92-558: The Radolfzell–Mengen railway (also called in German the Hegau-Ablachtal-Bahn —Hegau–Ablach Valley Railway) is a branch line in the German state of Baden-Württemberg . It runs from Radolfzell via Stockach to Mengen . The line was built as a mainline connection from Ulm via Lake Constance ( Bodensee ) to Switzerland. Regular passenger services were abandoned between 1972 and 1982. Passenger services were reactivated on
184-616: A Frankish invasion led by Clovis I . The Holy Roman Empire was later established. The majority of people in this region continued to be Roman Catholics, even after the Protestant Reformation influenced populations in northern Germany. In the late 18th and early 19th century, Künzelsau , the capital of the Hohenlohe district , became the centre of emigration to the UK of pork butchers and bacon factors. The pioneers noticed
276-547: A German state ( Land ) in Southwest Germany , east of the Rhine , which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France . With more than 11.07 million inhabitants as of 2019 across a total area of nearly 35,752 km (13,804 sq mi), it is the third-largest German state by both area (behind Bavaria and Lower Saxony ) and population (behind North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria). As
368-539: A federated state , Baden-Württemberg is a partly-sovereign parliamentary republic . The largest city in Baden-Württemberg is the state capital of Stuttgart , followed by Mannheim and Karlsruhe . Other major cities are Freiburg im Breisgau , Heidelberg , Heilbronn , Pforzheim , Reutlingen , Tübingen , and Ulm . Modern Baden-Württemberg includes the historical territories of Baden , Prussian Hohenzollern , and Württemberg . Baden-Württemberg became
460-615: A connection of the railways of neighbouring countries to the Hohenzollern Province in Hechingen without having to build its own rail network. There was local resistance to the construction of branch lines from Meßkirch to Pfullendorf and from Meßkirch to Tuttlingen, although the route of the latter line had already been marked out. The engineer Robert Gerwig , who had designed the Black Forest Railway and
552-507: A dozen Fachhochschulen , i.e., universities of applied sciences, as well as Pädagogische Hochschulen , i.e., teacher training colleges, and other institutions of tertiary education in Baden-Württemberg. Pforzheim University is one of the oldest Fachhochschulen in Germany which is renowned and highly ranked for its Engineering and MBA programs. The state has the highest density of universities of any state in Germany. Railways form
644-558: A fast pair of trains was introduced, requiring 100 minutes to run from Radolfzell via Mengen to Ulm, but in 1875 it was abandoned for lack of profitability as there was little demand. In 1879, the Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway was downgraded to a branch line. The whole line was now served by local trains, which stopped at all stations. In the Second World War the Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway was involved in
736-811: A link through the Ostalb from Aalen to Ulm, but did not achieve this aim until 1875/76. The spa town of Wildbad in the Black Forest was linked in 1868 to the Enz Valley Railway at the junction of Pforzheim in Baden. From Heilbronn the Lower Neckar line was extended in 1866 to Jagstfeld and from there 3 years later the line was extended as the Lower Jagst Valley Railway to Osterburken ; in both stations further links to
828-481: A major part of the transport infrastructure in Baden-Württemberg. As of 2017, the main standard gauge railway network managed by DB Netz consists of about 3,350 kilometres (2,080 mi) of railway lines connecting all major settlements of the state, with about 6,500 trains operating every day. As part of high-speed rail in Germany , the Mannheim–Stuttgart and Stuttgart–Ulm high-speed lines were built, and
920-521: A niche for speciality pork products in the rapidly growing English cities, especially those in the industrial centre and North. Many married local women and sent word home that a good living could be made in England; others followed. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous people emigrated from this primarily rural area to the United States for economic reasons. At the beginning of
1012-511: A proposal for the construction of a railway line between Ulm, Lake Constance and the Black Forest. Railway committees were established in all the cities on the planned route. These committees planned a new line from Ulm via Ehingen , Riedlingen , Mengen, Meßkirch, Stockach, Radolfzell, Singen , Schaffhausen , Waldshut and Säckingen to Basel and a branch from Meßkirch via Tuttlingen and Donaueschingen to Freiburg and beyond via
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#17327902477871104-528: A sovereign country (2020), it would have an economy comparable to that of Sweden in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP). A number of well-known enterprises are headquartered in the state, for example Mercedes-Benz Group , Porsche , Robert Bosch GmbH (automobile industry), Carl Zeiss AG (optics), SAP (Europe's most valuable brand as well as the largest non-American software enterprise) and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen (precision mechanical engineering). Despite this, Baden-Württemberg's economy
