Donauwörth
Encyclopedia
Donauwörth is a city in the German
State of Bavaria
(Bayern), in the region of Swabia
(Schwaben). It is said to have been founded by two fisherman where the Danube
(Donau) and Wörnitz
rivers meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "Romantische Straße" (Romantic Road
)
The city is situated between Munich
and Nuremberg
, 46 km north of Augsburg
.
as the site of one of the incidents which led to the Thirty Years' War
(1618–1648). In 1606, the Lutheran majority barred the Catholic
residents of the town from holding a procession, causing a riot to break out.
Donauwörth was again the scene of the Battle of Schellenberg
(or Battle of Donauwörth) on 2 July 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession
(1702–1713). The battle was named after the village and high ground behind the city. The Duke of Marlborough
was marching from Flanders
to Bavaria
and came to the Danube river. The French decided to make a crossing of the Danube at Donauwörth, where they were surprised by Marlborough's troops and after heavy fighting pulled back. This allowed Marlborough to capture Donauwörth and cross the Danube without any problem. About 5,000 French troops were drowned trying to escape.
with: Perchtoldsdorf
, Austria
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...
State of 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...
(Bayern), in the region of Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
(Schwaben). It is said to have been founded by two fisherman where the Danube
Danube
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....
(Donau) and Wörnitz
Wörnitz River
The Wörnitz is a river in Bavaria, Germany, a left tributary of the Danube. Its source is near Schillingsfürst, in the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria. It flows south, through the Nördlinger Ries, and flows into the Danube in Donauwörth. Towns along the Wörnitz include Wörnitz, Dinkelsbühl,...
rivers meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "Romantische Straße" (Romantic Road
Romantic Road
The Romantic Road is the term for a theme route coined by travel agents in the 1950s to describe the of highway in southern Germany , between Würzburg and Füssen. In medieval times it used to be a trade route, connecting the center of Germany with the South...
)
The city is situated between Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, 46 km north of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
.
History
It is historically important to GermanyGermany
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...
as the site of one of the incidents which led to 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....
(1618–1648). In 1606, the Lutheran majority barred the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
residents of the town from holding a procession, causing a riot to break out.
Donauwörth was again the scene of the Battle of Schellenberg
Battle of Schellenberg
The Battle of Schellenberg, also known as the Battle of Donauwörth, was fought on 2 July 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of the Duke of Marlborough's campaign to save the Habsburg capital of Vienna from a threatened advance by King Louis XIV's Franco-Bavarian...
(or Battle of Donauwörth) on 2 July 1704, during 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...
(1702–1713). The battle was named after the village and high ground behind the city. The Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
was marching from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
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...
and came to the Danube river. The French decided to make a crossing of the Danube at Donauwörth, where they were surprised by Marlborough's troops and after heavy fighting pulled back. This allowed Marlborough to capture Donauwörth and cross the Danube without any problem. About 5,000 French troops were drowned trying to escape.
Notable citizens
- 1291 Margareta EbnerMargareta EbnerBlessed Margareta Ebner, O.P., was a German nun who is considered part of the tradition of German mysticism and a visionary...
, German mysticGerman mysticismGerman mysticism, sometimes called Dominican mysticism or Rhineland mysticism, was a late medieval Christian mystical movement, that was especially prominent within the Dominican order and in Germany. Although its origins can be traced back to Hildegard of Bingen, it is mostly represented by... - 1499 Sebastian FranckSebastian FranckSebastian Franck was a 16th century German freethinker, humanist, and radical reformer.Franck was born about 1499 at Donauwörth, Bavaria. Because of this he styled himself Franck von Word...
, was a 16th century GermanGermanyGermany , 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...
freethinker, humanistHumanismHumanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, and radical reformer - 1838 Franz HartmannFranz HartmannFranz Hartmann was a German physician, theosophist, occultist, geomancer, astrologer, and author. His works include several books on esoteric studies and biographies of Jakob Böhme and Paracelsus. He translated the Bhagavad Gita into German and was the editor of the journal Lotusblüten...
- 1901 Werner EgkWerner EgkWerner Egk , born Werner Joseph Mayer, was a German composer.-Early career:He was born in the Swabian town of Auchsesheim, today part of Donauwörth, Germany. His family, of Catholic peasant stock, moved to Augsburg when Egk was six. He studied at a Benedictine Gymnasium and entered the municipal...
, ComposerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media... - 1942 Werner SchnitzerWerner SchnitzerWerner Schnitzer is a German television actor.-Selected filmography:* Derrick - Season 2, Episode 10: "Kamillas junger Freund" * Derrick - Season 7, Episode 11: "Pricker" -External links:*...
, ActorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - 1948 Manfred G. SchmidtManfred G. SchmidtManfred G. Schmidt is Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg.- Education :...
- 1980 Carolin HingstCarolin HingstCarolin Tamara Hingst is a German pole vaulter.She finished 10th at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, fourth at the 2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships in Madrid and 10th at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.Her personal best is 4.72 metres, achieved in July 2010 in...
- 1980 Sercan GüvenışıkSercan GüvenisikSercan Güvenışık is a Turkish football player. He currently plays for Preußen Münster.-Career:He also played for VSC Donauwörth, FC Augsburg and MSV Duisburg, Preußen Münster, 1. SC Feucht, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, SC Paderborn 07 in Germany and Denizlispor, Vestel Manisaspor in Turkey.-External...
Twin towns — sister cities
Donauwörth is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Perchtoldsdorf
Perchtoldsdorf
Perchtoldsdorf is a town in the district of Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, located about 16 km southwest of the viennese inner city.-History:...
, 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...