imported>BigBullfrog at 14:51, 9 November 2025

2025-11-09T14:51:52Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox German place
|type = Stadt
|name = Weingarten
|image_coa = DEU Weingarten (Württemberg) COA.svg
|image_photo = Weingarten Basilika Fassade Abt-Hyller-Strasse.jpg
|image_caption = [[Weingarten Abbey|Basilica of Saints Martin and Oswald]]
|coordinates = {{coord|47|48|33|N|09|38|40|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Weingarten in RV.svg
|state = Baden-Württemberg
|region = Tübingen
|district = Ravensburg
|Gemeindeverwaltungsverband = Mittleres Schussental
|elevation = 485
|area = 12.16
|postal_code = 88250
|area_code = 0751
|licence = RV
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 08 4 36 082
|website = [https://www.weingarten-online.de/ www.weingarten-online.de]
|mayor = Clemens Moll<ref>[https://www.staatsanzeiger.de/wahl/oberbuergermeisterwahl-weingarten-2022/ Oberbürgermeisterwahl Weingarten 2022], Staatsanzeiger.</ref>
|leader_term = 2022–30
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party = Independent
}}

'''Weingarten''' ({{IPA|de|ˈvaɪnɡaʁtn̩|-|De-Weingarten.ogg}}; {{langx|gsw|label=[[Low Alemannic German|Low Alemannic]]|Wãẽgaade}}; {{Lit|Wine Garden}}) is a town with a population of 25,000 ({{As of|2020|lc=y}}) in [[Württemberg]], in the [[Ravensburg (district)|District of Ravensburg]], in the valley of the [[Schussen River]]. Together with the southern neighbour cities of [[Ravensburg]] and [[Friedrichshafen]] on Lake Constance (Bodensee), it forms one of 14 medium-sized infrastructural centres in [[Baden-Württemberg]]. The town is seat of the University of Applied Sciences of Ravensburg-Weingarten (''Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten'') and of the Teachers' College of Weingarten (''Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten'').

==History==

The town was formerly known as '''Altdorf''' and was renamed to Weingarten in 1865. Before that, Weingarten was the name of [[Weingarten Abbey]] only, which lay on the Martinsberg ([[Martin of Tours|St. Martin]]'s hill) above the town. The name "Altdorf" is derived from the Frankish ''alach'' for "church". So "Altdorf" does not mean "old village" but "village/thorp with the parish church".

Near the old town, an [[Alemans|Alemannic]] burial place was excavated in 1954–1957, dating from the 5th century. In the 8th century the region became part of the [[Franks|Frankish empire]]. Around the 9th century the [[Elder Welfs]] became [[count]]s of the Schussengau and established their seat in Altdorf.

In 1056 [[Welf IV]] transferred the ancestral seat of the Welfs to the newly built castle of [[Ravensburg]]. He founded a new [[Benedictine]] abbey at the Martinsberg in Altdorf; this abbey was named [[Weingarten Abbey]].

By a contract of inheritance, in 1191 the [[Hohenstaufen]] [[Frederick Barbarossa]] acquired the ownership of the Schussengau (including Altdorf, Weingarten and Ravensburg) from [[Welf VI]], [[Duke of Spoleto]] and uncle of both [[Frederick Barbarossa]] and [[Henry the Lion]].

About seventy years later, with the death of [[Conradin]] in [[Naples]] in 1268, the line of the [[Hohenstaufen]] became extinct. Their former estates were confiscated as imperial property of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. While the small town of Altdorf was ruled by the ''[[Vogt|Reichslandvogt]]'' (imperial [[Steward (office)|steward]] resp. [[bailiff]]) of [[Swabia]], the abbey of Weingarten won the status of an "Imperial Abbey" with privileges similar to those of an [[Imperial Free City]]. The ''Landvogtei'' was given in 1473/1486 as pawn to [[Sigismund, Archduke of Austria]], which led to its integration as a district within [[Further Austria]].

The ''Vogt'''s seat was first located at the castle of Ravensburg (most often called "Veitsburg" to distinguish it from the Imperial City of Ravensburg) until 1647 when Swedish troops destroyed the castle and the ''Vogt'' moved to a palace (the today's ''Schlössle'') in Altdorf.

