Bad Wurzach
Encyclopedia
Bad Wurzach is a small town in southern Germany
, in the state of Baden-Württemberg
. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, as well as one of the biggest connected high-moor areas in Europe
. It is situated 25 km northeast of Ravensburg
and part of the county Ravensburg
, located in the Upper Swabia
region. Since 1950 the town carries the predicate Bad (spa). Area-wise it is the third-largest municipality in the state of Baden-Württemberg
, second only to Stuttgart
, which is the capital of the state, and Baiersbronn
.
and Upper Swabia
on the edge of the so-called Wurzacher Ried (Reed of Wurzach). Its height above sea-level varies between 650 and 800 meters.
- Bad Wurzach (population 5,399)
- Arnach (1,436)
- Dietmanns
(791)
- Eintürnen (735)
- Gospoldshofen(619)
- Haidgau (972)
- Hauerz (1,128)
- Seibranz (1,219)
- Unterschwarzach (1,385)
- Ziegelbach (925)
, as well as two cities and four communities in the county Ravensburg
. The communities are, beginning in the north and going clockwise, Eberhardzell
and Rot an der Rot
in the county Biberach
, and Aitrach
, Aichstetten
, Leutkirch im Allgäu
, Kißlegg
, Wolfegg
and Bad Waldsee
in the county Ravensburg
.
granted the settlement of "Wurzun" the city-rights of Memmingen
, a much larger city nearby (25 kilometers). With that upgrade the town gained the rights for lower jurisdiction, the right to hold markets, and the right and duty to erect a surrounding wall to protect itself. In 1514 the "Leinwandschau" (Examination) was established. In 1515 the construction of the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten" began. Its well preserved main tracts still stand today. On April 14 in 1525 it came to a battle between peasants in the scope of the then raging Peasants' War on the "Leprosenberg" (Leper Hill) just outside the gates of the town. In the year 1637 only 19 people still lived in the town due to the effects and consequences of the Thirty Years' War
and plagues. In 1675 the governance of Waldburg-Zeil
-Wurzach" was established. In 1806 the governance of Wurzach became part of the state governance of Württemberg and was allocated to the Oberamt Leutkirch (administrative district of Leutkirch), a neighboring larger town. In 1813 and 1814 during the liberation war 35,301 soldiers were being taken care of in Wurzach. The "Leprosenhaus" (Leper House) located on the aforementioned Leprosenberg functioned as military hospital for 4,003 men. In 1903 the governance of Waldburg-Zeil-Wurzach ceased to exist.
In 1904 the railway-line Rossberg-Wurzach was opened. In 1936 the first moor-bath treatments were made available in the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten". Due to the anulment of the administrative district of Leutkirch in the year 1938 Wurzach became part of the county Wangen
. In 1950 the city was granted the predicate of "Bad" along with regimen honors. With the county reform of 1972 the communities aforementioned in the town classification became part of the town of Bad Wurzach. Since 1996 the town underwent extensive restorations and repairs, as well as modernizing constructions, in the scope of a reconditioning program.
) the following, up until then solitary, communities were suburbanized and became part of Bad Wurzach:
- 1 June 1972: Arnach, Eintürnen und Ziegelbach
- 1 July 1972: Hauerz
- 1 December 1972: Gospoldshofen
- 1 January 1973: Dietmanns
and Haidgau
- 1 January 1975: Seibranz
Haidgau already belonged to the county Ravensburg
before the county reform. Unterschwarzach and Dietmanns
belonged to the county Biberach
. The other communities belonged to the county Wangen
.
. After the monastery was handed over to the chieftain of Waldburg-Wolfegg-Waldsee the tenth was paid to him.
Arnach was an autonomous community, belonging to the administrative district of Waldsee
until 1938. After that it belonged to the county Wangen
until 1972.
Dietmanns
used to be a priest village which formerly belonged to the shire of Wolfegg
. It was part of the administrative district of Waldsee
from 1806 until 1938. After that it was allocated to the county Biberach
until 1973.
Eintürnen belongs since 1500 to the shire of Wolfegg
. In 1824 its status was elevated to that of an autonomnous community belonging to the administrative district of Waldsee
. It was part of the county Wangen
from 1938 until 1972.
