Braunschweig - Brunswick. A history.(Index of all villages and towns)
The early beginnings of the town of Brunswick are only described by a
legend: There it is said that two Saxon dukes, the brothers Bruno and
Dankward, have founded Brunswick in 861. The legend tells that Duke
Dankward had built Dankward Castle and Duke Bruno founded a so-called
„Wiek" on the right bank of the Oker river, which was called Brunswiek,
today named Altewiek.(Duke Ludolf 866)
Later merchants settled down in the area of the
Eiermarkt. Written references explaining the town`s early beginnings
started with sources of the 11th. century.
About 1030 the Brunonian countess Gertrud founded St. Blasius`Cathredral, which was consecrated
by Bishop Godehard of Hildesheim, on an peninsula in the Oker River, and
in the Altewiek Bishop Branthag of Halberstadt consecrated St.
Magnus`Church. The document of this consecration in 1031 still exists
and here we find the name of Brunswick mentioned for the first time,
then called „Brunesguik".
An important development of the town started
during the regency of Lothar of Süpplingenburg,(Lothar) who had been Duke of
Saxony since 1106, and under the name Lothar III., ruled from 1125 to
1137 as emperor. He wanted the town to be extended and so the municipal
area of the Altstadt with the centre Altstadtmarkt was built.
Supposingly the Altstadt received the town charter by Lothar III. after
1117.
A much more decisive epoch for the town became that of his grandson,
Henry the Lion (about 1130 -1195). Brunswick extended during his
government, because he put up his permanent residence here. Together
with the courts of England and France, Brunswick belonged to the most
powerful capitals in Europe. It was also the political and cultural
centre of Saxony. Henry the Lion founded the new municipal area of the
Hagen and started planning the Neustadt. The outstanding buildings
erected during his government are the then newly constructed
Dankwarderode Castle and the imposant new St. Blasius Cathredral.
Henry the Lion started to build this Cathedral after his pilgrimage to the
Holy Land 1172/1173. This church was provided with rich art treasures.
In 1168 the lion-monument was the erected. It was the first large bronze
sculpture created in Nothern Europe, that was standing solitary; a
speciality of medieval art.
(One of the early illustrations of Henry the Lion)
A lion also can be seen on coins, the town seal and on the map of the
world of Ebstorf cloister, where it stands as a symbol for the town
itself. Brunswick gave the stimulans for important town foundations as
Lübeck or Munich. From Brunswick Henry the Lion started his colonization
of the East and so he became nearly just as powerful as a king or even
the emperor. This ,of course, led to a conflict with his cousin, emperor
Frederick I. Barbarossa. When Henry was placed under the imperial ban and
his duchy dismembered in 1181, he was allowed to retain his hereditary possessions,
which consisted of a large part of Brunswick and Luneburg.
Henry the Lion died in his Brunswick castle
Dankwarderode on August, 6th. 1195, but as a symbol for his town and in
many stories and legends he is still alive.(Henry's crypt)
The bulk of these lands came subsequently to Henry's grandson, Otto,(Duke Otto) and in 1235
the emperor Frederick II., anxious to be reconciled with the Welfs,
recognized Otto's title and created him duke of Brunswick and Luneburg.
The Capital was Brunswick.
Otto added several counties and the town of Hanover to his possessions,
and when he died in 1252 was succeeded by his sons Albert and - John. In
1267 these princes divided the duchy, Albert becoming duke of Brunswick,
and John duke of Luneburg. The dukes of Luneburg increased the area of
their duchy, and when the family died out in 1369 a stubborn contest
took place for its possession. Claimed by Magnus II., duke of Brunswick-
Wolfenbuttel, this prince was forced by the emperor Charles IV. to
abandon his pretensions, but in 1388 his sons succeeded in incorporating
Luneburg with Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel. In 1285 the duchy of Brunswick
had been divided between Duke Albert's three sons, whose relations
with each other were far from harmonious, and the lines of Wolfenbuttel,
Gottingen and Grubenhagen had been established. The Wolfenbuttel
branch died out in 1292, but was refounded in 1345 by Magnus I., a
younger member of the Gottingen family; the elder Gottingen branch
died out in 1463, and the Grubenhagen branch in 1396.
