View source for Hof, Bavaria

{{Infobox German place
|type = Stadt
|name = Hof
|name_local =
|image_flag = Flagge Hof.svg
|image_coa =  Wappen Hof2.svg
|image_photo = Hof, HO - Theresienstein - Pavillon - Innenstadt v N 02.jpg
|image_caption = View of the town centre
|state = Bavaria
|regbzk = Upper Franconia
|district = urban
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 09464000
|area = 58.02
|elevation = 470-600
|coordinates = {{coord|50|19|N|11|55|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code = 95031-95032
|area_code = 09281
|licence = HO
|mayor             = Eva Döhla<ref>[https://www.statistik.bayern.de/wahlen/kommunalwahlen/bgm/ Liste der Oberbürgermeister in den kreisfreien Städten], accessed 19 July 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;26
|Bürgermeistertitel = Lord Mayor
|party             = SPD
|website = [https://www.hof.de/ www.hof.de]
}}

'''Hof''' ({{IPA|de|hoːf|-|De-Hof.ogg}}) is a town on the banks of the [[Saale]] in the northeastern corner of the [[Germany|German]] state of [[Bavaria]], in the [[Franconia]]n region, at the [[Czech Republic|Czech]] border and the forested [[Fichtel Mountains]] and [[Franconian Forest]] upland regions.
The town has 47,296 inhabitants,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/leben/hof-in-zahlen.html|title=Hof in Zahlen|access-date=2020-05-21|archive-date=2018-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141252/https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/leben/hof-in-zahlen.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> the surrounding district an additional 95,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fläche/Einwohner |url=https://www.landkreis-hof.de/heimat/unser-landkreis/flaeche-einwohner/ |website=Landkreis Hof |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref>

The town of Hof is enclosed by, but does not belong to the Bavarian [[Hof (district)|district of Hof]]; it is nonetheless the district's administrative seat.

The town's most important work of art, the [[Hofer altar]], dates from about 1465 and is exhibited in the [[Alte Pinakothek]] in [[Munich]] today. The Heidenreich organ in the parish church of St. Michaelis, completed in 1834, is considered one of Bavaria's finest.

Hof is known for two local "delicacies", namely {{lang|de|Schnitz}}, a kind of [[hotpot]], and sausages boiled in a portable, coal-fired brass cauldron, which are sold in the streets by the ''sausage man'' ({{lang|vmf|Wärschtlamo}} in the local dialect). There is also a particularly strong beer ({{lang|de|Schlappenbier}}), which is available only on the first Monday after [[Trinity Sunday]] (''Schlappentag''). This tradition dates back to the establishment of the town militia which forced all shooters to take part in a special shooting training each year. To avoid penalties, a lot of shooters rushed out to the training area in the morning of the last possible day, without even enough time to get dressed and thus still wearing their clogs ({{langx|de|Schlappen}}).

The Hof Theatre ([[Theater Hof]]) is a multi-purpose theatre whose construction was completed in 1994. It serves as an opera house and drama theatre, and hosts the city's ballet company and a youth theatre. The [[Hofer Symphoniker]], Hof's symphony orchestra, plays as opera orchestra at the theatre and gives concerts at the [[Freiheitshalle|Freiheitshalle Hof]].

== Geography ==
=== Administrative divisions ===
The town of Hof consists of the following districts in particular:

{|
|valign=top|
* Altstadt ( = Old Town)
* Bahnhofsviertel
* Haidt
* Hofeck
* Eppenreuth
* Fabrikvorstadt
* Krötenbruck
* Leimitz
* Moschendorf
* Münster
|valign=top|
* Neuhof
* Neustadt
* Jägersruh
* Gärtla
* Osseck
* Unterkotzau
* Vogelherd
* Vorstadt
* Wölbattendorf
|}

=== Surroundings ===
Hof is located in between the areas of the [[Franconian Forest]], the [[Fichtel Mountains]] and the [[Vogtland]].

=== Climate ===
Hof has an [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dclo''). Hof is located at an altitude of {{convert|565.2|m|ft}}, which is much cooler than other areas in Bavaria. The average annual temperature ranges from {{convert|-1|C|F}} in winter to {{convert|17|C|F}} in summer, and the annual precipitation is {{convert|712.6|mm|in|abbr=on}}.

The Hof weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Its highest temperature was {{convert|35.3|C|F}} on [[2022 European heatwaves#July heatwave 2|20 July 2022]].
* Its lowest temperature was {{convert|-27.0|C|F}} on 10 February 1956.
* Its greatest annual precipitation was {{convert|1010.5|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1995.
* Its least annual precipitation was {{convert|388.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1953.
* The longest annual sunshine was 2,008.9 hours in 1959.
* The shortest annual sunshine was 1,247.5 hours in 1978.
{{Weather box	
|location = Hof (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1947–present)
|metric first = Y	
|single line = Y	
|Jan record high C = 13.4
|Feb record high C = 17.1
|Mar record high C = 21.4
|Apr record high C = 28.2
|May record high C = 29.9
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 35.3
|Aug record high C = 35.2
|Sep record high C = 31.0
|Oct record high C = 25.1
|Nov record high C = 16.9
|Dec record high C = 13.7
|year record high C = 35.3
|Jan avg record high C = 8.3
|Feb avg record high C = 10.4
|Mar avg record high C = 16.0
|Apr avg record high C = 21.8
|May avg record high C = 25.7
|Jun avg record high C = 29.5
|Jul avg record high C = 30.3
|Aug avg record high C = 30.2
|Sep avg record high C = 24.9
|Oct avg record high C = 20.1
|Nov avg record high C = 12.6
|Dec avg record high C = 8.8
|year avg record high C = 32.2
|Jan high C = 1.0
|Feb high C = 2.4
|Mar high C = 6.9
|Apr high C = 12.6
|May high C = 16.9
|Jun high C = 20.2
|Jul high C = 22.4
|Aug high C = 22.3
|Sep high C = 17.3
|Oct high C = 11.6
|Nov high C = 5.5
|Dec high C = 1.8
|year high C = 11.8
|Jan mean C = -1.3
|Feb mean C = -0.6
|Mar mean C = 2.8
|Apr mean C = 7.6
|May mean C = 11.9
|Jun mean C = 15.2
|Jul mean C = 17.2
|Aug mean C = 16.9
|Sep mean C = 12.4
|Oct mean C = 7.8
|Nov mean C = 2.9
|Dec mean C = -0.3
|year mean C = 7.7
|Jan low C = -3.8
|Feb low C = -3.6
|Mar low C = -0.8
|Apr low C = 2.6
|May low C = 6.7
|Jun low C = 10.0
|Jul low C = 12.0
|Aug low C = 11.7
|Sep low C = 8.0
|Oct low C = 4.4
|Nov low C = 0.6
|Dec low C = -2.5
|year low C = 3.8
|Jan avg record low C = -13.7
|Feb avg record low C = -11.8
|Mar avg record low C = -7.3
|Apr avg record low C = -3.6
|May avg record low C = 0.7
|Jun avg record low C = 4.5
|Jul avg record low C = 6.9
|Aug avg record low C = 5.9
|Sep avg record low C = 2.2
|Oct avg record low C = -2.3
|Nov avg record low C = -5.9
|Dec avg record low C = -10.7
|year avg record low C = -16.1
|Jan record low C = -24.7
|Feb record low C = -27.0
|Mar record low C = -24.1
|Apr record low C = -11.6
|May record low C = -5.1
|Jun record low C = -1.6
|Jul record low C = 1.2
|Aug record low C = 1.0
|Sep record low C = -4.0
|Oct record low C = -10.5
|Nov record low C = -15.0
|Dec record low C = -25.4
|year record low C = -27.0
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 55.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 46.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 49.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 38.5
|May precipitation mm = 58.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 69.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 86.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 75.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 61.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 55.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 54.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 61.7
|year precipitation mm = 712.6
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm	
|Jan precipitation days = 11.9
|Feb precipitation days = 9.7
|Mar precipitation days = 10.9
|Apr precipitation days = 8.7
|May precipitation days = 9.8
|Jun precipitation days = 10.4
|Jul precipitation days = 11.5
|Aug precipitation days = 9.8
|Sep precipitation days = 9.2
|Oct precipitation days = 9.8
|Nov precipitation days = 10.5
|Dec precipitation days = 12.4
|year precipitation days = 124.5
|Jan snow depth cm = 17.7
|Feb snow depth cm = 18.1
|Mar snow depth cm = 9.6
|Apr snow depth cm = 1.5
|May snow depth cm = 0.1
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0.8
|Nov snow depth cm = 6.5
|Dec snow depth cm = 11.7
|year snow depth cm = 26.7
|unit snow days = 1.0 cm
|Jan snow days = 19.1
|Feb snow days = 17.4
|Mar snow days = 8.7
|Apr snow days = 1.2
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0.5
|Nov snow days = 5.0
|Dec snow days = 13.3
|year snow days = 68.5
|Jan sun = 46.8
|Feb sun = 75.1
|Mar sun = 120.3
|Apr sun = 178.8
|May sun = 206.1
|Jun sun = 207.9
|Jul sun = 221.9
|Aug sun = 212.6
|Sep sun = 157.7
|Oct sun = 105.5
|Nov sun = 48.9
|Dec sun = 38.1
|year sun = 1619.8
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 89.8
|Feb humidity = 85.6
|Mar humidity = 80.9
|Apr humidity = 73.0
|May humidity = 72.2
|Jun humidity = 72.6
|Jul humidity = 71.9
|Aug humidity = 72.3
|Sep humidity = 80.1
|Oct humidity = 86.7
|Nov humidity = 91.6
|Dec humidity = 91.7
|year humidity = 80.7
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240922102427/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Hof_10685.csv
|archive-date = 22 September 2024
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/archive/arc0216/0253808/5.5/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Hof_10685.csv
|title = Cuxhaven Climate Normals 1991–2020
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = 22 September 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = DWD (extremes)<ref name=dwd1>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.wetterzentrale.de/extremes_mon.php?&station=2261&extreem=X_TX&order=1&country=1&jaar=2000&maand=01&dag=01
|title = Extremwertanalyse der DWD-Stationen, Tagesmaxima, Dekadenrekorde, usw.
|publisher = DWD
|language = de
|access-date = 22 September 2024}}</ref><ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 18 October 2024}}</ref>
}}

