Kempten [key], city (1994 pop. 61,700), Bavaria, S central Germany, on the Iller River, in the Allgäu. It is the center of a dairying region and is widely known for its cheeses. Among the city's manufactures are textiles, paper, and beer. Of Celtic origin, Kempten became a flourishing Roman colony called Cambodunum. A free imperial city from the late 13th cent., it was sacked (1632) by the Swedes in the Thirty Years War. Kempten passed to Bavaria in 1803. The city is rich in historic architecture, including the abbey church of St. Lorenz (1652), the town hall (1474), and the Church of St. Mang (1426, restored).
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