Augsburg

Augsburg is the capital of the Swabia (Schwaben) region of Bavaria. The city dates back to Roman times, when is was founded in 15 A.D. under the reign of emperor Augustus. It became an Imperial Free City on March 9th, 1276. Given its strategic location on the trade routes to Italy, it became a major trading centre. It produced large quantities of woven goods, cloth and textiles, and was the base for the Fugger banking empire.