Stop-over in Amberg, Germany

Since Amberg can be passed by in going to Grafenwoehr, my friends whom I went with last Saturday, Jan. 19,'08 made a stop-over to see the town. At the same day, we just came from Ramstein around 4 hours drive till we reached our place in Hohenfels. Everyone was really tired but still we proceeded to Grafenwoehr just to see the new Shopping building in the US Base.

We made a bit walking and sightseeing in Amberg and never forgot to take some photos. Here they are....Please also find below a bit information and history about Amberg.


Gasthaus (guesthouse/beer garden) in Amberg



old but attractive buildings in Amberg



the late-Gothic Pfarrkirche St Martin



Tourist Information Office



Rathaus in Amberg/ Gothic Town Hall (built in 1358)



a shopping street in Amberg with a chapel



that's the Amberg Nabburger Tor (gate)


Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Oberpfalz ("Upper Palatinate"), roughly half way between Regensburg and Bayreuth.

HISTORY

The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under the name Ammenberg. It became an important trading centre in the Middle Ages, exporting mainly iron ore and iron products. In 1269 the town became together with Bamberg subordinate to the Wittelsbach dynasty that ruled Bavaria.

In 1329 the town and the entire region of Oberpfalz fell to a branch line of the Wittelsbach family and was no longer part of the duchy of Bavaria. Although in geographic terms it was regarded as Bavarian and the region was part of the Bavarian circle in the organisation of the Imperial Circles. The rulers of the Palatinate were open-minded towards Protestantism. In the 16th century the town turned to Lutheranism, but attempts of the ruling family to introduce the more radical Calvinism failed due to the reluctance of its citizens.

In 1628 Amberg and Oberfalz became part of the electorate of Bavaria. The inhabitants were given the choice: return to Catholicism or leave the town forever. Many families left the town and fled to the Free Imperial Cities of Regensburg and Nuremberg.

Amberg was the regional capital of Oberpfalz until 1810 when it was handed over to the larger city of Regensburg.

After the Second World War, in which Bavaria fell into the American Sector, Amberg was home to Pond Barracks, a United States Army base. The base was finally closed in 1992 and turned over to the local community for housing.

history info from wikipedia