Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Augsburg Attractions
Most of the sights in Augsburg are on or near Rathausplatz. The town’s main street, Maximilianstrasse, is especially attractive, lined with shops and old burghers’ houses and studded with fountains by the Renaissance Dutch sculptor Adrien de Vries. Step off the avenue into the courtyard of the Damenhof, or Ladies’ Court, of what was once the Fugger-Stadtpalais (Fugger City Palace), one-time home of the town’s wealthiest Renaissance family.
Meet the Fuggers
By the late 1400s Augsburg had become a center of banking and finance thanks to the efforts of the Fuggers, an incredibly wealthy local family. The aptly named Jakob Fugger the Rich (1459–1529) served as the Holy Roman Empire’s banker and was the financier behind the Hapsburgs, who were in debt to him to the tune of some four million ducats. Jakob was so rich and so powerful that during an exchange with Charles I he had the temerity to say, “It is well known that without my help, Your Majesty would no longer wear the crown of the Holy Roman Empire.” It was this same Jakob who founded the Fuggerei, the world’s first almshouses, in exchange for the daily prayers of its impoverished residents.
6 Results
- Religious Site
Dom St. Maria
The cathedral of Augsburg has the distinction of containing the oldest stained-glass windows in the world. These severe but colorful panels, dating from the 12th century, are in the south transept and depict Old Testament prophets. They are younger than the cathedral itself, which… - Historic Site
Fuggerei
During the 15th and 16th centuries, Augsburg became one of Europe’s wealthiest communities, mainly because of its textile industry and the political and financial clout of its two banking families, the Welsers and the Fuggers. The Welsers have long since faded away, but the Fuggers… - Landmark
Rathaus
The 1620 Rathaus is a German Renaissance gem, and a formidable presence on Augsburg’s main square, Rathausplatz —eight stories high and commanding one end of the vast space, it must have seemed like a skyscraper to earlier sensibilities. This rather astonishing appearance is… - Historic Site
Schaezlerpalais
This 60-room mansion built between 1765 and 1770 houses the Deutsche Barockgalerie (German Baroque Gallery), showcasing 17th- and 18th-century paintings by artists active in Augsburg and its surrounding vicinity. You probably won’t recognize many of the names, but there are a couple… - Religious Site
St. Anna
Martin Luther stayed in this former Carmelite monastery in 1518 when he was called to Augsburg to recant his revolutionary 95 Theses before a papal emissary. Even without this historic provenance, the church is a treasure, containing paintings by Lucas Cranach (who was a friend of… - Religious Site
St. Ulrich und St. Afra Kirche
This pair of adjoining churches commemorates the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, which recognized two denominations. Lutheran St. Ulrich occupies the assembly hall of a converted monastery and Catholic St. Afra is the more elaborate, with a magnificent altar. The two namesake saints—Ulrich…
Augsburg Nightlife
Kongresshalle, Güggingerstrasse 10 (tel. 0821/3242348; tram: 1), presents concerts by the local ballet and opera companies and the chamber and symphony orchestras. Call for schedules, prices, and reservations. It's closed in August. The internationally renowned Mozart Festival is held in Augsburg every September. Contact the Tourist-Information office for details. In the courtyard of the Fugger Palace, the city hosts a musical-theater production each June and July. Tickets run 12€ to 40€. Information and reservations are available by calling the tourist office.
Maximilianstrasse, the main shopping street with its many cafes, continues to be the focus of nightlife after the shops close. Brauereigasthaus Drei Königinnen, Meister-Veits-Gässchen 32 (tel. 0821/158405; www.augusta-brauerei.de; tram: 2 or 4), doubles as an art gallery, has a pleasant beer garden that's open 1:30 to 10pm, and has a main restaurant/bar that closes at 8pm. Another garden/bar combo that keeps the same hours is Thorbräu, Wertachbrucker-Tor-Strasse 9 (tel. 0821/36561; www.thorbraeu.de; tram: 2 or 4). Liliom, Unterer Graben 1 (tel. 0821/33724; www.liliom.de; tram: 2 or 4), is equipped with a good stereo system to go with drinks and conversation; local artwork is often available for purchase. The bar is open Monday to Saturday 5pm to 12:30am and Sunday 3pm to midnight.
