Gottingen is a historic university city that boasts numerous museums. A large part of the old buildings from different eras has also been preserved here, including picturesque half-timbered houses.
The city was founded in the 13th century on the site of an earlier stronghold. It belonged to the Hanseatic League, which brought him numerous benefits from the development of trade. It was also a cloth production center, which was traded in stalls located on the ground floor of the Old Town Hall.
In 1734, Jerzy II Hanoverki founded the university in Göttingen, which quickly joined the leading academic centers in Germany. It was completed by numerous scholars and artists, including Nobel Laureates Friedrich Gauss and Max Born. Around 300 marble plaques with the names of the most prominent alumni of the University of Göttingen can now be seen throughout the city.
The town center is a market square surrounded by tenement houses from different eras. The symbol of Göttingen stands here and its greatest attraction is the Art Nouveau statue of the Gottingen Goose. According to superstitions, students should kiss the figurine on the cheek in order to pass a very difficult exam.
The city can also boast numerous museums, including the City Museum and the Ethnological Collection. There is also a Zoological museum and the GWDG Computer Museum. The Historical Observatory is connected with the local university, as well as two gardens, the Old Botanical Garden and the Experimental Botanical Garden.
