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Erlangen Center

Erlangen's New Town

A historic decision had significant repercussions for Erlangen. When the French King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, he triggered a wave of refugees, influencing thousands of Huguenots. However, regional rulers like Erlangen's Margrave Christian Ernst took advantage of this situation. Erlangen, which had been devastated by the Thirty Years' War, wanted to revive its economy. Thus, starting in 1686, the Margrave settled the Huguenots, famous for their modern trades, in Erlangen and established the New Town of Erlangen as a planned city south of the "Old Town of Erlangen."

The construction began with the laying of the foundation stone of the temple, the Huguenot ChurchThe style of that time still characterizes the city center, which was laid out in a checkerboard pattern: uniform facades, low, two- to three-story buildings in straight rows. The construction of the Margravial Palace In 1700, Erlangen became a royal residence. Today, this building is a very popular photo motif, centrally located with the Schlossplatz today MarketplaceTowards the northwest, the Castle Garden, the Orangery and the Botanic Garden The main street, Nürnberger Straße, leads straight past the Town hall to the north and crosses the market square and the castle square. Today, it houses the pedestrian zone with numerous shopping opportunities.

The idyllic old town
Bergkirchweih One of Germany's largest folk festivals takes place in what is now the Old Town. And this is no coincidence; the "mountain" located to the north of the Old Town conceals a 20km tunnel system, in which centuries ago beer barrels were stored for cooling from winter to summer. Above it are the many beer cellars, which always make the hearts of friends of sophisticated beer garden culture beat faster for 10 days at Whitsun. One of the beer cellars, the Entla's Cellar, opens for connoisseurs from April until autumn. A visit to the Heinrich Kirchner Sculpture Garden it's worth it!

Erlangen’s old town was destroyed several times, so that from 1706 onwards it adopted the street layout of Erlangen’s new town. But visitors can still find the remains of the old city ​​wall The old structures of the old town can still be seen on Schulstraße, Lazarettstraße, and Adlerstraße. The idyllic Schwabach River flows through the district between Berg and the southern part of the old town.
Today the city ​​Museum at the central Martin Luther Square in the Old Town. The Old Town Church Square with its Old Town Church, which invites you to linger. In Erlangen's northern quarter, a city walk through the small boutiques is always worthwhile, especially since you can stop for a rest in the various small bars and restaurants and the Steinbach Brewery offering.

The gateway to the southeast

The east Erlangen's urban area is primarily characterized by a new development called Röthelheimpark, which borders directly on the parade ground. After various temporary arrangements since the garrison's establishment in 1868, a 1890-hectare parade ground was created south of the new infantry barracks on the road to Buckenhof between 94 and 150. After the Second World War, the US garrison built an airfield and numerous housing areas there. After the Americans withdrew in 1994, the city acquired the area for Röthelheimpark in 1998. 

Sights

  • Exercise area
  • Röthelheim Park
  • Wild boar enclosure Buckenhofer Forst

The Erlangen South is crisscrossed by residential areas and numerous green spaces. The Röthelheimbad swimming pool and the southern grounds of the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg are also located here. Ohmplatz on Nürnberger Straße is particularly noteworthy: After the city expanded southward in 1928 to approximately Schenkstraße, a major competition was held to design the undeveloped area at the end of Nürnberger Straße, which had previously been a straight line. The first buildings to be constructed on the east side were the municipal retirement home on Ohmplatz in 1931, followed by the Friedrich-Rückert School in 1937. Facilities were created on the square that seamlessly merged with the greenery along Nürnberger Straße and, from the very beginning, served as the city's "calling card" for visitors from Nuremberg. In 1945, the square received its current name in memory of the Erlangen-born physicist Georg-Simon Ohm. On the west side of the spacious square, the tower of St. Matthew's Church forms a prominent feature. 

Sights

 

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