== History ==
=== Roman period ===
 [[File:Europa Germanen 50 n Chr.svg|thumb|Varisci/Narisci Tribe during Roman Empire. Seen as 'Narister' on this map.]]
Hof in the Middle Ages was located in the Provincia Variscorum and was known in Latin as {{lang|la|Curiae Variscorum}} or {{lang|la|Curiae Nariscorum}} meaning "Court of the Varisci/Narisci." It is assumed then that Hof was the place where the chief(s) of the [[Varisci]] (or Narisci) tribe of the [[Suebi]] people held court (and/or perhaps a [[Heathen hofs|pagan temple]] or hall). The Varisci appear briefly in [[Tacitus]]' Germania (Chapter 42) as participants in the [[Marcomannic Wars]]. Their chief, Valao, was killed during battle around 167 AD and it is possible that these ancient peoples were then transplanted to Italy by [[Marcus Aurelius]] and lost their identity. A few centuries later (4th or 5th century) the obscure [[Armalausi]] peoples appear where the Varisci once lived,<ref>see [[Tabula Peutingeriana]]</ref> however the Latin name of {{lang|la|Varisci}} stuck to the region. This is evidenced by nearby [[Plauen]] being called [[:la:Plavia Variscorum|Plavia Variscorum]] and Hof: [[:la:Curia Variscorum|Curia Variscorum]]. The name {{lang|la|Curiae Variscorum}} has been used to denote the city of Hof in numerous documents and publications throughout the years.<ref>[http://digital.slub-dresden.de/werkansicht/dlf/24082/12/ Hymenaeus Decantatus & Dicatus Nuptiis Serenissimi ... Principis ... Christiani..., Kranichfeld, Nikolaus 1602]</ref> This legacy remains even to this day as the word {{lang|de|Hof}} is German for 'court', just as {{lang|la|curiae}} is Latin for 'court'.

=== Sorbish-Frankish Conflicts (c. 600 &ndash; 1080) ===
Sometime around the 6th century AD the Slavic [[Sorbs]] began arriving near the [[Saale|Saale River]] which runs through Hof. They are first mentioned in 631 A.D., when [[Chronicle of Fredegar|Fredegar’s Chronicle]] described them as "Surbi" and as under the rule of a [[Dervan (duke)|Dervan]], an ally of [[Samo]]. The [[Francia|Frankish Kingdom]] of [[Charlemagne]] and his descendants were determined to Christianize the pagan Slavs and various campaigns were waged against them. The [[Annales Regni Francorum]] state that in 806 A.D. Sorbian Duke [[Miliduch]] fought against the Franks and was killed by [[Charles the Younger]] the son of Charlemagne around nearby modern-day [[Weißenfels]].
[[File:Via Imperii und Via Regia.png|thumb|Hof (located between Zwickau and Nürnberg on this map) was on the Via Imperii]]
The region where Hof is located first came under the ecclesiastic control of the [[Bishopric of Würzburg|Dioceses of Würzburg]] during this time period. Then in 1007 the region which contains Hof came under the [[Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg|Bishopric of Bamberg]] which was established out of the Dioceses of Würzburg to further spread Christianity throughout this area.

While the area around Hof remained [[terra incognita]] during this time period it was not isolated from the rest of the world. Although not home to a king or prince, Hof was on located on a somewhat protected, and very important trade route; the [[Via Imperii]]. This route led from Italy to the Baltic Sea and Hof was well situated to be a place of rest for travelers and traders as the flourishing markets of [[Leipzig]], [[Zwickau]], and [[Nuremberg]] began to develop. The budding mining industry of silver and tin from the nearby [[Ore Mountains]] would also contribute to the development of trade in this region.

=== Andechs-Merania and Vögte of Weida (1080&ndash;1373) ===
It appears that the missionary efforts of Bamberg were fairly successful in Hof as sometime around 1080 a group of farmers (possibly [[Sorbs|Sorbish]]) settled parts of modern-day Hof had built a chapel on Klausenberg an der Saale.<ref>[http://www.kathpedia.com/index.php?title=Hof_(Saale) Kathpedia Geschichte Hof (Saale)]</ref> They called their settlement "Rekkenze" which appears to be derived from the Western Slavic word {{lang|zlw|Rekavica}} meaning "river." Rekkenze was first mentioned in a document<ref>Staatsarchiv Bamberg, Bamberger Urkunden Nr. 467</ref> written by one Pastor Albertus of [[:de:St. Lorenz (Hof)|St. Lorenzkirche]] in 1214 to the Bishop of Bamberg.

The Slavic language has left many marks on the geography of this region and to this day there are two waterways known as "Regnitz" near Hof: the [[:de:Südliche Regnitz|Upper/Southern Regnitz]] (which flows in the south of Hof on the east side of the Saale River) and the [[:de:Nördliche Regnitz|Lower/Northern Regnitz]] (which flows in the north and east side of the Saale). Also of note, the area around Hof, the southern Bavarian-Bohemian part of the Vogtland, was known as the [[:de:Regnitzland|Regnitzland]].

