Speyer (German:[ˈʃpaɪɐ]ⓘ,older spellingSpeier;Palatine German:Schbaija;French:Spire), historically known in English asSpires, is a city inRhineland-Palatinate in the western part of theFederal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the riverRhine, Speyer lies 25 km (16 miles) south ofLudwigshafen andMannheim, and 21 km (13 miles) south-west ofHeidelberg. Founded by theancient Romans as a fortified town on the northeast frontiers of theirRoman Empire, it is one of Germany's oldest cities.Speyer Cathedral, a number of other churches, and theAltpörtel ("old gate") dominate the Speyer landscape. In the cathedral, beneath the high altar, are the tombs of eightHoly Roman Emperors andGerman kings.
Main street in Speyer with theSpeyer Cathedral in the background
The first known names wereNoviomagus andCivitas Nemetum, after the Teutonic tribe,Nemetes, settled in the area. The nameSpira is first recorded in the 7th century, taken fromvilla Spira, a Frankish settlement situated outside ofCivitas Nemetum.
In 10 BC, the firstRoman military camp is established (situated between the town hall and the episcopal palace), guarding the northeast frontier of the Roman Empire against Germanic barbarian tribes across the river to the east in Germania
In AD 150, the town appears as Noviomagus on the world map of the Greek geographerPtolemy.
In 346, a Western Christian / Roman Catholic bishop for the town is mentioned for the first time.
4th century,Civitas Nemetum appears on thePeutinger Map.
5th century,Civitas Nemetum is destroyed.
7th century, the town is re-established, and namedSpira after a nearby Frankish settlement.
In 1096, asCount Emicho's Crusader army on their journey in theFirst Crusade (also known as thePeople's Crusade) to the Muslim-occupied Holy Land, rages across the Rhineland slaughtering innocent Jewish communities in theRhineland massacres. Speyer's Bishop John, with the local leader Yekutiel ben Moses, manages to secure the community's members inside the episcopal palace and later leads them to even stronger fortifications outside the town. It was ruled that anyone harming a Jew would have his hands chopped off.[4]
In 1294, the Roman Catholic bishop loses most of his previous rights, and from now on Speyer is aFree Imperial Town of theHoly Roman Empire.
In 1349, the Jewish community of Speyer is wiped out in a persecution pogrom.
In 1529, at the secondDiet of Speyer (1529) theEvangelical Lutheran states and supporting princes / electors of the Holy Roman Empire protest against the anti-Reformation resolutions (19 April 1529Protestation at Speyer, hence the beginnings of the use of the descriptive term "Protestantism" / "Protestants").
In 1635, Marshal of France Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, together withJacques Nompar de Caumont, duc de La Force, conquers Heidelberg and Speyer at the head of the Army of Germany.
In 1689, the town is heavily damaged by invading Royal French troops.
In 1816, (following the fall of Napoleon), Speyer becomes the seat of administration of thePalatinate and of the government of the Rhine District of theKingdom of Bavaria (later called theBavarian Palatinate), and remains so for 129 years until the end of World War II in 1945.
In 1861, Albert Edward was introduced to Alexandra by Crown Princess Victoria.
Between 1883 and 1904, theMemorial Church is built in remembrance of the Protestation of 1529 at the Diet of Speyer
Speyer Airfield (German: Flugplatz Speyer) (ICAO: EDRY) is ageneral aviationairfield located 4 km south of the central business district of the city of Speyer.
^"ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz".UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved8 October 2022.
^Simon Schama,The History of the Jews, Vintage Books 2014 p.298
