Welcome to Bradford's ecumenical European link
In the eighth century, an English missionary priest called Boniface arrived in Central Germany, preaching the Christian message to the then-pagan Saxons. In AD742 he wrote to the Pope, asking him to create a Bishopric based at "Erphesfurt"; the present-day city of Erfurt looks back to that letter as the beginning of its recorded history. It is a natural centre: the river Gera could easily be forded, and later bridged, and to the south-west it cuts through low hills, so it is not surprising that north-south and east-west trade routes crossed here. Boniface was martyred, but his mission was a success - twelve and a half centuries on, the city of Erfurt is a key Christian and political centre in Germany.
Politically, since reunification in 1991, Erfurt is the capital of the state (Land) of Thuringia (Thüringen); historically, the area formed part of the Dukedom of Saxony, but was divided up, and in the 19th century Erfurt and Northern Thuringia became part of Prussia, while its hinterland remained a Duchy (Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, whence Prince Albert came) until the era of Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm.
Our partnership with the church in Erfurt was formalised in 1997, although initial contacts (church and secular) go back to the DDR era. The 10th anniversary was celebrated in Erfurt in July 2007.
