Bangor, Gwynedd

Bangor is a city in the region Gwynedd ( Caernarvonshire originally ) in the northwest of Wales. It lies at the northern exit of the Menai Strait, 12 km north-east of Caernarvon. The university and diocesan town has about 20,000 inhabitants. Built in 1826 Menai Bridge stretches from Bangor on the Menai Street to the village of Menai Bridge on the Isle of Anglesey.

History

The town's origins date back to the 6th century. 525, the first church and a monastery of monks led by Deiniol was founded. To 546 was Deiniol ap Cadwallon of Maelgwn Hir, king of Gwynedd, appointed bishop of his kingdom. The monastery quickly grew in influence and was at the time referred to by the Venerable Bede as the most important in the whole of Britain. The town grew around the cathedral. Bangor is one of the oldest dioceses in the British Isles.

The name comes from the Bangor Welsh and means " enclosed land " and probably refers to the site of the original cathedral. The present cathedral is a recent one and was redesigned again and again over the centuries. 1557 the still existing today Friars School was founded as a Grammar School by Geoffrey Glyn.

In the 19th century the city grew in importance, as the stones of the Penrhyn quarry, which was then the largest slate quarry in the world, were exported through the city of Port Penrhyn.

Bangor's sister city in Germany since 1973 Soest.

Population

Bangor University

The University was founded on 18 October 1884, 58 students and ten staff as the University College of North Wales in a former inn. The students were given to 1893 financial statements of the University of London. In 1893 Bangor was one of the three founding colleges of the University of Wales. The university is called Prifysgol Bangor or Bangor University.

In the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008) around 50 per cent of research fields have been viewed as a world leader. There, the University took first place ranking in the UK in the field of Accounting, Banking and Finance and the second best in electrical engineering. In 2011, she was ranked among the world's top 275 universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Bangor cut into the apprenticeship as the best university in Wales and one of the top 15 UK universities for teaching excellence ( Sunday Times University Guide 2012 ).

It was mainly financed by donations, not least by donations from the workers from the slate mines of Gwynedd, who wanted to secure a university education for their children. The visit of the existing universities was unaffordable for them. In part, subject to the predominantly free churches ( Welsh Methodists ) belonging Welsh also licensing restrictions because of their denominational affiliation. 1911 the University moved into the purpose built mock-Tudor building (nowadays " Main Arts Bulding " called ) on the hill above the city. International recognition came from the Department of Welsh Studies under Professor Bedwyr Lewis Jones (1933-1992) in the 1970s. To the university complex also includes the beginning of the 1970s established Theatr Gwynedd, which has been closed since the beginning of the academic year 2008. In 2003 the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation founded.

In the 1970s, the university was a center of Welsh nationalism. There were spectacular actions by radical Welsh students, for example, disorders of lectures held in English or destruction of index cards of English books in the library. Therefore, the Thatcher government thought at the beginning of the 1980s, even after the closure of the establishment. Currently, over 11,000 students are enrolled at Bangor University.

Among the numerous partner universities in Germany include the Eberhard -Karls- University of Tübingen, the University of Passau, Leipzig University, the University of Magdeburg and the Ruprecht -Karls- University of Heidelberg.

Cathedral

The Cathedral of Bangor ( Bangor Cathedral English ), which has a low, pointed tower, stands on the site of what was once founded around 525 by Deiniol monastery, which was plundered 634 and 1073; from him no remains have survived. The oldest parts of today's cathedral were built during the episcopate of Bishop David ( 1120-1139 ). The church building was destroyed in 1211 by soldiers of the English King John Lackland during an invasion of Gwynedd, also in 1282 took place in an invasion by troops of Edward I, after extensive work for the reconstruction. No contemporary evidence exists for the alleged burning of the cathedral in 1402 during the revolt of Owain Glyndwr Welsh nobles, although they could have been very much affected. Bishop Henry Deane left the choir, Bishop Thomas Skevington 1532 the nave and the tower re- build, but remained unfinished latter. The current design of the structure was carried out in the course of 1866-1875 restoration works under the supervision of the English architect George Gilbert Scott.

Attractions in the surroundings

In the immediate vicinity of the city there are two medieval castles, is famous for the North Wales: On the Bangor opposite island of Anglesey is Beaumaris Castle, and about fifteen kilometers away Castell Gaernarfon, better known as Caernarfon Castle, the coronation place for the Prince of Wales (most recently 1969).

Sports

The most successful local football club is the three-time Welsh champion Bangor City, which was founded in 1876.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Richard Deacon, artist
• Aled Jones, singer and radio presenter
• Harry Parry, jazz clarinetist and bandleader
• Gwilym Simcock, jazz pianist, horn player and composer

Trivia

A grown rich through the shale mining industrialist settled mid-19th century outside of Bangor one held in the Anglo -Norman style Castle, Penrhyn Castle, build. The castle houses an oversized four-poster bed, which is carved from a single block of slate. It should be made ​​a local tradition for after Queen Victoria, her famous "We are not amused" have expressed upon seeing the monster stable, as they felt the design as a personal insult.