Gospoldshofen The village was excluded from the town municipality of Wurzach in 1823 to become part of the administrative district of Leutkirch. Its status was subsequently elevated to that of an autonomous community. In 1938 it also became part of the county Wangen
and remained so until 1972. The chieftain "von Waldburg zu Zeil-Wurzach" once used to be the landlord of this village.
Hauerz became an autonomous community belonging to the administrative district of Leutkirch. It was part of the county Wangen
, too, from 1938 until 1972.
Haidgau This village, in earlier days also spelled Heidgau, belonged to the shire of Wolfegg
. It was first mentioned in a deed of the monastery of St. Gallen
in 797. It was an autonomous community belonging to the administrative district of Bad Waldsee
, and starting from 1938 to the county Ravensburg
.
Seibranz was once taxable for the most part by the chieftain of Waldburg-Zeil
. It used to be a community of the administrative district of Leutkirch, until it, too, shared the destiny of Arnach, Eintürnen, Gospoldshofen and Hauerz, in that it became a part of the county Wangen
in 1938. It remained so until 1975.
Unterschwarzach This village was once a priest village which belonged to the chieftain "von Waldburg-Wolfegg-Waldsee". It used to be part of the administrative district of Waldesee until 1938, and then became part of the county Biberach
.
Ziegelbach belonged once to the shire of Wolfegg
. It was also part of the administrative district of Waldsee
until 1938, and then became part of the county Ravensburg
.
The local election on the 7th of June 2009 delivered the following results:
1. CDU
52.57% (-6.33) - 11 seats (same as the year before)
2. FWV 39.84% (-1.26) - 9 seats (same as the year before)
3. Grüne Offene Liste 7.59% (+7.59) - 1 seat (+1)
United Kingdom Wallingford, United Kingdom
.
Early Modern France Luxeuil-les-Bains
, France
Jersey St Helier, Jersey
Museums:
- Leprosenhaus (Leper House). Once a leprosarium, and birth place of the painter Sepp Mahler. The museum is dedicated to the history of the leper house. The building also contains a gallery which features the paintings of Sepp Mahler.
- Käserei-Museum (Cheese Dairy Museum). The museum shows how cheese was made in the Allgäu region a hundred years ago and back in the 1930s. To finance the museum a so-called "Cheese Share" in the form of an indulgence voucher has been made available.
- Museum für klösterliche Kultur (Museum of Monasterial Culture)
- Upper Swabian Torf Museum (Peat Museum of Upper Swabia). This museum features among other things the nature trail "Auf den Spuren des Torfstechers" (On the Tracks of the Peat Cutter).
- Torfbahn im Wurzacher Ried (Peat Railway in the Reed of Wurzach). Special trips on the light railway (track width 600 mm) are available every second and fourth Sunday of each month. The tour starts at the "Zeiler Torfwerk" (peat cuttery of Zeil), located directly on Bundesstrasse B465 (federal highway B465), and ends at the "Torfwerk Haidgau (peat cuttery of Haidgau) after a stunning ride through the moor.
- Kloster "Maria Rosengarten" (Nunnery Maria Rosengarten). The nunnery features a rococo in-house chapel dating back to 1763.
- Gottesberg ( God's Hill). On the top of the hill sits a pilgrimage church. The church is home to a "Heilig-Blut" (Sacred-Blood) relic . There's an annual Blutritt (Blood-Ride) taking place on the second Friday in July, which attracts horse riders, coachmen with their chariots, and onlookers from all over the county, and even beyond.
- Kartause Marienau (Carthusian Monastery "Marienau"). This monastery is the one and only Carthusian monastery in the entire German-speaking area. It's not open to the public.
- Wachbühl
. Wachbühl is a hill that rises to 791 meter above sea-level. It functions as a view point and local hiking destination.
(Friedrich-Schiedel Prize for Literature) every two years. The event takes place in the baroque staircase of the city's castle.
