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Augsburg

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Augsburg is a major city located in the Swabia region of Bavaria, Germany.

Augsburg map 1705-1720
Augsburg map 1705-1720

It sits west of Munich, the capital of Bavaria. The city is the third-largest in the state, following Munich and Nuremberg. Currently, the city has a population of 304,000 people. The larger metropolitan area holds about 885,000 residents.

Bahnhofsgebäude Augsburg
Bahnhofsgebäude Augsburg

Augsburg is a university town and serves as the regional seat for Swabia. It is also an urban district and home to the Landkreis Augsburg institutions.

The geography of Augsburg is defined by its relationship with water. The city sits where the Alpine rivers Lech and Wertach converge near the Singold river.

Kraftwerk Meitingen01
Kraftwerk Meitingen01

The southern part of the city lies on the Lechfeld. This is an outwash plain created after the last ice age. This area contains rare primeval landscapes and species-rich habitats. The city is very green and borders the Augsburg Western Woods nature park. In 1997, Augsburg won the Entente Florale contest for being a green and livable city.

Augsburg - Markt
Augsburg - Markt

One of the city's most important features is its historical water management. This system uses unique medieval canals and water towers. It serves as a major testimony to the history of hydraulic engineering. Because of this unique system, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site.

Kraftwerk Meitingen01
Kraftwerk Meitingen01

This engineering allowed the city to manage water for many different uses over many centuries.

Augsburg is one of Germany's oldest cities, founded in 15 BC. The Romans established the settlement as Augusta Vindelicorum. They named it after the Roman Emperor Augustus.

By 120 AD, it served as the administrative capital of the Roman province of Raetia. The city has survived many historical challenges. It was sacked by the Huns in the fifth century. Later, it was taken by Charlemagne in the eighth century and by Welf I in the eleventh century.

From 1276 to 1803, Augsburg held the status of a Free Imperial City. This meant it was an independent entity with its own tax policies. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the city became a dominant center of early capitalism. This boom was driven by the Fugger and Welser banking families.

Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast
Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast

These families held near-total monopolies in many important industries. The city also benefited from the Kaiserliche Reichspost, the first modern postal system.

Seld Joerg Vogelschauplan von Westen Augsburg
Seld Joerg Vogelschauplan von Westen Augsburg

Augsburg became the most important post office within the Holy Roman Empire.

The city's wealth supported many cultural and social developments. In 1513, Jakob Fugger founded the Fuggerei.

Herrengasse, Fuggerei, Augsburg
Herrengasse, Fuggerei, Augsburg

This is the oldest social housing complex in the world and is still in use. Augsburg was also a center for manufacturing textiles, armor, and scientific instruments. It was a major producer of German-language books. The city attracted many artists, including the Holbein family.

Holbeinhaus Augsburg
Holbeinhaus Augsburg

It was also a creative center for musicians, including the composer Leopold Mozart.

Augsburg has also experienced periods of great hardship. During the Thirty Years' War, the city underwent a long siege from 1634 to 1635. Thousands of people died from disease and hunger during this time. The population fell from 70,000 to only 16,000 people. During the Second World War, the city was a target for bombing. The MAN factory, which made engines for U-boats, was hit by the RAF.

A-Polish-woman-weeps-as-she-tells-her-story-to-US-troops-142365089506
A-Polish-woman-weeps-as-she-tells-her-story-to-US-troops-142365089506

Additionally, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located nearby to provide forced labor for local military industries.

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🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:1 conventionsthaler Francis I - 1765.png
1 conventionsthaler Francis I - 1765.png
File:Nuremberg chronicles - Augusta vendilicorum.png
Nuremberg chronicles - Augusta vendilicorum.png
File:Jörg Breu - Augsburg - Winter.JPG
Jörg Breu - Augsburg - Winter.JPG
File:Seld Joerg Vogelschauplan von Westen Augsburg.jpeg
Seld Joerg Vogelschauplan von Westen Augsburg.jpeg
File:Augsburg map 1705-1720.png
Augsburg map 1705-1720.png
File:Stockdale 1800 - Augsburg.jpeg
Stockdale 1800 - Augsburg.jpeg
File:A-Polish-woman-weeps-as-she-tells-her-story-to-US-troops-142365089506.jpg
A-Polish-woman-weeps-as-she-tells-her-stor...
File:2020 Augsburg City Council election.svg
2020 Augsburg City Council election.svg
File:Augsburg - Markt.jpg
Augsburg - Markt.jpg
File:Herrengasse, Fuggerei, Augsburg.jpg
Herrengasse, Fuggerei, Augsburg.jpg
File:Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast.jpg
Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast.jpg
File:Erzengel-Michael-Augsburg-1.jpg
Erzengel-Michael-Augsburg-1.jpg

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