1196-525: A state of West Germany in April 1952 through the merger of South Baden , Württemberg-Baden , and Württemberg-Hohenzollern . These states had been created by the Allies as they separated traditional states into occupation zones after World War II Baden-Württemberg is especially known for its strong economy with various industries like car manufacturing , electrical engineering , mechanical engineering ,
1288-646: A tourist magnet in all major towns, the largest being in Stuttgart during the three weeks before Christmas. The Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a 194 km signposted scenic route from Mannheim via Heidelberg and Wiesloch to Pforzheim and back, which follows the route of the world's first long-distance journey by automobile which Bertha Benz undertook in August 1888. Baden-Württemberg also contains Europa-Park in Rust . The largest theme park in Germany, and
1380-465: Is a popular holiday destination. Main sights include the capital and biggest city, Stuttgart , modern and historical at the same time, with its urban architecture and atmosphere (and famously, its inner-city parks and historic Wilhelma zoo), its castles (such as Castle Solitude ), its museums as well as a rich cultural programme (theatre, opera) and mineral spring baths in Bad Cannstatt (also
1472-626: Is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, like most companies in German-speaking countries are . Although poor in workable natural resources (formerly lead, zinc, iron, silver, copper, and salts) and still very rural in some areas, the region is heavily industrialised overall. In 2003, there were almost 8,800 manufacturing enterprises with more than 20 employees, but only 384 with more than 500. There are 3,779 companies in Baden-Württemberg corporate family which come to 1000–5000 employees in total. The latter category accounts for 43% of
1564-602: Is seen as the birthday for the K.W.St.E. . The law expressly envisaged that the construction of branch routes by private companies should also be possible. This law was at the same time the impetus for the foundation of the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen ('Esslingen Engineering Works'), that played a decisive role in railway construction and railway technology in Württemberg. In the Kingdom of Württemberg
1656-620: Is still common, as the line runs through the Hegau , running from the vicinity of Schwackenreute parallel with the Ablach river to Mengen. In Stahringen, the Stahringen–Friedrichshafen railway branches from the line to Friedrichshafen and Lindau . On 2 September 1859, an international meeting of delegates from the region between the Alps , Lake Constance and the Black Forest adopted
1748-509: Is the Landtag , located in Stuttgart. The state government is currently formed by a Greens - CDU coalition as the third cabinet of Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens). The politics of Baden-Württemberg have traditionally been dominated by the conservative Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), which had led all but one government since 1952 until 2011. In the Landtag elections held on 27 March 2011 , voters replaced
1840-588: The Baden state railways were made. From Horb, the Upper Neckar line reached Rottweil in 1867/68, and from there in 1869, the Baden town of Villingen in the Black Forest. In the same year the first trains ran on the Upper Danube line from Rottweil to Tuttlingen , from where in 1870 the connexion to Immendingen on the Black Forest line was built. The Danube Valley line was built in 1868 from Ulm in
1932-530: The German constitution providing an accession procedure. On 9 December 1951, a referendum was held in Württemberg-Baden, Württemberg-Hohenzollern and (South) Baden over a possible merger, or the restoration of the former pre-war states. There was strong support for the merger in Württemberg and Hohenzollern, but opposition in Baden. While a majority in the historic area of Baden (52%) voted to restore
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#17327902477872024-650: The Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway and the Royal Württemberg State Railways at Sigmaringen, Mengen and Pfullendorf . The two southern states committed to the precise routed planned so that their lines could attract as much through traffic as possible. Württemberg began the construction from Ulm to Mengen, while Baden delayed its part of the project. The construction of the Hegau-Ablach Valley between 1865 and 1873 by
2116-652: The Karlsruhe–Basel high-speed line , paralleling the traditional Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel railway , is currently under construction. In and around Stuttgart, the old terminal station is currently being replaced with an underground through station as part of the controversial Stuttgart 21 project. Local branch lines of around 860 kilometres (530 mi), managed by the state-owned SWEG and Hohenzollerische Landesbahn (HzL), Karlsruhe-owned Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), private Württembergische Eisenbahn (WEG) and other smaller rail infrastructure operators, complete