- Public indoor swimming pool
- Public outdoor swimming pool in Hauerz
- Numerous circular hiking trails in the Wurzacher Ried
- Skating spot
- Several sports grounds including one with an artificial turf
- "Alpakahof" (Alpaka Farm). The Alpakahof is a petting zoo located at the edge of the integral nature preserve "Rohrsee" (Reed Lake). Its grounds cover 12 hectare, making it thererfore the biggest petting zoo of the state of Baden-Württemberg
.
Bad Wurzach lies on the federal highway B465 (Bundesstrasse B465), which leads from Kirchheim unter Teck to Leutkirch im Allgäu. The city is connected through several bus lines with Bad Waldsee
, Leutkirch, Isny im Allgäu
, Ravensburg
and Biberach
among others. It belongs to the "Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Verkehrsbund" (Lake Constanze-Upper Swabia Traffic Federation).
The railway line Rossberg-Bad Wurzach (Bahnlinie Rossberg-Bad Wurzach) had been opened in 1904 as connection to the Württembergian-Allgäu railway line (Württembergischen-Allgäubahn). After the closure through the DB Cargo AG in 2002 the city of Bad Wurzach bought the cargo railway line on the 1st of October 2004 to continue the operation of the railway together with the Connex Cargo Logistics company.
Local Companies
The biggest employer is the glassworks factory Saint-Gobain Oberland AG. The company, which now also functions as German head office, has been founded in 1946 as "Oberland Glas AG". The four factories in Germany operate under the name of the French parent company Saint-Gobain
.
(secondary school, which takes 6 years to graduate from), a Hauptschule
(secondary school, which takes 5 years to graduate from, a full-time Werkrealschule
(different type of Realschule, which also takes 6 years to graduate from), a primary and secondary school, 6 primary schools, and a Förderschule (school for students with learning disabilities). There are also 6 Roman Catholic and 5 urban Kindergartens to choose from for the parents of the city's youngest citizens.
. It exists since 1936, and is the only one of its kind in the Allgäu
region. Since the opening of the "Vitalium" in 1999 the city also features a thermal spa. The first moor-bath treatments to combat chronic musculoskeletal affections were made available in the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten". Initially those treatments were only available to women, one year later also to men. This spa service was first operated by the sister's order of Arme Schulschwestern (Poor School Sisters). These moor-bath treatments became extremely popular over the years because of their healing effects. By 1947 already 2,800 customers had a total of 7000 treatments. Nowadays 20,000 of these treatments take place per year. Due to capacity problems and steadily increasing demand the "Kurmittelhaus" (Therapeutic Appliance House) had been opened on "Parkstrasse" (Park Street) in 1948.
In 1950 the city was granted the predicate "Bad". This prefix of the city's name indicates that there is a bath house
, more specifically a therapeutic bath house, present. In Bad Wurzach it is the "Moorheilbad" (Therapeutic Moor-Bath House). In the federal republic of Germany the protected prefix "Bad" can be carried only by cities with a state-approved therapeutic bath house. In 1968 the Kurmittelhaus on Parkstrasse had gotten too small, too. Therefore the city decided to build another Kurmittelhaus, located on the slope of a small hill by the name "Reischberg", within the city. In 1977 the "Kurhotel Moorsanatorium Reischberg" (Regimen Hotel Moor-Sanatorium Reischberg) opened its doors, and was able to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2007. The construction of the "Vitalium", a health and wellness
facility, in 1999 extended the touristic health and relaxation possibilities yet again, and increased the attractiveness of the Moorheilbad. The Vitalium underwent extensive structural alteration works in 2007. Added were an outdoor thermal-pool, a generous sauna landscape, and a so-called "Wohlfühlhaus" (Feel Well House) for wellness
treatments. The urban spa service of Bad Wurzach is an owner-operated municipal enterprise. It consists of the health center with its attached Vitalium, the regimen hotel Moorsanatorium Reischberg, the Therapeutic Appliance House on the edge of the "Kurpark" (Regimen Park), the public indoor swimming pool, the public outdoor moor pool, and the "Kurverwaltung" (Regimen administration). The administration of the entire enterprise is managed by the head office "Kurbetriebsverwaltung". (Regimen Business Administration).
