council of burghers. The names of council members are first given in a document from 1247 AD.
. The area secured by the initial fortification included the old market place, the old town hall, the two main churches, St. Johannes (St John's) and St. Jacobi (St. James's, often mistakenly called St. Jacob's), the smaller church St. Nikolai (St. Nicholas's), as well as the large Weender Stra�e, Groner Stra�e and Rote Stra�e (red street). Outside of the fortification in front of the Geismar city gate lay the old village with the Church of St. Alban, which was subsequently known as Geismarer altes Dorf (old Geismar village). This village was only to a limited extent under welfish control and thus could not be included in the town's privileges and fortification.
The town was initially protected by a rampart, as of the late 13th century then also by walls on top of the mound-like ramparts. Of these, only one tower with a short stretch of the wall survives in the Turmstra�e (tower street). The thus protected area included maximally 600m by 600m, or about 25 hectares. This made it smaller than contemporary Hanover, but larger than the neighbouring Welfish towns of Northeim, Duderstadt and Hann. M�nden.
The Gote stream that flowed south of the walls of the town was connected to the River Leine via a channel at about this time and the waterway has since been known as the Leine Canal.
After the death of Otto the Child in 1257 AD, his sons Albert I of Brunswick (the Great) and Johann inherited their father's territories. Duke Albrecht I governed for his brother, a minor, at first. Subsequently the brothers agreed to divide the territory between themselves in 1267, effective 1269. The city of G�ttingen went to Albert I, and was inherited by his son Duke Albert II "the Fat" in 1286. Albert II chose G�ttingen as his residence and moved into the Welf residency, which he rebuilt into a fortress known as the Ballerhus, after which the Burgstra�e (fortress
