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Heilbronn

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

          For the mathematician see Hans Heilbronn.

   Coordinates: 49°9′N 9°13′E
                        Heilbronn (Käthchenstadt)
   Coat of arms of Heilbronn Location of Heilbronn in Germany
     __________________________________________________________________

   Country                   Germany
   State                     Baden-Württemberg
   Administrative region     Stuttgart
   District                  Independent city
   Population                121,416 ( June 30, 2005)
   Area                      99.88 km²
   Population density        1,215 / km²
   Elevation                 160 m
   Coordinates               49°9′ N 9°13′ E
   Postal code               74001-74081
   Area code                 07131, 07066
   Licence plate code        HN
   Mayor                     Helmut Himmelsbach
   Website                   www.heilbronn.de
   View of the Heilbronn centre of town toward the Wartberg.
   Enlarge
   View of the Heilbronn centre of town toward the Wartberg.

   Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is
   completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately
   120,000 residents it is the 6th largest city in Baden-Württemberg.

   The city on the Neckar is a former Imperial Free City and current
   independent city (i.e., not part of any county) and seat of Heilbronn
   County. Heilbronn is also the "major economic centre" of the
   Heilbronn-Franken region that includes almost the entire Northeast of
   Baden-Württemberg.

   Heilbronn is known for its wine industry and is nicknamed Käthchenstadt
   after Heinrich von Kleist's play Das Käthchen von Heilbronn.

Geography

   Heilbronn is located in the northern corner of the Neckar basin at the
   bottom of the Wartberg (308 m). It is spread out on both banks of the
   Neckar on a fertile terrace and the highest spot inside city limits is
   the Schweinsberg with a height of 372 m.

   Heilbronn and its surroundings are located in the northern part of the
   larger Stuttgart metropolitan area. The city acts as the economic
   centre of the Heilbronn-Franken region and is one of 14 cities referred
   to in the Baden-Württemberg master plan of 2002 as major economic
   centers. In addition, it serves the cities and towns of Abstatt, Bad
   Rappenau, Bad Wimpfen, Beilstein, Brackenheim, Cleebronn, Eberstatt,
   Ellhofen, Eppingen, Flein, Gemmingen, Güglingen, Ilsfeld, Ittlingen,
   Kirchardt, Lauffen am Neckar, Lehrensteinsfeld, Leingarten, Löwenstein,
   Massenbachhausen, Neckarwestheim, Nordheim (Württemberg), Obersulm,
   Pfaffenhofen (Württemberg), Schwaigern, Siegelsbach, Talheim,
   Untergruppenbach, Weinsberg, Wüstenrot and Zaberfeld as an intermediate
   economic centre.

Neighbouring communities

   Sontheim (Neckar) around 1900.
   Enlarge
   Sontheim (Neckar) around 1900.

   Heilbronn shares a border with the following cities and towns, all part
   of Heilbronn County and listed here clockwise from the North: Bad
   Wimpfen, Neckarsulm, Erlenbach, Weinsberg, Lehrensteinsfeld,
   Untergruppenbach, Flein, Talheim, Lauffen am Neckar, Nordheim,
   Leingarten, Schwaigern, Massenbachhausen and Bad Rappenau.

Boroughs

   Heilbronn is made up of ten boroughs. They are:
     * 001 Inner Heilbronn (proper)
     * 002 Outer Heilbronn (proper)
     * 003 Böckingen
     * 004 Neckargartach
     * 005 Sontheim

                                     * 006 Klingenberg
                                     * 007 Frankenbach
                                     * 008 Kirchhausen
                                     * 009 Biberach
                                     * 010 Horkheim

History

Stone Age through 1200 AD

   The oldest traces of humans in and around Heilbronn date back to the
   Old Stone Age (30000 BC). The fertile Neckar floodplains in the
   Heilbronn basin aided early settlement by farmers and ranchers. The
   city limits of present day Heilbronn contain many sites of Bronze Age
   finds. Later on, but still before AD the Celts already mined here for
   salt from brine.

   Under Emperor Domitian ( 81 - 96 AD) the Romans pushed east away from
   the Rhine and the outer boundary of the Empire was set at the
   Neckar-Odenwald-Limes. A castle in today's borough of Böckingen was
   part of that limes and nearby numerous Roman villas and plantations
   were built. Around 150 AD the Neckar-Odenwald-Limes became obsolete
   when the boundary of the Roman Empire was moved approximately 30 km to
   the East where it was subsequently fortified with the construction of
   the Upper Germanic Limes complete with parapet and trenches.

   Around 260 AD the Romans surrendered the limes and the Alamanni became
   rulers of the Neckar basin. Between the 4th and 7th centuries the area
   became part of the Frankish Empire and the first settlement was built
   in the general vicinity of the present centre of town.

