Friedberg, Bavaria Explained

Type:Stadt
Friedberg
Image Coa:DEU Friedberg COA.svg
Coordinates:48.35°N 69°W
Image Plan:Friedberg in AIC.svg
State:Bayern
Region:Schwaben
District:Aichach-Friedberg
Elevation:514
Area:81.20
Postal Code:86316
Area Code:0821
Licence:AIC, FDB
Gemeindeschlüssel:09 7 71 130
Divisions:15 Stadtteile
Website:www.friedberg.de
Mayor:Roland Eichmann[1]
Leader Term:2020 - 26
Party:SPD

Friedberg (pronounced as /de/) is a town in the district Aichach-Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany, with some 30,000 inhabitants. It is located next to Augsburg at the river Lech. The town was founded in the 13th century in order to collect a toll from people using the bridge across the Lech.

The town lies almost entirely on the western edge of the hills along the Lechleite, where the river Lech has formed a wide bed from glacial melt water.

History

Settlements in the area of Friedberg can be traced to Roman times through archeological findings of pottery and brickworks in the Hügelshart, Rohrbach (dating from the last third of the 3rd Century AD), Stätzling (late 3rd Century to 4th Century AD) and Wulfertshausen districts.[2]

The town is mentioned in historical documents for the first time in letter of protection from Conrad of the House of Hohenstaufen together with Duke Ludwig II, also called "the Strict", of Bavaria and the Burghers of Augsburg, in 1264. The Fridberch castle was subsequently built to serve as a border security and customs post for the Duchy of Bavaria, but put the town in opposition to the free city of Augsburg. The castle was the cause of the first burning of Friedberg by Augsburg in 1396. The town was subject to the many frequent wars between Swabia, Bavaria and Augsburg.[3]

In 1485 Balthasar Hubmaier, a leading figure of the Baptist Reformation, was born in the town.

A revival in the town's fortunes came when, in 1568, the Duchess Christine chose Friedberg castle as her seat following her husband's death. The town became the centre of Bavarian court life, but was short lived when the town was ravaged by the plague in 1599. More suffering came as the town was sacked twice by the Swedes during the Thirty Years War. After the war only the town hall, castle and city walls were left standing. The town was soon flourishing again as the Dukes of Bavaria encouraged artisans to settle in the area with the establishment of guilds in neighbouring Augsburg. Due to overcrowding, Friedberg offered accommodation to those displaced artisans who could not find rooms in Augsburg, and were not yet Master Craftsmen.

The Pilgrimage church of "Our Lord's Rest", the Herrgottsruh, was built in 1753, is considered one of the most beautiful churches of the Bavarian rococo.[4]

The town survived World War II virtually unscathed.

Town structure

Friedberg currently consists of 22 districts:[5]

Neighboring communities

Adjacent to the town are Augsburg, Affing, Obergriesbach, Dasing, Adelzhausen, Eurasburg, Ried and Kissing.

Governance

The Town council is constituted by the First Mayor, as of 2022 Roland Eichmann (SPD), and thirty Aldermen.[6]

The breakdown of votes in the 2020 elections was as follows:[7]

Economy and infrastructure

The economic situation in Friedberg currently relies mainly on the retail trade as well as the furniture store Segmüller, which maintains its principal office and upholstered furniture factory in Friedberg.

Local transport links

Public transport

Schools

Arts and Culture

Museums

Buildings

Regular events

Sports

Notable people

Honorary citizens

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany. Friedberg is twinned with:[8]

See also

Derchinger Baggersee

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.statistik.bayern.de/wahlen/kommunalwahlen/bgm/ Liste der ersten Bürgermeister/Oberbürgermeister in kreisangehörigen Gemeinden
  2. Ulrich Brandl und Emmi Federhofer: Ton + Technik. Römische Ziegel. Theiss, Stuttgart 2010, (Schriften des Limesmuseums Aalen. Nr. 61)
  3. Web site: Disputes with Augsburg. 30 October 2011. 1 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140701143343/http://friedberg.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=1546&topmenu=1488&keepmenu=inactive. dead.
  4. Web site: Herrgottsruh. 30 October 2011. 1 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140701133025/http://friedberg.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=1581&topmenu=1488. dead.
  5. Web site: Ortsteile - Stadt Friedberg, Landkreis Aichach-Friedberg - BayernPortal. 2022-01-14. www.freistaat.bayern.
  6. Web site: Stadt Friedberg . 30 October 2011 . 21 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140421162824/http://friedberg.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=649&topmenu=109 . dead .
  7. Web site: Wahl des Stadtrats - Kommunalwahlen 2020 in der Stadt Friedberg - Gesamtergebnis. 2022-01-14. www.chamaeleon-hosting.de.
  8. Web site: Partnerstädte. friedberg.de. Friedberg. de. 2021-03-05.