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Economy

Arts and culture

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Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

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Coordinates: 49°47′N 9°56′E

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Würzburg (disambiguation).

Würzburg

Wörtzburch (Mainfränkisch)

City
Clockwise from top: Marienberg Fortress and Old Bridge –
the Main with a newer bridge – the Old Town with
the cathedral, narrow square and city hall – and
the Residence, a world heritage site.

Flag

Coat of arms
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Location of Würzburg

Würzburg

Show map of GermanyShow map of BavariaShow all

Coordinates: 49°47′N 9°56′E

Country Germany

State Bavaria

Admin. region Lower Franconia

District Urban district

Government
 • Lord mayor (2025–32) Martin Heilig[1] (Greens)

Area

• Total 87.66 km2 (33.85 sq mi)

Elevation 177 m (581 ft)

Population

(2024-12-31)[2]

• Total 132,215

• Density 1,508/km2 (3,906/sq mi)

Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)

• Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)

Postal codes 97070–97084

Dialling codes 0931

Vehicle registration WÜ

Würzburg (German: [ˈvʏʁtsbʊʁk] ⓘ; Main-Franconian: Wörtzburch) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth,
the third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat
of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main river.

Würzburg is situated approximately 110 km (68 mi) west-northwest of Nuremberg and 120 km
(75 mi) east-southeast of Frankfurt am Main. The population as of 2019 is approximately 130,000
residents.[3][4]

Würzburg is famous for its partly rebuilt and reconstructed old town[5] and its Würzburger Residenz, a
palace that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The regional dialect is East Franconian German.

History

Timeline of Würzburg
Historical affiliations

Duchy of Franconia (to 1168)

Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, 1168–1803
Electorate of Bavaria, 1803–1805
Grand Duchy of Würzburg, 1805–1814
Kingdom of Bavaria, 1814–1871
German Empire, (Kingdom of Bavaria), 1871–1918
German Reich, 1918–1919
Würzburg Soviet Republic, 1919
 German Reich, 1919–1945
American-occupied zone, 1945–1949
Germany, 1949–present

Early and medieval history

Impression of the city seal of 1319

Woodcut depicting Würzburg from the Nuremberg

Chronicle (1493) Panorama of Würzburg with castle

Marienberg. Matthäus Merian in Cornelis Danckerts, "Historis", 1642.

A Bronze Age (Urnfield culture) refuge castle, the Celtic Segodunum,[6] and later a Roman fort, stood
on the hill known as the Leistenberg,[7] the site of the present Fortress Marienberg. The
former Celtic territory was settled by Alamanni in the 4th or 5th century later by the Franks in the 6th
to 7th. Würzburg was the seat of a Merovingian duke from about 650. It was Christianized in 686
by Irish missionaries Kilian, Kolonat and Totnan. The city is mentioned in a donation by Duke Hedan
II to bishop Willibrord, dated 1 May 704, in castellum Virteburch. The Ravenna Cosmography lists the
city as Uburzis at about the same time.[8] The name is presumably of Celtic origin, but based on a folk
etymological connection to the German word Würze "herb, spice", the name
was Latinized as Herbipolis in the medieval period.[9][10]
The first diocese was founded by Saint Boniface in 742 when he appointed the first bishop of
Würzburg, Saint Burkhard. The bishops eventually created a secular fiefdom, that extended to
Eastern Franconia in the 12th century. The city was the site of several Imperial Diets, including the
one of 1180, at which Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, was banned for three years from
the Empire[7] and his duchy Bavaria was handed over to Otto of Wittelsbach. Massacres of Jews took
place in 1147 and 1298.

The first church on the site of the present Würzburg Cathedral was built in 788 and consecrated that
same year by Charlemagne; the current building was constructed from 1040 to 1225
in Romanesque style. The University of Würzburg was founded in 1402 and re-founded in 1582
by Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn. The citizens of the city revolted several times against the prince-
bishop.

In 1397, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia visited the city and promised its people the status of a free
Imperial City. However, the German ruling princes forced him to withdraw these promises. In 1400,
the bishop's troops decisively defeated the citizenry in the Battle of Bergtheim (de), and the city fell
under his control permanently until the dissolution of the fiefdom.[11]: 41 During the German Peasants'
War, a local town council member, Tilman Riemenschneider refused to obey an order by Konrad von
Thüngen, the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg to fight the revolting peasants.[12]: 23 This resulted in 8,000
peasants killed on 4 June 1525 just outside Würzburg. Riemenschneider and the entire town council
was incarcerated and tortured in Marienberg Fortress.[12]: 24

Modern history

The Würzburg witch trials, which occurred between 1626 and 1631, are one of the largest peace-time
mass trials. In Würzburg, under Bishop Philip Adolf, an estimated 600 to 900 alleged witches were
burnt.[13] In 1631, Swedish King Gustaf Adolf invaded and ended the witch burnings.