- Franz-Xaver Schnitzer (1740–1785), composer and organist
- Clemens Högg (1780–1845), SPD politician and member of parliament in Bavaria
- Oskar Graf (1782–1842), politician and member of parliament in Baden.
- Carl-Joseph Leiprecht (1903–1981), bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart
Formerly Locally Active People
- Father Agnellus Schneider (1913–2007). Father Agnellius was a writer and environmentalist who lived and worked in Bad Wurzach. He fought for the preservation of the city's moor.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. It is a well known health-resort destination, and home to the oldest moor-spa in Baden-Württemberg, as well as one of the biggest connected high-moor areas in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It is situated 25 km northeast of Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
and part of the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg (district)
Ravensburg is a district in the south-east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bodensee, Sigmaringen and Biberach, the Bavarian urban district Memmingen and the districts Unterallgäu, Oberallgäu and Lindau.-History:The district dates back to the Oberamt Ravensburg, which was...
, located in the Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...
region. Since 1950 the town carries the predicate Bad (spa). Area-wise it is the third-largest municipality in the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, second only to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, which is the capital of the state, and Baiersbronn
Baiersbronn
Baiersbronn is a municipality in the district of Freudenstadt in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated in the Black Forest on the Murg river.Administratively, Baiersbronn consists of the following nine villages:* Baiersbronn* Friedrichstal...
.
Geographical location
The municipality of Bad Wurzach lies in a broad lowland between the regions AllgäuAllgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
and Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...
on the edge of the so-called Wurzacher Ried (Reed of Wurzach). Its height above sea-level varies between 650 and 800 meters.
Town Classification
The municipality of Bad Wurzach consists of the following communities:- Bad Wurzach (population 5,399)
- Arnach (1,436)
- Dietmanns
Dietmanns
Dietmanns is a municipality in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria, Austria....
(791)
- Eintürnen (735)
- Gospoldshofen(619)
- Haidgau (972)
- Hauerz (1,128)
- Seibranz (1,219)
- Unterschwarzach (1,385)
- Ziegelbach (925)
Neighboring Communities
The town borders with two communities in the county BiberachBiberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
, as well as two cities and four communities in the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
. The communities are, beginning in the north and going clockwise, Eberhardzell
Eberhardzell
Eberhardzell is a town in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
and Rot an der Rot
Rot an der Rot
Rot an der Rot is a town in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The town developed out of Rot an der Rot Abbey....
in the county Biberach
Biberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
, and Aitrach
Aitrach
Aitrach is a municipality in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Aichstetten
Aichstetten
Aichstetten is a municipality in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Leutkirch im Allgäu
Leutkirch im Allgäu
Leutkirch im Allgäu is a city in south-eastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in the western, Württembergish part of the Allgäu region. It belongs to the administrative region of Tübingen....
, Kißlegg
Kißlegg
Kißlegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Kißlegg is not far from the village of Vogt. It has a beautiful church, rich in culture and beauty....
, Wolfegg
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
and Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee is a town in Upper Swabia in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in Oberschwaben. It is situated 20 km south of Biberach an der Riß, and 20 km northeast of Ravensburg. The town is known for its historic old city with many landmarks and large...
in the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg (district)
Ravensburg is a district in the south-east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bodensee, Sigmaringen and Biberach, the Bavarian urban district Memmingen and the districts Unterallgäu, Oberallgäu and Lindau.-History:The district dates back to the Oberamt Ravensburg, which was...
.
History
The town was first notarial vouched on the 13th of June in the year 1273 as "Oppidum Wurzun". On the 27th of May in 1333 "Kaiser Ludwig der Bayer Hans Truchsess von WaldburgWaldburg
Waldburg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Most notably is the medieval castle that sits atop the large hill in the town...
granted the settlement of "Wurzun" the city-rights of Memmingen
Memmingen
Memmingen is a town in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia in Germany. It is the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-Württemberg border...
