Pfaffenhofen an der Roth (, ) is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and a village in the district of

Neu-Ulm Neu-Ulm (, ; Swabian: ''Nej-Ulm'') is the seat of the Neu-Ulm district and a town in Swabia, Bavaria. Neighbouring towns include Ulm, Senden, Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, Holzheim, Nersingen and Elchingen. The population is 58,978 (31 Decembe ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Its most famous inhabitant was Hermann Köhl, an aviation pioneer of the 1920s.

Geography

The municipality is centered around the village of Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, located on the right bank of the river Roth, approximately 14 km southeast of the cities of Ulm and

. Several smaller villages and localities are spread across the municipality, including Balmertshofen, Berg, Beuren, Biberberg, Diepertshofen, Erbishofen, Hirbishofen, Kadeltshofen, Luippen, Niederhausen, Raunertshofen, Remmeltshofen, Roth, Volkertshofen. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Neu-Ulm and Holzheim to the west, Nersingen to the north, Bibertal to the east, and

Weißenhorn Weißenhorn is a Town#Germany, town in the Neu-Ulm (district), district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. Weißenhorn is located about 22 km southeast of Ulm. History Archaeologic finds prove that the area of Weißenhorn was once a settlement of the Al ...

to the south. The landscape is predominantly rural, dominated by farmland and forests, corresponding to 76% and 19% of the land use respectively. Besides the Roth, the Leibi river also traverses the municipality at Hirbishofen.

Historical Overview

Source: 12th Century - There is mention of Pfaffenhoffen's castle, on the right bank of the Roth river. 1303 - First documented mention of Pfaffenhoffen, when Count Ulrich von Berg Schelklingen sold his county and the Pfaffenhofen castle to

Frederick IV, Duke of Austria Frederick IV (1382 – 24 June 1439), also known as Frederick of the Empty Pockets (), a member of the House of Habsburg, was List of rulers of Austria, Duke of Austria from 1402 until his death. As a scion of the Habsburg Leopoldian line, he rul ...

, for 700 silver marks. 1375 - The Church of St. Martin is founded. 1470 - The first schoolmaster arrives in Pfaffenhofen. 1618 - Beginning of the

Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...

, which devastated the area. The region was also beset by plague, which killed 2,000 of the original 2,300 inhabitants. 1700 - Census indicates that Pfaffenhofen has 30 residences and 190 inhabitants. 1720 - The first craft guild was formed by the house of

Fugger The House of Fugger () is a German family that was historically a prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists. ...

. The guild met in the "Innere Taverne." 1725 - The Elizabeth Chapel was built as an addition to the Church of St. Martin. The church underwent modifications in the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style. 1784 - House numbers were introduced for tax purposes. 1802 - An unidentified epidemic sweeps the area. 1805 -

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

stayed overnight at the 'Äußere Taverne.' From this place he issued a proclamation to his soldiers at the

Battle of Ulm The Battle of Ulm on 16–19 October 1805 was a series of skirmishes, at the end of the Ulm Campaign, which allowed Napoleon I to trap an entire Austrian army under the command of Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich with minimal losses and to f ...

. 1806 - the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...

was formed by King Maximilian I, and incorporated Pfaffenhofen. 1835 - The census indicates that Pfaffenhofen had 53 residences with 270 inhabitants. 1838 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria lent Pfaffenhofen the coat of arms: a silver tin tower at a green hill under blue sky. 1856 - New building of a two-story schoolhouse on Hauptstraße. In 1908 it was expanded. 1899 - The town was connected to the electricity grid. 1900 - In 85 houses lived 320 inhabitants. The first medical practice with Dr. Sontheimer was opened. 1914 -

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

: The war, which took four years, demanded 110 soldiers. A bus line was introduced, which took over the suburban traffic from Weißenhorn to Neu-Ulm. 1919 - A police station with five officers was introduced, which was closed again in 1959. 1925 - A

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

was built. 1928 - Hermann Köhl, Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld and James Fitzmaurice crossed the Atlantic Sea from east to west with a plane. 1933 - 40 subscribers were connected to the

telephone exchange A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a central component of a telecommunications system in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It facilitates the establishment of communication circuits ...

of Pfaffenhofen. 1939 - The number of inhabitants rose to 420.

