Fürstenfeldbruck () is a town in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, Germany, 32 kilometres west of
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. It is the capital of the
district of Fürstenfeldbruck. it had a population of 35,494. Since the 1930s Fürstenfeldbruck has had an air force base.
Geography
Fürstenfeldbruck covers an area of 32.53 km
2. It is located halfway between
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
and
Augsburg
Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
, and along the
Amper river.
Main sights
*
Fürstenfeld Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1266 by
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Louis the Strict () (13 April 1229 – 2 February 1294) was Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. He is known as Louis II or Louis VI following an alternative numbering. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of Otto II W ...
and closed in 1803.
Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base
Fürstenfeldbruck has been the site of an Air Base since 1936. It was used by the
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
before and during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was used by
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and returned to the German government in 1957 and used as a base for the German Air Force.
The air force base was the site of the
Munich Massacre during the
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...
. The nine
Israeli hostages (two had been killed earlier at the Olympic Village) and eight
Black September terrorists who captured them were flown to the base from the Olympic Village via helicopter, where the terrorists demanded they, and their hostages, be flown to a friendly Arab nation. After a botched rescue attempt by Bavarian border guards and Munich police, the terrorists killed all of the nine remaining Israeli hostages, who were unable to escape from the helicopters. Five of the terrorists and a Munich policeman were also killed in the gunfight.
Twin towns – sister cities
Fürstenfeldbruck is
twinned with:
*
Almuñécar, Spain
*
Cerveteri
Cerveteri () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Italian region of Lazio. Known by the ancient Romans as Caere, and previously by the Etruscans as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the Greeks, ...
, Italy
*
Livry-Gargan, France
*
Wichita Falls, United States
*
Zadar
Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...
, Croatia
Notable people
* (1869–1934), German sculptor and goldsmith
*
Ferdinand von Miller (1813–1887), iron moulder
*
Adolf Des Coudres (1862–1924), landscape painter, died in Fürstenfeldbruck
*
Richard W. Higgins (1922–1957), pilot, died preventing a plane crash over Fürstenfeldbruck
*
Alexander Wesselsky
Alexander "Alexx" Wesselsky (born 18 November 1968) is a German singer. He is a founder and the lead vocalist of Neue Deutsche Härte band Eisbrecher. He was also a founding member and lead singer of Megaherz, having performed with them for 10 ...
(born 1968), singer and musician
References
Fürstenfeldbruck (district)
{{Fürstenfeldbruck-geo-stub