Magnus I.,
duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel from 1345 to 1369, was the ancestor
of the later dukes of Brunswick.
His grandsons, Frederick, the only survivor of the three, was forced to
make a division of the duchy, by which he received Luneburg, while his
nephews, William and Henry, obtained Brunswick, which in 1432 they divided
into Calenberg and Wolfenbuttel. In 1473, however, William, who had added
Gottingen to his possessions in 1463, united these lands; but they
were again divided from 1495 to 1584.(Duke Heinrich) In 1584 Brunswick was united
by Duke Julius, and in 1596 Grubenhagen was added to it. Duke
Frederick Ulrich, however, was obliged to cede this territory to
Luneburg in 1617, and when he died in 1634 his family became .
extinct, and. Brunswick was divided between the two branches of the
Luneburg family. The duchy of Luneburg, founded by Bernard in 1428,
remained undivided until 1520, when Duke Henry abdicated and his
three sons divided the duchy.
Two of the branches founded at this
time soon died out; and in 1569, after the death of Ernest.I., the
representative of the third branch, his two sons agreed upon a
partition which is of considerable importance in the history of
Brunswick, since it established the lines of Dannenberg and of
Luneburg-Celle, and these two families divided the duchy of
Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel in 1635.(Duke Heinrich Julius 1589-1613)(Friedrich Ulrich 1613-1634)
The dukes of Luneburg-Celle
subsequently took the name of Hanover, and were the ancestors of the
later kings of Hanover. After the acquisition of 1635 the
family of Dannenberg took the title of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, and
ruled in the direct line until 1735.
(Reichstaler from 1662)
The outstanding historical event during the era of absolutism was
conquest of Brunswick by Duke Rudolf August in 1671, that had only been
possible because of the town`s fading political and economical power. At
first this conquest seemed to be the lowest point in the town`s history,
but then the duke`s policy turned out to be quite positve for commerce.
In 1681 two trade fairs were installed and promoted trade, especially
because Brunswick trade fairs soon became the third-largest in the
German Empire after the fairs at Leipzig and Frankfurt. Guests and(Palace)
visitors revived city life and cultural needs had to be met. In 1690 the
Ducal Theatre at the Hagenmarkt was opened. The first performances of
Lessing`s „Emilia Galotti" in 1772 and Goethe`s Faust in 1829 were given
there.
In political and economical view, the small and torn dukedom was only of
regional importance. The princesses became the most valuable treasure of
the dukedom, because they were married in a way that fitted best into
their family`s policy all through the centuries. Duke Anton Ulrich, who
was a famous baroque writer and art-collector also, recommended his
granddaughter Elisabeth Christine as wife for King Charles III. of
Spain. Of course, she had to converse to Roman-Catholic faith, but that
was no problem: The professors of Helmstedt University declared the
Lutherian catechism to be a shorter form of the Roman-Catholic bible.
When Charles became Emporer Charles VI. in Vienna , his wife was said to
be the most beautiful empress ever reigned in the Hofburg [famous before
»Sissi«!]. Elisabeth Christine was described as having white skin, being
rather corpulent and leading a cultivated life. Beside this, she was the
mother of empress Maria Theresia.
Duke August Wilhelm lived from 1662 - 1731.(A W)
Duke Rudolf was the last duke of the line. He was in power from 1731 - 1735.
With him the line died out. (Duke Ludwig Rudolf)
It was then followed by the family of Brunswick-Bevern,(Karl I.) which had split off from
the parent line in 1666 and ruled until 1884. Brunswick has not played a very
important part in German politics. Many counties were added to its
area, but it was weakened by constant divisions of territory, and
during the period of the Reformation some of the princes took one
side and some the other. The treaty of Westphalia in 1648 made
little difference to its prestige, but its subsequent position was
greatly affected by the growth of Prussia.
