In 741, for the first time, Riedfeld, the town's root settlement, was documented as the German king's court. However, it lasted until 1285, when the town's name is documented for the first time as "Nivenstadt".
At the end of the 12th century, Neustadt/A. became part of the sovereign territory of the burgraves of Nuremberg, the dynasty of the Hohenzollern. The House of the Hohenzollern developed Neustadt/A. into an economical, political and also cultural centre of its region, mainly because of its favourable geographical position in the middle of the main trade route between Würzburg and Nuremberg.
In 1553, in the Second Margrave War, the town was burnt down. Afterwards, a long lasting phase of construction and extension began. This phase ended with the subversions of the Thirty Years' War. The rebuilding lasted several hundred of years.
From 1791 through to 1806, Neustadt/A. was part of the sovereign territory of Prussia, then was military governed by the French, and in 1810 became finally part of the kingdom of Bavaria. The political importance of Neustadt/A. faded thereafter, but trade and industry kept stimulated due to the deployment of a garrison of the Uhlans, and in 1865 due a connection to the prosperous railway's net.
At the end of the 20th century, with the industrial revolution, traditional handicrafts (like brush-makers and makers of drawing instruments) almost completely vanished. With the resettlement of expellees from Sudetenland, new handicraft industries were imported: construction of musical instruments and the textile industry flourished.
From 1969 through to 1980, in total 16 town districts were incorporated. In the course of a district's reform, Neustadt/A. became capital of the newly-formed German district Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the infrastructure was embellished on a grand scale: a beltway was built, and a pedestrian area around the market place was established; the cultural program was extended, and the picturesque Old Town was rehabilitated; new residential zones and business parks could be established.
Town districts
Birkenfeld (including Weiherhof)
Diebach
Eggensee (including Chausseehaus)
Herrnneuses (incl. Oberstrahlbach)
Kleinerlbach
Obernesselbach
Unterschweinach
Oberschweinach (incl. Stöckach)
Schauerheim (incl. Hasenlohe and Virnsbergerhaag)
Schellert
Unternesselbach
Daughters and sons of Neustadt/A.
Rabbi Elias Levita (* 13. Februar 1469 in Neustadt an der Aisch oder Ipsheim; † 28. Januar 1549 in Venice; in fact Elia Ben Ascher Halevi), translator, humanist, Hebrew grammarian, Yiddish writer
Lazarus Nürnberger (* 1499; † ca. 1564 in Sevilla), merchant, in cooperation with Jacob and Hans Cromberger founder of the Deutschen Amerikahandel (German trade with America)
Dr. Werner Dollinger (* 10. October 1918; † 3. January 2008), German politician, member of the Bundestag (1953-1990), treasury secretary (1962-1966), minister of postal services and telecommunication (1966-1969), minister of transport (1982-1987)
Armin Schwarz (* 16. July 1963), German rally driver.
Honorary Citizens
Georg Vogel (* 8. Oktober 1861; † 9. November 1933), mayor 1898-1912, delegate of the Bavarian parliament, since 14. April 1909
Andreas Schildknecht (* 7. Dezember 1864; † 4. November 1944), mayor 1913-1917, since 25. August 1936
Leonhard Bankel (* 18. May 1883; † 10. Juli 1974), mayor 1921-1945 and 1948-1960, since 19. April 1951
Dr. med. Max Döllner (* 31. March 1874; † 7. Januar 1959), Oberregierungsrat and Obermedizinalrat, documentarist of his coutry, since 26. März 1954
Dr. Werner Dollinger (* 10. Oktober 1918), German politician, since 10. October 1978.
Member of the working group Neustadt in Europa, in which 34 towns (in August-2005) with the name "Neustadt" from Germany, Austria, Hungaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia confederate.