Editing Franconia (section)

=== Towns and cities ===
With the exception of [[Schwäbisch Hall]], all cities in Franconia and all towns with a population of over 40,000 are within the Free State of Bavaria. By far the largest city in Franconia is [[Nuremberg]] with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The other three major cities are [[Fürth]], [[Würzburg]] and [[Erlangen]]. In Middle Franconia, in the [[Nuremberg Metropolitan Region|metropolitan region of Nuremberg]] there is a densely populated urban area consisting of Nuremberg, Fürth, Erlangen and [[Schwabach]] with around 1.4 million inhabitants. Nuremberg is the fourteenth largest city in Germany and the second largest in Bavaria.<ref name="by-einwohner">[https://www.statistikdaten.bayern.de/genesis/online?operation=result&code=12411-003r&leerzeilen=false&language=de Genesis Online-Datenbank des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Statistik Tabelle 12411-003r Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes: Gemeinden, Stichtag] (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011) (from 31 December 2022)</ref>

The largest settlements in Baden-Württemberg's Franconian region are [[Schwäbisch Hall]] (41,898 pop.) and [[Crailsheim]] (35,760) [[Öhringen]] (25,388) and [[Bad Mergentheim]] (24,564)<ref name="bw-einwohner">[https://www.statistik-bw.de/BevoelkGebiet/Bevoelk_I_D_A_vj.csv Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg] – Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht am 31. Dezember 2022 (from 31 December 2022) (CSV-File)</ref> The largest places in the Thuringian part are [[Suhl]] (37,009), [[Meiningen]] (25,177) and [[Sonneberg]] (23,507).<ref name="th-einwohner">[https://statistik.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?GGglied=1&GGTabelle=gem&tabelle=gg000102&startpage=99&datcsv=&richtung=&sortiere=&vorspalte=1&SZDT=&anzahlH=-2&fontgr=12&mkro=&AnzeigeAuswahl=&XLS=&auswahlNr=&felder=0&felder=1&felder=2&zeit=2022%7C%7Cs1&anzahlZellen=2193 Bevölkerung der Gemeinden vom Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik] (from 31 December 2022)</ref>

The largest place in the Hessian part of Franconia is [[Gersfeld (Rhön)|Gersfeld]] with just 5,516&nbsp;inhabitants.<ref>[https://archive.today/20080421165936/http://www.statistik-hessen.de/themenauswahl/bevoelkerung-gebiet/regionaldaten/bevoelkerung-der-hessischen-gemeinden/index.html Bevölkerung der hessischen Gemeinden] (population figures from the 2011 census)</ref> The largest cities within Bavaria are Nuremberg (523,026), Fürth (131,433), Würzburg (127,810) and Erlangen (116,562).<ref name="by-einwohner"/>

In the [[Middle Ages]] Franconia, with its numerous towns, was separate and not part of other territories such as the [[Duchy of Bavaria]].<ref name="städte">Karten zur Geschichte Bayerns: Helmut Flachenecker, in: Edel und Frei. Franken im Mittelalter, ed. by Wolfgang Jahn / Jutta Schumann / Evamaria Brockhoff, Augsburg, 2004 (Veröffentlichungen zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 47/04), pp. 308–313, Cat. No. 134. See [http://www.hdbg.eu/karten/karten_detail_68.php House of Bavarian History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053138/http://www.hdbg.eu/karten/karten_detail_68.php |date=4 March 2016}}</ref> In the late medieval period it was dominated by mainly smaller towns with a few hundred to a thousand inhabitants, whose size barely distinguished them from the villages. Many towns grew up along large rivers or were founded by the prince-bishops and nobility. Even the [[Hohenstaufens]] operated in many towns, most of which later became [[Imperial Cities]] with a strong orientation towards Nuremberg.<ref name="städte" /> The smallest town in Franconia is Thuringia's [[Ummerstadt]] with 457 inhabitants.<ref name="thü-einw">{{cite web|url=https://tls.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?GGglied=1&GGTabelle=lk&GGTabelle=gem&GGTabelle=erf&GGTabelle=vg&tabelle=gg000102%7C%7CBev%25F6lkerung+der+Gemeinden,+erf%25FCllenden+Gemeinden+und+Verwaltungsgemeinschaften+nach+Geschlecht&startpage=99&csv=&richtung=&sortiere=&vorspalte=0&tit2=&TIS=&SZDT=&anzahlH=-2&fontgr=12&mkro=&AnzeigeAuswahl=&XLS=&auswahlNr=&felder=0&felder=1&felder=2&zeit=2013%7C%7Cs1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912140115/http://www.tls.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?GGglied=1&GGTabelle=lk&GGTabelle=gem&GGTabelle=erf&GGTabelle=vg&tabelle=gg000102%7C%7CBev%F6lkerung+der+Gemeinden%2C+erf%FCllenden+Gemeinden+und+Verwaltungsgemeinschaften+nach+Geschlecht&startpage=99&csv=&richtung=&sortiere=&vorspalte=0&tit2=&TIS=&SZDT=&anzahlH=-2&fontgr=12&mkro=&AnzeigeAuswahl=&XLS=&auswahlNr=&felder=0&felder=1&felder=2&zeit=2013%7C%7Cs1|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 September 2014|title=Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik|first=Thüringer Landesamt für|last=Statistik|website=tls.thueringen.de}}</ref>