====Rekkenze and other historic names of Hof====
This Rekkenze settlement, which later became Hof, went by this and many other names through the years. For example, Hof is also called "curia Reckenize" (court of Reckenize) and "schlosz Reckenitz" (Castle Reckenitz) in a document of the {{ill|Vögte von Weida|lt=Vögte of Weida|de}} in the year 1276.  It has been suggested that the name "Hof" is the shortened form of {{lang|de|Stadt am Regnitzhof}} meaning "City on the Court at the Regnitz". Other names for Hof have included: {{lang|la|Curia Bavarica}} (Variscorum), {{lang|la|Curiae Nariscorum}}, {{lang|la|Curiae Regnitianae}}, {{lang|la|Curiae Regnitianae ad Salam}}, {{lang|la|Curiae Variscorum}}, {{lang|la|Hoff}}, {{lang|la|Hofii}}, {{lang|de|Hof an der Saale}}, and {{lang|de|Hoff im Voitlande}} to name but a few.<ref>[http://www.dilibri.de/geographics/DE:Hof?oldid=599621 Other names for Hof]</ref>

==== House of Andechs-Merania ====
In 1098 [[Berthold II, Count of Andechs|Count Berthold II]] of [[County of Andechs|Andechs]] inherited his father's lands including those in modern-day [[Upper Franconia]]. In the 1130s he built [[Plassenburg|Plassenburg Castle]] in Kulmbach and from 1137 he styled himself as 'Count of [[County of Plassenburg|Plassenburg]]". He thus strengthened his influence in and around the nearby Regnitzland.

Around 1230, Count Berthold's great-grandson, the Crusader [[Otto I, Duke of Merania|Duke Otto I]] von [[Duchy of Andechs-Merania|Andechs-Merania]] fortified the area north of the Rekkenze farming settlement ({{lang|de|Altstadt}}) at the area downstream now known as {{lang|de|Neustadt}} (New City).

==== Vögte of Weida ====
[[File:Osterburg Weida.jpg|thumb|Castle Osterburg in Weida is considered the birthplace of the Vogtland which once ruled Hof]]
By 1248 the royal house of Andechs-Merania dies out with Duke [[Otto III, Count of Burgundy|Otto II]]. Soon after the Vögte of Weida acquired the Regnitzland including Hof. Vogt Henry VIII of Weida (1258–1279) earned the city of Hof and Regnitzland. He was married to Sophie, daughter of [[Herman II, Count of Weimar-Orlamünde|Count Hermann II]] of [[County of Orlamünde|Orlamünde]] and [[Beatrix of Andechs-Merania]] (daughter of Count Otto I).

Under the guidance of the Vögte of Weida the first city wall and the foundation of the poor hospital (Armenspitals) were built ({{circa|1260}}). Also, in 1270 there is the first mention of a castle at Hof and in 1278 the beginnings of the Klarissenkloster was established under the aid of the Vogt. The convent was blessed by the first Franciscan [[Pope Nicholas IV]] in 1291 and came under the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Cross in 1292.

In 1299 75% of the city (both Old and New Hof) was destroyed by a fire and the population was left destitute. It took over 30 years to rebuild Hof, however during the rebuilding process (1319) the Vogt Heinrich XII the Younger (der Jüngere) of Weida (1302–1324) confirmed traditional rights and privileges upon the City of Hof. These rights officially made Hof a city.

In 1373, Vogt Heinrich XVI of Weida sold the Regnitzland to [[Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg|Burgrave Friedrich V]] of [[Burgraviate of Nürnberg|Nürnberg]]. However, due to this early history with the Vögte of Weida, Hof is still considered part of the geographical region known as the [[Vogtland]]. To this day the {{lang|de|Wappen}} (Shield) of Hof has the lion of the Vögte emblazoned in remembrance of the fact it was once owned by the Vögte. The name of the [[:de:Museum Bayerisches Vogtland|Museum Bayerisches Vogtland]] in Hof today also pays homage to this history.

=== Brandenburg period (1373&ndash;1792) ===
Burgrave Friedrich V died on January 21, 1398, and his lands were split between his two sons, Johann III and Friedrich IV, thus creating what has been called the [[Principality of Bayreuth]]. Hof was under this [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] Principality until December 2, 1791, and during this time was known as the {{lang|de|Hochfürstlich-Brandenburgische Hauptstadt Hoff im Voigtlande}} (the "Princely Brandenburg capital city of Hof in the Vogtland").

==== Hussite Wars (1419&ndash;1434) ====
Close to the end of the [[Hussite Wars]] (between the 4th and 5th Crusade against them) Hof was sacked by the [[Hussite]] followers of [[Jan Hus]]. In 1430, during the period the [[Hussite]]s called the Spanilé jízdy (or "beautiful rides") they raided and devastated the city of Hof. on 25 January they burnt Plauen and then turned their attention to Hof. From the end of January into February they attacked and finally broke through killing many Hofers and looted and burned Hof. They also took away inhabitants of Hof as booty.

==== Rebuilding of Hof ====
In 1432 a militia was organized to defend Hof. The organization of this Shooter's Guild is still celebrated in Hof annually in festival called Schlappentag [see description above].

in 1464 the Hospital and Hospital Church ([http://www.hospitalkirche-hof.de/geschich.htm Hospitalkirche] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121042631/http://hospitalkirche-hof.de/geschich.htm |date=2014-11-21 }}) were rebuilt.

1487 a foundation in Niclaskirche for pilgrims on the [[:de:Jakobsweg|Jacobsweg]] was built near the modern day St. Marienkirche. Jacobsweg is part of the famous [[Camino de Santiago]] which ends in at [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral|Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela]] in Galicia, Spain. There is a plaque on the wall of Marienkirche that commemorates this pilgrim inn that is now lost.

In 1498 a watch tower was constructed to add to the defenses of Hof.

==== Reformation ====
[[File:Sebald Friedrich.JPG|left|thumb|370x370px|Friedrich von Brandenburg was the head pastor of Hof during the Reformation and was often in conflict with his Protestant brother George "the Pious".]]
While 1517 brought the [[Ninety-five Theses|95 Theses]], the spark that ignited the [[Reformation|Protestant Reformation]], in Hof 1517 sparked a terrible fire that destroyed some 50 homes around the Orlaplatz and St. Michaeliskirche, severely damaging the rectory. The various churches and chapels in Hof at this time were all under the head pastor ({{langx|de|Oberpfarrer}}) of Hof, Margrave [[:de:Friedrich von Brandenburg-Ansbach (1497–1536)|Friedrich von Brandenburg]] of the [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] family. This family often fought amongst themselves during the reformation using religion to gain political power. Friedrich tended to side with the Catholic Church against his brother [[George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|George "the Pious"]] who used the new Protestant religion to his advantage.
[[File:Cranach, Lucas (II) - Georg der Fromme - Jagdschloss Grunewald - 1564.jpg|thumb|George von Brandenburg "the Pious" was the ruler of the lands which included Hof and was favorable to the Reformation and often in conflict with his more Catholic leaning brother Friederich.]]
In 1524, a reforming priest named [[:de:Kaspar Löner|Kaspar Löhner]] was reassigned from his preaching position at [[:de:Kloster Birkenfeld|Kloster Birkenfeld]], after complaints from the Abbess, and brought to Hof under Head Pastor Friedrich v. Brandenburg. Löhner had been performing Mass in German and singing German songs during the Mass.<ref name="Bertheau 1884">{{Cite book|url=https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd121376168.html#adbcontent|title=Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Band 19|last=Bertheau|first=Carl|date=1884}}</ref> He arrived in Hof where his preaching continued to carry a certain reformation flavor. This is understandable given that he was a friend of [[Martin Luther]] who had accompanied him from Wittenberg and Augsburg in 1518.<ref name="Bertheau 1884"/>

Soon after Löhner arrived in Hof the radical lay-preacher from Zwickau, [[Nikolaus Storch]], also arrived in Hof. According to the Hof chronicler [[:de:Enoch Widmann|Enoch Widmann]], Storch was in Hof at the end of 1524 working as a weaver, but still preaching and gaining followers. Previously a co-worker with [[Thomas Müntzer]], Storch is also considered a forerunner of the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]] movement, because Widmann recorded him as having preached and practiced adult baptism in Hof. This was opposed by Löhner and others in Hof and towards the end of January in 1525 he applied to the mayor of Zwickau to be allowed to return there. This was refused and according to [[Philip Melanchthon|Philip Melancthon]] (letter to [[Joachim Camerarius]], 17 April 1525) Storch played a leading role in the [[German Peasants' War|Peasants War of 1525]].

