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Augsburg's Fuggerei units have gardens, the upstairs have attics. The Fuggerei was mills. The former theology student, a controversial wheel-
expanded in 1880, then again in 1938. During World War II—
er-dealer (who was criticized by Martin Luther) became one
on the night of February 25-26, 1944--it was heavily damaged;
200 residents escaped into the underground bunker (today a of the wealthiest financiers in history, rubbing shoulders with
powerful politicians, royalty, and even the pope.
museum) that had been built the
year before. The attractive gar- Fugger was financier to the Papal See,
den complex was rebuilt in the minted coins for the Vatican, helped
original style, completed in 1955. bankroll the Swiss Guards, was the
chief financial backer of the Hapsburg
In early years residents were family, made loans to the Medicis from
poor families of day laborers and Florence, and had a special relationship
candlemakers or other artisans. with Maximilian I, the Holy Roman
Today many are elderly widows. Emperor. His “most dramatic act was
Two furnished, vacant flats are the financing of the election of the Em-
open for viewing. One at 13 Mit- peror Charles V,” notes the book “Jacob
tlere Gasse shows how it looked Fugger the Rich” by Jacob Strieder.
circa 16th century—and a muse- He “was one of the links between the
um in one room displays historic Italian Renaissance and the Protestant
photos, films, and artifacts. The Reformation.”
other flat at Ochsengasse 51 is
contemporary, with a television Clemens Sender, a Benedictine monk
in the living room running a doc- and chronicler, wrote about the ener-
umentary film about the Fugger getic, entrepreneur Fugger: “The pope
family (in German). greeted him like a dear son. The Car-
dinals stood up in his presence—and
“All the flats allow for the priva- even the non-Christians admired him
cy of the families or individuals greatly.”
who live here,” pointed out my
guide, Kristen Gast. “It is not a Music composer Wolfgang Amadeus
'poor' house with less than ade- Mozart's great-grandfather, Franz, a
quate facilities. This is why I be- master builder, resided at number 14
lieve it can still function as it was Mittlere Gasse, upstairs, for 13 years,
conceived almost 500 years ago.” Portrait of Jakob Fugger by Albrecht Dürer, 1518 Bottom: Illus- until his death in 1694; a plaque com-
tration of Augsburg in 1493. memorates this. Number 13 down-
And the man who conceived this stairs houses the Fuggerei Museum.
successful compound was Augsburg native Jakob Fugger
(known as “Jakob Fugger the Rich”), born into a wealthy weav- One of the more infamous residents was Dorothea Braun, who
ing-merchant Roman Catholic family on March 6, 1459, the lived at Ochsengasse 52, the upper level. The first victim of
10th of eleven children. An astute, savvy businessman, Fug- early 17th-century witch-hunting in Augsburg, she was ac-
ger (with two of his brothers and nephews) expanded the fam- cused of sorcery by her daughter, 11, and, at age 48, was be-
ily fortunes by investing in silver and copper mining, banking, headed and burned.
the lucrative international spice trade, real estate, weaving

Wine Dine & Travel Winter 2015 63