2208-788: The Republic of Baden , the Free People's State of Württemberg and the Free State of Prussia . Following Adolf Hitler becoming chancellor of Germany in 1933, the democratic institutions of Baden, Württemberg and Prussia were abolished as part of the Gleichschaltung . After World War II, the Allies established three states in the territory of modern-day Baden-Württemberg: (South) Baden , Württemberg-Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern . Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern were occupied by France , while Württemberg-Baden
2300-452: The Rhine and the Vosges as far as Chaumont . They considered this route of great importance because it would be part of the shortest route between Vienna and Paris and would also gain importance as part of the shortest route from Berlin and Milan , running via Leipzig , Nuremberg , Ulm, Radolfzell, Schaffhausen and Zurich . In 1866, the loose German Confederation collapsed, but
2392-628: The Swabian Jura mountain range. The Black Forest formed part of the border between Baden and Württemberg. In 100 AD, the Roman Empire invaded and occupied Württemberg, constructing a limes along its northern borders. Over the course of the third century AD, the Alemanni forced the Romans to retreat west beyond the Rhine and Danube rivers. In 496 AD the Alemanni were defeated by
2484-590: The Upper Neckar Railway that ran from Plochingen and reached Reutlingen in 1859, the bishop's town of Rottenburg am Neckar via Tübingen in 1861 and Eyach and the junction of Horb am Neckar in 1864/66. In eastern Württemberg the Rems line was built in 1861, running from Cannstatt via Schorndorf – Aalen to Wasseralfingen and in 1863 the junction at Nördlingen to the Bavarian railway network
2576-454: The highest exports (2019) and third-highest imports (2020), the second-lowest unemployment rate with 4.3% (March 2021), the most patents pending per capita (2020), the second-highest absolute and highest relative number of companies considered " hidden champions ", and the highest absolute and relative research and development expenditure (2017) among all states in Germany, as well as the highest measured Innovationsindex (2012), making it
2668-523: The service sector , and more. It has the third-highest gross regional product (GRP) in Germany. Part of the Four Motors for Europe and located in the Blue Banana , some of the largest German companies are headquartered in Baden-Württemberg, including Mercedes-Benz Group , Schwarz Group , Porsche , Bosch and SAP . The sobriquet Ländle , a diminutive of the word Land in
2760-560: The 1.2 million persons employed in the industry. The Mittelstand or mid-sized company model is the backbone of the Baden-Württemberg economy. Medium-sized businesses and a tradition of branching into different industrial sectors have ensured specialisation over a wide range. A fifth of the "old" Federal Republic's industrial gross value added is generated by Baden-Württemberg. Turnover for manufacturing in 2003 exceeded 240,000 million, 43% of which came from exports. The region depends to some extent on global economic developments, though
2852-445: The 1990s, the around 120 individual regional train services in Baden-Württemberg have been managed by the state-owned Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (NVBW), which has started to commercially tender out these train operations. DB Regio, SWEG, HzL, AVG and WEG have been joined in operating regional trains by Abellio , Agilis , Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn , Go-Ahead , SBB , Schwäbische Alb-Bahn and VIAS , which entered
Radolfzell–Mengen railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-508: The 20th century, the territory of modern-day Baden-Württemberg consisted of the Grand Duchy of Baden , the Kingdom of Württemberg and the province of Hohenzollern of the Kingdom of Prussia . Since 1871, these had been part of the German Empire . In the aftermath of World War I and as part of the German revolution of 1918 , the monarchs of Baden, Württemberg and Prussia were deposed, and these states became democratic republics:
3036-654: The Baden State Railways was preceded by consideration of the route by regional planning bodies and the local railway committees. The Hegau-Ablach Valley was built in several sections and opened as follows. The Radolfzell–Meßkirch section was built between 1866 and 1870. The embankment was designed for a two-track line, as were the stone abutments of the bridges, which can still be seen in the two main bridges between Mühlingen and Zizenhausen. However, it has never had more than one track north of Stahringen. The first section from Radolfzell to Stahringen and Stockach
3128-711: The Christian Democrats and centre-right Free Democrats (FDP) coalition with an alliance of the Greens and Social Democrats (SPD), which secured a four-seat majority in the state parliament. The alliance elected the Greens-led first Kretschmann cabinet under Winfried Kretschmann because the Greens had surprisingly won 36 seats, one more than the Social Democrats' 35 seats. In the 2016 election ,
