108-575: Aalen ( German pronunciation: [ˈaːlən] ) is a town located in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg , about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of Stuttgart and 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of Ulm . It is the seat of the Ostalbkreis district and is its largest town. It is also the largest town in the Ostwürttemberg region. Since 1956, Aalen has had
216-616: 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
324-562: A Mittelzentrum ("medium-level centre") within the Ostwürttemberg region. Its designated catchment area includes the following municipalities of the central and eastern Ostalbkreis district: Abtsgmünd , Bopfingen , Essingen , Hüttlingen , Kirchheim am Ries , Lauchheim , Neresheim , Oberkochen , Riesbürg and Westhausen , and is interwoven with the catchment area of Nördlingen , situated in Bavaria , 30 km (19 mi) east of Aalen. As Aalen's territory sprawls on escarpments of
432-539: 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
540-595: A branch arsenal office (Heeresnebenzeugamt) and a branch army ammunitions institute (Heeresnebenmunitionsanstalt) . Starting in 1935, mergers of neighbouring towns began. In 1938, the Oberamt was transformed into the Landkreis of Aalen and the municipality of Unterrombach was disbanded. Its territory was mostly added to Aalen, with the exception of Hammerstadt, which was added to the municipality of Dewangen. Forst, Rauental and Vogelsang were added to Essingen (in 1952
648-464: A city or town responsible only to the emperor, a status that made it a quasi-sovereign city-state and that it kept until 1803. In 1377, Aalen joined the Alliance of Swabian Cities, and in 1385, the term civitas appears in the town's seal for the first time. In 1398, Aalen was granted the right to hold markets, and in 1401 Aalen obtained proper jurisdiction. The oldest artistic representation of Aalen
756-507: 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
864-800: A hill-top settlement was found, with the core being dated to the Bronze Age . In the Appenwang forest near Wasseralfingen, in Goldshöfe, and in Ebnat, tumuli of the Hallstatt culture were found. In Aalen and Wasseralfingen, gold and silver coins left by the Celts were found. The Celts were responsible for the fortifications in the Schloßbaufeld settlement consisting of sectional embankments and
972-481: 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
1080-521: 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
1188-655: A parish was established and a church was built in 1960. All four parishes belong to the deanery of Aalen within the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg . Furthermore, in Aalen there are Old Pietistic communities. 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 ,
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#17327973926611296-442: A rail hub entailed more jobs based on the rail industry. These included, a maintenance facility, a roundhouse , an administrative office, two track maintenance shops, and a freight station with an industrial branch line . This helped shape Aalen into what today's historians call a "railwayman's town". Starting in 1866, the utilities in town all began to be upgraded. Starting with the Aalen gasworks which were opened and gas lighting
1404-835: A result, the town advertises itself as a "Geologist's Mecca". Most parts of the territory are on the Opalinuston-Formation (Opalinum Clay Formation ) of the Aalenian subdivision of the Jurassic Period, which is named after Aalen. On the Sandberg , the Schnaitberg and the Schradenberg hills, all in the west of Aalen, the Eisensandstein (Iron Sandstone) formation emerges to the surface. On
1512-528: 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
1620-525: 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 ,
1728-589: A stone wall. Also, Near Heisenberg (Wasseralfingen), a Celtic nemeton has been identified; however, it is no longer readily apparent. After abandoning the Alb Limes (a limes generally following the ridgeline of the Swabian Jura) around 150 AD , Aalen's territory became part of the Roman Empire , in direct vicinity of the then newly erected Rhaetian Limes . The Romans erected a castrum to house
1836-646: 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
1944-451: Is 14,662.8 hectares (36,233 acres), which includes 42.2% 6,186.2 ha (15,286 acres) agriculturally used area and 37.7% 5,534.9 ha (13,677 acres) of forest. 11.5% 1,692.3 ha (4,182 acres) are built up or vacant, 6.4% 932.8 ha (2,305 acres) is used by traffic infrastructure. Sporting and recreation grounds and parks comprise 1% 152.7 hectares (377 acres), other areas 1.1% 163.9 ha (405 acres). Aalen's territory consists of
2052-550: Is 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
2160-465: 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
