WURZBURG, a university town and episcopal see of Bavaria, Germany, capital of the province of Lower Franconia, situated on the Main, 6o m. by rail S.E. from Frankfort and at the junction of main lines to Bamberg and NUrnberg. Pop. (1933) 100,937. The site of the Leistenberg was occupied by a Roman fort, and was probably fortified early in the 13th century. Wircebirgum is the old Latin form of the name of the town; Herbipolis (herb town) first appears in the I2th century. The bishopric was probably founded in 741, but the town appears to have existed in the previous century. About the 12th century the bishops had ducal authority in Eastern Franconia. Quarrels broke out between the bishops and the citizens, and, after long struggles, the citizens submitted in 1400. Several imperial diets were held in WUrzburg, chief among these being the one of 118o when Henry the Lion was placed under the ban. By the peace of Luneville the bishop ric was secularized, and in 1803 Wiirzburg passed to Bavaria. The peace of Pressburg in 1805 transferred it to Ferdinand, formerly grand-duke of Tuscany, who joined the confederation of the Rhine and took the title of grand-duke of Wurzburg. In 1815 the congress of Vienna restored Wiirzburg to Bavaria. The bishopric of Wiirzburg at one time embraced an area of about 1,900 sq.m. and had about 250,00o inhabitants. A new bishopric of Wiirzburg was created in 1817.
An ancient stone bridge (1474-1607), 65o ft. long and adorned with statues of saints, and two modern bridges connect the two parts of the town on each side of the river. On the Leistenberg stands the fortress of Marienberg, which from 1261 to 1720 was the residence of the bishops. Many of the houses are interesting specimens of mediaeval architecture; and the numerous old churches recall the fact that it was long the capital of an eccle siastical principality. The principal church is the imposing Ro
manesque cathedral, a basilica with transepts, begun in 1042 and consecrated in 1189. The four towers, however, date from 1240, the (rococo) façade from 1711-19, and the dome from 1731. The transepts terminate in apses. The exterior was restored in 1882-83. Other interesting buildings are the Marienkapelle, the Haugerstifts church, the Neumiinster church, the church of St. Burkhard, the palace, formerly the residence of the bishops and grand-dukes of Wurzburg, and the Julius hospital, and the town hall dates in part from 1456. Walter von der Vogelweide is buried in the cloisters adjoining the Neumunster church.
A university was founded at Wiirzburg in 1403, but it only existed for a few years. The present university was founded by Bishop Julius in 1582. Here W. K. Röntgen discovered the "Röntgen rays" in 1896. Wurzburg was long the Jesuit strong hold in Germany, and the Roman Catholic theological faculty still attracts large numbers. The university has 125 on its teach ing staff and is attended by (1925) 2,124 students.
Wiirzburg is surrounded by vineyards, which yield some of the best wine in Germany. Its principal industries are the manu facture of tobacco, furniture, machinery, scientific instruments and railway carriages. It has also breweries, and produces bricks, marmalade, pianos, sugar, malt and chocolate.
See S. Gob!, Wiirzburg, Ein Kulturhistorisches Stlidtebild (Wiirzburg, 1896) ; F. X. von Wegele, Geschichte der Universitlit Wiirzburg, (Wiirzburg, 1882) ; Geschichte des Bischofstums Wiirzburg (Wurzburg, 1899-1901).