Famous individuals
Erfurt is the largest city in Thuringia and was first mentioned by St. Boniface in 742. It has a rich tradition as a university city with a magnificent cathedral and important connections with Martin Luther.
As Thuringia’s economic, intellectual, cultural and political centre, Erfurt has always attracted great individuals, especially those who influenced the spirit of their age: Martin Luther, the mathematician Adam Ries, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Johann Sebastian Bach, Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Martin Luther
Erfurt was the young Luther's spiritual home. In 1505 he graduated with a Masters from the university's faculty of philosophy.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach in 1685, a fact which - to this day - enriches Thuringia's cultural life in myriad ways.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Erfurt is close to Weimar and it is not difficult to find traces of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the great man of letters, here too.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Erfurt's early 19th-century history is heavily influenced by the presence of Napoleon.
St. Boniface
Erfurt - "Erphesfurt" - was first mentioned in 742 in a letter from St. Boniface to Pope Zacharias asking him to ratify the bishopric of Erfurt.
Christian Reichart
Christian Reichart was born on 4 July 1685 in Erfurt. His work contributed to the city developing a reputation in Europe for its flowers and horticulture.
Adam Ries
Adam Riese, a well-known German mathematician, worked in Erfurt from 1518 to 1522/23.
Henry van de Velde
With his Kunstgewerbliches Seminar [seminar on commercial arts and crafts] van de Velde was able to combine art, industry and handicraft in theory and practice.
Lucas Cranach
The works of Lucus Cranach the Elder's are shown in the Cathedral and in the Angermuseum.
