West of the Lech River lies Spickel-Herrenbach. It’s a fascinating blend of old and new a testament to Augsburg’s industrial past and modern urban planning. Spickel-Herrenbach isn’t just one place. It’s two distinct neighbourhoods Spickel and the Wolfram-und Herrenbachviertel.
Spickel-Herrenbach’s story begins in the early 20th century. The area’s development was closely linked to Augsburg’s thriving textile industry. Simple apartment buildings sprung up to house the workers. These were supplemented by social infrastructure like churches schools and kindergartens. A self-contained community a ‘city within a city’ was created.
The Herrenbachviertel takes its name from the Lech canal Herrenbach and the former mayor Georg von Wolfram. This area saw the construction of high-rise buildings some reaching 70 meters high in the 1970s. Augsburg’s first shopping mall the Schwabencenter also emerged during this period.
Spickel contrasts sharply with the Herrenbachviertel. While Herrenbach has a high percentage of working-class residents and a large migrant population Spickel offers a more affluent atmosphere. It’s named after a former inn ‘Spickel’ which stood where the Lech and Lech canal met resembling a wedge or ‘Spickel’. Spickel is known as a ‘garden city’ its design inspired by the Thelottviertel. Architects Gottfried E Bosch and Joseph Weidenbacher planned the area after World War I. Their aim was to provide much needed housing with small single and multi-family homes. The design incorporated green spaces. These provided a measure of self-sufficiency for residents in the early 20th century.
A train stop ‘Augsburg-Spickel’ existed since the construction of the Munich railway line around 1839. It was even included in the first development plans for the new neighbourhood. However the stop was discontinued in 1974.
Today Spickel-Herrenbach remains a vibrant part of Augsburg. It shows how a city adapts and grows while still retaining traces of its past. It offers a glimpse into Augsburg’s industrial heritage and its innovative approach to urban development. It’s a place where the echoes of textile workers and the convenience of modern amenities intertwine. The Spickel-Herrenbach area a fascinating chapter in Augsburg’s ever-evolving story.