   In 741 Heilbronn is first mentioned in an official document of the
   Diocese of Würzburg as villa Helibrunna together with a
   Michaelsbasilica and in 841 King Louis the German set up court here for
   a period of time. The name Heilbrunna (healing well) hints to a well
   that is located not far from the basilica. In 1050 a significant
   settlement of Jews is noted in official documents and the Codex of the
   monastery in Hirsau documented Heilbronn's right to hold market days
   and mint coins, mentioning its harbour and vineyards as well.

1200 through 1500

   The Deutschhof.
   Enlarge
   The Deutschhof.

   In 1225 Heilbronn was incorporated into the Hohenstaufen Empire as
   oppidum Heilecbrunnen. Oppidum signified a city fortified by parapet
   and trenches. Later during the 13th century the Deutsche Orden obtained
   ownership of a large area south of Heilbronn which would remain owned
   by that order until Secularization in 1805. Starting in 1268 the order
   built the Deutschhof there as one of its residences. The church
   building of the order that was located on the premises was modified and
   expanded several times: First in 1350 it was expanded ( gothic), then
   it was remodeled in 1719 (baroque), and in 1977 it was consecrated as a
   cathedral.

   After the demise of the Staufers King Rudolf I returned city status to
   Heilbronn in 1281 and installed a regal advocate to rule the city. In
   addition to the advocate he put a council in place that was headed up
   by a mayor. Around 1300 the first city hall was erected in the market
   place and the Kilianskirche (built on the foundation of the
   Michaelsbasilica) was expanded. The Neckar privilege gave the city the
   right to modify the flow of the river in 1333 which meant it now had
   the right to construct dams, harbours and mills. Because of the
   infrastructure thus created, Heilbronn became increasingly attractive
   to merchants and craftspeople during the 14th century whose influence
   had been growing and who were now demanding the right to determine
   their own fate.

   In 1371 Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor issued a new charter to the
   city. Now Heilbronn needed to answer only to the Emperor and as such
   was an Imperial Free City. Craftspeople and merchants were now
   represented in its council and the villages of Böckingen, Flein,
   Frankenbach and Neckargartach became part of Heilbronn's territory.

   As an Imperial Free City Heilbronn kept seeing itself threatened by the
   ambitious house of Wirtemberg (later, Württemberg). A very close
   relationship with the Holy Roman Emperor and a treaty with the
   Palatinate that was in effect from 1417 through 1622 strenghthened
   Heilbronn's position and kept the Württembergs at bay. The political
   stability enjoyed by the city during the 15th century caused it to
   bloom and many of its historic structures trace their roots back to
   that time as, for instance, the expansion of the Kilianskirche from
   1455 through 1460.

1500 through 1700

   Bollwerksturm.
   Enlarge
   Bollwerksturm.

   Götz von Berlichingen spent three years in "knightly custody" in
   Heilbronn starting in 1519 and even spent a night in the tower of the
   bastion. That same year people first took note of the pub owner
   Jäcklein Rohrbach who with accomplices would later kill the executor of
   Böckingen. After he had spent some time in the Hohenlohe Plains and
   collected similarly minded characters around him, he returned to
   Heilbronn in April 1525 just as the Peasants' War was getting into full
   swing. On April 16 the peasants killed many of the nobles in Weinsberg
   and on April 18 the Heilbronn cloister of the Order of Our Lady of Mt.
   Carmel was attacked and ransacked. The city opened its gates in
   response to demands of the peasants and consequently more churches and
   municipal institutions were robbed the next day. For about a month
   Heilbronn remained under the control of revolting peasants. And even
   though Johann Lachmann, later a church reformer, had attempted to
   mediate, the peasants didn't leave the city until one of their armies
   was defeated on May 12, 1525 in Böblingen. Their leader Rohrbach was
   executed on May 21, 1525 in Neckargartach and his home town of
   Böckingen was partially burnt to the ground in punishment.

   In 1528 the replacement of the mayor by Hans Riesser, a Protestant,
   brought on the previously delayed Reformation and through the efforts
   of Reformer Lachmann schools and healthcare were also reorganized. In
   1529 the Kiliansturm (church tower of the Kilianskirche) was completed.
   It was the first important religious building of the Renaissance in
   Germany. 1528 brought about the acceptance of the Augsburg Confession
   by city council and residents and the Heilbronn Catechism of 1536 is
   the second oldest catechism in the Protestant Church. In 1538 Heilbronn
   joined the Schmalkaldic League but by 1564 squabbles between troops of
   the Schmalkaldic League and those of the Emperor Charles V of the Holy
   Roman Empire escalated into battles that were won by the Emperor. As a
   result, Charles V spent Christmas 1546 in Heilbronn to attend the
   ensuing criminal proceedings. It is also Charles V who in 1522 changed
   the charter of the city and this charter survived almost unscathed
   until 1803.
   Heilbronn in 1643. Engraving by Matthäus Merian
   Enlarge
   Heilbronn in 1643. Engraving by Matthäus Merian