In 1720, the foundations of the Würzburg Residence were laid. In 1796, the Battle of
Würzburg between Habsburg Austria and the First French Republic took place. The city passed to
the Electorate of Bavaria in 1803 but, two years later, in the course of the Napoleonic Wars, it became
the seat of the Electorate of Würzburg (until September 1806), the later Grand Duchy of Würzburg.

In 1814, the town became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria and a new bishopric was created seven
years later, as the former one had been secularized in 1803 (see also Reichsdeputationshauptschluss).
In 1817, Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Bauer founded Schnellpressenfabrik Koenig & Bauer (the
world's first steam-driven printing press manufacturer).

The Hep-Hep riots from August to October 1819 were pogroms against Ashkenazi Jews, beginning in
the Kingdom of Bavaria, during the period of Jewish emancipation in the German Confederation. The
antisemitic communal violence began on August 2, 1819, in Würzburg and soon reached the outer
regions of the German Confederation. Many Jews were killed, and much Jewish property was
destroyed.

In 1848, Catholic bishops held the Würzburg Bishops' Conference, a forerunner of later German and
Austrian conferences. By distinction, the Würzburg Conference is a name given to the meeting of
representatives of the smaller German states in 1859 to devise some means of mutual support. The
conference, however, had no result. Würzburg was bombarded and taken by the Prussians in 1866
when it ceased to be a fortress.[7]

In the early 1930s, around 2,000 Jews lived in Würzburg, which was also a rabbinic centre. The Nazi
Party in 1933 achieved total control. During the Kristallnacht pogroms in 1938, many Jewish houses
and shops were raided, looted, or destroyed.[14] The contents of two synagogues were stolen or
destroyed.[14] Many Jews were imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo.[14] Between November 1941
and June 1943, Jews from the city were sent to the Nazi concentration camps in Eastern Europe.[15]

From April 1943 to March 1945 a subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp was located in the
city, with dozens of prisoners, mostly from Poland and the Soviet Union.[16]

World War II bombing

Main article: Bombing of Würzburg in World War II

On 16 March 1945, about 90% of the city was destroyed in 17 minutes by firebombing from 225
British Lancaster bombers during a World War II air raid. Würzburg became a target for its role as a
traffic hub and to break the spirit of the population.[11]: 19

All of the city's churches, cathedrals, and other monuments were heavily damaged or destroyed. The
city centre, which mostly dated from medieval times, was destroyed in a firestorm in which 5,000
people perished.[citation needed]

Over the next 20 years, the buildings of historical importance were painstakingly and accurately
reconstructed. The citizens who rebuilt the city immediately after the end of the war were mostly
women – Trümmerfrauen ("rubble women") – because the men were either dead or still prisoners of
war. On a relative scale, Würzburg was destroyed to a larger extent than was Dresden in a
firebombing the previous month.[citation needed] Today the whole of the old town is cited as a cultural
heritage site after decades of rebuilding and reconstructions.[5]

Battle of Würzburg

Main article: Battle of Würzburg (1945)

On 3 April 1945, Würzburg was occupied by the U.S. 12th Armored Division and the U.S. 42nd
Infantry Division in a series of frontal assaults masked by smokescreens. The battle continued until
the last German resistance was defeated on 5 April 1945.[17][18]

Geography

Würzburg with Fortress Marienberg and Main river

Panoramic view of city center from

the fortress with Main river
Würzburg spans the banks of the river Main in the region of Lower Franconia in the north of the state
of Bavaria, Germany. The heart of the town is on the locally eastern (right) bank. The town is enclosed
by the Landkreis Würzburg but is not a part of it.

Würzburg covers an area of 87.6 square kilometres and lies at an altitude of around 177 metres.[19]

Of the total municipal area, in 2007, building area accounted for 30%, followed by agricultural land
(27.9%), forestry/wood (15.5%), green spaces (12.7%), traffic (5.4%), water (1.2%) and others (7.3%).
[20]

The centre of Würzburg is surrounded by hills. To the west lies the 266-meter Marienberg and the
Nikolausberg (359 m) to the south of it. The Main flows through Würzburg from the southeast to the
northwest.

