and Pollux at Pompeii.
In 1866 the Prussian Army inflicted a severe defeat on the Austrians in the neighbourhood during the Austro-Prussian War.
In World War II, Aschaffenburg was heavily damaged by Allied area bombing, including Schloss Johannisburg which was completely restored several years later. The Germans chose to defend Aschaffenburg with particular steadfastness, which resulted in the Battle of Aschaffenburg fought 28 March - 3 April 1945. The US 45th Infantry Division was forced to take the fortified city against stiff German resistance in a series of frontal assaults that involved house-to-house fighting and brutal close combat. The resulting horrific urban destruction was widespread and quite severe, as cannon fire was used point-blank to blast through structures.
In the decades following the war, Aschaffenburg and the surrounding region experienced robust economic prosperity, partially due to its close proximity to Frankfurt am Main.
According to an online 2002 survey in Stern magazine, [Stern 14/2002], 82 percent of residents living in the Bayerischer Untermain region where Aschaffenburg is located were satisfied with the place where they lived. This was the highest level recorded in the survey making this region the #1 place to live in Germany, based on several factors including employment opportunities in the region, educational facilities, public services, transportation, recreational options, shopping, cultural facilities/events, climate, etc.
Another survey taken in 2006 by McKinsey, Stern magazine, ZDF, and web.de showed that Aschaffenburg has one of the highest ratings for quality of life in Germany.
Aschaffenburg was the location of several United States Army installations throughout the Cold War. The US Army occupied facilities formerly used and controlled by the Wehrmacht. The installation sites were known as Ready Kaserne, Smith Kaserne, Graves Kaserne, Fiori Kaserne, and Jaeger Kaserne, housing
