Sights in Augsburg
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St Anna Kirche
Often regarded as the first Renaissance church in Germany, the rather plain-looking St Anna Kirche contains a bevy of treasures as well as the sumptuous Fuggerkapelle, where Jacob Fugger and his brothers lie buried, and the lavishly frescoed Goldschmiedekapelle (Goldsmiths' Chapel; 1420). The church played an important role during the Reformation. In 1518 Martin Luther, in town to defend his beliefs before the papal legate, stayed at what was then a Carmelite monastery. His rooms have been turned into the Lutherstiege, a small museum about the Reformation. The entire complex was under renovation at the time of writing.
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Dom Mariä Heimsuchung
North of Rathausplatz you'll find the cathedral, Dom Mariä Heimsuchung, which dates back to the 10th century. Architecturally it's a hotchpotch of addition on addition, including the instalment of bronze doors in the 14th century depicting Old Testament scenes. The oldest section is the crypt underneath the west choir, which features a Romanesque Madonna. Other treasures include medieval frescoes, the Weingartner Altar by Hans Holbein the Elder, and - dating from the 12th century - the Prophets' Windows (depicting Daniel, Jonah, Hosea and Moses), some of the oldest stained-glass windows in Germany.
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Fuggerei
Built to provide homes for poor Catholics, the Fuggerei is one of the oldest welfare settlements in the world. Jacob Fugger financed the project in the 16th century and this town within a town is still home to 150 Catholic Augsburgers. Many of the 140 apartments have been modernised but the exterior is pretty much unchanged, with the original bell pulls beside each door. For centuries the rent has remained at one Rhenish Gilder (€1 today) per year, plus utilities and three daily prayers. Sound management means the Fugger Foundation is still going strong, despite the global economic downturn.
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Maximilianstrasse
Rathausplatz marks the northern end of Maximilianstrasse, a grand boulevard named for Kaiser Maximilian (1459-1519), which is lined by patrician mansions and graced with two impressive fountains. The Merkurbrunnen (1599), at the intersection with Bürgermeister-Fischer-Strasse, is by Dutch artist Adriaen de Vries and features the god Mercury as a symbol of trade. Further south, near Hallstrasse, is the Herkulesbrunnen (1602), also by de Vries, which shows Hercules fighting the seven-headed Hydra, representing Augsburg's commercial importance.
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Staatsgalerie
In a deconsecrated church attached to the Schaezlerpalais is the Staatsgalerie, which has mostly Augsburg-related works by Old Masters, including a portrait of Jakob Fugger by Albrecht Dürer, and a couple more works by Hans Holbein.
The Elder painted around 1500 (look closely and you'll see the sky-blue-and-white checks of the Bavarian flag on the trousers of the Bavarian provocateurs, highlighting the fierce rivalry between Augsburg and Bavaria, giving you an idea of the tensions to be overcome when Augsburg was absorbed into the Bavarian state).
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Bertolt-Brecht-Gedenkstätte
The Bertolt-Brecht-Gedenkstätte is a converted former tile factory where playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) lived for the first two years of his life before moving across town. Among the displays are old theatre posters, and a great series of life-size chronological photos, as well as the bedroom of his mother (about whom he said 'I loved her in my way but she wanted to be loved in her own'). Information panels are in German, but you can buy a detailed English guide to its permanent exhibits.
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St-Anna-Kirche
Founded as a Carmelite monastery in 1321, St-Anna-Kirche hosted Martin Luther during his stay in 1518. His rooms have been turned into the Lutherstiege, a small museum about the Reformation. There's a portrait of Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder in the eastern choir, while at the opposite end is the Fuggerkapelle, the chapel where Jakob Fugger and his brothers are buried. Also pop into the lavishly frescoed Goldschmiedekapelle (Goldsmiths' Chapel; 1420).
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Schaetzlerpalais
Schaetzlerpalais was built for a wealthy banker between 1765 and 1770, and today houses the Deutsche Barockgalerie (German Baroque Gallery) and the Staatsgalerie (Bavarian State Gallery). The pièce de résistance is the 23m-long ballroom - a riot of carved decorations, stucco and mirrors, all topped off with a kinetic ceiling fresco.