Especially Duke Carl I.,(Family)(Duchess Philippine Charlotte)
ruling since 1735, promoted culture and economy (Carl I.)
in his residential city. His most important achievement was the(Carl)
foundation of the „Collegium Carolinum",(Carl) a precursor of nowadays
Technical University, the oldest Technical University in Germany?(Carl I.) His
son Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand also supported the town.(1),(2) He was married to
(3),(4),(5),the english princess Augusta, sister of King George III. For that reason
You can visit our Richmond Castle in Brunswick. As being very interested
in the ideas of the Enlightment, he strengthened mercantilism by
supporting factories as e.g. Stobwasser.(Stobw.) He also supported Carl
Friedrich Gauß, promoted Louis Spohr and hired Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
as a librarian at the ducal library in Wolfenbüttel and also persuated
Johann Heinrich Campe and Friedrich Vieweg to work in Brunswick. The
regency of Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand was certainly one of the most
significant epochs in Brunswick`s history since the Middle Ages. (duke),
Until today the changes in the townscape can still be seen.
During the Seven. Years' War Brunswick supported Frederick the
Great, and in return was severely ravaged by the French. Duke
Charles I., who accumulated a large amount of debt, sought to
discharge his liabilities by sending his soldiers to assist
England during the American War of Independence. The succeeding
duke, Charles William Ferdinand, brought order into the finances,
led the Prussian troops against Napoleon, and died in 1806 from
wounds received at the battle of Auerstadt.
Napoleon then declared the ducal family deposed and
included Brunswick in the kingdom of Westphalia.
In 1813 it was restored to Duke Frederick William, who was killed in 1815 at the
battle of Quatre Bras. His son, Charles II., while a minor, was
under the regency of George, afterwards the English king George IV.,
who ruled the duchy through Ernest, Count Munster-Ledenburg
(1766-1839), assisted by Justus von Schmidt-Phiseldeck (1769-1851).
A new constitution was granted in 1820, but after Charles came of
age in 1823 a period of disorder ensued. The duke, who was very
unpopular with his subjects; quarrelled with his relatives, and in
1830 a revolution drove him from the country.
The government was run by his brother William, and in 1831 Charles was
declared incapable of ruling, and William was appointed as his successor.
The ex-duke, who had a fine collection of diamonds, died childless at
Geneva in August 1873.
William's long reign witnessed many excellent
and necessary reforms. A new constitution was granted in 1832, and
in 1844 Brunswick joined the Prussian Zollverein. Trial by jury and
freedom of the press were established, many religious disabilities
were removed, and measures were taken towards the freedom of trade.
Brunswick took very little part in the war between Prussia and
Austria in 1866, but her troops fought for Prussia during the
Franco-German War of 1870-71.
The duchy joined the German
Confederation in 1815, the North German Confederation in 1866, and
became a state of the German empire in 1871. In 1866 the question of
the succession to Brunswick became acute.
Duke William was unmarried, and according to the existing conventions
it would pass to George, king of Hanover, who had just been deprived of his
kingdom by the king of Prussia. In 1879, however, the duke and the
estates, with the active support of Prussia, concluded an
arrangement for a temporary council of regency to take over the
government on William's death. Moreover, if in this event the
rightful heir was unable to take possession of the duchy, the
council was empowered to appoint a regent.
William died on the 18th of October 1884, and George's son, Ernest, Duke
of Cumberland, claimed Brunswick and promised to respect the Germanconstitution.
This claim was disregarded by the council of regency, and the
Bundesrat declared that the accession of the duke of Cumberland
would be inimical to the peace and security of the empire on
account of his attitude towards Prussia. In the following year
the council chose Albert, prince of Prussia, as regent, a step
which brought Brunswick still more under the influence of her
powerful neighbour.
Albert died in September 1906, and after some
futile negotiations with the duke of Cumberland, the Brunswick diet
chose Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as regent in May 1907.
By 1831 the
fortifications were demolished and the architect Peter Joseph Krahe
finally turned them into promenades surrounding the whole city.
At the 7th of September 1830 the castle was burned down and looted. The only
revolution in Europe in 19th century which ousted an regent.