2268-404: Is about 1800 hours per year, which averages 4.93 hours per day. So Aalen is above the German average of 1550 hours per year. However, with 167 days of precipitation , Aalen's region also ranks above the German average of 138. The annual rainfall is 807 mm (31.8 in), about the average within Baden-Württemberg. The annual mean temperature is 9.9 °C (49.8 °F). Here Aalen ranks above
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#17327973926612376-826: Is at the Lein river near Rodamsdörfle, the highest point is the Grünberg's peak near Unterkochen at 733 m (2,405 ft). Aalen's territory ranges over all lithostratigraphic groups of the South German Jurassic : Aalen's south and the Flexner massif are on top of the White Jurassic , the town centre is on the Brown Jurassic , and a part of Wasseralfingen is on the Black Jurassic . As
2484-452: Is documented that the counts of Oettingen ruled the town in 1340. They are reported to have pawned the town to Count Eberhard II and subsequently to the House of Württemberg in 1358 or 1359 in exchange for an amount of money. During the war against Württemberg, Emperor Charles IV took the town without a fight after a siege. On 3 December 1360, he declared Aalen an Imperial City , that is,
2592-626: 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
2700-412: Is presided by a spokesperson (Ortsvorsteher) . The town centre itself and the merged former municipalities consist of numerous villages (Teilorte) , mostly separated by open ground from each other and having their own independent and long-standing history. Some however have been created as planned communities , which were given proper names, but no well-defined borders. List of villages: Aalen forms
2808-661: Is situated on the upper reaches of the river Kocher , at the foot of the Swabian Jura which lies to the south and south-east, and close to the hilly landscapes of the Ellwangen Hills to the north and the Welland to the north-west. The west of Aalen's territory is on the foreland of the eastern Swabian Jura, and the north and north-west is on the Swabian-Franconian Forest , both being part of
2916-509: 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
3024-594: The Catholic Church , 23.9 percent were members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church . About 25 percent belong to other or no religious community or gave no information. The district of Waldhausen was the district with the highest percentage of Roman Catholic inhabitants at 75.6 percent, and the central district was the one with the highest percentage of Evangelical-Lutheran inhabitants at 25.6 percent, as well as those claiming no religious preference at 32.5 percent. Aalen's population originally
3132-582: 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
3240-597: The House of Oettingen . 1426 was the last time a member of that house was mentioned in connection with Aalen. Documents, from the Middle Ages, indicate that the town of Aalen was founded by the Hohenstaufen some time between 1241 and 1246, but at a different location than the earlier village, which was supposedly destroyed in 1388 during the war between the Alliance of Swabian Cities and the Dukes of Bavaria. Later, it
3348-652: 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
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3456-741: The March 1933 federal elections showed that the sentiment had changed as the Nazi Party received 34.1% (still below German average 43.9% nationwide), but by far the leading vote-getter in Aalen, followed by the Centre party at 26.6% (11.3% nationwide) and the Social Democrats 18.6% (18.3% nationwide). The democratically elected mayor Friedrich Schwarz remained in office until the Nazis removed him from office, in 1934, and replaced him by chairman of
3564-658: The Nine Years' War ; however, unlike other places, they left without leaving severe damages. The French came through again in 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession and in 1741 during the War of the Austrian Succession , the latter also caused imperial troops to move through in 1743. The town church's tower collapsed in 1765, presumably because proper building techniques were not utilized during
3672-788: 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
3780-508: 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
3888-699: The Swabian Keuper-Lias Plains . The south-west is part of the Albuch , the east is part of the Härtsfeld , these two both being parts of the Swabian Jura. The Kocher enters the town's territory from Oberkochen to the south, crosses the district of Unterkochen, then enters the town centre, where the Aal flows into it. The Aal is a small river located only within the town's territory. Next,
3996-530: The cavalry unit Ala II Flavia milliaria ; its remains are known today as Kastell Aalen ("Aalen Roman fort"). The site is west of today's town centre at the bottom of the Schillerhöhe hill. With about 1,000 horsemen and nearly as many grooms , it was the largest fort of auxiliaries along the Rhaetian Limes. There were Civilian settlements adjacent along the south and the east. Around 260 AD,
