Aschaffenburg ( German pronunciation: [aˈʃafn̩bʊʁk] ; Hessian : Aschebersch ) is a town in northwest Bavaria , Germany . The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg , but is its administrative seat.
94-672: Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz for more than 800 years. The town is located at the westernmost border of Lower Franconia and separated from the central and eastern part of the Regierungsbezirk (administrative region) by the Spessart hills, whereas it opens towards the Rhine-Main plain in the west and north-west. Therefore, the inhabitants speak neither Bavarian nor East Franconian but rather
188-564: A library with a number of incunabula , a collection of engravings and paintings; the Pompejanum , a replica of a Roman town house discovered in Pompeii commissioned by King Ludwig I. and opened in 1850; the St. Peter und Alexander collegiate church , founded in the second half of the 10th century, but dating in the main from the early 12th century on, in which are preserved various monuments by
282-531: A local version of Rhine Franconian . The town is located on both sides of the Main in north-west Bavaria , bordering to Hesse . On a federal scale it is part of central Germany , just 41 kilometers (25 mi) southeast of Frankfurt am Main . In the western part of the municipality , the smaller Aschaff flows into the Main. The region is also known as Bayerischer Untermain ("Bavarian Lower Main"). The climate
376-400: A long-term tactical and strategic problem. Historians disagree on the nature of the revolt and its causes, whether it grew out of the emerging religious controversy centered on Luther; whether a wealthy tier of peasants saw their own wealth and rights slipping away, and sought to weave them into the legal, social and religious fabric of society; or whether peasants objected to the emergence of
470-470: A middle course in the Peasants' War, by criticizing both the injustices imposed on the peasants, and the rashness of the peasants in fighting back. He also tended to support the centralization and urbanization of the economy. This position alienated the lesser nobles, but shored up his position with the burghers . Luther argued that work was the chief duty on earth; the duty of the peasants was farm labor and
564-629: A modern stadium located in Nilkheim. In 1991, the Aschaffenburg Stallions began playing American football at Schönbusch stadium. A cheerleader squad also exists. Aschaffenburg is also home to the Aschaffenburg Mohawks Baseball and Softball team. The softball team won the 2010 German Championship. The adult baseball team won the 2011 Landesliga South Championship and will play in the highest league of
658-688: A modernizing, centralizing nation state. One view is that the origins of the German Peasants' War lay partly in the unusual power dynamic caused by the agricultural and economic dynamism of the previous decades. Labor shortages in the last half of the 15th century had allowed peasants to sell their labor for a higher price; food and goods shortages had allowed them to sell their products for a higher price as well. Consequently, some peasants, particularly those who had limited allodial requirements, were able to accrue significant economic, social, and legal advantages. Peasants were more concerned to protect
752-462: A new world order fused with the political and social demands of the peasantry. In the final weeks of 1524 and the beginning of 1525, Müntzer travelled into southwest Germany, where the peasant armies were gathering. Here he would have had contact with some of their leaders, and it is argued that he also influenced the formulation of their demands. He spent several weeks in the Klettgau area, and there
846-562: A peasant wished to marry, he not only needed the lord's permission but had to pay a tax. When the peasant died, the lord was entitled to his best cattle, his best garments and his best tools. The justice system, operated by the clergy or wealthy burgher and patrician jurists, gave the peasant no redress. Generations of traditional servitude and the autonomous nature of the provinces limited peasant insurrections to local areas. The Swabian League fielded an army commanded by Georg, Truchsess von Waldburg , later known as "Bauernjörg" for his role in
940-516: A pillage master. The peasants possessed an important resource, the skills to build and maintain field works. They used the wagon fort effectively, a tactic that had been mastered in the Hussite Wars of the previous century. Wagons were chained together in a suitable defensive location, with cavalry and draft animals placed in the center. Peasants dug ditches around the outer edge of the fort and used timber to close gaps between and underneath
1034-579: A series of frontal assaults that involved house-to-house fighting and vicious close combat. The resulting widespread urban destruction was quite severe, as cannon fire was used point-blank to blast through structures. At the end of World War II the United States Army occupied military facilities formerly used and controlled by the Wehrmacht . These were converted for use by U.S. military personnel as processing centres for displaced persons at
SECTION 10
