Schwaben (Swabia)

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Regional Research > Germany, after 1989 > Bavaria > Schwaben (Swabia)

Image:Lage Regierungsbezirk Schwaben in Bayern.png Location of Administrative District (Regierungsbezirk) Schwaben within the Federal State (Bundesland) Bavaria

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Coat of Arms 2 General Information 3 Political Structure 3.1 Counties 3.2 Independent Cities 3.3 Structure before 1972/78 4 Church Structure 4.1 Evangelical-Lutheran 4.2 Evangelical-Reformed 4.3 Roman-Catholic 4.4 Religion of Population (1987) 5 History 5.1 Historical Political Structure 6 Genealogical and Historical Societies 6.1 Genealogical Societies 6.2 Historical Societies 7 Genealogical and Historical Documents 8 Bibliography 8.1 Historical Literature 9 Gazetteers and Maps 9.1 Gazetteers 9.2 Maps 10 Archives and Libraries 10.1 Archives 10.2 LDS/FHC 11 Miscellaneous 12 Internet Links 12.1 Official Websites 12.2 Genealogical Websites 12.3 Miscellaneous Websites 13 Data from the Genealogical Place Database (GOV)

[edit] Introduction

Schwaben (Swabia) is one of the 7 administrative districts (Regierungsbezirk) of Bavaria (Bayern).

[edit] Coat of Arms

Image:Wappen Regierungsbezirk Schwaben Land Bayern.png Schwaben - Coat of arms

The Swabia coat of arms consists of three symbols that represent the former territories of Swabia. The double eagle (Doppeladler) represents the former Imperial Free Cities, the Imperial holdings of the Staufer and territories of former Imperial Knights; the red and silver shield represents the area of the former Hochstift Augsburg and the other former ecclesiastical territories; the golden stripe upon the diagonal red and white stripes was the coat of arms of the former Markgrafschaft Burgau that symbolizes the middle part of Swabia and the former territories of the Houses of Fugger, Oettingen, Nördlingen.

[edit] General Information

Schwaben (Swabia) is located in the southwest of Bavaria. It borders on the Bavarian administrative districts Middle Franconia and Upper Bavaria. In the west it borders on the German Federal State Baden-Württemberg and in the south on Austria.

Data: 2003	Area in qkm	Population	Inhabitants /qkm
Schwaben (Swabia)	9,992	1,782,386	178
Bavaria total	70,549	12,423,386	176

(Source: Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung, Genesis online)

[edit] Political Structure

Swabias administrative Capital is the city of Augsburg.

Image:Karte Regierungsbezirk Schwaben Land Bayern 02.png

Counties of Schwaben

[edit] Counties

• Aichach-Friedberg
• Augsburg
• Dillingen
• Donau-Ries
• Günzburg
• Lindau (Bodensee)
• Neu-Ulm
• Oberallgäu
• Ostallgäu
• Unterallgäu

[edit] Independent Cities

• Augsburg
• Kaufbeuren
• Kempten im Allgäu
• Memmingen

[edit] Structure before 1972/78

In 1972/78 Bavaria had a major re-organization of the administrative system - a county-reform (Landkreisreform) and the municipality-reform (Gemeindereform). Aim was to downsize the number of existing administrative counties (Landkreise), independent cities (Kreisfreie Städte) and municipalities (Gemeinden). After these reforms a lot of formerly independent places and communities became part of another municipality (sometimes with this even became part of another county). Also some formerly existing counties were combined and the old county names ceased to exists. In some areas of Bavaria places even changed the administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) they belonged too.

Swabia`s past administrative structure:

Swabia	since 1972	before 1972
Counties	10	20
Independent Cities	4	10
Municipalities	340	?

Counties (before county/municipality reforms in 1972 / 78):

* Augsburg	(today: part of county Augsburg and/or county Aichach-Friedberg)
* Dillingen an der Donau
* Donauwörth	(today: part of county Donau-Ries)
* Friedberg	(today: part of county Aichach-Friedberg)
* Füssen	(today: part of county Ostallgäu)
* Günzburg
* lllertissen	(today: part of county Unterallgäu and/or county Neu-Ulm)
* Kaufbeuren	(today: part of county Ostallgäu and/or independent city Kaufbeuren)
* Kempten (Allgäu)	(today: part of county Oberallgäu)
* Krumbach (Schwaben)	(today: part of county Günzburg)
* Lindau (Bodensee)
* Marktoberdorf	(today: part of county Ostallgäu)
* Memmingen	(today: part of county Unterallgäu and/or independent city Memmingen)
* Mindelheim	(today: part of county Unterallgäu)
* Neuburg an der Donau	(today: Administrative District: Upper Bavaria; county Neuburg-Schrobenhausen)
* Neu-Ulm
* Nördlingen	(today: part of county Donau-Ries)
* Schwabmünchen	(today: part of county Augsburg)
* Sonthofen	(today: part of county Oberallgäu)
* Wertingen	(today: part of county Dillingen an der Donau)

Independent Cities (before county/municipality reforms in 1972 / 78):

• Augsburg
• Dillingen an der Donau
• Günzburg
• Kaufbeuren
• Kempten (Allgäu)
• Lindau (Bodensee)
• Memmingen
• Neuburg an der Donau    (today: Administrative District: Upper Bavaria; county Neuburg-Schrobenhausen)
• Neu-Ulm
• Nördlingen

[edit] Church Structure

The population of Swabia is overall more catholic, there are 75 % Roman-Catholics (römisch-katholisch) and 17 % Protestants (evangelisch-lutherisch), according to data from 1987. In the past the people of this area either stayed catholic or reverted back to Catholicism after the so-called Gegenreformation (rigorous reinforcing of Catholicism, Counter-Reformation).

