Fuggerei — The Forgotten Rules

Your journey begins at the Fuggerei-Portal, Jakoberstraße 26, the historic entrance to this foundation. It was here, on August 23, 1521, that Jakob Fugger 'the Rich' established this settlement for needy Catholic citizens of Augsburg. Construction, initiated between 1516 and 1523, initially included 52 houses. As Thomas Krebs, you check the foundations of this emblematic Bavarian site, a testament to medieval philanthropy that endures. This interactive tour of Augsburg immediately immerses you in the context of the Älteste Sozialsiedlung der Welt, a listed heritage site in Bavaria.

Continue to St. Markus Kirche, erected between 1765 and 1768 in the heart of the Fuggerei. This Baroque church, with its frescoes by Matthäus Günther, has been an integral part of the foundation since its beginnings in 1521, serving as a place of worship for the approximately 150 current residents. Each inhabitant pays an annual rent of €0.88 and must recite three daily prayers for the founders. As master builder, you observe the harmony between religious architecture and the dwellings, a key element of this Augsburg city.

Your investigation then leads you to the Museum der Geschichte und des Wohnens in der Fuggerei, Mittleren Gasse 14. Here you examine the facsimile of the Stiftungsurkunde from August 23, 1521, the founding document. The museum also presents a reconstruction of a historic apartment at Mittleren Gasse 13, dating from 1517, based on research from the municipal archives. This essential place for understanding the Fuggerei's history over five centuries offers insight into residents' biographies. It is a crucial step for your treasure hunt in Augsburg.

Stop in front of the Franz Mozart Haus, the dwelling where Franz Mozart, Leopold Mozart's father, lived around 1730. Although the Mozart family is not directly linked to the Fuggerei's founding, their presence in this settlement testifies to the Fuggerei's appeal and integration into Augsburg's social and cultural fabric throughout the centuries. This site highlights the community's importance in Bavarian history and how it welcomed figures who left their mark on music history.

Your journey concludes by revisiting the Fuggerei, particularly Ochsengasse, one of the six original alleys built between 1516 and 1523. Here you contemplate the row houses that withstood the destruction of the Thirty Years' War by the Swedes and the extensions of 1880 and 1938. This thematic circuit in Augsburg will have allowed you to grasp Jakob Fugger's ingenuity and the endurance of his foundation. You take with you an understanding of a forward-thinking social vision, a housing model that, five centuries later, continues to inspire Bavaria's monuments.