#17327724571501128-399: A supreme commander and a marshal ( schultheiss ), who maintained law and order. Other roles included lieutenants, captains, standard-bearers, master gunner, wagon-fort master, train master, four watch-masters, four sergeant-majors to arrange the order of battle, a weibel (sergeant) for each company, two quartermasters, farriers, quartermasters for the horses, a communications officer and
1222-620: Is continental, typically with warm, dry summers and cold, damp winters. Aschaffenburg usually receives less snowfall during the winter than the nearby Spessart . Aschaffenburg comprises 10 Stadtteile : Nilkheim and Leider are the only Stadtteile which are located on the left bank of the river Main. The following municipalities border Aschaffenburg (clockwise, from the north): Johannesberg , Glattbach , Goldbach , Haibach , Bessenbach , Sulzbach am Main , Niedernberg , Großostheim , Stockstadt am Main and Mainaschaff . The name Aschaffenburg ( Ascaffaburc , Ascapha or Ascaphaburg in
1316-649: Is currently under construction, with a small section already opened. It is located in the Stadtteil of Damm and runs parallel to the railway tracks. There are approximately 7,500 parking spaces in the ten Stadtteile of Aschaffenburg and eight public parking garages. Aschaffenburg has a comprehensive bus network serving the town and surrounding region. The 15 main bus lines which serve the Stadtteile of Aschaffenburg are run by Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg . There are several other bus lines which link Aschaffenburg with
1410-555: Is some evidence to suggest that he helped the peasants to formulate their grievances. While the famous Twelve Articles of the Swabian peasants were certainly not composed by Müntzer, at least one important supporting document, the Constitutional Draft , may well have originated with him. Returning to Saxony and Thuringia in early 1525, he assisted in the organisation of the various rebel groups there and ultimately led
1504-404: The gemein , or community assembly, which was symbolized by a ring. The gemein had its own leader ( schultheiss ), and a provost officer who policed the ranks and maintained order. The use of the landsknechte in the German Peasants' War reflects a period of change between traditional noble roles or responsibilities towards warfare and practice of buying mercenary armies, which became
1598-423: The landsknechts , the peasant bands used similar titles: Oberster feldhauptmann , or supreme commander, similar to a colonel , and lieutenants, or leutinger . Each company was commanded by a captain and had its own fähnrich , or ensign , who carried the company's standard (its ensign). The companies also had a sergeant or feldweibel , and squadron leaders called rottmeister , or masters of
1692-410: The rotte . Officers were usually elected, particularly the supreme commander and the leutinger . The peasant army was governed by a so-called ring , in which peasants gathered in a circle to debate tactics, troop movements, alliances, and the distribution of spoils. The ring was the decision-making body. In addition to this democratic construct, each band had a hierarchy of leaders including
1786-551: The Altstadtfriedhof (Old Town Cemetery). Aschaffenburg has numerous parks including the following: Viktoria Aschaffenburg is the primary football club. The club was formed on 24 June 1904 out of the merger of FC Aschaffenburg (6 August 1901) and FC Viktoria Aschaffenburg (12 April 1902). It was renamed Sportverein Viktoria 01 Aschaffenburg on 3 June 1906. Their homefield is Stadion am Schönbusch (Schönbusch stadium),
1880-671: The Bayerischer Untermain region where Aschaffenburg is located were satisfied with the place where they lived. This was the highest level recorded in the survey, making the region the #1 place to live in Germany, based on several factors including employment opportunities in the region, educational facilities, public services, transportation, recreational options, shopping, cultural facilities/events, climate, etc. Another survey taken in 2006 by McKinsey, Stern magazine, ZDF , and web.de again showed that Aschaffenburg has one of
1974-632: The Electorate of Trier . The Archbishop-Elector of Mainz was also archchancellor of Germany (one of the three component titular kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire, the other two being Italy and Burgundy ) and, as such, ranked first among all ecclesiastical and secular princes of the Empire, and was second only to the Emperor . His political role, particularly as an intermediary between
SECTION 20
#17327724571502068-522: The Estates of the Empire and the Emperor, was considerable. The episcopal see was established in ancient Roman times in the city of Mainz, which had been a Roman provincial capital, Moguntiacum. The first bishops before the 4th century have legendary names, beginning with Crescens . The first verifiable Bishop of Mainz was Martinus in 343. The ecclesiastical and secular importance of Mainz dates from
2162-602: The GDP per inhabitant was €69,928. This places the district 9th out of 96 districts (rural and urban) in Bavaria (overall average: €46,698). Well-known companies in Aschaffenburg are (e.g.): Linde Material Handling [ de ] , Linde Hydraulics , Joyson Safety Systems (former Petri AG ) and part of Joyson Electronics [ de ] as well as DPDgroup . The City Galerie , opened in 1974 and located in
