Editing Aschaffenburg (section)

== History ==
=== Etymology ===
The name ''Aschaffenburg'' (''Ascaffaburc'', ''Ascapha'' or ''Ascaphaburg'' in the Middle Ages) originally meant "castle at the ash tree river" deriving from the river ''Aschaff'' that runs through parts of the town.

===Pre-history to Middle Ages===
[[File:Aschaffenburg, die Sankt Peter und Alexander Kirche DmD-6-61-000-293 poging2 foto10 2016-08-08 20.18.jpg|thumb|''[[St. Peter und Alexander (Aschaffenburg)|Kollegiatstift St. Peter und Alexander]]'']]

The earliest remains of settlements in the area of Aschaffenburg date from the [[Stone Age]].

Aschaffenburg was originally a settlement of the [[Alamanni]]. [[Roman legion]]s were stationed here. In c. 700 AD, the ''[[Ravenna Cosmography]]'' names two settlements in region: ''Uburzis'' ([[Würzburg]]) and ''Ascapha'' (Aschaffenburg).<ref name="Dumont">{{cite book|last=Dettelbacher|first=Werner|title=Franken - Kunst, Geschichte und Landschaft (German)|publisher=Dumont Verlag|year=1974|isbn=3-7701-0746-2}}</ref>{{rp|69}}

Around 550, the area had been conquered by the [[Franks]], and their [[mayor of the palace|''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 ''[[St. Peter und Alexander (Aschaffenburg)|Kollegiatstift St. Peter und Alexander]]'' in the second half of the 10th century (957). In 869, King [[Louis the Younger]] married [[Liutgard of Saxony (died 885)|Liutgard of Saxony]] at Aschaffenburg. She also died here in 885 and 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, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]], in which he gave several villages including [[Wertheim am Main]] and a stretch of forest in the Spessart to the collegiate church.<ref name="Dumont"/>{{rp|69}}<ref name="Zeitreise">{{cite book|last1=Schumacher|first1=Karin|last2=Schumacher |first2=Hans-Jürgen|title=Zeitreise durch den Spessart (German)|publisher=Wartberg Verlag|year=2003|isbn=3-8313-1075-0}}</ref>{{rp|56}}

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 the town his second residence. The town (referred to in 975 as a ''civitas'') was part of the [[Archbishopric of Mainz]] from 982, when [[Otto I, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria|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 [[Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)|imperial diet]], preliminary to that of [[Vienna]], approved a concordat (sometimes called the ''Aschaffenburg Concordat''). In the [[German Peasants' War]] (1525), the town backed the losing side.<ref name=Brit>"Aschaffenburg" in ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica|The New Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. Chicago: [[Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.]], 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 617.</ref><ref name="Zeitreise"/>{{rp|56–7}}

=== Modern times through 19th century ===
In 1552, the late-[[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] castle of Johannisburg was destroyed. It was replaced in 1605-14 by the [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] ''[[Schloss Johannisburg]]''.<ref name="Zeitreise"/>{{rp|57}} 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 the electorate of the [[Archbishop of Mainz]], and in 1803 was made over to Archbishop [[Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg|Karl Theodor von Dalberg]] as the [[Principality of Aschaffenburg]].
[[File:Aschaffenburg Merian.jpg|thumb|260px|Aschaffenburg, by [[Matthäus Merian]]]]

Aschaffenburg was the site of the "{{Interlanguage link|Forstliche Hochschule Aschaffenburg|de|3=Royal Bavarian Central Forest Academy}}" (''Königlich Bayerische Centralforstlehranstalt''), established in 1807, "made famous by the researches of Professor Dr [[Ernst Ebermayer]]." The academy 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]]."<ref>[http://www21.us.archive.org/stream/technicalinstruc00unit/technicalinstruc00unit_djvu.txt Barnard, Henry. 1870. "Technical instruction. Special report of the Commissioner of Education." United States House of Representatives, January 19.] Accessed: May 7, 2012.</ref>

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 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 Polydeuces|Castor and Pollux]] at [[Pompeii]].<ref name=Flyer>{{cite web|url=http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/deutsch/service/infomat/screen-pdf/aschaffenburg_engl.pdf |title=Aschaffenburg - Johannisburg Palace|publisher=Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen|access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref><ref name=WS>{{cite web|url=http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/palace/objects/as_pom.htm |title=Pompeiianum|publisher=Bayerische Verwaltung der staatlichen Schlösser, Gärten und Seen|access-date=12 August 2014}}</ref>