[edit] Evangelical-Lutheran

• Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern of the German GenWiki. Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Bavaria
• Kirchenkreis Augsburg of the German GenWiki. Church district Augsburg
• Church book archives

[edit] Evangelical-Reformed

• Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche (Evangelical-Reformed Church, Homepage)
• Karte, Gemeinden der Ev.-Reformierten Kirche Map, parishes of Ev.-Ref. Church, see here parishes: Bad Grönenbach, Herbishofen
• Territories and history

[edit] Roman-Catholic

• Bistum Augsburg, Bishopric Augsburg
• Karte Bistum Augsburg, Map of bishopric Augsburg
• Church book archives

[edit] Religion of Population (1987)

Religion of population (1987)	Population	Roman Catholic	Evangelical church (**)	Jewish	other Religions	none
	total	%	%	%	%	%
Bavaria (total)	10,902,643	67	24	0.05	4	5
Swabia	1,546,504	75	17	0.02	4.8	4

(**) incl. Freikirchen

(Source: Data: 1987, Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik und Datenverarbeitung, Genesis online)

[edit] History

NOTE: English version of - Swabia history - is currently NOT available. Meanwhile see summary overview:

• History of Bavaria
• Information about genealogical research into medieval Swabia, see Medieval Duchy of Swabia, (in English).

[edit] Historical Political Structure

NOTE: English version of - Swabia historical political structure - is currently NOT available. Meanwhile see summary overview:

• Historical Political Structure of Bavaria

Historical predecessor entities on Swabia territory:
English version of - Swabia historical predecessor entities - is currently NOT available

See here:

• Maps - territory development

Development of the past administrative structure of Swabia after 1806:
In 1808 within the Kingdom of Bavaria a new organizational structure was set up and regarding current day Swabia the following structure evolved, in:

• 1808: the new Kreise called Oberdonaukreis (administrative capital: Ulm), Lechkreis (administrative capital: (Augsburg) and Illerkreis (administrative capital: Kempten) were formed
  
• 1810: the second Oberdonaukreis, enlarged with territory from the dissolved Altmühlkreis (without LG ä.O.: Riedenburg), from the dissolved Lechkreis (LG ä.O.: Göggingen, Zusmarshausen and city of Augsburg) and from Kingdom of Württemberg (Weiltingen). The Oberdonaukreis handed over to Illerkreis (LG ä.O.: Elchingen, Günzburg, Illertissen, Roggenburg, and the former holdings of the Grafen Fugger-Kirchberg and Weißenhorn) and to the Kingdom of Württemberg (Alpeck, Geislingen, Söflingen).
• 1817: Oberdonaukreis (now with administrative capital: Augsburg) was enlarged with territory of the dissolved Illerkreis (without LG ä.O.: Schongau) and from the Isarkreis (LG ä.O.: Aichach, Friedberg, Schrobenhausen). It handed over to the Regenkreis (LG ä.O.: Beilngries, Kipfenberg, Ingolstadt, Neumarkt and city of Ingolstadt) and to the Rezatkreis (LG ä.O.: Greding, Heidenheim, Hilpoltstein, Monheim, Pleinfeld, Weißenburg, Oettingen-Spielberg and Pappenheim)
  

After a major re-organization of the royal administration, this administrative region was renamed in:

• 1837: to Kreis Schwaben und Neuburg (administrative capital: Augsburg) and handed over to Kreis Oberbayern (LG ä.O.: Aichach, Friedberg, Schrobenhausen, Rain) and got from Kreis Mittelfranken (LG ä.O.: Monheim, Nördlingen, Wemding, city Nördlingen, area of Bissingen, Harburg, Mönchsroth, Oettingen, Wallerstein).

The main area of this administrative region called Kreis Schwaben und Neuburg is more or less identical to the Swabia, as we know it today. In the following centuries there were these changes: e.g. in 1939: the administrative region was re-named to Kreis Schwaben; in 1944: the now called Regierungsbezirk Schwaben (administrative district: Swabia) got from Regierungsbezirk Oberbayern (Landkreis: Friedberg); in 1972: Swabia handed over to Upper Bavaria (county: Neuburg an der Donau and city of Neuburg) and got from there county Aichach.

see here also:

• Maps - past administrative organization
• Names of old Bavarian administrative regions

Abbreviation:
LG ä.O. = Landgericht älterer Ordnung / Landgericht ä.O. (Regional court area of the old Order)

[edit] Genealogical and Historical Societies

[edit] Genealogical Societies

• Bayerischer Landesverein für Familienkunde e.V.