2256-707: The German Peasants' War (1525), the town backed the losing side. In 1552, the late- Gothic castle of Johannisburg was destroyed. It was replaced in 1605-14 by the Renaissance Schloss Johannisburg . The town suffered greatly during the Thirty Years' War , being held in turn by the various belligerents. During the Battle of Dettingen (1743), which took place to the north, the town was occupied by French troops. It formed part of
2350-501: The Rhineland . The revolt was "suppressed by both Catholic and Lutheran princes who were satisfied to cooperate against a common danger". To the degree that other classes, such as the bourgeoisie , might gain from the centralization of the economy and the elimination of the lesser nobles' territorial controls on manufacture and trade, the princes might unite with the burghers on the issue. The innovations in military technology of
2444-600: The Stadtteil of Leider. It includes an indoor and outdoor swimming pool complex as well as an indoor ice rink and tennis courts, which are open to the general public. There's also a marina on the Main between the Willigis and Adenauer bridges. The first Aschaffenburg Baseball Snapback was created by Tim Field in 2014. The main sights of Aschaffenburg are the Schloss Johannisburg , built 1605–1614 by Archbishop Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg , which contains
2538-666: The Vischers , a sarcophagus with the relics of Saint Margaret , and a painting by Matthias Grünewald ; the Capuchin hospital; a theatre, which was formerly a house of the Teutonic Order ; several mansions of the nobility; and the historical old town. Across the river are the Park and Schloss Schönbusch . The graves of Clemens Brentano and his brother Christian Brentano (died 1851) and that of Wilhelm Heinse can be found in
2632-629: The 1980s, a road tunnel was constructed under the Schlossplatz to improve traffic flow through the Stadtmitte (town center). After 43 years of planning and construction, the limited-access Innenstadtring or "inner-town-ring" road was completed in July 2013. It allows motorists to bypass the Stadtmitte (town center) and reduces traffic congestion in Aschaffenburg, which has been a problem in recent years. Another road project called Bahnparallele
2726-494: The Late Medieval period began to render the lesser nobility (the knights ) militarily obsolete. The introduction of military science and the growing importance of gunpowder and infantry lessened the importance of heavy cavalry and of castles . Their luxurious lifestyle drained what little income they had as prices kept rising. They exercised their ancient rights in order to wring income from their territories. In
2820-712: The Middle Ages) originally meant "castle at the ash tree river" deriving from the river Aschaff that runs through parts of the town. The earliest remains of settlements in the area of Aschaffenburg date from the Stone Age . Aschaffenburg was originally a settlement of the Alamanni . Roman legions were stationed here. In c. 700 AD, the Ravenna Cosmography names two settlements in region: Uburzis ( Würzburg ) and Ascapha (Aschaffenburg). Around 550,
2914-470: The Reformation. Some of the poorer clergy sought to extend Luther's equalizing ideas to society at large. Many towns had privileges that exempted them from taxes, so that the bulk of taxation fell on the peasants. As the guilds grew and urban populations rose, the town patricians faced increasing opposition. The patricians consisted of wealthy families who sat alone in the town councils and held all
Aschaffenburg - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-800: The Rhine River became a mere diocese within the territory of France . In 1814 its jurisdiction was extended over the territory of Hesse-Darmstadt. Since then it has had two cardinals and via various concordats was allowed to retain the medieval tradition of the cathedral chapter electing a successor to the bishop. 50°0′N 8°16′E / 50.000°N 8.267°E / 50.000; 8.267 German Peasants%27 War partly : Electors of Saxony Holy Roman Emperors Building Literature Theater Liturgies Hymnals Monuments Calendrical commemoration The German Peasants' War , Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt ( German : Deutscher Bauernkrieg )
3102-503: The U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and various VII Corps elements including the 9th Engineer Battalion, the 3rd Bn 21st Field Artillery (Honest John), and the 1st Bn 80th Field Artillery (LANCE). Much of the U.S. Army presence in Aschaffenburg ended in 1992 with the ending of the Cold War. The last buildings, which were primarily used for housing, were handed back to the local government in 2007. In 2017 (latest data available)
3196-466: The abuses of simony and pluralism (holding several offices at once) were rampant. Some bishops , archbishops , abbots and priors were as ruthless in exploiting their subjects as the regional princes. In addition to the sale of indulgences , they set up prayer houses and directly taxed the people. Increased indignation over church corruption had led the monk Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses on
3290-508: The accession of St. Boniface to the see in 747. Boniface was previously an archbishop though without an assigned see, but that ecclesiastical status did not immediately devolve upon the see itself until his successor Lullus ; during his reign Mainz became an archdiocese, in 781. Another early bishop of Mainz was Aureus of Mainz . The territory of the Electorate included several non-contiguous blocks of territory: lands near Mainz on both