City structure

Würzburg is divided into 13 Stadtbezirke which are additionally structured into 25 boroughs. The
following overview shows the boroughs and their numbers allocated to the 13 municipalities.

01 Altstadt 02 Zellerau 06 Frauenland 10 Steinbachtal

 Dom (01)  Zellerau (18)  Mönchberg (10)  Steinbachtal (15)

 Neumünster 03 Dürrbachtal  Frauenland (11)  Nikolausberg

(02) (16)
 Dürrbachau (07)  Keesburg (12)
 Peter (03) 11 Versbach
 Unterdürrbach 07 Sanderau
 Innere Pleich (22)  Versbach (24)
 Sanderau (13)
(04)
 Oberdürrbach 12 Lengfeld
08 Heidingsfeld
 Haug (05) (23)
 Lengfeld (25)
 Heidingsfeld
 Äussere Pleich 04 Grombühl
(14) 13 Rottenbauer
(06)
 Grombühl (08)
09 Heuchelhof  Rottenbauer
 Rennweg (09)
05 Lindleinsmühle (21)
 Heuchelhof (20)
 Mainviertel (17)
 Lindleinsmühle
(19)

Demographics

This section needs

expansion. You can help
by adding to it. (May 2020)

Wurzburg's 2023 population is now estimated at 126,033.[21]

Foreign population

Largest groups of foreign residents[citation needed]

Nationality Population (Dec. 2022)

 Ukraine 1,632

Romania 1,316

Italy 1,153

Turkey 1,086

Poland 759

Russia 603

Greece 588

Afghanistan 526

China 483

Kosovo 414

Climate

Climate data for Würzburg (1991–2020 normals)

Ma Ma No
Month Jan Feb Apr Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Dec Year
r y v

10. 15. 19. 23. 25. 25. 20. 14.

3.8 5.6 8.0 4.5 14.7
Mean daily 4 8 9 3 5 4 4 3
(38. (42. (46. (40. (58.5
maximum °C (°F) (50. (60. (67. (73. (77. (77. (68. (57.
8) 1) 4) 1) )
7) 4) 8) 9) 9) 7) 7) 7)

10. 14. 17. 19. 19. 14.

1.2 2.0 5.8 9.9 5.0 2.0 10.2
Daily mean °C 3 4 8 7 3 8
(34. (35. (42. (49. (41. (35. (50.4
(°F) (50. (57. (64. (67. (66. (58.
2) 6) 4) 8) 0) 6) )
5) 9) 0) 5) 7) 6)

−1. −1. 12. 14. 13. 10. −0.

1.6 4.9 8.9 6.2 2.4 5.9
Mean daily 4 2 3 1 8 0 4
(34. (40. (48. (43. (36. (42.6
minimum °C (°F) (29. (29. (54. (57. (56. (50. (31.
9) 8) 0) 2) 3) )
5) 8) 1) 4) 8) 0) 3)

40. 35. 40. 32. 57. 52. 65. 56. 47. 47. 46. 51. 573.
Average precipita 0 8 2 7 3 9 8 3 2 6 2 5 5
tion mm (inches) (1.5 (1.4 (1.5 (1.2 (2.2 (2.0 (2.5 (2.2 (1.8 (1.8 (1.8 (2.0 (22.5
7) 1) 8) 9) 6) 8) 9) 2) 6) 7) 2) 3) 8)

Average 14. 13. 14. 12. 13. 13. 14. 12. 12. 14. 14. 17. 165.
precipitation
 days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9 8 1 2 0 3 0 4 0 6 3 2 8

Average snowy
8.2 4.2 1.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 4.6 19.8
days (≥ 1.0 cm)

Average relative 84. 80. 73. 66. 68. 68. 67. 68. 76. 83. 87. 87.
76.1
humidity (%) 7 5 6 2 4 5 7 8 0 6 8 8

Mean
54. 84. 132 190 215 223 237 226 166 106 51. 42. 1,72
monthly sunshin
8 4 .3 .7 .4 .9 .1 .2 .7 .7 5 7 4.9
e hours

Source: World Meteorological Organization[22]

Economy

Würzburg had the oldest pizzeria in Germany, Bier- und Speisewirtschaft Capri, opened by Nick di
Camillo in 1952.[23] Camillo received the honour of the Italian Order of Merit.[citation needed]

In 2017, the GDP per inhabitant was €62,229, placing the district 13th out of 96 districts (rural and
urban) in Bavaria (overall average: €46,698).[24]

Military

Following World War II, Würzburg was occupied by the U.S. Army's 1st and 3rd infantry divisions. The
last U.S. troops were withdrawn in 2008.[25]

Arts and culture

Notable artists who lived in Würzburg include poet Walther von der Vogelweide (12th and 13th
centuries), philosopher Albertus Magnus and painter Matthias Grünewald. Sculptor Tilman
Riemenschneider (1460–1531) served as mayor and participated in the German Peasants'
War. Richard Wagner became chorusmaster at the city’s theater in 1833 and finished his first
opera, Die Feen (The Fairies), there that year.