3220-588: The Danube, in Donaueschingen is often referred to as the "source of the Danube" ( Donauquelle ). Hydrologically, the source of the Danube is the source of the Breg as the larger of the two formative streams, which rises near Furtwangen . The forests in this region are home to common pests such as Melolontha Hippocastrani , that cause damage to the foliage and soil. Baden-Württemberg is – along with Bavaria –
3312-513: The Federal Constitutional Court decided in 1969 that another referendum should be held by 30 June 1970. The referendum in the historic area of Baden was finally held on 7 June 1970, with 81.9% of the voters voting in favour of the merger of Baden and Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg shares borders with the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate , Hesse , and Bavaria , and also shares borders with France ( Alsace , within
3404-451: The GTW sets were out of operations; they were replaced by a MAN railbus set and three NE 81 sets (built by Duewag and Waggon Union ) owned by Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn . It was only from 28 August 2006 that the two refurbished GTW were used again. Since the GTW prototypes could not be made permanently operational and SBB GmbH demanded funding for replacement vehicles, the agreement between
3496-412: The German state with the third-highest gross regional product (GRP) as of 2019 (behind North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria ) with €524,325 billion (around US$ 636.268 billion). Baden-Württemberg also has the most employees (233,296) in the automotive industry of all German states as of 2018 , as well as the third-highest number of motor vehicles of all German states (2020). If Baden-Württemberg were
3588-714: The NE 81 sets were transferred to Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft ). Traffic is controlled from the HzL Ringzug (ring train) operations centre in Immendingen, where the railcars are also maintained. At peak times on weekdays services operate every half-hour between Radolfzell and Stockach. Outside the peaks and on weekends trains operate hourly, with convenient connections in Radolfzell towards Konstanz (Constance) and Singen , with generally poorer connections to
3680-637: The brand name of Biberbahn . The brand name Seehäsle is based on the brand name Seehas (named after a mythical "lake hare"), which is used for the S-Bahn-like services of the former Mittelthurgau-Bahn (now operated by SBB GmbH , a subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways ) in the Konstanz district on the line between Konstanz and Engen . The original name of the line as the Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway ( Hegau-Ablachtal-Bahn )
3772-615: The bridge over the Andelsbach, the line was ready for freight operations. The track from the Tegometall works to Mengen was officially classed as a"siding of Mengen station”, as on the same day, 29 September 1986, freight traffic was abandoned on the Meßkirch–Krauchenwies line. The line was formally closed on 1 March 1987, but it was reopened for freight traffic on 28 May 1989. As a result of rail reform and regionalisation of
Radolfzell–Mengen railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-516: The city of Ulm are colder than in Berlin. While winters in the warmest areas often lack snow, the Black Forest , Swabian Alb and the Alps tend to get snow frequently, especially in areas of high elevation. Summers here have more rain than in the valleys, but winters tend to have more sun. Due to the differences of the landscapes, average annual temperatures reach from only 5 °C (41 °F) in
3956-429: The country from about 1825. Private interest groups were formed and, from 1834, the state also worked on the question, giving experts the task of finding suitable solutions. After years of preparatory work, it was decided to set up a railway network, the main lines of which would be built by the state. The Railway Bill of 18 April 1843, established the legal foundation for the construction of the railway network; this date
4048-654: The development of the network is at History of the Railway in Württemberg Until about 1865, the K.W.St.E.' s railway technology was based, not on an English prototype like the majority of German states, but on the United States. As far as rolling stock was concerned, this meant, for example, that locomotives as well as coaches used bogies. This more advanced route was temporarily given up under strong influences, predominantly from Prussia. Responsible for
4140-606: The direction of Blaubeuren -Riedlingen, but only reached Sigmaringen in 1873. It was another six years before the Zollernalb line finished the connexion from Tübingen, that had linked Hechingen in 1869 and Balingen in 1874. The Black Forest line branched off in 1868/69 in Zuffenhausen to Weil der Stadt and got as far as the towns of Calw and Nagold in 1872. In 1874 the Nagold Valley Railway
4232-513: The district of Constance and SBB GmbH was terminated at the end of 2006. The GTW prototypes were sold through an intermediary to the Italian company Ferrovie del Sud Est . The HzL won the contracts for operations for both the periods of 2006–2008 and of 2009–2023. Until 2008 three NE 81 sets formerly operated by Bodensee-Oberschwaben-Bahn were used as an interim solution. Since they have been replaced by new Regio-Shuttle diesel multiple units (and
