Ingolstadt (German: [ˈɪŋɡɔlˌʃtat] ⓘ; Austro-Bavarian: [ˈɪŋl̩ʃtɔːd]) is an independent city[a] on the Danube, in Upper Bavaria, with 142,308 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2023).

In the late Middle Ages, the city was one of the capitals of the Bavarian duchies alongside Munich, Landshut and Straubing, which is reflected in the architecture.

Covering an urban area of 133.35 km2 (51.49 sq mi), Ingolstadt is geographically Bavaria's fourth-largest city after Munich, Nuremberg, and Augsburg.

The city is expanding at the northern and southern banks of the Danube in a wide, flat bowl.

Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria ordered the building of the New Castle as well as the Church of Our Lady (Münster zur Schönen Unseren Lieben Frau), also known as "Upper Parish" (Obere Pfarr), whose form was strongly influenced by French Gothic architecture.

[citation needed] In 1472, Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria founded the University of Ingolstadt, which became the Ludwig-Maximilians-University.

The University of Ingolstadt was an influential defender of the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation era, led by such notable scholars as Johann Eck.

Ingolstadt is where William IV, Duke of Bavaria wrote and signed the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot in 1516.

On 30 April 1632, the German field marshal Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly died at Ingolstadt during a Swedish siege of the city.

The field marshal had been badly wounded in a previous engagement with the Swedes under King Gustavus Adolphus.

Ingolstadt proved to be the first fortress in Germany that held out for the entire length of the Swedish siege, and the Swedes eventually withdrew.

When the Swedes withdrew, the city preserved the remains of the king's horse, eventually putting the Schwedenschimmel [de] on display.

The company's original factories in Chemnitz and Zwickau (both then in Soviet-controlled East Germany) were shattered during the war, and were seized by the Soviets as reparations.

Auto Union executives initially started a spare parts operation in Ingolstadt in the immediate post-war period, with a view to relocating the entire company to the region.

With the help of Marshall Plan aid, Auto Union was formally re-founded in Ingolstadt in 1949, ultimately evolving into the modern-era Audi company, after it was taken over by Volkswagen in 1964.

The church of the Augustinians of Johann Michael Fischer (1736) was completely destroyed in World War II.

Many buildings of the neo-classical fortification of Leo von Klenze have been preserved, such as the Reduit Tilly and the towers Baur and Triva.

It is possible to traverse it using spacious paths for pedestrians and cyclists, with a good view of the site of the former fortifications, including a well-preserved section of the ditch.

While about 75% of the park visitors come from Ingolstadt and the surrounding area, the remaining approximately 25% travel from more distant places.

It is found on both the northern and southern banks of the Danube, and is one of the biggest well-preserved river forests in Germany, extending mainly from Neuburg to Ingolstadt with extensions to the city centre.

[citation needed] The faculty maintains a large network of partner universities for international educational exchange.

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) is a university for technology, computer sciences and business administration.

[7] Several scholarship programmes supported by companies such as Siemens and Conti Temic (Continental AG) provide gifted students with financial assistance during their studies.

In 1810 as a student at Oxford he wrote to his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg: “I burn with impatience for the moment of Xtianity’s dissolution[8]” and signed off with the Illuminati's catchphrase “Ecrasez l’imfame”.

The sixth scene of "Mother Courage and Her Children" by "Bertolt Brecht" is set in Ingolstadt, when count Tilly died in 1632, during the "Thirty Years' War".