Aschaffenburg (;

South Franconian South Franconian (german: Südfränkisch) or South Rhine Franconian (german: Südrheinfränkisch) is an Upper German dialect which is spoken in the northernmost part of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, around Karlsruhe, Mosbach and Heilbronn. Lik ...

: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the

Archbishopric of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz (german: Kurfürstentum Mainz or ', la, Electoratus Moguntinus), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence, was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire. In t ...

for more than 800 years. The town is located at the westernmost border of

Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. History After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally ...

and separated from the central and eastern part of the ''

Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...

'' (administrative region) by the

Spessart Spessart is a '' Mittelgebirge'', a range of low wooded mountains, in the States of Bavaria and Hesse in Germany. It is bordered by the Vogelsberg, Rhön and Odenwald. The highest elevation is the Geiersberg at 586 metres above sea level. Ety ...

hills, whereas it opens towards the Rhine-Main plain in the west and north-west. Therefore, the inhabitants speak neither Bavarian nor East Franconian but rather a local version of Rhine Franconian.

Geography

Location

The town is located on both sides of the Main in north-west

, bordering to

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...

. On a federal scale it is part of central

, just southeast of

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

. In the western part of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

, the smaller

Aschaff The Aschaff (in its uppermost course: ''Kleinaschaff'') is a river in the northern Spessart in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Main and is long. It begins at the Aschaffquelle near Waldaschaff. Loosely translated the name Asch ...

flows into the Main. The region is also known as ''Bayerischer Untermain'' ("Bavarian Lower Main").

Climate

The climate is continental, typically with warm, dry summers and cold, damp winters. Aschaffenburg usually receives less snowfall during the winter than the nearby

Subdivision

Österreicher Denkmal Aschaffenburg (2005)

Aschaffenburg comprises 10 '' Stadtteile'': * Damm * Gailbach * Leider * Nilkheim * Obernau * ''Obernauer Kolonie'' (Obernauer Colony) * ''Österreicher Kolonie'' (Austrian Colony) * Schweinheim * ''Stadtmitte'' (town center) * Strietwald Nilkheim and Leider are the only ''Stadtteile'' which are located on the left bank of the river Main.

Neighbouring communities

The following municipalities border Aschaffenburg (clockwise, from the north): Johannesberg, Glattbach, Goldbach, Haibach, Bessenbach, Sulzbach am Main, Niedernberg, Großostheim,

Stockstadt am Main Stockstadt am Main (officially: ) is a market community in the Aschaffenburg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. The settlement was established by the Romans who built a fort here in ...

and Mainaschaff.

History

Etymology

The name ''Aschaffenburg'' (''Ascaffaburc'', ''Ascapha'' or ''Ascaphaburg'' in the Middle Ages) originally meant "castle at the ash tree river" deriving from the river ''Aschaff'' that runs through parts of the town.

Pre-history to Middle Ages

The earliest remains of settlements in the area of Aschaffenburg date from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with ...

. Aschaffenburg was originally a settlement of the

Alamanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pre ...

Roman legion The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period o ...

s were stationed here. In c. 700 AD, the '' Ravenna Cosmography'' names two settlements in region: ''Uburzis'' (

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

) and ''Ascapha'' (Aschaffenburg). Around 550, the area had been conquered by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools ...

, and their ''Hausmeier'' built a castle here. In the 8th century, a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery was founded, dedicated to St. Michael, reportedly by

Saint Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations o ...

. This became the '' Kollegiatstift St. Peter und Alexander'' in the second half of the 10th century (957). In 869, King

Louis the Younger Louis the Younger (830/835 – 20 January 882), sometimes Louis the Saxon or Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Emma. He succeeded his father as the King of Saxony on 28 August 876 and his elder brother C ...

married Liutgard of Saxony at Aschaffenburg. She also died here in 885 and was later laid to rest with her daughter Hildegard in the ''Stiftskirche''. ''Ascaffinburg'' is mentioned first in 974 in a gift document by

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy ...