4324-672: The flower island of Mainau , and the hometown of the Zeppelin , Friedrichshafen a.o., are especially popular for outdoor activities in the summer months. In spring and autumn (April/May and September/October), beer festivals (fun fairs) take place at the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart. The Cannstatter Volksfest , in the autumn, is the second-largest such festival in the world after the Munich Oktoberfest . In late November and early December Christmas markets are
4416-493: The former pre-war states, the majority of voters overall (69%) voted in favor of a merger. Baden-Württemberg officially became a state on 25 April 1952. There were still opponents to the merger of Baden and Württemberg, however. In 1956 the Federal Constitutional Court decided that the population of Baden should have their say in a separate referendum. The second referendum was delayed, however, and
4508-507: The great adaptability of the region's economy has generally helped it through crises. Half of the employees in the manufacturing industry are in mechanical and electrical engineering and automobile construction. This is also where the largest enterprises are to be found. The importance of the precision mechanics industry also extends beyond the region's borders, as does that of the optical, clock making, toy, metallurgy and electronics industries. The textile industry, which formerly dominated much of
4600-459: The hourly services to Friedrichshafen . In November 2008, all level crossings in Stahringen and Wahlwies were rebuilt and adapted to modern standards. Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg Baden-Württemberg ( / ˌ b ɑː d ən ˈ v ɜːr t ə m b ɜːr ɡ / BAH -dən VURT -əm-burg ; German: [ˌbaːdn̩ ˈvʏʁtəmbɛʁk] ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü , is
4692-610: The international borders within its waters not being clearly defined. It shares the foothills of the Alps (known as the Allgäu ) with Bavaria and the Austrian Vorarlberg , but Baden-Württemberg itself has no mainland border with Austria. The Danube is conventionally taken to be formed by the confluence of the two streams Brigach and Breg just east of Donaueschingen . The source of the Donaubach , which flows into
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#17327902477874784-414: The line from Radolfzell to Meßkirch, moved the planned railway junction at Meßkirch to a green fields site near Schwackereute. Schwackereute station was designed on a large site as a crossing station. So the Baden State Railways opened a connection from Schwackereute to Pfullendorf (the western part of the Altshausen–Schwackenreute railway ) on 11 August 1873. A fork was also projected to the Black Forest to
4876-453: The local Swabian , Alemannic and Franconian dialects, is sometimes used as a synonym for Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg is formed from the historical territories of Württemberg , Baden and Prussian Hohenzollern . Baden spans along the flat right bank of the river Rhine from north-west to the south ( Lake Constance ) of the present state, whereas Württemberg and Hohenzollern lay more inland and hillier, including areas such as
4968-506: The major stations along the Singen–Mengen–Ulm line, as part of the Allied Operation Clarion , intending to make the line unusable through targeted attacks. They also targeted Singen, Stockach and Mengen. In Meßkirch fighter bombers fired on the station, a freight train and a shunting locomotive. The route was closed by Deutsche Bundesbahn in stages, passenger traffic on the Krauchenwies–Mengen section were closed on 13 December 1954, all traffic ended on 1 September 1960 and this section of line
5060-435: The market. Starting in the 1970s, regional rail around major cities has been transformed into high-frequent S-Bahn networks, currently the following systems exist (partly) in Baden-Württemberg: Stuttgart S-Bahn , Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn , Breisgau S-Bahn and Basel S-Bahn . In and around the cities of Karlsruhe and Heilbronn, the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn system combines elements of traditional S-Bahns with tram operations within
5152-671: The microclimates of Black Forest and Allgäu up to 13 °C (55 °F) in the Upper Rhine Valley. Baden-Württemberg is divided into thirty-five districts ( Landkreise ) and nine independent cities ( Stadtkreise ), both grouped into the four Administrative Districts ( Regierungsbezirke ) of Freiburg , Karlsruhe , Stuttgart , and Tübingen . [REDACTED] The 35 districts: Baden-Württemberg contains nine additional independent cities not belonging to any district: The Baden-Württemberg General Auditing Office acts as an independent body to monitor public offices' correct use of public funds. The state parliament of Baden-Württemberg
5244-405: The neo-liberal thinktank Initiative for New Social Market Economy and the trade newspaper Wirtschaftswoche awarded Baden-Württemberg for being the "economically most successful and most dynamic state" among the 16 states. The unemployment rate stood at 3% in October 2018 and was the second lowest in Germany behind only Bavaria and one of the lowest in the European Union . Baden-Württemberg