;25 largest cities in Franconia
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!2022<br />Rank
!City
!State
!2000
!2020
!2022
!growth<br />(2000–2020)
!
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}1.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Nuremberg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.}}488,400
| {{0|0.}}515,543
| {{0|0.}}523,026
| style="text-align:right"| +5.6%
| [[File:Nuremberg panorama morning 3.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}2.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Fürth]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.}}110,477
| {{0|0.}}128,223
| {{0|0.}}131,433 
| style="text-align:right"| +16.1%
| [[File:Fuerther Innenstadt Mrz 2020.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}3.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Würzburg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.}}127,966
| {{0|0.}}126,954
| {{0|0.}}127,810
| style="text-align:right"| -0.8%
| [[File:Dom R1.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}4.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Erlangen]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.}}100,778
| {{0|0.}}112,385
| {{0|0.}}116,562
| style="text-align:right"| +11.5%
| [[File:Erlangen 08-2012.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}5.
| style="text-align:left" | [[Bamberg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}69,036
| {{0|0.0}}76,674
| {{0|0.0}}79,935 
| style="text-align:right"| +11.1%
| [[File:Bamberg aus der Flugzeugperspektive .jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}6.
| style="text-align:left" | [[Bayreuth]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}74,153
| {{0|0.0}}74,048
| {{0|0.0}}74,506 
| style="text-align:right"| -0.1%
| [[File:Marktplatz Bayreuth.JPG|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}7.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Aschaffenburg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}67,592
| {{0|0.0}}70,858
| {{0|0.0}}72,444
| style="text-align:right"| +4.8%
| [[File:Aschaffenburg Innenstadt Juni 2021.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}8.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Schweinfurt]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}54,325
| {{0|0.0}}53,319
| {{0|0.0}}54,675 
| style="text-align:right"| -1.9%
| [[File:Schweinfurt und der Main bei Nacht.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| {{0}}9.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Hof (Saale)]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}50,741
| {{0|0.0}}45,173
| {{0|0.0}}46,656 
| style="text-align:right"| -12.3%
| [[File:Hof, HO - Theresienstein - Pavillon - Innenstadt v N 02.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 10.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Ansbach]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}40,163
| {{0|0.0}}41,681
| {{0|0.0}}42,221 
| style="text-align:right"| +3.6%
| [[File:Ansbach, Martin-Luther-Platz-001.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 11.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Schwäbisch Hall]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Baden-Württemberg]]
| {{0|0.0}}35,192
| {{0|0.0}}40,679
| {{0|0.0}}41,898
| style="text-align:right"| +15.6%
| [[File:Schwäbisch Hall - Altstadt - Ansicht von SW (1).jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 12.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Coburg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}43,277
| {{0|0.0}}40,842
| {{0|0.0}}41,842 
| style="text-align:right"| -6.2%
| [[File:Panorama Altstadt Coburg.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 13.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Schwabach]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}37,947
| {{0|0.0}}41,056
| {{0|0.0}}41,227
| style="text-align:right"| +7.6%
| [[File:Schwabach Altstadt Mai 2021 3.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 14.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Suhl]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Thuringia]]
| {{0|0.0}}48,025
| {{0|0.0}}36,395
| {{0|0.0}}37,009 
| style="text-align:right"| -24.2%
| [[File:Thuringia Suhl asv2020-07 img14 Cross Church.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 15.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Crailsheim]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Baden-Württemberg]]
| {{0|0.0}}32,063
| {{0|0.0}}34,661
| {{0|0.0}}35,760
| style="text-align:right"| +8.1%
| [[File:Crailsheim Süddeutschland 2010 1010416.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 16.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Forchheim]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}30,665
| {{0|0.0}}32,374
| {{0|0.0}}32,972 
| style="text-align:right"| +5.5%
| [[File:Forchheim Bahnhof Luftbild-20230410-RM-155340.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 17.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Lauf an der Pegnitz]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}25,770
| {{0|0.0}}26,434
| {{0|0.0}}26,420
| style="text-align:right"| +2.6%
| [[File:LaufPegn-HersbruckerTor.JPG|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 18.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Zirndorf]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}24,950
| {{0|0.0}}25,748
| {{0|0.0}}26,234
| style="text-align:right"| +3.2%
| [[File:Marktplatz Zirndorf 02.JPG|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 19.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Kulmbach]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}28,258
| {{0|0.0}}25,781
| {{0|0.0}}25,818
| style="text-align:right"| -8.8%
| [[File:Blick auf Kulmbach 06.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 20.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Öhringen]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Baden-Württemberg]]
| {{0|0.0}}22,208
| {{0|0.0}}24,925
| {{0|0.0}}25,388
| style="text-align:right"| +12,2%
| [[File:Öhringen - Altstadt - Hofgarten - Blick auf Schloss und Stiftskirchen-Türme.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 21.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Roth, Bavaria|Roth]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}24,858
| {{0|0.0}}25,323
| {{0|0.0}}25,367
| style="text-align:right"| +1,9%
| [[File:Roth Schloss Ratibor 20110501.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 22.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Meiningen]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Thuringia]]
| {{0|0.0}}22,240
| {{0|0.0}}25,097
| {{0|0.0}}25,177
| style="text-align:right"| +12,8%
| [[File:Dietz 10 2016.JPG|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 23.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Bad Mergentheim]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Baden-Württemberg]]
| {{0|0.0}}22,172 
| {{0|0.0}}24,034
| {{0|0.0}}24,564
| style="text-align:right"| +8,4%
| [[File:Bad-Mergentheim-Zwillingshauser.JPG|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 24.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Herzogenaurach]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Bavaria]]
| {{0|0.0}}23,108
| {{0|0.0}}23,616
| {{0|0.0}}24,404
| style="text-align:right"| +2.2%
| [[File:Herzogenaurach Hauptstraße Fehnturm.jpg|100px]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 25.
| style="text-align:left"| [[Sonneberg]]
| style="text-align:center"| [[Thuringia]]
| {{0|0.0}}24,837
| {{0|0.0}}23,229
| {{0|0.0}}23,507
| style="text-align:right"| –6.5%
| [[File:Rathaus Sonneberg2.jpg|100px]]
|}