Regensburg's collection of historic buildings unites political and religious relics, which is totally unique in Germany.
Political representation
Regensburg was the scene for many highly significant events in European history - from Roman times as a remote legionary camp, through the early Middle Ages as the centre for the Eastern Frankish empire, through many imperial parliaments reaching right up to the modern age, and most importantly as the location for the permanent imperial parliament up until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
Caesar Marcus Aurelius founded the legionary camp Castra Regina in the year 179 and so created a strong military outpost at the Danube's northernmost point. The north side with the Porta Praetoria, facing the enemy, was built to impress.
Later, the city was the main court of the Bavarian Dukes up until 788, an important palace location for the kingdom of the East Franks, the capital city of the Bavarian Dukes of the Luitpold and Luidolf dynasties in the 10th century, preferred congress centre for empire meetings in the southeast of the Holy Roman Empire until the Thirty Years' War, and also the seat of the Empire's permanent parliament from 1663 until the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire.
More Pictures:
Porta Praetoria, Bischofshof,
Court ofBrixen, Herzogshof, Roman Tower, Town Hall , Löschenkohl Mansion
All of these phases left traces that can be seen and experienced today: the Carolingian palaces at the old cornmarket, and near St. Emmeram's church, the courts of the convents, bishops and lords from the 10th century, the parliamentary rooms of the permanent parliament and the ambassadors' houses. We also find an unusually sophisticated array of architectural witnesses to local non-political centres of power within the walls of the Free Imperial City of Regensburg.
The city is the seat of a bishop, and has been since 739. Bishops used it as their residence (Bischofshof, Cathedral, Cathedral Parish Church of St. Ulrich, and cathedral leaders' courts) until the end of the Old Empire. There were also three other jurisdictions answerable directly to the Emperor: St. Emmeram's monastery, and the women's convents Upper Minster and Lower Minster.