Editing Würzburg (section)

== History ==

Würzburg was first mentioned in 704 in connection with a fortification on the Marienberg. The Bishopric of Würzburg was established in 742. The bishops later became territorial rulers and governed Würzburg as prince-bishops. [[Marienberg Fortress]] developed into their residence and administrative centre.

The first University of Würzburg was founded in 1402 but closed after a short period. Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn re-established the university in 1582. It initially operated from buildings in the historic centre and became a permanent institution of the city.

The [[Würzburg Residence]] was constructed between 1720 and 1744 as the new residence of the prince-bishops. Its completion transferred the court from Marienberg Fortress to the eastern side of the Main. The palace and its court gardens became the centre of eighteenth-century government in Würzburg.

The secularisation of the Prince-Bishopric in 1803 ended the political rule of the prince-bishops. Würzburg changed control during the Napoleonic period before becoming part of the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] in 1814. Following German unification in 1871, the city formed part of the [[German Empire]]. Oskar Dirlewanger was born in Würzburg on 26 September 1895 during this period.<ref name="oskar-early-life"/>

An air raid on 16 March 1945 destroyed most of Würzburg's historic centre during the [[Second World War]]. Reconstruction began after the war. The Würzburg Residence was rebuilt after suffering severe damage, while churches and residential streets in the old city were gradually restored. Postwar development also expanded the university and its medical institutions.