Brunswick

The city of Braunschweig is located on the Oker River some 38 miles southeast of Hanover in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. According to tradition, Bruno of Saxony founded it in the 9th century. Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony, gave it its charter and developed it in the 12th century. It joined the Hanseatic League in the 13th century and prospered, but civil unrest caused it to decline. It revived far enough to become the capitol city of the state of Brunswick after the First World War, but then suffered heavy bombardment and severe damage in the Second. It was rebuilt and some of its historic architecture was restored. Medieval buildings include the Romanesque Cathedral of St. Blasius, containing the tomb of Henry the Lion, four medieval churches, the castle Burg Dankwarderode, which houses the Treasures of the Guelph family, and, in the castle square, a large statue of a lion, a memorial to Henry the Lion, carved in 1166. The modern city is known worldwide for its technical and scientific educational institutions. The principal industries are metalworking and the production of vehicles. It is a transportation center with an airport and railway junction. Other notable economic activities are the sugar trade and the production and marketing of asparagus, sausage, and gingerbread. The 2004 estimated population was 245,600.