Goslar

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Map of Germany showing Goslar

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Goslar is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern of the Harz mountains. Population: 45,700 (1999).

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Goslar is a very popular tourist resort of Lower Saxony, being a gateway to the western part of the Harz mountains. The town was founded in the 10th century after the discovery of silver deposits in the close Rammelsberg mountain. It became a particularly rich town, which attracted the interest of the Holy Roman Emperor.

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The Kaiserpfalz (emperor's palace) of Goslar was built in the 11th century and became a summer residence for the emperors, especially Henry III of Germany who visited his favourite palace about twenty times. Henry is buried in Goslar.

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The cathedral of Goslar is as old as the palace, but only the porch survived; the church itself was torn down in 1820. Goslar is still intact and was not bombed during World War II because it housed a P.O.W. camp.

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Other sights are the town hall (16th century) and the ancient mines of the Rammelsberg mountain, which are now a mining museum. Goslar and the mines are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Town: In American English, a town is usually a municipal corporation that is smaller than a city but larger than a village. In some cases, "town" is an alternate name for "city" or "village" (especially a larger village). Sometimes, the word "town" is short for "township."...

Capital: :This article concerns places that serve as centers of government and politics. For alternative meanings see capital (disambiguation)...

Harz: The Harz is a mountain range in northern Germany. The northernmost mountain chain of Germany, it straddles the border between the states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from a Middle High German word meaning "forest"....