Weißenhorn
Encyclopedia
Neu-Ulm (district)
Neu-Ulm is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Günzburg and Unterallgäu and the state of Baden-Württemberg ....
in 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...
. Weissenhorn lies about 22 km southeast of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
at the river "Roth".
History
Archaeologic founds proved, that the area of Weißenhorn was once a settlement of the AlamanniAlamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
. Also roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
founds and founds of the Stone Age are proven.
Weißenhorn was first mentioned in 1160 as villa Wizzenhorn. Starting from the thirteenth century Weißenhorn was seat of a line from the aristocratic house of the Neuffen. When it expired in 1342, Weißenhorn came into possession of the dukes of Bavaria
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
, which had pawned Weißenhorn during the most time. 1473 Louis IX of Bavaria
Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria
Louis IX , was Duke of Bavaria-Landshut from 1450. He was a son of Henry XVI the Rich and Margaret of Austria.-Biography:Louis succeeded his father in 1450...
held court in Weißenhorn. During the Landshut War of Succession
Landshut War of Succession
The Landshut War of Succession resulted from an agreement between the duchies of Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut . The agreement concerned the law of succession when one of the two Dukes should die without a male heir...
Weißenhorn came into possession of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
and became a provincial city of Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
. Maximilian transferred the possession to Jacob Fugger
Jacob Fugger
Jacob Fugger , sometimes known as Jacob Fugger the Rich, was a German banker and a member of the Fugger family.- Biography :...
in 1507, due to Weißenhorns delivered and reconfirmed privileges the sovereignty rights however remained with Austria. The Fugger
Fugger
The Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists like the Welser and the Höchstetter families. This banking family replaced the de'...
family, which held rule over centuries, promoted the local barchent weaving mill and made Weißenhorn into a flourishing commercial town. Besides 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...
Weißenhorn is the only town, which is allowed to carry the title of "Fuggerstadt".
In the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
the town was attacked at 1 April 1525 by 12,000 farmers, led by their Captain Jörg von Ingstetten ("Bauern-Jörgl"), which spared the town after successful defense of the citizen and attacked the neighbouring Roggenburg Abbey
Roggenburg Abbey
Roggenburg Abbey is a Premonstratensian canonry in Roggenburg near Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, in operation between 1126 and 1802, and again from its re-foundation in 1986. Since 1992 it has been an independent priory of Windberg Abbey in Lower Bavaria...
.
The known bandit and murderer Matthias Klostermayr alias "The Bavarian Hiasl", who was up to mischief in the 18th century, was nearly imprisoned by the police of Roggenburg.
After the Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
in 1805 Weißenhorn was mediatised
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
back to Bavaria.
The gothic and later in the baroque style expanded church collapsed during the Wednesday liturgy on 22 February 1859, which resulted in eleven deaths. The cause for that was a too heavy basin for holy water, which was mounted on one of the main pillars. The discussion about the building of a new church lasted until 1872. On recommendation of Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
the head of the municipal planning and building control office of Munich, Knight August von Voith, became the task to plan the building. The parish church, sacred to the Assumption of Mary
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
, was built in the Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. The city wall has been broken off for this.
1862 the district court of Roggenburg and the police of Illertissen
Illertissen
Illertissen is a town in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. It is situated approximately 20 km south from Ulm nearby the river Iller.-Coat of arms:...
were moved to Weißenhorn in order to the establishment of the Bezirksamt (district office) of Illertissen, which improved the central position of the city in the Roth valley. With the opening of the secondary train line through Senden
Senden
The town of Senden is the second-largest town of the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and is located at the border to Baden-Württemberg. The town belongs to the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund...
in 1880 an active structural and economic development began.
Weißenhorn was - except for two airstrikes at the Wehrmacht's gasoline depot in the Eschach forest - mostly spared from the Second World War
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...
. It escaped the destruction through the U.S. Army by a non-official capitulation, which was showed by a white banner at the church tower. Therefore the historic city is mostly preserved.
Religions
- Roman Catholics: 88%
- Protestants: 11%
- Other (Islamic, newapostolic and others): <= 1%
Politics
Parties present in the town council:- CSU (Christian-social Union in Bavaria)
- SPD (Social-democratic Party of Germany)
- WüW (Weißenhorn non-partisan electors)
- B90/Grüne (Alliance 90/The Greens)
The parliament has 24 seats, the CSU is the biggest faction (45%).
Economics
The economic life was until after 1945 shaped by smallurban structure relating to crafts. After 1945 big industry companies settled in Weissenhorn. The today biggest employer, the company PERI GmbHPERI GmbH
With a turnover of 825 million euros in 2010, the German company is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems worldwide. The company's headquarter is located in Weißenhorn, Germany...
(Formwork and Scaffolding), today world market leader, began in 1969.
Also there is the aluminium fusion work "Oettinger" and several medium-size and small companies.
Traffic
The secondary train line Weißenhorn – Senden (9.6 km) was opened at 15 September 1878 and connected Weißenhorn to the primary line Ulm – MemmingenMemmingen
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...
. The passenger traffic was stopped 1966.
Weißenhorn is connected to Ulm and the region through bus lines and has an exit (123) at the Bundesautobahn 7.