[edit] Historical Societies

• Historischer Verein von Schwaben Historical Society of Swabia

[edit] Genealogical and Historical Documents

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Historical Literature

• Jahresberichte des Historischen Vereins für Schwaben (1834-1873)
• Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereins für Schwaben (1874-)
• Schwäbische Geschichtsquellen und Forschungen (1919-)

[edit] Gazetteers and Maps

[edit] Gazetteers

• Bavaria Gazetteers How to find a place in Bavaria ?

[edit] Maps

• Bavaria Maps Overview of helpful Links to maps for genealogist.

Maps showing the territory development of Swabia from 1789-1819:

• Bavaria, 1789
• The southwest of nowadays Germany in 1789
• Territories of Swabia in 1802
• Electorate of Bavaria, 1803
• Kingdom of Bavaria, 1808, see here: Oberdonaukreis, Lechkreis and Illerkreis
• Kingdom of Bavaria, 1810, see here: Oberdonaukreis and Illerkreis
• Kingdom of Bavaria, 1819, see here: Oberdonaukreis
  

Maps showing the past administrative organization of Swabia, 1808 until today:

• Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1819, see here: Oberdonaukreis
• Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1838, see here: Kreis Schwaben und Neuburg
• Former old administrative regions in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1862, see here: Kreis Schwaben und Neuburg
• Former old administrative county offices (Bezirksamt) in the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1862
• Former old administrative regions in the Free state of Bavaria, 1932, see here: Kreis Schwaben und Neuburg
• Map of Bavaria today (incl. Swabia) with administrative details (7 administrative districts, all counties, county borders), as pdf.file (246 KB), see: http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/bvv_web/downloads/bay_v.pdf
• Map of Bavaria today (incl. Swabia), with major cities, rivers, highways, as pdf.file (400 KB), see: http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/bvv_web/downloads/bay_n.pdf
  

see also:

• Names of old Bavarian administrative regions

[edit] Archives and Libraries

[edit] Archives

• Staatsarchiv Augsburg State archive Augsburg
• Bavaria Archives How to find an archive in Bavaria ?

Church Book Archives:

• Evangelical-Lutheran
  • Landeskirchliches Archiv, Kirchenbucharchiv Regensburg Holdings of Ev.-Luth. church book archive Regensburg
    

• Roman-Catholic
  • Archiv des Bistums Augsburg, in German
  • Genereller Bestand des Archivs des Bistum Augsburg, general holding list of the archive of bishopric Augsburg
  • Karte Bistum Augsburg, Map of bishopric Augsburg

[edit] LDS/FHC

Catholic Church books of Diözese Augsburg were filmed by the LDS, microfilms can be found in their Family history library, see:

• Suchmaske Library search

[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] Internet Links

[edit] Official Websites

• Regierung von Schwaben, in German, Government of administrative district Swabia
• Bezirk Oberpfalz homepage of the Bezirk Schwaben, (the third communal administration level)

[edit] Genealogical Websites

[edit] Miscellaneous Websites

• Swabia of the English Wikipedia
• Regierungsbezirk Schwaben of the German Wikipedia

[edit] Data from the Genealogical Place Database (GOV)

Name	Swabia Schwaben
Typ	administrative district
Einwohner	1722117 (1995) - Quelle 1729293 (1996) - Quelle 1732919 (1997) - Quelle 1736688 (1998) - Quelle 1745576 (1999) - Quelle 1753447 (2000) - Quelle 1767193 (2001) - Quelle 1776465 (2002) - Quelle 1782386 (2003) - Quelle 1786166 (2004) - Quelle 1789698 (2005) 1788919 (2005) - Quelle
externe Kennung	BLO:12
Webseite	http://www.regierung.schwaben.bayern.de
Karte
Affiliations
Übergeordnete Objekte	Bayern, Bavaria, Baiern (- 1946) (kingdom free state) Bayern, Бавария, Bavaria, Bavière, Beieren (1946 -) (federal state)
Untergeordnete Objekte	Name Typ Zeitraum Aichach-Friedberg rural county Augsburg kreisfreie Stadt Augsburg rural county Dillingen an der Donau rural county Donau-Ries rural county Günzburg rural county Kaufbeuren urban county Kempten Stadt Lindau (Bodensee) rural county Memmingen urban county Mindelheim, Unterallgäu rural county (1972 -) Neu-Ulm rural county Neuburg an der Donau district office Oberallgäu rural county Ostallgäu rural county

Administrative Districts in the Federal State Bavaria

Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia) | Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria) | Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) | Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) | Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) | Schwaben (Swabia) | Unterfranken (Lower Franconia) |

Counties and Independent Cities in Administrative District Schwaben (Swabia)

Augsburg (City) | Kaufbeuren (City) | Kempten im Allgäu (City) | Memmingen (City) Counties: Aichach-Friedberg | Augsburg | Dillingen | Donau-Ries | Günzburg | Lindau (Bodensee) | Neu-Ulm | Oberallgäu | Ostallgäu | Unterallgäu |