Herzogenaurach Herzogenaurach Herzogenaurach (; East Franconian: "Herziaura") is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma, as well as the large car parts manufacturer Schaeffler Group. Herzogenaurach is situated in the Middle Franconia area of Bavaria, approx. 23 km (or 14 miles) northwest of Nuremberg. The town is located on the Aurach river, a tributary of the Regnitz river. Herzogenaurach was first mentioned in a document from 1002 under the name of "Uraha" when Holy Roman Emperor Henry II granted the town to
Major (Germany) Support Service ("Streitkräftebasis"), the waiting period between meeting the requirements for promotion and actual promotion to the rank of "Major" averages 15 months due to budget problems (as of July 2010). On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there is one silver pip (star) in silver oak leaves. The "Major rank" in German speaking armed forces dates back to the Middle Ages. It equates to major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO. During World War II, the SS equivalent was "Sturmbannführer". Major (Germany) Major () is the lowest staff officer rank in the German Army