, a much larger city nearby (25 kilometers). With that upgrade the town gained the rights for lower jurisdiction, the right to hold markets, and the right and duty to erect a surrounding wall to protect itself. In 1514 the "Leinwandschau" (Examination) was established. In 1515 the construction of the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten" began. Its well preserved main tracts still stand today. On April 14 in 1525 it came to a battle between peasants in the scope of the then raging Peasants' War on the "Leprosenberg" (Leper Hill) just outside the gates of the town. In the year 1637 only 19 people still lived in the town due to the effects and consequences of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and plagues. In 1675 the governance of Waldburg-Zeil
Waldburg-Zeil
Waldburg-Zeil was a County located in southeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located around Zeil. Waldburg-Zeil was a partition of Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil...
-Wurzach" was established. In 1806 the governance of Wurzach became part of the state governance of Württemberg and was allocated to the Oberamt Leutkirch (administrative district of Leutkirch), a neighboring larger town. In 1813 and 1814 during the liberation war 35,301 soldiers were being taken care of in Wurzach. The "Leprosenhaus" (Leper House) located on the aforementioned Leprosenberg functioned as military hospital for 4,003 men. In 1903 the governance of Waldburg-Zeil-Wurzach ceased to exist.
In 1904 the railway-line Rossberg-Wurzach was opened. In 1936 the first moor-bath treatments were made available in the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten". Due to the anulment of the administrative district of Leutkirch in the year 1938 Wurzach became part of the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
. In 1950 the city was granted the predicate of "Bad" along with regimen honors. With the county reform of 1972 the communities aforementioned in the town classification became part of the town of Bad Wurzach. Since 1996 the town underwent extensive restorations and repairs, as well as modernizing constructions, in the scope of a reconditioning program.
Annexation
In the course of the Gemeindegebietsreform in Baden-Württemberg (county reform of 1972 in the state of Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
) the following, up until then solitary, communities were suburbanized and became part of Bad Wurzach:
- 1 June 1972: Arnach, Eintürnen und Ziegelbach
- 1 July 1972: Hauerz
- 1 December 1972: Gospoldshofen
- 1 January 1973: Dietmanns
Dietmanns
Dietmanns is a municipality in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria, Austria....
and Haidgau
- 1 January 1975: Seibranz
Haidgau already belonged to the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
before the county reform. Unterschwarzach and Dietmanns
Dietmanns
Dietmanns is a municipality in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria, Austria....
belonged to the county Biberach
Biberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
. The other communities belonged to the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
.
History of the Suburbanized Communities
Around the year 950 a knight by the name of Berngarius de Arnanc was mentioned in a deed of donation. Until 1806 a tenth was paid to the monastery in nearby WolfeggWolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
. After the monastery was handed over to the chieftain of Waldburg-Wolfegg-Waldsee the tenth was paid to him.
Arnach was an autonomous community, belonging to the administrative district of Waldsee
Waldsee
Waldsee can refer to:*Waldsee, Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.*Bad Waldsee, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.*Waldsee , a German language summer camp in Minnesota, USA....
until 1938. After that it belonged to the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
until 1972.
Dietmanns
Dietmanns
Dietmanns is a municipality in the district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria, Austria....
used to be a priest village which formerly belonged to the shire of Wolfegg
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
. It was part of the administrative district of Waldsee
Waldsee
Waldsee can refer to:*Waldsee, Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.*Bad Waldsee, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.*Waldsee , a German language summer camp in Minnesota, USA....
from 1806 until 1938. After that it was allocated to the county Biberach
Biberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
until 1973.
Eintürnen belongs since 1500 to the shire of Wolfegg
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
. In 1824 its status was elevated to that of an autonomnous community belonging to the administrative district of Waldsee
Waldsee
Waldsee can refer to:*Waldsee, Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.*Bad Waldsee, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.*Waldsee , a German language summer camp in Minnesota, USA....
. It was part of the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
from 1938 until 1972.
Gospoldshofen The village was excluded from the town municipality of Wurzach in 1823 to become part of the administrative district of Leutkirch. Its status was subsequently elevated to that of an autonomous community. In 1938 it also became part of the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
and remained so until 1972. The chieftain "von Waldburg zu Zeil-Wurzach" once used to be the landlord of this village.
Hauerz became an autonomous community belonging to the administrative district of Leutkirch. It was part of the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
, too, from 1938 until 1972.