3384-474: The administrative offices. Like the princes, they sought to secure revenues from their peasants by any possible means. Arbitrary road, bridge, and gate tolls were instituted at will. They gradually usurped the common lands and made it illegal for peasants to fish or to log wood from these lands. Guild taxes were exacted. No revenues collected were subject to formal administration, and civic accounts were neglected. Thus embezzlement and fraud became common, and
3478-594: The area had been conquered by the Franks , and their Hausmeier built a castle here. In the 8th century, a Benedictine monastery was founded, dedicated to St. Michael, reportedly by Saint Boniface . This became the Kollegiatstift St. Peter und Alexander in the second half of the 10th century (957). In 869, King Louis the Younger married Liutgard of Saxony at Aschaffenburg. She also died here in 885 and
3572-553: The area. All passenger train service is provided by the Deutsche Bahn . Aschaffenburg has an active port along the Main in the Stadtteil of Leider. There is railway access to the port. In 2005, 2.8 million tons of cargo passed through the port. A small general aviation airport ( Flugplatz Aschaffenburg , ICAO-Code: EDFC) is located in nearby Großostheim . Frankfurt Airport is located 46 kilometers (29 mi) from Aschaffenburg and offers flights to destinations all over
3666-461: The aristocrats to put down the rebels like mad dogs. The movement was also supported by Huldrych Zwingli , but the condemnation by Luther contributed to its defeat. While around 20 veterans of the war went on to become leading figures in the Anabaptist movement, James Stayer notes that "no large number of known Anabaptists can be identified by name as participants in the 1525 upheaveal". In
3760-558: The call of Luther of rebellion against the Church, two political uprisings responded, first, the one of lower nobility, headed by Franz von Sickingen in 1523, and then, the great peasant's war, in 1525; both were crushed, because, mainly, of the indecisiveness of the party having most interest in the fight, the urban bourgeoisie". (Foreword to the English edition of: 'From Utopy Socialism to Scientific Socialism', 1892) The plebeians comprised
3854-577: The central and eastern areas of Germany and present-day Austria . After the uprising in Germany was suppressed, it flared up briefly in several Swiss cantons . In mounting their insurrection, peasants faced insurmountable obstacles. The democratic nature of their movement left them without a command structure and they lacked artillery and cavalry. Most of them had little, if any, military experience. Their opposition had experienced military leaders, well-equipped and disciplined armies, and ample funding. The revolt incorporated some principles and rhetoric from
Aschaffenburg - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-542: The central part of the city, is the largest shopping mall in northern Bavaria. It was one of the first indoor shopping malls in Germany. Aschaffenburg also has a pedestrian shopping zone closed to motor vehicles, except for deliveries. Aschaffenburg is part of the Aschaffenburg constituency for elections to the Bundestag . Aschaffenburg hosts numerous festivals, fairs, exhibitions, markets and concerts throughout
4042-427: The clergy, who they felt had overstepped and failed to uphold their principles. They demanded an end to the clergy's special privileges such as their exemption from taxation, as well as a reduction in their numbers. The burgher-master (guild master, or artisan) now owned both his workshop and its tools, which he allowed his apprentices to use, and provided the materials that his workers needed. F. Engels cites: "To
4136-424: The countryside looking for work or engaging in highway robbery. To be effective the cavalry needed to be mobile, and to avoid hostile forces armed with pikes . The peasant armies were organized in bands ( haufen ), similar to the landsknecht . Each haufen was organized into unterhaufen , or fähnlein and rotten . The bands varied in size, depending on the number of insurgents available in
4230-612: The doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg , Germany, in 1517, as well as impelling other reformers to radically re-think church doctrine and organization. The clergy who did not follow Luther tended to be the aristocratic clergy, who opposed all change, including any break with the Roman Church. The poorer clergy, rural and urban itinerant preachers who were not well positioned in the church, were more likely to join
4324-568: The duty of the ruling classes was upholding the peace. He could not support the Peasant War because it broke the peace, an evil he thought greater than the evils the peasants were rebelling against. At the peak of the insurrection in 1525, his position shifted completely to support of the rulers of the secular principalities and their Roman Catholic allies. In Against the Robbing Murderous Hordes of Peasants he encouraged
4418-517: The electorate of the Archbishop of Mainz , and in 1803 was made over to Archbishop Karl Theodor von Dalberg as the Principality of Aschaffenburg . Aschaffenburg was the site of the " Forstliche Hochschule Aschaffenburg [ de ] " ( Königlich Bayerische Centralforstlehranstalt ), established in 1807, "made famous by the researches of Professor Dr Ernst Ebermayer ." The academy
