Nuremberg Museums

Nuremberg is the second-largest city in the state of Bavaria after Munich and lies about 170 kilometers (110 mi) north of Munich. The first documentary mention of the town was in 1050 when Nuremberg was identified as the location of an Imperial castle. From 1050 to 1571, the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade routes.

Nuremberg was a principal city of the Holy Roman Empire, mainly because the Imperial Diet (Reichstag) and courts met at Nuremberg Castle. The Diets of Nuremberg played an essential role in the administration of the empire. The increasing demands of the Imperial court and the growing importance of the city attracted increased trade and commerce in Nuremberg. In 1219 Emperor Frederick II granted the ‘Great Letter of Freedom,’ including town rights, Imperial immediacy, the privilege to mint coins, and an independent customs policy. Nuremberg soon became one of the trade centers on the route from Italy to Northern Europe.

The cultural flowering of Nuremberg, in the 15th and 16th centuries, made it the center of the German Renaissance. In 1525, Nuremberg accepted the Protestant Reformation, and in 1532, the Nuremberg Religious Peace was signed there, preventing war between Protestants and Catholics for 15 years. Nuremberg is the birthplace of Albrecht Dürer.