Donauwörth, Romantic Road

At the confluence of the Wörnitz and the Danube Rivers sits the town of Donauwörth. It began as a fishing settlement around the 10th century. The old town is located on an island in the Wörnitz River and is connected to the rest of the city by a wooden bridge via the oldest surviving town gate, the Riedertor. Right through the centre of the old town runs Reichstrasse, a street lined with colourful houses built over multiple levels that were once homes to the nobility.

Over the millennia, Donauwörth was caught up in many significant wars, beginning with the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). During the war, the town was attacked by Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, in 1632, and then captured in 1634 by Ferdinand III, Archduke of Austria.

Less than a century later, the Battle of Donauwörth took place in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713). When the British troops marched into town and surprised the French whilst crossing the Danube at Donauwörth, a heavy battle ensued. The French retreated, and in their haste to escape, thousands of soldiers drowned crossing the treacherous Danube River.

The second Battle of Donauwörth took place in 1805, when French forces, as part of Napoleon’s Ulm Campaign, defeated the Austrians and crossed the Danube to continue their campaign.

The biggest damage to Donauwörth was the extensive bombing in 1945, which obliterated three-quarters of the town. The town was rebuilt and carefully restored, preserving its medieval charm.

Located in a historic building is the Käthe Kruse Doll Museum. The museum houses a collection of over 130 dolls dating back to 1912, showcasing the history of the famous dolls, their creator, the company, and the process of making each doll.

In 1905, Käthe Kruse’s young daughter requested a doll for Christmas, but it needed to be huggable and look more like a baby. Unable to find a suitable doll in the shops, Käthe Kruse set about creating one. The first doll was somewhat rudimentary, but her daughter loved it. Sadly, it fell apart. Käthe Kruse decided to develop her doll-making skills so she could create one for each of her children.

With time, her reputation grew, and in 1910, she was asked to exhibit her handmade doll collection in a department store. They became an instant success because her dolls, with their baby-like features, were much more relatable to children than the existing dolls on the market, which looked like little adults. Her first large order of 150 dolls was received in 1911 for shipment to New York. Realising she could no longer make dolls at home, Käthe Kruse opened a factory and began manufacturing. What set these dolls apart from the mass-produced variety was that each was handmade, giving them unique characteristics and high-end quality. More than a century later, the Käthe Kruse dolls continue to bring joy to young children and are still individually made.