4512-477: The emerging Protestant Reformation , through which the peasants sought influence and freedom. Some Radical Reformers , most famously Thomas Müntzer, instigated and supported the revolt. In contrast, Martin Luther and other Magisterial Reformers condemned it and sided with the aristocrats. In Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants , Luther condemned the violence as the devil's work and called for
4606-541: The end of the war. From 1945 7,000 Ukrainians were accommodated in four displaced persons camps : Two other camps, Alte (old) Kaserne and Jäger Kaserne housed mainly Poles and Lithuanians . In the decades following the war, Aschaffenburg and the surrounding region experienced robust economic prosperity, partially due to its close proximity to Frankfurt am Main . According to an online 2002 survey in Stern magazine, [Stern 14/2002], 82 percent of residents living in
4700-417: The equivalent of a half-company. At the beginning of the revolt the league members had trouble recruiting soldiers from among their own populations (particularly among peasant class) due to fear of them joining the rebels. As the rebellion expanded many nobles had trouble sending troops to the league armies because they had to combat rebel groups in their own lands. Another common problem regarding raising armies
4794-530: The framework of the empire, and several dozen others operated as semi-independent city-states . The princes of these dynasties were taxed by the Roman Catholic church. The princes stood to gain economically if they broke away from the Roman church and established a German church under their own control, which would then not be able to tax them as the Roman church did. Most German princes broke with Rome using
SECTION 50
#17327724571504888-866: The highest ratings for quality of life in Germany. Aschaffenburg was the location of several United States Army installations throughout the Cold War . After initially taking over the administration of the ex-Wehrmacht installations, which were then used as displaced persons camps, the American presence in the Aschaffenburg military community began after general renovations in 1948. The installation sites were known as Ready Kaserne (previously Artillerie Kaserne ), Smith Kaserne (previously LaGarde Kaserne ), Graves Kaserne (previously Bois Brulé Kaserne ), Fiori Kaserne (previously Pionier Kaserne ), and Jaeger Kaserne (previously Jäger Kaserne ). These housed armour, infantry, engineer, maintenance and artillery elements of
4982-529: The latter. By maintaining the remnants of the ancient law which legitimized their own rule, they not only elevated their wealth and position in the empire through the confiscation of all property and revenues, but increased their power over their peasant subjects. During the Knights' War the "knights", the lesser landholders of the Rhineland in western Germany, rose up in rebellion in 1522–1523. Their rhetoric
5076-697: The left and right banks of the Rhine; territory along the Main River above Frankfurt (including the district of Aschaffenburg ); the Eichsfeld region in Lower Saxony and Thuringia ; and the territory around Erfurt in Thuringia. As was generally the case in the Holy Roman Empire, the territory of a prince-bishopric or archbishopric differed from that of the corresponding diocese or archdiocese, which
5170-489: The locality. Peasant haufen divided along territorial lines, whereas those of the landsknecht drew men from a variety of territories. Some bands could number about 4,000; others, such as the peasant force at Frankenhausen , could gather 8,000. The Alsatian peasants who took to the field at the Battle of Zabern (now Saverne ) numbered 18,000. Haufen were formed from companies, typically 500 men per company, subdivided into platoons of 10 to 15 peasants each. Like
5264-417: The lowest stratum of society. In the early 16th century, no peasant could hunt, fish, or chop wood freely, as they previously had, because the lords had recently taken control of common lands. The lord had the right to use his peasants' land as he wished; the peasant could do nothing but watch as his crops were destroyed by wild game and by nobles galloping across his fields in the course of chivalric hunts. When
5358-628: The men served, others absorbed their workload. This sometimes meant producing supplies for their opponents, such as in the Archbishopric of Salzburg , where men worked to extract silver, which was used to hire fresh contingents of landsknechts for the Swabian League. However, the peasants lacked the Swabian League's cavalry, having few horses and little armour. They seem to have used their mounted men for reconnaissance. The lack of cavalry with which to protect their flanks, and with which to penetrate massed landsknecht squares, proved to be
5452-622: The moderate demands of the peasantry embodied in the Twelve Articles. His article Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants appeared in May 1525 just as the rebels were being defeated on the fields of battle. In this era of rapid change, modernizing princes tended to align with clergy burghers against the lesser nobility and peasants. Many rulers of Germany's various principalities functioned as autocratic rulers who recognized no other authority within their territories. Princes had
