Neustadt (urban district)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
An urban district named Neustadt exists in many cities in Germany and other countries, the administrative language of which was German for centuries.
"Neustadt" means "new town", but very often this district is not really new.
High Middle Ages
In lots of places already the founders, due to political purpose, already in the first decades set a second urban nucleus ("Neustadt") beneath the first one ("Altstadt"). Examples are Bielefeld in Westphalia and Elbing in the territory of the Teutonic Order (nowadays Elbląg in Poland). In Bielefeld, the Altstadt concentrated on trade, the Neustadt concentrated on logistics for ruler and government of the County of Ravensberg, that sat on Sparrenburg Castle above the town. In Wrocław, Silesia, the Neustadt was the German foundation beneath originally Polish Altstadt.
Late Middle Ages
In some places the "Neustadt" was a late medieval enlargement, sometimes consequence of a growth of population, sometimes of modernized fortifications.
Prague, with the foundation of the Nové Město (Neustadt) by Charles IV in 1348, became one of the first widespread cities north of the Alps. Nevertheless, in mediaveal tradition it became a separate municipality, the fourth one in Prague. The Neustadt in Bremen (without separate institutions) was built in the 17th century in order to keep distance between the new city wall (and possible besiegers) and the city's harbour.
