Königsbronn
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| Königsbronn | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |
  |
| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Stuttgart |
| District | Heidenheim |
| Mayor | Michael Stütz (UWB) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 45.46 km² (17.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 498 m (1634 ft) |
| Population | 7,411 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 163 /km² (422 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | HDH |
| Postal code | 89551 |
| Area code | 07328 |
| Website | www.koenigsbronn.de |
Königsbronn is a town in the district of Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Königsbronn (Koenigsbronn) as an administrative community laso includes the villages of Itzelberg, Ochenberg and Zang. It lies in the Brenz valley within the hills of the Swabian Alb, a landscape shaped by karst (limestone).
[edit] History
There is some evidence that the area was first populated in the stone age.
The foundations of a castle of the early Middle Ages possibly erected around 1000 ad on the site of an even earlier castle, of robber-knights, as it is being told can be found on the rock Herwartstein overlooking the valley, which was allegedly destroyed by the son of the emperor of Holy Roman Empire of medeviael Germany.
Below, In the valley, a hamlet called "Springen" had formed.
In 1303, a monastery was fonded (and allegedly erected with stones from the destroyed castle) for Cistercian monks. It was to become one of the most influential and wealthiest monasteries in Southern Germany. The place was re-named "Königsbronn" means "Kings's Spring"
In 1552, the monastery and village that had grown next to it were destroyed and a year later the area became Protestant (Lutheran). When the village was supposed to turn catholic again in 1629, the population rebelled and stayed Protestant.
The monastery had been an epicentre of pre-industrial-age metallurgy and in 1651 a furnace was lit and smelting didn't stop until 1908, when it had ceased to be profitable. The small but splendid rococo-style (or late baroque) town hall was erected in 1765 and gives a hint of the proud spirits of the town at the time.
In 1864, Koenigsbronn got railway access. The railway line has recently been refurbished to modern standards.
On the 8th November 1939, a bomb placed by Georg Elser who had spend much of his life in Königsbronn, detonated in Munich and missed its target Hitler only by minutes.
[edit] Recent History and Present
After the war, many some small industrial companies in the wider area had to close, but some grew to become very successful, e.g. Voith in Heidenheim. Others moved in, e.g. Zeiss in the neighbouring town of Oberkochen. Industry has switched from heavy to high-tech and the second sector of the economy remains by far the most important, whereas climate and soil have never made agriculture too attractive in this region.
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