Löhner's first stay in Hof was also short-lived and Head Pastor Friedrich von Brandenburg had him removed the year after he arrived (1525) and he was replaced by the Catholic priest Wolfgang Thech. On Easter of 1527 Thech had his beard and hair purposely set on fire by young men while he was impersonating Christ in a [[Harrowing of Hell]] re-enactment. Believing they had been taught to disrespect the priesthood by men like Löhner, Thech left Hof for Halle an der Saale.

[[File:Weigand von Redwitz.jpg|left|thumb|Bishop Weigand von Redwitz, Bishop of Bamberg whose jurisdiction included Hof during the Reformation]]
After time in Wittenberg (1526) and then Oelzntiz (1527) Löhner was then reinstated in 1528 in Hof by Friedrich's Lutheran brother the Margrave George the Pious. Löhner then returned to Hof in league with the Hof born theologian, mathematician, and school master [[:de:Nikolaus Medler|Nikolaus Medler]] (who was also a student of Luther's). Together they more boldly introduced the Reformation. The first Evangelical (Lutheran) communion service in Hof was held by Löhner at St. Michaeliskirche on September 5, 1529. This public act marks a major turning point in which Hof began to assert itself as openly Lutheran against the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. However, Löhner and Medler continued to face stiff opposition to these changes as their subsequent removal from Hof reveals.

Pastor Kaspar Löhner was a leading theologian and writer in his day and he wrote a church liturgy ({{langx|de|Gottesdienstordnung}}), catechism, and a hymnal among other writings.<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/identities/viaf-868025/ Writings of Kaspar Loehner]</ref> While in Hof he married Margarethe Felitscher, daughter of the Mayor (Bürgermeister) of Hof Konrad Felitscher, and by which he became the father of [[:de:Johann Josua Löner|John Joshua Löner]] and the great-grandfather of the famous Lutheran theologian and hymn writer [[:de:Josua Stegmann|Joshua Stegmann]].

Löhner and Medler both continued to receive opposition from powerful individuals including the regional governor ({{langx|de|Landhauptmann}}) Christoph von Beulwitz who was a supporter of the Bishop of Bamberg. Being acquainted with Martin Luther, both Pastor Löhner and Schoolmaster Medler asked him for advice concerning this opposition and received a letter from Luther addressed from [[Wittenberg]] on June 7, 1531, which encouraged them to stay. The letter begins:

<small>"{{lang|de|Martin Luther an die verehrten Brüder in Christo und treuen Bürger der Stadt Hof, Kaspar Löner, Pfarrer, und Nikolaus Medler, Schullehrer.}}"</small>

<small>Translation: "[From] Martin Luther, to the venerable brothers in Christ and faithful citizens of the city of Hof, Kaspar Löner, Pastor, and Nicholas Medler, School Master."</small>[[File:Stephan Agricola.jpg|thumb|Theologian and reformer Stephan Agricola was a Protestant pastor at St. Michaeliskirche in Hof beginning in 1532.|alt=]]However, the next month (13 July 1531) both Löhner and Medler were ousted from Hof. This is due to the fact that even though George the Pious was actively trying to introduce Protestantism into his lands, he was constantly opposed by his brother Friedrich who held numerous [[benefice]]s in Hof. Also still holding great influence and power in and around Hof was the Bishop of Bamberg [[Weigand of Redwitz|Weigand von Redwitz]]. These two were able to somewhat curb the influence of Margrave George the Pious and the reformers.

However, the next year, in 1532, George the Pious was able to obtain the famous theologian and reformer [[Stephan Agricola]] and assign him to St. Michaeliskirche in Hof.  Also during the year 1532 there was public shock throughout Hof as a local noblewoman who had become a nun (Veronika [[:de:Zedtwitz|von Zedtwitz]]) left the [[Poor Clares]]' cloister in Hof and broke her vows to marry the rector of the Gymnasium in Hof, Conrad Meyer. Pastor Agricola continued his influential ministry in Hof until 1542 and during his time as Hof's pastor he was present at the meeting of Lutheran theologians at [[Schmalkalden]] in 1537 and was a signer of the [[Smalcald Articles|Schmalkaldic Articles]] written by Martin Luther.

It was during this time period that the Catholic population in Hof became severely limited, although it held on for a few more decades. In 1538 the Sigmundskirche was demolished and the St. Gangolf church was sold (and was later burned down and turned into barns). After the Franciscan monastery was abolished in Hof in 1564, Catholicism did not really regain ground in the city again until after Catholic Bavaria purchased Franconia in 1810. It wasn't until 1837 that the Catholic population of Hof received their own priest and 1844 until a small church was built ([[:de:St. Marien (Hof)|Marienkirche]]).

==== Margrave Albert Alcibiades ====
[[File:Andreas Riehl (I) - Bildnis des Markgrafen Albrecht Alcibiades von Brandenburg-Kulmbach.jpg|thumb|Margrave Albrecht von Brandenburg-Kulmbach was the nephew of both Head Pastor Friedrich von Brandenburg and George the Pious and a warrior-ruler over the lands which included Hof.|alt=|left]]
In 1546, [[Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Margrave Albert Alcibiades]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Brandenburg-Kulmbach]] founded a Grammar School in Hof, which is today known as the [[:de:Jean-Paul-Gymnasium Hof|Jean-Paul Gymnasium]], in honor of the most famous student that attended there: [[Jean Paul|Jean Paul Friedrich Richter]]. Jean-Paul Gymnasium is one of the oldest schools in Upper Franconia.

===== Siege of Hof =====
[[File:Michaelis Kugel 039.JPG|thumb|Cannonball from Siege of 1553 in tower of St. Michaeliskirche|alt=]]On August 7, 1553, Hof came under a 7-week siege known as the [[Siege of Hof]]. The siege was one of the major battles of the [[Second Margrave War]] and Hof was finally taken from Margrave Albert Alcibiades by [[Henry IV, Burgrave of Plauen|Heinrich IV]] of [[Burgraviate of Plauen|Plauen]] on September 28, 1553. Albert was able to briefly retake Hof on October 11, but it fell back into the hands of those allied against Margrave Albert on November 27. Some 18,236 stone cannonballs are said to have been shot into Hof during this siege<ref>Fr. Ebert, Kleine Geschichte der Stadt Hof, Hof 1961, S. 44</ref> with some cannonballs still visible today lodged in walls throughout Hof. For example, from the Saale River looking back one can still see a cannonball lodged in one of the towers of [[:de:St. Michaelis (Hof)|St. Michaeliskirche]] from the siege of 1553.

Aftermath: [[:de:St. Lorenz (Hof)|St. Lorenzkirche]] was looted and burned during the siege and the old Watch Tower was also burned out. The [http://www.hospitalkirche-hof.de Hospitalkirche], which was used as a war camp by the attackers, was attacked and destroyed by the city's defenders. Also, the end of the last Roman Catholic stronghold in Hof; {{lang|de|Das Kloster der Klarissen}} occurred during this siege as Abbess [[:de:Amalie von Hirschberg|Amalie of Hirschberg]] escaped with her nuns to [[Cheb|Cheb (Eger)]]. The Cloister was looted and later turned into a school. After the siege, Henry IV briefly put [[Georg Wolf of Kotzau]] (who had once served Margrave Albert) in charge of the governance of Hof. Finally, Albert's cousin, [[George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Margrave Jürgen Friedrich]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Brandenburg-Ansbach]] (reign of 1557–1603) took power and ruled over Hof and rebuilt it along with much of his Margraviate which had been ransacked during the war.

