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Regensburg: Germany
Regensburg (English formerly Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona, Czech ?ezno) is a city (population 146,824 in 2002) in Bavaria, south-east Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate.
Buildings
The cathedral, though small, is a very interesting example of pure German Gothic. It was founded in 1275, and completed in 1634, with the exception of the towers, which were finished in 1869. The interior contains numerous interesting monuments, including one of Peter Vischers masterpieces. Adjoining the cloisters are two chapels of earlier date than the cathedral itself, one of which, known as the old cathedral, goes back perhaps to the 8th century. The church of St James also called Schottenkirche a plain Romanesque basilica of the 12th century, derives its name from the monastery of Irish Benedictines (Scoti) to which it was attached; the principal doorway is covered with very singular grotesque carvings.
Aachen: Germany
Aachen (French Aix-la-Chapelle) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km to the west of Cologne, and the westernmost city in Germany, at 5046? N 66? E. Population: 256,605 (2003).
The RWTH Aachen University of Technology (Rheinisch-Westflische Technische Hochschule) is one of the major universities for technical studies, especially for mechanical engineering. As a part of it, the Klinikum Aachen is the biggest single-building hospital in Europe. Over time, a host of software and computer industries have developed around the RWTH.
History
The Romans named the hot sulphur springs there Aquis-Granum. For the origin of the Granus several theories were developed, but it is now widely accepted that it derives from the celtic God of water and health. And since Roman times, the hot springs have been channeled into baths (which are still in use). h- is an Old German cognate with Latin aqua, both meaning “water”. In French-speaking areas of the former Empire the word aquas was turned into aix, hence Aix-en-Provence is an old Roman spa in Provence.
Augsburg: Germany
Augsburg is a city in south central Germany. It is the capital of the Swabia (Schwaben) region of Bavaria (Bayern), and is located at the confluence of the Wertach and Lech rivers. Population: 276,193 (2004).
Districts
There are 17 districts Stadteile in Augsburg:
Innenstadt
Antonsviertel
Brenkeller
Bergheim (includes Neubergheim, Wellenburg, Radegundis and Fuchssiedlung)
Firnhaberau
Gggingen mit Schafweidsiedlung
Hammerschmiede
Haunstetten-Siebenbrunn (Meringerau)
Herrenbach-Spickel
Hochfeld
Hochzoll
Inningen
Kriegshaber
Lechhausen
Oberhausen
Pfersee
Universittsviertel
Bergisch Gladbach: Germany
Bergisch Gladbach is a city in the Bergisches Land in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, located east of Cologne.
It was founded in 1856. The population is about 108,000 people.
Dont let the name of this city fool you: Berg means mountain in English, but there are no mountains in Bergisch Gladbach. The word Bergisch in its name originates from the Earls of Berg, who settled there in the 12th century. This city in Nordrhine-Westfalen, which incorporated Bensberg in 1975, is the seat of administration for the Rhinish-Bergisch district and is situated on the eastern coast of the Bay of Cologne.
Berlin: Germany
Berlin (pronounced: [b?(r)?l?n], German [b???li?n]) is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,387,404 inhabitants (as of September 2004); down from 4.5 million before World War II. It is also the second-largest city in the European Union after London. From 1949 to 1990 it was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin.
Berlin is located on the rivers Spree and Havel in the northeast of Germany. It is enclosed by the German state (Bundesland) of Brandenburg, and constitutes a state of its own.
Tourist attractions
Bielefeld: Germany
Bielefeld is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on both the western and eastern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest. Population: 329,000. The current mayor is Eberhard David.
The name Bielefeld is derived from the old name bileveld, which means “hilly field”. The centre of Bielefeld is situated on the eastern side of the Teutoburg Forest. Today there are boroughs on the opposite side and on the hilltops incorporated into Bielefeld. Bielefeld separates the two main ridges of the Northern Teutoburg Forest and the Southern Teutoburg Forest from each other.
Bielefeld is connected to two major German autobahns, the A2 and A33, which intersects at the south east of Bielefeld. The Ostwestfalen-Damm expressway connects the two parts of the city naturally divided by the Teutoburg Forest. The main railroad station of Bielefeld is part of the German ICE high-speed railroad system. Bielefeld has a small airplane landing strip in the Sennestadt district, while mainly served by the two larger nearby airports Paderborn-Lippstadt and Mnster-Osnabrck.
Bochum: Germany
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between the cities of Essen and Dortmund. Population (30.11.2003): 393,324 .
History of Bochum
Although Bochum was founded in the 14th century, the town was insignificant until the 19th century, when coal mining and steel industry emerged in the Ruhr area, leading to the growth of the entire region. The population of Bochum increased tenfold between 1850 and 1890.
Between 1960 and 1973, all the mines were closed. Other industries, such as car making, compensated for the loss of jobs. In 1965 the Ruhr University was opened, the first university in the Ruhr area.
Two castles from the Middle Ages survive on the northern banks of the Ruhr river. More famous are the German Mining Museum, and the nostalgic Train Museum in the borough of Dahlhausen.
Bonn: Germany
Bonn is a city in Germany (Population (2004 est): 313,605 ; the 19th largest city in Germany), in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine. It was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990. From 1288 to 1803 it was the residence of the Archbishops and prince-electors of Cologne.
History of Bonn
The history of the city dates back to Roman times. About 10 BC the Romans constructed a bridge across the Rhine close to a place called “Bonna”. After the Roman defeat in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest this small camp was enlarged to become a fort for 7000 legionnaires.
The fort became a town which remained after the Romans left. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque style Munster (cathedral) was built, and in 1597 it became the capital of the principality of Cologne. The town gained more influence and grew considerably. The elector Clemens August (ruled 1724-1761) ordered the construction of a series of Baroque buildings which still give the city its character. Another memorable ruler was Max Franz (ruled 1784-1794), who founded the university and the spa quarter of Bad Godesberg. In addition he was a patron of the young Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in the city in 1770; the elector financed the composer’s first journey to Vienna.
Bottrop: Germany
Bottrop is a city in west central Germany, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). Located in the Ruhr industrial area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Oberhausen, Gladbeck and Dorsten. The city had been a coal-mining and rail center and contains factories producing coal-tar derivatives, chemicals, textiles, and machinery. Bottrop grew as a mining center beginning in the 1860s and was chartered as a city in 1921. In 1975 it was put together with the unification with the neighbour communities of Gladbeck and Kirchhellen, but Gladbeck left it in 1976. Population 120,324 (31.12.2003).
Bremen: Germany
Bremen [?bre?m?n] is a city in northern Germany (official name: Freie Hansestadt Bremen1, referring to its membership in the medieval Hanseatic League) situated along the river Weser, at 5304? N 848? E. Bremen is one of two towns belonging to the state of Bremen, the other being Bremerhaven.
Sights in Bremen – Town (built 1410 6); in front of the town hall there are the statues of Roland (1404) and of the Town Musicians (1953). – Cathedral St. Petri (13th century), with sculptures of Moses and David, Peter and Paul, and Charlemagne. – Liebfrauenkirche, oldest church of the town (11th century) – Martinikirche (St. Martin), church on the Weser bank (1229) – Schtting (1538), house of the merchants’ guild – Schnoor, a medieval quarter with narrow streets and nostalgic pubs – Schlachte, the medieval harbour of Bremen (the modern port is some kilometres downstream) – The Space Center opened in 2004 inside the Space Park in the Grpelingen district and closed on 2004 September 26th, since then a remarkable investment ruin.
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