Passau is a town in
Lower BavariaLower Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state.- Geography :Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions - Landshut and Donau-Wald. Recent election results mark it as the most conservative part of Germany, generally giving huge...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is also known as the
Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the
DanubeThe Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
is joined at Passau by the
InnThe Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
from the south and the
IlzThe Ilz is a river running through the Bavarian Forest, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and 65 km in length, during which it travels down a height difference of ~780m....
from the north.
Passau's population is 50,415, of whom about 10,000 are students at the local
University of PassauThe University of Passau is a public research university located in Passau, Lower Bavaria, Germany. Founded in 1978, it is the youngest university in Bavaria and has therefore the most modern campus in the state...
. The university, founded in the late 1970s, is the extension of the Institute for Catholic Studies (Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät) founded in 1622. It is renowned in Germany for its institutes of Economics, Law, Theology, Computer Sciences and Cultural Studies.
History
In the 2nd century BC, many of the
BoiiThe Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
tribe were pushed north across the Alps out of northern Italy by the Romans. They established a new capital called
Boiodurum by the Romans, now within the Innstadt district of Passau.
Passau was an
ancient RomanAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
colony of ancient Noricum called
Batavis, Latin for "for the
Batavi." The
BataviBatavi - Latin for Batavians - is an open source webshop under the GNU General Public License. The development of Batavi started in 2007 inspired by a preliminary osCommerce 3.0 version, a version that seemed to be never finished by the osCommerce team...
were an ancient Germanic tribe often mentioned by classical authors, and they were regularly associated with the Suebian marauders, the
HeruliThe Heruli were an East Germanic tribe who are famous for their naval exploits. Migrating from Northern Europe to the Black Sea in the third century They were part of the...
.
During the second half of the 5th century, St. Severinus established a
monasteryMonastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
here. In 739, an English Celtic monk called Boniface founded the diocese of Passau and this was the largest
dioceseA diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
for many years.
In the
Treaty of PassauHoly Roman Emperor Charles V had won a victory against Protestantism in the Schmalkaldic War of 1547. Many Protestant princes were unhappy with the religious terms of the Augsburg Interim imposed after this victory. In January 1552, led by Maurice of Saxony, many formed an alliance with Henry II of...
(1552), Archduke
Ferdinand IFerdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
, representing Emperor
Charles VCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, secured the agreement of the Protestant princes to submit the religious question to a
dietIn politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
. This led to the
Peace of AugsburgThe Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement, was a treaty between Charles V and the forces of the Schmalkaldic League, an alliance of Lutheran princes, on September 25, 1555, at the imperial city of Augsburg, now in present-day Bavaria, Germany.It officially ended the religious...
in 1555.
During the
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and
early modern periodIn history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
, Passau was one of the most prolific centres of sword and bladed weapon manufacture in Germany (after
SolingenSolingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
). Passau smiths stamped their blades with the Passau wolf, usually a rather simplified rendering of the wolf on the city's coat-of-arms. Superstitious warriors believed that the Passau wolf conferred invulnerability on the blade's bearer, and thus Passau swords acquired a great premium. As a result, the whole practice of placing magical charms on swords to protect the wearers came to be known for a time as "Passau art." (See Eduard Wagner,
Cut and Thrust Weapons, 1969). Other cities' smiths, including those of Solingen, recognized the marketing value of the Passau wolf and adopted it for themselves. By the 17th century, Solingen was producing more wolf-stamped blades than Passau was. In 1662, a devastating fire consumed most of the city. Passau was subsequently rebuilt in the Baroque style.
Passau was secularised and divided between
BavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and
Salzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
in 1803. The portion belonging to
Salzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
became part of
BavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1805.
From 1892 until 1894,
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and his family lived in Passau. The city archives mention Hitler being in Passau on 4 different occasions in the 1920s for speeches.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the town housed three sub-camps of the infamous
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration campMauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
: Passau I (Oberilzmühle), Passau II (Waldwerke Passau-Ilzstadt) and Passau III (Jandelsbrunn). It was the site of a post
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
American sector
displaced persons campA displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
.
Subdivisions
The City of Passau is subdivided into eight statistical districts, which in general coincide with formerly separate municipalities.
| Nr. |
District |
Area
Hectares |
Population
main
residence
2005-12-31 |
Population
per km² |
Remarks |
| 1 |
Altstadt |
152.6018 |
3067 |
2010 |
historical center, with St. Nikola (incorporated 1870) |
| 2 |
Innstadt |
508.9354 |
4861 |
955 |
right of Inn river, incorporated 1923 as Beiderwies |
| 3 |
Haidenhof Süd |
406.9042 |
4810 |
1182 |
1909 Haidenhof municipality incorporated |
| 4 |
Haidenhof Nord |
871.8241 |
11292 |
1295 |
1909 Haidenhof municipality incorporated |
| 5 |
Heining |
2085.9484 |
11121 |
533 |
incorporated 1972-07-01 |
| 6 |
Hacklberg |
1668.8038 |
5553 |
333 |
incorporated 1972-07-01 |
| 7 |
Hals |
407.3414 |
1491 |
366 |
incorporated 1972-07-01 |
| 8 |
Grubweg |
857.9621 |
7202 |
839 |
incorporated 1972-07-01 |
| |
Passau |
6954.9200 |
49397 |
710 |
|
Main sights
Tourism in Passau focuses mainly on the three rivers, the
St. Stephen's CathedralSt. Stephan's Cathedral, or "Dom St. Stephan" in German, is a baroque church from 1688 in Passau, Germany. It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Passau and the main church of his diocese....