5546-453: The nationalistic slogan of "German money for a German church". Princes often attempted to force their freer peasants into serfdom by increasing taxes and introducing Roman civil law . Roman civil law advantaged princes who sought to consolidate their power because it brought all land into their personal ownership and eliminated the feudal concept of the land as a trust between lord and peasant that conferred rights as well as obligations on
5640-632: The new Grand Duchy of Frankfurt in 1810. Dalberg resigned in 1813 and in 1815 the Congress of Vienna divided his territories between the Kingdom of Bavaria , the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), the Grand Duchy of Hesse and the Free City of Frankfurt . The modern Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz was founded in 1802 when Mainz lost its archdiocese status and its territory west of
5734-437: The new class of urban workers, journeymen, and peddlers. Ruined burghers also joined their ranks. Although technically potential burghers, most journeymen were barred from higher positions by the wealthy families who ran the guilds. Thus their "temporary" position devoid of civic rights tended to become permanent. The plebeians did not have property like ruined burghers or peasants. The heavily taxed peasantry continued to occupy
SECTION 60
#17327724571505828-565: The nobility and the rich, while others appealed to the masses. However, the clergy was beginning to lose its overwhelming intellectual authority. The progress of printing (especially of the Bible ) and the expansion of commerce raised literacy rates, according to Engels. Engels held that the Catholic monopoly on higher education was accordingly reduced. Over time, some Catholic institutions had slipped into corruption. Clerical ignorance and
5922-454: The nobility to swiftly and violently eliminate the rebelling peasants, stating,"[the peasants] must be sliced, choked, stabbed, secretly and publicly, by those who can, like one must kill a rabid dog." After the conclusion of the Peasants' War, he was criticized for his writings in support of the violent actions taken by the ruling class. He responded by writing an open letter to Caspar Muller , defending his position. However, he also stated that
6016-465: The nobles were too severe in suppression of the insurrection, despite having called for severe violence in his previous work. Luther has often been sharply criticized for his position. Thomas Müntzer was the most prominent radical reforming preacher who supported the demands of the peasantry, including political and legal rights. Müntzer's theology had been developed against a background of social upheaval and widespread religious doubt, and his call for
6110-489: The norm throughout the 16th century. The league relied on the armored cavalry of the nobility for the bulk of its strength; the league had both heavy cavalry and light cavalry, ( rennfahne ), which served as a vanguard. Typically, the rehnnfahne were the second and third sons of poor knights, the lower and sometimes impoverished nobility with small land-holdings, or, in the case of second and third sons, no inheritance or social role. These men could often be found roaming
6204-414: The north of Germany many of the lesser nobles had already been subordinated to secular and ecclesiastical lords. Thus, their dominance over serfs was more restricted. However, in the south of Germany their powers were more intact. Accordingly, the harshness of the lesser nobles' treatment of the peasantry provided the immediate cause of the uprising. The fact that this treatment was worse in the south than in
6298-405: The north was the reason that the war began in the south. The knights became embittered as their status and income fell and they came increasingly under the jurisdiction of the princes, putting the two groups in constant conflict. The knights also regarded the clergy as arrogant and superfluous, while envying their privileges and wealth. In addition, the knights' relationships with the patricians in
6392-457: The patrician class, bound by family ties, became wealthier and more powerful. The town patricians were increasingly criticized by the growing burgher class, which consisted of well-to-do middle-class citizens who held administrative guild positions or worked as merchants. They demanded town assemblies made up of both patricians and burghers, or at least a restriction on simony and the allocation of council seats to burghers. The burghers also opposed
6486-436: The preceding Bundschuh movement and the Hussite Wars , the war consisted of a series of both economic and religious revolts involving peasants and farmers, sometimes supported by radical clergy like Thomas Müntzer . The fighting was at its height in the middle of 1525. The war began with separate insurrections, beginning in the southwestern part of what is now Germany and Alsace , and spread in subsequent insurrections to
6580-402: The rebel army in the ill-fated Battle of Frankenhausen on 15 May 1525. Müntzer's role in the Peasants' War has been the subject of considerable controversy, some arguing that he had no influence at all, others that he was the sole inspirer of the uprising. To judge from his writings of 1523 and 1524, it was by no means inevitable that Müntzer would take the road of social revolution. However, it
