Aschaffenburg is a district in
Bavaria,
Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of
Darmstadt-Dieburg,
Offenbach,
Main-Kinzig (all in the state of
Hesse), the districts
Main-Spessart and
Miltenberg, and the town of
Aschaffenburg.
History
Remains of
Roman settlements are found on the river
Main. There was a Roman military camp in what is today the municipality of Stockstadt. After the Roman retreat the region became subject to
Alemanni and
Franks before eventually being a part of the electorate of
Mainz. While the banks of the Main were populated all these centuries, the hills of the Spessart Mountains were virtually unsettled until the 13th century.
The districts of Aschaffenburg and Alzenau were established in 1862, half a century after the region was annexed by the state of Bavaria. These districts were merged in 1972 in order to form the present district.
Geography
The district is located in the extreme northwest of
Bavaria and bounded by
Hesse on two sides. The River
Main forms the western border, though southwest of the town of Aschaffenburg there are also parts on the western river banks incorporated in the district. The south and east of the district is occupied by the
Spessart Mountains.
The town of Aschaffenburg is not included in the district, but nonetheless its administrative seat.
Coat of arms
| | The coat of arms displays: - an acorn symbolising the Spessart mountains and their dense forests
- the wheel of the electorate of Mainz
- the blue rings of the Echter family, which was a noble family possessing lots of land in the region
|
Towns and municipalities
External links