Herzogenaurach | |
|---|---|
 Old town of Herzogenaurach | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Herzogenaurach within Erlangen-Höchstadt district  | |
  Herzogenaurach  Herzogenaurach | |
| Coordinates:49°34′12″N10°52′55″E / 49.57000°N 10.88194°E /49.57000; 10.88194 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Bavaria |
| Admin. region | Mittelfranken |
| District | Erlangen-Höchstadt |
| Subdivisions | 12 districts |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–26) | German Hacker [de][1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 47.60 km2 (18.38 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 301 m (988 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 24,674 |
| • Density | 520/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 91074 |
| Dialling codes | 09132 |
| Vehicle registration | ERH |
| Website | www.herzogenaurach.de |
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Herzogenaurach (German:[hɛʁt͡soːɡn̩ˈʔaʊʁax]ⓘ;Mainfränkisch:Herziaura) is a town in thedistrict ofErlangen-Höchstadt, inBavaria, Germany. It is home to two major international sporting goods companies,Adidas andPuma,[3][4] andSchaeffler Group, a car parts manufacturer.
Herzogenaurach is situated in theMiddle Franconia area of Bavaria, 23 km (14 mi) northwest ofNuremberg. The town is located on theAurach river, a tributary of theRegnitz river.
Herzogenaurach was first mentioned in a document from 1002 under the name ofUraha when Holy Roman EmperorHenry II granted the town to thePrince-Bishopric of Bamberg.
In 1948, when Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler left their shoe company to make their own, the town was called "the town of bent necks"—people looked down to see which shoes strangers wore.
Herzogenaurach has gained global fame as the birthplace of two giant sporting goods companies:Adidas andPuma, each founded respectively by brothersAdolf Dassler andRudolf Dassler, after an acrimonious familial split in 1948. Operating since the 1960s,[5] both companies' headquarters are still located in the town, originally on opposite sides of the Aurach River, and brand loyalty was sharply divided as well. For many years, Adidas and Puma workers would not associate with each other, and even when Adolf and Rudi died, they were buried in opposite ends of the town's cemetery.[6] These differences have cleared up over the years.
The headquarters ofSchaeffler Group, a manufacturer of car parts, is also located in Herzogenaurach.
In keeping with the traditional social divide between supporters of Adolf Dassler and of Rudolf Dassler, the town's two football clubs were divided by theAdidas/Puma split:ASV Herzogenaurach was supported by Adidas, whileFC Herzogenaurach endorsed Puma's footwear.[7] Both clubs still play at the amateur level.
TheArgentina national football team was based in Herzogenaurach for the2006 FIFA World Cup.
Néstor De la Torre,Mexico's Director of National Teams, said theMexico national football team (Spanish:Selección de fútbol de México) would gather for 12 days in the city, its last stop before heading to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.
TheGerman national football team stayed at the Adidas Home Ground, both in preparation for the European Championship in 2021 and during theEuropean Championship in 2024.[8]
Herzogenaurach was the location of a military airfield beginning in the 1930s. The airfield was originally designed as an airfield by a French architect and constructed by theDeutsche Luftwaffe (Air Force), namedDeutsche Fliegerschule (German pilot school). Initially, the post was limited in its use as a Hitler youth training school due to limitations imposed by theVersailles Treaty afterWorld War I.
However, fighter pilots soon began training in civilian clothing. In March 1936, theLuftwaffe took official control. The airfield was mainly used as a fuelling point for aircraft providing air cover for troops during the invasion ofAustria andCzechoslovakia. In early September of each year, planes took off from the airfield to fly over the annual Nazi party rally (Reichsparteitag) staged atZeppelinwiese (Zeppelin Field) inNuremberg.
During theWestern Allied invasion of Germany in April 1945, theUnited States Third Army seized the airfield. It was designated asALG R-29. It was first occupied by a transportation unit followed by theUSAAF354th Fighter Group in May. In May 1946, the 2nd Radio Corps took over the installation and renamed it "Herzo Base". In 1947 the base was occupied by theU.S. Army Security Agency up until 1971, when it was replaced by the 210th Field Artillery Group (re-designated as the210th Field Artillery Brigade on 16 September 1980) which occupied Herzo Base until 1992. Herzo Base was included in the base closure plan. On 4 August 1992, the installation was officially returned to the German Government.[9][10][11][12] It has since served as a civilian recreational airfield,[13] withICAO codeEDQH.
Herzogenaurach istwinned with:
Wolfsberg,Austria, since 1968
Kaya,Burkina Faso, since 1972
Nova Gradiška,Croatia, since 1980
Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire,France, since 1988
Peacehaven,United Kingdom, since 2007
Towns and municipalities inErlangen-Höchstadt | ||
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