Hof
[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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