, in which he gave several villages including

Wertheim am Main Wertheim ( East Franconian: ''Wärde'') is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of around 23,400. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main. Wertheim is best known for its l ...

and a stretch of forest in the Spessart to the collegiate church. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

the town was known as ''Ascaffaburc'', ''Ascapha'' or ''Ascaphaburg''. A stone bridge over the Main was reportedly built by Archbishop

Willigis Willigis ( la, Willigisus; german: Willigis, Willegis; 940 – 23 February 1011 AD) was Archbishop of Mainz from 975 until his death as well as archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire. Life Willigus was born in the Duchy of Saxony, possibly at ...

in 989, who also made the town his second residence. The town (referred to in 975 as a ''civitas'') was part of the

from 982, when Duke Otto died. A ''Vizedom'' is mentioned for the first time in 1122 as the top local representative of the Archbishop. In 1292 a synod was held here, and in 1447 an imperial diet, preliminary to that of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, approved a concordat (sometimes called the ''Aschaffenburg Concordat''). In the

German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt (german: Deutscher Bauernkrieg) was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It failed because of intense oppositi ...

(1525), the town backed the losing side."Aschaffenburg" in ''

The New Encyclopædia Britannica ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

''. Chicago:

Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article ...

, 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 617.

Modern times through 19th century

In 1552, the late-

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

castle of Johannisburg was destroyed. It was replaced in 1605-14 by the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

'' Schloss Johannisburg''. The town suffered greatly during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

, being held in turn by the various belligerents. During the Battle of Dettingen (1743), which took place to the north, the town was occupied by French troops. It formed part of the electorate of the

Archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...

, and in 1803 was made over to Archbishop

Karl Theodor von Dalberg Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and ...

as the

Principality of Aschaffenburg The Principality of Aschaffenburg (german: Fürstentum Aschaffenburg) was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1803 and, following the dissolution of the Empire in 1806, of the Confederation of the Rhine, which existed from 1806 to ...

Aschaffenburg was the site of the "" (''Königlich Bayerische Centralforstlehranstalt''), established in 1807, "made famous by the researches of Professor Dr Ernst Ebermayer." The Academy was "dissolved in 1832, but re-organized under the Ministry of Finance in 1874"; and, as "of 30th March, 1874, united to the University of Munich." In 1810, the Principality of Aschaffenburg was merged into the new

Grand Duchy of Frankfurt The Grand Duchy of Frankfurt was a German satellite state of Napoleonic creation. It came into existence in 1810 through the combination of the former territories of the Archbishopric of Mainz along with the Free City of Frankfurt itself. Histo ...

, although Dalberg retained Aschaffenburg as his residence. In 1814 the town was transferred to the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

by an Austrian-Bavarian treaty. In 1817 it was included within Bavarian

. From 1840 to 1848, King

Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...

had a Roman villa built to the west of town. It was named '' Pompejanum'' after its model, the house of Castor and Pollux at

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was burie ...

. During the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

, the

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

inflicted a severe defeat on the

Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein) was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Grand Duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 18 ...

near Aschaffenburg in the Battle of Frohnhofen on 13 July 1866.

World War II

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Aschaffenburg was heavily damaged by Allied area bombing, including Schloss Johannisburg which was completely restored several years later. The German military chose to strongly defend Aschaffenburg during the last weeks of the war, which resulted in the " Battle of Aschaffenburg" fought 28 March – 3 April 1945. The U.S. 45th Infantry Division was forced to take the fortified town against stiff German resistance in a series of frontal assaults that involved house-to-house fighting and vicious close combat. The resulting widespread urban destruction was quite severe, as cannon fire was used point-blank to blast through structures.

Aschaffenburg displaced persons camps

At the end of World War II the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

occupied military facilities formerly used and controlled by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

. These were converted for use by U.S. military personnel as processing centres for

displaced person Forced displacement (also forced migration) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, g ...

s at the end of the war.U.S. ARMY INSTALLATIONS - ASCHAFFENBURG
/ref> From 1945 7,000

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

were accommodated in four

displaced persons camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peo ...

s: * ''Artillerie Kaserne'' — approx. 2,000 people (1945–1949) * ''Bois Brulé Kaserne'' — 1,500 people (1946–1949) * ''LaGarde Kaserne'' — 1,700 people (1945–1949) * ''Pionier Kaserne'' — 2,000 people (1946–1949) Two other camps, ''Alte (old) Kaserne'' and ''Jäger Kaserne'' housed mainly

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in ...

and

Lithuanians Lithuanians ( lt, lietuviai) are a Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another million or two make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Unite ...

