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{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox German location
|type              = Stadt
|image_photo       = Naila.jpg
|image_caption     = Naila
|image_coa         = Wappen Naila.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|50|19|N|11|41|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Naila in HO.svg
|state             = Bayern
|region            = Oberfranken
|district          = Hof
|elevation         = 512
|area              = 37.04
|postal_code       = 95119
|area_code         = 09282
|licence           = HO, NAI
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 4 75 156
|website           = {{url|www.naila.de}}
|mayor             = Frank Stumpf<ref>[https://www.statistik.bayern.de/wahlen/kommunalwahlen/bgm/ Liste der ersten Bürgermeister/Oberbürgermeister in kreisangehörigen Gemeinden], [[Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik]], 15 July 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;26
|party             = FWG
}}

'''Naila''' ({{IPA|de|ˈnaɪlaː|-|De-Naila.ogg}}) is a town located in the [[Hof (district)|Hof district]] of [[Bavaria]], Germany. It lies in the [[Franconian Forest]]. Naila is {{cvt|18|km}} from the larger city of [[Hof, Germany|Hof]], on both banks of the [[Selbitz (river)|Selbitz]] river.
[[File:Naila-katholische-Kirche.jpg|thumb|240px|Naila: The Church of the Transfiguration]]

==History==
The earliest documentation of Naila was recorded on 9 January 1343.<ref name="NAI">{{cite web |title=Daten der Stadtgeschichte |url=https://www.naila.de/stadt-naila/stadtgeschichte/ |website=Stadt Naila |publisher=City of Naila |language=de |access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> The first settlements in the area around Naila probably happened between the 12th and 14th century. The name Naila first appeared as "Neulins" (and variations thereof), has its origins most likely in the meaning "Small new settlement". In 1454, Naila was awarded a coat of arms by its overlord, [[John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach|Margrave John]].

After a brief episode under [[Prussia]]n reign (1792–1810), Naila was included into the newly-established [[Kingdom of Bavaria]]. In 1818, it was awarded town privileges and in 1886, a [[Hof–Bad Steben railway|railroad]] station was opened in Naila.<ref name="NAI"/> However, after [[World War II]], the establishment of [[Iron Curtain]] just {{cvt|8|km}} north of Naila, cut off a large part of the market for the local industries. 

The town served as the seat of the then [[Districts of Germany|district]] of Naila until this was merged into Hof district in 1972, and had to give up their number-plate code NAI in favour of HO. In 1978, the nearby villages of Marxgrün, Lippertsgrün and Marlesreuth were incorporated to Naila.<ref name="NAI"/>

In 1979, Naila was the landing site of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families' famous homemade [[East German balloon escape|hot-air balloon escape]] from [[East Germany]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Homemade balloon carries 8 to freedom|url=
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BRwLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KFADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5217,4025403&dq=border+escape+east-germany+-berlin|work=The Prescott Courier|date=17 September 1979}}</ref>

==Mayors==

* 1906–1919: Wilhelm Hagen
* 1919–1926: Heinrich Kanzler
* 1926–1933: Julius Borger
* 1933-1933: Ludwig Wunner
* 1933–1945: Karl Jakob Schmidt
* 1945–1945: Georg Fugmann
* 1945–1948: Heinrich Lang senior
* 1948–1952: Christian Schlicht
* 1952–1953: Georg Fugmann
* 1953–1956: Karl Otto Zander
* 1956–1959: Hilmar Jahn
* 1960–1964: Fritz Jahn
* 1964–1968: Hans Künzel
* 1968–1972: Albin Bischoff
* 1972–1996: Robert Strobel
* 1996–2001: Hannsjürgen Lommer
* 2001- : Frank Stumpf

==Population development==
The numbers are with the incorporated districts.

{|
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Year
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Inhabitants
|-
| 1840 || align="right" | 4357
|-
| 1871 || align="right" | 4549
|-
| 1900 || align="right" | 5201
|-
| 1925 || align="right" | 6336
|-
| 1939 || align="right" | 6955
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Year
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Inhabitants
|-
| 1950 || align="right" | 10090
|-
| 1956 || align="right" | 9668
|-
| 1960 || align="right" | 9522
|-
| 1965 || align="right" | 9829
|-
| 1970 || align="right" | 9821
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Year
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Inhabitants
|-
| 1975 || align="right" | 9631
|-
| 1980 || align="right" | 9217
|-
| 1985 || align="right" | 8675
|-
| 1990 || align="right" | 8893
|-
| 1995 || align="right" | 9037
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Year
! class="hintergrundfarbe6"| Inhabitants
|-
| 2000 || align="right" | 8547
|-
| 2005 || align="right" | 8410
|-
| 2010 || align="right" | 8071
|-
| 2015 || align="right" | 7640
|-
|}
|}

== Personalities ==
* [[Emre Dönmez]] (born 1996), screenwriter, photographer and movie critic{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
* [[Hans-Peter Friedrich]] (born 1957), jurist, CSU politician, Member of Bundestag since 1998, Federal Ministry of the Interior 2011-2013

==See also==
* [[Franconian Forest]]
* [[Wild man#Post-medieval reception|Wild man]]
* [[Höllental (Franconian Forest)|Höllental]]

== External links ==
* {{Official site|http://www.naila.de}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.datenmatrix.de/projekte/hdbg/gemeinden/cgi-local/detail.cgi?gkz=9475156 History of the city-seal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716190628/http://www.datenmatrix.de/projekte/hdbg/gemeinden/cgi-local/detail.cgi?gkz=9475156 |date=2012-07-16 }} {{in lang|de}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050504073357/http://www.th.schule.de/g/goethegym/schueler/semifach/flucht/geschis/peter.html Description of the balloon-escape from the GDR] {{in lang|de}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Naila}}

{{Cities and municipalities in the district Hof}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Hof (district)]]