DONAUWRTH

city and port, Bavaria Land (state), southern Germany, at the confluence of the Danube and Wrnitz rivers, some 25 miles (40 km) north-northwest of Augsburg. There is evidence of settlement of the site of Donauwrth from the 6th century. The city itself grew up around the Mangoldstein, a 9th-century fortress. In the mid-13th century it became the seat of dukes of Upper Bavaria, and it was created a free imperial city (known then mostly as Schwbisch Wrth) in 1301. The city endorsed the Reformation in 1555 and was the scene of riots in 1607, when supporters of the Counter-Reformation attempted to reconvert the population to Roman Catholicism. This event helped touch off the Thirty Years' War. Donauwrth was occupied by Bavaria in 1608 and was restored to its status as a free imperial city in 1714. Despite heavy bombing in World War II, Donauwrth retains a medieval town hall (1309), and several 15th-century churches and two gates of the medieval fortifications still stand. Industry is dominated by steel and motor-vehicle manufacturing. Donauwrth's scenic alpine location and its picturesque medieval buildings promote a thriving tourist industry. Pop. (1989 est.) 17,420.