5336-461: The operation was taken over by EuroTHURBO , which in turn was incorporated as part of the German SBB subsidiary SBB GmbH in 2005. Due to frequent breakdowns of the GTW sets, a variety of replacement vehicles were used from 2001: these included a MAN railbus set (class VT 98 + VS 98) of the Hochwald Railway , a RegioSprinter of the Rurtalbahn GmbH and Regio-Shuttles of the Hohenzollerische Landesbahn (HzL). From October 2005 all three of
5428-428: The other former state railways of Bavaria , Prussia , Saxony , Baden , Mecklenburg and Oldenburg , formed the basis of the Deutsche Reichsbahn founded on 1 April 1920. German landscape painter Hermann Pleuer achieved fame through his impressionistic paintings of the trains and stations belonging to the K.W.St.E. In everyday speech the German abbreviation for the Royal Württemberg State Railways, K.W.St.E. ,
5520-409: The park the remnants of the rail sidings and piers of the Ablach bridge mark the formerly double-track line. Further away, in the vicinity of the modern lakeside resort of Steidlesee, the Krauchenwies–Sigmaringen line branched off to the north. On 6 September 1873, the section from Meßkirch via Krauchenwies to Mengen was opened together with the line from Krauchenwies to Sigmaringen. Prussia also achieved
5612-400: The passage of the line through the Hohenzollern district of Krauchenwies , Prussia introduced the condition that Baden would have to build a branch line from Krauchenwies to Sigmaringen. Thus, the two lines, Meßkirch–Mengen and Krauchenwies–Sigmaringen , were then built at the expense of Baden in 1873. The two lines ran parallel to each other from Krauchenwies station through the royal park. In
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#17327902477875704-512: The popular Kretschmann and his Greens were reelected and, with their nationwide best result, turned out first place for the first time in any election in German history. However, because of the Social Democrats' heavy losses, the Greens formed a coalition government with the Christian Democrats, the second Kretschmann cabinet . After the most recent election in 2021, the Greens-CDU coalition was upheld. Although Baden-Württemberg has relatively few natural resources compared to other regions of Germany,
5796-407: The pristine Danube valley Swabian Alb (with Hohenzollern Castle and Sigmaringen Castle ), as well as the largely pristine Swabian Forest , the Upper Rhine Valley , and Lake Constance , where all kinds of water sports are popular, with the former Imperial, today border town of Konstanz (where the Council of Constance took place), the Neolithic and Bronze Age village at Unteruhldingen ,
5888-607: The procurement and conversion of locomotives from 1885 to 1896, amongst others, was chief engineer Adolf Klose . Under his leadership compound locomotives and rack railway engines were procured for the first time. He also built a type of running gear to improve the curve running of locomotives. He was followed by Eugen Kittel . He introduced superheating into Württemberg. Under his direction were, inter alia, Kittel steam railbuses, Württemberg C express train locomotives and Württemberg K class goods engines brought into service. He also tested petrol and accumulator cars. In 1913
5980-434: The railways in the 1990s, there was a renaissance of rail transport, which also benefited the Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway. On 8 September 1996, the abandoned section between Stockach and Radolfzell was reactivated for passengers and operated by the Mittelthurgaubahn . The district of Constance (Konstanz) rented the section between Stahringen and Stockach from Deutsche Bahn, which let it fundamentally reorganise it. Following
6072-402: The reactivation of the regional rail services in 1996, the Seehäsle services were operated by Mittelthurgaubahn using three prototypes of class GTW 2/6 diesel multiple units of Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail (Bm 596 671–673). From 2005, two additional converted control cars were used because of the large demand for school transport. After the liquidation of Mittelthurgaubahn in 2003,
6164-481: The region of Grand Est ), and Switzerland (cantons of Basel-Landschaft , Basel-Stadt , Aargau , Zürich , Schaffhausen and Thurgau ). Most of the major cities of Baden-Württemberg straddle the banks of the Neckar River , which has its source in Villingen-Schwenningen and runs downstream (from southwest to the centre, then northwest) through the state past Tübingen , Stuttgart , Heilbronn , Heidelberg , and Mannheim . The Rhine (German: Rhein ) forms
6256-415: The region, has disappeared from Baden-Württemberg. Research and development (R&D) is funded jointly by the state and industry. In 2001, more than a fifth of the 100,000 or so persons working in R&D in Germany were located in Baden-Württemberg, most of them in the Stuttgart area. Baden-Württemberg is also the region with the highest GDP of the Four Motors for Europe . A study performed in 2007 by
6348-408: The river Neckar, are popular smaller towns. Sites of former monasteries such as the ones on Reichenau Island and at Maulbronn (both World Heritage Sites ) as well as Bebenhausen Abbey are to be found. Baden-Württemberg also boasts rich old Free Imperial Cities such as Biberach , Esslingen am Neckar , Heilbronn , Ravensburg , Reutlingen , Künzelsau , Schwäbisch Hall and Aalen as well as
