Straubing, Lower Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany

🇩🇪 Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held.

The city is located on the Danube forming the centre of the Gäuboden.

History The area of Straubing has been continuously settled since the Neolithic. The conquest by the Romans in 16–14 BC had a dramatic impact on the whole region. Even today many traces of the 400-year Roman occupation can be found: for example, the famous 'Römerschatz' (Roman treasure) which was excavated in 1950 and which is shown in the Gäubodenmuseum. Sorviodurum, as the Romans called it, was an important military support base.

After the fall of the Roman Empire Straubing became a centre of settlement of the Bavarii, mostly around St. Peter's Church (built in the 9th century) between Allachbach and Danube. According to the customs of the Bavarii the settlement was named after their leader Strupinga, which later evolved into the name Straubing.

Tourist Industry As one of five ducal residences of medieval Bavaria (besides Landshut, Munich, Ingolstadt and Burghausen) the old town of Straubing especially features many Gothic buildings. • The Romanesque Church of St. Peter (12th century) • The Gothic City Tower (begun in 1316) • The Gothic city hall (large parts have been destroyed by a fire on November 25th 2016) • The medieval ducal castle or Herzogsschloss. Duke Albert I began the construction in 1356. • The Gothic Basilica of St. Jacob (present-day church begun in 1393), a Gothic hall church and the largest main church of Straubing. The church was built according to plans of the architect Hans von Burghausen. • The Church of St. Vitus – home of the oldest still existing confraternity in Germany, the St. Salvator-Confraternity • The Carmelite monastery and Church of the Holy Spirit (since 1368, by Hans von Burghausen; the only monastery which survived the dissolution of 1802) The monks especially support Palestinian Christians. • Church of St. Ursula by the Asam brothers • The Baroque Trinity Column at the Theresien Square • The Water Tower • Sossau pilgrimage church • Straubing Zoo (the only zoo in East Bavaria).

Education The Technical University of Munich has one of its campuses in Straubing. It is specialised on renewables. A Fraunhofer Institute for boundary and biodiversity engineering is also located in Straubing.