Augsburg

The Fugger Haus on Maximilian Strasse in Augsburg.

There are no doubt many attractions to the city of Augsburg, but I'm afraid that when I made a rather hurried visit to the town I was only interested in one thing - the palace of Jacob Fugger (the Rich).

The Fuggers were a family of bankers who numbered kings among their clients (and among their bad debtors, it has to be said), so when an important conference was going to be held in Augsburg between the representative of the mighty Catholic Church and an insignificant but troublesome monk, it was only natural that the Fuggers should be involved. They were invited to provide the venue for the meeting.

The result was that the great debate between Cardinal Cajetan and Martin Luther took place in an ornate courtyard in the Fugger palace, The result was not what either side had hoped for, but that wasn't the fault of the Fuggers.

So much for the history. I found the palace without difficulty, but locating the vital courtyard was another matter. I tried the first doorway and was promptly marched out again by an impeccably dressed and beautifully spoken young man with ultra-high-level security written all over him. It seems that the Fugger palace is carrying on the old tradition of providing banking services to the upper classes.

Having explained what I was seeking, the young man directed me to a different doorway, which was indeed what I wanted. He was a most efficient young man and deserves to go far!