Country Germany Admin. region Mittelfranken Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Local time Sunday 2:13 AM | State Bavaria Elevation 416 m (1,365 ft) Population 16,202 (31 Dec 2008) | |
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District Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen Weather 1°C, Wind E at 6 km/h, 80% Humidity Points of interest Schifffahrt am Altmühlsee, Blasturm, Archäologisches Museum Gunzenhausen, Stadtmuseum Gunzenhausen, Bismarckturm Gunzenhausen | ||
Gunzenhausen is a town in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, 19 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Weißenburg in Bayern, and 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Nuremberg. Gunzenhausen is a nationally recognized recreation area.
Contents
Map of Gunzenhausen, Germany
History
Numerous excavations within the city of Gunzenhausen document that the area was occupied and there was a settlement in pre-historic time. In the year 90 the Romans expelled the Celts, occupied the inhabited areas north of the Donau River and expanded into the Gunzenhausen area. In the year 241 the Alemanni invaded the area and destroyed the fortress. A document from the year 823 supplies the first reliable written reference to Gunzenhausen.
Emperor Ludwig der Fromme conveyed the monastery "Gunzinhusir" to the High-monastery of Ellwangen. Later the "Truhendinger" and the "Oettinger" families became Lords of Gunzenhausen, and in 1368 Gunzenhausen came to the House of Hohenzollern. So the city received the right of holding fairs and was allowed to build city walls, towers and moat, as well as a large church. Gunzenhausen had a big Jewish community and a "Moorish" synagogue, built in 1882; the latter was gradually mutilated during the Hitler regime, and by 1939 the town was declared Judenrein (free of Jews).
In the 1970s eighteen municipalities were combined resulting in the city growing to about 17,000 inhabitants.
International relations
Gunzenhausen is twinned with: