Würzburg

Würzburg
City
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Region	Lower Franconia
First mentioned	704
Area
• Total	87.63 km2 (33.83 sq mi)
Elevation	177 m (581 ft)
Population  (31 December 2025)
• Total	132,700
• Density	1,514/km2 (3,922/sq mi)

Würzburg is a city in Lower Franconia, northern Bavaria, Germany. It lies on both banks of the Main River and forms an urban district. The city is the administrative seat of Lower Franconia. For centuries, Würzburg served as the seat of the prince-bishops of Würzburg. The University of Würzburg later established the city as an academic centre, while vineyards on the slopes of the Main valley support its wine production.

Würzburg is the birthplace of Oskar Dirlewanger, who was born there on 26 September 1895.

Geography

Würzburg occupies 87.63 square kilometres in the middle Main valley. The central city stands at an elevation of about 177 metres above sea level. The Main River passes through the urban area and separates the historic centre on the eastern bank from the Marienberg hill on the western bank.

Slopes rise above both sides of the river. Vineyards occupy many of the sun-facing slopes and form part of the Franconian wine-growing region. The river valley also provided the route along which the city expanded beyond its medieval centre.

Würzburg has railway connections toward Frankfurt am Main and Nuremberg. The A3 motorway passes south of the city and provides an east–west road connection across southern Germany.

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.

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.

Landmarks and institutions

The Würzburg Residence is an eighteenth-century palace built for the prince-bishops. Its principal rooms were designed around a large central staircase, while the Court Gardens extend behind the palace. The building was restored after the Second World War.

Marienberg Fortress stands above the western bank of the Main River. It served as the residence of the bishops and prince-bishops before the construction of the Würzburg Residence. The Old Main Bridge connects the historic centre with the western side of the river below the fortress.

Würzburg Cathedral was founded during the eleventh century and served as the principal church of the Bishopric of Würzburg. Later rebuilding altered parts of its interior, particularly after the destruction of 1945.

The University of Würzburg was first founded in 1402 and permanently re-established in 1582. Its teaching facilities and medical institutions are distributed across several parts of the city.

See also

• Bavaria
• Lower Franconia
• Main River
• Oskar Dirlewanger