   During the Thirty Years' War the city and sourrounding villages
   suffered badly. After the battle of Wimpfen in 1622 Neckargartach was
   burnt to the ground. In 1631 Heilbronn was occupied by imperial troops
   but the same year the Swedes succeeded in conquering the city. From
   1644 through 1647 Heilbronn was again part of the Holy Roman Empire,
   but then French troops moved in and later those of the Palatinate. The
   city wasn't free of occupying forces until four years after the Peace
   of Westphalia of 1648. But already in the 1670s the city again became
   the stage for armed manoeuvres, until it was occupied by French troops
   in 1688. But while that occupation of the city only lasted several
   months, the French were only persuaded to leave the surrounding areas
   in 1693 after a large defensive army had been put into the field and
   fortifications had been erected.

1700 through 1900

   Käthchenhaus.
   Enlarge
   Käthchenhaus.

   During the 18th century the citizens of Heilbronn witnessed a boom. The
   archives tell that during that time almost all members of the city
   council had enjoyed some sort of formal education, Schiller and Goethe
   came to visit the city, and gorgeous buildings were being constructed
   in Rococo style.

   On September 9, 1802 the city of Heilbronn lost its status as Imperial
   Free City when the troops of the Duke of Württemberg marched into town.
   The Duke had lost his holdings on the left bank of the Rhine to France
   during the French Revolutionary Wars but had been compensated with
   areas on the right bank. This is how Heilbronn together with other
   formerly Imperial Free Cities became part of Württemberg in 1803.
   Heilbronn became the seat of an Oberamt (district), and the four
   Imperial Free villages became separate communities within the district.

   In 1815 Heilbronn is again staging area for major armies ahead of the
   campaign against Napoleon and 10,000 troops paraded in front of Kaiser
   Franz of Austria and 126 German princes and generals in the
   Theresienwiese. Tsar Alexander I of Russia met in Heilbronn with the
   Baltic Baroness Juliane von Krüdener who talked him into founding the "
   Holy Alliance".

   Industrialization arrived in 1820. When the first train lines were
   placed in service in Württemberg, Heilbronn was at the end of the line
   of the northern branch that connected Heilbronn with Stuttgart and
   further fueled industrialization.

   For a while Heilbronn suffered from the upheavals of the Baden
   Revolution that its civil guard participated in. During that time the
   8th infantry regiment switched sides and joined the revolutionaries
   until it was subsequently disarmed and force-transferred out of the
   area.

   In the 1860s the train tracks were extended from Heilbronn to
   Heidelberg via Bad Wimpfen, to Würzburg via Osterburken, and to
   Crailsheim (and later on to Nürnberg) via Schwäbisch Hall. In 1880 the
   Kraichgau line was completed and created an important connection
   towards the Karlsruhe area and by the end of the 19th century Heilbronn
   had become an important hub and second only to Stuttgart as one of
   Württemberg's largest industrial cities.

   1892 brought electricity via a connection to the power plant in Lauffen
   and thus Heilbronn became the first city in the world to enjoy long
   distance supply of power.

1900 through 1945

   Heilbronn, 1945.
   Enlarge
   Heilbronn, 1945.

   After almost a century of economic boom and growth of the local
   industry Heilbronn's citizenry included a lot of labourers. The city
   came to be known as a "red hot spot" and numerous worker and sports
   clubs were founded. Already prior to World War I the SPD cornered the
   majority of the vote and stayed that course during the period of the
   Weimar Republic. At his visit to the city on May 15, 1926 Hitler was
   clearly not welcome by everyone and several people were injured when a
   man was mistaken for Hitler and attacked. Hitler himself was able to
   give his speech in the city's community centre Harmonie but the SPD had
   the majority in Heilbronn over the NSDAP as late as the elections on
   March 5, 1933.

   Heilbronn district leader of the NSDAP had been Richard Drauz since
   1932 who had been born into a respected Heilbronn family. He was also
   elected to the Reichstag from 1933 on and pushed hard for the
   Gleichschaltung of the Heilbronn clubs and press.

   On July 28, 1935 the port was opened in a canal off the Neckar and 1936
   saw the Autobahn between Heilbronn and Stuttgart completed. Economy and
   infrastructure were booming in Württemberg and Heilbronn was at the
   logistic centre of it all. As the result of a district reform on
   October 1, 1938 Heilbronn became seat of the newly created Heilbronn
   County and regained independent city status. At the same time the
   previously independent communities of Böckingen, Sontheim and
   Neckargartach were annexed and with 72,000 residents Heilbronn now was
   the second largest city in Württemberg. The port turned into an
   important transfer station on the Neckar and one of the ten largest
   interior ports in the country.

   On November 10, 1938 the Heilbronn synagogue was destroyed and during
   1939 the Jewish community was all but eliminated.