Main sights

Residence (front view) Marienberg Fortress

 Käppele Juliusspit

al Falkenhaus

 Würzburger Residenz: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the vast compound near the center of
the town was commissioned by two prince-bishops, the brothers Johann Philipp
Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn. Several architects, including Johann Lukas von
Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, supervised the construction between 1720 and
1744, in imitation of the Palace of Versailles,[7] but it is mainly associated with the name
of Balthasar Neumann, the creator of its famous Baroque staircase. The palace suffered
severe damage in the British bombing of March 1945 but has been completely rebuilt. The
main attractions are:

 Hofkirche: The church interior is richly decorated with paintings, sculptures and
stucco ornaments. The altars were painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

 Treppenhaus: Here Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created the largest fresco in the world,
which adorns the vault over the staircase designed by Balthasar Neumann.

 Kaisersaal: The "Imperial Hall", the centerpiece of the palace, testifies to the close
relationship between Würzburg and the Holy Roman Empire.

 Festung Marienberg is a fortress on Marienberg, the hill to the west of the city centre,
overlooking the whole town area and the surrounding hills. Most current structures date to
the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but the chapel's foundations go back to the 8th
century.
 The statue of St Kilian, with the Marienberg Fortress on the
right

 Alte Mainbrücke (de) (Old Main Bridge) was built in 1473–1543 to replace the destroyed
Romanesque bridge dated 1133. In two phases, beginning in 1730, the bridge was adorned
with twelve 4.5-meter statues of saints and historically important figures like John of
Nepomuk, Mary and Saint Joseph, Charlemagne and Pepin the Short. Explosives damaged the
bridge in the final days of World War II. US troops threw the original Pepin into the river to
make way for an anti-aircraft gun.[11]: 32

 The Rathaus or city hall of Würzburg differs from those of most Imperial Cities in that it was
not a sumptuous edifice purpose-built in Renaissance style. Rather, the motley collection of
buildings and wings reflects that after 1426 the city was permanently under the bishop's
control, who did not allow a representative new building. The Rathaus consists of parts
dating from 1339 (chapel), 1453 (tower with the town's first public clock), 1544 (southwest
oriel), and 1659/60 (Roter Bau). In 1822 the three-winged structure of the
neighboring Karmeliterkloster (monastery of the Carmelites) was added to the city hall. The
"Renaissance" row on Karmeliterstrasse was built only in 1898.[11]: 41

 Among Würzburg's many notable churches are the Käppele, a small Baroque/Rococo chapel
by Balthasar Neumann, perched on a hill facing the fortress, and the Dom (Würzburg
Cathedral). The Baroque Schönbornkapelle, a side-chapel of the cathedral, has interior
decoration of (artificial) human bones and skulls. Also in the cathedral are two of Tilman
Riemenschneider's most famous works, the tombstones of Rudolf II von Scherenberg (1466–
1495) and Lorenz von Bibra (1495–1519). At the entrance to the Marienkapelle (on the
market square; built between 1377 and 1441) stand replicas of the statues of Adam and Eve
by Riemenschneider.[7] The Neumünster is a Romanesque (11th century) minster church with
a Baroque façade and dome. Its crypt (Kiliansgruft) houses the relics of Kilian, Totnan, and
Kolonat.[7] There are also two stone sarcophagi from the 8th century, the tombs of the first
and second Bishop of Würzburg, Burkard and Megingaud. The latter's tomb features the
oldest post-Roman monumental inscription in Franconia.[11]: 45 Next to the Neumünster is
the Lusamgärtchen (de). It contains a memorial from 1930 to Walther von der Vogelweide,
who very likely was buried here in 1230.[11]: 47 Only the church remains of the town's oldest
 abbey, St Burchard's Abbey founded around 750. It was transformed into a collegiate
church in 1464 and dissolved in 1803. Among the Baroque churches in the city centre is Stift
Haug (1670–1691), St. Michael (de), St. Stephan (de) and St. Peter. The church of St Burkhard
was built between 1033 and 1042 in the Romanesque style and was restored in 1168.
The Late Gothic choir dates from 1494 to 1497.[7]

