Donau-Ries
Encyclopedia
Donau-Ries is a district in Bavaria
, Germany
. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Ansbach
, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
, Eichstätt
, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen
, Aichach-Friedberg
, Augsburg
and Dillingen
, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg
(districts of Heidenheim
and Ostalbkreis
).
was a very attractive site for human settlement. The valley of the Danube was abounding with game, and many caves in the slopes of the crater provided shelter for Neanderthals and their successors.
The Ries was always densely populated. From 450 to 15 BC Celt
ic peoples built their settlements on the tops of the hills. Remains of Celtic circular forts and sanctuaries can be found all over the region. They were replaced about 90 AD by the Romans
, who secured the region by building forts and the Limes (which was some km north of the present district).
The Romans were driven away about 250 AD by the Alamanni
, which in turn were defeated by the Franks
in 496. In the early years of the Holy Roman Empire
new castles were erected, among them Oettingen, which was the centre of the county of Oettingen. This county was first mentioned in 1141, ruled over the villages of the Ries and managed to gain further territories around. In the 15th century the county was divided into the two states of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Wallerstein. Later the former decided to become Protestant
, while the latter remained Catholic
. This was the reason for a bloody enmity resulting in decades of war. Even prior to the Thirty Years' War there were battles, mass executions and witchhunts in both parts. In the Thirty Years' War
the Ries was almost completely devastated and depopulated. Two major battles of that war took place in the region: the Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
and the Battle of Nördlingen (1645)
.
After the war, the Counts of the mini-states (in the meantime a third county called Oettingen-Spielberg had been founded) recruited settlers from Austria
to repopulate the land. The hostilities between the counties were revived. There was fighting in the War of the Spanish Succession
, with two major battles taking place in the Ries. All this came to an end, when the last Protestant ruler of Oettingen-Oettingen died without a successor. The remaining states of Oettingen-Wallerstein and Oettingen-Spielberg annexed his lands and turned them into a Catholic region.
In 1806 Napoleon
dissolved both Oettingen states and awarded them to Bavaria
. In the Congress of Vienna
the affiliation of the region with Bavaria was confirmed, and the sovereignty of the Ries ended.
The present district was established in 1972 by merging the former districts of Nördlingen and Donauwörth.
, which runs from west to east. It is joined by the Lech river coming from the south. North of the river there is a hill chain, the so called Riesalb connecting the mountain chains of the Swabian Alb
in the west and the Frankish Alb in the east. Further north there is the Nördlinger Ries
, a huge depression, which is in fact an ancient impact crater
, caused by a meteorite
some 14.8 million years ago.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Ansbach
Ansbach (district)
Ansbach is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is surrounding, but not including the city of Ansbach; nonetheless the administrative seat of the district is Ansbach. It is the district with the biggest area in Bavaria...
, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen is a Kreis in the west of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ansbach, Roth, Eichstätt and Donau-Ries.-History:...
, Eichstätt
Eichstätt (district)
Eichstätt is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, Donau-Ries, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, Roth, Neumarkt, Kelheim and Pfaffenhofen, and by the city of Ingolstadt.-History:...
, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen
Neuburg-Schrobenhausen
Neuburg-Schrobenhausen is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Pfaffenhofen, Aichach-Friedberg, Donau-Ries and Eichstätt, and by the city of Ingolstadt.-History:...
, Aichach-Friedberg
Aichach-Friedberg
Aichach-Friedberg is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Augsburg, Donau-Ries, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, Pfaffenhofen, Dachau, Fürstenfeldbruck and Landsberg, as well as by the city of Augsburg....
, Augsburg
Augsburg (district)
Augsburg is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Augsburg and the districts of Aichach-Friedberg, Landsberg, Ostallgäu, Unterallgäu, Günzburg, Dillingen and Donau-Ries...
and Dillingen
Dillingen (district)
Dillingen is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Donau-Ries, Augsburg and Günzburg, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg .-History:...
, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
(districts of Heidenheim
Heidenheim (district)
Heidenheim is a district in the east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ostalbkreis, Dillingen, Günzburg, Alb-Donau and Göppingen.-History:...
and Ostalbkreis
Ostalbkreis
The Ostalbkreis is a district in the east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on the border to Bavaria. Neighboring districts are Schwäbisch Hall, Ansbach, Donau-Ries, Heidenheim, Göppingen and Rems-Murr.-History:...
).
