October 2024. During a week-long whistle-stop tour of Germany, we visit Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt, Weimar in Thuringia, Coburg in Upper Franconia (Bavaria) and Kassel in Hesse. Smaller cities, yes. But each with their own significance. Untouched by overtourism. We’re avoiding using the white trains of DB Fernverkehr, Deutsche Bahn‘s long-distance section and opt to use the red trains of DB Regio and other regional operators.  

When we first walked through the medieval looking streets of Coburg, I immediately felt the connection the town has with crowned heads. 

At Coburg Railway Station, a sign says: “Auch ohne Adelstitel heißen wir Sie herz(og)lich willkommen am Bahnhof Coburg“. In English: “Even without a title of nobility, we cordially welcome you at Coburg Railway Station”, where there’s a pun with cordially and ducally. I think that’s quirky and cute. 

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha has provided for many princes, princesses, kings, queens, emperors and empresses. And the town is proud to show it.

Coburg?

Coburg is a historic town situated on the Itz River in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria. 

Coburg joined Bavaria on 1 July 1920, following a referendum in November 1919, where approximately 88% of Coburg’s population voted in favor of uniting with Bavaria. This decision was influenced by the economic challenges and instability faced by the region after World War I, as well as its geographical proximity to Bavaria.

Franconia, a larger region encompassing Upper, Middle, and Lower Franconia, became part of Bavaria earlier, during the Napoleonic era. The integration began with the Treaty of Paris in 1803, when the former Franconian prince-bishoprics of Würzburg and Bamberg, along with other territories, were secularized and annexed to Bavaria. This process was solidified in 1806, when Bavaria joined Napoleon‘s Confederation of the Rhine and was rewarded with additional Franconian territories, including former free imperial cities and lands of the dissolved Franconian Circle.

Coburg, with a population of approximately 41,500, has a rich history and a notable legacy of royal connections. Coburg was long part of the Thuringian states governed by the Wettin dynasty before joining Bavaria in 1920. Prior to this, it served as one of the capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and earlier, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

The town gained prominence in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to the strategic marriages of its ruling family. This is exemplified by Prince Albert’s union with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1840, which established enduring ties with Europe’s royal families. The town’s royal associations made it a frequent destination for European monarchs, further cementing its importance in the continent’s dynastic politics. Coburg is also home to the Veste Coburg, a large castle which played a key role in its history.

Coburg lies at the foot of the Thuringian Highland, about 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Erfurt and 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Nuremberg. It is an urban district, encircled by the Landkreis Coburg, and was part of West Germany during the Cold War. Due to its location, it was surrounded by East Germany on three sides, positioned at the boundary between Bavaria and Thuringia.

The earliest mention of Coburg appears in a document from 1056, which noted a settlement named Trufalistat on the site. Its name may derive from the word Kuh, suggesting “cow borough,” although the etymology remains uncertain. 

By the 12th or 13th century, the castle on the hill where Veste Coburg now stands had been constructed, and the area transitioned into the control of the House of Henneberg in 1248. In 1353, it passed to the House of Wettin through marriage, becoming a strategic outpost.

Coburg played a significant role in the Reformation. In 1530, Martin Luther resided in the Veste Coburg for six months while his protector, John, Elector of Saxony, attended the Diet of Augsburg. Luther used his time in Coburg to continue translating the Bible into German, further shaping the religious landscape of the region.

The town reached a turning point in 1596 when it was declared the capital of the newly created Duchy of Saxe-Coburg. Its status evolved over the centuries, becoming one of the capitals of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and later Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During the 19th century, Coburg flourished as a cultural and political centre. 

Duke Ernest I or Ernst I undertook extensive urban projects, transforming the medieval fortifications into parks and rebuilding the Ehrenburg Palace in Gothic Revival style. The first meeting of the German National Association was held in Coburg, and the town hosted the inaugural Deutsches Turnfest, a national sports festival.

The 20th century brought significant change. In 1918, Duke Charles Edward abdicated following the German Revolution, and Coburg became a free state. 

During the Nazi era, Coburg gained notoriety as the first German town to elect a Nazi-majority council in 1929 and to name Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen in 1932. The Jewish community, established as early as the 14th century, faced severe persecution under the Nazis, culminating in the deportation and murder of its members during the Holocaust.

Post-World War II, Coburg, largely undamaged, integrated over 15,000 refugees and found itself on the border of the Iron Curtain, a geopolitical divide between East and West Germany. This isolation shaped its economic and cultural development during the Cold War.