Post-war development

In the decades following the war, Aschaffenburg and the surrounding region experienced robust economic prosperity, partially due to its close proximity to

. According to an online 2002 survey in ''

Stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Or ...

'' magazine, tern 14/2002 82 percent of residents living in the ''Bayerischer Untermain'' region where Aschaffenburg is located were satisfied with the place where they lived. This was the highest level recorded in the survey, making the region the #1 place to live in Germany, based on several factors including employment opportunities in the region, educational facilities, public services, transportation, recreational options, shopping, cultural facilities/events, climate, etc. Another survey taken in 2006 by McKinsey, ''Stern'' magazine, ZDF, and web.de again showed that Aschaffenburg has one of the highest ratings for quality of life in Germany.

U.S. military presence (1945–2007)

Aschaffenburg was the location of several United States Army installations throughout the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

. After initially taking over the administration of the ex-Wehrmacht installations, which were then used as displaced persons camps, the American presence in the Aschaffenburg military community began after general renovations in 1948. The installation sites were known as ''Ready Kaserne'' (previously ''Artillerie Kaserne''), ''Smith Kaserne'' (previously ''LaGarde Kaserne''), ''Graves Kaserne'' (previously ''Bois Brulé Kaserne''), ''Fiori Kaserne'' (previously ''Pionier Kaserne''), and ''Jaeger Kaserne'' (previously ''Jäger Kaserne''). These housed armour, infantry, engineer, maintenance and artillery elements of the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and various VII Corps elements including the 9th Engineer Battalion, the 3rd Bn 21st Field Artillery (Honest John), and the 1st Bn 80th Field Artillery (LANCE). Much of the U.S. Army presence in Aschaffenburg ended in 1992 with the ending of the Cold War. The last buildings, which were primarily used for housing, were handed back to the local government in 2007.

Demographics

Population

Age distribution of the population (as of 2007)

Governance

Lord Mayors

* Wilhelm Matt (1872–1936) (BVP) (1904–1933) * Wilhelm Wohlgemuth (1900–1978) (NSDAP) (1933–1945) * Jean Stock (1893–1965) (SPD) (1945) * Vinzenz Schwind (1910–1974) (1945–1970) * Willi Reiland (1933–2015) (SPD) (1970–2000) * Klaus Herzog (born 1951) (SPD) (2000–2020) * Jürgen Herzing (born 1960) (SPD) (since 2020)

Economy

In 2017 (latest data available) the GDP per inhabitant was €69,928. This places the district 9th out of 96 districts (rural and urban) in Bavaria (overall average: €46,698). Well-known companies in Aschaffenburg are (e.g.): ,

Linde Hydraulics Linde Hydraulics is a manufacturer of heavy duty drive systems consisting of hydraulics, power transmissions, and electronics. The company's product offerings include hydraulic pumps and motors, directional control valves, power transmissions as ...

, Joyson Safety Systems (former Petri AG) and part of as well as DPDgroup.

Shopping

The ''City Galerie'', opened in 1974 and located in the central part of the city, is the largest shopping mall in northern Bavaria. It was one of the first indoor shopping malls in Germany. Aschaffenburg also has a pedestrian shopping zone closed to motor vehicles, except for deliveries.

Politics

Aschaffenburg is part of the Aschaffenburg constituency for elections to the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Comm ...

Arts and culture

Cultural events

Aschaffenburg hosts numerous festivals, fairs, exhibitions, markets and concerts throughout the year including the annual ''Stadtfest'', held on the last weekend in August.

Theaters and entertainment venues

* ''Colos-Saal'', a live-music club * ''Erthaltheater'' * ''f.a.n. Frankenstolz Arena'' (formerly ''Unterfrankenhalle'') * ''Kabarett im Hofgarten'' * ''Ludwigstheater'' * Stadthalle am Schloss * ''Stadttheater'' (town theater) * ''Zimmertheater''.

