Erfurt [ˈɛÉ̯fÊŠÉ̯t] is a city in central Germany. It is the capital of the state of Thuringia with a population of 202,619 (2006).
Erfurt is located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 113 km SE of Kassel and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Hamburg.
GeographySince the Reunification of Germany, Erfurt is the main city nearest to the geographical centre of the country. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, within the wide valley of Gera River, a tributary of the Unstrut. To the south, the city is surrounded by hills covered by woods ('Steigerwald').
Main sightsErfurt has maintained an intact medieval city centre.
Erfurt is symbolised by the two churches, the Mariendom and the Severikirche, which stand directly side by side and together form the emblem of the city. Both churches tower above the townscape and are accessible via huge open stairs.
Another remarkable site is the Krämerbrücke, a bridge crossing the narrow Gera River. The bridge is covered with inhabited buildings. It was built in 1325 with a church on either bridgehead, one of which still exists.
The Augustinerkloster is an ancient Augustinian monastery. Martin Luther had lived in the Augustinerkloster for a few years after 1505.
CultureMartin Luther attended the University of Erfurt and received his bachelor's and master's degrees there. Luther lived there as a monk from 1505–1511.
Erfurt is the birthplace of one of Johann Sebastian Bach's cousins, Johann Bernhard Bach (1676–1749), Johann Sebastian Bach's father Johann Ambrosius Bach (1645–1695), Meister Eckhart and also sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920). Bach's parents were married in a small church that still exists on main square Anger.
Johann Pachelbel served as organist at the Prediger church in Erfurt. Pachelbel composed approximately seventy pieces for organ while in Erfurt. Since 1906 the composer Richard Wetz (1875-1935) lived in Erfurt and became the leading person in the town's musical life. His major works were written here, too, so three symphonies, a Requiem and a Christmas Oratorio.
In 1349, during the wave of pogroms which followed the Black Plague across Europe, the Jews of Erfurt were rounded up, more than 100 killed and the rest driven from the city, and the ghetto burned. Recently, the remains of the medieval synagogue have been discovered beneath newer buildings, and are being restored.
TransportationErfurt lies on two Bundesstraßen (federal motorways):
Also there are two Autobahnen crossing each other at Erfurter Kreuz nearby: The Bundesautobahn 4 from Frankfurt am Main to Dresden and the Bundesautobahn 71 from Würzburg to Halle (Saale).
Since 1883 there is a tram in the town. Today there are seven tram lines to most of the parts of Erfurt.
Railways run from Erfurt to Berlin (through Weimar, Halle/Leipzig and Wittenberg), Frankfurt am Main (through Gotha, Eisenach, Bebra, Fulda and Hanau), Würzburg (through Arnstadt, Suhl, Bad Neustadt and Schweinfurt), Ilmenau, Saalfeld, Nordhausen (through Sondershausen), Magdeburg (through Sömmerda, Sangerhausen, Staßfurt and Schönebeck), Bad Langensalza and Kassel/Göttingen (through Mühlhausen, Leinefelde-Worbis and Heiligenstadt).