   Starting in 1942 the salt mines in and around Heilbronn were used to
   store art and artifacts from Germany, France and Italy. Similarly,
   important producers of the war industry were moved into the mine
   shafts. The expansion of the shafts was undertaken by labour brigades
   of the concentration camp branches in Kochendorf and Neckargartach.
   From Heilbronn all the way to Neckarelz numerous subterraneous
   complexes, some of them gigantic, were constructed and as of November
   20, 1942 the Heilbronn Bureau of Labour had 8,000 forced labourers
   registered in its district.

   In 1940 allied air raids started and the city and its surrounding area
   were hit about 20 times with minor damage. On September 10, 1944 a raid
   by the allies targeted the city and, specifically, the Böckingen train
   transfer station. 281 residents died as a result of 1,168 bombs dropped
   that day. The city was carpet-bombed from the southern quarter all the
   way to the Kilianskirche in the centre of town. The church burnt out.

   The catastrophe for Heilbronn was the bombing raid on December 4, 1944.
   During that raid the centre of town was completely destroyed and the
   surrounding boroughs were heavily damaged. Within one half hour 6,500
   residents perished. Of those, 5,000 were later buried in mass graves in
   the Ehrenfriedhof (cemetery of honour) in the valley of the Köpfer
   creek close to the city. To this day, a memorial is held annually in
   memory of those that died that day. As a result of the war Heilbronn's
   population shrank to 46,350.

   After a ten-day battle with the advancing allies over the strategically
   important Neckar crossings World War II ended for the destroyed city on
   April 12, 1945 with occupation by US troops. Local NSDAP leader Drauz
   took time for numerous court-martials while on the run from the allies
   and was hanged on December 4, 1946 in Landsberg because of executions
   of American prisoners of war he had ordered in March of 1945.

1945 through present

   Stadttheater Heilbronn.
   Enlarge
   Stadttheater Heilbronn.

   After the war Emil Beutinger, mayor until 1933, returned to office and
   began the formidable task of reconstruction that was subsequently
   continued by his successors Paul Metz and Paul Meyle. Milestones were
   the rededication of historic city hall in 1953 and the reopening of the
   community centre Harmonie.

   From 1951 on US troops were permanently stationed in Heilbronn. They
   used barracks built prior to World War II and also added some
   structures of their own.

   The opening of the Autobahn A 6 from Heilbronn to Mannheim in 1968 was
   an important economic event for Heilbronn. When the A 81 to Würzburg
   was completed in 1974 (extended to ( Nürnberg in 1979), Heilbronn
   became an important logistical centre in southern Germany. As a result,
   many of the larger companies opened locations in Heilbronn.

   When Klingenberg became part of Heilbronn on January 1, 1970, the
   city's population passed the 100,000 mark and thus attained "major
   city" (Großstadt) status. During the last district reform in the 1970s,
   Kirchhausen, Biberach, Frankenbach and Horkheim were incorporated into
   Heilbronn and the city was reconfirmed as independent city and seat of
   Heilbronn County. It was also declared seat of the newly formed region
   Franken, now Heilbronn-Franken.

   Also during the 1970s, the centre of the city was transformed into a
   pedestrian zone and the rededication of the city theatre in 1982 closed
   one of the largest holes left in the inner city from World War II.

   Pursuant to the NATO Double-Track Decision of 1979, Pershing II
   intermediate-range nuclear missiles were stationed just uphill of the
   city in the Waldheide. This made Heilbronn the only major city in
   Germany with atomic missiles stationed inside its city limits - a fact
   which became front-page news during the missile accident on January 11,
   1985. After the INF Treaty was signed in 1987 the missiles were
   removed.

   In the 1980s Heilbronn hosted two major events ( Heimatttage and
   Landesgartenschau) staged by the State of Baden-Württemberg. In 1998
   Heilbronn was connected to the S-Bahn net with Karlsruhe. This caused
   another transformation of the city centre and the extension of the
   S-Bahn towards Öhringen was opened on December 10, 2005. It marked the
   completion of the East-West axis of the regional transportation system.
   The North-South axis is still in the planning stages (as of February
   2006).

   Heilbronn won the European competition "Entente Florale 2000" on
   September 9, 2000 in Broughshane, Northern Ireland and in 2005/06 the
   city became the first UNICEF children's city in Germany.

   Late in 2005 Heilbronn got the nod to host the Bundesgartenschau in
   2019. If plans are realized this could create an entire new borough
   along the S-Bahn line Böckingen-Theresienwiese-Neckargartach.

Religion

   Kilianskirche as seen from the Kiliansplatz.
   Enlarge
   Kilianskirche as seen from the Kiliansplatz.

   Ever since the Franks under Chlodwig settled in the Neckar region
   around 500 the area has been predominantly Christian and when Heilbronn
   was first mentioned in an official document in 741 Christian
   Michaelsbasilica, present day's Kilianskirche, was mentioned along with
   the city. The Deutsche Orden constructed its church from the 13th
   century and both churches were continually expanded. They were joined
   later by other churches and cloisters in the city.

