Gera - History

History

The place name Gera originally referred to the area of the Elster river valley where the city now stands. The name most likely originated before the European migration period – the Slavic people who first settled the area during the 8th century adopted the name. The first known documentary mention of Gera dates from 995.

In 999 Emperor Otto III assigned the "province" of Gera to the Quedlinburg Abbey. In turn, the church assigned the protectorship of this area in 1209 to the Vogts of Weida (in German: Vögte von Weida) who served as its administrators. The settlement of Gera acquired the rights of a city later in the 13th century. At first, the city grew only slowly. In 1450, it was almost totally destroyed during the Saxon Fratricidal War. Through inheritance over the following centuries, Gera eventually became part of the Reuss principalities.

In 1806 Napoleon set up his Imperial Headquarters at Gera during the War of the Fourth Coalition. From here, on October 12, 1806, the French Emperor sent an arrogant and threatening letter to King Frederick William III of Prussia – a letter that led directily to war and to the crushing defeat of Prussia at the Battle of Jena a few days later.

From 1848 to 1918 Gera served as the capital of the Reuss Junior Line principality. With the industrial revolution in the middle of the 19th century, Gera enjoyed rapid growth through its textile industry. The many city villas built in that era still testify to the former wealth of the city. The Schulenburg mansion designed by the Belgian artist Henry van de Velde is an example. The city became a railway centre where many rail lines converged — highlighting its importance.

• Schulenburg villa in Gera, designed by Henry van de Velde

In 1920 the city became part of the newly founded state of Thuringia.

Aerial bombing destroyed some parts of the city in 1945.

The city became a part of the newly created District of Gera (Bezirk Gera) in 1952 within the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). After the German reunification in 1990, Gera became part of the restored state of Thuringia — one of three metropolitan centres (Oberzentren) along with Jena and Erfurt. Since 1998, the Vocational Academy of Gera has found its home here, as well as a private school for allied health sciences. The city hosted the biennial federal horticultural show (Bundesgartenschau) in 2007.