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Medieval buildings in the historic city center of Braunschweig
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| City portrait Braunschweig
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Between the Middle Ages and Today
WIth 240,000 inhabitants, Braunschweig is the largest city in the south-eastern Lower Saxony. It is most noteworthy for its interesting interplay of past and present, of upholding traditions and looking towards the future.
Before the Second World War Braunschweig had the largest homogeneous group of half-timbered buildings in Germany. Even though up to 90 percent of the city center was destroyed during the allied bombing raids, some of the old buildings were spared. The medieval Burgplatz with the cathedral and lion monument is especially picturesque and takes the visitor back to another era.
The City of Henry the Lion
Those who have never heard of Braunschweig before may ask: ”Why a lion monument?” A look at history will help explain. The medieval king Henry, whose nickname was the Lion, greatly influenced the city. He turned the small market settlement into a large, medieval city in the 12th century. Braunschweig became a center of commerce thanks to its location on important trade routes. Merchants brought the city great wealth, and over time important buildings such as the cathedral, the town hall in the old city and the Gewandhaus were constructed. But the royal family was interested in more than just the economic development of the town. They were especially fond of art and were active patrons of painters, poets and musicians.
City of the Fine Arts
Braunschweig remained true to its sense of culture in the centuries that followed. The art loving Duke Anton Ulrich, for example, gave the city a museum of painting and sculpture. Today the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum is regarded as one of the first exhibition halls in Europe. In 1829 the Staatstheater, now more than 300 years old, hosted the premiere of a true masterpiece of German literature: the first part of Goethe’s ”Faust.” Even before that in 1772 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s tragedy ”Emilia Galotti” premiered in the same theater. A representative of the Enlightenment movement, Lessing seemed to like the cultural atmosphere in the city as he spent several years here – as did his writer colleague Wilhelm Raabe.
City of Research and Economy
Braunschweig is not only home to the fine arts, but to sciences as well. The Collegium Carolinum was established in 1745 and became the Technical University Carolo Wilhelmina (TU) in 1968. It is the oldest technical university (TU) in Germany. Many of Braunschweig’s research institutions are the product of impulses from the university. Today Braunschweig is among the cities in Germany with the largest number of scientists. A number of research institutes from the federal government, such as the Luftfahrtbundesamt (federal authority responsible for supervision of the aviation industry) and the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL), also have their headquarters here.
Another of the city’s typical characteristics is the intense relationship between economy and research. Many departments of engineering science and natural sciences are closely interlinked with industry. Students thus have the opportunity to establish contacts with potential employers through practical training periods and jobs, or to further expand their theoretical knowledge with the aid of practically oriented Diplomarbieten (written paper for German Diplom degree) or research projects.
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Karsten Woike, architecture student from Germany on the positive side of Braunschweig:
"The city is small and accessible. One can get everywhere with a bicycle." (German)
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DW-tv's program, "Reiseland Deutschland" introduces Braunschweig (German)
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| Further Information
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