Museums and galleries

* ''Stiftsmuseum'' * '' Naturwissenschaftliches Museum Aschaffenburg'' * ''Gentilhaus'' * ''KunstLANDing'' * ''Städtische Galerie "Kunsthalle Jesuitenkirche"'' * ''Neuer Kunstverein Aschaffenburg'' * ''Künstlerhaus Walter Helm'' * ''Christian Schad Museum'' (opened in May 2018)

Library and archive

* ''Stadtbibliothek Aschaffenburg'' (Aschaffenburg town library) * ''Stadt- und Stiftsarchiv Aschaffenburg'' (Aschaffenburg town archive)

Cinemas

* ''Kinopolis'', a modern multiplex cinema * ''Casino''

Recreation

A large recreational complex is located in the ''Stadtteil'' of Leider. It includes an indoor and outdoor swimming pool complex as well as an indoor ice rink and tennis courts, which are open to the general public. There's also a marina on the Main between the Willigis and Adenauer bridges.

Streetwear

The first Aschaffenburg Baseball Snapback was created by Tim Field in 2014.

Attractions

Sights

The main sights of Aschaffenburg are the Schloss Johannisburg, built 1605–1614 by Archbishop

Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg (15 July, 1553 – 17 September, 1626) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1604 to 1626. Biography Early life, 1553–1604 Born on July 15, 1553, Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg was the third son of Hartmu ...

, which contains a library with a number of

incunabula In the history of printing, an incunable or incunabulum (plural incunables or incunabula, respectively), is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. Incunabula were pro ...

, a collection of engravings and paintings; the Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman town house discovered in

commissioned by King Ludwig I. and opened in 1850; the St. Peter und Alexander

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...

, founded in the second half of the 10th century, but dating in the main from the early 12th century on, in which are preserved various monuments by the Vischers, a sarcophagus with the relics of Saint Margaret, and a painting by Matthias Grünewald; the Capuchin hospital; a theatre, which was formerly a house of the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

; several mansions of the nobility; and the historical old town. Across the river are the Park and Schloss Schönbusch. The graves of

Clemens Brentano Clemens Wenzeslaus Brentano (also Klemens; pseudonym: Clemens Maria Brentano ; ; 9 September 1778 – 28 July 1842) was a German poet and novelist, and a major figure of German Romanticism. He was the uncle, via his brother Christian, of Franz ...

and his brother

Christian Brentano Christian Brentano (24 January 1784, Frankfurt – 27 October 1851, Frankfurt) was a German writer and Catholic publicist. He was the brother of Clemens Brentano and Bettina von Arnim, famous German writers of the Romantic school, and the father ...

(died 1851) and that of

Wilhelm Heinse (Johann Jakob) Wilhelm Heinse (16 February 1746, Langewiesen, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – 22 June 1803), German author, was born at Langewiesen in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (now in Thuringia). After attending grammar school at Schleusingen he ...

can be found in the ''Altstadtfriedhof'' (Old Town Cemetery).

Parks

Aschaffenburg has numerous parks including the following: * ''Schönbusch Park'', located in Nilkheim * ''Schöntal Park'', located in the town center * ''Aschaffenburger Schlossgarten'', around ''Schloss Johannisburg'' * ''Kleine Schönbuschallee''

Sports

Football

Viktoria Aschaffenburg SV Viktoria 01 Aschaffenburg is a German football club based in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. Even though Aschaffenburg is located in Bavaria, Viktoria Aschaffenburg historically played its football in the Hessenliga (V) and the associated Hessian le ...

is the primary football club. The club was formed on 24 June 1904 out of the merger of FC Aschaffenburg (6 August 1901) and FC Viktoria Aschaffenburg (12 April 1902). It was renamed Sportverein Viktoria 01 Aschaffenburg on 3 June 1906. Their homefield is Stadion am Schönbusch (Schönbusch stadium), a modern stadium located in Nilkheim.

American football

In 1991, the Aschaffenburg Stallions began playing

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

at Schönbusch stadium. A

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

squad also exists.

Baseball and softball

Aschaffenburg is also home to the Aschaffenburg Mohawks Baseball and Softball team. The softball team won the 2010 German Championship. The adult baseball team won the 2011 Landesliga South Championship and will play in the highest league of the state Hessen in 2012.

Infrastructure

Transport

Roads

Aschaffenburg is located on Bundesautobahn 3 between

and

. The southern terminus of Bundesautobahn 45 is located just west of the town. Bundesstrasse B 26 passes through the town. Bundestrasse B 8 used to pass through Aschaffenburg, but has now been rerouted along the Bundesautobahn 3. Three road bridges cross the river Main at Aschaffenburg:

Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the first president of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925. Ebert was elected leader of the SPD on t ...

