Gotha ( German: [ˈɡoːtaː] ) is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia , Germany , 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of Erfurt and 25 km (16 miles) east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the end of monarchy in Germany in 1918. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha originating here spawned many European rulers, including the royal houses of the United Kingdom , Belgium , Portugal (until 1910) and Bulgaria (until 1946).
92-729: Karl Purgold (28 December 1850, in Gotha – 25 June 1939, in Gotha) was a German classical archaeologist and museum director . In 1878 he received his doctorate from the University of Munich , where he was a student of Heinrich Brunn . Following graduation, he travelled the Mediterranean region by way of a grant from the German Archaeological Institute (1878–80). From 1890 until his retirement in 1934 he
184-574: A Commissary General , each of the two congregations by a Vicar General , and every monastery by a Prior (only the Czech monastery of Alt-Brunn in Moravia is under an abbot ) and every college by a Rector . The members of the Order number both priests and lay brothers . The Augustinians, like most religious orders, have a Cardinal Protector . The Augustinians follow the rule of St. Augustine which
276-475: A monastic community life. Regarding the use of property or possessions, Augustine did not make a virtue of poverty, but of sharing. Their manner of life led others to imitate them. Instructions for their guidance were found in several writings of Augustine, especially in De opere monachorum , mentioned in ancient codices of the eighth or ninth century as the " Rule of St. Augustine ". Between 430 and 570 this life-style
368-489: A tram network with three lines, connecting the city centre with the main station in the south-east, the east station in the north-east and the hospital in Sundhausen district in the south-west. A peculiarity is the 22 km (14 mi) long Thüringerwaldbahn [ de ] (established in 1929), one of Germany's last traditional interurban tramway lines, to Bad Tabarz , Waltershausen and Friedrichroda . It
460-656: A General Chapter, again to be held under the supervision of his nephew, Cardinal Annibaldi. During this chapter the following groups of hermits, inter alia , were amalgamated to the Order, which up to then had only consisted of the groups of the Tuscan hermits (including the Hermits of the Holy Trinity): At this Chapter Lanfranc Settala, the leader of the Bonites, was elected Prior General. The belted, black tunic of
552-481: A bit higher in the city itself than in the other municipalities of the Gotha district. Agriculture is still important in the region around Gotha with its fertile soil. More than 60% of the municipal territory is in agricultural use for growing maize, crops, vegetables and sugar beets. Vehicle construction is still the most important industry in Gotha. The well-known Gothaer Waggonfabrik had two successors after 1990:
644-531: A centre of engineering with companies like the Gothaer Waggonfabrik , a tram and airplane manufacturer, founded in 1883. During the 19th century, Gotha also became a centre of banking and the insurance business in Germany. Ernst-Wilhelm Arnoldi founded the first fire insurance in 1820, followed by the first life insurance in 1827. The Gothaer [ de ] mutual insurance remains one of
736-427: A clerical adaptation of monastic life, as it grew out of an attempt to organize communities of clerics to a more dedicated way of life, as St. Augustine himself had done. Historically it paralleled the lay movement of monasticism or the eremitical life from which the friars were later to develop. In their tradition, the canons added the commitment of religious vows to their primary vocation of pastoral care. As
828-400: A contemplative Order, differs from traditional monastic orders in three ways. 1) They do not take vows of stability, meaning that they can live in one house (called a friary or sometimes a monastery) typically for several years before being moved into a different community of the order. 2) They are engaged in apostolic activity, such as mission work, education, prison ministries, etc. The order
920-507: A cultural heyday as a centre of sciences and arts, fostered by the dukes of Saxe-Gotha . The first duke, Ernest the Pious , was famous for his wise rule. In the 18th century, the Almanach de Gotha was first published in the city. The publisher Justus Perthes and the encyclopedist Joseph Meyer made Gotha a leading centre of German publishing around 1800. In the early 19th century, Gotha
1012-457: A dozen saints and numerous members declared blessed by the Church. The Prior General Sebastiano Martinelli was the latest member of the order to be elevated to the cardinalate from 1901 to 1912. Ecclesiastical privileges were granted to the order almost from its beginning. Alexander IV freed the order from the jurisdiction of the bishops; Innocent VIII, in 1490, granted to the churches of
