Eichstätt

For the district, see Eichstätt (district). For the village in Brandenburg, see Eichstädt.
Eichstätt

Eichstätt

Coat of arms
Eichstätt

Coordinates: 48°53′31″N 11°11′2″E / 48.89194°N 11.18389°E / 48.89194; 11.18389Coordinates: 48°53′31″N 11°11′2″E / 48.89194°N 11.18389°E / 48.89194; 11.18389
Country Germany
State Bavaria
Admin. region Oberbayern
District Eichstätt
Government
  Lord Mayor Andreas Steppberger (FW)
Area
  Total 47.78 km2 (18.45 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)[1]
  Total 13,407
  Density 280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 85071, 85072, 85067
Dialling codes 08421
Vehicle registration EI
Website www.eichstaett.de
Residenzplatz in the centre of Eichstätt
Eichstätt Cathedral - view into the western choir
The Willibaldsburg above Eichstätt

Eichstätt (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪçʃtɛt], formerly also Eichstädt or Aichstädt) is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district of Eichstätt. It is located on the Altmühl river and has a population of around 13,000. Eichstätt is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Eichstätt.

Geography

Location

Eichstätt lies on both sides of the river Altmühl in the district of Eichstätt of the Oberbayern region of Bavaria.

Geology

Eichstätt is located at an outlying spur of the Franconian Jura and is famous for the quarries of Solnhofen Plattenkalk (Jurassic limestone). On the Blumenberg the Berlin specimen of Archaeopteryx was found by Jakob Niemeyer.

History

St. Willibald founded the Diocese of Eichstätt on the site of an old Roman station in 741. The city was chartered in 908. It was ruled by a prince-bishop, and in the Holy Roman Empire was the seat of the Bishopric of Eichstätt until secularization in 1802. In 1806, it became a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Eichstätt was included as part of the Principality of Eichstätt, which King Maximilian I granted to his son-in-law Eugène de Beauharnais in 1817 and an episcopal see was reestablished in 1821.

In 1943, the painter Karl Friedrich Lippmann moved to Eichstätt and stayed until 1955.

Hortus Eystettensis ("Garden at Eichstätt") is the name of an important botanical book first published in 1613 and written by Basilius Besler.

Attractions

The town is dominated by the Willibaldsburg. Besides the cathedral, Eichstätt also sports numerous churches and monasteries.

Government

The mayor of Eichstätt is Andreas Steppberger (FW).

Education

Eichstätt is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (K-U), the lone Catholic university in Germany. The K-U was founded in 1980, and was granted full rights of a university, including Ph.D. and Habilitation degrees by the State of Bavaria.[2]

Sons and daughters of the town

Max von Widnmann

Personalities connected with the city

Prinz Maximilian of Saxony 1901

References

  1. "Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes". Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung (in German). June 2016.
  2. Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt ECTS Information Guide, International Relations 15.05.06
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