Education
- 2 elementary schools
- 1 primary school
- 1 promotion school
- 1 urban six-form high school
- The Nikolaus Kopernikus high school
- 1 urban music school
- 1 Catholic library in the Christopherus house
- 1 public library
Partnerships between cities
Weißenhorn has no official partnership, but maintains through the partnership of the district of Neu-Ulm good contacts to the market municipality Prad am Stilfser JochPrad am Stilfser Joch
Prad am Stilfser Joch is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 70 km northwest of the city of Trento and about 60 km west of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Switzerland, and near the Stelvio Pass.-Geography:As of 30 November...
in South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
(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...
).
The Nikolaus-Kopernikus-Gymnasium in Weissenhorn participates in the German American Partnership Program with Denton High School in Denton, Texas. The exchange began in 2006. Students from the partner schools spend three weeks in each other's homes during the exchange.
Arrangement
Beside the center town Weißenhorn there are the following quarters:- Attenhofen
- Biberachzell (with Asch)
- Bubenhausen
- Emershofen
- Grafertshofen
- Hegelhofen
- Oberhausen
- Oberreichenbach
- Unterreichenbach
- Wallenhausen (in the valley of the Osterbach brook)
Neighbour municipalities
- Vöhringen
- SendenSendenThe town of Senden is the second-largest town of the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and is located at the border to Baden-Württemberg. The town belongs to the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund...
, BellenbergBellenbergBellenberg is a municipality in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria in Germany....
and IllertissenIllertissenIllertissen is a town in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. It is situated approximately 20 km south from Ulm nearby the river Iller.-Coat of arms:...
in the west - BuchBuchBuch is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.-Coat of arms:The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules an Orb Argent banded Or and crossed of the second.-Geography:...
and RoggenburgRoggenburg, GermanyRoggenburg is a municipality in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria in Germany.Roggenburg is known for the Roggenburg Abbey, which is used today by the Premonstratensians...
in the south - BibertalBibertalBibertal is a municipality in the district of Günzburg in Bavaria in Germany.-External links:*...
and IchenhausenIchenhausenIchenhausen is a town in the district of Günzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Günz, 9 km south of Günzburg....
in the east - Pfaffenhofen an der RothPfaffenhofen an der RothPfaffenhofen an der Roth is a municipality in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria in Germany. Its most famous son is Hermann Köhl, an aviation pioneer of the 1920s.-Geography:...
in the north
Theatre
- Historc town theatre, built in 1876 through the change of a tenth barn from the 16th century. It was reconditioned in 1922 and again in 1979 and is one of the few good kept smallurban citizen-theatres from the 19th century. With only 150 seats it is the smallest in historical condition kept theatre inb Bavaria and is used by groups of laymen and by the south-German chamber opera.
Museums
- Weißenhorner Heimatmuseum, (Local history museum) Collection for the town- and region history, founded 1908, 1992-1996 new conceived
- Archaeologic Museumhttp://www.bsnu.nu.by.schule.de/hsweis/wh_neu/archaeo/archaeo.htm, pre- and early-historical collection
Buildings
The old part of Weißenhorn is mostly kept in historical condition. Medieval citizen houses, some in framework construction, stately pubs and buildings from the 19th century show the tradition of a commercial town. The medieval wall was cleared away until 1837, the Oberes Tor (Upper Gate), the Unteres Tor (Lower Gate) and the Prügelturm (Flogging tower) were however kept.- The church place is framed by many sightseeing objects:
- Upper Gate with two round towers, built around 1470
- City hall, built 1761
- Neuffen Château (Old Château), built 1460
- Fugger Château (New Château), built 1513
- Fugger Brewing House, built 1565
- City Parish Church Mariä Himmelfahrt, built around 1872 in the style of the neoromanic from
- Other worth seeing buildings are:
- Schranne (Old City Hall), built around 1390, extended 1584
- Heilig-Geist-Church, built around 1470
- Lower Gate, built around 1470
Regularly events
- Leonhardi-Ride on 6 November, rider pro assignment in honours of the holy Leonhard of Limoges
- Parish party of the Catholic church community in June
- Protestantic Community party at the last Sunday before the summer holidays
- Carnival-Tuesday-Parade at Tuesday after Rose Monday
Personalities
- Nikolaus Thoman (* around 1457, † around 1545), kaplan and chronicle (Weißenhorn History)
- Sebastian SailerSebastian SailerSebastian Sailer , born Johann Valentin Sailer, was a German Premonstratensian Baroque preacher and writer...
(1714–1777), premonstratensian choir Leader, prayer and swabian dialect poet - Franz Martin Kuen (1719–1771), painter
- Konrad HuberKonrad HuberKonrad Walentin Huber was a Finnish sport shooter who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics....
(1752–1831), painter - Anton von Henle (1902–1927), bishop of PassauPassauPassau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
and RegensburgRegensburgRegensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate... - Wilfried Hiller (1941– ), composer
Literatur
- Joseph Holl: Geschichte der Stadt Weißenhorn. Kempten 1904. Reproduction: Konrad, Weißenhorn 1983