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#17327912945361104-451: A major superior and to adopt one of the Rules of community life that were approved by the Church. In 1243 the Tuscan hermits petitioned Pope Innocent IV to unite them all as one group. On 16 December 1243 Innocent IV issued the bull Incumbit Nobis , an essentially pastoral letter which, despite its brevity, basically served as the magna carta initiating the foundation of the Order as it
1196-464: A misnomer for they ranked among the friars, and became the fourth of the mendicant orders. The observance and manner of life was mild relative to those times, meat being allowed four days in the week. In August 1256, a number of Williamite houses withdrew from the newly formed mendicant order and were allowed to continue as a separate congregation under the Benedictine rule. The early years in
1288-557: A north–south route from Mühlhausen over the Thuringian Forest to Franconia . One of the oldest pieces of evidence of busy trade in the city is the "Gotha cache of coins" with nearly 800 Bracteates , buried in 1185 in the central city. In 1180, Gotha was first mentioned as a city, when the area between Brühl and Jüdenstraße became the core of urban development, highlighting the early presence of Jews in this old trading town. The parish church of this first urban settlement
1380-457: A relatively large share of ruined historic buildings remains characteristic for Gotha (in comparison to neighbouring cities like Eisenach, Erfurt or Weimar), especially within the historic new town and the 19th century belt around the city centre. The government sometimes failed to conserve historic buildings, for example the Volkshaus zum Mohren [ de ] was demolished in 2007, as
1472-552: A relatively successful city. Gotha is situated in a flat landscape within the fertile Thuringian Basin . A tectonic dislocation traverses the city from north-west to south-east. Thereby, it forms three prominent hills: the 431 m high Krahnberg with the Ratsholz forest in the north-west, the hill of Friedenstein Castle in the city centre and the 409 m high Seeberg in the south-east. The city itself lies at an elevation of 300 m and
1564-769: A rule). Augustine's Rule appears again in practice in the eleventh century as a basis for the reform of monasteries and cathedral chapters. Several groups of canons were established under various disciplines, all with the Augustinian Rule as their basis. It was adopted by the Canons Regular of the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris, as well as the Norbertines . The instructions contained in Augustine's Rule formed
1656-407: A short time in the 1990s, but most of the suburban areas are situated within the administrative city borders. During the 1990s and the early 2000s, many inhabitants left Gotha to search for a better life in west Germany or other major east German cities like Jena or Erfurt . Since 2005, emigration is not a big issue anymore. Today, the birth deficit, caused by the high average age of the population,
1748-476: Is Frankfurt Airport , approximately 250 km (155 mi) to the south-west. Biking is becoming more and more popular since the construction of quality cycle tracks began in the 1990s. For tourists there is the long-distance Radweg Thüringer Städtekette (Thuringian city string trail). It connects points of touristic interest along the medieval Via Regia from Eisenach via Gotha, Erfurt, Weimar and Jena to Altenburg . The public transport system consists of
1840-777: Is also a key part of the Augustinian ethos. Contemporary Augustinian musical foundations include the Augustinerkirche in Vienna, where orchestral masses by Mozart and Schubert are performed every week, as well as the boys' choir at Sankt Florian in Austria, a school conducted by Augustinian canons, a choir now over 1,000 years old. Augustinians have also produced a formidable body of scholarly works. Augustinian friars believe that Augustine of Hippo , first with some friends and afterward as bishop with his clergy , led
1932-459: Is becoming a bigger problem because immigration is not sufficient to compensate for it in recent years. Despite urban planning activities to tear down unused flats, vacancy was a problem with rates around 9% in 2011 but declined to 4% in 2017. A side effect of the high vacancy rate is Gotha's low rent level. The birth deficit was 175 in 2012, this is -3.9 per 1,000 inhabitants (Thuringian average: -4.5; national average: -2.4). The net migration rate
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#17327912945362024-466: Is certain that in its modern state the Order is principally founded on spiritual works, those that pertain to the contemplative life. These are as follows: the singing of the divine office; the service of the altar; prayer; psalm singing; devotion to reading or study of sacred scripture; teaching and preaching the word of God; hearing confessions of the faithful; bringing about the salvation of souls by word and example.". The Order expanded beyond Europe to
2116-538: Is divided in 11 districts. The urban districts are Mitte, Weststadt, West, Nord, Süd, Oststadt and Ost and the rural districts are Boilstädt (incorporated in 1994), Siebleben (1922), Sundhausen (1974) and Uelleben (1994). Gotha has long been one of the largest towns in Thuringia. During the Middle Ages, it was a town of 5,000 to 6,000 inhabitants and its selection as a ducal residence brought another impetus during