Today, Coburg is renowned for its well-preserved historical architecture, including landmarks such as the Ehrenburg Palace, the Stadtkirche St. Moriz, and the Veste Coburg. 

The town attracts tourists with its rich history, cultural festivals, and local delicacies like the Coburger bratwurst, traditionally roasted over a pine cone fire. It remains an economic hub with industries such as Brose Fahrzeugteile and HUK-Coburg headquartered there.

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha? 

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German royal dynasty that originated in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later renamed Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1826 after a reorganisation of Ernestine duchies in Thuringia. The house gained prominence in the 19th century through strategic dynastic marriages, producing monarchs who ruled in several European countries and beyond.

This house became particularly influential when Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1840. Their union established the family as central to European royalty, producing offspring who married into many of the continent’s royal families. As a result, members of the house became monarchs in Belgium, Portugal, Bulgaria, and the United Kingdom.

Prominent monarchs from the house include Leopold I who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831; King Ferdinand II of Portugal, a consort who played a significant role in Portuguese politics and culture; and Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, who led Bulgaria to independence from the Ottoman Empire and declared it a kingdom in 1908. In Britain, the dynasty reigned as the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until 1917, when King George V changed the name to the House of Windsor during World War I to dissociate the royal family from its German origins.

Today, there are no monarchies explicitly named Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. However, the Belgian and British monarchies remain descendants of this house. 

Philippe I, King of the Belgians and King Charles III of the United Kingdom trace their lineage to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty, maintaining its legacy in modern royal institutions.

In 2019 King Philippe codified the coats of arms of himself and those of his family through a Royal Decree. The arms of the reigning monarch was modified to (re-)include the Saxonian escutcheon. The arms of other members of the royal family was similarly modified.

The reinstatement of the shield of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha into the royal arms occurred shortly after the visit of the king and queen to the ancestral Friedenstein Castle in Gotha. The latest royal decree therefore reverses previous changes made to the Royal versions of the coat arms which removed the armorial bearings of Saxony during World War I. By including the three official languages in the motto it reflects his wish “to be the King of the whole Kingdom and of all Belgians”.

What’s in a name?

If the change to Windsor hadn’t happened in 1917, Queen Elizabeth II would have been a Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Chances are her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh would have kept his name of Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and / or his dynastic name Battenberg (without the 1917 name change no need to change Battenberg to Mountbatten). And so, as son of his father, Charles III would have been the first Battenberg King of the UK. 

A day in Coburg

In Coburg, we visited the two ducal residences. We did not visit the Puppenmuseum or Doll Museum. We had lunch at Goldenes Kreuz, the oldest restaurant in Coburg. We had Coburg sausage with potatoes. Who doesn’t like a decent sized sausage in his mouth? 

For dinner we went to Münchner Hofbräu, a chain of Bavarian cuisine restaurants. We learned Thursday are usually fuller, and Fridays slow as on Friday – Feierabend (the night before a day off) – people tend to eat non-German cuisine. There was also a big argument in the kitchen, which was entertaining.

So?

Coburg is nestled in hills, is quite small, slow and calm. Our Ibis Styles seems o be the main hotel. There’s nothing wrong with Ibis Styles, but it’s not exactly high-end. 

Hotels in Coburg counted over 61,000 overnight visitors in 2014 (of which around 53,000 were from Germany). They stayed for a total of almost 120,000 nights, or close to two nights per stay on average. So, not that many tourists. 

For me visiting Coburg was ticking off a box on my wish list. Next: Gotha. 

Dessau – Weimar – Coburg – Kassel 2024

1. REVIEW | European Sleeper night train.
2. GERMANY | Bauhaus in Dessau.
3. DESSAU | Technikmuseum Hugo Junkers Engineering Museum.
4. REVIEW | Radisson Blu Fürst Leopold Hotel Dessau.
5. SAXONY-ANHALT | A day in Dessau.
6. GERMANY | Bauhaus in Weimar.
7. GERMANY | Weimar Classicism, the Wittumspalais of Duchess Anna Amalia and the Weimar Haus Experience.
8. GERMANY | The ‘Weimar’ in Weimar Republic.
9. REVIEW | Hotel Elephant Weimar.
10. THURINGIA | A day in Weimar.
11. COBURG | Ehrenburg Palace.
12. FRANCONIA | Veste Coburg.
13. REVIEW | Ibis Styles Coburg.