6440-608: The second most popular theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Paris . Baden-Württemberg is home to some of the oldest, most renowned, and prestigious universities in Germany, such as the universities of Heidelberg (founded in 1386, the oldest university within the territory of modern Germany), Freiburg (founded in 1457), and Tübingen (founded in 1477). It also contains three of the eleven German excellence universities (Heidelberg, Tübingen, Konstanz and Karlsruhe and formerly, Freiburg ). Other university towns are Mannheim and Ulm . Furthermore, two universities are located in
6532-431: The site of a Roman Castra ); it is the only major city in Germany with vineyards in an urban territory. The residential (court) towns of Ludwigsburg and Karlsruhe , the spas and casino of luxurious Baden-Baden , the medieval architecture of Ulm ( Ulm Münster is the tallest church in the world), the vibrant, young, but traditional university towns of Heidelberg and Tübingen with their old castles looking out above
6624-464: The southern section between Radolfzell and Stockach in 1996 and has since been operated under the brand name of Seehäsle . The northern section from Stockach to Mengen is however only used for freight trains and passenger excursion trains. In 2005, it had to be temporarily closed because of the deterioration of the infrastructure on some sections. Since 2021, trains have once again been running between Stockach and Mengen on Sundays and public holidays under
6716-496: The southernmost and sunniest city of Germany, Freiburg , close to Alsace and Switzerland, being an ideal base for exploring the heights of the nearby Black Forest (e.g., for skiing in winter or for hiking in summer) with its traditional villages and the surrounding wine country of the Rhine Valley of South Baden. The countryside of the lush Upper Neckar valley (where Rottweil is famous for its Fastnacht carnival) and
6808-473: The southernmost part of Germany. The climate across the states varies. This is mostly due to a high amount of mountains and highlands inside of the state. Most parts in the western parts (Baden) lower than 500–800 metres (1,600–2,600 ft) enjoy an almost year round mild oceanic climate (cfb in Köppen classification). The climate in the eastern parts of the state is more continental. For instance, winters in
6900-754: The sovereign states of the Grand Duchy of Baden , the Kingdom of Prussia and the Kingdom of Württemberg signed trilateral treaties to promote the "transnational" rail project and its passage through the Prussian Hohenzollern Province . These treaties permitted, among other projects, the construction of the Tübingen–Sigmaringen railway , the Ulm–Sigmaringen railway and the Radolfzell–Mengen/Sigmaringen and Schwackereute–Altshausen lines. The lines would connect
6992-672: The state capital Stuttgart , the University of Hohenheim , and the University of Stuttgart . Ludwigsburg is home to the renowned national film school Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg). The private International University in Germany was situated in Bruchsal , but closed in 2009. Another private university is located in Friedrichshafen, Zeppelin University . Furthermore, there are more than
7084-472: The state is among the most prosperous and wealthiest regions in Europe with a generally low unemployment rate historically. The state's economic performance benefits from and relies on its well-developed infrastructure. Apart from the city-states of Berlin , Bremen and Hamburg , Baden-Württemberg offers the fourth-shortest routes to trains and buses on average among all German states. Baden-Württemberg has
7176-551: The state railway started with the so-called Württemberg main lines. They ran from Stuttgart , along the River Neckar , on one side via Ulm to Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance , on the other side via Bretten to Bruchsal in the Grand Duchy of Baden . From Bietigheim the Lower Neckar Railway (North Railway or Nordbahn ) branched off toward Heilbronn . After a pause of several years, work began on
7268-528: The state's railway infrastructure. Passenger train services in Baden-Württemberg are operated partly by various subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn , the national railway operator, such as DB Fernverkehr with its high-speed ICE , as well as IC trains ; and DB Regio , operating some regional train services in the state. Cross-border train services are also provided by French Railways ' TGV trains, as well as by Swiss Federal Railways and Austrian Federal Railways (including its Nightjet night trains). Since
7360-625: The statistics showed the following: After defeat in the First World War , the 1919 Reich Constitution ended the independence of the Württemberg railways. By means of a state agreement between the German Empire and the states, the Württemberg State Railways (the Royal title had been dropped after the abdication of King Wilhelm II on 30 November 1918) transferred into Reich ownership on 1 April 1920, and, together with
