COBURG, a town in Germany, in the Land of Bavaria, on the left bank of the Itz, 4o m. S.S.E. of Gotha. Pop. ) 25,79o. Coburg, first mentioned in a record of 1207, was of con siderable importance in the r 5th and i6th centuries, and owed its existence to the castle and to its position on the great trade route from Nurnberg via Bamberg to the north. In 1245 the castle be came the seat of the elder branch of the counts of Henneberg (Coburg-Schmalkalden). The countships passed to Otto V. of Brandenburg, whose grandson sold them to Henry VIII. of Henneberg. The castle, town and countship then passed by mar riage into the possession of the Saxon house of Wettin. In the 17th century the castle was strong enough to stand a three years' siege (1632-35) during the Thirty Years' War. In 1835 it became the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Coburg. The town contains many interesting buildings. The ducal palace, known as the Ehren burg, originally erected on the site of a convent by Duke John Ernest in 1549, was renovated in and restored in 1816. It contains a decorated hall, the court church and a picture gallery. In the market square are the mediaeval Rathaus and the Govern ment buildings. In the Schloss-platz is the Edinburgh palace, built in 1881. The educational establishments include a gymnasium, founded in 1604. The Zeugliaus (armoury) contains the ducal library and among other public buildings may be mentioned the Augustensti f t, formerly the seat of the ministerial offices, and the Marstall (royal mews). The castle was completely restored in 1835-38 and now contains a natural history museum. The most interesting room is that which was occupied by Luther in 153o. The chief manufactures are machinery, baskets, glass, colours and porcelain. Iron-founding and saw-milling are also important, and there is trade in the cattle reared in the neighbourhood. For the princes of the house of Coburg see WETTIN and SAXE-COBURG.