Bamberg

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Bamberg
Town
Top: Skyline with old town hall (Altes Rathaus) to the right Middle: Michaelsberg Abbey Bottom: Bamberg Cathedral
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Bamberg
Bamberg Show map of Germany Bamberg Show map of Bavaria
Coordinates: 49°53′29″N 10°53′13″E / 49.89139°N 10.88694°E / 49.89139; 10.88694
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Upper Franconia
District	Urban district
Government
• Lord mayor (2020–26)	Andreas Starke[1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	54.62 km2 (21.09 sq mi)
Elevation	262 m (860 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	79,935
• Density	1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	96047, 96049, 96050, 96051, 96052
Dialling codes	0951
Vehicle registration	BA
Website	www.stadt.bamberg.de UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Town of Bamberg
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv
Reference	624
Inscription	1993 (17th Session)
Area	142 ha
Buffer zone	444 ha

Bamberg (/ˈbæmbɜːrɡ/,^[3] US also /ˈbɑːmbɛərk/,^[4][5] German: [ˈbambɛʁk] ^ⓘ; East Franconian: Bambärch) is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in 2022.^[6] The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. Cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and buildings, the old town of Bamberg with around 2,400 timber houses^[7] has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.^[8]

From the 10th century onwards, Bamberg became a key link with the Slav peoples, notably those of Poland and Pomerania. It experienced a period of great prosperity from the 12th century onwards, during which time it was briefly the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Henry II was buried in the old town, alongside his wife Kunigunde. The town's architecture from this period strongly influenced that in Northern Germany and Hungary. From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops were princes of the Empire^[9] and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of monumental buildings. This growth was complemented by the obtaining of large portions of the estates of the Counts of Meran in 1248 and 1260 by the sea, partly through purchase and partly through the appropriation of extinguished fiefs.

Bamberg lost its independence in 1802, following the secularization of church lands, becoming part of Bavaria in 1803. The town was first connected to the German rail system in 1844, which has been an important part of its infrastructure ever since. After a communist uprising took control over Bavaria in the years following World War I, the state government fled to Bamberg and stayed there for almost two years before the Bavarian capital of Munich was retaken by Freikorps units (see Bavarian Soviet Republic). The first republican constitution of Bavaria was passed in Bamberg, becoming known as the Bamberger Verfassung (Bamberg Constitution).

Following the Second World War, Bamberg was an important base for the Bavarian, German, and then American military stationed at Warner Barracks, until closing in 2014.