History
From Palaeolithic times on the Nördlinger RiesNördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
was a very attractive site for human settlement. The valley of the Danube was abounding with game, and many caves in the slopes of the crater provided shelter for Neanderthals and their successors.
The Ries was always densely populated. From 450 to 15 BC Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic peoples built their settlements on the tops of the hills. Remains of Celtic circular forts and sanctuaries can be found all over the region. They were replaced about 90 AD by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, who secured the region by building forts and the Limes (which was some km north of the present district).
The Romans were driven away about 250 AD by the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
, which in turn were defeated by the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
in 496. In the early years of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
new castles were erected, among them Oettingen, which was the centre of the county of Oettingen. This county was first mentioned in 1141, ruled over the villages of the Ries and managed to gain further territories around. In the 15th century the county was divided into the two states of Oettingen-Oettingen and Oettingen-Wallerstein. Later the former decided to become Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, while the latter remained Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. This was the reason for a bloody enmity resulting in decades of war. Even prior to the Thirty Years' War there were battles, mass executions and witchhunts in both parts. In the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
the Ries was almost completely devastated and depopulated. Two major battles of that war took place in the region: the Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
The Battle of Nördlingen was fought on 27 August or 6 September , 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. The Roman Catholic Imperial army, bolstered by 18,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, won a crushing victory over the combined Protestant armies of Sweden and their German-Protestant allies .After...
and the Battle of Nördlingen (1645)
Battle of Nördlingen (1645)
The second Battle of Nördlingen was fought on August 3, 1645 southeast of Nördlingen near the village of Alerheim...
.
After the war, the Counts of the mini-states (in the meantime a third county called Oettingen-Spielberg had been founded) recruited settlers from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to repopulate the land. The hostilities between the counties were revived. There was fighting in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, with two major battles taking place in the Ries. All this came to an end, when the last Protestant ruler of Oettingen-Oettingen died without a successor. The remaining states of Oettingen-Wallerstein and Oettingen-Spielberg annexed his lands and turned them into a Catholic region.
In 1806 Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
dissolved both Oettingen states and awarded them to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. In the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
the affiliation of the region with Bavaria was confirmed, and the sovereignty of the Ries ended.
The present district was established in 1972 by merging the former districts of Nördlingen and Donauwörth.
Geography
In the south the district is crossed by the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, which runs from west to east. It is joined by the Lech river coming from the south. North of the river there is a hill chain, the so called Riesalb connecting the mountain chains of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
in the west and the Frankish Alb in the east. Further north there is the Nördlinger Ries
Nördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
, a huge depression, which is in fact an ancient impact crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
, caused by a meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
some 14.8 million years ago.
Coat of arms
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The coat of arms displays:
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Towns and municipalities
| Towns | Municipalities | |
|---|---|---|
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Alerheim Alerheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Amerdingen Amerdingen is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.There is an 18th century castle: Schloss Amerdingen . It was built by the known noble family of the Stauffenbergs . All living Stauffenbergs belong to the Amerdingen line of this clan. Today Count Alfred Schenk von... Asbach-Bäumenheim Asbach-Bäumenheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.- Beginnings :Asbach-Bäumenheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.- Beginnings :... Auhausen Auhausen is a municipality in the Swabian district Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany. The municipality is within the Oettingen central administrative body. Auhausen was the site of the 1608 meeting that formed the Protestant Union, also known as the Union of Auhausen.... Buchdorf Buchdorf is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Daiting Daiting is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.-Archaeopteryx - Daiting Specimen:An eighth, fragmentary specimen of Archaeopteryx was discovered in the late 1980s in the somewhat younger sediments at Daiting... Deiningen Deiningen is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Ederheim Ederheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Ehingen am Ries Ehingen am Ries is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Forheim Forheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Fremdingen Fremdingen is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Fünfstetten Fünfstetten is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Genderkingen Genderkingen is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Hainsfarth Hainsfarth is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Harburg, Bavaria Harburg is a town on Bavaria's romantic road with one of the most impressive remaining medieval castles in Germany. It is in the Donau-Ries district.The castle was first mentioned in 1150 and has never been seriously damaged by war... Hohenaltheim Hohenaltheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Holzheim, Donau-Ries Holzheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.The community had in 1970: 1,012 1987: 1,006 in 2000: 1,145 inhabitants.... Huisheim Huisheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany.... Kaisheim Kaisheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany. It was the location of the Imperial abbey, Kaisheim Abbey.-History:... |
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External links
- Official website (German)