Reutlingen
Reichsstadt Reutlingen
Imperial City of Reutlingen |
| Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire |
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1240 – 1803 |
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| Capital |
Reutlingen |
| Government |
Republic |
| Historical era |
Middle Ages |
| - Founded |
4th–5th century |
| - Gained Reichsfreiheit |
1240 |
- Co-founded Swabian
League |
1331 |
- Signed Augsburg
Confession |
1530 |
| - Destroyed by fire |
1726 |
- Mediatised to
Württemberg |
1803 |
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Marienkirche by day
Reutlingen is a city in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828.[1] Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which was founded in 1855, originally as a weaver's school. Today Reutlingen is home to an established textile industry and also houses machinery, leather goods and steel manufacturing facilities.
Geography
Reutlingen lies in the Southwest corner of Germany, near Stuttgart. Reutlingen lies right next to the Swabian Jura, hence why it is often called The gate to the Swabian Jura (German: Das Tor zur Schwäbischen Alb).
History
The first settlements in the area are believed to date from the 4th or 5th century. Some time around 1030, Count Egino started to build a castle on top of the Achalm, one of the largest mountains in Reutlingen district (about 706 m). One of the towers of this castle still stands today and is open for visitors. The name Reutlingen was first mentioned in writing in the so-called Bempflingen Treaty (German: Bempflinger Vertrag) which is dated approximately 1089–90.
Around 1180, Reutlingen received market rights and, between 1220 and 1240 it was promoted to city status and city-walls and fortifications were built. Shortly thereafter, from 1247–1343, the town's landmark, the St. Mary's Church (German: Marienkirche) was built.
Reutlingen became an Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire, free from allegiance to the Duke of Württemberg. In 1530, Reutlingen's city council signed the Augsburg Confession, and in 1580 and the Formula of Concord, key documents of Lutheranism. In 1803, in the wake of the French Revolutionary Wars, Reutlingen lost its independence in the German Mediatisation, being restored to Württemberg.
Fire and bombing raids
The largest disaster in the history of Reutlingen happened in 1726, when a large fire swept through the city, destroying 80% of all residential houses and almost all public buildings, making 1,200 families homeless. The impact of this fire, which lasted three days, is still visible today.
During World War II, parts of the "V1 Vergeltungswaffe" or "Vengeance Weapon" (the wings) were manufactured in Reutlingen and the city became the target of several allied bombing raids.
Famous people
General Ferdinand Heim, later to be noted as the "Scapegoat of Stalingrad" was born in Reutlingen, as was Friedrich Schlotterbeck, socialist and author, and leader of a local group in the German resistance.
Main sights
- Church of the Virgin Mary, built in Gothic style in the 13th–14th centuries. Nearby is a statue of emperor Frederick II.
- Marktbrunnen ("Market Fountain", 16th century), surmounted by the statue of emperor Maximilian II.
- Spitalhof, built as a hospital in the 14th century. Damaged by a fire, it was largely rebuilt in the 18th century.
- Church of St. Nicholas, built in the 14th century as a chapel.
- Gerber- und Färberbrunnen ("Tanners' and Dyers' Fountain"), 1920.
- City Hall, built in 1966.
University
Reutlingen University is a university of applied sciences, focusing on hands-on learning, which is apparent in their mandatory internship for all business majors. The university is an internationally friendly school with 111 cooperative campuses worldwide. Classes are generally taught in German; however, in the Master's program classes are taught in English.
Partner cities
Aarau, Aargau, Switzerland, since 1986
Bouaké, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, since 1970
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, since 1990
Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire, United Kingdom, since 1966
Pirna, Saxony, Germany
Reading, Pennsylvania, United States, since 1998
Roanne, Loire, France, since 1958
Szolnok, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Hungary, since 1990
References
- ↑ Population in April 2008
External links
 Swabian League (1331–1534) of the  Holy Roman Empire |
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| Founders |
Aalen · Augsburg · Biberach · Bopfingen · Dinkelsbühl · Donauwörth · Esslingen · Giengen · Heilbronn · Isny · Kaufbeuren · Kempten · Leutkirch · Lindau · Memmingen · Nördlingen · Pfullendorf · Ravensburg · Reutlingen · Schwäbisch Gmünd · Schwäbisch Hall · Überlingen · Ulm · Wangen · Weil · Wimpfen
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| Joined 1340 |
Württemberg
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| Joined 1488 |
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Swabian Circle (1500–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire |
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| Ecclesiastical |
Augsburg · Kempten · Konstanz · Lindau
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| Secular |
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| Prelates |
Baindt · Buchau · Elchingen · Ellwangen · Gengenbach · Gutenzell · Heggbach · Irsee · Kaisheim · Mainau · Marchtal · Neresheim · Ochsenhausen · Petershausen · Roggenburg · Rot · Rottenmünster · Salmanweiler · St. George's in Isny · Schussenried · Söflingen · Ursberg · Weingarten · Weißenau · Wettenhausen · Zwiefalten
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Counts
Lords |
Altshausen · Baar · Bondorf · Eberstein · Eglingen · Eglofs · Fugger (Jakob · Johann · Markus) · Gundelfingen · Gutenstein · Hausen · Heiligenberg · Hohenems · Hohengeroldseck · Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen · Justingen · Kinzigerthal · Königsegg and Aulendorf · Lustenau · Meßkirch · Mindelheim / Schwabegg · Oberdischingen · Öttingen (Baldern · Öttingen · Wallerstein) · Rechberg · Rothenfels and Stauffen · Stühlingen and Hohenhöwen · Tettnang / Langenargen · Thannhausen · Wiesensteig
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| Cities |
Aalen · Augsburg · Biberach · Bopfingen · Buchau · Buchhorn · Dinkelsbühl · Eßlingen · Gengenbach · Giengen · Heilbronn · Isny · Kaufbeuren · Kempten · Leutkirch · Lindau · Memmingen · Nördlingen · Offenburg · Pfullendorf · Ravensburg · Reutlingen · Rottweil · Schwäbisch Gmünd · Schwäbisch Hall · Überlingen · Ulm · Wangen · Weil · Wimpfen · Zell
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Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire |
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Free Imperial Cities as at 1648
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Cities that lost Reichsfreiheit status before 1792 or gained independence |
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Basel3 · Berne3 · Besançon · Brakel · Cambrai · Diessenhofen · Donauwörth · Duisburg · Düren · Gelnhausen · Hagenau2 · Herford · Kolmar2 · Kaysersberg2 · Konstanz · Landau2 · Lemgo · Lucerne3 · Mainz · Metz · Munster2 · Obernai2 · Pfeddersheim · Rheinfelden · Rosheim2 · St. Gallen3 · Sarrebourg · Schaffhausen3 · Schmalkalden · Schlettstadt2 · Soest1 · Solothurn3 · Strassburg · Toul · Turckheim2 · Verden · Verdun · Warburg · Wissembourg2 · Zurich3
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| 1 Member of the Hanseatic League. 2 Member of the Décapole. 3 Member or associate of the Swiss Confederacy. |
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Towns and municipalities in Reutlingen (district) |
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Bad Urach | Dettingen an der Erms | Engstingen | Eningen | Gomadingen | Grabenstetten | Grafenberg | Hayingen | Hohenstein | Hülben | Lichtenstein | Mehrstetten | Metzingen | Münsingen | Pfronstetten | Pfullingen | Pliezhausen | Reutlingen | Riederich | Römerstein | Sonnenbühl | St. Johann | Trochtelfingen | Walddorfhäslach | Wannweil | Zwiefalten
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