SCHWEINFURT

city, Bavaria Land (state), central Germany. It lies along the canalized Main River, northeast of Wrzburg. First mentioned in 791, the city was the seat of a margrave in the 10th century and became a free imperial city in 1254. Schweinfurt was occupied during the Thirty Years' War (161848) by Gustavus Adolphus, who erected fortifications (ruins remain). The city passed to Bavaria in 1803. Because it was Germany's chief centre for the manufacture of ball bearings during World War II, Schweinfurt was the target of several massive but only marginally successful American bombing raids in 1943. Schweinfurt's notable landmarks include the late Gothic town hall (157072), St. Johannes' Church (155462), and the Old Gymnasium (158183) housing the municipal museum. Friedrich Rckert, the 19th-century German lyrical poet, was born in Schweinfurt. The city is the industrial centre of the Lower Franconia region, and its manufactures now include steel, motor vehicles, and electronics. It is the centre of a wine-growing area and has breweries and an important sheep and cattle market. Pop. (1991 est.) 54,483.