Bridge (a new span opened in 2008), Willigis Bridge and

Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (; 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman who served as the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of the Christian Dem ...

Bridge. In the 1980s, a road tunnel was constructed under the Schlossplatz to improve traffic flow through the ''Stadtmitte'' (town center). After 43 years of planning and construction, the limited-access ''Innenstadtring'' or "inner-town-ring" road was completed in July 2013. It allows motorists to bypass the ''Stadtmitte'' (town center) and reduces traffic congestion in Aschaffenburg, which has been a problem in recent years. Another road project called ''Bahnparallele'' is currently under construction, with a small section already opened. It is located in the ''Stadtteil'' of Damm and runs parallel to the railway tracks.

Parking

There are approximately 7,500 parking spaces in the ten ''Stadtteile'' of Aschaffenburg and eight public parking garages.

= Public transport

= Aschaffenburg has a comprehensive bus network serving the town and surrounding region. The 15 main bus lines which serve the ''Stadtteile'' of Aschaffenburg are run by '' Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg''. There are several other bus lines which link Aschaffenburg with the surrounding region. Those lines are run by other companies, including the

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the ...

. A new regional bus terminal opened in 2008, adjacent to the Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof (main railway station). The ''Regionale Omnibusbahnhof Aschaffenburg (ROB)'' was built to consolidate all of the scattered bus stops in the area around the main railway station into one central location and reduce traffic congestion in the area.

Railway stations and stops

* '' Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof/Aschaffenburg Central Station'' - The station has long-distance

InterCityExpress The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerl ...

and

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

services as well as regional connections to neighboring towns and cities. A new, larger station building opened in 2011, replacing a smaller structure built in the 1950s. * ''Aschaffenburg-Hochschule/University of Applied Sciences'' - The stop, located near Würzburger Straße, opened in 2007 to accommodate students attending nearby schools. It is positioned between Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof and Aschaffenburg-Süd/South. There is only a single track platform. * ''Aschaffenburg-Süd/South'' * ''Obernau'' * ''Schönbusch-Nilkheim'' - The station closed when passenger service on the "Bachgaubahn" railway line ended in 1974. * ''Leider'' - Freight railway terminal close to Aschaffenburg's port on the Main. There is no passenger service. All passenger train service is provided by the

Harbor

Aschaffenburg has an active port along the Main in the ''Stadtteil'' of Leider. There is railway access to the port. In 2005, 2.8 million tons of cargo passed through the port.

Airports

A small

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airport (''Flugplatz Aschaffenburg'', ICAO-Code: EDFC) is located in nearby Großostheim.

Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport (; german: link=no, Flughafen Frankfurt Main , also known as ''Rhein-Main-Flughafen'') is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city of Germany and one of the world's leading financial centres ...

is located from Aschaffenburg and offers flights to destinations all over the world. The trip to and from the airport takes about 30 minutes by car or approximately 45 minutes by

train.

Medical

The three primary medical centers in Aschaffenburg are: * ''Klinikum Aschaffenburg'', the main hospital * ''Hofgartenklinik'' * ''Frauenklinik am Ziegelberg'' There are approximately 789 hospital beds, 159 doctors, 68 dentists and 38 pharmacies in the ''Stadtteile'' of Aschaffenburg.

Education

There are various types of schools in Aschaffenburg serving approximately 18,000 students from the town and surrounding region.

University

is a university of applied sciences (or ''Fachhochschule'').

Media

Printed media

* ''Main-Echo'', Aschaffenburg-based newspaper published daily except Sunday. This is the main newspaper for Aschaffenburg and the surrounding region. It was first published on 24 November 1945, replacing "Aschaffenburger Zeitung". It has a daily circulation of approximately 200,000 readers. * ''Prima Sonntag'', newspaper published only on Sunday * ''FRIZZ Das Magazin'', culture/scene magazine * ''Brot & Spiele'', culture magazine * ''Szene Magazin''

Radio and television

* Radio Primavera * Radio Galaxy * Main.tv - Das Primavera Fernsehen, Aschaffenburg programming