2208-482: Is divided into 8 chapters (purpose and basis of common life, prayer, moderation and self-denial, safeguarding chastity and fraternal correction, the care of community goods and treatment of sick, asking for pardon and forgiving others, governance and obedience, and observance of the rule). The Augustinians also use the charism or "gift from the Holy Spirit" to guide the communal life. The choir and outdoor dress of
2300-453: Is known today. This papal bull exhorted these hermits to adopt the Rule and way of life of Augustine of Hippo , to profess this Augustinian manner of life in a way that they themselves would decide with regards to their specific charism and apostolate , and to elect a Prior General. The bull also appointed Cardinal Riccardo Annibaldi as their Cardinal protector . The importance of this man in
2392-420: Is situated in the east of Gotha, a new one developed after 1990 in the south. Further, the neighbouring small towns of Waltershausen and Ohrdruf have strong industrial cores, where many commuters from Gotha have found work. As a former state capital (until 1920) and then district capital, Gotha is also a hub of public and private services. The city centre hosts some retailing and at the south-western periphery
2484-455: Is under the supervision of a Prior General in Rome, and as an international order they are divided into various Provinces throughout the world, with each Province being led by a Prior Provincial. (3) As an order, they have a special commitment to corporate poverty as opposed to simply the poverty professed by the individual friar. While this is not currently legislated as it was in the origins of
2576-506: Is used both for everyday traffic and by tourists. Buses serve urban quarters and nearby villages lacking a tram or rail connection. There are three state-run Gymnasiums in Gotha, including the famous Ernestine Gymnasium . In addition, the Thüringer Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung (school of public administration) with 500 students has its seat in Gotha, as has the school of Thuringia's ministry of finance and
2668-668: The Bibliographisches Institut , one of the two leading encyclopedia publishers in the German language besides the Brockhaus and Adolf Stieler first published his Handatlas in Gotha in 1816. Johann Adam Weishaupt , the founder of the order of the Illuminati, died in Gotha in 1830. It was also during this time, that the city developed a sizeable Jewish population. From 1826 to 1918, Gotha along with Coburg
2760-551: The 2011 EU census ). In contrast to the national average, the largest groups of migrants in Gotha are Russians , Vietnamese and Ukrainians . Due to the official atheism of the former GDR , most of the population is non-religious. 18.2% are members of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and 4.8% are Catholics (according to the 2011 EU census). Gotha hosts various museums, which are – together with
2852-709: The Acts of the Apostles , particularly Acts 4:32: "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." (NAB). By decree of the Holy See, the Augustinian Order was historically granted what was known as exempt status, which placed made it directly dependent on the Pope, meaning that bishops had no jurisdiction with regards to
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2944-628: The Gothaer Fahrzeugwerke , a Schmitz Cargobull factory with 800 workers and the Gothaer Fahrzeugtechnik , a crane manufacturer with 400 employees. The brewery belongs to the Paulaner Brewery and has 300 employees. In 2012, there were 28 companies with more than 20 workers in the industrial sector, employing 3,300 people and generating a turnover of more than €850 million. The old industrial district
3036-555: The Gründerzeit buildings of 19th-century commercial boom. Gotha lies in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin in a flat and agricultural landscape. Gotha has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha ( Old High German gotaha meaning "good waters ") in 775. The first settlement was probably located around today's Hersdorfplatz outside
3128-616: The Leinakanal built. This channel, over 25 kilometres long, brought fresh water from the Thuringian Forest ( Hörsel and Apfelstädt rivers) to the city. The main businesses of medieval Gotha were cloth-making and the woad trade. The Reformation was introduced in Gotha in 1524 and the castle was rebuilt as a larger fortress between 1530 and 1541. Gotha was already part of the Ernestine Wettins territory after
3220-545: The Schlosstheater and became Direktor of the first ever German court theatre (founded in 1683), while acting in many plays himself. Having turned it into one of the leading theatres in Germany, after his death in 1778 the fame of the theatre declined rapidly. The Almanach de Gotha , a directory of European royalty and nobility, was first published in 1763 and Justus Perthes founded his science publishing company in 1785. Joseph Meyer followed in 1826 by founding