 The Juliusspital is a Baroque hospital with a courtyard and a church originally established by
prince-bishop Julius Echter in 1576. The 160 m long northern wing was added by Italian
architect Antonio Petrini (it) in 1700–1704. Beneath it lies the similarly sized wine cellar,
which (together with those of the Würzburg Residence and the Bürgerspital) offers a chance
to taste the local Frankenwein in a unique environment. The Juliusspital is the second largest
winery in Germany, growing wine on 1.68 square kilometres (1 square mile).[11]: 58–9

 The Haus zum Falken (de) on Marktplatz, next to the Marienkapelle, with its ornate stucco
façade, is an achievement of the Würzburg Rococo period. In the past, it served as an inn, and
today it houses a public library and the tourist information office.[11]: 62

 The Stift Haug (formally the Stiftskirche St. Johannis im Haug, dedicated to John the
Baptist and John the Evangelist) was built in the years 1670–1691 as the first Baroque church
in Franconia. It was designed by Antonio Petrini. The former church had been demolished as
it was in the way of new city fortifications built by Johann Philipp von Schönborn. In 1945
most of the church's interior was destroyed. Works of art include
a crucifixion by Tintoretto loaned by the Bavarian State Painting Collections.[11]: 59–60

 The Würzburger Stein vineyard just outside the city is one of Germany's oldest and largest
vineyards.

Museums and galleries

Kulturspeicher at night

Black-figure Etruscan amphora in the Martin-von-Wagner-

Museum

 The Museum für Franken (formerly the Mainfränkisches Museum (de)) in the fortress is home
to the world's largest collection of works by Tilman Riemenschneider. In a space of
5,400 m2 (58,125 sq ft), art by regional artists is exhibited. Exhibitions include a pre-historic
collection, artifacts of the Franconian wine culture, and an anthropological collection with
traditional costumes.
  Fürstenbaumuseum: Also in the fortress, the restored Fürstenbau (former residence of the
prince-bishops) houses not only the renovated living quarters but also an exhibit on the
history of Würzburg. Another exhibit features ecclesial gold jewelry and a collection of
liturgical vestments. The museum also displays two models of the city: Würzburg in 1525 and
Würzburg in 1945.

 Museum im Kulturspeicher, housed in a historic grain storage building combined with modern
architecture, has more than 3,500 m2 of exhibit space. Collections include the Peter C.
Ruppert Collection, with European Concrete art after 1945 from artists such as Max
Bill and Victor Vasarely; works from the Age of Romanticism, the Biedermeier
period, Impressionism, Expressionism as well as contemporary art.

 Museum am Dom (Museum at the cathedral), opened in 2003. It features about 700 pieces of
art spanning the past 1,000 years. The 1,800 m2 exhibit contrasts contemporary art with older
works.

 Shalom Europe, a Jewish museum. Built around 1,504 tombstones discovered and excavated
in the old city, the museum uses modern information technology to portray present and
traditional Jewish lifestyles and their survival over the past 900 years in Würzburg.

 Martin von Wagner Museum, with objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It is
housed in the south wing of the Residence and displays ancient marble statues and burial
objects. There are also ten exhibition halls with art from the 14th to the 19th centuries.

 Siebold-Museum, which houses permanent and temporary exhibits, including the estate of
the 19th-century local physician and Japan researcher Philipp Franz von Siebold.[26]

 The Röntgen Memorial Site in Würzburg, Germany is dedicated to the work of the German
physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923) and his discovery of X-rays, for which he was
granted the Nobel Prize in physics. It contains an exhibition of historical instruments,
machines, and documents.

Sports

NBA Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was born and grew up in Würzburg. Nowitzki and numerous other
German national team players started their careers at the local Baskets Würzburg club that plays in
the Basketball Bundesliga as of 2016. In the past, the club played in international competitions such
as the Eurocup.

Würzburg is also home to the football teams Würzburger Kickers and Würzburger FV playing in
the Fußball-Bayernliga.

SV Würzburg 05 is a swimming and water polo club in the German Water Polo League. The city also
hosts wrestling, rowing, and American football clubs whose teams compete on the regional and
national levels.

Governance

See also: Würzburg (electoral district)

Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The administration of
the Landkreis Würzburg (district) is also located in the town.