Internet

* www.main.tv - video-Website for Aschaffenburg (city and regional) * Kommweichei.com e.V., the community and party scene in Aschaffenburg * MainReporter.de - portal for Aschaffenburg (city and regional) * abscene.de , Newgae magazine * ABhörn, online Magazine * Main-netz.de, news and community information for the region

Notable people

Before 1900

* Daniel Brendel von Homburg (1523–1582), Archbishop of Mainz from 1555 to 1582 *

Martin Baldwin Kittel Martin Baldwin Kittel (6 January 1796/97/98 – 1885) known as Martin Balduin, and Baldwin Martin, was born in Aschaffenburg on 6 January, the year given variously as 1796, 1797 or 1798, in "humble circumstances". He passed his baccalaureate in 1 ...

(1798–1885), professor of Aschaffenburg Hochschule from 1831 to 1871 * Johann Joseph Scherer (1814–1869), chemist * Joseph von Lindwurm (1824–1874), physician and dermatologist * Lujo Brentano (1844–1931), economist and social reformer *

Friedrich von Hefner-Alteneck Friedrich Heinrich Philipp Franz von Hefner-Alteneck (April 27, 1845 in Aschaffenburg – January 6, 1904 in Biesdorf near Berlin) was a German electrical engineer and one of the closest aides of Werner von Siemens. He is largely remembered for ...

(1845–1904), electrical engineer * Joseph Anton Schneiderfranken (1876–1943), painter and author *

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century ...

(1880–1938), expressionist painter and printmaker *

Friedrich Dessauer Friedrich Dessauer (19 July 1881 – 16 February 1963) was a physicist, a philosopher, a socially engaged entrepreneur and a journalist. Friedrich Dessauer was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany. As a young man he was fascinated by new discove ...

(1881–1963), physicist, philosopher, socially engaged entrepreneur and journalist * Hans Schmidt (1881–1916), priest executed for murder in the United States * Alfons Maria Jakob (1884–1931), neurologist and neuropathologist *

Otto Gentil Otto Gentil was born on 7 August 1892 at Aschaffenburg, Bayern, (Germany) where he died in 1969. He was a German sculptor and painter. Otto Gentil was the son of the manufacturer of pumps and art collector Anton Gentil of Aschaffenburg. From 19 ...

(1892–1969), painter and sculptor

1900 to 1959

* Hanns Seidel (1901–1961), politician and Bavarian prime minister from 1957 to 1960 * Inge Viermetz (1908–1997), official and defendant at the Nuremberg Trials *

Guido Dessauer Guido Dessauer (7 November 1915 – 13 January 2012) was a German physicist, pioneer in paper engineering, business executive, writer, art collector, Patronage, patron of the arts, and academic. Born into a family of paper industrialists, he work ...

(1915–2012), physicist, business executive, art collector, patron of arts and academic * Peter Gingold (1916–2006), figure in the German Resistance and the National Committee for a Free Germany * Wilfried Hofmann (1931–2020), diplomat and author *

Adalbert Kraus Adalbert Kraus (born 27 April 1937 in Aschaffenburg) is a German tenor in opera and concert, known for singing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Career Adalbert Kraus first graduated in German studies, theology, and philosophy and in 1967, ...

(born 1937), tenor * Felix Magath (born 1953), football player and manager * Rudi Bommer (born 1957), football player and manager

From 1960

Urban Priol Urban Priol (born 14 May 1961) is a German Kabarett artist and comedian. Life Urban Priol was born on 14 May 1961, in Aschaffenburg. He spent his childhood in Obernburg am Main. In 1980, he made his abitur at the Kronberg-Gymnasium Aschaffenbur ...

(born 1961), cabaret artist and comedian * Winfried Bausback (born 1965), politician *

Burkard Schliessmann Burkard Schliessmann is a German classical pianist and concert artist with an active international career. He attended the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and graduated with a Master's degree. He studied under several internation ...

, classical pianist and concert artist * Christian Hock (born 1970), football player and manager *

Carlos Boozer Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last seas ...

(born 1981), American basketball player *

Sabine Englert Sabine Englert (born 27 November 1981) is a German team handball goalkeeper, who currently plays in Aarhus United and previously for the German national team. She has previously played for the Austrian club Hypo Niederösterreich, Bayer Lever ...