3312-512: The University of Erfurt ), founded in 1650, the "coin cabinet" (1712), the "art and natural collection", basis of today's museums, and the Gotha Observatory at Seeberg mountain, established 1788. The Gotha porcelain manufactory (established in 1767) was famous around 1800 for their faiences . In 1774, the actor group led by Conrad (or Konrad) Ekhof , called "the father of German acting", came from Weimar to Gotha. He began working at
3404-678: The ethos and special charism of the order. The pursuit of truth through learning is key to the Augustinian ethos, balanced by the injunction to behave with love towards one another. These same imperatives of affection and fairness have driven the order in its international missionary outreach. This balanced pursuit of love and learning has energised the various branches of the order into building communities founded on mutual affection and intellectual advancement. Augustine spoke passionately of God's "beauty so ancient and so new", and his fascination with beauty extended to music. He taught that "whoever sings prays twice" ( Qui cantat, bis orat ) and music
3496-680: The 1485 Treaty of Leipzig . However, the Ernestines' loss of power after the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, the Treaty of Erfurt in 1572, when the city became part of Saxe-Coburg , and the Thirty Years' War resulted in Gotha's decline. The local castle, Grimmenstein , was razed by Imperial troops in 1572. The turnaround was brought about by the selection of Gotha as a ducal residence in the 1640 territorial partition, when Ernest
3588-435: The 17th and 18th century, so that Gotha had already more than 10,000 inhabitants by 1800. The number rose to 15,000 around 1850, as industrialisation started and the city was connected to the railway. The population saw a steady growth to 23,000 in 1875, 35,000 in 1900, 46,000 in 1925 and 58,000 in 1950, when the peak was reached. Until 1990, the population was roughly constant at around 57,000. After German reunification in 1990,
3680-500: The 19th century that follow Augustine's rule. These are composed only of women in several different communities of Augustinian nuns . In a religious community, "charism" is the particular contribution that each religious order, congregation or family and its individual members embody. The teaching and writing of Augustine, the Augustinian Rule , and the lives and experiences of Augustinians over sixteen centuries help define
3772-625: The Duke abdicated in 1918. A far-left government was elected in Gotha in 1919 and worked against both the Weimar National Assembly and the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch in 1920 bringing the city to the edge of a civil war. After a referendum, the state of Gotha joined the newly created Freistaat Thuringia in 1920. Under Nazi rule, Gotha became a centre of the arms industry with nearly 7,000 forced labourers working in
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3864-475: The Hauptmarkt and at Gartenstraße north of the city centre. Many other buildings fell derelict during the later GDR period and the city's time of shrinking in the 1990s, whereas others were refurbished after German reunification in 1990. Gotha's economy was hit by the transition from state to market economy after 1990, nevertheless, some companies survived or were newly founded and have made Gotha economically
3956-823: The Order follows the Constitutions approved in the Ordinary General Chapter of 2007. The government of the order is as follows: At the head is the Prior General, elected every six years by the General Chapter . The Prior General is aided by six assistants and a secretary, also elected by the General Chapter. These form the Curia Generalitia . Each province is governed by a Prior Provincial , each commissariat by
4048-474: The Order forever by a Bull issued in 1497. The holder of the office was Rector of the Vatican parish (of which the chapel of St. Paul is the parish church). To his office also belonged the duty of preserving in his oratory a consecrated Host , which had to be renewed weekly and kept in readiness in case of the pope's illness, when it was the privilege of the papal sacristan to administer the last sacraments to
4140-443: The Pious founded the duchy of Saxe-Gotha . The strongly Protestant and absolutist sovereign quickly began to reorganize his small state (even before the war had ended) and in particular fostered the school system, for example by introducing compulsory education up to the age of 12 in 1642. This was the origin of the often noted liberal education of the Gotha citizenry and the following cultural heyday. Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff
4232-675: The Prussian government had issued a warrant for his arrest. In 1875, the German socialist party ( SPD ) was founded in Gotha through the merger of two organizations: the Social Democratic Workers' Party, led by August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht , and the General German Workers' Association , founded by Ferdinand Lassalle . A compromise known as the Gotha Program was forged, although it
