Mindelheim
Encyclopedia
Mindelheim is a town in the German
Bundesland
of Bavaria
. The town is the capital of the Unterallgäu
district. At various points in history it was the chief settlement of an eponymous state.
. Other towns nearby are Memmingen
or the health resorts
of Bad Grönenbach
, Ottobeuren
or Bad Wörishofen
.
Mindelheim is located close to the Autobahn 96
leading from Munich to Lindau
. Furthermore, it is connected to the railway line between Zurich
and Munich via Lindau, Memmingen and Buchloe
.
On 18 November 1705, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
was made Prince of Mindelheim by Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
. Marlborough was invested at an imperial Diet
in Innsbruck
on the 24 May 1706. Mindelheim had been bought by an Elector
of Bavaria in the 16th century. It was confiscated from Elector Max Emmanuel
in 1704 for his treachery, and effectively occupied after the Battle of Blenheim
.
The Principality of Mindelheim was situated south of the Danube
, 28 miles (45.1 km) south-west of Augsburg
, and 48 miles (77.2 km) west of München. It covered an area of about 15 square miles (38.8 km²) and had an income of £2,000. Marlborough had to meet the cost of investiture
, which was reduced to £4,500 from the usual £12–15,000. He also avoided paying the wartime imperial tax of £6,000.
The King of Prussia
, through his representative the prince of Anhalt-Dessau
, moved that the title should descend successively to all the heirs of Marlborough’s body. But the princes were opposed. The lack of a male heir would prevent the Churchills becoming hereditary princes of the empire, and was essential to their agreement. Thus no special remainder was provided.
Marlborough visited Mindelheim in late May 1713, receiving royal honours from his subjects. But the fate of the principality, and of Marlborough's effective sovereignty
, depended upon the ultimate peace treaty. Mindelheim was lost 1714 to the Elector of Bavaria under the Treaty of Utrecht
, but Marlborough had already been compensated by receiving the Principality of Mellenburg
.
.
Like many other German cities, Mindelheim used to be surrounded by a city wall. As in most cases, this wall is now incomplete as it was partially torn down in the 19th century to make room for modern buildings. Nevertheless, the remaining parts of the wall and some gates give a good impression of the original state.
Besides the old town center, the castle
Mindelburg — now housing a restaurant and a publishing company — used to guard over the town in old times. The castle as well was not changed much in the last centuries. The complete annex displays the typical structure of a European fortress, including a donjon. This architectural ensemble is used to stage several festivals and markets.
Several museums and picture galleries are situated in Mindelheim as well; there is an ethnic art (Chinese, African, Arab) museum in Oberauerbach.
with several Europe
an towns:
Bourg-de-Péage
, France
, since 1961 East Grinstead
, United Kingdom
, since 1994 Sant Feliu de Guixols
, Spain
, since 1994 Schwaz
, Austria
, since 1990 Tramin, Italy
, since 1994 Verbania
, Italy
, since 1994
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...
Bundesland
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The town is the capital of the Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu is a Kreis in the southwestern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neu-Ulm, Günzburg, Augsburg, Ostallgäu, Oberallgäu, and the districts Ravensburg und Biberach in Baden-Württemberg. The district-free city Memmingen in the west of the district is nearly surrounded by...
district. At various points in history it was the chief settlement of an eponymous state.
Geography
Mindelheim is located about 90 km west of the Bavarian capital of MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. Other towns nearby are 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...
or the health resorts
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
of Bad Grönenbach
Bad Grönenbach
Bad Grönenbach is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany....
, Ottobeuren
Ottobeuren
Ottobeuren is a municipality in Bavaria, Germany, located 10 km southeast of Memmingen near the A7. It is famous for Ottobeuren Abbey, situated next to the Basilica....
or Bad Wörishofen
Bad Wörishofen
Bad Wörishofen is a spa town in the district Unterallgäu, Bavaria Germany known for the water-cure developed by Sebastian Kneipp , a Catholic priest, who lived there for 42 years...
.