(born 1981), handball player * Marcel Schäfer (born 1984), footballer *

José Holebas José Lloyd Cholevas ( el, Ιωσήφ Λόιντ Χολέβας; born 27 June 1984), known as José Holebas (Greek: Χοσέ Χολέμπας), is a footballer who last played as a left-back or a left midfielder for Hessenliga club Bayern Alze ...

(born 1984), Greek footballer *

Demond Greene Demond Greene (born 15 June 1979) is a German–American professional basketball coach and former player. He played professionally for several seasons in, amongst others, the EuroLeague, the Greek Basket League and the German Basketball Bundeslig ...

(born 1981), German basketballer * Markus Neumayr (born 1986), footballer * Ivo Iličević (born 1986), Croatian footballer *

Daria Kinzer Daria Kinzer (born 29 May 1988) is a Croatian-Austrian singer who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Düsseldorf, ...

(born 1988, Austrian-Croatian singer who represented

Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Croatia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Celebrate" written by Boris Đurđević and Marina Mudrinić. The song was performed by Daria. The Croatian broadcaster Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) organised the nation ...

* Patrick Amrhein (born 1989), footballer * Paul Hill (born 1995), English rugby union player

Notable residents

(940–1011), Archbishop of Mainz * Diether von Isenburg (1412–1482), Elector and Archbishop of Mainz *

Dietrich Schenk von Erbach Dietrich (Theodoric) Schenk von Erbach (died 6 May 1459) was a German nobleman. He was Archbishop of Mainz from 1434 until 1459. Theodoric was a son of Arch-Cupbearer Eberhard VI of Erbach. He was a member of the cathedral chapter of Mainz wh ...

(?–1459), Archbishop of Mainz * Mathis Gothart-Nithart (c. 1475–1528), Renaissance painter of religious works * Wolfgang von Dalberg (1538–1601), Archbishop of Mainz * Johann Adam von Bicken (1564–1604), Archbishop of Mainz * Johann Schweikard von Kronberg (1553–1626), Archbishop of Mainz, commissioned the Schloss Johannisburg * Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal (1719–1802), prince-elector and archbishop of Mainz *

Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was Prince- Archbishop of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Bishop of Constance and Worms, prince-primate of the Confederation of the Rhine and Gr ...

(1744–1817), Archbishop-Elector of Mainz, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of

Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the ...

Johann Jakob Wilhelm Heinse (Johann Jakob) Wilhelm Heinse (16 February 1746, Langewiesen, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – 22 June 1803), German author, was born at Langewiesen in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (now in Thuringia). After attending grammar school at Schleusingen he ...

(1746–1803), author *

(1778–1842), poet and novelist * Franz Bopp (1791–1867), linguist * Emil Erlenmeyer (1825–1909), chemist *

Alois Alzheimer Alois Alzheimer ( , , ; 14 June 1864 – 19 December 1915) was a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist and a colleague of Emil Kraepelin. Alzheimer is credited with identifying the first published case of "presenile dementia", which Kraep ...

(1864–1915), psychiatrist and neuropathologist * Ludwig Thoma (1867–1921), author, publisher and editor, studied forestry in Aschaffenburg *

Christian Schad Christian Schad (21 August 189425 February 1982) was a German painter and photographer. He was associated with the Dada and the New Objectivity movements. Considered as a group, Schad's portraits form an extraordinary record of life in Vienna a ...

(1894–1982), painter * (1895–1994), politician (CSU), unionist, member of Reichstag and

Alfons Goppel Alfons Goppel (1 October 1905 – 24 December 1991) was a German politician of the CSU party and Prime Minister of Bavaria (1962–1978). Biography Alfons Goppel was born in Reinhausen (now Regensburg), one of the nine children of the bake ...

(1905–1991), politician (CSU) and Prime Minister of Bavaria * Ernst Lehner (1912–1986), footballer * Guido Knopp (born 1948), journalist and author * Otto Becker (born 1958), show jumping champion

Twin towns – sister cities

Aschaffenburg is twinned with: *

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Scotland, United Kingdom (1956) * Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France (1975) *

Miskolc Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...

, Hungary (1996)

References

External links

Municipal website
(German, English, French, Hebrew, Italian, Russian)
University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg
{{Authority control Populated places on the Main basin Populated riverside places in Germany