4104-454: 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
4212-593: The right of patronage in Aalen, were able to temporarily bring Catholicism back to Aalen; however after the military successes of the Protestant Union , Protestant church practices were instituted again. On the night of 5 September 1634, two ensigns of the army of Bernard of Saxe-Weimar who were fighting with the Swedes and retreating after the Battle of Nördlingen set fire to two powder carriages, to prevent
4320-523: 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
4428-560: 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
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4536-451: The 17th-century account is exaggerated, but he does agree that the town church and buildings in a "rather large" semicircle around it were destroyed. The fire also destroyed the town archive housed in an addition to the church, with all of its documents. After the fire, soldiers of both armies went through the town looting. It took nearly 100 years for the town to reach its population of 2,000. French troops marched through Aalen in 1688 during
4644-445: 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
4752-466: The 20th century, more parishes were founded: St. Mark's parish with its church building of 1967 and St. Martin's parish with its church of 1974. In the borough of Unterrombach, Aalen had implemented the reformation as well, but the community remained a chapel-of-ease of Aalen. A proper church, the Christ Church, was erected in 1912 and a proper parish was established in 1947. In Fachsenfeld,
4860-621: 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:
4968-564: The 7th century as the origination of Aalen. In the northern and western walls of St. John's church, which is located directly adjacent to the eastern gate of the Roman fort, Roman stones were incorporated. The building that exists today probably dates to the 9th century. The first mention of Aalen was in 839, when emperor Louis the Pious reportedly permitted the Fulda monastery to exchange land with
5076-644: 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 ,
5184-420: 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 –
5292-430: 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
5400-506: The German average of 8.2 °C (46.8 °F) and the Baden-Württemberg average of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F). Numerous remains of early civilization have been found in the area. Tools made of flint and traces of Mesolithic human settlement dated between the 8th and 5th millennium BC were found on several sites on the margins of the Kocher and Jagst valleys. On the Schloßbaufeld plateau (appr. 650 by 350 m (2,130 by 1,150 ft)), situated behind Kocherburg castle near Unterkochen,
5508-412: 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
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#17327973926615616-402: The Hammerstadt village, then known as Hamarstat . Aalen itself was first mentioned in an inventory list of Ellwangen Abbey , dated ca. 1136, as the village Alon , along with a lower nobleman named Conrad of Aalen. This nobleman probably had his ancestral castle at a site south of today's town centre and was subject first to Ellwangen abbey, later to the House of Hohenstaufen , and eventually to
5724-399: The Jurassic and being rich in fossils. They are at last followed by the Trossingen Formation already belonging to the Late Triassic . Until 1939 iron ore was mined on the Braunenberg hill. (see Tiefer Stollen section). The maximum extent of the town's territory amounts to 18 km (11 mi) in a north–south dimension and 25 km (16 mi) in an east–west dimension. The area
5832-428: The Kocher crosses the district of Wasseralfingen, then leaves the town for Hüttlingen . Rivers originating near Aalen are the Rems (near Essingen , west of Aalen) and the Jagst (near Unterschneidheim , east of Aalen), both being tributaries of the Neckar , just like the Kocher. The elevation in the centre of the market square is 430 m (1,410 ft) relative to Normalhöhennull . The territory's lowest point
5940-490: The Nazi Party town council head and brewery owner Karl Barth. Karl Barth was a provisional mayor until the more permanent solution of Karl Schübel. In August 1934, the Nazi consumer fair Braune Messe ("brown fair") was held in Aalen. During Nazi rule in Germany , there were many military offices constructed in Aalen, starting with, in 1936, a military district riding and driving school for Wehrkreis V . The Nazis also built an army replenishment office (Heeresverpflegungsamt) ,
