Augsburg-Haunstetten, also known as Haunstetten-Siebenbrunn is one of the seventeen Planungsräume (English: Planning district, singular: Planungsraum) of Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest of the seventeen Planungsräume with an area of 32.59 km² (12.58 mi²). It is one of the most heavily populated subdivisions of Augsburg, with over 25,000 inhabitants. The town of Siebenbrunn was its own entity until 1910 when it was annexed to Augsburg, and Haunstetten was its own city from 1952 until 1972, when Bavaria underwent extensive reform of its political subdivisions and Haunstetten was also annexed to Augsburg. The population stood at 26,291 as of December 31, 2010.[1]
Geography
The topography of Haunstetten relative to the rest of Augsburg.
Haunstetten is the southernmost subdivision of Augsburg and lies between the rivers
heathlands
.
History
It has been known that Haunstetten is a long-settled area since the construction of a
Siemens AG factory in 1896 uncovered several sites of archaeological interest. Dating of materials from these sites have revealed the settlement of the Haunstetten area stretched back as far as the Neolithic period, but also date more recently to the Bronze Age and the time of the Urnfield culture. In Roman times, Haunstetten was located on a trade route which ran from Augsburg, founded in 15 BC as a Roman outpost, to Füssen, through Bolzano, and eventually to Rome. This was the Augustus road, also known as the Via Claudia Augusta
, which itself had been laid between 47 and 46 BC. Although Haunstetten is not historically known from Roman times, finds of Roman coins imply some level of settlement.
Written history
Haunstetten was first mentioned in a historical context in 919, when it was known as Husteten. Augsburg became the site of the main
Abbey of St. Ulrich was located in the city. A stone from the abbey bearing the coat of arms of the abbot and the stamped date, 1715, can still be seen. The city and its churches were completely destroyed during the Thirty Years' War
, although later rebuilt.
Since 1800
The EADS production plant on Haunstetter Straße.
Industry began to develop in the Haunstetten area in the early 19th century when local families built a bleach factory. After 20 years the factory was bought out and developed into a larger textile mill. Other industries began to develop in the Haunstetten area, including larger companies such as Messerschmitt. A hospital and fire department were constructed in 1900 with the help of the local commerce minister, and a new school was secured for the area in 1904.
The area was severely damaged by
hot springs
was opened as a public attraction. The area's schools were expanded, and a new school built, between 1958 and 1968. The city was absorbed into the city of Augsburg in 1972 as part of Bavaria-wide political subdivision reform.
Involvement in World War II
A Messerschmitt Bf 109E, a model built at the Haunstetten Messerschmitt facilities.
As the seat of a factory of the powerful
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace. The number of production facilities located in Haunstetten led to pressure on the local housing market as production laborers, researchers and engineers came from all over Germany to work for the Messerschmitt facilities. This led to the construction of the Messerschmittsiedlung (English: Messerschmitt settlement), which was completed in 1937 and was expanded in 1939. This influx of workers also lead to a rapid increase of the resident population of Haunstetten, which increased from 3,000 in 1933 to 8,000 in 1945. Although only 6,000 worked at the Messerschmitt facilities in 1936, this number grew to 9,000 by 1939 and by 1944 the worker population had reached 18,000 - of which 47% were either foreign or forced laborers. Three barracks were built for forced laborers to live in. Further forced labor for the Messerschmitt production facilities was obtained from a satellite of Dachau concentration camp, which was located near a gravelquarry close to the border with Inningen
.
The Messerschmitt production facilities were a very important center of arms, especially of
air raids, which killed 165 people, including 70 prisoners from the Dachau satellite camp. The American and British bombing raids caused significant damage to the Haunstetten area. Although the exact death toll of captured laborers and prisoners at the Dachau satellite camp is not known, the war and subsequent bombing raids killed 300 residents and destroyed one quarter of all residences in the area. The war was declared over in Haunstetten on April 28, 1945, as American forced claimed the area.
