Gotha Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Gotha

Top left: St Margarethen, Top right: Marstall, Middle left: Water feature in front of Friedenstein Castle, Middle right: Rathaus Gotha in Hauptmarkt, Bottom left: View of Christmas illumination event in Hauptmarkt, Bottom centre: Porch in St Margarethen Church, Bottom right: Bruhl Street

Coat of arms

Country

Elevation

300 m (1,000 ft)

Population

(2022-12-31)

• Total

46,019

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

99867

03621

GTH

Website

www.gotha.de

Gotha is a town in Thuringia, in Germany. It is the capital of the District of Gotha. The population was 46,205 in 2004.

History
Sights
Sister cities
Images for kids
See also

History

The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when its name was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne, in which it appears as Villa Gotaha ("Good Waters"). In 1640 Gotha became the capital city of Saxe-Gotha. In the 18th century the French philosopher Voltaire stayed for a long time, and the Royal court became one of the centres of the Enlightenment in Germany. From 1826 to 1918, Gotha was one of the two capitals of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Gotha has played an important role in the Germany's workers' movement: the German socialist party (SPD) was founded in Gotha in 1875, when the Social Democratic Workers' Party, led by August Bebel and Wilhelm Liebknecht, and the General German Workers' Association, founded by Ferdinand Lassalle joined together. The compromise was known the Gotha Program and was opposed by Karl Marx.

Gotha has also been traditionally a centre of publishing. The firm of Justus Perthes (now called Hermann Haack) began publishing the Almanach de Gotha in 1763. The almanach was a very important directory of the world's major ruling dynasties and Europe's high nobility.

From 1949 to 1990 the city of Gotha was in the German Democratic Republic.

Sights

The main attraction in the town is the Schloß Friedenstein, the former ducal palace, built in 1643-1655. It is Germany’s oldest early Baroque palace. The palace also houses the Museum of Regional History including the historic Ekhof Theatre, the oldest preserved baroque theatre in the world.
Town Hall, built between 1567 and 1577 in Renaissance style, noteworthy for a richly decorated façade in its north side.
A Market place (Hauptmarkt) surrounded by restored patrician houses with Baroque doorways.
Augustinian Church (Gothic, 13th century), with former abbey.
St Margaret’s Church (Margarethenkirche), from the end of the 15th century.
Gotha is host to the annual Freakstock Christian music festival.

Sister cities

Images for kids

A Gotha coin from the 13th century
Gotha in 1572
Memorial to Ernest the Pious in front of Friedenstein Castle
Gotha and the new Friedenstein Castle in 1730
Neoclassical cup with saucer from Gotha, late 18th century, hard-paste porcelain
View from Krahnberg mountain over the city
In 1835, Gotha was a mid-size town of 13,000 inhabitants
A typical ruined late-19th century mansion near the city centre
The Gothaer Waggonfabrik in 1959
Gotha station (half rebuilt after 1945 bombings)
The historic tram of Thüringerwaldbahn
The Arnoldi school, one of the three Gymnasiums
Ekhof Theatre
The Historic Museum and the Museum of Nature are located in Friedenstein's western tower
One of the rooms at Castle Museum
Ducal Museum – arthistorical museum of Gotha
Insurance Museum
Tivoli
St. Margarethen
St. Salvator
Ducal chapel inside Friedenstein Castle
Friedrichskirche
St. Helena
St. Bonifatius
Patio of Friedenstein Castle
Towers of Friedenstein Castle
Schloss Friedrichsthal
Winterpalais
Orangerie (northern building)
Marstall
Schloss Mönchhof
Town hall
St. Mary's Hospital
Wasserkunst
Courthouse
Ernestium school
Gothaer Privatbank
Garden city Am Schmalen Rain
Stadtbad Gotha
Perthesforum

Gotha facts for kids

Contents

History

Sights

Sister cities

Images for kids

See also