Haidgau This village, in earlier days also spelled Heidgau, belonged to the shire of Wolfegg
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
. It was first mentioned in a deed of the monastery of St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
in 797. It was an autonomous community belonging to the administrative district of Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee is a town in Upper Swabia in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in Oberschwaben. It is situated 20 km south of Biberach an der Riß, and 20 km northeast of Ravensburg. The town is known for its historic old city with many landmarks and large...
, and starting from 1938 to the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
.
Seibranz was once taxable for the most part by the chieftain of Waldburg-Zeil
Waldburg-Zeil
Waldburg-Zeil was a County located in southeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located around Zeil. Waldburg-Zeil was a partition of Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil...
. It used to be a community of the administrative district of Leutkirch, until it, too, shared the destiny of Arnach, Eintürnen, Gospoldshofen and Hauerz, in that it became a part of the county Wangen
Wangen
Wangen may refer to:* in Germany** Wangen im Allgäu, Ravensburg district, Baden-Württemberg** Wangen , Göppingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
in 1938. It remained so until 1975.
Unterschwarzach This village was once a priest village which belonged to the chieftain "von Waldburg-Wolfegg-Waldsee". It used to be part of the administrative district of Waldesee until 1938, and then became part of the county Biberach
Biberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
.
Ziegelbach belonged once to the shire of Wolfegg
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-Overview:It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map remained at the castle until 2001 when the...
. It was also part of the administrative district of Waldsee
Waldsee
Waldsee can refer to:*Waldsee, Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.*Bad Waldsee, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.*Waldsee , a German language summer camp in Minnesota, USA....
until 1938, and then became part of the county Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
.
Religions
The Roman Catholic Carthusian Fraternity (römisch-katholische Kartäuserorden operates a monastery, being the charterhouse "Marienau" Kartause Marienau, in Bad Wurzach.Politics
Town councilThe local election on the 7th of June 2009 delivered the following results:
1. CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
52.57% (-6.33) - 11 seats (same as the year before)
2. FWV 39.84% (-1.26) - 9 seats (same as the year before)
3. Grüne Offene Liste 7.59% (+7.59) - 1 seat (+1)
International relations
Bad Wurzach has formal town twinning links with: United Kingdom Wallingford, United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Early Modern France Luxeuil-les-BainsLuxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-History:Luxeuil was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings at the time of its destruction by the Huns under Attila in 451...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jersey St Helier, JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
Coat of arms
The city's coat of arms features a crawdad. Legend has it that the inhabitants of Wurzach back then liked that little fellow, native to the town's creek called "Wurzacher Ach", so much that they used its image as their heraldic animal.Culture and Places of Interest
Bad Wurzach lies on the Schwäbische-Bäder-Strasse (Swabian-Spa-Road) and on the Oberschwäbische-Barock-Strasse (Upper Swabian-Baroque-Street), which both pass lots of places of interest. Furthermore it lies on the Schwarzwald-Schwäbische-Alb-Allgäu-Weg (Black Forest-Swabian-Alb-Allgäu-Route).Museums:
- Leprosenhaus (Leper House). Once a leprosarium, and birth place of the painter Sepp Mahler. The museum is dedicated to the history of the leper house. The building also contains a gallery which features the paintings of Sepp Mahler.
- Käserei-Museum (Cheese Dairy Museum). The museum shows how cheese was made in the Allgäu region a hundred years ago and back in the 1930s. To finance the museum a so-called "Cheese Share" in the form of an indulgence voucher has been made available.
- Museum für klösterliche Kultur (Museum of Monasterial Culture)
- Upper Swabian Torf Museum (Peat Museum of Upper Swabia). This museum features among other things the nature trail "Auf den Spuren des Torfstechers" (On the Tracks of the Peat Cutter).
- Torfbahn im Wurzacher Ried (Peat Railway in the Reed of Wurzach). Special trips on the light railway (track width 600 mm) are available every second and fourth Sunday of each month. The tour starts at the "Zeiler Torfwerk" (peat cuttery of Zeil), located directly on Bundesstrasse B465 (federal highway B465), and ends at the "Torfwerk Haidgau (peat cuttery of Haidgau) after a stunning ride through the moor.