From April 2014 to May 2025, the mayor of Würzburg was Christian Schuchardt (de) (CDU).
Since May 2025, the mayor of Würzburg has been Martin Heilig.

Education and research

Würzburg has several internationally recognized institutions in science and research:

University

Alte Universität, the old Renaissance building of Würzburg

University

The University of Würzburg (official name Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg) was founded in

1402 and is one of the oldest universities in Germany.

Academic disciplines are astronomy, biology, Catholic theology, chemistry, computer

science, culture, economics, educational and social
sciences, geography, history, languages and linguistics, law, literature, mathematics, medicine (huma
n medicine, dentistry and biomedicine), pharmacy, philosophy, physics, political
science, psychology and sociology.

Today, the ten faculties are spread throughout the city. The university currently enrolls approximately
29,000 students, out of which more than 1,000 come from other countries.

 Wilhelm Röntgen's original laboratory, where he discovered X-rays in 1895, is at the

University of Würzburg.

 The university awarded Alexander Graham Bell an honorary Ph.D. for his pioneering scientific
work.

 The Botanischer Garten der Universität Würzburg is the university's botanical garden.

University of Applied Science

 University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt main building in the city
centre

The University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt was founded in 1971 as an institute of

technology with departments in Würzburg and Schweinfurt. Academic disciplines
are architecture, business economics, business informatics, civil engineering, computational
engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, engineering management, geodesy, graphic
design, logistics, mechanical engineering, media, nursing theory, plastics engineering, and social
work. With nearly 8,000 students, it is the second-largest university of applied science in Franconia.

Conservatory

The Conservatory of Würzburg is an institution with a long tradition as well as an impressive success
story of more than 200 years. It was founded in 1797 as Collegium musicum academicum and is
Germany's oldest conservatory. Nowadays, it is known as University of Music Würzburg. After the
commutation from the conservatory to the university of music in the early 1970s, science and
research were added to complement music education.

Transport

Roads

Due to its central position Würzburg is an important traffic hub. It is the site of the interchange
of Autobahn highways A3 (Cologne – Frankfurt – Würzburg – Nuremberg)
and A7 (Hamburg – Hanover – Kassel – Würzburg – Ulm) as well as the start
of A81 (Würzburg – Heilbronn – Stuttgart). Furthermore, Bundesstraße highways B8, B13, B19
and B27 pass through the city.

Rail

The city's main station is a central hub for long-distance and regional services. Würzburg lies at the
southern end of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line that offers
frequent InterCityExpress and InterCity connections to cities such as Cologne, Frankfurt, Hanover,
Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Vienna. In addition to the main station, there are two regional
stations, Würzburg-South and Würzburg Zell.

Würzburg Main station

 Long
Route
distance

Munich – Nuremberg – Würzburg – Kassel – Hanover – Hamburg

ICE
(Linie 25)
Munich – Augsburg – Würzburg – Kassel – Hanover – Hamburg / – Bremen

ICE Vienna – Linz – Passau – Nuremberg – Würzburg – Frankfurt (Main)

(Linie 31) – Mainz – Koblenz – Cologne – Wuppertal – Hagen – Dortmund

ICE
Munich – Nuremberg – Würzburg – Frankfurt (Main) – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Essen
(Linie 41)

Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway crossing the

river Main north of Würzburg

regional Route

Regional-
Würzburg – Kitzingen – Neustadt (Aisch) – Fürth – Nuremberg
Express

Regional-
Würzburg – Aschaffenburg – Hanau – Frankfurt (Main)
Express

Regional-
Würzburg – Osterburken – Heilbronn – Ludwigsburg – Stuttgart
Express

Regional-
Würzburg – Schweinfurt – Bamberg – Lichtenfels – Hof/–Bayreuth
Express

Regional-
Würzburg – Bamberg – Erlangen – Fürth – Nuremberg
Express

Regional- Würzburg – Schweinfurt – Bad Kissingen / – Münnerstadt – Bad

Express Neustadt – Mellrichstadt – Meiningen – Suhl – Arnstadt – Erfurt

Regional
Schlüchtern – Jossa – Gemünden (Main) – Würzburg – Schweinfurt – Bamberg
train

Regional Karlstadt – Würzburg– Steinach – Ansbach – Treuchtlingen

 train

Regional
Würzburg – Kitzingen
train

Regional
Würzburg – Bad Mergentheim – Weikersheim – Crailsheim
train

A Würzburg tram crosses the river Main on

the Löwenbrücke.

