The city of Nuremberg was first mentioned as Nuorenberc (rocky mountain) in 1050 by emperor Heinrich the III.
In 1219 the emperor, Friedrich II, named the city as an independent imperial town, Nuremberg. Up until 1427 the city was governed by counts, with the last count being Friedrich VI. This title was sold to the council town of Nuremberg.
Many emperors chose Nuremberg as their place of residence. Under the rule of Karl IV., who in 1356 presented the city of Nuremberg with a “golden bull”. In 1423 the emperor Sigismund handed the imperial regalia to the city, where it was kept until the 19th century. The years 1470 to 1530 marked the city as the haydays.