Hof

Hof hōf [key], city, Bavaria, E central Germany, on the Saale River, near the Czech border. The city's industries produce textiles, beer, and machinery. Hof was first mentioned in the early 13th cent. and in 1373 passed to the Hohenzollern burgraviate of Nuremburg. It went to Bavaria in 1810 and was included in Upper Franconia. Fire destroyed most of the city's historical buildings in 1823, but many have since been reconstructed. Among its points of interest are two churches, the Lorenzkirche (11th cent.) and the Michaelskirche (c.1230). From 1945 until German reunification in 1990, Hof was a significant border checkpoint between East and West Germany.

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