4324-458: The Tuscan hermits was adopted as the common religious habit , and the walking sticks carried by the Bonites in keeping with eremitical tradition—and to distinguish themselves from those hermits who went around begging—ceased to be used. The 12-year-old religious Order of friars now consisted of 100 or more houses. On 9 April 1256 Pope Alexander IV issued the bull Licet Ecclesiae catholicae (Bullarium Taurinense, 3rd ed., 635 sq.) which confirmed
4416-473: The basis of the Rule that, in accordance with the decree of the Lateran Synod of 1059, was adopted by canons who desired to practice a common apostolic life, hence the title of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine . The Canons Regular follow the more ancient form of religious life which developed toward the end of the first millennium and thus predates the founding of the friars. They represent
4508-595: The canons became independent of the diocesan structures, they came to form their own monastic communities. The official name of the Order is the Canons Regular of St. Augustine (CRSA). The 2008 Constitutions of the Order of St. Augustine states that the Order of Saint Augustine is composed of the following: In addition to these three branches, the Augustinian family also includes other groups: a) religious institutes , both male and female, formally aggregated to
4600-450: The city saw a significant decline in population, it shrank to 48,000 by 2000 and to 44,000 by 2012. Between 2013 and 2016, the population rose in each consecutive year. In 2016 it reached 45,640. The average decrease of population between 2009 and 2012 was -0.05% p.a, whereas the population in bordering rural regions is shrinking with accelerating tendency. Suburbanization played only a small role in Gotha. It occurred after reunification for
4692-476: The city's factories, where more than 200 died. The Gotha barracks in the southern periphery were enlarged and during the Kristallnacht in 1938 the synagogue was destroyed. Allied air raids in 1944/5 damaged some buildings in the city, in particular the state theatre (demolished by East German authorities in 1958) and the main station (which remains only "half-a-building") and the main church (rebuilt after
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#17327912945364784-492: The ducal buildings – promoted as the Gothaer Barock-Universum ("Baroque universe of Gotha"). The city centre of Gotha has two medieval parts: the old town around Hauptmarkt and the new town around Neumarkt . Both were walled until 1810, when the city walls were broken down and a boulevard was laid out in their place. Early-modern suburbiums were established to the south-west (around Dreikronengasse ), to
4876-665: The eastern Mediterranean, briefly acquiring a convent in Acre just prior to its conquest in 1291. In the middle of the fourteenth century, the Augustinian Friars acquired the large convent of San Salvatore in Venetian Heraklion (medieval Candia) where they attempted to use the cult of Nicholas of Tolentino to appeal to the local Greek-speaking population. The building stood on Kornaros Square until its demolition in 1970. The Augustinians count among their number over
4968-713: The foundation of the Order cannot be overstated. As decreed by the bull Praesentium Vobis , the Tuscan hermits came together for a general chapter in March 1244, a chapter presided over by Cardinal Annibaldi. At this chapter the Order formally adopted the Rule of St. Augustine and determined to follow the Roman office with the Cistercian psalter , and to hold triennial elections of the Prior General. The first Prior General
5060-484: The friars is a tunic of black woolen material, with long, wide sleeves, a black leather girdle , and a large shoulder cape to which is attached a long, pointed hood reaching to the girdle. The indoor dress consists of a black tunic and scapular , over which the shoulder cape is worn. In many monasteries, white was formerly the color worn in areas where there were no Dominicans . In hot climates Augustinians tend to wear white habits as they are easily distinguishable with
5152-529: The integration of the Hermits of John the Good (Rule of St. Augustine, 1225), the Hermits of St. William (Rule of St. Benedict), the Hermits of Brettino (Rule of St. Augustine, 1228), the Hermits of Monte Favale (Rule of St. Benedict), other smaller congregations, and the Tuscan Hermits into what was officially called the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine. Almost from the beginning the term "hermits" became
5244-414: The internal affairs of the order. This is now expressed by saying that the order is an institute of pontifical right. The Augustinian friars originated after the older Canons Regular . The friars represented part of the mendicant movement of the 13th century, a new form of religious life which sought to bring the religious ideals of monastic life into an urban setting which allowed the religious to serve
