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Ansbach, Germany

Where is Ansbach in Germany?

Ansbach is a small but attractive town in the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria in southern Germany. Although nearby Nuremberg is much larger and economically powerful, Ansbach remains the administrative capital of the region.

It is also home to the relatively new Ansbach University of Applied Sciences and to various garrisons for United States military personnel.

The former Margravial church of St Gumbertus in Ansbach
The former Margravial church of St Gumbertus in Ansbach

It was once the capital of a free and independent principality within the Holy Roman Empire and what remains of this medieval prominence can be seen in the pedestrianised area of the old town, with the churches and towers making Ansbach a good destination for a day visit.

It was ruled by a Margrave, and the Ansbach Residence and the Orangery are two of the historic sights to see in the town.

Some visitors also like to use it as a base for the area, as it has good connections to the Nuremberg region and across to the towns at the northern end of southern Germany's Romantic Road route.

How to get to Ansbach

Nearest airports to Ansbach

Nuremberg Airport is the closest flight destination for Ansbach but the more limited availability of services could make alternative options more popular.

Distance to Nuremberg Airport: 78km
Distance to Stuttgart Airport: 175km
Distance to Munich Airport: 183km
Distance to Allgäu Airport (Memmingen): 191km

Stuttgart offers a decent range of scheduled services, while the massive hub north of Munich can provide both low-cost European carriers and worldwide access. Allgäu Airport to the south is more popular for budget travel.

Train station in Ansbach

Ansbach's train station is situated to the south of the historic centre and Hofgarten. It is part of a regional S-Bahn line out of Nuremberg and is a stop on a regular InterCity service between Stuttgart and Nuremberg.

Where to stay in Ansbach

Ansbach is a relatively compact town, with the higher-rated hotels in quieter areas towards the suburbs. Other hotels, guesthouses and apartments are available near the historic central area.

Ansbach accommodation map

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What to see in Ansbach

Ansbach town centre is easy to stroll around and the two main historic buildings are located close to the centre and the train station. The tourist office offers a booklet with a map of the town with brief descriptions of the sights (in German).

The Residence is a Baroque palace that used to be home to the Margraves of Ansbach. It also houses a museum.

The neighbouring Orangerie and the Hofgarten offer lovely views and are a pleasant place for a walk away from the town centre.

The court gardens in Ansbach
The court gardens in Ansbach

The mystery of Kaspar Hauser (see the story lower) is a well-known tale in Germany. There are various sites around the town related to his stay in Ansbach.

Other towns in Middle Franconia

Erlangen, Germany

Erlangen

Erlangen is known for being a university town and is home to the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg as well as being shaped by the presence of Siemens, a renowned technology company. The town is also famous for its annual beer festival, the 'Bergkirchweih', which starts on the Thursday before Pentecost and attracts more than a million visitors.

Nuremberg

Nuremberg

Nuremberg is famous for its medieval architecture, cobblestone streets, and traditional Franconian cuisine. Visitors can explore centuries-old landmarks, such as the Kaiserburg Castle, Albrecht Dürer's House, and the Nuremberg Trials Memorium. Despite its connection with the darkest era of German history, Nuremberg has become a thriving city, offering a bustling nightlife, museums, theatres, and festivals throughout the year.

History of Ansbach

Ansbach is the site of settlements from different Stone Age eras, according to the archaeologists.

The first recorded settlement, however, was the establishment of a Benedictine monastery in the middle of the 8th century.

The town itself was first mentioned some centuries later with the building of a parish church and the charter was granted in the 13th century. The name Ansbach is thought to come from a corruption of the local name for a stream.

Ansbach - officially an independent margraviate with voting rights in the assembly of the Holy Roman Empire - was for centuries ruled by part of the important Protestant branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty. This house eventually formed the state of Prussia and became the first German Emperors after the unification of Germany in the 1870s.

For a long time the town was not known as Ansbach - after the above-mentioned stream, locals called it Onolzbach - and it was not until the 18th century that Ansbach became the more popular name.

