Heilbronn: Difference between revisions

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From the late Middle Ages on, it developed into an important trading centre. At the beginning of the 19th century, Heilbronn became one of the centres of early industrialisation in Württemberg. Heilbronn's old town was completely destroyed during the air raid of 4 December 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s. Today Heilbronn is the economic centre of the [[Heilbronn-Franconia|Heilbronn-Franken region]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bernd Venohr |first=& Floran Langenscheidt |title=Deutsche Standards. Heilbronn-Franken. Region der Weltmarktführer: Rund 100 Weltmarktführer einer der erfolgreichsten Regionen Deutschlands |publisher=GABAL |year=2011 |isbn=978-3869362229}}</ref>

===Climate===

 

 

==History==

On July 28, 1935, the port was opened in a canal off the Neckar, and 1936 saw the [[Autobahn]] between Heilbronn and Stuttgart completed. Economy and infrastructure were booming in Württemberg, and Heilbronn was at the logistic centre of it all. As the result of a district reform on October 1, 1938, Heilbronn became the seat of the newly created [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn County]] and regained independent city status. At the same time the previously independent communities of Böckingen, Sontheim, and Neckargartach were annexed, and with 72,000 residents Heilbronn then was the second largest city in Württemberg. The port turned into an important transfer station on the Neckar and one of the ten largest interior ports in the country.

 

 

Starting in 1942 during World War II, the salt mines in and around Heilbronn were used to store art and artifacts from Germany, France, and Italy. Similarly, important producers of the war industry were moved into the [[Shaft mining|mine shafts]]. The expansion of the shafts was undertaken by labour brigades of the [[concentration camp]] branches in Kochendorf and Neckargartach. From Heilbronn all the way to [[Neckarelz]] numerous subterraneous complexes, some of them gigantic, were constructed''';''' on November 20, 1942, the Heilbronn Bureau of Labour had 8,000 forced labourers registered in its district.

 

After 1951, US troops were permanently stationed in Heilbronn. They used barracks built prior to World War II and added some structures of their own.

 

The opening of the Autobahn [[Bundesautobahn 6|A 6]] from Heilbronn to [[Mannheim]] in 1968 was an important economic event. When the [[Bundesautobahn 81|A 81]] to [[Würzburg]] and the [[Bundesautobahn 6|A 6]] to [[Nuremberg]] was completed in 1974 and 1979, respectively, Heilbronn became an important logistical centre in southern Germany. As a result, many large companies opened offices in Heilbronn.

Other major new buildings in the city area in recent years include two Neckar bridges, the two shopping centres Stadtgalerie and Klosterhof, the experimenta Science Center and the Bildungscampus.

 

 

===Religion===

Ever since the [[Franks]] under [[Clovis I|Chlodwig]] settled in the Neckar region around 500 the area has been predominantly [[Christians|Christian]] and when Heilbronn was first mentioned in an official document in 741 Christian Michaelsbasilica, present day's [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]], was mentioned along with the city. The [[Teutonic Knights]] constructed its church from the 13th century and both churches were continually expanded. They were joined later by other churches and cloisters in the city.

 

Around 1050 an important Jewish community was mentioned that had settled in what became known as the ''Judengasse'' (''Lohtorstraße''). In 1298, 143 Jews were killed during the [[Rintfleisch-Pogrom]] and in 1350 Jews suffered attacks again during a European [[epidemic]] of the [[Bubonic plague]]. The city's constitution required the council to include Jews, but already in the middle of the 15th century Jews were the target of vigilantes again until they were evicted from the city in 1490 with the blessings of Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]].

 

 

While Heilbronn was part of the [[Diocese of Würzburg]], the independent villages of Böckingen, Neckargartach and Frankenbach were attached to the [[Diocese of Worms]]. From 1514 on the Heilbronn native Johann Lachmann was caretaker of the parish in St. Kilian, in 1521 he became its preacher, in 1524 he converted to [[Lutheranism]] and proceeded to teach and lead the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] in Heilbronn against the wishes of both dioceses. After the [[Protestant reformation]] of Heilbronn was complete the city remained Lutheran for centuries and the council and citizens accepted the [[Augsburg Confession]] without dissent. Catholics were no longer welcome, Jews were prohibited from settling in Heilbronn, and the city took part in the [[Protestation at Speyer]] on April 19, 1529 (the Protestation was the origin of the terms Protestant and Protestantism).

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The Literaturhaus Heilbronn has opened in 2020. It is located in the Trappenseeschlösschen, a striking baroque building in the middle of a lake in the east of the city. With readings by contemporary authors, lectures, discussions, workshops and conferences as well as smaller temporary exhibitions, the Literaturhaus Heilbronn offers a variety of formats on the subject of literature and reading. Associated to the Literaturhaus is the Kleist Archiv Semdner, an archive and study center on the famous German author [[Heinrich von Kleist]].

 

 

=== Music ===

[[Category:Holocaust locations in Germany]]

[[Category:Urban districts of Baden-Württemberg]]