6674-487: The right to levy taxes and borrow money as they saw fit. The growing costs of administration and military upkeep impelled them to keep raising demands on their subjects. The princes also worked to centralize power in the towns and estates. Accordingly, princes tended to gain economically from the ruination of the lesser nobility, by acquiring their estates. This ignited the Knights' War that occurred from 1522 through 1523 in
6768-519: The seat of the elector, Karl Theodor von Dalberg , was moved to Regensburg , and the electorate lost its left bank territories to France , its right bank areas along the Main below Frankfurt to Hesse-Darmstadt and the Nassau princes, and Eichsfeld and Erfurt to the Kingdom of Prussia . Dalberg retained the Aschaffenburg area as the Principality of Aschaffenburg . In 1810 Dalberg merged Aschaffenburg, Frankfurt , Wetzlar , Hanau , and Fulda , to form
6862-703: The sixteenth century, many parts of Europe had common political links within the Holy Roman Empire , a decentralized entity in which the Holy Roman Emperor himself had little authority outside of his own dynastic lands, which covered only a small fraction of the whole. At the time of the Peasants' War, Charles V , King of Spain, held the position of Holy Roman Emperor (elected in June 1519). Aristocratic dynasties ruled hundreds of largely independent territories (both secular and ecclesiastical) within
6956-403: The social, economic and legal gains they had made than about seeking further gains. Their attempt to break new ground was primarily seeking to increase their liberty by changing their status from serfs , such as the infamous moment when the peasants of Mühlhausen refused to collect snail shells around which their lady could wind her thread. The renewal of the signeurial system had weakened in
7050-576: The state Hessen in 2012. Aschaffenburg is located on Bundesautobahn 3 between Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg . The southern terminus of Bundesautobahn 45 is located just west of the town. Bundesstrasse B 26 passes through the town. Bundestrasse B 8 used to pass through Aschaffenburg, but has now been rerouted along the Bundesautobahn 3 . Three road bridges cross the river Main at Aschaffenburg: Friedrich Ebert Bridge (a new span opened in 2008), Willigis Bridge and Konrad Adenauer Bridge. In
7144-546: The suppression of the revolt. He was also known as the "Scourge of the Peasants". The league headquarters was in Ulm , and command was exercised through a war council which decided the troop contingents to be levied from each member. Depending on their capability, members contributed a specific number of mounted knights and foot soldiers, called a contingent, to the league's army. The Bishop of Augsburg, for example, had to contribute 10 horse (mounted) and 62 foot soldiers, which would be
7238-496: The surrounding region. Those lines are run by other companies, including the Deutsche Bahn . A new regional bus terminal opened in 2008, adjacent to the Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof (main railway station). The Regionale Omnibusbahnhof Aschaffenburg (ROB) was built to consolidate all of the scattered bus stops in the area around the main railway station into one central location and reduce traffic congestion in
7332-409: The town and surrounding region. Hochschule Aschaffenburg [ de ] is a university of applied sciences (or Fachhochschule ). Aschaffenburg is twinned with: Archbishopric of Mainz The Electorate of Mainz ( German : Kurfürstentum Mainz or Kurmainz ; Latin : Electoratus Moguntinus ), previously known in English as Mentz and by its French name Mayence ,
7426-556: The town his second residence. The town (referred to in 975 as a civitas ) was part of the Archbishopric of Mainz from 982, when Duke Otto died. A Vizedom is mentioned for the first time in 1122 as the top local representative of the Archbishop. In 1292 a synod was held here, and in 1447 an imperial diet , preliminary to that of Vienna , approved a concordat (sometimes called the Aschaffenburg Concordat ). In
7520-527: The towns was strained by the debts owed by the knights. At odds with other classes in Germany, the lesser nobility was the least disposed to the changes. They and the clergy paid no taxes and often supported their local prince. The clergy in 1525 were the intellectuals of their time. Not only were they literate in Latin, but in the Middle Ages they had produced most books. Some clergy were supported by
7614-583: The wagons. In the Hussite Wars, artillery was usually placed in the center on raised mounds of earth that allowed them to fire over the wagons. Wagon forts could be erected and dismantled quickly. They were quite mobile, but they also had drawbacks: they required a fairly large area of flat terrain and they were not ideal for offense. Since their earlier use, artillery had increased in range and power. Peasants served in rotation, sometimes for one week in four, and returned to their villages after service. While
7708-411: The world. The trip to and from the airport takes about 30 minutes by car or approximately 45 minutes by InterCityExpress train. The three primary medical centers in Aschaffenburg are: There are approximately 789 hospital beds, 159 doctors, 68 dentists and 38 pharmacies in the Stadtteile of Aschaffenburg. There are various types of schools in Aschaffenburg serving approximately 18,000 students from
