HOF, town of Germany, in the province of Upper Franconia, situated on the Saale, on the north-eastern spurs of the Fichtel gebirge, 103 M. S.W. of Leipzig. Pop. (1933) 43,567. Hof, origi nally called Regnitzhof, built about 108o, was sold by the dukes of Meran in 1373 to the burgraves of Nuremberg. Cloth manufacture introduced in the 15th century, and the manufacture of veils be gun in the 16th century, greatly helped it, but it has suffered severely in various wars. In 1810 it was incorporated with Ba varia. In 1823 the greater part of the town was destroyed by fire. It has a town hall of 1563, and a hospital founded in 1262. It is the seat of woollen and cotton spinning, and the manufacture of cotton and half-woollen fabrics. It has also dye-works, flourmills, sawmills, breweries, ironworks, and manufactures of machinery, iron and tin wares, chemicals and sugar. In the neighbourhood there are large marble quarries and extensive iron mines.