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Fugger Stadtpalast
In between the two fountains on the Maximilianstrasse, at No 36-38, is the restored Fugger Stadtpalast (1515), the palatial town house and 'corporate' headquarters of Jakob Fugger. It embraces the Damenhof (Ladies' Court), a gorgeous inner courtyard arcaded in Italian Renaissance style. Outside is the spot where Luther famously stood his ground in 1518.
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GlasPalast
The GlasPalast is an industrial monument made of iron, concrete and glass that houses two new art galleries. The Centre of Contemporary Art is cutting-edge while the State Gallery of Modern Art shows post-50s American highlights of the genre. Its public art library is open during visiting hours. Also look out for guided tours, concerts and films.
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Rathaus
Rising above the Rathausplatz are the twin onion-domed spires of the Renaissance Rathaus, built by Elias Holl from 1615 to 1620 and crowned by a 4m-tall pinecone, the city's emblem (also an ancient fertility symbol). Upstairs is the Goldener Saal (Golden Hall), a huge banquet hall with an amazing gilded and frescoed coffered ceiling.
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Fronhof
The building west of the Dom Mariä Heimsuchung is the Fronhof , the former bishop's palace. In the predecessor of the current 1743 building, the Confessio Augustana was proclaimed in 1530. It's a superb setting for its annual classical concert series in July.
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Bertolt-Brecht-Haus
Fans of the Threepenny Opera will enjoy the Bertolt-Brecht-Haus, the birthplace of the famous playwright and poet. Brecht's work was banned by the Nazis for his communist leanings and he was later shunned by West Germans for the same reason.
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Altes Stadtbad
Even if you don't plan to get wet, it's worth a peek inside the Altes Stadtbad , a stunning Art Nouveau covered swimming pool with ornamental tiles and stained-glass windows. Check with the tourist office as opening hours vary; it's generally closed during summer.
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Maximilianmuseum
In a restored patrician's house (1546), Maximilianmuseum traces the history of Augsburg. It also has a large exhibition of gold and silver work from baroque and rococo masters. A second floor displays sculptures and architectural models.
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Lechviertel district
Rushing canals stemming from the Lech River traverse the mostly pedestrianised Lechviertel district (sometimes referred to as Jakobviertel). Playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht was born here, and his house has been turned into a memorial museum.
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Mozarthaus
Allow an hour to take in an audio-guided tour (in English) of the Mozarthaus , the house where Leopold Mozart - Wolfgang Amadeus' father, who was also his music teacher and creator of the acclaimed 'violin technique' - was born in 1719.
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Die Kiste
Kids will adore Die Kiste , a museum adjacent to the Augsburger Puppenkiste, which takes you on a journey through the marionettes' 50-plus-year career on stage, TV and film, and also has a painting corner and little movie 'cabins'.
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St-Ulrich-Kirche
The St-Ulrich-Kirche was a preaching hall of the basilica's Benedictine abbey and has been a Lutheran church since 1524. Its peaceful coexistence with its Catholic neighbour has long symbolised Augsburg's religious tolerance.
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Augustusbrunnen
The Rathausplatz (town hall square) is anchored by the Augustusbrunnen, a fountain honouring the Roman emperor; its four figures represent the Lech River and the Wertach, Singold and Brunnenbach Brooks.
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Römisches Museum
Military weapons, sarcophagi, gold coins and tombstones are among the relics of Roman Augsburg at the Römisches Museum , housed inside a former 16th-century monastery church.
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Goldener Saal
The meticulously restored Goldener Saal is a main meeting hall. It's a dazzling space canopied by a gilded and coffered ceiling, interspersed with frescoes.
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Deutsche Barockgalerie
The Deutsche Barockgalerie offers an exhaustive survey of German 17th- and 18th-century artists, very few of whom are household names.
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Basilika of St Ulrich & Afra
Another onion-domed tower, belonging to the late-Gothic Basilika of St Ulrich and Afra, crowns the southern end of Maximilianstrasse.
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Zoo
Heading 3km southeast of town on Friedberger Strasse brings you to Augsburg's Zoo. Take bus 32 (marked 'Zoo') from Königsplatz.
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