The noted artist [[Hans Glaser]] made a [http://www.zeno.org/Kunstwerke/B/Glaser,+Hans%3A+Belagerung+der+Stadt+Hof+vom+9.+August+bis+zum+28.+September+1553 woodcut of the siege of Hof] which is located in today in the [[Germanisches Nationalmuseum]] in Nürnberg.

==== Thirty Years War (1618&ndash;1648) ====
===== Regional Prelude: Brandenburg-Ansbach to Brandenburg-Bayreuth =====
After the death of the childless [[George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Margrave Jürgen Friedrich]] of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Brandenburg-Ansbach]] in 1603, his margraviate was given to [[Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Karsten]], the son of [[John George, Elector of Brandenburg|Elector Johann Jürgen]] of [[Electorate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]. This was done in accordance with [[House Treaty of Gera]] set in place in 1599 to provide for a [[peaceful transition of power]] to the heirless Jürgen Friedrich.
[[File:Christian von Brandenburg-Bayreuth (aka).jpg|140px|thumb|left|Karsten, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth at an older age]]

[[Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Margrave Karsten]] took power over Brandenburg-Ansbach after Jürgen Friedrich’s death in 1603. In 1604, he moved his capital from [[Kulmbach]] to [[Bayreuth]], thus changing the name of the margraviate to [[Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Brandenburg-Bayreuth]]. This Margraviate had been a member of the [[Franconian Circle]] since 1500 and Margrave Karsten was elected Colonel ({{langx|de|Kreisobrist}}) of the Franconian Circle in 1606. He was also one of the founding members of the [[Protestant Union]] founded in 1608 as a way of giving teeth to the [[Peace of Augsburg]] (1555). Karsten was Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth which oversaw the governance of Hof when the 30 Years War broke out ten years later in 1618.

===== Fire of 1625 =====
On November 6 a fire broke out in Hof that destroyed 174 houses. Hof was again left destitute and it took 40 years before widespread re-construction could be financed. During this time period Hof was left vulnerable, especially to the pillaging of the mercenary [[Heinrich Holk]]'s notorious cavalry unit, "Holk's Horse" (see below).
[[File:General Holk.jpg|thumb|General Holk]]

===== Heinrich Holk's Raids =====
In 1632 and 33 Heinrich Holk's cavalry unit of Croatian and Polish forces ravaged the surrounding region (especially the neighboring [[Electorate of Saxony]]). On 23 Jan 1633, 8 companies of Holk's Horse plundered Hof. The raiding, raping, looting, and destruction continued also in later raids on June 13 and August 11 of the same year. Fortunately for the distraught citizens of Hof Heinrich Holk's forces were politically stymied after the [[Battle of Lützen (1632)|Battle of Lützen]] on November 16.

===== Margrave Karsten in the war and aftermath =====
During the war, Margrave Karsten formed an alliance with Sweden, although the Swedes sacked Hof on 29 May 1640. [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Ferdinand II]] tried to depose him as ruler of Bayreuth in 1635; however, he continued in office. All of Europe was deeply affected by these wars. Disease, starvation, and warfare took a terrible toll on infrastructure, livestock, farmlands, and human dignity. After the [[Thirty Years' War|30 Years War]] it is estimated that one half of the population of Brandenburg was lost and in some areas as many as two-thirds.<ref>Prussia in the later 17th century, University of Wisconsin-Madison</ref> One can only imagine the joy when the wars ended and Margrave Karsten called a general festival of thanksgiving for peace which was celebrated throughout his Principality in February 1639. Hof seems to have recovered quickly under Margrave Karsten and it became a refuge for displaced Protestants, especially from Austria and Bohemia.

==== Postal link ====
In 1683 Hof became a link in the postal service between [[Leipzig]] and [[Nuremberg]]. The post came through twice a week. Postal links to [[Regensburg]] (1692) and to [[Dresden]] (1693) followed.

==== Fire of 1743 ====
In 1743 the Hof Castle burned down and was not rebuilt, although several walls of the castle are still visible in modern-day Hof.

=== Prussian rule (1791&ndash;1805) ===
Hof came under Prussian rule on December 2, 1791, when [[Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Margrave Karl Alexander]], the last Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, sold it to King [[Frederick William II of Prussia|Friedrich Wilhelm II]] of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], a fellow member of the [[House of Hohenzollern|House Hohenzollern]].

=== Napoleonic Conflicts (1805&ndash;1810) ===
On 3 November 1805 the Prussians had signed the [[Treaty of Potsdam (1805)|Treaty of Potsdam]], agreeing to enter the [[War of the Third Coalition]] against [[Napoleon]] if he didn't agree to peace within four weeks. This treaty came to nothing after the [[Battle of Austerlitz]] on 2 December 1805, when Napoleon decisively crushed the Third Coalition. This forced the Prussian envoy, Count [[Christian Graf von Haugwitz|Karsten]] of [[County of Haugwitz|Haugwitz]], to negotiate a treaty of friendship called the [[Convention of Schönbrunn]] (15 December 1805) proclaiming an alliance between Prussia and France. As part of this treaty Prussia was forced to give up Brandenburg-Ansbach.

In February 1806 Haugwitz went to Paris to ratify this Treaty of Schönbrunn and to attempt to secure some modifications in favour of Prussia. He was received with a storm of abuse by Napoleon, who insisted on tearing up the treaty and drawing up a fresh one, which doubled the amount of territory to be ceded by Prussia and forced her to a breach with Great Britain by binding her to close the Hanoverian ports to British commerce. The treaty, signed on 15 February, left Prussia wholly isolated in Europe and led Prussia into war with Napoleon later that year.

In the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]] (1806–1807) Hof was then briefly held by General [[Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien]] of the Prussian Army. Tauentzein more or less abandoned Hof on 8 October 1806 and Hof was easily taken by light cavalry from Napoleon's Marshal General [[Jean-de-Dieu Soult]]'s IV Corps that same day. Hof's geographic position made it an ideal 'jumping off' point of Napoleon's [http://www.napoleongames.com/campaign_in_saxony.html Campaign in Saxony] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911131441/http://www.napoleongames.com/campaign_in_saxony.html |date=2010-09-11 }} which quickly resulted in the French-won [[Battle of Schleiz]] the next day and soon thereafter the famous Napoleon victory at the [[Battle of Jena–Auerstedt|Battle of Jena]].

Napoleon sold Hof to the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]] on 30 June 1810.

=== Bavarian rule (1810&ndash;1918) ===
==== Fire of 1823 ====
On 4 September 1823, the town was virtually destroyed by a fire as 9 out of 10 buildings were destroyed.

=== World War II ===
In 1945, Hof suffered minor destruction due to aerial attacks but by the end of 1945 housed twice its previous population, receiving German-speaking refugees from neighbouring [[Bohemia]], where extensive [[ethnic cleansing]] of Czechoslovakia's German-speaking population [[Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia|was taking place]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Willy Brandt |editor=Einhart Lorenz |title=Verbrecher und andere Deutsche. Ein Bericht aus Deutschland 1946 |publisher=J. H. W. Dietz Nachfolger |location=Bonn |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-8012-0380-1|page=222}}</ref>

=== Modern era ===
From 1945 to 1990 Hof was very close to the [[Iron Curtain|border]] between [[East Germany]] and [[West Germany]].
In 1989&nbsp;thousands of East German citizens, who had demanded the right to travel or emigrate to West Germany and had been allowed to do so, first arrived on western soil at Hof's [[railway station]], having been placed on a special train and officially "expelled" by the East German government. Hof is located near the old Berlin-Munich autobahn, which was thought to be a possible invasion route by Warsaw Pact forces had the Cold War ever escalated into armed conflict (see [[Fulda Gap]]).