   Around 1050 an important Jewish community was mentioned that had
   settled in the Judengasse (Lohtorstraße). In 1298 143 Jews were killed
   during the Rintfleisch-Pogrom and in 1350 Jews suffered attacks again
   during a European epidemic of the Bubonic plague. The city's
   constitution required the council to include Jews, but already in the
   middle of the 15th century Jews were the target of vigilantes again
   until they were evicted from the city in 1490 with the blessings of
   Emperor Frederick III.

   It is worth noting that the common Jewish name Halpern, and many
   variants such as Alpert, derive from the name of this city Heilbronn,
   and the early Jewish community there.

   While Heilbronn was part of the Diocese of Würzburg, the independent
   villages of Böckingen, Neckargartach and Frankenbach were attached to
   the Diocese of Worms. From 1514 on the Heilbronn native Johann Lachmann
   was caretaker of the parish in St. Kilian, in 1521 he became its
   preacher, in 1524 he converted to Lutheranism and proceeded to teach
   and lead the Reformation in Heilbronn against the wishes of both
   dioceses. After the Reformation of Heilbronn was complete the city
   remained Lutheran for centuries and the council and citizens accepted
   the Augsburg Confession without dissent. Catholics were no longer
   welcome, Jews were prohibited from settling in Heilbronn, and the city
   took part in the Protestation at Speyer on April 19, 1529 (the
   Protestation was the origin of the terms Protestant and Protestantism).

   The Age of Enlightenment brought Heilbronn freedom of religion. As of
   1803 Jews were again permitted to settle in the city, Catholics also
   began to move back in and by the 1860s Jews were granted equal rights
   as Heilbronn citizens.

   After the city became part of Württemberg in 1803 it also became seat
   of a deacony and the Prelate or regional bishop of the Protestant State
   Church in Württemberg. To this day Protestants are in the majority in
   Heilbronn. The Catholic parishes belong to the Deacony Heilbronn and
   are part of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart.

   Around 1920 first groups of "Serious Bible Students" (now: Jehovah's
   Witnesses) formed. Their small community suffered from oppression
   during the Third Reich and many of its members died in concentration
   camps. Similarly, the Jewish community had to watch as its colossal
   synagogue went up in flames and its 350 members were subsequently all
   but extinguished. Jehovah's Witnesses built a first meeting room in
   Heilbronn in 1953 and many more have been added since then.
   Astronomical clock at City Hall.
   Enlarge
   Astronomical clock at City Hall.

   Since the 1970s, after guest workers and immigrants from Islamic or
   Russian-Orthodox countries settled here, these faiths are practiced to
   by a growing part of the population and numerous mosques have been
   created since the 1990s in the city and county of Heilbronn.

District reform

   Over the years, the following, formerly independent towns or
   communities, have been annexed to Heilbronn:
        Year           Town      Area (km²)
   June 1, 1933    Böckingen          11.35
   October 1, 1938 Neckargartach      11.25
   October 1, 1938 Sontheim            7.40
   January 1, 1970 Klingenberg         2.72
   July 1, 1972    Kirchhausen        11.47
   January 1, 1974 Biberach           10.58
   April 1, 1974   Frankenbach         8.89
   April 1, 1974   Horkheim            4.86

Demographics

   Figures reflect city limits at the time and are estimates (until 1870)
   or Census data (¹), or official extensions thereof, counting only
   primary residences.
   Population statistics of Heilbronn.
   Enlarge
   Population statistics of Heilbronn.

         Year        Population
   1399             approx. 5,500
   1501                     6,168
   1618             approx. 6,000
   1769                     6,077
   1803                     5,692
   1830                    10,703
   1849                    12,377
   December 1, 1871        18,955
   1880                    24,446
   December 1, 1890        29,941
   December 1, 1900        37,891
   December 1, 1910        42,688
   June 16, 1925           45,520

                                         Year         Population
                                 June 16, 1933 ¹          68,953
                                 May 17, 1939 ¹           77,569
                                 1944 ¹                   46,350
                                 September 13, 1950 ¹     64,643
                                 June 6, 1961 ¹           89,100
                                 May 27, 1970 ¹          101,646
                                 June 30, 1975           114,999
                                 June 30, 1980           111,509
                                 June 30, 1985           111,188
                                 May 27, 1987 ¹          110,970
                                 June 30, 1990 ¹         115,055
                                 June 30, 1997           121,500
                                 December 31, 2003       120,705
   Rathaus Heilbronn.
   Enlarge
   Rathaus Heilbronn.

   ¹ Census data

Government

   In connection with the district reform in the 1970s, municipal laws of
   Baden-Württemberg were amended to introduce borough councils for
   certain boroughs. Residents of such boroughs elect their borough
   council at each municipal election and the borough council must be
   consulted on all matters of significance to the respective borough. The
   Borough President also presides over the Borough Council. In Heilbronn
   the boroughs of Biberach, Frankenbach, Horkheim, Kirchhausen and
   Klingenberg have borough councils.

