Kempten
district-free city in Allgäu, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany
Kempten (German: [ˈkɛmptn̩] ; Swabian: Kempte [ˈkɛmptə] ) is the largest town of Allgäu, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by the Romans, who called the town Cambodunum. Kempten is one of the oldest urban settlements (town) in Germany.
History
Pre-Roman
The Greek geographer Strabo mentions in 50 BC a town of the Celtic Estiones named Kambodunon. This is considered the oldest written reference of any German city. So far no archaeological evidence could be found that this Celtic settlement really existed.
Roman era
In 15 BC Roman troops led by Nero Claudius Drusus and his brother Tiberius conquered and destroyed the existing Celtic settlement.
In the following years the city, whose name was Latinized as Cambodunum, was rebuilt on a classical Roman city plan with baths, forum and temples. Initially in wood, the city was later rebuilt in stone after a devastating fire that destroyed almost the entire city in the year 69 AD. The city possibly served as provincial capital of Raetia during the first century before Augsburg took over this role.
The public source identifies “Kempten” as district-free city in Allgäu, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Kempten, district-free and city.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Kempten”, the useful work is to connect “district-free city in Allgäu, Swabia, Bavaria, Germany” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3994. VIAF identifies the subject as 154784279. The Library of Congress control number is n81133727. Authority coordinates are 47.733, 10.317. 4 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2016.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kempten”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kempten primary sources, Kempten archive and Kempten research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kempten”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kempten” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.