The town is located on the left bank of the Danube River. It sits about halfway between the cities of Regensburg and Passau. The Danube forms the southern edge of the town. To the west, north, and east, Deggendorf is surrounded by the hills of the central Bavarian Forest. A railway bridge crosses the Danube near the town's southwestern side. Major highways A3 and A92 also meet here. A few miles downstream, the River Isar joins the Danube.

Deggendorf's Past
- How Deggendorf Began
- The Sad Events of 1336
The "Deggendorfer Gnad" Pilgrimage
- How the Pilgrimage Started
- How the Pilgrimage Worked
End of the Pilgrimage
Deggendorf After World War II
Town Leaders
Sister Cities
Famous People from Deggendorf
See also

Deggendorf's Past

How Deggendorf Began

The oldest signs of people living in this area were found near the Danube River. These signs are about 8,000 years old. Discoveries from the Bronze Age and the Celtic era show that people lived here continuously for thousands of years.

Deggendorf was first mentioned in writing in the year 868. In 1002, Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor took control of the area. Deggendorf was first called a "town" in 1212. Later, Heinrich (who died in 1290) made it a place where customs duties were collected. In 1331, it became the home of Heinrich III of Natternberg. His name came from a nearby castle. The ruins of Natternberg castle are still there today and are a popular spot for hikers.

The Sad Events of 1336

In the early 1330s, Deggendorf was a growing town with lots of trade. However, it got caught in a fight between the dukes of Bavaria. A big fire also damaged much of the town. It is believed that these problems led to the town's large debts with the local Jewish community. This situation sadly ended in a violent event.

The first official mention of the killing of local Jews is from 1336. In this document, Duke Heinrich XIV forgave the people of Deggendorf. He said they would not be punished for killing the Jews. He even let them keep everything they took from their victims.

Other old writings, like those from monasteries, also mention these events. For example, in 1338, some sources talk about a huge swarm of locusts. These insects destroyed many crops that year. One writer, Johann von Viktring, connected this insect problem to the killing of the Jews in Deggendorf.

However, an inscription in the basilica (a large church) in Deggendorf tells a different story. It says the events happened in 1337. It claims the Jews set the town on fire. It also says that a "body of God" was found, which led the community to build a church. This different date and story suggest the inscription was made much later. The mention of the "body of God" points to a false accusation of host desecration. This was a common false claim made against Jewish people at the time.

It seems that this false story of host desecration became widely believed. Later, a full legend about the Jews of Deggendorf and "miracles" appeared. This was in a manuscript from the 15th century. This poem, called "The poem of the hosts of Deggendorf," is not true at all. It appeared centuries after the actual events. Its story is very typical and uses common false ideas. For example, it wrongly says the event happened on Easter Day. It also adds the false accusation of well poisoning, which was never mentioned before.

What likely happened in Deggendorf in 1338 is that the violence occurred because Christian citizens owed a lot of money to the Jewish community. The locusts destroying crops made the situation worse. The true date was probably around late September or early October 1338. This means the Jews were killed for money reasons. Later, the story was changed to justify the violence. By the 15th century, the false legend became widely accepted.

The "Deggendorfer Gnad" Pilgrimage

How the Pilgrimage Started

After the difficult economic times and the sad events mentioned, Deggendorf slowly became wealthy again. The construction of the basilica ("Heilig-Grab-Kirche") was finished by 1400. By the early 15th century, the false legend had spread. More and more people started to make a pilgrimage to Deggendorf.

On average, about 40,000 people visited Deggendorf each year. They came to see the "magic hosts." Pastors like Johannes Sartorius and Duke Albrecht of Bavaria helped make this pilgrimage popular. The "hosts" that people admired were actually bought later and had to be replaced regularly.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in 1737 (the 400-year anniversary), the "Gnad" reached its peak. Hundreds of thousands of people attended. This pilgrimage was a major part of Deggendorf's economy. However, after its peak, attendance slowly dropped until 1927. By 1970, only about 10,000 pilgrims, mostly from the local area, took part. The "Deggendorfer Gnad" was no longer important beyond the region. Also, mostly older people continued to participate.

Because of these changes, the town started an advertising campaign in 1976. They also redesigned the events. This led to a small increase in younger people attending. Growing criticism of the "Deggendorfer Gnad" also contributed to the drop in attendance.

How the Pilgrimage Worked

The pilgrimage began with a special ceremony. The "Gnadenpforte" (church door) of the "Heilig-Grab-Kirche" basilica was ritually opened on September 29, which is Michaelmas Day.

On September 30, a church parade with the "magic hosts" in a special container (a monstrance) was the main event. In 1962, an evening parade was added to make the pilgrimage more appealing.

The pilgrimage ended with a sermon at 4 PM on October 4. After the sermon, the basilica's church door was ritually closed. In 1973, the evening parade was moved to October 4. From then on, it was combined with the closing rituals.

End of the Pilgrimage

In the 1960s, the "Deggendorfer Gnad" started to face more and more criticism. People demanded that all anti-Jewish pictures be removed. These pictures showed Jewish people in the middle of the false host desecration. This included sixteen oil paintings, the "hosts" themselves, and the "Judenstein" (an anvil with Jewish figures around it).

The debate quickly became a hot topic in newspapers both in Germany and other countries. However, it took until 1968 for the first four of the sixteen oil paintings to be removed. This was the first step. The debate caused strong opinions. Some people saw the "Deggendorfer Gnad" as pure anti-Semitism. Others thought it was just a piece of Bavarian tradition. The church leaders in Regensburg pointed to the long history of the pilgrimage. They said that Jewish people as the cause were rarely mentioned in sermons.

In the 1980s, Manfred Eder from the University of Regensburg began studying the "Deggendorfer Gnad." He carefully researched how it started and grew. Based on his findings, the diocese of Regensburg finally decided to stop the pilgrimage. Bishop Manfred Müller asked for forgiveness for the centuries of false accusations against Jewish people. In 2017, Richard Utz suggested that the pilgrimage ended late (thirty years after the Second Vatican Council) because of a decision by Regensburg Bishop, Rudolf Graber. In the late 1960s, Graber replaced a study program on Jewish history with one on religious beliefs at the new University of Regensburg. A program on Jewish history might have helped uncover the truth about the pilgrimage's false claims much sooner.

Deggendorf After World War II

Deggendorf was home to a displaced persons camp for Jewish refugees after World War II. About 2,000 refugees lived there. They created a lively cultural center. This included two newspapers, the Deggendorf Center Review and Cum Ojfboj. There was also a theater group, a synagogue, a mikvah (a Jewish ritual bath), and a kosher kitchen. The camp even had its own money, called the Deggendorf Dollar. Many people in the camp had survived the concentration camp at Theresienstadt. The displaced persons camp closed on June 15, 1949.

Town Leaders

2000-2012 Anna Eder (born 1950) (CSU political party)
since 2012 Christian Moser (born 1977) (CSU political party)

Sister Cities

Deggendorf has special partnerships with other towns. These are called "sister cities":

Neusiedl am See, Austria
Písek, Czech Republic

Famous People from Deggendorf

Georg Rörer (1492–1557), a religious writer
August Högn (1878–1961), a teacher, local historian, and music composer
Kathrin Passig (born 1970), a journalist and writer
Django Asül (born 1972), a comedian
Robin Yalçın (born 1994), a football player
Gudrun Stock (born 1995), a cyclist

Deggendorf facts for kids

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