6048-425: The Nazi rulers of Aalen were unseated by the US forces. Aalen became part of the State of Baden-Württemberg , upon its creation in 1952. Then, with the Baden-Württemberg territorial reform of 1973, the District of Aalen was merged into the Ostalbkreis district. Subsequently, Aalen became seat of that district, and in 1975, the town's borough attained its present size ( see below ). The population of Aalen exceeded
6156-447: The Romans gave up the fort as they withdrew their presence in unoccupied Germania back to the Rhine and Danube rivers, and the Alamanni took over the region. Based on 3rd- and 4th-century coins found, the civilian settlement continued to exist for the time being. However, there is no evidence of continued civilization between the Roman era and the Middle Ages . Based on discovery of alamannic graves, archaeologists have established
6264-495: The Swabian Jura, on the Albuch and the Härtsfeld landscapes, and its elevation has a range of 355 m (1,165 ft), the climate varies from district to district. The weather station the following data originate from is located between the town centre and Wasseralfingen at about 48°51′02″N 10°05′44″E / 48.85056°N 10.09556°E / 48.85056; 10.09556 ( weather station ) and has been in operation since 1991. The sunshine duration
6372-438: The camp buildings were torn down; however, its foundations are still in place in house Moltkestraße 44/46 . Also, there were several other labour camps which existed where prisoners of war along with women and men from occupied countries occupied by Germany were pooled. The prisoners at these other camps had to work for the arms industry in major businesses like Schwäbische Hüttenwerke and the Alfing Keßler machine factory. In
6480-412: 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
6588-403: The civic graveyard was relocated from the town church to St. John's Church, and in 1514, the Vierundzwanziger ("Group of 24") was the first assembly constituted by the citizens. Delegated by Württemberg's Duke Louis III , on 28 June 1575, nearly 30 years after Martin Luther 's death, Jakob Andreae , professor and chancellor of the University of Tübingen , arrived in Aalen. The sermon he gave
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#17327973926616696-424: The civic hospital, the deaconesses on duty were gradually replaced by National Socialist People's Welfare nurses. Nazi eugenics led to compulsory sterilization of some 200 persons there. Fortunately, Aalen avoided most of the combat activity during World War II . It was only during the last weeks of the war that Aalen became a target of air warfare , which led to the destruction and severe damage of parts of
6804-424: The council, which thus exerted bishop-like power. There was even a proper hymn book for Aalen. After the transition to Württemberg, in 1803, Aalen became seat of a deanery , with the dean church being the Town Church (with the building constructed from 1765 to 1767 and existing until present). Another popular church is St. John's Church, located on the cemetery and refurbished in 1561. As Aalen's population grew in
6912-447: The economy were weaving mills , which produced linen and woolen goods, and baking of sweet pastry and gingerbread. In Aalen, industrialisation was a slow process. The first major increase was in the 1840s, when three factories for nails and some other factories emerged. It was the link with the railway network, by the opening of the Rems Railway from Cannstatt to Wasseralfingen in 1861, that brought more industry to Aalen, along with
7020-473: The entire former municipality of Unterrombach was merged into Aalen, with the exception of Forst, which is part of Essingen until present). In September 1944, the Wiesendorf concentration camp , a subcamp of Natzweiler-Struthof , was constructed nearby. It was designated for between 200 and 300 prisoners who were utilized for forced labor in industrial businesses nearby. Until the camp's dissolution in February 1945, 60 prisoners died. Between 1946 and 1957,
7128-430: The fact that the funds were lacking, starting in 1800, most towers were demolished, the other buildings followed soon. Before the Industrial Revolution , Aalen's economy was shaped by its rural setting. Many citizens were pursuing farming besides their craft, such as tanning . In the mid 19th century, there were twelve tanneries in Aalen, due to the proximity of Ulm , an important sales market. Other crafts that added to
7236-481: 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
7344-444: The following day convinced the mayor, the council, and the citizens to adopt the Reformation in the town. Andreae stayed in Aalen for four weeks to help with the change. This brought along enormous changes, as the council forbade the Roman Catholic priests to celebrate masses and give sermons. However, after victories of the imperial armies at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War , the Prince-Provostry of Ellwangen, which still held
7452-411: 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
7560-507: 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
