Nuremberg around 1500 (1493) From the early 15th to the mid-16th century, Nuremberg was the most important city in southern Germany, custodian of the Imperial crown, and a major center of printing and manufacturing. Although Nuremberg became Protestant in 1524, it remained loyal to Emperor Charles V. Woodcut by Michael Wohlgemut, Liber Chronicarum, 1493, pp. 99b-100a.