, anti-Semitic laws, often referred to as the Nuremberg Laws, were adopted that legalized the segregation of Jews – common practice since the Nazis came to power in 1933.

On January 2, 1945, an air raid destroyed 90% of the old town. Most of the buildings are therefore reconstructions, but generally faithful to the original plans. The town walls largely escaped damage.

Nürnberg Trials

The allies selected Nürnberg for the trial of Nazi leaders after the war. (The initial proceedings were in Berlin but due to the chaos in that city, they were moved here because of the good infrastructure provided by an American base.) This process set new international law standards and ended with some of the accused executed, some jailed, and some even pronounced innocent.