Schweinfurt, Urban municipality in Lower Franconia, Germany.
Schweinfurt is a town in Lower Franconia that sits along the Main River at 226 meters (741 feet) elevation, divided into fourteen separate districts. These range from the historic Altstadt at the center to residential zones like Gartenstadt, which spread across the surrounding low hills.
The first written record dates to 791, when the settlement appeared in a Frankish document. From the 12th century until 1802 it held status as a Free Imperial City in the Holy Roman Empire, then lost that standing after secularization.
The name combines the German words for pig and ford, referring to a crossing where swineherds once drove animals through the river. Visitors today walk through neighborhoods that blend older architecture with postwar rebuilding, creating a lived-in feel across the town.
The central position allows day trips into three German states within 40 kilometers (25 miles), reaching Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and Thuringia. Multiple roads and rail lines link the town to the surrounding regions, making outings in any direction straightforward.
The Museum Georg Schäfer holds one of the world's largest collections of 19th-century German painting and stages changing exhibitions throughout the year. The town also remains a global center for ball-bearing technology, with major plants from companies like SKF and Schaeffler producing here.
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