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

began and took six years, claiming the lives of 290 inhabitants. Eight buildings were destroyed by fire in 1944. 1946 - By accepting refugees, the number of inhabitants rose to 900. 1949 - Post-war redevelopment began with the "Millersiedlung" apartments, the first of their kind in Swabia. 1954 - The 'Martinssiedlung' followed, and after this the 'St.-Ulrich-Siedlung'. The building areas 'Rehgräble' and 'Osterholz' were also connected. 1959 - The number of inhabitants rose to 1250, among them 610 refugees. The St. Martins church was converted and increased to double in capacity. On the south exit of Pfaffenhofen was built an eight-class school with the name 'Hermann-Köhl-Schule'. 1960 - Building of the Protestant church 'Zum guten Hirten' at the Sonnhalde. 1974 - The 500-year anniversary of Pfaffenhofen was celebrated. 1978 - Pfaffenhofen and the neighbour Holzheim developed a central administrative body. 1987 - A new city hall at the Kirchplatz was built, including the Hermann-Köhl-Museum. 2000 - The number of inhabitants exceeds about 7000. 2003 - Pfaffenhofen celebrated the 700th anniversary of the first documentary mention back in 1303.

Governance

As of January 2025, the local council consists of 21 members, including first mayor Sebastian Sparwasser (

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

), second mayor Franz Winter ( CSU) and third mayor Andreas Wöhrle ( FW).

Points of Interest

The parish church of Saint Martin is the largest and most prominent church in Pfaffenhofen, featuring 14th-century

frescoes Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

of Saint Martin along the main nave. Its origins trace back to 1375, with its oldest sections built in Romanesque style. In 1450, the church was renovated in Gothic style, and in the 18th century, it underwent an extensive transformation in the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

style, including the iconic lantern dome added in 1761. In 1958, the church was expanded significantly to accommodate the growing population, including many displaced persons settling in the area after

. This restoration, led by Thomas Wechs, doubled the size of the worship space with the addition of northern and southern round extensions. The municipality is home to nine other notable churches, such as St. Ulrich in Diepertshofen and St. Leonhard in Roth, as well as 38 smaller religious monuments, including chapels, crosses, and the Lourdes grotto in Raunertshofen. Since 1470 there has been a school master in Pfaffenhofen, while school houses are known since the beginning of the 19th century, and have been expanded and augmented with newly built schools as the population has risen. In 1959, a new school was built, and named the "Hermann-Köhl-Schule". Rising numbers of students and the lack of special rooms made an extension necessary, which was finished in 1997. Thus the "Hermann-Köhl-Schule" of Pfaffenhofen is the largest elementary- and main-school in the district of Neu-Ulm.

Sports

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

: SV Pfaffenhofen became local league champion in the season 2004/2005.

Infrastructure

Pfaffenhofen has a connection to the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund. Bus lines: *Weißenhorn - Pfaffenhofen - Holzheim - Neu-Ulm - Ulm *Roggenburg - Niederhausen - Beuren - Pfaffenhofen - Nersingen - Glockerau *Weißenhorn - Pfaffenhofen - Günzburg Pfaffenhofen lies at the junction of the Günzburg - Babenhausen and Senden - Ichenhausen roads.

Economy

Pfaffenhofen has been a local center for trade since it was first granted market rights in 1474. Today, the town hosts a weekly market featuring regional products and two major annual market days, one on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...

and another on the third Sunday of September. Additionally, festive events such as the Association's Market (Fest der Vereine) in July and Christmas markets in winter are popular highlights in the local calendar. Companies headquartered in the municipality include the food producer Egle Lebensmittel and the IT solutions company NewTec GmbH.

Lidl Lidl ( ) is a trademark, used by two Germany, German international discount supermarket, discount retailer chain store, chains that operates over 12,600 stores. The ''LD Stiftung'' operates the stores in Germany and the ''Lidl Stiftung & Co. K ...

has its central depot for southeast Germany in Pfaffenhofen.

Notable people

* Hermann Köhl (1888 – 1938), an

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

pioneer who piloted the first

transatlantic flight A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing aircraft, airships, bal ...

by a

fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generate ...

from east to west. * Friedrich Wagner (born 1943), a physicist and

emeritus professor ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

who specializes in

plasma physics Plasma () is a state of matter characterized by the presence of a significant portion of charged particles in any combination of ions or electrons. It is the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe, mostly in stars (including th ...

References

External links

Official homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfaffenhofen An Der Roth Neu-Ulm (district) Municipalities in Bavaria