Herzogenaurach

Geschichte

Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma, as well as the large car parts manufacturer Schaeffler Group.GeographyHerzogenaurach is situated in the Middle Franconia area of Bavaria, approx. 23 km or 14 miles northwest of Nuremberg. The town is located on the Aurach river, a tributary of the Regnitz river.HistoryHerzogenaurach was first mentioned in a document from 1002 under the name of Uraha when Holy Roman Emperor Henry II granted the town to the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg.EconomyHerzogenaurach is the birthplace of two sporting goods giants: Adidas and Puma, founded by the two brothers Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler, after an acrimonious familial split in 1948. Both companies' headquarters are still located in the town, originally on opposite sides of the Aurach River, and brand loyalty was sharply divided as well. For years, Adidas and Puma workers would not associate and even when Adolf and Rudi died, they were buried in opposite ends of the town Cemetery. These differences cleared up over the years.