(
Der Passauer Stephansdom) and the "Old City" (
Die Altstadt). With 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, the organ at St. Stephen's was long held to be the largest church pipe organ in the world and is today second in size only to the organ at First Congregational Church, Los Angeles, which was expanded in 1994. Organ concerts are held daily between May and September. St.Stephen's is a true masterpiece of Italian Baroque, built by Italian architect
Carlo LuragoCarlo Lurago was an Italian architect, who was most active in Prague.He was born in Pellio Superiore in the Val d'Intelvi, near Como. At the age of 23, as an already an accomplished plasterer, he moved to Prague...
and decorated in part by
Carpoforo TencallaCarpoforo Tencalla Carpoforo Tencalla Carpoforo Tencalla (or Tencala (10 September 1623 - 9 March 1685) was an influential Swiss-Italian Baroque painter of canvases and frescoes. He is little studied and has come only recently to the attention of art critics...
. Many river cruises down the Danube start at Passau and there is a cycling path all the way down to
ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It is also notable for its
gothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and
baroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
. The town is dominated by the
Veste OberhausVeste Oberhaus is a fortress that was founded in 1219 and, for most of its time, served as the stronghold of the Bishop of Passau, Germany.The building is located on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers and dominates the city of Passau that is located on the opposite, right...
and the former fortress of the Bishop, on the mountain crest between the Danube and the Ilz rivers. Right beside the town hall is the
ScharfrichterhausThe Scharfrichterhaus in Passau, Germany, is designated as a national historical treasure and was built circa 1200. Located on “Milk Street”, it was the official residence for the Scharfrichter of the city of Passau...
, an important jazz and cabaret stage on which political cabaret is performed.
Twin cities
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AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
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,
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, since 1999
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,
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
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Notable people
- Michael Ammermüller
Michael Ammermüller is a race car driver born in Pocking, Germany on February 14, 1986.-Career:In 2004 he drove the number three car in German Formula Renault, as well as competing in Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup...
(* 1986), a racing car driver.
- Alfred Dick
Alfred Dick was a German politician and school teacher, representative of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria. Between 1962 and 1994 he was a member of the Landtag of Bavaria. He served as Bavarian State Minister for the Environment .-References:...
(1927–2005), a Bavarian politician.
- Hans Fruhstorfer
Hans Fruhstorfer was a German explorer, insect trader and entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He collected and described many new species of exotic butterflies, especially in Seitz's Macrolepidoptera of the World...
(1866–1922), explorer, insect trader and entomologist, was born in Passau.
- Albert Ganzenmüller
Albert Ganzenmüller was a German National Socialist and, as the Under-secretary of State at the Reich Transport Ministry, was involved in the deportation of German Jews.- Career :...
(1905–1996), served from 1942—1945 as the state secretary of the Reich Transportation Ministry, was born in Passau.
- Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and his family lived in Passau for two years from 1892–1894
- Nicolaus A. Huber
Nicolaus A. Huber is a German composer.From 1958 to 1962 Huber studied music education at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and subsequently composition with Franz Xaver Lehner and Günter Bialas. He pursued his education further with Josef Anton Riedl, Karlheinz Stockhausen and, above...
(* 1939), composer.
- Bruno Jonas
Bruno Jonas is a German Kabarett artist and actor.-Education:Many people predicted he would become a priest, but he prefers to pray from the Kabarett stage. Between 1975 and 1982, he studied German, political science, and philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich...
(* 1952), a cabaret artist and actor.
- Joseph Maximilian Ritter von Maillinger
Joseph Maximilian Fridolin Ritter von Maillinger was a Bavarian General der Infanterie and War Minister under Ludwig II of Bavaria.- Biography :Von Maillinger was born in Passau...
(1820–1901) Bavarian General and War Minister was born in Passau.
- Gottlieb Muffat
Gottlieb Theophil Muffat was an Austrian composer/organist and son of Georg Muffat. He studied with Johann Fux in Vienna from 1711 onward and was appointed court organist in 1717. He assisted in the performance of Fux's opera Costanza e fortezza in Prague...
(1690–1770), organist and composer.
- Anna Rosmus
Anna Rosmus, also known as Anja Rosmus-Wenninger, is a German author and researcher born in 1960 in Passau, Bavaria.- Early life in Germany :...
(* 1960), controversial German author, Third Reich historian.
- Ludwig Schmidseder
Ludwig Schmidseder was a German composer and pianist of the "Light Muse". Several of his Schlager compositions are still popular tunes today....
(1904–1971), composer and pianist.
- Heidi Schüller
Heidi Schüller is a West German-German long jumper who competed in the early 1970s. She took the Athlete's Oath at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the first for a woman in the Summer Olympics. Schüller finished fifth in the women's long jump at those same games.She later became known as Dr...
(* 1950) a West-German athlete.
External links