Aschaffenburg
| Aschaffenburg | |
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  Aschaffenburg
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| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
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| State | Bavaria |
| Admin. region | Lower Franconia |
| District | Urban district |
| Town subdivisions | 10 districts |
| Lord Mayor | Klaus Herzog (SPD) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 62.47 km2 (24.12 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 138 m (453 ft) |
| Population | 68,722 (31 December 2009)[1] |
| - Density | 1,100 /km2 (2,849 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | AB |
| Postal codes | 63701–63743 (old: 8750) |
| Area codes | 06021,06028 |
| Website | www.aschaffenburg.de |
Aschaffenburg (German pronunciation: [aˈʃafənbʊɐ̯k], locally [ˈaʒəbɛːʃ]) is a small city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.
Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart". It is also called Bayerisches Nizza or "Bavarian Nice" due to the relatively mild local climate, as well as its Mediterranean gardens that overlook the river Main.
Although located in Bavaria, the town's inhabitants claim to be Lower Franconians, not Bavarians. This is consistent with the attitude of the inhabitants of other parts of Franconia, all of which lies within the state of Bavaria. Yet, Aschaffenburg was never part of historical Franconia, as it belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz for more than 800 years. The city is located at the westernmost border of Lower Franconia and separated from the central and eastern part of the administrative district by the Spessart 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.
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Geography
Geographic location
The town is located on both sides of the River Main in the southwest part of Germany, 41 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Frankfurt am Main. The region is called Bayerischer Untermain or Bavarian Lower Main.
Climate
Continental, typically with warm, dry summers and cold, damp winters. Aschaffenburg usually receives less snowfall during the winter than the nearby Spessart.
Municipal districts
Aschaffenburg counts 10 districts:
- Damm
- Gailbach
- Leider
- Nilkheim
- Obernau
- Obernauer Kolonie
- Österreicher Kolonie (Austrian Colony)
- Schweinheim
- Stadtmitte (city center)
- Strietwald
Nilkheim and Leider are the only districts located on the left bank of the river Main.
Neighbouring communities
The following municipalities border Aschaffenburg:
Johannesberg, Glattbach, Goldbach, Haibach, Bessenbach, Sulzbach am Main, Niedernberg, Großostheim, Stockstadt am Main 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.
Brief history
The earliest remains of settlements in the area of Aschaffenburg date from the Stone Age. Aschaffenburg was originally a settlement of the Alamanni. Roman legions were stationed here, and on the ruins of their castra the Frankish mayors of the palace built a castle. In the Middle Ages the town was known as Ascaffaburc, Ascapha or Ascaphaburg. Saint Boniface erected a chapel to Saint Martin and founded a Benedictine monastery here. A stone bridge over the Main was built by Archbishop Willigis in 989. Adalbert increased the importance the town in various ways about 1122. In 1292 a synod was held here, and in 1474 an imperial diet, preliminary to that of Vienna, approved a concordat (sometimes called the Aschaffenburg Concordat).
The town suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War, being held in turn by the various belligerents. It formed part of the electorate of the Archbishop of Mainz, and in 1803 was made over to the chancellor, Archbishop Charles of Dalberg as the Principality of Aschaffenburg. In 1810 it was merged into the new Grand Duchy of Frankfurt, although Dalberg retained Aschaffenburg as his residence. In 1814 the city was transferred to the Kingdom of Bavaria by an Austrian-Bavarian treaty. In 1817 it was included within Bavarian Lower Franconia.
From 1842–1849, King Ludwig I of Bavaria built a country house to the west of town. It was named Pompejanum after its model, the house of Castor and Pollux at Pompeii. In 1866 the Prussian Army inflicted a severe defeat on the Austrians in the neighbourhood during the Austro-Prussian War.
In World War II, Aschaffenburg was heavily damaged by Allied area bombing, including Schloss Johannisburg which was completely restored several years later. In the decades following the war, Aschaffenburg and the surrounding region experienced robust economic prosperity, partially due to its close proximity to Frankfurt am Main.
According to an online 2002 survey in Stern (magazine),[Stern 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 this 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 showed that Aschaffenburg has one of the highest ratings for quality of life in Germany.
US military presence (1945–2007)
Aschaffenburg was the location of several United States Army installations throughout the Cold War. The US Army occupied facilities formerly used and controlled by the Wehrmacht. The installation sites were known as Ready Kaserne, Smith Kaserne, Graves Kaserne, Fiori Kaserne, and Jaeger Kasern, housing armour, infantry, engineer, maintenance and artillery elements of the US Army 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and various VII Corps elements including the 9th Engineer Battalion. Much of the US 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.
