Konstanz

Konstanz

Rheintorturm, a section of the former city wall of Konstanz at Lake Constance

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Konstanz

Coordinates: 47°40′N 9°11′E / 47.667°N 9.183°E / 47.667; 9.183Coordinates: 47°40′N 9°11′E / 47.667°N 9.183°E / 47.667; 9.183
Country Germany
State Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region Freiburg
District Konstanz
Government
 • Lord Mayor Ulrich Burchardt (CDU)
Area
 • Total 55.65 km2 (21.49 sq mi)
Elevation 405 m (1,329 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)[1]
 • Total 82,859
 • Density 1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 78462–78467
Dialling codes 07531, 07533
Vehicle registration KN
Website www.konstanz.de

Konstanz (pronounced [ˈkɔnstants], locally [ˈkɔnʃtants]; English: Constance, Czech: Kostnice, Latin: Constantia) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was for more than 1200 years residence of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Konstanz.

Location

The Imperia at the Lake Constance harbour of Konstanz is the city's famous landmark

Konstanz is situated on Lake Constance (Bodensee in German). The Rhine river, which starts in the Swiss Alps, passes through Lake Constance and leaves it, considerably larger, by flowing under a bridge connecting the two parts of the city. North of the river lies the larger part of the city with residential areas, industrial estates, and the University of Konstanz; while south of the river is the old town, which houses the administrative centre and shopping facilities in addition to the Hochschule or the University of Applied Sciences. Car ferries provide access across Lake Constance to Meersburg, and the Katamaran provides a shuttle service for pedestrians to Friedrichshafen. At the old town's southern border lies the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen.

Subdivisions

Konstanz is subdivided into 15 wards or districts (Stadtteile). The island of Mainau belonged to the ward of Litzelstetten, a separate municipality until its incorporation into Konstanz on December 1, 1971.

Wards of Konstanz

History

Schnetztor, a section of the former city wall.
Konstanz Marktstätte, the main square in the old town.

The first traces of civilization in Konstanz date back to the late Stone Age. During the reign of Augustus, the Celts living south of the Danube were conquered by the Romans. Around 40 AD, the first Romans settled on the site. This small town on the left bank of the Rhine was probably first called Drusomagus and belonged to the Roman province of Raetia. Its later name, originally Constantia, comes either from the Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus, who fought the Alemanni in the region and built a strong fortress around 300 AD, or from his grandson Constantius II, who visited the region in 354. The remains of the late Roman fortress Constantia were discovered in 2003.

Around 585 the first bishop took up residence in Konstanz and this marked the beginning of the city's importance as a spiritual centre. By the late Middle Ages, about one quarter of Konstanz's 6,000 inhabitants were exempt from taxation on account of clerical rights.

Trade thrived during the Middle Ages. Konstanz owned the only bridge in the region, which crossed the Rhine, making it a strategic location in the Duchy of Swabia. Its linen production had made an international name for the city and it was prosperous. In 1192, Konstanz gained the status of Imperial City so it was henceforth subject only to the Holy Roman Emperor.

In 1414 to 1418, the Council of Constance took place, during which, on 6 July 1415, John Hus (Czech religious thinker, philosopher and reformer), who was seen as a threat to Christianity by the Roman Catholic Church, was burned at the stake. It was here that the Papal Schism was ended and Pope Martin V was elected during the only conclave ever held north of the Alps. Ulrich von Richental's illustrated chronicle of the Council of Constance testifies to all the major happenings during the Council as well as showing the everyday life of medieval Konstanz. The Konzilgebäude where the conclave was held can still be seen standing by the harbour. Close by stands the Imperia, a statue that was erected in 1993 to satirically commemorate the Council.

In 1460, the Swiss Confederacy conquered Thurgau, Konstanz's natural hinterland. Konstanz then made an attempt to get admitted to the Swiss Confederacy, but the forest cantons voted against its entry, fearing over-bearing city states; Konstanz then joined the Swabian League instead. In the Swabian War of 1499, Konstanz lost its last privileges over Thurgau to the Confederation.

The Protestant Reformation took hold in Konstanz in the 1520s, headed by Ambrosius Blarer. Soon the city declared itself officially Protestant, pictures were removed from the churches, and the bishop temporarily moved to Meersburg, a small town across the lake. The city first followed the Tetrapolitan Confession, and then the Augsburg Confession. However, in 1548 Emperor Charles V imposed the Imperial Ban on Konstanz and it had to surrender to Habsburg Austria which had suddenly attacked. Thus Konstanz lost its status as an imperial city. The new Habsburg rulers were eager to re-Catholicise the town and in 1604 a Jesuit College was opened. Its accompanying theatre, built in 1610, is the oldest theatre in Germany still performing regularly.

The city became part of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1806. In 1821, the Bishopric of Constance was dissolved and became part of the Archdiocese of Freiburg. Konstanz became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the unification of Germany. After World War I it was included within the Republic of Baden.