5336-879: The largest hospital of the region was built after reunification. The Friedenstein barracks are one of the largest Bundeswehr bases in Thuringia. In addition, the Thüringisches Staatsarchiv Gotha [ de ] , a state historical archive, and the Land's Financial Court have their seat in Gotha. Despite the various sights and the colourful history, tourism plays no important role in Gotha yet. In 2012, there were only 68,000 overnight guests staying for 154,000 nights in Gotha (compared to 310,000 in Eisenach , 650,000 in Weimar and 750,000 in Erfurt ). Within
5428-414: The largest insurance companies in Germany (it moved to Cologne after World War II ). Gotha's tram network was established in 1894. The first crematory in Germany was built in Gotha in 1878. The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD), a left-wing breakaway of the SPD was founded in Gotha in 1917 in opposition to the SPD's war policies during World War I . During the German Revolution ,
5520-445: The last decade there was no significant growth in tourism. Gotha is connected by the Thuringian Railway to Erfurt and Leipzig in the east and to Frankfurt / Kassel in the west. Furthermore, there are some regional railways from Gotha to Leinefelde (via Mühlhausen ) and to Gräfenroda (the latter out of service since 2011). Besides the main Gotha station , there is another one on the Gotha–Leinefelde railway : Gotha Ost in
5612-404: The municipal territory is nearly free of forest (with the two named mountains as exceptions) and is in intensive agricultural use. As one out of only very few ancient cities in Germany, Gotha is not situated on a river, so that water supply was already a problem in the Middle Ages. For that reason, the Leinakanal was built in the 14th century over a distance of more than 25 kilometres, which was at
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#17327912945365704-430: The needs of the people in an apostolic capacity. At this time a number of eremitical groups lived in such diverse places as Tuscany , Latium , Umbria , Liguria , England, Switzerland, Germany, and France. The Fourth Council of the Lateran of 1215 issued the decree Ne nimium to organise these small groups of religious people by requiring them to live in community, to hold elective chapters, to be under obedience to
5796-408: The north depart once an hour. The two Autobahnen crossing nearby at Erfurter Kreuz are the Bundesautobahn 4 ( Frankfurt – Dresden ) and the Bundesautobahn 71 ( Schweinfurt – Sangerhausen ). Furthermore, there are two Bundesstraßen connecting Gotha: the Bundesstraße 7 from Eisenach in the west to Erfurt in the east and the Bundesstraße 247 from Ohrdruf in the south to Mühlhausen in
5888-437: The north-eastern edge of the later city centre. During the 11th century, the nearby Ludowingians received the village and established the city in the late 12th century, as Gotha became their second most important city after Eisenach . The city generated wealth because it was conveniently located at the junction of two important long-distance trade routes: the Via Regia from Mainz and Frankfurt to Leipzig and Breslau and
5980-399: The north-eastern part of the city. Long-distance trains (ICE or IC) connect Gotha with Frankfurt in the west and Leipzig/ Dresden in the east every two hours, as does a regional express train to Göttingen in the north-west and Zwickau / Glauchau in the east via Erfurt and Jena . The local trains to Eisenach in the west, Halle in the east (via Erfurt and Weimar) and Bad Langensalza in
6072-473: The north. Important secondary roads lead from Gotha to Bad Tennstedt in the north-east, to Arnstadt in the south-east, to Waltershausen in the south-west and to Goldbach in the north-west. An eastern bypass road to relieve the city centre of transit traffic along B 247 is in the planning process. The Erfurt-Weimar Airport is situated 20 kilometres east of Gotha and in use for holiday flights to southern European tourist destinations. The next major airport
6164-399: The order by a decree of the Prior General (this would include the Augustinians of the Assumption , the Sisters of St. Rita , etc.); b) other groups of lay Augustinians; c) lay faithful affiliated to the Order. The Augustinian, or Austin, friars (OSA), are a mendicant order. As consecrated religious, they pray the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day. This Latin Church order, while
6256-405: The order indulgences such as can only be gained by making the Stations at Rome; Pope Pius V placed the Augustinians among the mendicant orders and ranked them next to the Carmelites . Since the end of the 13th century the sacristan of the Papal Palace was always to be an Augustinian friar, who would be ordained as a bishop . This privilege was ratified by Pope Alexander VI and granted to
6348-406: The order's history featured a great devotion to learning, to study, to prayer, to service of the poor, and to defense of the Pope and the Church – a particular charism of the Order rooted in the fact that it is the only Order in the history of the Church to be founded directly by a Pope. In his work The Life of the Brothers , the 14th-century Augustinian historian and friar Jordan of Saxony writes:"It
