Ansbach is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is surrounding, but not including the city of Ansbach; nonetheless the administrative seat of the district is Ansbach. The district is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts Ostalbkreis, Schwäbisch Hall and Main-Tauber (all in the state of Baden-Württemberg), and the districts of Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim, Fürth, Roth, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen and Donau-Ries.
Some of the towns were already existing during the lifetime of Charlemagne, who visited Feuchtwangen about 800. In the 13th century the towns of Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl and Feuchtwangen were elevated to Free Imperial Cities; so they were directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor. The city of Ansbach became subject to the Hohenzollern family, who established the state of Ansbach (later Brandenburg-Ansbach) in the region.
The district of Ansbach was established in 1972, when the former districts of Ansbach, Dinkelsbühl, Feuchtwangen and Rothenburg were merged. The city of Rothenburg lost its status as an urban district and was incorporated into the district.
Geography
Ansbach is the largest district of Bavaria. Its northern half is occupied by the Frankenhöhe, a gentle hilly countryside. The southern parts are covered with heaths and forests. The source of the Altmühl River is located in the district.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays:
top left: the black and white arms of the Hohenzollern dynasty, who ruled the former state of Brandenburg-Ansbach
It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Bad Kissingen, Schweinfurt and Würzburg, the state of Baden-Württemberg (district of Main-Tauber), the districts of Miltenberg and Aschaffenburg, and the state of Hesse (district of Main-Kinzig).
The district was established in 1972 by merging the former districts of Gemünden, Karlstadt, Lohr and Marktheidenfeld
In the west of the district the Spessart mountains are rising.
Ansbach is situated south west of Nuremberg at the Frankish-Rezat, an arm of the Main river.
In 1792 Ansbach was annexed by the Hohenzollerns of Prussia, and only fourteen years later, in 1806, Napoleon awarded the territory of his Hohenzollern enemy to Bavaria.
Ansbach was home of the astronomer Simon Marius, who observed Jupiter's moons from the castle's tower.
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