Trams/Trains

Main article: Trams in Würzburg

Würzburg has a tram network of five lines with a length of 19.7 kilometres (12.2 miles).

Line Route Time Stops

20 minute
1 Grombühl – Sanderau 20
s

14 minute
2 Hauptbahnhof (Main station) – Zellerau 11
s

27 minute
3 Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) – Heuchelhof 20
s

4 Sanderau – Zellerau 23 min. 18

39 minute
5 Grombühl – Rottenbauer 31
s

The proposed Line 6 from Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) to Hubland university campus via Residenz is
scheduled to be completed after 2018.

Buses
 Bikes are a popular means of transportation in Würzburg.

27 bus lines connect several parts of the city and the inner suburbs. Twenty-five bus lines connect
the Landkreis Würzburg to the city.

Port

The Main river flows into the Rhine and is connected to the Danube via the Rhine-Main-Danube
Canal. This makes it part of a trans-European waterway connecting the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Air

The city does not have its own airport. The nearest airports are:

 Nuremberg Airport (88.7 km away)

 Frankfurt Airport (102.8 km away)

 Stuttgart Airport (122.8 km away)

 Munich Airport (195 km away)

Bicycle

Designated bicycle paths are located throughout the city, and the Main-Radweg long-distance bicycle
trail passes through the old town.

Infrastructure

Utilities

The local public utility is Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH (de) supplying power, natural
gas and water as well as public transportation and parking services. It also owns a majority stake in
the port and runs local garbage collection/recycling. Heizkraftwerk Würzburg (de) is owned by the
utility.

Health care

Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (de) provides health care services, with over 5,300 employees and
over 1,400 hospital beds. Juliusspital also offers hospital services with 342 beds.

Notable people
 Philipp Stöhr Gottfried Feder

Werner Heisenberg Thomas Bach

 Joseph Friedrich Abert (1879–1959), historian and archivist

 Heinrich Albert (1870–1950), classical guitarist and composer

 Yehuda Amichai ("Ludwig Pfeuffer"; 1924–2000), Israeli poet

 Thomas Bach (born 1953), Olympic gold medalist in fencing and IOC President from 2013 to
2025

 Frank Baumann (born 1975), footballer

 Fritz Bayerlein (1899–1970), World War II general

 Lorenz von Bibra (1459–1519), Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1495 to 1519

 Mark Bloch (born 1956), American artist

 Walter von Boetticher (1853–1945), historian and physician studied medicine at Würzburg

 Theodor Boveri (1862–1915), biologist and cytogeneticist

 Oskar Dirlewanger (1895–1945), war criminal and SS Commander of the Dirlewanger Brigade

 Christian von Ditfurth (born 1953), writer and historian

 Jutta Ditfurth (born 1951), sociologist, writer and historian

 Brendan Donovan (born 1997), baseball player St. Louis Cardinals

 Freimut Duve (1936–2020), politician and author

 Björn Emmerling (born 1975), field hockey player

 Gottfried Feder (1883–1941), economist, anti-capitalist and national socialist

 Leonhard Frank (1882–1961), expressionist writer

 Manfred H. Grieb (1933–2012), entrepreneur and art collector

 Duane Harden (born 1971), dance music vocalist

 Werner Heisenberg (1901–1976), theoretical physicist

 Alfred Jodl (1890–1946), World War II general

 Wilhelm Keilmann (1908–1999), composer

 Friederich von Kleudgen (1856–1924), painter

 Maximilian Kleber (born 1992), basketball player

 Joseph Küffner (1776–1856), composer

 Selma Lohse (1883–1937), politician

 Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria (1821–1912)

 Ernst Mayr (1904–2005), evolutionary biologist

 Waltraud Meier (born 1956), opera singer

 Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (1545–1617), Prince-Bishop of Würzburg

 Johann Balthasar Neumann (1687–1753), architect and military engineer

 Dirk Nowitzki (born 1978), basketball player

 Franz Oberthür (1745–1831), theologian

 Christian "Cage" Palko (born 1973), American hip hop artist

 Burkard Polster (born 1965), mathematician who runs a YouTube channel

 Anthony Randolph (born 1989), basketball player

 Erich Rieger (born 1935), astrophysicist, discoverer of the Rieger periodicities that permeate
the Solar System

 Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460–1531), German sculptor and woodcarver

 Emy Roeder (1890–1971), expressionist sculptor and artist

 Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845–1923), physicist, discovered X-rays