7668-431: 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
7776-830: The jointly ruled territory of Oberkochen was signed in Aalen by the Duchy of Württemberg and the Prince-Provostry of Ellwangen. Aalen had been chosen because of its neutral status as a Free Imperial City. During the War of the First Coalition (1796), Aalen was looted. The War of the Second Coalition concluded in 1801 with the signing of the Treaty of Lunéville , which led to the German Mediatisation of 1803 that assigned most Imperial Cities to
7884-484: The limit of 20,000, which was the requirement for to gain the status of Große Kreisstadt ("major district town") in 1946. On 1 August 1947, Aalen was declared Unmittelbare Kreisstadt ("immediate district town"), and with the creation of the Gemeindeordnung (municipal code) of Baden-Württemberg on 1 April 1956, it was declared Große Kreisstadt . On 31 December 2008, 51.1 percent of Aalen were members of
7992-453: 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
8100-597: 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
8208-740: 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
8316-658: The neighbouring principalities. Aalen was assigned to the Electorate of Württemberg , which later became the Kingdom of Württemberg, and became seat of the District ("Oberamt") of Aalen. During the War of the Third Coalition , on 6 October 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Aalen, with an army of 40,000. This event, along with Bavarian and Austrian troops moving in some days later, caused miseries that according to
8424-523: 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
8532-687: The other hills of the city, sands (Goldshöfer Sande) , gravel and residual rubble prevail. The historic centre of Aalen and the other areas in the Kocher valley are founded completely on holocenic floodplain loam (Auelehm) and riverbed gravel that have filled in the valley. Most parts of Dewangen and Fachsenfeld are founded on formations of Jurensismergel (Jurensis Marl ), Posidonienschiefer (cf. Posidonia Shale ), Amaltheenton (Amalthean Clay), Numismalismergel (Numismalis Marl) and Obtususton (Obtusus Clay, named after Asteroceras obtusum ammonites) moving from south to north, all belonging to
8640-571: 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,
8748-585: 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 ,
8856-666: The public baths at the Hirschbach creek where modernized, extended and re-opened in 1931. In the federal election of 1932 , the Nazi Party performed below average in Aalen with 25.8% of votes compared to 33.1% on the national level, thus finishing second to the Centre Party which had 26.6% (11.9% nationwide) of the votes, and ahead of the Social Democratic Party of Germany with 19.8% (20.4%). However,
8964-451: The reconstruction after the fire of 1634. The collapsing tower struck two children of the tower watchman who died of their injuries, and destroyed the nave, leaving only the altar cross intact. The remaining walls had to be knocked down due to the damage. Reconstruction began the same year, creating the building that exists today. On 22 November 1749, the so-called Aalen protocol regulating the cohabitation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics in
9072-615: 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
9180-523: 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
9288-408: 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
9396-665: The royal steel mill (later Schwäbische Hüttenwerke ) in Wasseralfingen. The Rems Railway's extension to Nördlingen in 1863, the opening of the Brenz Railway in 1864 and of the Upper Jagst Railway in 1866 turned Aalen into a railway hub . Furthermore, between 1901 and its shutdown in 1972, the Härtsfeld Railway connected Aalen with Dillingen an der Donau via Neresheim . Part of becoming
9504-441: The ruling family of Woellwarth resp. of Leinroden implemented the reformation. A parish church was built in 1591, however with an influx of Catholics in the 18th century, a Catholic majority was established. The other districts of present-day Aalen remained mostly catholic after the reformation, however Wasseralfingen established a Lutheran parish in 1891 and a church, St. Magdalene's Church, in 1893. In Unterkochen, after World War II,
9612-661: 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
9720-431: 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
9828-496: 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
9936-473: 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
10044-672: 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
10152-419: 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
10260-528: 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
10368-484: The status of Große Kreisstadt (major district town). It is noted for its many half-timbered houses constructed from the 16th century through the 18th century. With an area of 146.63 km, Aalen is ranked 7th in Baden-Württemberg and 2nd within the Government Region of Stuttgart , after Stuttgart. With a population of about 66,000, Aalen is the 15th most-populated settlement in Baden-Württemberg. Aalen
