Hersbruck

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Hersbruck
Historical centre of Hersbruck
Historical centre of Hersbruck
Coat of arms of Hersbruck
Location of Hersbruck
Map
CountryGermany
StateBavaria
Admin. regionMittelfranken
DistrictNürnberger Land
Government
 • 1. BürgermeisterWolfgang Plattmeier (SPD)
Area
 • Total22.91 km2 (8.85 sq mi)
Elevation
336 m (1,102 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[1]
 • Total12,681
 • Density550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
91217
Dialling codes09151
Vehicle registrationLAU (bis 1972: HEB)
Websitewww.hersbruck.de

Hersbruck is a small town in Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, belonging to the district Nürnberger Land. Famous for the late-gothic artwork of the Hersbruck altar, the "Hirtenmuseum" and the beautiful landscape of the "Hersbrucker Schweiz".

History[edit]

Hersbruck was founded in 976 when a castle was built there near a bridge. The name probably comes from Haderihesprucga, the bridge of Haderich.

In the Middle Ages the town was situated on the Golden Route from Nuremberg to Prague, which brought prosperity to Hersbruck. In 1297 Hersbruck was given municipal rights, after 1504 the town belonged to the area of the free imperial town Nuremberg and in 1806 became Bavarian.

During the Nazi-Regime Hersbruck was a subsidiary camp of Flossenbürg concentration camp. The camp had about 10,000 prisoners, about 4,000 of them died in Hersbruck.

After WWII, that camp, on the outskirts of town, was converted for housing Latvian Displaced Persons and renamed as Camp Kathann. It was first operated by United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and later by International Refugee Organization.

Today, the whole area where the camp used to be has been completely redeveloped.

Suburbs[edit]

  • Altensittenbach
  • Kühnhofen
  • Ellenbach
  • Weiher
  • Leutenbach
  • Großviehberg

Partner community[edit]

Culture[edit]

In Hersbruck the Deutsche Hirtenmuseum, the only museum in Germany which shows the working and living conditions of herdsmen.

Recreation[edit]

In 2004 the Frankenalb-Therme (http://www.frankenalbtherme.de) was opened. It offers apart from a thermal and a fun bath area with a slide (length 82 metres) also a large sauna area including several outside saunas.

External links[edit]