Landshut in Lower Bavaria - the first real Capital of Bavaria (once in former times)

For the new ones, my name is Joerg W. Lohfink, easier to call me George, that's the English version of my prename. You cannot buy me, but I'm for rent – only for driving, dear ladies, I'm really lucky married.

To rent me means to drive in a full-size Starcraft Chevy van, six passengers possible and space enough for your luggage too. A lot of times I start at the Munich airport „Franz Josef Strauß“ as an airport-shuttle to Munich or other towns, people had their accommodations.

But more and more passengers book me for a day trip, going with some hours sightseeing from the airport to Passau, where they later start for a marvellous Danube cruise.

These Danube cruises by Peter Deilmann or Wiking or other companies leave Passau mostly in the late afternoon. So, if your plane arrives early in the morning we would have minimum a half day time for sightseeing. And going in direction Passau there are a lot of nice towns to see. For example Freising just in the near of the airport, Landshut, what I want show you today, or on a back trip maybe Straubing or Dingolfing. But today we'll visit the town Landshut, the first Capital of Bavaria – in former times.

Ok, the luggage is on board, let's start. From the airport we turn in direction Freising, soon we reach the highway to Deggendorf. About 35 km or 20 miles later the exit to Moosburg is coming, we use that for reaching easily Landshut. Very soon the two landmarks of the town are visible. Right hand side the castle Trausnitz on the hill, to the left the tower for St. Martin church in town.

And then, you could see, town managers are joking sometimes to guests. Following the signs „old center“ we would drive ten minutes and, whoops, we're on the same place where we start following the signs. Basing on that first time experience I will now go to the right after passing the bridge over the river Isar. And you get a marvellous view over the river.

Now directly in the old part of Landshut. Old means about 1000 years old. The first document named the town or better, that location „Landshuet“ around 1150 after Jesus. The name „Landshuet“ would be translated in English as „area watch place“. In the old times the catholic church was owner of that whole area and they install a kind of early police station there. Because there was the only street and bridge in the that area and in the old times robbery was a kind of profession. I think, in our days too, regarding the financial goverment :-)

But back to history: The Bishop of Regensburg got lots of taxes by the salt-traders using the street and bridge. And he never wanted to share this income with other people so he got in trouble with the Duke of Kelheim. This duke sent some men in 1204 to burn the Bishop's bridge and let them build an own one just on that place we've passed some minutes before.

In 1231 Duke Ludwig of Kelheim was murdered just on his own bridge with a knife and nobody knew or had see something. Maybe the Bishop would know something, but in former times it was not so good to ask such interesting questions high situatet men - they react often „headless“, äh, the questioner lose his head mostly.
The son of the dead Duke. Otto II., moved then the Duke's residenz to Landshut and let extend the castle „Trausnitz“. So the town Landshut grew up and became the first Capital of Bavaria.

But 20 years later the town was no longer Capital of whole Bavaria. Otto II., he died and as his tomb was just closed a big fight between his two sons started. After some time they decided to share Bavaria. Ludwig, „the Severe“ take a big part including Upper Bavaria with the town Munich and Heinrich I. Lower Bavaria including Landshut.

The regency of Heinrich was good for the town, Landshut grow up and had much economic success. The town even got an own court and a town council – that was very rare in old times.

Here we are right into the street of roses, do you want know how the name was given? Maybe you've heard in history lessons that around 1500 in Europe the awful disease named „Plague“ was killing millions of people. In Landshut this disease was so quick and „successful“ that they had very soon no gravediggers or other helpmen. So the dead people must be leaved in their houses. Very soon an awful smell was so strong that the only way to help against was the solution to close the street and another one too with brick walls on each end. Long years later the town people opened the walls again and they found nearly a miracle. One street was totally covered by gras and the other street hat lots of roses everywhere. So the both streets got as a memory to the dead citizens the names „Grasgasse“ and „Rosengasse“.

Ok, walking through that street we reach the „new town“ - it's also old, but was the second extending in former times.

A few steps to the right there you see the memory for all killed soldiers in the World Wars and left side the big block is the old monastery of the Jesuit monks.

Now a jewel of architecture, the church of St. Martin, a building in „late gothic“ - style and totally by bricks. The tower has a height of 131 meter and was in the year 1480 the highest brick-built tower of the world. I believe, he's still today the highest one of bricks. And now a small taste of the inside.

Let's have a short look again back in history. Around 1408 the young Duke Heinrich IV made the castle Trausnitz bigger and bigger and ruled more and more into town's own decisions. The proud citizens went to King Rupprecht and complained about the Duke. About this the Duke got so mad that he first throw some of the complaining people in jail and then out of town. Now other citizens planned a real revolution but they had a treator in her group. The Duke caught them all, cutted some heads – was a hobby in former times – and confiscate all possessions of these poor guys. By that he made the basement for his richness, his nickname was later „Henry, the Rich“.

This Duke, his son and his grandson were later so rich, I think in the Middle Ages you can see him as a kind of Bill Gates, regarding the money. The prove for that was in the year of the „Landshuter Hochzeit (Marriage of Landshut)“. This big event is in our times all three years to see again, the biggest event in Lover Bavaria. The town Landshut and her citizens play that in memory three days long in origin costumes.

one old gate

What's the main on that old event? Imagine the Middle Ages: a big man in these former times had a horse and hundreds of „body guards“ by feet. In the year 1475 was the marriage between Duke Georg and Jadwiga, princess of Poland. And the high society of nearly total Europe was invited. Old documents tell us, that about 9.000 horses must be feeded, so estimated 40 – 50.000 guests visited Landshut. They stayed two weeks and ate 340 oxes, 180 000 pounds of beef, 2100 pounds sheep, 1400 calfs, 162 dears, 62 000 chicken, 5060 goots, 212 000 eggs. And one week all food war totally free, no money must be given to butchers, bakers or restaurant owners. The bills were all paid later by the Duke.

But please, even if you see on the website of the town Landshut the next date of that great event, don't believe you have not to pay like in the old times. You know your goverment at home and you can be 100 % sure, we have the same „robbers“ now here. That's for we call them not more „the good Duke or King“, but........

Wow, looking at the watch I see, we've spent a lot of time by walking and talking. Now we start to reach in time your Danube cruise in Passau. I hope the short visit was fun for you and if you like to see it in nature, please give me call or send me a mail.

Till we meet again, either here in the travelguide or personally, hearty regards

your George

Script by J.W.Lohfink - pictures too - for any mistakes in spell or grammar I apologize as a precaution, corrections, questions or comments please mail to me.

>> German version