Neckarwestheim
Encyclopedia
Neckarwestheim is a municipality
with 3524 inhabitants in the Heilbronn
district, Baden-Württemberg
, in south-west Germany
. It is located on the Neckar
river and is well known as the location of a nuclear power station.
.
(both in the same district), Großbottwar
, Mundelsheim
, Besigheim
, Gemmrigheim
and Kirchheim (Neckar) (all of the district of Ludwigsburg).
Henry V
called Westheim. In 1673 the region was called Württemberg
and the town was renamed to Kaltenwesten. On August 19, 1884 it was renamed in Neckarwestheim by a royal decree. In 1938 the district was named Heilbronn.
After World War II
the currently agricultural town received many refugees and exiles of the East. In the 1970s, the nuclear power station of Neckarwestheim was built on the previous area of a quarry. The taxes on this new power station enriched the municipal finances.
In 1995, Neckarwestheim was at the centre of attention in an internationally-known scandal. The previous mayor, Horst Armbrust, was accused of having embezzled more than 40 million DM of the municipal funds. He put this money in different dubious investments and hoped for high yields. However, the money disappeared nearly without a trace. Armbrust was arrested and committed for trial on February 8, 1995. On January 24, 1996, he was sentenced by the Stuttgart district court to 8 and a half years in prison for unfaithfulness and falsification of a document. On May 17, 1999, the Konstanz district court imposed this suspended sentence. By February 2005 the municipality succeeded in getting back around 13 million €. The court costs amount to 2 million €.
Further member of the district council and its chairman is the mayor.
: In a split sign, in front a green wreath, behind in green a silver spade.
The flag of the municipality is green and white.
The spade was already shown in a seal of 1684. Until 1938 there was an arms with split sign and three branches. After the branches were replaced by the wreath of the 1684's arms. Simultaneous arms and flag were laid down and bestowed by the ministry of the interior on March 4, 1963.
municipality Ceton
in the Department Orne
.
.
and the B27. The nearest stations are located in Lauffen (Neckar) and Kirchheim (Neckar).
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
with 3524 inhabitants in the Heilbronn
Heilbronn (district)
Heilbronn is a district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, Schwäbisch Hall, Rems-Murr, Ludwigsburg, Enz, Karlsruhe and Rhein-Neckar...
district, 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...
, in south-west Germany
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...
. It is located on the Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
river and is well known as the location of a nuclear power station.
Geographical position
Neckarwestheim is located in the south of the District of HeilbronnHeilbronn (district)
Heilbronn is a district in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, Schwäbisch Hall, Rems-Murr, Ludwigsburg, Enz, Karlsruhe and Rhein-Neckar...
.
Neighbouring municipalities
Neighbouring towns and municipalities of Neckarwestheim are (clockwise): Lauffen (Neckar), IlsfeldIlsfeld
Ilsfeld is a town in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Ilsfeld is twinned with Ottery St Mary , Auenstein and Moşna ....
(both in the same district), Großbottwar
Großbottwar
Großbottwar is a town in the Ludwigsburg district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It sits within the Neckar River basin and is located on a tourist route through the Württemberg wine region. The Großbottwar region has been inhabited since at least the Stone Age and was occupied by the Romans...
, Mundelsheim
Mundelsheim
Mundelsheim is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is situated on the Neckar river, which flows into the Rhine. It is situated in the northern portion of the district of Ludwigsburg and borders the southern edge of the district of Heilbronn....
, Besigheim
Besigheim
Besigheim is a municipality in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.It is situated 13 km north of Ludwigsburg at the confluence of the Neckar and Enz rivers. The town has many old buildings and a town hall that dates back to 1459...
, Gemmrigheim
Gemmrigheim
Gemmrigheim is a German village in the district of Ludwigsburg, in the administrative region of Stuttgart, in Baden-Württemberg....
and Kirchheim (Neckar) (all of the district of Ludwigsburg).
History
Neckarwestheim was first mentioned on March 5, 1123 in a document of Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
called Westheim. In 1673 the region was called Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
and the town was renamed to Kaltenwesten. On August 19, 1884 it was renamed in Neckarwestheim by a royal decree. In 1938 the district was named Heilbronn.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the currently agricultural town received many refugees and exiles of the East. In the 1970s, the nuclear power station of Neckarwestheim was built on the previous area of a quarry. The taxes on this new power station enriched the municipal finances.
In 1995, Neckarwestheim was at the centre of attention in an internationally-known scandal. The previous mayor, Horst Armbrust, was accused of having embezzled more than 40 million DM of the municipal funds. He put this money in different dubious investments and hoped for high yields. However, the money disappeared nearly without a trace. Armbrust was arrested and committed for trial on February 8, 1995. On January 24, 1996, he was sentenced by the Stuttgart district court to 8 and a half years in prison for unfaithfulness and falsification of a document. On May 17, 1999, the Konstanz district court imposed this suspended sentence. By February 2005 the municipality succeeded in getting back around 13 million €. The court costs amount to 2 million €.
Religions
There is a separate Protestant parish in Neckarwestheim. The Catholic parish of Lauffen am Neckar is responsible for its Catholic Christians.Nuclear power station
Neckarwestheim is the location of the nuclear power station Neckar (GKN) which has two pressurized water reactors, rated 741 and 1365 MW.District council
In the communal election of June 13, 2004, the district council of Neckarwestheim got 12 seats. The result is as follows:- CDU: 39.2% (-2.3), 5 seats (=)
- SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
: 33.5% (+3.4), 4 seats (=) - Freie Bürgerbewegung Neckarwestheim: 27.3% (-1.0), 3 seats (=)
Further member of the district council and its chairman is the mayor.
Arms and flag
BlazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
: In a split sign, in front a green wreath, behind in green a silver spade.
The flag of the municipality is green and white.
The spade was already shown in a seal of 1684. Until 1938 there was an arms with split sign and three branches. After the branches were replaced by the wreath of the 1684's arms. Simultaneous arms and flag were laid down and bestowed by the ministry of the interior on March 4, 1963.
Twin town
Neckarwestheim maintains a partnership with the FrenchFrance
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...
municipality Ceton
Ceton
Ceton is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.-Heraldry:...
in the Department Orne
Orne
Orne is a department in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne.- History :Orne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution, on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Normandy and Perche.- Geography :Orne is in the region of...
.
Buildings
Liebenstein Castle was built in 1120. In 1982 it was bought by the municipality and passed on to an association. There is now a restaurant and a hotel at the castle. Next to the castle is a golf course.Economy and infrastructure
The most important enterprise of Neckarwestheim is its nuclear power station carried on by the EnBWEnBW
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly traded electric utilities company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.-History:...
.
Wine-growing
150 wine-growers of Neckarwestheim and Ilsfeld's district Schozach joined together to the Wine-growing community Neckarwestheim eG. Neckarwestheim belongs to the wine area of Württemberg.Traffic
Neckarwestheim is located near the A81Bundesautobahn 81
is a motorway in Germany. It branches off the A 3 at the Würzburg-West triangle and ends near the border to Switzerland.The oldest part of the A 81 between the Weinsberg intersection near Heilbronn and the Leonberg triangle near Stuttgart was finished in the years 1938 to 1940...
and the B27. The nearest stations are located in Lauffen (Neckar) and Kirchheim (Neckar).
Education
In the town there's a primary school. The local library has around 13,000 media at its disposal. Apart from three communal kindergartens there is also a Protestant one in the town.External links
- http://www.neckarwestheim.de The official website of the town (in German).