Speyer

Speyer Schbaija (Palatine German)
Town
Medieval centre Gedächtniskirche Old Gate Speyer Cathedral Old town skyline
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Speyer
Speyer Show map of Germany Speyer Show map of Rhineland-Palatinate
Coordinates: 49°19′10″N 8°25′52″E / 49.31944°N 8.43111°E / 49.31944; 8.43111
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Urban district
Subdivisions	4 Stadtteile
Government
• Lord mayor (2018–26)	Stefanie Seiler[1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	42.58 km2 (16.44 sq mi)
Elevation	92 m (302 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	51,368
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	67346
Dialling codes	06232
Vehicle registration	SP
Website	speyer.de

Speyer (German: [ˈʃpaɪɐ] ^ⓘ, older spelling Speier; Palatine German: Schbaija; French: Spire), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer lies 25 km (16 miles) south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, and 21 km (13 miles) south-west of Heidelberg. Founded by the ancient Romans as an fortified town on the northeast frontiers of their Roman Empire, it is one of Germany's oldest cities. Speyer Cathedral, a number of other churches, and the Altpörtel ("old gate") dominate the Speyer landscape. In the cathedral, beneath the high altar, are the tombs of eight Holy Roman Emperors and German kings.

The city is famous for the 1529 Protestation at Speyer. One of the ShUM-cities which formed the cultural center of Jewish life in Europe during the Medieval / Middle Ages, Speyer and its Jewish courtyard was inscribed on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List in 2021.^[3]