|
|
| 
|
|
The Martin Luther square in the old district in Ansbach
|
|
|
|
|
Between tradition and modernity
The town of Ansbach can hardly be said to reflect the popluar cliche of being a Franconian settlement with half-timbered houses and winding lanes. The town bears a far greater influence to the Hohenzollern princes who have resided in the town through the centuries. Each one of them has left an architectural legacy, if not more, in the town. That's whay today you can find numerous resplendent buildings, both secular and religious, from the Rococo, Baroque and Renaissance periods in the district and county town of Central Franconia.
Almost all of the old town centre around the church has been pedestrianised.
The castle, where once the earls held regal court, is today the seat of the district government.
Garrison city
Directly opposite the city centre, the barracks were built in 1724. The uniforms changed depending on who was in power over the following 270 years - the last of which were the Americans. After the Berlin wall came down, the last remaining troops departed in 1994. Separated from the old town through a four-lane street, the barracks lie practically at the threshold of the town. The city’s planning authorities did not hesitate for long and set the place up for sale: In one half the new University for Applied Sciences settled down, on the other half a huge shopping center was built. Since then, the citizens of Ansbach can chose between leisurely shopping in the alleys of the old town, or shopping in the modern glass malls in the commercial district.
Son of a prince or ordinary imposter?
At first a residence for the aristocracy and later for civil servants, Ansbach promises a quiet and contemplative life. But the arrival of one newcomer to Ansbach caused quite a stir and turned much attention on the city. He had two years left to live when he came to the city in 1831. And like no other he preoccupies the minds of the citizens until today: Kaspar Hauser. In 1828 he turned up in Nürnberg, could not speak and could hardly walk. He was a wild orphan, who grew up without any attention or care. The citizens were astonished, the foundling became a tourist attraction.
But where did he come from? A lawyer took over the inquiries. The result: Hauser was a child of the grand duke of “Baden”, who was bumped off for reasons of succession. What a scandal! The people of Ansbach had nothing else to talk about for days!. Typically corrupt aristocracy thought some, while others suspected Kaspar Hauser of being nothing more than an imposter. Poor Hauser, he was always in the public eye throughout his life and was hounded by the curious and the press.
A living myth
Kaspar Hauser was passed around from the care of one person to another until he came to the teacher Mr Meyer in Ansbach. In December 1833 he was assassinated after surviving an earlier attempt on his life. With typical German thoroughness, psychologists, lawyers, historians, doctors and pedagogues tried to explain the strange mystery of Kaspar Hauser. Ever since, there are Kaspar-Hauser- Complexes, -Syndromes, and –Experiments. Innumerable scientific publications give way to ever new discussion topics. Finally, two films were produced and since then we know a bit more of Kaspar Hauser’s tragic life. In the year 1996 the whole matter could have been laid to rest with the DNA analysis of Hauser’s blood-smeared underpants. In the genetic material no traces of noble origin were found. But nobody wants to let go of this bizzare story of a young waif. This is why three rooms in the “Markgrafenmuseum” in Ansbach are dedicated to Kaspar. From his underpants to other personal belongings, everything is displayed. It promises to satisfy the morbid curiosity of the visitors.
|
|
|
| Further Information
|
|
|
|
|
|
