Erfurt is one of the six districts and the capital city of the state of Thuringia in Germany. It is also the nearest city to the geographical centre of Germany and has a population of 202,929 as of 2007. The city is located at 180 kilometres southeast of Hannover, 150 kilometres north of N?rnberg and 100 kilometres southwest of Leipzig.
In 1802, the city was part of a German kingdom, the Kingdom of Prussia. However, it became part of the Greater French Empire or First French Empire a few years later. In 1815, Erfurt became a part of Prussia again until 1944.
During the Oil Campaign of World War II, Erfurt was bombed but was not heavily damaged. However, on 12 April 1945, it fell under the Third United States Army. On 3 July 1945, the Americans left Erfurt and became a part of the East Germany and Soviet Zone of Occupation. It is only after the German Reunification when Erfurt became the capital city of Thuringia.
The city of Erfurt is also home to the oldest synagogue building in Europe. The old building, built in 11th century, was preserved to stand time. The synagogue was discovered beneath a building. At presents, it serves as a museum known as Erfurt Synagogue, however,, it is still under renovations and is expected to be completed in 2009. The museum displays the Erfurt Treasure, a major attraction and destination in the town.
Aside from the Erfurt Synagogue, there are still other major attractions in the city. The city is well known for its churches, like the Erfurt Cathedral also known as St Mary's Cathedral, which is found at the Cathedral Hill of Erfurt. The church is 1200 years old with an International Gothic style.
Another tourist attraction in the city is the Kr?merbr?cke-a bridge covered with inhabited buildings on the sides. The bridge was originally made of wood, but because of the fires that struck the city, it was rebuilt into stone. Also because of the fires, the number of houses on the bridge was reduced to only 32 houses at present. The city's festival is also named after the bridge, 'Kr?merbr?ckenfest', which is celebrated during the month of June around the bridge. The city also has a theatre, known as Erfurt Theater which can hold thousands of people. It is also one of the main tourist attractions. The Erfurt Theater held many performances, one of which is 'Waiting for the Barbarians', by Philip Glass, which premiered in 2005.
The renowned Martin Luther studied in one of the schools of the city-the University of Erfurt. Luther earned his Master's degree and Bachelor's degree in Theology at the University of Erfurt. He spent few years in the city from 1501 to 1511.
In addition to Martin Luther, there were also other famous people who spent their life in the city of Erfurt. These include Max Weber, a sociologist who was born in Erfurt and Johann Bernhard Bach, a German composer, who was also born in Erfurt.