Brunswick

Brunswick, in German, Braunschweig, city in north central Germany, in Lower Saxony, on the Oker River. It is a commercial and industrial centre, with industry producing foodstuffs, beer, machinery, printed fabrics, motor vehicles, and metal goods.

With its narrow streets and high, gabled houses, the centre of Brunswick still resembles a medieval town, but the fortifications that once surrounded this quarter were removed in 1797 and replaced with parks and promenades. Noteworthy religious buildings include the Romanesque Cathedral of St Blasius, completed in 1194; the Martinkirche (late 13th century); and the Katharinenkirche, completed in 1500. Among outstanding secular buildings are the Gewandhaus (13th century), the Town Hall (13th-15th century), and the former ducal palace. Brunswick also boasts several museums, and a famous institute of higher education founded in 1745, the Collegium Carolinum.

Probably founded in the 9th century, Brunswick received a charter in the 12th century and joined the Hanseatic League in the 13th century. Until 1935 it was the capital of the state of Brunswick. The city was badly damaged during World War II. Population (1990 estimate) 257,600.