{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
|colspan="2"|'''Largest groups of foreign residents'''
|-\
! Nationality || Population (2013)
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}} || 1,772
|-
|{{flag|Romania}} || 322
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}} || 262
|-
|{{flag|Poland}} || 221
|-
|{{flag|Italy}} || 210
|-
|}

=== Population development ===
{|
|valign = "top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
|1818: ||4,667
|-
|1840: ||7,985
|-
|1880: ||21,000
|-
|1900: ||32,781
|-
|1920: ||40,785
|}
| valign = "top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
|1939: ||44,878
|-
|1945: ||55,405
|-
|1950: ||61,033
|-
|1955: ||58,005
|-
|1960: ||57,414
|}
| valign = "top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
|1965: ||55,810
|-
|1970: ||54,424
|-
|1975: ||54,644
|-
|1980: ||53,180
|-
|1985: ||51,275
|}
| valign = "top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Population
|-
|1990: ||53,095
|-
|1995: ||52,531
|-
|2003: ||49,804
|-
|2004: ||49,424
|-
|2006: ||50,150
|}
|}

== Politics ==
=== Margraves of Kulmbach and Bayreuth ===
* 1398: [[John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg|Johann III of Nuremberg]]
* 1420: [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg|Friedrich I of Brandenburg]]
* 1440: [[John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Johann IV ''the Alchemist'']]
* 1457: [[Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg|Albert I ''Achilles'']] (also Margrave of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] from 1470)
* 1486: [[Siegmund, Margrave of Bayreuth|Siegmund]]
* 1495: [[Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Friedrich III]] (also Margrave of [[Margraviate of Ansbach|Ansbach]] as Friedrich I)
* 1515: [[Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Kasimir]]
* 1527: [[Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Albert Alcibiades]]
* 1553: [[George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Jürgen Friedrich]] (also Margrave of Ansbach)
* 1603: [[Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Karsten]]
* 1655: [[Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Karsten Ernst]]
* 1712: [[George William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Jürgen Wilhelm]]
* 1726: [[George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Jürgen Friedrich Karl]] (previously Margrave of [[Margraviate of Kulmbach|Kulmbach]] from 1708)
* 1735: [[Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Friedrich]]
* 1763: [[Frederick Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth|Friedrich Karsten]]
* 1769: [[Christian Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach|Karsten Friedrich]] (to 1791; also Margrave of Ansbach)

===Mayors (first mayors and lord mayors)===
(since the introduction of the Bavarian Municipal Code in 1818)

{|
|1818–1846:
|Georg Friedrich Samuel von Oerthel (d. 20 Mar 1846)
|-
|1847:
|Johann Adam Laubmann (from 20 Jul 1847 – 25 Dec 1847)
|-
|1848–1849:
|Christoph Theodor Gottlob Schrön (elected 7 Feb 1848)
|-
|1849–1857:
|Moritz Ernst Freiherr von Waldenfels
|-
|1857–1882:
|Hermann von Münch
|-
|1883–1903:
|Carl von Mann
|-
|1904–1916:
|Paul Bräuninger
|-
|1916–1919:
|Heinrich Neupert
|-
|1919–1933:
|Karl Buhl
|-
|1933–1941:
|Richard Wendler
|-
|1945–1946:
|Oskar Weinauer
|-
|1946–1948:
|Hans Bechert
|-
|1948–1949:
|Kurt Schröter
|-
|1950–1970:
|Hans Högn (SPD)
|-
|1970–1988:
|Hans Heun (CSU)
|-
|1988–2006:
|Dieter Döhla (SPD)
|-
|2006–2020:
|Harald Fichtner (CSU)
|-
|since May 2020:
|Eva Döhla (SPD)
|}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Hof is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Cheb]] (Eger), Czech Republic<ref name="partnerschaften">{{cite web|title=Städtepartnerschaften|url=https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/rathaus/partnerschaften.html|website=hof.de|publisher=Hof|language=de|access-date=2021-02-15|archive-date=2019-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917072951/https://www.hof.de/hof/hof_deu/rathaus/partnerschaften.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Joensuu]], Finland<ref name="partnerschaften"/>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]], United States<ref name="partnerschaften"/>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Plauen]], Germany<ref name="partnerschaften"/>
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Caruaru]], Brazil<ref name="partnerschaften"/><ref name="Cidade-irmã">{{cite web|url=http://www.cidade-brasil.com.br/municipio-caruaru.html|title=Município de Caruaru|work=cidade-brasil.com.br | accessdate = 27 February 2025 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Villeneuve-la-Garenne]], France<ref name="partnerschaften"/>
{{div col end}}

== Culture ==
=== Points of interest ===
* [[Botanischer Garten der Stadt Hof]], a municipal [[botanical garden]] and the Hof Zoo, a zoological garden located on the Theresienstein, a hill near the downtown
* [[Freiheitshalle]], event building
* St Mary's Cathedral, highest church of the town (65 meters high)
* St Michel's Cathedral, second largest church
* Untreusee, a lake in the south of the town
[[File:St.-Marien-Hof-Altstadt.JPG|thumb|St Mary's Cathedral]]
[[File:Theresienstein-in-Hof.JPG|thumb|Theresienstein (parc)]]
[[File:Untreusee w.jpg|thumb|Untreusee in summer]]

=== Concert, theatre and festivals ===
* [[Freiheitshalle]], the biggest hall for events and concerts in north-east Bavaria, famous for TV shows and trade fairs, with a capacity of more than 6,000 people.
* [[Theater Hof]], a multi-purpose theatre, opera house and drama theatre. It hosts also the city's ballet company and a youth theatre. Intendant: Reinhardt Friese.
* [[Hofer Symphoniker]], the symphony orchestra of Hof, plays as opera orchestra at the theatre and gives concerts at the [[Freiheitshalle|Freiheitshalle Hof]]. Notable is also the Hofer Symphoniker Music School, which is unique among Germany's professional orchestras. Intendant: Ingrid Schrader.
* Church music at City churches [[:de:St. Marien (Hof)|St Mary's]] and St Michel's. Music direktors: [[Ludger Stühlmeyer]] and Georg Stanek.
* [[International Violin Competition Henri Marteau]]: Named after the violinist and violin teacher [[Henri Marteau]], the competition takes place under the responsibility of the District of [[Upper Franconia]] and organized by [[Hofer Symphoniker]] every three years in [[Lichtenberg, Bavaria|Lichtenberg]] and Hof.
* [[Hof International Film Festival]].
* Schlappentag (see above in the general description)
* Hofer Volksfest: The term {{lang|de|Volksfest}} means fair or folk festival. The Hofer Volksfest is the biggest of its type in the area. It takes place at the end of July and beginning of August every year. It begins on the last Friday of July with a big parade which passes through the town centre in the direction of the festival area where it finishes. The festival occupies a big amusement park with a wide variety of attractions and all kinds of local food and beer specialties, and partly occupies a big beer tent area. Most of the latter takes place in a big concert hall but the atmosphere is similar to that of a beer tent. Every night, different local bands play mostly traditional Bavarian music.

==Weather and geography==
Hof is also known as ''Bavarian Siberia'' because temperatures are usually a few degrees lower than in most other parts of Bavaria, particularly in winter, but summers are warm.

The coat-of-arms of Hof is a red shield with two white towers against which leans a black shield with a gold lion. 322&nbsp;miles away the town of Heimbach where Hengebach castle is located (former capital of the [[Duchy of Jülich]]) the coat-of-arms is almost the reverse: a black shield with a red roof on a white tower against which leans a gold shield with a black lion. Although Hof is 322&nbsp;miles away from Heimbach, the two cities have some association. The castle of Hengebach in Heimbach is located in the section that was the former village of Schmidt and there lived a branch of the baronial dynasty of von Schmidt auf Altenstadt until they emigrated in 1749 and the seat of the barons von [[Barony of Altenstadt|Altenstadt]] was very near Hof, in a part of the municipality of Gattendorf known as Kirchgattendorf, where the ruins of the von Altenstadt castles can still be seen. But the coincidences do not stop there: the family arms of the von Schmidts auf Altenstadt were a swan and the arms of Gattendorf are a swan.