Civil Works
- Schloss Bad Wurzach (Castle of Bad Wurzach). The castle features an extremely well preserved baroque staircase which dates back to 1728. The castle, after the dissolution of the Roman Catholic seminary, has been used as a P.O.W camp for French officers right from the beginning of the Second World War. After the occupation of the Channel Islands, civilians from there had been brought to the castle and kept there as detainees. There was very little contact in the first few years after the war between the former deportees and Upper Swabians. The first group of visitors arrived in 1970 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their liberation. Ever since there has been lots of contact. In 2002 a twinning between the cities of Saint Helier and Bad Wurzach has been established.- Kloster "Maria Rosengarten" (Nunnery Maria Rosengarten). The nunnery features a rococo in-house chapel dating back to 1763.
- Gottesberg ( God's Hill). On the top of the hill sits a pilgrimage church. The church is home to a "Heilig-Blut" (Sacred-Blood) relic . There's an annual Blutritt (Blood-Ride) taking place on the second Friday in July, which attracts horse riders, coachmen with their chariots, and onlookers from all over the county, and even beyond.
- Kartause Marienau (Carthusian Monastery "Marienau"). This monastery is the one and only Carthusian monastery in the entire German-speaking area. It's not open to the public.
Natural Monuments
- Wurzacher Ried (Reed of Wurzach). The reed is an integral nature reserve and one of the biggest still intact high-moor areas in Europe. The cutting of peat has been completely stopped in 1997.- Wachbühl
Wachbühl
Wachbühl is a mountain of Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
. Wachbühl is a hill that rises to 791 meter above sea-level. It functions as a view point and local hiking destination.
Friedrich-Schiedel Prize for Literature
Since 1983 the city accords the Friedrich-Schiedel-LiteraturpreisFriedrich-Schiedel-Literaturpreis
Friedrich-Schiedel-Literaturpreis is a literary prize of Germany....
(Friedrich-Schiedel Prize for Literature) every two years. The event takes place in the baroque staircase of the city's castle.
Leisure and Sports Facilities
- Thermal spa with new sauna landscape- Public indoor swimming pool
- Public outdoor swimming pool in Hauerz
- Numerous circular hiking trails in the Wurzacher Ried
- Skating spot
- Several sports grounds including one with an artificial turf
- "Alpakahof" (Alpaka Farm). The Alpakahof is a petting zoo located at the edge of the integral nature preserve "Rohrsee" (Reed Lake). Its grounds cover 12 hectare, making it thererfore the biggest petting zoo of the state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
.
Economy and Infrastructure
TrafficBad Wurzach lies on the federal highway B465 (Bundesstrasse B465), which leads from Kirchheim unter Teck to Leutkirch im Allgäu. The city is connected through several bus lines with Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee
Bad Waldsee is a town in Upper Swabia in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in Oberschwaben. It is situated 20 km south of Biberach an der Riß, and 20 km northeast of Ravensburg. The town is known for its historic old city with many landmarks and large...
, Leutkirch, Isny im Allgäu
Isny im Allgäu
Isny im Allgäu is a town in south-eastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in the western, Württembergish part of the Allgäu region. For nearly 1000 years, Isny was an important town within the Holy Roman Empire...
, Ravensburg
Ravensburg
Ravensburg is a town in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre...
and Biberach
Biberach
Biberach is the name of several locations in Germany.* Biberach an der Riss, a town in Upper Swabia* Biberach , which has Biberach an der Riss as its capital* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the Ortenaukreis...
among others. It belongs to the "Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Verkehrsbund" (Lake Constanze-Upper Swabia Traffic Federation).
The railway line Rossberg-Bad Wurzach (Bahnlinie Rossberg-Bad Wurzach) had been opened in 1904 as connection to the Württembergian-Allgäu railway line (Württembergischen-Allgäubahn). After the closure through the DB Cargo AG in 2002 the city of Bad Wurzach bought the cargo railway line on the 1st of October 2004 to continue the operation of the railway together with the Connex Cargo Logistics company.
Local Companies
The biggest employer is the glassworks factory Saint-Gobain Oberland AG. The company, which now also functions as German head office, has been founded in 1946 as "Oberland Glas AG". The four factories in Germany operate under the name of the French parent company Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain S.A. is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials.The company has its head...
