See Ansbach, Austria for the Austrian town of the same name.

Coat of arms	Map
	Map of Germany showing Ansbach.jpg
Statistics
State:	Bavaria
Regierungsbezirk:	Mittelfranken
District:	Independent city
Area:	99.92 km²
Population:	40,723(06/30/2004)
Population density:	407/km²
Elevation:	409 m
Postal code:	91522
Area/distance code:	09-81
Location:
Municipal code:	09561000
Car designation:	AN
Address of the city administration:	1 Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Platz Ansbach 91522
Website:	www.ansbach.de

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

The city has five schools. It is connected by autobahn A6 autobahn and routes 13 and 16 .

History

A Benedictine monastery at the place was founded around 748 by a Franconian noble, Gumbertus , who was later canonized. In the following centuries the monastery and the adjoining village (Onoldsbach) grew to become the town of Ansbach (called a town in 1221 for the first time).

The counts of Oettingen ruled over Ansbach until the Hohenzollern burgraves of Nuremberg took over in 1331. The Hohenzollerns made Ansbach the seat of their dynasty until their acquisition of the electorate of Brandenburg in 1415. However, after the death of Frederick_I,_Margrave_of_Brandenburg in 1440 the Franconian cadet branch of the family was not politically united with the main Brandenburg line, remaining independent as "Brandenburg-Ansbach."

Margrave George the Pious introduced the Protestant Reformation to Ansbach in 1528, leading to the secularization of St. Gumbertus Abbey in 1563.

In 1792 Ansbach was annexed by the Hohenzollerns of Prussia, and only fourteen years later, in 1806, Napoleon awarded the territory of his Hohenzollern enemy to Bavaria.

At the end of the 17th century, the margraves' palace at Ansbach was rebuilt in Baroque style.

Since 1970, Ansbach has enlarged its municipal area by incorporating adjacent communities.

Ansbach was a small town largely by-passed by the Industrial Revolution, an administrative and cultural center. Although all bridges were destroyed, the historical center of Ansbach was spared during World War II and it has kept its baroque character.

Ansbach hosts several units of the U.S. armed forces, associated with German units under NATO. There are three separate U.S. installations: Shipton Kaserne, home to 6th Bn., 52nd Air Defense Artillery; Katterbach Kaserne, where the 1st Division's 4th Combat Aviation Brigade resides, associated with Bismarck Kaserne, where the post exchange, etc. are located, and Barton Barracks, home to the 235th BSB.

Districts

• Eyb , part of Ansbach since October 1, 1970
• Bernhardswinden , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
• Brodswinden , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
• Claffheim , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
• Elpersdorf bei Ansbach , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
• Hennenbach , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
• Neuses bei Ansbach , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
  • Strüth
  • Wasserzell
• Schalkhausen , part of Ansbach since July 1, 1972
  • Geisengrund
  • Dornberg
  • Neudorf
  • Steinersdorf

Twinnings

• Anglet , France
• Bay City, Michigan

Famous people

Albert_of_Prussia, Grand Master of the Teutonic_Order and the first duke of Ducal Prussia.

In the late 16th century, the physician to margrave Georg Friedrich was the famous botanist, Leonhart Fuchs.

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

Ansbach was the birthplace of the early chemist, Georg Ernst Stahl.

Queen Caroline of Great Britain was born in Ansbach in 1683.

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 links

• Official Website (German, English, French)
• Ansbach information
• 235th Base Support Battalion - Ansbach Military Community