6440-423: The order, this is to be a distinguishing mark of their lives as a community. As consecrated religious, Augustinians profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience. They follow the Rule of St. Augustine, written sometime between 397 and 403 for a monastic community Augustine founded in Hippo (in modern day Algeria), and which takes as its inspiration the early Christian community described in
6532-480: The pope. The sacristan had always to accompany the pope when he traveled, and during a conclave it was he who celebrated Mass and administered the sacraments . He lived at the Vatican with a sub-sacristan and three lay brothers of the order (cf. Rocca, "Chronhistoria de Apostolico Sacrario", Rome, 1605). Augustinian friars, as of 2009, still perform the duties of papal sacristans, but the appointment of an Augustinian bishop-sacristan lapsed under Pope John Paul II with
6624-743: The retirement of Petrus Canisius Van Lierde in 1991. In papal Rome the Augustinian friars always filled one of the Chairs of the Sapienza University , and one of the consultorships in the Congregation of Rites . The Discalced Augustinians were formed in 1588 in Italy as a reform movement of the Order and have their own constitutions, differing from those of the other Augustinians. The Augustinian Recollects developed in Spain in 1592 with
6716-475: The same goal. Currently, though, they are primarily found serving in pastoral care . The Augustinian Hermits, while following the rule known as that of St. Augustine, are also subject to the Constitutions, first drawn up by Augustinus Novellus (d. 1309), Prior General of the order from 1298 to 1300, and by Clement of Osimo. A revision was made at Rome in 1895. The Constitutions were revised again and published at Rome in 1895, with additions in 1901 and 1907. Today,
6808-548: The school of Thuringia's geodesy authority. Research with focus on early modern history is carried out by the Forschungsbibliothek Gotha , the state archive and the "Friedenstein Foundation", which also runs the museums at Friedenstein Castle. The most recent mayoral election was held on 26 May 2024, with a runoff held on 9 June, and the results were as follows: The most recent city council election
6900-627: The time an enormous task. The Leinakanal brings water from Hörsel and Apfelstädt river to Gotha, overcoming the watershed between Elbe (Apfelstädt) and Weser (Gotha). The drain of Leinakanal is the Flutgraben , a tributary of Nesse . The Thuringian Forest is located 15 km (9 mi) south-west of Gotha. Gotha borders the following municipalities, which are all part of Gotha district: Goldbach , Remstädt , Bufleben , Friemar , Tüttleben , Drei Gleichen , Günthersleben-Wechmar , Schwabhausen , Emleben , Leinatal and Hörsel . Gotha
6992-446: The typical German working-class tenements (e.g. around Oststraße and Seebergstraße ). The largest Plattenbau settlement of Gotha was established at the western periphery during the late GDR period. In the 1980s, large areas of the western old town were demolished and replaced by small-scale Plattenbau houses. After 1990, many buildings were thoroughly refurbished after having fallen into dereliction during GDR times. Nevertheless,
7084-711: The war). Nevertheless, some 95% of the city's buildings survived the war unscathed. Jewish slave laborers working in quarries at Gotha were all murdered by their Nazi overseers on 4 April 1945, just before the city was captured by American forces. The American Army reached the city in April 1945 but was replaced by the Soviets in July 1945 and in 1949 Gotha became part of the GDR . During this period, some historic inner-city quarters were replaced by Plattenbau buildings, especially west of
7176-439: The west (around Große Fahnenstraße ) and to the east (around Mohrenberg ). The later 19th century brought larger growth in all directions. Especially the axis between the main station and the city centre received a representative development in capital-city style. Due to Gotha's function as a ducal residence, most buildings built between 1870 and 1914 were generous in size and many mansions were built. Only some outer districts show
7268-484: Was +6.2 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012 (Thuringian average: -0.8; national average: +4.6). The most important regions of origin of Gotha migrants are bordering rural areas of Thuringia as well as foreign countries like Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Like other eastern German cities, foreigners account for only a small share of Gotha's population: circa 2.5% are non-Germans by citizenship and overall 7.1% are classified as migrants (according to
7360-459: Was Friar Matthew, followed by Adjutus and Philip. In the papal bull Pia desideria , issued on 31 March 1244, Pope Innocent IV formally approved the foundation of the Order. In 1255 Innocent's successor, Pope Alexander IV , issued the papal bull Cum Quaedam Salubria summoning all the various groups of Augustinian hermits and the Hermits of Saint William to send two representatives to Rome for