7452-498: The urban cores ( tram-trains ). Royal W%C3%BCrttemberg State Railways The Royal Württemberg State Railways ( Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen or K.W.St.E. ) were the state railways of the Kingdom of Württemberg (from 1918 the People's State of Württemberg ) between 1843 and 1920. As in many other states of the German Empire , there was increasing debate about how to improve transport communications across
7544-483: The war effort. From the summer of 1944, it had become apparent that the Allies had air supremacy in the south of the country. Low-flying air raids, unscathed by the barely functioning German air defences, targeted military and transport infrastructure. On 24 July 1944, fighter-bombers attacked a freight train loaded with cattle between Bichtlingen and Meßkirch and a farmer and livestock trader and businessman from Messkirch
7636-701: The west of Schwackereute, bypassing Tuttlingen to a junction with the Black Forest Railway in Hattingen. The plan was not executed but instead Württemberg built the Danube Valley Railway (see Ulm–Sigmaringen railway and Tuttlingen–Inzigkofen railway ) from Mengen via Sigmaringen and Tuttlingen to Immendingen . The regional function of the line was fulfilled only in part–no trains ran on the Ulm–Radolfzell route. On 1 November 1873,
7728-680: The western border as well as large portions of the southern border. The Black Forest (Schwarzwald), the central mountain range of the state, rises east of the Upper Rhine valley . The high plateau of the Swabian Alb , between the Neckar, the Black Forest, and the Danube, is an essential European watershed . Baden-Württemberg shares Lake Constance (Bodensee, also known regionally as the Swabian Sea) with Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria,
7820-617: Was achieved. In 1862, the Kocher Valley line was established. This ran through Heilbronn from Hohenloh Land and on to Schwäbisch Hall . In 1867 it reached Crailsheim where trains on the Upper Jagst line from Aalen called and, in 1869, the connection was made with the Tauber Valley Railway to Mergentheim . The Brenz line , which was opened in 1864 to Heidenheim an der Brenz , had the potential to provide
7912-410: Was completed, running through from Pforzheim via Calw-Nagold to Horb. In Herbertingen the Allgäu line branched in 1869 via Saulgau– Aulendorf to Waldsee . There it went in 1870 as far as Kisslegg and in 1872 to Leutkirch im Allgäu ; in 1874 Isny received its own railway station. Finally the state railway expanded its network by building the following routes: A detailed article in German on
8004-528: Was followed by the closure of the southern section from Stockach to Radolfzell. On 29 September 1986, at the initiative of the Tegometall company, the Krauchenwies–Mengen section was returned to service after it had been rebuilt with state subsidies for freight. A siding, which was about 900 meters long, was built south of Ablacher Straße to the company's works. After the construction of two railway crossings on federal highway 311 and state highway 456 and
8096-484: Was jokingly said in the Swabian dialect to stand for „ K omm W eible, St eig E i “ or "Come on woman, climb aboard". Their Baden neighbours had a rather less kind interpretation: „ K ein W ürttemberger St irbt E hrlich “ or "No Württemberger dies an honest man!" The comic song "Auf der schwäb'sche Eisebahne" (On the Swabian railways) has been sung by many artists, and versions can be seen on YouTube . It contrasts
8188-401: Was killed. With progressive loss of air superiority during the day it was soon not possible to operate on the line. In early 1945, a train was fired on between Stockach and Schwackereute. Two 17 years boys aged were killed by machine-gun fire in the course on the way home from Überlingen. On 22 February 1945, shortly before the end of the war, seven American Mosquito fighter-bombers attacked
8280-606: Was occupied by the United States . The new artificial borders were a consequence of France requesting its own occupation zone in Germany after World War II, and the Americans' wish to keep the A8 motorway , which spans east-west across northern Baden and northern Württemberg, wholly within their occupation zone. In 1949, each state became a founding member of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), with Article 118 of
8372-593: Was opened on 20 July 1867. It was followed by the opening of the Stockach–Schwackenreute–Meßkirch section on 3 February 1870. The continuation of the line between Meßkirch and Mengen needed to cross the Prussian Hohenzollern Province. Prussia did not seek to build its own railway in southern Germany but wished to see the two main cities of the province connected to the rail network of the neighbouring countries. In authorising
8464-531: Was then dismantled. Here, the rails were removed from the Krauchenwies station premises to the connection with the siding to Dillmannschen sawmill near Mengen. The passenger services on the line between Meßkirch and Krauchenwies were closed on 1 June 1969. Not even three years later, on 28 May 1972, passenger services on the Stockach–Meßkirch section were closed. Ten years later, on 25 September 1982, this
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