Sights
Aschaffenburg's chief buildings are the Schloss Johannisburg, built 1605–1614 by Archbishop Schweikard von Kronberg, which contains a library with a number of incunabula, a collection of engravings and paintings; the Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman town house discovered in Pompeii commissioned by King Ludwig I. and opened in 1850; the Stiftskirche basilica, founded in 974 by Otto of Swabia, duke of Bavaria, 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 famous painting by Matthias Grünewald; the Capuchin hospital; a theatre, which was formerly a house of the Teutonic Order; several mansions of the nobility; and the beautiful, historical "Altstadt" (the oldest section of Aschaffenburg).
The graves of Clemens Brentano and his brother Christian Brentano (died 1851) and that of Wilhelm Heinse are on the Altstadtfriedhof.[2]
Demographics
Population
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Age distribution of current population
TransportationRoadsAschaffenburg is located on Bundesautobahn 3 between Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg. The southern terminus of Bundesautobahn 45 is located just west of the city. Bundesstraßen B 26 pass through the city. Bundestrasse B 8 used to pass through the city, but has now been rerouted along the Bundesautobahn 3. Three road bridges cross the river Main at Aschaffenburg: Ebert Bridge (a new span opened in 2008), Willigis Bridge and Adenauer Bridge. In the 1980s, a road tunnel was constructed under the Schlossplatz to improve traffic flow through the stadtmitte (city center). The limited-access Innenstadtring or "inner-city-ring" road is currently under construction and is nearing completion. It allows motorists to bypass the stadtmitte (city center) and reduce traffic congestion in Aschaffenburg, which has been a problem in recent years. A large section of the road has already opened. ParkingThere are approximately 7,000 parking spaces in the ten districts of Aschaffenburg and 5 parking garages open to the public. Public transportAschaffenburg has a comprehensive bus network serving all districts and the surrounding region. The 15 main bus lines which serve the districts 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. 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. TaxisTaxis can be found at the following locations:
The normal way to obtain a taxi is to either call one of the numerous taxi operators in Aschaffenburg or go to one of the locations listed above. Railway stations and stops
All passenger train service is provided by the Deutsche Bahn. HarborAschaffenburg has an active port along the Main in the district of Leider. There is railway access to the port. In 2005, 2.8 million tons of cargo passed through the port. AirportsA small general aviation airport (Flugplatz Aschaffenburg, ICAO-Code: EDFC) is located in nearby Großostheim. Frankfurt Airport is located 46 kilometers (30 miles) from Aschaffenburg and offers connections to destinations all over the world. The trip to and from the airport takes about 30 minutes by motor vehicle or approximately 45 minutes by InterCityExpress train. ShoppingCity GalerieThe City Galerie, opened in 1974 and located in the city center (Stadtmitte), is the largest shopping mall in Northern Bavaria. It was one of the first indoor shopping malls to open in Germany. It was first renovated in 1984. From 1997 to 1999, it was expanded and modernized which included the opening of a new food court. In 2008, several new stores including H&M opened. Current stores include C&A, Esprit, Forever 18, Galeria Kaufhof, GameStop, H&M, Media Markt City (electronics), Müller & Penny Markt. FußgängerzoneAschaffenburg also has a pedestrian shopping zone (fußgängerzone in German) closed to motor vehicles, except for deliveries. It is located in the city center (Stadtmitte). Several upscale stores have opened in this zone in recent years. There are also several restaurants and cafes. The following streets & alleys are included in this zone: Roßmarkt, Herstallstraße, Steingasse and Sandgasse. FrohsinnstrasseThis street, located close to the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), has a variety of different stores. Culture and recreationalCultural eventsAschaffenburg 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
Museums and galleries
Library
Cinema
ParksAschaffenburg has numerous parks including the following:
RecreationalA large recreational complex is located in the district 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. SportsFootball (Soccer)Viktoria Aschaffenburg is the primary football (soccer) club. The club was formed on June 24, 1904 out of the merger of FC Aschaffenburg (August 6, 1901) and FC Viktoria Aschaffenburg (April 12, 1902). It was re-named Sportverein Viktoria 01 Aschaffenburg on June 3, 1906. Their homefield is Stadion am Schönbusch (Schönbusch stadium), a modern stadium located in the Nilkheim district. American footballIn 1991, the Aschaffenburg Stallions began playing American football at Schönbusch stadium. A cheerleader squad also exists. EducationThere are various types of schools in Aschaffenburg serving approximately 18,000 students from the city and surrounding region. UniversityThere's a University of Applied Sciences located at Würzburger Straße: Hochschule Aschaffenburg MedicalThe three primary medical centers in Aschaffenburg are:
There are approximately 789 hospital beds, 159 doctors, 68 dentists and 38 pharmacies in the districts of Aschaffenburg. Local and regional mediaPrinted media
Radio and television
Internet
Town twinningAschaffenburg is twinned with:
In 2006, Aschaffenburg and Perth celebrated the 50th anniversary of their partnership. References
External links
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Urban and rural districts in the 