The remnants of the city walls in Ansbach
The remnants of the city walls in Ansbach

Ansbach came into Hohenzollern hands in the 14th century and, for a while, was the official seat of the Franconian branch of the family. This lasted until the family was granted the rule of Brandenburg and made Berlin their capital, leaving the control over Ansbach to less important members of the family.

The town had become quite famous for its faience porcelain by the 18th century and the Residence Palace and Gardens were built around this time.

In an unusual military episode, the Margrave of Ansbach (still an independent unit) sent 2500 troops to fight in the American War of Independence on the side of the British. Only 1000 eventually returned on the victory of the American forces, with some 400 having been killed in action and the rest deciding to settle in the American colonies.

Towards the end of the 18th century the Margrave of Ansbach decided to emigrate to the UK and the province was taken over by Prussia. It was granted to Bavaria during the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars and has remained part of the state ever since, being absorbed into Germany during the unification process in the 19th century.

Nowadays it is the administrative capital of the Middle Franconia region in the west of Bavaria, despite being much smaller than three other towns in the area. Ansbach is home to over 40,000 people and host to a nearby US Army base.

The Story of Kaspar Hauser

The story of Kaspar Hauser is a famous identity mystery in Germany, in certain ways similar to the intrigue and interest in the true identity of Jack the Ripper in the UK.

Hauser was a young teenage boy who appeared in Nuremberg in the 1800s. He spoke only a few words and had a letter with him which claimed that he had been fathered by a cavalryman from the local regiment, had been raised near the Bavarian border in a house which he never left and now wished to be a soldier like his father.

The statues of Kaspar Hauser in Ansbach
The statues of Kaspar Hauser in Ansbach

He was imprisoned as a vagabond and, during his time in the cell, claimed that he had been raised in darkness and only fed bread and water. Once he could stand and walk and repeat the phrase "I want to be a cavalryman like my father" in an old Bavarian dialect, he was brought to Nuremberg.

Many believed that Hauser was a conman but there was a lot of interest in his possible background. He was adopted by the city of Nuremberg and cared for by a local schoolteacher.

One day he was discovered bleeding from a head wound and claimed he had been attacked and threatened by the masked man who raised him. There were a number of subsequent theories that he had a noble Hungarian background or was related to the ruling family of Baden. Others however believed that he was an outright liar.

His cause was taken up by the British Lord Stanhope, who eventually tired of the case and transferred his care to an Ansbach teacher. In 1833 he came home with a cut to the chest, inflicted, he said, by an attacker in the Court Gardens and with a purse with a mysterious note in mirror writing.

Hauser died of his wound some days later and was buried in Ansbach. The mystery of his birth and death inspired German writers of the late 19th and early 20th century and the potential connection to the minor royalty of Baden was enough to keep the mystery of interest to subsequent generations.

The statues of Kaspar Hauser (see photograph) are located on a street corner just outside the historic city centre.

The Hofgarten and Residence in Ansbach

The Ansbach Residence and Court Gardens were built in the early 18th century as a palace for the ruling margraves. The buildings were constructed in the Viennese baroque style of architecture and the Residence nowadays serves as the seat of government for Middle Franconia.

The Residence itself was constructed on the site of earlier buildings, a castle with a moat built in the 15th century and a Renaissance palace from the 16th century, parts of which can still be seen today.

The Residence palace in Ansbach
The Residence palace in Ansbach

The neighbouring Orangerie and Court Gardens were built slightly later in the 18th century, again on the site of previous versions.

The costumed Rococo Festival is held every year in July to commemorate the era of the ruling margrave who constructed the Residence and Orangerie.

The Residence also hosts a collection of porcelain and faience produced in the area as well as ceilings painted in the rococo style and is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
Website: www.schloesser.bayern.de

Ansbach Tourist Office

The tourist office is located near to the parish church of St Gumbertus. It is open all day Monday to Friday with more restricted hours on Saturday.
Website: www.ansbach.de