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Bamberg is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz. The town of Bamberg dates back to the 9th century and its name was derived from the nearby Babenberch castle. It is known to be one of Germany’s most beautiful towns and the Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Bamberg hosts Europe’s largest intact old city wall. From the 10th century onwards, the city became a key link with the Slav peoples. From the 12th century it experienced a great deal of prosperity as it was the center of the Holy Roman Empire for a brief period. In 1802, Bamberg lost its independence and became a part of Bavaria the following year. In the years following World War I, a communist uprising took control over Bavaria and the state government fled to Bamberg. The state government remained in Bamberg for almost two years until the Freikorps unit retook the capital of Munich. After World War II, Bamberg became an important base for Bavarian, german and American soldiers stationed at Warner Barracks.

The town of Bamberg was first mentioned in sources in 902. It grew beside the castle Babenberch which gave its name to the Babenberg family. On the extinction of the Babenbergs, it passed to the Saxon house. The city was the center of the Holy Roman Empire for a brief amount of time in the 12th century and as a result, experienced a great deal of prosperity. From the middle of the 13th century onwards, the bishops became the princes of the Empire and ruled Bamberg, overseeing the construction of a variety of monumental buildings. The Bishopric of Bamberg was composed of territory extending to Schlüsselfeld and including estates in the Duchies of Salzburg and Carinthia, estates in the Nordgau, Thuringia and on the Danube. After the Reformation, the territory was reduced to nearly one half. In the 17th century, a series of witch trials took place in Bamberg after crop failures. Between 1626 and 1631, the trials reached a climax, and over 1,000 were killed based on accusations of witchcraft. In 1647, the University of Bamberg was founded as Academia Bambergensis. In 1802, Bamberg lost its independence and became part of Bavaria in 1803. In 1844, Bamerg was connected to the German rail system. Until the establishment of the German Empire, was Bamberg a part of the Electorate and Kingdom of Bavaria. After the First World War, a communist uprising took control of Bavaria and the state government fled to Bamberg. They remained in the city until the Freikorps units retook the capital of Munich almost two years later. Bamberg hosted the Bamberg Conference in February 1926. After World War II, Bamberg became an important base for Bavarian, german and American soldiers stationed at Warner Barracks. In 1973, the town celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of its founding.

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