The barons von [[Barony of Schmidt auf Altenstadt|Schmidt auf Altenstadt]], as barons of the village [[Gattendorf]] in the environs of Hof were a significant part of social and aristocratic life in the town. In the nineteenth century, Christoph August von Schmidt, after having served as a Provost at the University of Saint Petersburg, Russia where he was ennobled by the Tsar and awarded the orders of St Stanislaus and Sts Ann-and-Vladimir, erected a monument<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.verschoenerungsverein-hof.de/vv_htm/ob_vstaf.htm |title=Verschoenerungsverein Hof - von Schmidt'sche Tafel |access-date=2008-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704010850/http://www.verschoenerungsverein-hof.de/vv_htm/ob_vstaf.htm |archive-date=2007-07-04 }}</ref> describing his adventure and bearing the simplified, swan version of his coat-of-arms which today has been adopted by the village of Gattendorf as its municipal arms.

Hof provided Anthony Hope (author of "The Prisoner of Zenda") with his inspiration for Strelsau, capital of his fictitious kingdom of Ruritania. Although the book locates Ruritania along the railway line between Dresden in Sachsen (Saxony) and Prague, capital of Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic), one can see Hof in the descriptions of Strelsau. Among the clues there is the name "Altstadt" for the "old town", similar to {{lang|de|Altenstadt}}, the older part of Strelsau where "Black Michael", the Duke of [[Duchy of Strelsau|Strelsau]], was popular.

=== Climate ===
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "[[Köppen climate classification#Group C: Temperate/mesothermal climates|Cfb]]" (Marine West Coast Climate/[[Oceanic climate]]).

{{Weather box
|location = Hof an der Saale, 567 m asl (1991–2020 normals)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 13.3
|Feb record high C = 15.9
|Mar record high C = 21.3
|Apr record high C = 28.2
|May record high C = 29.9
|Jun record high C = 32.5
|Jul record high C = 34.9
|Aug record high C = 35.2
|Sep record high C = 31.0
|Oct record high C = 25.1
|Nov record high C = 16.8
|Dec record high C = 13.6
|year record high C = 35.2
|Jan record low C = -24.7
|Feb record low C = -27.0
|Mar record low C = -24.1
|Apr record low C = -11.6
|May record low C = -5.1
|Jun record low C = -1.6
|Jul record low C = 1.2
|Aug record low C = 1.0
|Sep record low C = -4.0
|Oct record low C = -10.5
|Nov record low C = -15.0
|Dec record low C = -25.4
|year record low C = -27.0
|Jan high C = 	1.0
|Feb high C = 	2.4
|Mar high C = 	6.9
|Apr high C = 	12.6
|May high C = 	16.9
|Jun high C = 	20.2
|Jul high C = 	22.4
|Aug high C = 	22.3
|Sep high C = 	17.3
|Oct high C = 	11.6
|Nov high C = 	5.5
|Dec high C = 	1.8
| year high C =	11.8
|Jan mean C = 	-1.3
|Feb mean C = 	-0.6
|Mar mean C = 	2.8
|Apr mean C = 	7.6
|May mean C = 	11.9
|Jun mean C = 	15.2
|Jul mean C = 	17.2
|Aug mean C = 	16.9
|Sep mean C = 	12.4
|Oct mean C = 	7.8
|Nov mean C = 	2.9
|Dec mean C = 	-0.3
|year mean C = 	7.7
|Jan low C = 	-3.8
|Feb low C = 	-3.6
|Mar low C = 	-0.8
|Apr low C = 	2.6
|May low C = 	6.7
|Jun low C = 	10.0
|Jul low C = 	12.0
|Aug low C = 	11.7
|Sep low C = 	8.0
|Oct low C = 	4.4
|Nov low C = 	0.6
|Dec low C = 	-2.5
| year low C =	3.8
| precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 	55.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 	46.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 	49.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 	38.5
|May precipitation mm = 	58.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 	69.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 	86.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 	75.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 	61.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 	55.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 	54.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 	61.7
| year precipitation mm =	712.6
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm	
|Jan precipitation days = 	18.5
|Feb precipitation days = 	16.0
|Mar precipitation days = 	17.1
|Apr precipitation days = 	13.6
|May precipitation days = 	14.7
|Jun precipitation days = 	15.0
|Jul precipitation days = 	16.1
|Aug precipitation days = 	13.9
|Sep precipitation days = 	13.4
|Oct precipitation days = 	15.6
|Nov precipitation days = 	16.4
|Dec precipitation days = 	19.5
|year precipitation days = 	189.9
|Jan sun = 	46.8
|Feb sun = 	75.1
|Mar sun = 	120.3
|Apr sun = 	178.8
|May sun = 	206.1
|Jun sun = 	207.9
|Jul sun = 	221.9
|Aug sun = 	212.6
|Sep sun = 	157.7
|Oct sun = 	105.5
|Nov sun = 	48.9
|Dec sun = 	38.1
|year sun = 	1619.7
|Jan humidity = 	89.8
|Feb humidity = 	85.6
|Mar humidity = 	80.9
|Apr humidity = 	73.0
|May humidity = 	72.2
|Jun humidity = 	72.6
|Jul humidity = 	71.9
|Aug humidity = 	72.3
|Sep humidity = 	80.1
|Oct humidity = 	86.7
|Nov humidity = 	91.6
|Dec humidity = 	91.7
|unit snow days = 1.0 cm
|Jan snow days = 	19.1
|Feb snow days = 	17.4
|Mar snow days = 	8.7
|Apr snow days = 	1.2
|May snow days = 	0
|Jun snow days = 	0
|Jul snow days = 	0
|Aug snow days = 	0
|Sep snow days = 	0
|Oct snow days = 	0.5
|Nov snow days = 	5.0
|Dec snow days = 	13.3
|year snow days = 	
| source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name=WMO>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231012155751/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Hof_10685.csv
| archive-date = 12 October 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Hof_10685.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2010
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 12 October 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = Météo Climat<ref>
{{cite web
|url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p5.php
|publisher=Météo Climat
|language=fr
|title=German Climate Normals 1981–2020
|date=February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=284|title=Weather extremes for Hof|publisher=Météo Climat|language=fr|access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref>
}}

== Education ==
Hof is also home to the [[University of Applied Sciences Hof]] which has around 3,700 students and the University of Applied Sciences for Administration and Legal Affairs in Bavaria which has around 1,800 students.
<gallery>
Hof-Franziskanerkloster.JPG|Jean Paul Gymnasium
Longoliusplatz 1 20211020 HOF07292cens.png|School at Longoliusplace
Südkante Gebäude B Hochschule Hof 20210815 HOF03601.jpg|University
</gallery>

== Media ==
In Hof is the headquarters of the Frankenpost, the regional newspaper.

There are two radio stations Radio Euroherz and Extra Radio.
[[File:Logo TV-Oberfranken.svg|thumb|TV Oberfranken]]
Furthermore are the studios of the regional television channel {{lang|de|TV Oberfranken}} (TV Upper-Franconia) in Hof.

== Military ==
Hof was of special interest during the [[Cold War]] as it was near the border with Czechoslovakia and the GDR. On Hohe Saas, there was a radar site. A border camp of the American [[2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment]] was near the town. The 511th Military Intelligence Battalion also maintained a border resident office in Hof*. Between 1949 and 1993, Hof was also the site of an RIAS transmitting station.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071214085548/http://www.history.army.mil/documents/BorderOps/ch5.htm Source - page 132 -]</ref>

== Transport ==
[[Hof Hauptbahnhof|Hof central station]] is on the [[Weiden–Oberkotzau railway|Regensburg–Hof]], [[Bamberg–Hof railway|Bamberg–Hof]] and [[Saxon-Bavarian Railway|Leipzig–Hof]] main lines and the [[Hof–Bad Steben railway|Hof–Bad Steben]] branch line.