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.<ref>[[Theodor Fontane]], ''Der deutsche Krieg von 1866''. 2. Band: ''Der Feldzug in West- und Mitteldeutschland.'' Berlin 1871, pp. 162–171 [https://books.google.com/books?id=k1APAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA162 Google Books]</ref>

=== World War II ===
In [[World War II]], Aschaffenburg was heavily damaged by Allied [[strategic bombing during World War II|area bombing]], including [[Schloss Johannisburg]], which was completely restored several years later. The German military chose to defend Aschaffenburg strongly during the last weeks of the war, which resulted in the [[Battle of Aschaffenburg (1945)|Battle of Aschaffenburg]] fought 28 March – 3 April 1945. The U.S. [[45th Infantry Division (United States)|45th Infantry Division]] was forced to take the fortified town against stiff German resistance in 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.<ref>Stanton, Shelby, ''World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939-1946'' (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole Books, p. 134-135</ref>

=== Aschaffenburg displaced persons camps ===
At the end of World War II, the [[United States Army]] occupied military facilities that had been used and controlled by the [[Wehrmacht]]. These were converted for use by U.S. military personnel as processing centres for [[displaced persons]] at the end of the war.<ref name="usarmygermany">[http://usarmygermany.com/USAREUR_City_Aschaffenburg.htm U.S. ARMY INSTALLATIONS - ASCHAFFENBURG]</ref> From 1945 7,000 [[Ukrainians]] were accommodated in four [[displaced persons camp]]s:<ref>'Ашаффенбурґ', ''Енциклопедія українознавства'' ("[[Encyclopedia of Ukraine]]") Vol. І, p. 77</ref>

* ''Artillerie Kaserne''&nbsp;— approx. 2,000 people (1945–1949)<ref>''Artillerie Kaserne'', Sälzerweg, Aschaffenburg {{coord|49|57|48.18|N|9|10|22.89|E|type:landmark_region:DE}}</ref>
* ''Bois Brulé Kaserne''&nbsp;— 1,500 people (1946–1949)<ref>''Bois Brulé Kaserne'', Würzburger Strasse, Aschaffenburg {{coord|49|57|48.32|N|9|10|38|E|type:landmark_region:DE}}</ref>
* ''LaGarde Kaserne''&nbsp;— 1,700 people (1945–1949)<ref>''LaGarde Kaserne'', Würzburger Strasse, Aschaffenburg {{coord|49|58|1.02|N|9|9|57.75|E|type:landmark_region:DE}}</ref>
* ''Pionier Kaserne''&nbsp;— 2,000 people (1946–1949)<ref>''Pionier Kaserne'', Schweinheimer Strasse, Aschaffenburg {{coord|49|57|59.06|N|9|9|33.61|E|type:landmark_region:DE}}</ref>

Two other camps, ''Alte (old) Kaserne'' and ''Jäger Kaserne'' housed mainly [[Polish people|Poles]] and [[Lithuanians]].<ref>[http://www.dpcamps.org/aschaffenburg.html DP Camps in Aschaffenburg]</ref>{{better source needed|date=November 2013}}

=== Post-war development ===
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]].
[[File:Civilians clearing the streets of Aschaffenburg.jpg|thumb|Civilians clearing away the rubble, 3 April 1945]]

According to an online 2002 survey in ''[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]]'' magazine, [Stern 14/2002], 82 percent of residents living in 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 the highest ratings for quality of life in Germany.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}

In January 2025, two people were killed in the [[2025 Aschaffenburg stabbing]],  a knife attack by an Afghan asylum seeker in the Schöntal park.<ref>{{cite web |title=L’Allemagne connaît sa troisième attaque au couteau mortelle en six mois |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/l-allemagne-connait-sa-troisieme-attaque-au-couteau-mortelle-en-six-mois-20250122 |website=Figaro |publisher=Figaro |access-date=22 January 2025}}</ref>

=== U.S. military presence (1945–2007) ===
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.<ref name="usarmygermany"/> 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 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.