Mindelheim is located close to the Autobahn 96
Bundesautobahn 96
is a motorway in southern Germany, leading from the Austrian border near Lindau through Memmingen, Landsberg am Lech to Munich. Two European routes lead through the autobahn: E 43 and E 54....
leading from Munich to Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
. Furthermore, it is connected to the railway line between Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Munich via Lindau, Memmingen and Buchloe
Buchloe
Buchloe is a community raised to city status in 1954, lying in Ostallgäu district in Bavaria. Together with the neighbouring communities of Jengen, Lamerdingen and Waal, Buchloe belongs to the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft of Buchloe.-Geography and transport:Buchloe lies right on Bundesautobahn 96 ...
.
History
In 1365, the Dukes of Teck-Owen came into the possession of Mindelheim but had to sell their heritage around the castle Teck to the Counts of Württemberg. The last member of that line, Louis of Teck, Patriarch of Aquileia since 1412, died in 1439.On 18 November 1705, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
was made Prince of Mindelheim by Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
. Marlborough was invested at an imperial Diet
Imperial Diet
Imperial Diet means the highest representative assembly in an empire, notably:* the historic institution of the Imperial Diet , either the estates in the Holy Roman Empire...
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
on the 24 May 1706. Mindelheim had been bought by an Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of Bavaria in the 16th century. It was confiscated from Elector Max Emmanuel
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian II , also known as Max Emanuel or Maximilian Emanuel, was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector of the Holy Roman Empire. He was also the last Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and duke of Luxembourg...
in 1704 for his treachery, and effectively occupied after the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
.
The Principality of Mindelheim was situated south of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, 28 miles (45.1 km) south-west of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, and 48 miles (77.2 km) west of München. It covered an area of about 15 square miles (38.8 km²) and had an income of £2,000. Marlborough had to meet the cost of investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
, which was reduced to £4,500 from the usual £12–15,000. He also avoided paying the wartime imperial tax of £6,000.
The King of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, through his representative the prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
, moved that the title should descend successively to all the heirs of Marlborough’s body. But the princes were opposed. The lack of a male heir would prevent the Churchills becoming hereditary princes of the empire, and was essential to their agreement. Thus no special remainder was provided.
Marlborough visited Mindelheim in late May 1713, receiving royal honours from his subjects. But the fate of the principality, and of Marlborough's effective sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, depended upon the ultimate peace treaty. Mindelheim was lost 1714 to the Elector of Bavaria under the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, but Marlborough had already been compensated by receiving the Principality of Mellenburg
Principality of Mellenburg
Mellenburg was a county of Upper Austria which was elevated into a principality by Emperor Charles VI for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, after the Treaty of Utrecht led to the loss of his Principality of Mindelheim....
.
Main sights
The picturesque town center of Mindelheim reflects the typical structure of a medieval settlement. The most important municipal buildings such as the town hall or churches are arranged around a central market squareMarket square
The market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day....
.
Like many other German cities, Mindelheim used to be surrounded by a city wall. As in most cases, this wall is now incomplete as it was partially torn down in the 19th century to make room for modern buildings. Nevertheless, the remaining parts of the wall and some gates give a good impression of the original state.
Besides the old town center, the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
Mindelburg — now housing a restaurant and a publishing company — used to guard over the town in old times. The castle as well was not changed much in the last centuries. The complete annex displays the typical structure of a European fortress, including a donjon. This architectural ensemble is used to stage several festivals and markets.
Several museums and picture galleries are situated in Mindelheim as well; there is an ethnic art (Chinese, African, Arab) museum in Oberauerbach.
Twin towns
Mindelheim is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with several 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...
an towns:
Bourg-de-Péage
Bourg-de-Péage
Bourg-de-Péage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-International relations:Bourg-de-Péage is twinned with: Schwaz, Austria Mindelheim, Germany Verbania, Italy Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain East Grinstead, United Kingdom-References:*...
, 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...
, since 1961 East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, United Kingdom
United 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...
, since 1994 Sant Feliu de Guixols
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Sant Feliu de Guíxols is a municipality in the comarca of the Baix Empordà inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the Costa Brava and is an important port and tourist centre. The district abuts to the north, the upmarket s'Agaró resort built round the Sant Pol Beach. In addition to tourism and the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, since 1994 Schwaz
Schwaz
Schwaz is a city in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district . Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley, and has a population of about 13,000....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, since 1990 Tramin, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1994 Verbania
Verbania
Verbania is a city and comune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, in northwest Italy, about north-west of Milan and about from Locarno in Switzerland.-Overview:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1994
See also
- Principality of Mindelheim