Winnenden
Encyclopedia
Winnenden is a small town in the Rems-Murr district of the Stuttgart Region
in Baden-Württemberg
in southwest Germany
. It lies in a wine-growing area approx. 20 km (12.4 mi) northeast of Stuttgart
and has a population of less than 28,000. The town is home to the Kärcher
Company, makers of cleaning equipment namely pressure washers.
held the castle in the town. Around 1200 the castle, which was then called Windin, came into the possession of Heinrich of Neuffen. In 1277 it was transferred to Konrad von Weinsberg. On 10 October 1325 the castle and town were sold to Württemberg
.
In the German Peasants' War
Winnenden was first under the control of the Armer Konrad or the peasants' army, but by 1519 it was under the control of the Swabian League
. In 1616 an epidemic took the lives of approximately half of the population of Winnenden. During the Thirty Years' War
the city was pillaged twice, in 1638 and 1643, and Imperial
, French, and Swedish troops occasionally occupied Winnenden during this conflict. Around the same time the town's castle became the seat of the Württemberg-Winnental
line of the House of Württemberg
.
In March 2008, Winnenden and the nearby town of Backnang jointly hosted the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
in cooperation with the German Debating Society. The competition was conducted at one of Winnenden's high schools, the Lessinggymnasium, and at a high school in Backnang, the Max-Borngymnasium.
(10 seats), voter Free Association (8), SPD
(5), and Green Alternative List
(3)
state, most of the victims at the school were female. Eight female students, three female teachers, and one male student were killed.
, Germany
. Breuningsweiler has about 1000 inhabitants.
Stuttgart Region
Stuttgart Region is a metropolitan area in Germany and consists of the city of Stuttgart and the surrounding districts of Ludwigsburg, Esslingen, Böblingen, Rems-Murr and Göppingen . About 2.7 million inhabitants live in that area...
in 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 southwest 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 lies in a wine-growing area approx. 20 km (12.4 mi) northeast of 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 ....
and has a population of less than 28,000. The town is home to the Kärcher
Kärcher
Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of cleaning systems and equipment, known for its high-pressure cleaners.- History :The inventor Alfred Kärcher from Baden-Württemberg founded the company in 1935. Initially Kärcher specialised in the design of industrial submersible heating...
Company, makers of cleaning equipment namely pressure washers.
History
The earliest record of Winnenden is found in a document of 1181 where Gottfried of Schauenburg-Winnenden is mentioned as a witness testifying that Emperor Friedrich IFrederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
held the castle in the town. Around 1200 the castle, which was then called Windin, came into the possession of Heinrich of Neuffen. In 1277 it was transferred to Konrad von Weinsberg. On 10 October 1325 the castle and town were sold to 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....
.
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...
Winnenden was first under the control of the Armer Konrad or the peasants' army, but by 1519 it was under the control of the Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
. In 1616 an epidemic took the lives of approximately half of the population of Winnenden. During 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....
the city was pillaged twice, in 1638 and 1643, and Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, French, and Swedish troops occasionally occupied Winnenden during this conflict. Around the same time the town's castle became the seat of the Württemberg-Winnental
Württemberg-Winnental
Württemberg-Winnental was a branch of the House of Württemberg. It only existed from 1677 to 1733 and was based at the Schloss Winnental in Winnenden....
line of the House of Württemberg
House of Württemberg
The Württemberg family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Württemberg. The House has its origins, according to recent research, probably in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty.-History:...
.
In March 2008, Winnenden and the nearby town of Backnang jointly hosted the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
The World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships is an annual international English language debating and public speaking tournament for individual high school-level students representing different countries. It occurs during a five-day period in late March and involves 180 to 200...
in cooperation with the German Debating Society. The competition was conducted at one of Winnenden's high schools, the Lessinggymnasium, and at a high school in Backnang, the Max-Borngymnasium.
Politics
The following parties constitute the city council according to the 2004 municipal elections: the CDUChristian 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...
(10 seats), voter Free Association (8), SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(5), and Green Alternative List
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
(3)
2009 School shooting incident
On 11 March 2009, the town made international headlines following a school shooting at the Albertville-Realschule, one of Winnenden's secondary schools. The gunman was a former pupil who opened fire without warning. The shooting resulted in the death of 16 people and the attacker committed suicide. According to Heribert Rech, interior minister for 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...
state, most of the victims at the school were female. Eight female students, three female teachers, and one male student were killed.
Breuningsweiler
Since 1972, Breuningsweiler is a district of Winnenden 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...
, 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...
. Breuningsweiler has about 1000 inhabitants.
History
- 1293 The village was first mentioned on 22 July 1293. At that time the abbey of LorchLorch (Württemberg)Lorch is a small town situated in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Rems, 8 km west of Schwäbisch Gmünd.Friedrich Schiller lived here as a child between 1764 and 1766....
agreed with Graf Eberhard to protect "Bruningswilar", as it was called then. - 1443 the Schenkin of Winnenden inherited "Bruningswilar".
- 1542 15 families lived in Breuningsweiler.
- 1600 the village had 30 households with 150 people living there.
- 1829 the town hallSeat of local governmentIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
was built. - 1886 The fire departmentFire departmentA fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
was founded. - 1909 the "Brestling" (strawberry) was brought to Breuningsweiler. As a result, Breuningsweiler is also known as "Brestlingsweiler".
- 1911 Breuningsweiler got electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. - 1922/1923 The church was built.
- 1939 The censusCensusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of population from 1939 showed that 293 people lived in Breuningsweiler. - 1968 The fire department of Breuningsweiler acquired a fire engine.
- 1970 The gymnasium was built by the sports club.
- 1972 Breuningsweiler was suburbSuburbThe word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
anized to Winnenden on the 1 January 1972. - 1973 The dedication of the new church.