March-through tower - a photo on Flickriver

            The Oberes Tor (in English: "Upper Gate") in the old town of Aichach, Swabia, Bavaria

Some background information:

With its more than 21,500 residents, Aichach is the district town of the rural district of Aichach-Friedberg. The town is located about 20 km (12.5 miles) to the northeast of the city of Augsburg and about 50 km (31 miles) to northwest of the city of Munich. Aichach is also situated on the river Paar, which traverses the commune.

The Oberes Tor in this picture was built in 1331, at the same time as the Unteres Tor ((in English: "Lower Gate"). It was part of the town fortification. However, the upper part in the shape of an octagon was not erected until 1418, while its cupola was constructed as recently as 1697. In the top floor the dwelling of the watchman was located. Today, the gate is a listed building.

The town of Aichach can already look back upon 950 years of documented history. In 1078, the parisch church of Aichach was first mentioned in a chronicle of the St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the south of Augsburg’s old city. Indeed the settlement is even older. In 1250, a convent of the German Order was founded in Aichach, and a commander of the convent was designated. The German Order stayed in Aichach until 1384, when it moved just a few kilometres away to the nearby hamlet of Blumenthal, where it existed until 1806.

The town was heavily affected by the events of the Thirty Years’ War. In 1634, the Swedish general Gustav Horn besieged Aichach. During this siege, the town burned down almost completely. But already in the years preceding this year of sad destiny, the commune suffered both from Protestant and Catholic troops that were marching through on their way from Regensburg to Augsburg or vice versa. 

In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, English, Dutch and Spanish troops having come to Aichach plundered the town and destroyed Aichach’s ducal palace which stood within the town walls. Between 1796 and 1809, French, Austrian and Russian troops took up quarters in the town a few times. During this period, Aichach and its surrounding land had to feed 18,699 officers and 194,086 soldiers (added up), which was a great burden for its inhabitants. Among those, who resided in the inn on the town square, were the French general Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr and the Russian general Alexander Michailowitsch Rimski-Korsakow. 

In 1862, Aichach’s district office was founded, which was a precursor of the current administrative district of Aichach-Friedberg. Today, the town is a peaceful and slightly sleepy commune in the vicinity of the big cities Augsburg and Munich. Its Unteres Tor hosts a museum dedicated to the history of the House of Wittelsbach, which ruled over the Kingdom of Bavaria for more than a century. The ancestral seat of the Wittelsbach dynasty, Wittelsbach Castle (having been destroyed in 1209), was situated in the village of Oberwittelsbach, nowadays a district of the town of Aichach.

Taken in: Germany / Bavaria / Landkreis Aichach-Friedberg / Aichach (show map)

Taken on: October 1, 2022

Tags:

Europe

Deutschland

German

Bayern

Bavaria

Schwaben

Swabia

Bavarian

bayrisch

Aichach

gate

Tor

town gate

city gate

Stadttor

street

Straße

town

Stadt

old town

historic quarter

historic district

Altstadt

small town

Kleinstadt

Kreisstadt

Canon

Middle Ages

dark age

Mittelalter

medieval

mittelalterlich

tower

Turm

town wall

city wall

Stadtmauer

houses

Häuser

buildings

Gebäude

trees

Bäume

tree

Baum

windows

roofs

Dächer

Fenster

shutters

Fensterläden

crucifix

Kreuz

Jesus

Jesu

Lord

Christ Crucified

Christ

inscription

writing

Inschrift

sky

Himmel

overcast sky

bedeckter Himmel

autumn

fall

Herbst

autumnal

herbstlich

October

Oktober

2022 « less

Sets appears in: • Bavaria, Germany 2005 - 2024 • Buildings - Germany

Groups appears in: • Germany • Bayern more » • Germany, Deutschland • Streets and alleys • bavaria • Germany Architecture • Villages and small towns of the world • ANTICANDO!!!(P2/Aw3)Please,only Subject ANCIENT • Villages et petites villes d'Europe • "History & Antiquities (Post 5 - Award 3)" • Historical and architectural gems • Baugeschichte "History of Architecture" • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • The concept is Europe • buildings are beautiful • ₪ HISTORY & MYSTERY Society ₪ Add 1 | Award 3 « less

Camera: Canon EOS 77D, f/8.0, 1/160 sec, 24mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 77D
Lens:	TAMRON 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD B028
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	On, Fired
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 826 views / 7 comments

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: