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Freising () is a university
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...
in
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, and the capital of the Freising ''Landkreis'' (district), with a population of about 50,000.


Location

Freising is the oldest town between Regensburg and
Bolzano Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third ...
, and is located on the Isar river in
Upper Bavaria Upper Bavaria (german: Oberbayern, ; ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat ...
, north of
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
and near the Munich International Airport. The city is built on and around two prominent hills: the Cathedral Hill with the former Bishop's Residence and
Freising Cathedral Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known f ...
, and Weihenstephan Hill with the former Weihenstephan Abbey, containing the oldest working brewery in the world. It was also the location of the first recorded tornado in Europe. The city is 448 meters above sea level.


Cultural significance

Freising is one of the oldest settlements in Bavaria, becoming a major religious centre in the early Middle Ages. It is the centre of an important
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...
. Some important historical documents were created between 900 and 1200 in its monastery: * Freising manuscripts written in
Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes, an ethno-linguistic group mainly living in Slovenia * Sl ...
, being the first Roman-script continuous text in a Slavic language * Chronicle or history of the two cities by
Otto of Freising Otto of Freising ( la, Otto Frisingensis; c. 1114 – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carries valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was Otto I ...
The above and other scripts from that time can be found in the "Bayerische Staatsbibliothek" ( Bavarian State Library) in Munich.


History

Even though archaeological finds show that the area was settled in the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
, no proof has been found yet to suggest a continuous settlement until the 8th century AD. In 724 AD, the Frankish Saint Corbinian was sent to Bavaria by the Catholic Church to spread Christianity. On a mountain near Freising, where there was already a sanctuary, Corbinian erected a
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
monastery and a school. According to his ''Vita'' by Bishop Arbeo, Corbinian was on his way to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
when his packhorse was attacked and killed by a wild bear. By divine power, Corbinian ordered the bear to carry his luggage over the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
. When he finally arrived in Rome he let the bear free. The saddled bear is still the symbol of the city, displayed in the coat of arms, as well as statues and paintings. After Corbinian's death, Saint Boniface established Freising as a Catholic
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...
. Between 764–783, Bishop Arbeo founded a library and a '' scriptorium'' (writing room) at the abbey. The settlement started to become a religious centre. The earliest recorded tornado in Europe struck Freising in 788. The mortal remains of Pope Alexander I are said to have been transferred to Freising in 834. In 996, Freising received city rights from Emperor Otto III. As early as the 10th century, in order to collect additional revenue, monks were sent from Freising down the Isar River to build a toll bridge on the Salt Road between Salzburg and Augsburg. This village would be later known as München (or
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
, which means 'of the monks'). By 1158, Duke Henry the Lion destroyed the bridge and customs building and built new ones closer to his home further downriver, (near the center of modern downtown Munich), so that he could collect the revenue instead. The construction of the
Freising Cathedral Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known f ...
in its current romanesque style started in 1159 and was completed in 1205. The Romanesque wooden ceiling was replaced by a gothic vault in 1481–1483. Freising went through difficult times during the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
. In 1632, the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus came through Freising on his way to Munich. He demanded 30,000 guilders as the sum to protect the city from destruction. Nevertheless, his army sacked the city. Hunger and plague raged when the Swedes invaded the city again in 1646. In 1674, the Church placed a statue of the Virgin Mary in the city square as a sign that war and plague had been overcome. A wave of witch hunts and trials broke out from 1715–1717 in Freising, and again in 1721–1723. Most of the accused were child beggars. Several children were executed. In 1802/1803 Bavaria fell under the influence of Napoleonic France in which church controlled lands were secularized. In Freising, the more than thousand-year-old bishopric was abolished. The Roman Catholic Church lost most of its properties and authority over the city. Though the seat of the diocese was moved to Munich in 1821, including the elevation to an archdiocese, Freising has remained the seat of diocesan administration until today. In 1858 the Bavarian Eastern Railway Company built the first railway line from Munich to Freising, Landshut and Regensburg for passenger and rail traffic. Near the end of the Second World War, Allied aircraft bombed Freising on April 18, 1945. By April 30, units of the US Army arrived in Freising. In 2006,
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...
visited Freising during a papal visit. He was formerly archbishop of Munich/Freising from 1977 to 1982.


