Speyer (English formerly Spires) is a city in Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approx. 50,000 inhabitants, located beside the river Rhine. It lies 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Its oldest known name was Civitas Nemetum, named by a Teutonic tribe, the Nemeter, settling in this area. Around the year 500 Spira appears as the town's name in scriptures.
Speyer has a compact centre which is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, a number of churches and the Altpörtel (Old town gate). In the cathedral, beneath the high altar, are the tombs of eight German emperors and kings. Some of the bodies, however, are believed to have been lost during one of the French invasions experienced by the region during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia
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