Gera: Difference between revisions

For other uses, see Gera (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox Town DE Gera is the largest Town in the east of Thuringia, Germany. In 2003 it had about 105,000 inhabitants. Its area is 151 km².

History

The city was founded in the year 995. Since 1564, Gera was the residence of the Younger Line of the Reuss monarchy. In 1920 the city became part of Thuringia (German: Thüringen). Large portions of the city were destroyed by aerial bombing in 1945. Until German reunification in 1990, the city belonged to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

Sights

Sights in Gera:

• Town Hall (build 1576, Renaissance)
• Market Square with Simson-fountain
• Castle Osterstein (largely destroyed 1945)
• City Pharmacy
• Theater (build 1902)
• Villa Schulenburg, architect: Henry van de Velde
• St. Johannis church (Neo-Gothic), St. Salvator church (Baroque with Art Nouveau interior decoration), St. Marien church (Late Gothic), St. Trinitatis church (Late Gothic)
• Old beer cellars called "Geraer Höhler"
• Zoo Gera (since 1973)

Museums in Gera:

• City Museum
• Otto Dix House
• Art Galley "Orangerie"
• Museum of Natural History ("Schreiber House", oldest building in the city)
• Museum for Applied Arts ("Ferber House")

In 2007 Gera, together with Ronneburg, is venue of the Bundesgartenschau (the ferderal horticultural show).

Transportation

• Altenburg-Nobitz Airport

Twin Towns

- Nuremberg, Bavaria (Germany) - Saint-Denis, France - Sliven, Bulgaria - Plzen, Czech Republic - Kuopio Finland - Timişoara, Romania - Arnhem, Netherlands - Rostov, Russia - Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA) - Skierniewice, Poland - Pskov, Russia - Goražde, Bosnia

Notable natives

• Johann Heinrich Gottfried Koch, *1705-†1775
• Ernst August Geitner, *1783-†1852 in Schneeberg, chemist and developer of nickel silver (Argentan)
• Dr. Heinrich Gustav Beck, *1857-†1933, Ministerpräsident of Saxony 1914-1918
• Otto Dix, *1891-†1969
• Rudolf Paul, *1893-†1978, President of Thuringia 1945-1947
• Karl Weschke, *1925-†2005, painter
• Georg Buschner, *1925, head coach East Germany national football team
• Helga Königsdorf, *1938, mathematician and author
• Olaf Ludwig, *1960, racing cyclist
• Wolfgang Tiefensee, * 1955, Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development, mayor of Leipzig till 2005
• Heike Drechsler, *1964
• Jens Heppner, *1964, racing cyclist

External links

• Gera Official website of the city