Donauwörth

Donauwörth
Reichsstrasse, Donauwörth
Donauwörth
Location of the town of Donauwörth within Donau-Ries district
Coordinates	48°42′N 10°48′E / 48.7°N 10.8°E / 48.7; 10.8Coordinates: 48°42′N 10°48′E / 48.7°N 10.8°E / 48.7; 10.8
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Swabia
District	Donau-Ries
Lord Mayor	Armin Neudert (CSU)
Basic statistics
Area	77.02 km2 (29.74 sq mi)
Elevation	410 m  (1345 ft)
Population	18,240 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	237 /km2 (613 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	DON
Postal code	86609
Area code	0906
Website	www.donauwoerth.de

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.

History

It is historically important to Germany 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.

Notable citizens

• 1291 Margareta Ebner, German mystic
• 1499 Sebastian Franck, was a 16th century German freethinker, humanist, and radical reformer
• 1838 Franz Hartmann
• 1901 Werner Egk, Composer
• 1942 Werner Schnitzer, Actor
• 1948 Manfred G. Schmidt
• 1980 Carolin Hingst
• 1980 Sercan Güvenışık

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Donauwörth is twinned with:

• Perchtoldsdorf, Austria

Kloster Heilig Kreuz church, Decorations above the main altar.

See also

• Danube

References

1. ^ "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes" (in German). Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung. 31 December 2010. https://www.statistikdaten.bayern.de/genesis/online?language=de&sequenz=tabelleErgebnis&selectionname=12411-009r&sachmerkmal=QUASTI&sachschluessel=SQUART04&startjahr=2010&endjahr=2010. 

External links

Media related to Donauwörth at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website