Because it almost lies within Switzerland, directly adjacent to the Swiss border, Konstanz was not bombed by the Allied Forces during World War II. The city left all its lights on at night, and thus fooled the bombers into thinking it was actually part of Switzerland. After the war, Konstanz was included first in South Baden and then in the new state of Baden-Württemberg.

The Altstadt (Old Town), which is large considering the small size of modern Konstanz, has many old buildings and twisting alleys. The city skyline is dominated by the majestic "Münster" Cathedral ("Münster Unserer Lieben Frau"), several other churches and three towers left over from the city wall, one of which marks the place of the former medieval bridge over the Rhine.

The University of Konstanz was established close to the town in 1966. It houses an excellent library with approximately two million books, all freely accessible 24 hours a day, as well as a botanical garden (the Botanischer Garten der Universität Konstanz). Especially since 2007, the university, being one of the nine German universities most successful in the German Universities Excellence Initiative, has gained considerable reputation as a so-called "elite university".

Konstanz was the birthplace of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, constructor of the famous Zeppelin airships.

Vehicles backed up on a divided roadway seen from above. In the foreground is a traffic signal; there are blue signs in German further down the road as it narrows. In the rear is a developed hillside, partially obscured by bluish haze
Swiss shoppers returning to their home country from Konstanz on weekends

In the late 2010s, Konstanz has become a popular destination for Einkaufstourism, or cross-border shopping by Swiss due to lower prices on basic items in Germany, a favorable exchange rate between the Swiss franc and the euro, and a generous German VAT refund for non-European Union residents. Retail chains such as H&M and dm have built large new stores near the town's central square to cater to this trade, and some Konstanz residents feel the city is losing its historic character in the process; many of them avoid the area on Saturdays. This has led to friction with officials from Kreuzlingen as their city has seen no economic benefit from this trade, and they have been requesting that their national government bring up the issue of the VAT refund with Germany.[2]

Largest groups of foreign residents
Nationality Population (2014)
 Italy 1,627
 Turkey 1,132
 Croatia 568
 Romania 565
 Serbia & Montenegro 500
 Austria 381

Climate

Its location by a lake in south-west Germany gives Konstanz an oceanic climate (Cfb) with warm, humid summers and cold winters.

Climate data for Konstanz, Germany for 1981–2010 (Source: DWD)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 3.2
(37.8)		 5.1
(41.2)		 10.4
(50.7)		 17.0
(62.6)		 21.9
(71.4)		 24.9
(76.8)		 26.7
(80.1)		 26.6
(79.9)		 21.9
(71.4)		 17.3
(63.1)		 7.6
(45.7)		 4.1
(39.4)		 14.34
(57.81)
Average low °C (°F) −2.3
(27.9)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 1.0
(33.8)		 3.8
(38.8)		 8.2
(46.8)		 11.5
(52.7)		 13.5
(56.3)		 13.3
(55.9)		 10.1
(50.2)		 6.4
(43.5)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −0.9
(30.4)		 5.4
(41.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 44.0
(1.732)		 45.0
(1.772)		 54.7
(2.154)		 61.5
(2.421)		 89.2
(3.512)		 98.3
(3.87)		 97.4
(3.835)		 89.3
(3.516)		 76.7
(3.02)		 62.7
(2.469)		 60.0
(2.362)		 66.1
(2.602)		 844.78
(33.2591)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 50.2 81.9 135.3 176.9 209.9 225.3 249.2 225.6 160.1 98.8 53.8 40.6 1,707.66
Source: Data derived from Deutscher Wetterdienst[3]

Main sights

Konstanz was also home to a large synagogue, destroyed by the Nazi government in 1938.

International relations

Konstanz is twinned with:

Transport

Konstanz station is served by the Upper Rhine Railway running west to Singen with connections to all parts of Germany, and the Etzwilen–Konstanz line running south into Switzerland, connecting to major routes at Weinfelden. Services are provided by the Deutsche Bahn AG and also the Swiss Thurbo company and its German subsidiary. The nearest airport is at Friedrichshafen, which can be reached by a fast ferry service on the lake, which also connects Konstanz to other lakeside towns. The airport mainly hosts domestic flights, but flights to Austria and Turkey are available. The nearest international airports are in Stuttgart, in Basel, and Zürich, which has a direct train from Konstanz. Bus services within the city are provided by Stadtwerke Konstanz GmbH.

Additionally Konstanz and Friedrichshafen have been connected by the two (since 2008, three) catamarans Constance and Fridolin since 2005.

World Heritage Site

It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4]

Notable people

Early times to 1800

From 1801-1900

From 1901 to modern times

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gemeinden in Deutschland nach Fläche, Bevölkerung und Postleitzahl am 30.09.2016". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2016.
  2. ↑ Gagnon, Milan (March 6, 2017). "The Swiss Invasion". Slate. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ausgabe der Klimadaten: Monatswerte".
  4. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps". whc.unesco.org.
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