Goslar has a rich history stretching from the Neolithic via the ancient Saxon times, the Holy Roman German empire, Reformation, Enlightenment, German Nationalism, Emancipation, Militarism, German Imperialism, Democratisation, the National Socialist Dictatorship including Racism & Genocide, the Iron Curtain, up to German reunification. In addition Goslar can field an exciting industrial history.
Salian Emperor Henry I founded the town in the 10th century after the discovery of silver deposits in the nearby Rammelsberg. The wealth derived from silver mining brought Goslar the status of an Imperial City, which attracted the interest of the Holy Roman Emperor.
The medi�val Imperial Palace (Kaiserpfalz Goslar) was built in the 11th century and became a summer residence for the emperors, especially Henry III of Germany who visited his favourite palace about twenty times. Henry is buried in Goslar.
In the winter of 1798, the coldest of the century, the young English poet William Wordsworth stayed in Goslar. To dispel homesickness he started to write a few verses about his childhood, which would eventually evolve into the masterpiece that was published in thirteen volumes after his death as The Prelude.
Goslar's Medi�val cathedral was built at the same time as the Medi�val Imperial Palace, but only the porch survived; the cathedral itself was torn down in 1820. Other sights are the town hall (16th century) and the ancient mines of the Rammelsberg, which now house a mining museum.
In the cold war, Goslar was a major garrison town for the German army and the Border police. After the fall of the Berlin wall, the barracks were vacated and a major economic factor was lost