.
Educational institutions
The Gymnasium Salvatorkolleg is a private secondary school, which takes 9 years to graduate from and leads to a university-entrance diploma. Under urban sponsorship there are also a RealschuleRealschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
(secondary school, which takes 6 years to graduate from), a Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
(secondary school, which takes 5 years to graduate from, a full-time Werkrealschule
Werkrealschule
Werkrealschule is a relatively young branch of German secondary education , which offers pupils additional lessons in grades 8 and 9 and allows them to qualify after ten years with a final exam which is equal to graduation from Realschule....
(different type of Realschule, which also takes 6 years to graduate from), a primary and secondary school, 6 primary schools, and a Förderschule (school for students with learning disabilities). There are also 6 Roman Catholic and 5 urban Kindergartens to choose from for the parents of the city's youngest citizens.
Spa Service Bad Wurzach
The urban spa service has been founded in 1948, and allowed the city to become quickly a significant health-resort destination. Bad Wurzach is regarded as the oldest moor-spa in Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. It exists since 1936, and is the only one of its kind in the Allgäu
Allgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
region. Since the opening of the "Vitalium" in 1999 the city also features a thermal spa. The first moor-bath treatments to combat chronic musculoskeletal affections were made available in the nunnery "Maria Rosengarten". Initially those treatments were only available to women, one year later also to men. This spa service was first operated by the sister's order of Arme Schulschwestern (Poor School Sisters). These moor-bath treatments became extremely popular over the years because of their healing effects. By 1947 already 2,800 customers had a total of 7000 treatments. Nowadays 20,000 of these treatments take place per year. Due to capacity problems and steadily increasing demand the "Kurmittelhaus" (Therapeutic Appliance House) had been opened on "Parkstrasse" (Park Street) in 1948.
In 1950 the city was granted the predicate "Bad". This prefix of the city's name indicates that there is a bath house
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
, more specifically a therapeutic bath house, present. In Bad Wurzach it is the "Moorheilbad" (Therapeutic Moor-Bath House). In the federal republic of Germany the protected prefix "Bad" can be carried only by cities with a state-approved therapeutic bath house. In 1968 the Kurmittelhaus on Parkstrasse had gotten too small, too. Therefore the city decided to build another Kurmittelhaus, located on the slope of a small hill by the name "Reischberg", within the city. In 1977 the "Kurhotel Moorsanatorium Reischberg" (Regimen Hotel Moor-Sanatorium Reischberg) opened its doors, and was able to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2007. The construction of the "Vitalium", a health and wellness
Wellness (alternative medicine)
Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D., began using the phrase high level wellness in the 1950s...
facility, in 1999 extended the touristic health and relaxation possibilities yet again, and increased the attractiveness of the Moorheilbad. The Vitalium underwent extensive structural alteration works in 2007. Added were an outdoor thermal-pool, a generous sauna landscape, and a so-called "Wohlfühlhaus" (Feel Well House) for wellness
Wellness (alternative medicine)
Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D., began using the phrase high level wellness in the 1950s...
treatments. The urban spa service of Bad Wurzach is an owner-operated municipal enterprise. It consists of the health center with its attached Vitalium, the regimen hotel Moorsanatorium Reischberg, the Therapeutic Appliance House on the edge of the "Kurpark" (Regimen Park), the public indoor swimming pool, the public outdoor moor pool, and the "Kurverwaltung" (Regimen administration). The administration of the entire enterprise is managed by the head office "Kurbetriebsverwaltung". (Regimen Business Administration).
Celebrities
The City's Sons and Daughters- Franz-Xaver Schnitzer (1740–1785), composer and organist
- Clemens Högg (1780–1845), SPD politician and member of parliament in Bavaria
- Oskar Graf (1782–1842), politician and member of parliament in Baden.
- Carl-Joseph Leiprecht (1903–1981), bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart
Formerly Locally Active People
- Father Agnellus Schneider (1913–2007). Father Agnellius was a writer and environmentalist who lived and worked in Bad Wurzach. He fought for the preservation of the city's moor.