Ansbach

Ansbach is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated south west of Nuremberg at the Frankish-Rezat, an arm of the Main river.
Population: 39,800 (1999).

A monastery at the place was founded in 748. In the following centuries the monastery and the adjoining village grew to become the city of Ansbach (called a city in 1221 for the first time).

In 1331 the town became subordinate to the Hohenzollern state, and only thirty years later Ansbach was the capital of the state. When the Hohenzollern family was elevated to become electors of Brandenburg, the Ansbach state was not united with Brandenburg and remained independent (sometimes called Brandenburg-Ansbach in order to express the connection between the Hohenzollern states).

In 1792 Ansbach was annexed by Prussia, and only fourteen years later in 1806 it fell to Bavaria.

Ansbach was home of the astronomer Simon Marius, who observed the Jupiter moons from the castle's tower. Later he claimed to be the discoverer of the moons, what led to a dispute with the true discoverer Galileo Galilei.

Kaspar Hauser lived in Ansbach from 1830 to 1833. He was murdered in the palace gardens.

Sights

• Castle of the margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach
• Margrave museum
• Kaspar Hauser Monument
• St. Gumbertus and St. Johannis churches, both 15th century

External link

• Official Website (http://www.ansbach.de) (German, English, French)