Education

Schools include: * Camerloher-Gymnasium Freising * Dom-Gymnasium Freising * Josef-Hofmiller-Gymnasium Universities include: * Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science * Technical University of Munich School of Life Sciences


Twin towns – sister cities

Freising is twinned with: * Arpajon, France (1991) * Innichen, Italy (1969) * Maria Wörth, Austria (1978) * Obervellach, Austria (1963) * Škofja Loka, Slovenia (2004) * Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Austria (1986)


Notable people

*
Otto of Freising Otto of Freising ( la, Otto Frisingensis; c. 1114 – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carries valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was Otto I ...
(1112–1158), bishop * Mair von Landshut, late 15th-century artist, was a citizen and probably born in Freising *
Georg Eder Georg Eder (6 March 1928 – 19 September 2015) was an Austrian Roman Catholic bishop. Because of his strict conservatism, reported one obituary, he was frequently the center of public controversy. Eder was born in Mattsee and ordained a priest ...
(1523–1587), jurist and historian * Martin Ruland the Elder (1532–1602), physician and alchemist * Johann Stadlmayr (1575–1648), court music director and composer * Benignus von Safferling (1824–1899), Bavarian General and Minister of War * Ludwig Prandtl (1875–1953), physicist *
Ernst Kraus Ernst Kraus (June 8, 1863 – September 5, 1941) was a German dramatic tenor best known for his performances in the operas of Richard Wagner. He decided to embark on an operatic career when he heard leading singers performing in Nuremberg. ...
(1889–1970), a German geologist *
Karl Maria Demelhuber Karl Maria Demelhuber (26 May 1896 – 18 March 1988) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. Reaching the rank of ''Obergruppenführer'' (General) in the Waffen-SS during World War II, he commanded the SS-Standarte Germania, 6th ...
(1896–1988), SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS * Anton Schlüter (died 1999), tractor manufacturer * Jost Raba (1900–2000), violinist *
Karl Gustav Fellerer Karl Gustav Fellerer (7 July 1902 – 7 January 1984) was a German musicologist. His works include more than 600 scientific publications on catholic church music, Italian music from 1600 to the beginning of the 20th century, and music history of ...
(1902–1984), a German musicologist * Albrecht Obermaier (1912–2004), German naval officer, last deputy naval officer of the Bundesmarine *
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...
(born 1927), Pope from 2005–2013 * Karl Huber (1928–2009), German painter and sculptor * (born 1947), Roman Catholic priest and professor of philosophy * Peter Neumair (born 1950), wrestler * (born 1959), German diplomat *
Hans Pflügler Johannes Christian "Hans" Pflügler (born 27 March 1960) is a German former professional footballer. He could operate as either a left-back or a central defender, and played solely for Bayern Munich, winning ten major titles and appearing in near ...
(born 1960), footballer, former clubs: Bayern Munich - World champion 1990 * Alexander Kutschera (born 1968), footballer * Stefan Diez (born 1971), German industrial designer *
Ferdinand Bader Ferdinand Bader (born 21 May 1981) is a retired German ski jumper. In the World Cup he finished once among the top 10, his best result being a fifth place from Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a c ...
(born 1981), ski jumper * Brigitte Wagner (born 1983), wrestler * Maximilian Haas (born 1985), footballer * Maximilian Wittek (born 1995), footballer * Veit Arnpeck (c. 1440), Bavarian chronicler * Benignus von Safferling (1824–1899),
General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
of the Bavarian Army and War Minister * Oskar von Niedermayer (1885–1948), officer and adventurer


Points of interest

*
Freising Cathedral Freising Cathedral, also called Saint Mary and Corbinian Cathedral (German: Mariendom), is a romanesque basilica in Freising, Bavaria. It is the co-cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Freising Cathedral is also known f ...
* St. Georg Church *
Sichtungsgarten Weihenstephan The Sichtungsgarten Weihenstephan (Trial Garden Weihenstephan) is a 7 ha garden maintained by the Fachhochschule Weihenstephan. It is located at Am Staudengarten 9, Weihenstephan, Freising, Bavaria, Germany, and is open daily from April to Octob ...
, a notable
horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
garden * Freising Town Hall *
Marienplatz Marienplatz (English: Mary's Square, i.e. St. Mary, Our Lady's Square) is a central square in the city centre of Munich, Germany. It has been the city's main square since 1158. History During the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments were hel ...
File:Freisinger Dom (von St. Georg).jpg, Freising Cathedral File:Freising Dom St. Maria & Korbinian Innen 05.JPG, Cathedral interior File:Freising residenz.jpg, Bishop's Residence File:Freising marienplatz.jpg, Town Hall and St. George's Church File:Alte Poststraße 42 St. Peter und Paul Freising-5.jpg, Neustift Abbey File:Freising - Lyceum.jpg, Asam Building File:Brauerei Weihenstephan.jpg, Weihenstephan Brewery File:Hofbraeuhaus freising.jpg, Hofbrauhaus Brewery


See also

* Prince-Bishopric of Freising


References


External links

* *
Bavarian state libraryFreising during the Third Reich
{{Authority control Freising (district)