Unique among German cities

A living mirror of history

In Central Europe, there is no other city so exceptionally able in its wealth of existing architecture to mirror the developments of the Middle Ages - whether political, economical or religious - as Regensburg. Its patrician families, active across continents, showed off their riches by building the magnificent trade houses of the 11th to 14th centuries. They also funded massive church buildings, which are among the most excellent of their time. Regensburg's cathedral is the only example of French Gothic cathedral style found east of the Rhine. It was mainly completed in the Middle Ages and retains its original substance. Germany's two largest mendicant order churches are also found in Regensburg.

As early as the 8th century, the location on continental traffic arteries made Regensburg into a main meeting place for the Carolingian Empire and its successor, the Holy Roman Empire. In 1663, the Empire's parliament gathered here permanently and formed a political instrument representing the entire Holy Roman Empire as the only other besides the Emperor himself. The excellently preserved old parliamentary buildings are a completely unique complex, letting you comprehend the political and international structures of the Holy Roman Empire up until its end in 1806 - like nowhere else in the world.

As well as its political role in the period following the Middle Ages, Regensburg also grew in religious significance. The city's key role in the spread of Protestantism towards southeastern Europe can still be seen in two monumental churches: the New Parish church (Neupfarrkirche) and the Trinity church (Dreieinigkeitskirche). The New Parish church is not only the oldest Protestant church in Regensburg, but also the mother church of the Lutheran Christians in southeastern Central Europe. In view of Regensburg's national significance as an imperial city for Lutheranism, the council decided in 1627 to build a new, large Protestant church. The Trinity Church was constructed and fitted entirely as a Protestant church for the city, and it became a prototype of Protestant church architecture in southern Germany.

Regensburg's old city unites a series of excellent intellectual works - the first of which is the Stone Bridge, an outstanding feat of engineering from the first half of the 12th century. It became an archetype for similar bridges built later throughout Europe. We also find artistic masterpieces such as the Romanesque portal of the Scots Church, the works of the Erminold Master in the Cathedral, or the astrolabe of Wilhelm von Hirsau in St. Emmeram's church.

The city of Regensburg was a central crossroads for long-distance trade and continental trade routes, opening it for all kinds of cultural influences. The Romanesque All Saints Chapel has Italian influences, the Cathedral is modelled on French examples. According to patrician traditions of Central Europe, the merchants of Regensburg built their stone houses beginning in the 11th century, and these became massive patrician castles with high towers. These unique fortified houses still make up a large part of the old city's image. Unique too is the almost universal inclusion of a house chapel in Regensburg's patrician houses.

Regensburg must be recognised as one of the most important central locations for the politics of the Holy Roman Empire. In the High Middle Ages it was the scene of most Empire parliaments. There still exists here today a unique infrastructure without equal in Europe. Two emperor palaces from the 9th century are basically intact.

The political structure of the Holy Roman Empire can be seen in Regensburg like nowhere else. Within Regensburg's walls there were four independent Empire territories besides the city itself. These were directly subject to the Empire and not answerable to the city council: the Bishop, the Empire Monastery St. Emmeram, and the convents Upper Minster and Lower Minster. These belonged to the direct jurisdiction of the Empire, and their architectural substance is mostly intact.

Nearly all of the Holy Roman Empire's prominent figures came to Regensburg, mostly when there were important decisions to be made. Many other outstanding world-class characters also lived and worked here. Duchess Judith was the first Christian woman in the Middle Ages to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Queen Gisela, who brought Christianity to Hungary, was born and died here. Albertus Magnus, Europe's most important scholar, was the Bishop of Regensburg. Ulrich von Zell and Wilhelm von Hirsau, two monks from St. Emmeram's Monastery, were significant church reformers in the 11th century. Berthold von Regensburg was one of Germany's most famous preachers during the Middle Ages. Konrad von Megenberg was one of the most important German-speaking academics in the 14th century. At the beginning of the modern age came Johannes Aventinus, the father of German historians, who spent the last years of his life in Regensburg. Johannes Kepler also lived here at times, and died in Regensburg. We must also mention that the Jewish Synagogue had many highly significant rabbis.

The book illumination school at St. Emmeram's around the year 1000 was one of the most important of its kind in Europe, and this expertise was later revived to its highest point in Berthold Furtmeyr's workshop. Personally famous artists towards the end of the Middle Ages and at the beginning of the German Renaissance included Albrecht Altdorfer, who worked all his life in Regensburg. Ulrich Schmidl, who was one of the discoverers of the lands of modern-day Argentina and helped found Buenos Aires, spent the end of his life in Regensburg.

During World War II, Regensburg was heavily bombed, but not in the central area within the medieval walls. Soon after the war ended, efforts were begun to preserve and restore the old town spared from destruction. In the 1950's this was recognised as a project with national significance. Since the 1973 enactment of the new Bavarian law on preserving historical sites, Regensburg has become a model case for consistent application of that law. The goal is to preserve not only facades, but the entire existing historical building.

This means that when the many private houses were restored by private owners, the authorities took great care to ensure that the building's interior was preserved and restored professionally. The same is true for the restoration of religious and public buildings. Because these renovations are thoroughly documented and accompanied by archeological and architectural research, Regensburg's old town is recognised as the best-researched High Middle Ages ensemble on record. Today the Old Town of Regensburg together with the island Stadtamhof is home to 984 protected historic buildings.

Attempts have increased to bring this extensive research into a form suitable for learning. For example, the "Document Neupfarrplatz" gives visitors the chance to view Regensburg's many-layered two thousand years of history by literally climbing down into an excavation, walking through medieval Jewish cellars and looking down on the level of the Roman streets - an exemplary learning experience.