In 1831 the new residential castle in classicistic style was build. The
architect of this great building was Carl Theodor Ottmer, who also made
the plans for the first railway station, because since 1838 there was
the first State-Railway from Brunswick to Wolfenbüttel. Brunswick
received the complete self-government by the so-called „Allgemeine
Städteordnung" in 1834. After the foundation of the German Reich in
1871, Brunswick developed very fast. In the period from 1850 to 1880 the
number of inhabitants grew from 39.000 to 75.000. By 1890 there were
more than 100.000 people living in the city of Brunswick.
Industrialisation and technical progress reached their heyday .In 1892
the first calculating machines were produce by "Brunsviga", which soon
were sold all over the world. The industrialist Heinrich Büssing,(Bus) who
started his career by building bicycles, established his factory for
motorvans and motorbuses (which is now MAN) in 1904 and only one year
later a regular busline between Braunschweig and the village of
Wendeburg started.
When the only daughter of Emperor Wilhelm II., Victoria Louise, married
Duke Ernst August, the Welfs reigned in Brunswick again, but only for a
short while. The beginning of Word War I. abruptly stopped Brunswick`s
further development. When in November 1918 the revolution started, Duke
Ernst August abdicated. The Dukedom of Brunswick ceased to exist.
In the 1920s, though there were political problems and the great
inflation, economy began to recover.
In 1920 the Rollei factory was founded by Franke
and Heidecke. In the Weimar Republic a
rich cultural life flourished. People were happy that the had overcome
the terrible war - and could hardly imagine that it would get even worse
in near future. On January 30, 1933 the National Socialists had come to power.
Important institutions of national socialist
power structure became established in Brunswick. The castle was turned
into a SS-Junkerschule. Brunswick Cathredral was declared "Staatsdom"
and was changed into some kind of national socalistic place of
pilgrimage. During heavy air-raids, especially in the bombing raid of
14./15th of October 1944, 90% of Brunswick city was destroyed; nearly 3000
people died. Historical Brunswick was lost.
Since the end of World War II. the townscape had changed. The town`s
reconstruction was difficult, there were not enough flats or houses and
50% of all the factories were destroyed. Nearly 80.000 refugees and
expellees came to Brunswick. Commerce and industry of the town suffered
from the nearby East German border, which made trade with the former
eastern surroundings impossible.
Brunswick became "City of research", when scientific institutes as for
example the DLR were established here.
In the 50s the townscaped was changed into a modern city fit for
traffic; the streets were broadened and parts of the famous old town
quarters completely disappeared. 0n 1st of October 1960 the new railway
station opened and in the same year the ruin of the castle was torn
down.
Of course, there had been lots of other events in Brunswick history on
way from a medieval to a modern town. Nowadays science and culture,
research and trade are equal partners in our city. After the fall of the
East German border in autunm 1989 Brunswick now is again located in the
middle of Germany. It really is a town worth visiting as well as living
in it.
Brunswick
Braunschweig (known in English-speaking countries as Brunswick) was probably founded (Burgplatz)
by traveling tradesmen as a store and resting-place near the castle Dankwarderode(Burgplatz)
more than a 1000 years ago. The favorable location of the market settlement was no
doubt the reason for Henry the Lion's(Lion) choice in selecting Braunschweig as his residence
in the twelfth century. The cathedral(Cath.) and the lion still indicate the cultural importance
of the ducal residence and are the city's(Old Artillery Barracks) landmarks. The extensive, attractive pedestrian
precincts offering large department stores and many specialist shops are - like the
charming passages - an open invitation to buy, window shop, or maybe just relax.
Wolfenbüttel
For more than three centuries, from 1432 to 1754, Wolfenbuettel was the capital of the
Dukes of Brunswick and Lueneburg. The Guelph Duke's palace,(Palace) the largest surviving palace
in Lower Saxony, reflects the splendor and importance of the town during those years.
Duke Julius turned the old fortress town into the first example in Germany of a
Renaissance city, planned on a grand scale. Many magnificent historical buildings
and remarkable churches(Church of St.Mary's)(Garrison Church) have been preserved, as have the old Town Market and over
500 picturesque half-timbered houses,(City Center) standing together in a compact area into which
later styles have hardly intruded. The collections of the world-famous Duke August
Library together with the Arsenal, Lessing House, the palace and the former ducal
chancellery are treasure-houses of Europe's cultural heritage.