 Frieda Schmitt-Lermann (born 1885), composer

 Michael Schuler (1901–1974), Olympic silver medal gymnast

  Philipp Franz von Siebold (1797–1866), physician and botanist

 Laura Stellbrink (born 1990), politician

 Philipp Stöhr (1849–1911), anatomist

 Stephanie Wehner (born 1977), quantum physicist

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Würzburg is twinned with:

 Dundee, Scotland (1962)

 Caen, France (1962)[27]

 Rochester, United States (1964)

 Mwanza, Tanzania (1966)

 Otsu, Japan (1979)

 Salamanca, Spain (1980)

 Suhl, Germany (1988)

 Umeå, Sweden (1992)

 Bray, Ireland (2000)

 Trutnov, Czech Republic (2008)

 Lviv, Ukraine (2023)

Associated:

 Faribault, United States (1949)

 Nagasaki, Japan (2013)

See also

 Bishopric of Würzburg

References

1. Stichwahl zur Oberbürgermeisterin oder zum Oberbürgermeister, Stadt Würzburg, accessed

09 December 2025.

2. [1]

3. Wuerzburg, Stadt. "Würzburg Online - Bevölkerung". [Link]. Retrieved 2018-

10-07.

4. "Census 2022". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). Retrieved 2021-11-02.

5. "DenkmalAtlas 2.0". [Link].

6. Koch, John T. (2020). Celto-Germanic: Later Prehistory and Post-Proto-Indo-European
vocabulary in the North and West (PDF). University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and
Celtic Studies. p. 131. ISBN 9781907029325.

7. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Würzburg" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press. p. 860.

8. Norbert Wagner, 'Uburzis-Wirziburg "Würzburg"'

9. Heinz Willner, Der Name Würzburg, Frankenland 1/1999.

10. "Sacred Magic of Abramelin: The First Book: The Eighth Chapter". [Link].
Retrieved 8 July 2021.

11. Dettelbacher, Werner (1974). Franken - Kunst, Geschichte und Landschaft (German). Dumont
Verlag. ISBN 3-7701-0746-2.

12. Tilman Riemenschneider – Werke seiner Blütezeit (German). Freunde Mainfränkischer Kunst
und Geschichte e.V. Würzburg. 2004.

13. Wolfgang Behringer, Witchcraft in Bavaria: Popular Magik, Religious Zealotry, and Reason of
State in Early Modern Europe, (Cambridge University Press, 1997).

14. "Würzburg During the Holocaust. Kristallnacht". Yad Vashem. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

15. The Story of the Jewish Community in Würzburg an online exhibition by Yad Vashem

16. "Würzburg Subcamp". KZ-Gedenkstätte Flossenbürg. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

17. Stanton, Shelby, World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army
Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946 (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole
Books, p. 65, 129.

18. Seite 777, see also Chapter XVIII

19. Wuerzburg, Stadt. "Rathaus | Würzburg in Zahlen - Stadtgebiet, Flächennutzung,

Klima". [Link]. Retrieved 2020-09-27.

20. "Data" (PDF). [Link]. Retrieved 2020-09-27.

21. "Wurzburg Population 2023". [Link]. Retrieved 2023-02-08.

22. "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020". World Meteorological
Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12
October 2023.

23. Bauer, Ralph (March 26, 2012). "Würzburg: GIs rissen sich um die Erste Pizza in
Deutschland" – via [Link].

24. "VGR der Länder, Kreisergebnisse für Deutschland - Bruttoinlandsprodukt,

Bruttowertschöpfung in den kreisfreien Städten und Landkreisen der Bundesrepublik
Deutschland 2000 bis 2017 (German)". Statistische Ämter der Länder und des Bundes.
Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
 25. [Link]
return_of_leighton_barracks_to_german_authorities_marks_the_end_of_u_s_army_presenc
e_in_wuerzburg

26. "Englisch". Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.

27. "National Commission for Decentralised cooperation". Délégation pour l’Action Extérieure
des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) (in French). Archived
from the original on 2013-11-27. Retrieved 2013-12-26.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Würzburg.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Würzburg.

 Official website (in German)

 The Story of the Jewish Community in Würzburg – on the Yad Vashem website

Germany by population


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



 

d rural districts in the Free State of Bavaria in Germany











y control databases

Categories:

 Cities in Bavaria

 Würzburg

 Urban districts of Bavaria

 Holocaust locations in Germany

 Populated places on the Main basin

 Populated riverside places in Germany

 Lower Franconia

 This page was last edited on 14 December 2025, at 00:01 (UTC).

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