City council

   After the municipal elections of June 13, 2004 the city council of
   Heilbronn was made up of 40 seats. The members belong to political
   parties as follows:
           Party          Seats
   CDU                       16
   SPD                       12
   FDP                        4
   Bündnis 90/Green Party     3
   REP                        3
   Independents               2

Mayor

   At first Heilbronn was governed by a regal advocate and an executor.
   Later, the city had two mayors but ever since the city was made part of
   Württemberg it has had just one mayor at a time.

   Mayors since 1803

      Year                Mayor
   1803 - 1819 Georg Christian Franz Kübel
   1819 - 1822 Lebrecht Landauer
   1822 - 1835 Johann Clemens Bruckmann
   1835 - 1848 Heinrich Titot
   1848 - 1869 Christian August Klett
   1869        Josef Baur

      Year          Mayor
   1869 - 1884 Karl Wüst
   1884 - 1904 Paul Hegelmaier
   1904 - 1921 Adolf Göbel
   1921 - 1933 Emil Beutinger
   1933 - 1945 Heinrich Gültig
   1945 - 1946 Emil Beutinger

        Year            Mayor
   1946 - 1948    Paul Metz
   1948 - 1967    Paul Meyle
   1967 - 1983    Hans Hoffmann
   1983 - 1999    Manfred Weinmann
   1999 - present Helmut Himmelsbach

Representatives from Heilbronn

   The city of Heilbronn together with the northern municipalities of
   Heilbronn County makes up the electoral District 268 for national
   elections of representatives to the Bundestag.
   Museum of Natural History.
   Enlarge
   Museum of Natural History.

   For State elections to the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg Heilbronn makes
   up an electoral district (District 18) together with Erlenbach. Before
   the 2006 elections, it was an electoral district all by itself.

Coat of arms

   Heilbronn's coat of arms features a black eagle with red tongue and
   claws on golden background. The eagle is protected by a red, silver and
   blue shield. The city flag is red, white and blue.

   The oldest seal of the city dates back to 1265. The eagle is the symbol
   for the imperial freedom enjoyed by Heilbronn until it was annexed by
   the Grand Duchy (and later Kingdom) of Württemberg. While it is
   established that it appeared for the first time with shield in 1556 to
   distinguish it from other versions of eagles, the origin of the colors
   of the shield has yet to be determined. The colors also appeared in
   reverse order in 1556, 1581 and 1681 and there have been other
   variations of colour as well, such as white rather than golden
   background.

   Interesting is the fact that Heilbronn sports three colours in its
   flag. Newly dedicated municipal flags in Baden-Württemberg only use two
   colours. According to State municipal laws, Heilbronn's flag was
   grandfathered as it had been in use prior to 1935.

People, culture & architecture

   Heilbronn is located near the border between the Swabian- Alemannic and
   the Franconian dialects of the German language.

Theatre and music

     * Stadttheater Heilbronn, built in 1982, mixed repertoire
     * Theaterschiff Heilbronn, mixed repertoire
     * Württembergisches Kammerorchester e.V. Heilbronn - the chamber
       orchestra, founded in 1961, plays mostly baroque and classical
       music.
     * In a shut-down part of the Steam power plant Block-E has put on
       events since 1998.

Museums

     * Museum of Natural History
     * Neckarschifffahrtsmuseum (closed indefinitely)
     * City Galery Deutschhof

     * Museum of archeology
     * Kleist-Archiv Sembdner
     * South-German Train Museum Heilbronn

Buildings

   Historic manual crane.
   Enlarge
   Historic manual crane.
     * Alter Handkran
     * Bollwerksturm
     * Deutschhof
     * Steam power plant
     * Community centre "Harmonie"
     * Court and Fleischhaus
     * Götzenturm

                                    * Harbour market tower
                                    * Haus Zehender at the market place
                                    * Käthchenhaus at the market place
                                    * City Hall with historic astronomic clock
                                    * Schießhaus
                                    * Trappenseeschlösschen
                                    * Weinvilla

     * Churches:
          + Kilianskirche (Protestant): The tower from the early
            Renaissance is the logo of the city. The high altar by Hans
            Seyfer was completed in 1498.
          + Deutschordensmünster St.-Peter-und-Paul (Catholic)
          + Nikolaikirche (Protestant)

   Siebenröhrenbrunnen.
   Enlarge
   Siebenröhrenbrunnen.