7802-513: The year including the annual Stadtfest , held on the last weekend in August. The Archeological Spessart Project is a registered association, whose mission is to research and communicate facts about the cultural landscape of the Spessart. The organisation works closely with various universities and research institutes in a variety of scientific projects. A large recreational complex is located in
7896-583: Was "dissolved in 1832, but re-organized under the Ministry of Finance in 1874"; and, as "of 30th March, 1874, united to the University of Munich ." In 1810, the Principality of Aschaffenburg was merged into the new Grand Duchy of Frankfurt , although Dalberg retained Aschaffenburg as his residence. In 1814 the town was transferred to the Kingdom of Bavaria by an Austrian-Bavarian treaty. In 1817 it
7990-556: Was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising before the French Revolution of 1789. The revolt failed because of intense opposition from the aristocracy, who slaughtered up to 100,000 of the 300,000 poorly armed peasants and farmers. The survivors were fined and achieved few, if any, of their goals. Like
8084-455: Was composed of smaller units of 10 to 12 men, known as rotte . The landsknechte clothed, armed and fed themselves, and were accompanied by a sizable train of sutlers , bakers, washerwomen, prostitutes and sundry individuals with occupations needed to sustain the force. Trains ( tross ) were sometimes larger than the fighting force, but they required organization and discipline. Each landsknecht maintained its own structure, called
8178-411: Was heavily damaged by Allied area bombing , including Schloss Johannisburg which was completely restored several years later. The German military chose to strongly defend Aschaffenburg during the last weeks of the war, which resulted in the " Battle of Aschaffenburg " fought 28 March – 3 April 1945. The U.S. 45th Infantry Division was forced to take the fortified town against stiff German resistance in
8272-652: Was included within Bavarian Lower Franconia . From 1840 to 1848, King Ludwig I of Bavaria had a Roman villa built to the west of town. It was named Pompejanum after its model, the house of Castor and Pollux at Pompeii . During the Austro-Prussian War , the Prussian Army inflicted a severe defeat on the Grand Duchy of Hesse near Aschaffenburg in the Battle of Frohnhofen on 13 July 1866. In World War II , Aschaffenburg
8366-580: Was later laid to rest with her daughter Hildegard in the Stiftskirche . Ascaffinburg is mentioned first in 974 in a gift document by Otto II , in which he gave several villages including Wertheim am Main and a stretch of forest in the Spessart to the collegiate church. In the Middle Ages the town was known as Ascaffaburc , Ascapha or Ascaphaburg . A stone bridge over the Main was reportedly built by Archbishop Willigis in 989, who also made
8460-664: Was one of the most prestigious and influential states of the Holy Roman Empire . In the hierarchy of the Catholic Church , the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz was also the Primate of Germany ( primas Germaniae ), a purely honorary dignity that was unsuccessfully claimed from time to time by other archbishops. There were only two other ecclesiastical Prince-electors in the Empire: the Electorate of Cologne and
8554-473: Was precisely on this same theological foundation that Müntzer's ideas briefly coincided with the aspirations of the peasants and plebeians of 1525: viewing the uprising as an apocalyptic act of God, he stepped up as 'God's Servant against the Godless' and took his position as leader of the rebels. Luther and Müntzer took every opportunity to attack each other's ideas and actions. Luther himself declared against
8648-418: Was religious, and several leaders expressed Luther's ideas on the split with Rome and the new German church. However, the Knights' War was not fundamentally religious. It was conservative in nature and sought to preserve the feudal order. The knights revolted against the new money order, which was squeezing them out of existence. Martin Luther , the dominant leader of the Reformation in Germany, initially took
8742-580: Was that while nobles were obligated to provide troops to a member of the league, they also had other obligations to other lords. These conditions created problems and confusion for the nobles as they tried to gather together forces large enough to put down the revolts. Foot soldiers were drawn from the ranks of the landsknechte . These were mercenaries , usually paid a monthly wage of four guilders, and organized into regiments ( haufen ) and companies ( fähnlein or little flag) of 120–300 men, which distinguished it from others. Each company, in turn,
8836-487: Was the purely spiritual jurisdiction of the prince-bishop or archbishop. During the early modern age, the archdiocese of Mainz (see map below) was the largest ecclesiastical province of Germany, covering Mainz and 10 suffragant dioceses. In 1802, Mainz lost its archiepiscopal character. In the secularizations that accompanied the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss ( German mediatization ) of 1803,
#149850