Veracruz (Veracruz)
Vera Cruz on the map of Vera Cruz
Veracruz ( "True Cross" ), colloquially known as Puerto de Veracruz, Mexico is the most important Atlantic port on the Gulf of Mexico with 552 156 inhabitants ( 2010). The city is not the capital of the state of Veracruz, where it is nevertheless despite the name.
History
The city is the oldest Spanish settlement on the American mainland back to Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, founded on April 22, 1519 by Hernán Cortés. Juan de Escalante was from August 1519, the first mayor, and thus also the first Europeans in this office on the American mainland. The Spaniards, the foothold on the coast mainly by the cacique of Cempoala was made possible, which is gone down in history as " the fat king".
The first Vera Cruz was close to the former Totonac place Quiahuiztlan. Because of the fierce north winds at this point the settlement was in 1525 moved to the south and the new town of La Antigua Veracruz founded the so-called second Veracruz. 1585 began the construction of San Juan de Ulua, that fortress which today is located opposite the port of Veracruz. Around the fortress, the third, today's Veracruz was built. On the night of 17 on May 18, 1683 Dutch pirate Laurens ( Lawrence ) de Graaf was invading the Mexican city, gathered the villagers in the church and plundered and set fire to the place. This incident was reported by the surviving Spanish Administration on June 18, 1683 to Madrid. Around this time, which is known as world hit Mexican folk song La Bamba was born in the city.
The second and third Veracruz were exported ports of the Mexican gold and especially silver to Spain. The precious metals were the basis of the then Spanish world power.
During the Mexican -American War (1846-1848) the city was occupied by the U.S. fleet.
Shortly after the Tampico incident Vera Cruz was occupied on 21 April 1914 by the United States, the occupation ended on 23 November.
Religion
The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese erected in 1962 Veracruz. Since 2006, Luis Felipe Gallardo Martin del Campo SDB Bishop of the Diocese.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Carlos Carus (1930-1997), football player
- Hugo Chávez Guillermo ( b. 1976 ), football player
- Francisco Javier Clavijero (1731-1787), writer
- Monica Frassoni ( * 1963), co- leader of the Greens in the European Parliament
- Luis Pirata de la Fuente (1914-1972), football player
- Fernando de Fuentes (1894-1958), Film Director
- Miguel Lerdo de Tejada (1812-1861), politician
- Adolfo Ruiz Cortines (1890-1973), Governor of Vera Cruz and Mexican President
- Alicia Urreta (1930-1986), composer