Other sights

     * Old cemetery (created in 1530, a park since 1882)
     * Outlook tower on the Wartberg
     * Ehrenfriedhof for the victims of the air raid on December 4, 1944
     * Fleinertorbrunnen

     * Robert Mayer Memorial in the market place
     * Bismarck Memorial
     * Siebenröhrenbrunnen

Events

   In February the citizens of Heilbronn and the surrounding area have an
   opportunity to enjoy themselves at the Pferdemarkt. In May the
   Trollinger marathon takes place. July brings the Gaffenberg Festival
   and the Unterländer Volksfest takes the city from July into August. It
   is the largest festival of its kind in Heilbronn and takes place on the
   Theresienwiese. Each year it begins on the last Friday in July and ends
   on the second Monday in August. In September, patrons enjoy themselves
   at the Heilbronner Weindorf, in October at the Hafenmarkt and in
   November and December at the Weihnachtsmarkt by the Kilianskirche.
   Every other year the Neckarfest and Traubenblütenfest are added to this
   already full schedule.

Parks

   Heilbronn is located adjacent to the Schwäbisch-Fränkischer Wald State
   Park and is famous for the vineyards that surround it.

Economy and infrastructure

   Vineyards east of Heilbronn.
   Enlarge
   Vineyards east of Heilbronn.

   Viticulture has a long tradition in Heilbronn and is an important part
   of its economy to this day. Its 514 ha, two thirds of it growing red
   grapes, is the third largest vineyard in Württemberg's vine growing
   region after Brackenheim and Lauffen am Neckar. In 1888 the vintners of
   the Heilbronn area combined and formed the Weingärtnergesellschaft
   Heilbronn , a cooperative. In 1933 that cooperative then combined with
   the competing cooperative Winzergenossenschaft Heilbronn that had
   formed in 1919 and that cooperative again merged with the Vintner
   cooperatives of Erlenbach and Weinsberg to form the
   Genossenschaftskellerei Heilbronn-Erlenbach-Weinsberg with seat just
   outside the city limits in Erlenbach. In addition to the cooperative,
   numerous independent vintners are also located here.

   South of the steam power plant is located the conveyor tower of the
   Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG (SWS). The SWS runs a salt mine in the
   Heilbronn area. That mine was connected through an underground tunnel
   with the now shut-down (since 1994) salt mine Kochendorf in Bad
   Friedrichshall. Extraction had extended the Heilbronn mine far to the
   west so that in 2004 a new shaft, Konradsberg, was added - probably the
   last mining shaft that was constructed in all of Germany.

Infrastructure

   S-Bahn pulling into the station outside of Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof.
   Enlarge
   S-Bahn pulling into the station outside of Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof.

   The city of Heilbronn is readily accessible by car or truck courtesy of
   the Weinsberg Intersection just to the northeast of the city, the
   intersection of the Autobahn A 81 from Würzburg to Gottmadingen and the
   A 6 from Saarbrücken to Waidhaus. In addition to the Autobahns the city
   is connected via the Bundesstraßen B 27 from Blankenburg to
   Schaffhausen, B 39 from Frankenstein (Palatine) to Mainhardt and B 293
   from Karlsruhe to Heilbronn that both run through the city itself.

   Heilbronn is also a forerunner of right-turn-on-red in Germany and 65
   "Green arrow" signs have been installed at appropriate intersections
   since 1996.

   Although Heilbronn does not benefit from the Deutsche Bahn
   long-distance service the city is well connected by train. The
   Frankenbahn connects Stuttgart and Würzburg, the Neckarbahn and
   Elsenztalbahn run from Heilbronn to Heidelberg and Mannheim, and the
   Hohenlohebahn accommodates travel to Schwäbisch Hall via Öhringen.

   The S-Bahn provides a connection all the way to Karlsruhe on the
   Kraichgaubahn's tracks. At this time the S 4 takes travelers from
   Karlsruhe through the central train station past the centre of town all
   the way to the Öhringen borough of Cappel (since December 11, 2005).
   Because of massive delays in the construction of the S-Bahn tracks
   through Heilbronn's city limits and with the modernization
   The Heilbronn canal port
   Enlarge
   The Heilbronn canal port

   and electrification of the existing tracks from Heilbronn to Öhringen
   meant that the new section's official opening needed to be moved
   several times. For the future, additional S-Bahn lines are planned to
   Neckarsulm, Lauffen am Neckar and Zaberfeld. As well a these new lines,
   additional stops will also be built in the inner city of Heilbronn.

   While the original Straßenbahn of Heilbronn, nicknamed the
   Spatzenschaukel (German for "sparrows' swing"), was discontinued on
   April 1, 1955, the city used electrically powered trolley buses until
   1960. Today, public transportation is provided by the S-Bahn that runs
   through Heilbronn similar to the Karlsruhe model and this is
   complemented by buses run by the Stadtwerke Heilbronn
   (Verkehrsbetriebe) and several other enterprises. All now belong to the
   Heilbronner Verkehrsverbund.
   Steam power plant.
   Enlarge
   Steam power plant.

   The canal port on the Neckar is one of the ten largest German interior
   ports.

