Regensburg

Regensburg, also Ratisbon, city in south-east Germany, in Bavaria, a port at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers. Apart from its shipyards, the city's industries include the manufacture of processed food, machines, leather goods, chemicals, and printed materials. Undamaged during World War II, Regensburg is considered one of the finest medieval cities in Germany and the old town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. Among the many historical buildings here are St Peter's cathedral (begun 13th century), the former city hall (14th-18th century), St James's church (early 12th century), and St Emmeram's church (5th century). Its abbey of the Benedictines became an important centre of European learning, with a library that contains more than 200,000 books and illuminated manuscripts. St Peter's cathedral has maintained a well-known boys' choir for more than 1,000 years, and has a museum of medieval and Renaissance church art. The city's stone bridge across the Danube (completed 1146) was the only Danube bridge for centuries, and was the starting point of the second and third Crusades. The city is the seat of a university.

Around 500 bc Regensburg was a settlement of the Celts. The Romans later utilized the community as a fortress city from the 2nd to the 5th century. Regensburg became a free imperial city in 1245. From 1663 to 1806 it was the permanent seat of the diet of the Holy Roman Empire and one of its most important commercial and political centres. St Albertus Magnus taught in Regensburg from 1236 to 1240 and was its bishop from 1260 to 1262. The painter and architect Albrecht Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg. In 1810 the city became a Bavarian possession. Population 128,900 (2005 estimate).