7452-683: Was St. Mary's Church (demolished in 1530) at Schlossberg . The castle (at the site occupied today by Friedenstein Castle) was first mentioned in 1217. As the Ludowingians died out in 1247, Gotha became part of the Wettins' territories, where it remained until 1918. The new town east of Querstraße was established in the early 15th century (with the Neumarkt , first mentioned in 1428). The monastery (first Cistercians , since 1258 Augustinians )
7544-420: Was a birthplace of the German insurance business. The SPD was founded in Gotha in 1875 by merging two predecessors. In that period Gotha became an industrial centre, with companies such as the Gothaer Waggonfabrik , a producer of trams and later aeroplanes. The main sights of Gotha are the early-modern Friedenstein Castle, one of the largest Renaissance Baroque castles in Germany, the medieval city centre and
7636-418: Was built between 1643 and 1654 and is one of the first large Baroque residence castles in Germany. Between 1657 and 1676, the city received a stronger fortification, which was demolished between 1772 and 1811. In their place, a park around Friedenstein and a boulevard around the city were established. Some important scientific institutions were the ducal library (today's Forschungsbibliothek Gotha as part of
7728-585: Was carried to Europe by monks and clergy fleeing the persecution of the Vandals. In the thirteenth century, the various eremitical groups that composed the Augustinian Hermits faced the threat of suppression by the papacy based on their lack of antiquity. To overcome this, the friars forged a historical connection to St Augustine, and made an especial point to demonstrate that they received the Rule directly from Augustine himself. The Augustinian rule
7820-527: Was director of the Herzogliches Museum Gotha (Ducal Museum in Gotha). He took part in the excavations at Olympia, Greece , being tasked with providing analysis of ancient inscriptions. With Wilhelm Dittenberger , he edited Die inschriften von Olympia , based on the inscriptions found at Olympia. Gotha (town) In the Middle Ages, Gotha was a rich trading town on the trade route Via Regia and between 1650 and 1850, Gotha saw
7912-479: Was founded before 1251 and abandoned in 1525. Until 1665, the bourse of Gotha was located in the centre of Hauptmarkt square inside the Renaissance building, which hosts the town hall today. The medieval town hall was located on the north-eastern edge of Hauptmarkt, at the site of today's Innungshalle . Water supply was a big problem, because Gotha is not located on a river. In 1369, Landgrave Balthasar had
8004-492: Was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows: Gotha is twinned with: Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine , written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo . There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13th centuries: There are also some Anglican religious orders created in
8096-695: Was in use by a wide range of groups across early and high medieval Europe, and there is no historical evidence that the Augustinian Friars were in any way founded by St Augustine himself. Rather, the friars invented these links after the Order was threatened with suppression in 1274 at the Second Council of Lyons. While in early Medieval times the rule was overshadowed by other Rules, particularly that of St. Benedict , this system of life for cathedral clergy continued in various locations throughout Europe for centuries, and they became known as Canons regular (i.e. cathedral clergy living in community according to
8188-402: Was one of numerous experienced and loyal civil servants employed by the duke. Seckendorff was considered one of the most able and influential thinkers on administration and public law of his time. His book Der teutsche Fürstenstaat (1656), written by order of Ernest, served for decades as a standard work in teaching political science at Protestant universities in Germany. Friedenstein Castle
8280-596: Was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha . Under the rule of Duke Ernest II , Gotha was a centre of Germany's liberal movement , where the Gothaer Nachparlament , an aftermath of 1848 German Revolution took place. After 1851, Gustav Freytag , novelist, advocate of German unity and often a harsh critic of Otto von Bismarck made Siebleben (today part of Gotha) his summer home. Ernest II made Freytag Hofrat (privy councillor) in 1854, when
8372-562: Was strongly criticized by Karl Marx for its reformist bias in his Critique of the Gotha Program . From 1876 to 1908, the novelist Kurd Lasswitz , sometimes referred to as "the father of German science fiction" worked as a teacher at Gotha's Ernestinum, the oldest Gymnasium in Thuringia. Industrialization started in Gotha around 1850, as the city was connected to the Thuringian Railway in 1847. The city became
8464-560: Was the Winterpalais [ de ] in 2011 (although the latter has now being reconstructed externally). The Orangerie (Gotha) [ de ] was saved in 2006, and the Prinzenpalais was restored in 2017 although the adjacent Kavaliershaus was demolished. During recent years, the economic situation of the city improved: the unemployment rate in the district declined from 17% in 2005 to 7% in 2013 with rates
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