AUGSBURG, owgz'burg, Bavaria, city and capital of the government districts of Suabia and Neuberg, 35 miles northwest of Munich. It is situated on a point of land formed by the junction of the Lech and the Wertach. The town has a mediaeval appear ance, there being very many buildings extant of the period from the 15th to the 17th centuries. It contains several churches, rich in architectural beauty and in artistic asso ciations. These churches are rich in metal work, stained glass windows, etc., the cathedral containing several altar pieces by Holbein the Elder. The Rathaus is notable for its Golden Hall. Other noteworthy buildings are the former palace of the prince-bishops, the royal picture gallery, the city library, etc. Augsburg has large cotton and woolen mills, machine shops, and manufactures acetylene gas, chemicals, paper, jewelry and leather. The city was founded by Augustus in 12 a.c. The Huns devastated it in the 5th century, Charlemagne in the 8th and Welf in the 11th. In 1276
it received its freedom and at the time of the Reformation was one of the most flourish ing cities of Europe. Its trade at this time was very great and a great number of merchant princes were numbered among its citizens. It also became distinguished as an art centre, and was represented in this field by the Holbeins, Altdorfer and Burgkmair. Several Diets were held here and it was prominent in the Reforma tion. Much of its prosperity was destroyed dur ing the Thirty Years' War. It lost its freedom with the fall of the German empire in 1806, and was joined to Bavaria. Pop. (1910) 102,487. Consult 'Die Chroniken der schwabis chen Stidte, Augsburg' (Leipzig 1896) ; Lewis
Antiquities of Augsburg and Ratis bon') (in Archeological Journal, Vol. XLVIII, London 1891) ; Werner,