Buses are run by HofBus, which operates 12 routes in the town.<ref>{{cite web | title=Stadtwerke Hof - Verkehr - HofVerkehr | url=http://www.stadtwerke-hof.de/verkehr | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108083413/http://www.stadtwerke-hof.de/verkehr | archive-date=8 January 2010 }}</ref>

Hof has a [[Hof-Plauen Airport|regional airport]].

== Notable people ==
===Born in Hof===
* [[Nikolaus Decius]] (1485–after 1546), monk, minister, cantor, hymns poet and Prussian reformer
* [[Johann Christian Reinhart]] (1761–1847), painter, etcher and draftsman
* [[Johann Georg August Wirth]] (1798–1848), journalist and political activist
* [[Johann Erhard Fischer]] (1817–1884), pastor, historian, author and editor of Freimund's kirchlich-politisches Wochenblatt für Stadt und Land
* [[Heinrich Gerber (civil engineer)|Heinrich Gerber]] (1832–1912), civil engineer, bridge-builder and inventor of the Gerber girder
* [[Otto von Schrön]] (1837–1917), physician, [[epidemiologist]], Director of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy at the [[University of Naples]], freeman of [[Naples]]
[[File:General Otto von Lossow 01.jpg|thumb|150px|Otto von Lossow, major]]
* [[Otto von Lossow]] (1868–1938), [[General]], commander of the Infantry School in Munich
* [[Ernst Pöhner]] (1870–1925), Munich Police President and one of the parties at the [[Hitlerputsch|Hitler Ludendorff Putsch]] in 1923
* [[Hans Georg Hofmann]] (1873–1942), SA-''Obergruppenführer'' and ''Regierungspräsident'' of Middle and Upper Bavaria
* [[Stefan Dittrich]] (1912–1988), politician (CSU), member of the Bundestag
* [[Gerhard Hetz]] (1942–2012), float and swim coach
* [[Klaus Wedemeier]] (born 1944), [[SPD]] - politician, 1971–1985 and 1995–1999 member of the Bremen Regional Parliament (Landtag), 1985–1995 mayor and president of the Senate of [[Bremen]]
* [[Reinhard Kapp]] (born 1947), musicologist
* [[Daniel Felgenhauer]] (born 1976), football player
* [[Vivi Vassileva]] (born 1994), percussionist
* [[Mergim Vojvoda]] (born 1995), Kosovan football player

=== Those associated with Hof ===
* [[Stephan Agricola]] (1491–1547), theologian and reformer in Hof
* [[Paul Daniel Longolius]] (1704–1779), rector of the school in Hof, chief editor of Zedler Universal Lexicon
* [[Jean Paul]] (1763–1825), writer, visited the school in Hof
* [[Bernhard Lichtenberg]] (1875–1943), Catholic priest who took a position critical during the Nazi era, died on the way to [[Dachau concentration camp]] in court. Was awarded for his commitment to persecuted Jews in the Israeli memorial [[Yad Vashem]] as "Righteous Among the Nations" (memorial bust in the Parish Church of St. Mary)
* [[Leo Götz]] (1883–1962), painter, died in Hof
* [[Richard Wendler]] (1898–1972) mayor in Hof
* [[Hans Hofner]] (1908–1982), local historian, winner of the Golden Ring of Honour of the city Hof
* [[Enoch zu Guttenberg]] (1946–2018), honorary conductor of the [[Hofer Symphoniker]]
* [[Hans-Peter Friedrich]] (born 1957), German politician of the [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria|CSU]], former Interior Minister
* [[Ludger Stühlmeyer]] (born 1961), deanerycantor, docent, musicologist and composer
* [[Barbara Stühlmeyer]] (born 1964), author, scientist, church musician
* [[Alfredo Stroessner]] (1912–2006) 42nd president of [[Paraguay]]'s father, Hugo Strößner was from Hof

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Literature ==
* Chronik der Stadt Hof, Band I-X, {{lang|de|Veröffentlichung der Stadt Hof, Mintzel Druck Hof}} (''Chronicle of the City Court'', Volume I-X, publication of Hof, Mintzel pressure Hof 1937-1997):
: Band I, Hof 1937, Ernst Dietlein: {{lang|de|Allgemeine Stadtgeschichte bis zum Jahre 1603}}.
: Band II, Hof 1939, Ernst Dietlein: {{lang|de|Allgemeine Stadtgeschichte von 1603-1763}}.
: Band III, Hof 1942, Ernst Dietlein: {{lang|de|Allgemeine Stadtgeschichte von 1763-1871}}.
: Band IV, Hof 1955, Ernst Dietlein: {{lang|de|Kirchengeschichte}}.
: Band V, Hof 1957, Friedrich Ebert: {{lang|de|Baugeschichte}}.
: Band VI, Hof 1966, Friedrich Ebert, Karl Waelzel: {{lang|de|Alte Hofer Stadtbeschreibungen}}.
: Band VII/1, Hof 1979, Dietmar Trautmann: {{lang|de|Wirtschaftsgeschichte bis 1810}}.
: Band VIII, Hof 1936, Ernst Dietlein: {{lang|de|Hof – Geburtsstadt großer Männer}}.
: Band IX, Hof 1997, Rudolf Müller, Carola Friedmann, Adelheid Weißer: {{lang|de|Rechts- und Verwaltungsgeschichte der Stadt Hof}}.
: Band X, Hof 2005, Jörg Wurdack: {{lang|de|Militärgeschichte der Stadt Hof}}.
* Christoph Rabenstein: {{lang|de|Politische und publizistische Strömungen in einer Stadt Oberfrankens.}} Hof 1918-1924. Hagens Antiquariatsbuchhandlung, Bayreuth 1986.
* Friedrich Ebert, Axel Herrmann: {{lang|de|Kleine Geschichte der Stadt Hof}}. Hoermann Verlag, Hof 1988, {{ISBN|3-88267-034-7}}.
* Peter Nürmberger, Reinhard Feldrapp: {{lang|de|Hof in Bayern ganz oben}}. Hoermann Verlag, Hof 2002, {{ISBN|3-88267-062-2}}.
* Arnd Kluge, Beatrix Münzer-Glas: {{lang|de|Stadt und Landkreis Hof}}. Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2007, {{ISBN|978-3-86680-192-9}}.
* [[Ludger Stühlmeyer]]: {{lang|la|Curia sonans.}} {{lang|de|Die Musikgeschichte der Stadt Hof. Eine Studie zur Kultur Oberfrankens. Von der Gründung des Bistums Bamberg bis zur Gegenwart.}} (''{{lang|la|Curia sonans}} - The musical history of the city court''. With biographies of musicians who were born in the yard or have worked here.) Phil.Diss., Bayerische Verlagsanstalt, Heinrichs-Verlag, Bamberg 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-89889-155-4}}.

==External links==
* [https://www.hof.de/ Stadt Hof website]
* [http://dekanat-hof.de/ Homepage of Evangelical Deanery yard]
* [http://mein-franken.eu/towns-and-municipalities/upper-franconia/hof-city.html?L=1 Hof, described by a native Franconian resident (in English)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213135824/http://mein-franken.eu/towns-and-municipalities/upper-franconia/hof-city.html?L=1 |date=2009-02-13 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150705144952/http://www.us-musical-gala.de/Vita/Selele.htm Zodwa Selele] (archived 2015)

{{Germany_districts_bavaria}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hof, Bavaria| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Bavaria]]
[[Category:Urban districts of Bavaria]]
[[Category:Upper Franconia]]