10476-499: The town centre (Kernstadt) and the municipalities merged from between 1938 (Unterrombach) and 1975 (Wasseralfingen, see mergings section). The municipalities merged in the course of the latest municipal reform of the 1970s are also called Stadtbezirke (quarters or districts), and are Ortschaften ("settlements") in terms of Baden-Württemberg's Gemeindeordnung (municipal code), which means, each of them has its own council elected by its respective residents (Ortschaftsrat) and
10584-560: The town clerk "no feather could describe". In 1811, the municipality of Unterrombach was formed out of some villages previously belonging to Aalen, some to the Barons of Wöllwarth, and the eastern villages were assigned to the municipality of Unterkochen. In the age of the Napoleonic wars, the town walls were no longer of use, and in the 18th century, with the maintenance of walls, gates and towers becoming more neglected Finally, due to
10692-550: The town, the train station, and other railway installations. A series of air attacks lasting for more than three weeks reached its peak on 17 April 1945, when United States Army Air Forces planes bombed the branch arsenal office and the train station. During this raid, 59 people were killed, more than half of them buried by debris, and more than 500 lost their homes. Also, 33 residential buildings, 12 other buildings and 2 bridges were destroyed, and 163 buildings, including 2 churches, were damaged. Five days later,
10800-575: The urban cores ( tram-trains ). Asteroceras obtusum Asteroceras is an extinct genus of cephalopod belonging to the Ammonite subclass. These fast-moving nektonic carnivores lived during the Triassic and Jurassic periods (from 205.6 to 189.6 Ma). Asteroceras fossils may be found in the Jurassic marine strata of Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Peru, and Turkey, in
10908-518: The war material to fall into Croatian hands and to prevent their advance. The result was a conflagration, that some say destroyed portions of the town. There are differing stories regarding this fire. According to 17th-century accounts, the church and all the buildings, except of the Schwörturm tower, were casualties of the fire, and only nine families survived. 19th century research by Hermann Bauer, Lutheran pastor and local historian, discovered that
11016-536: The west before 1400. Later, several minor side gates were added. The central street market took place on the Wettegasse (today called Marktplatz , "market square") and the Reichsstädter Straße . So the market district stretched from one gate to the other, however in Aalen it was not straight, but with a 90-degree curve between southern (St. Martin's) gate and eastern (Ellwangen) gate. Around 1500,
11124-794: 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,
11232-469: Was about 6 metres (20 ft) tall, 1518 single paces (990 metres (3,250 ft)) long and enclosed an area of 5.3 hectares (13 acres). During its early years, the town had two town gates : The Upper or Ellwangen Gate in the east, and St. Martin's gate in the south; however due to frequent floods, St. Martin's gate was bricked up in the 14th century and replaced by the Lower or Gmünd Gate built in
11340-548: Was introduced. Then in 1870, a modern water supply system was started and in 1912 the mains electricity . Finally, in 1935, the first electrically powered streetlights were installed. To fight housing shortage during and immediately after World War I , the town set up barracks settlement areas at the Schlauch and Alter Turnplatz grounds. In spite of the industry being crippled by the Great Depression of 1929,
11448-626: Was made in 1528. It was made as the basis of a lawsuit between the town and the Counts of Oettingen at the Reichskammergericht in Speyer. It shows Aalen surrounded by walls, towers, and double moats. The layout of the moats, which had an embankment built between them, is recognizable by the present streets named Nördlicher, Östlicher, Südlicher and Westlicher Stadtgraben (Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Moat respectively). The wall
11556-606: 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
11664-643: Was subject to the jus patronatus of Ellwangen Abbey, and thus subject to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Augsburg . With the assistance of the Duke of Württemberg, in 1575, the reformation was implemented in Aalen. Subsequently, Aalen has been a predominantly Protestant town for centuries, with the exception of the years from 1628 until 1632 (see reformation section). Being an Imperial City, Aalen could govern its clerical matters on its own, so Clerics, organists and choir masters were direct subjects to
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