Steam power plant

   In the industrial part of Heilbronn the EnBW AG runs a large powerplant
   that is powered with coal. Its two chimneys (250 m tall) and cooling
   tower (140 m tall) are visible from afar, see Heilbronn Power Station

Public service

   As major economic centre most major branches of government operate
   offices in Heilbronn. Examples are the Department of Labour, the
   Department of Finance and German Customs. It also is the seat of the
   regional chamber of commerce and several regional professional boards.

   Several courts are located in Heilbronn, two belonging to the Stuttgart
   court district, a specialty court hearing labour issues, and a family
   court who's district includes the city of Heilbronn and the counties of
   Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg, Schwäbisch Hall, Hohenlohe and Main-Tauber.

   The City is also the seat of the Prelature of Heilbronn and of the
   church district of Heilbronn (of the Protestant State Church as well as
   of the Heilbronn Deacony of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart).

Education

   Heilbronn is the seat of the main campus of the Hochschule Heilbronn,
   founded in 1962 as a public engineering school. Since 1972 the school
   was known as the Fachhochschule Heilbronn (an engineering college) and
   has operated a secondary campus in Künzelsau since 1988. Starting with
   the fall semester on September 1, 2005 the college was awarded the
   status of a Hochschule.
   Trappenseeschlösschen.
   Enlarge
   Trappenseeschlösschen.

   The private Heilbronn Business School opened at the Neckarturm in
   January of 2005.

   As far as general education is concerned, Heilbronn operates five
   college-track highschools or gymnasiums (Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Gymnasium,
   Justinus-Kerner-Gymnasium, Mönchsee-Gymnasium, Robert-Mayer-Gymnasium
   and Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium), four non-college-track highschools or
   Realschulen (Dammrealschule, Helene-Lange-Realschule,
   Heinrich-von-Kleist-Realschule in Böckingen and Mörike-Realschule).
   There are also six special-education schools run by the city
   (Wilhelm-Hofmann-Förderschule, Pestalozzi-Förderschule, and
   Paul-Meyle-Schule for the mentally and physically impaired, two
   special-education schools run by Heilbronn County
   (Gebrüder-Grimm-Schule for the speech impaired and
   Hermann-Herzog-Schule for the seeing impaired), and the
   Lindenparkschule, which is run by the state of Baden-Württemberg for
   the hearing and speech impaired. The latter also includes a boarding
   school and consultation centre.

   City grammar schools are the Damm-Grundschule, Deutschorden-Grundschule
   Kirchhausen, Grundschule Horkheim, Grundschule Klingenberg,
   Grünewaldschule Grundschule Böckingen, Reinöhlschule Grundschule
   Böckingen, Silcherschule Grundschule and Uhlandschule Grundschule
   Sontheim. Grammar and middle schools (some include vocational training
   programs) are Albrecht-Dürer-Schule Neckargartach,
   Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Schule Böckingen, Fritz-Ulrich-Schule Böckingen,
   Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule, Grund- und Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule
   Biberach, Grund- und Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule Frankenbach,
   Ludwig-Pfau-Schule, Rosenauschule, Staufenbergschule Sontheim,
   Wartbergschule and Wilhelm-Hauff-Schule.

   The Gustav-von-Schmoller-Schule and the Technische Schulzentrum
   Heilbronn consisting of the Johann-Jakob-Widmann-Schule and the
   Wilhelm-Maybach-Schule are professional training schools run by the
   city. The county runs the Andreas-Schneider-Schule and
   Christiane-Herzog-Schule, and in the fall of 2005 the
   Peter-Bruckmann-Schule was added to the already operating professional
   training schools.

   Finally, the following private schools round out the education options
   offered in Heilbronn:
     * The Abendrealschule Heilbronn e.V. allows students with middle
       school diplomas to achieve the first in a series of steps to gain
       college entrance prerequisites on a part-time basis after work. It
       is part of a structured program commonly referred to as the
       Alternate Path to Higher Education.
     * Alice-Salomon-Schule
     * Berufskolleg für Grafik Heilbronn
     * Altenpflegeschule Heilbronn
     * Freie Waldorfschule Heilbronn
     * Internationaler Bund e. V. Bildungszentrum Heilbronn
     * Catholische Freie Schule Heilbronn with grammar, middle, and
       college-track as well as non-college-track highschools)
     * Kolping-Bildungszentrum Heilbronn
     * Academy for Communication sciences

Famous people

   A list of Honorary citizens of Heilbronn, Sons and daughters and other
   notable individuals with connection to the city are listed at List of
   Heilbronn Notable People.

                 150°-Panorama of Heilbronn's city centre.
                                   Enlarge
                 150°- Panorama of Heilbronn's city centre.

Sister cities

   Heilbronn is sister city to the following six cities in five countries:
     * Béziers (France) since 1965
     * Neath Port Talbot (United Kingdom) since 1966
     * Solothurn (Switzerland) since 1981

     * Stockport (United Kingdom) since 1982
     * Frankfurt (Oder) ( Brandenburg) since 1988
     * Słubice (Poland) since 1998

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heilbronn"
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