The abbey of Weingarten became one of the wealthiest monasteries in southern Germany, owning about 306 km<sup>2</sup> of rich estates, before it was confiscated during the [[secularization]] following the ''Reichsdeputationshauptschluß'' bill in 1803. Weingarten was first allotted to the [[Duke of Nassau|House of Nassau]], Altdorf to the dukedom of [[Württemberg]]. In 1806 Weingarten, too, was incorporated into Württemberg.

[[File:Weingarten1917.jpg|thumb|280px|Weingarten 1917]]

During the 19th century several barracks were placed in Altdorf-Weingarten, making the city an important military site; following this in 1911 a young [[Erwin Rommel]] was based in the town.<ref>see [[Erwin Rommel#Early life and career|Erwin Rommel's early life and career]] and [[Erwin Rommel#Family life|Erwin Rommel's family life]]</ref>
As in neighbouring Ravensburg, a significant engineering industry evolved during the second half of the century, based mainly on the local traditions of (paper and other) mills and textile production.

In 1922, monks from [[Beuron Archabbey|Beuron Abbey]] (on the Danube) and [[Erdington Abbey]] (in [[Birmingham]]) founded a new Benedictine abbey that leased some of the former abbey rooms. In 2010 the last four monks abandoned the abbey, the lease was taken over by the Catholic [[Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart]] which tried to find a new monastic community to install here.

During [[Nazi Germany]] Weingarten was incorporated into Ravensburg; after the war, the rival cities were separated again.

Since 1949, most of the former abbey buildings have been occupied by a teachers' college. A smaller part of the main building is leased to the Catholic [[Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart]] which runs the Catholic Academy for adult education there. New buildings were erected in the neighbourhood by the [[University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten]]. In 2014 parts of the Academy were rededicated as a refugees home, in 2015 rooms of the then-abandoned abbey were rededicated as auxiliary first admittance facility for refugees.

During the municipal reforms of the 1970s, a renewed attempt to fuse Ravensburg and Weingarten failed due to massive resistance on the part of Weingarten's citizenry.

Weingarten was home to the NATO International [[Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol]] School through the 1980s and 90s until it moved to [[Pfullendorf]].

==Local council==
Elections in May 2014:
* AfD = 1
* SPD = 4
* Alliance 90/The Greens = 5
* CDU = 7
* FW (Free voters BW) = 6
* BfW (Citizens for Weingarten) = 3
* Total 26

==Mayors and Lord Mayors==
* 1905–1920: Josef Reich
* 1920–1937: Wilhelm Braun (1997–1971)
* 1937–1945: ''incorporated to Ravensburg''
* 1945–1954: Wilhelm Braun
* 1954–1975: Richard Mayer (from 1974 Lord Mayor)
* 1975–1992: Rolf Gerich (1928–2013)
* 1992–2008: Gerd Gerber (born 1944)
* since 2008: Markus Ewald (born 1964)

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Weingarten is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web|title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.weingarten-online.de/Startseite/Stadt/Partnerstaedte.html|website=weingarten-online.de|publisher=Weingarten|language=de|access-date=2021-02-17|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412224451/https://www.weingarten-online.de/Startseite/Stadt/partnerstaedte.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|BLR}} [[Brest, Belarus|Brest]], Belarus
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bron]], France
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Burgeis|Burgeis (Mals)]], Italy
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Grimma]], Germany
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Mantua]], Italy

Weingarten also has a climatic partnership with [[Blumenau]] in Brazil.<ref name=twins/>

==Places of interest==
[[File:Weingarten Basilika Gabler-Orgel von Empore.jpg|thumb|Gabler organ]]

*The '''Abbey Church of St. Martin and Oswald''', also known as ''Münster'' or ''Basilika'', is the largest [[Baroque]] church north of the Alps. It is approximately half as long as [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome and hence sometimes referred to as "Swabian St. Peter". The church features a baroque [[Organ of the Basilica of St. Martin (Weingarten)|organ]] by [[Joseph Gabler]] with 4 manuals and nearly 7,000 pipes, including a 49 rank pedal mixture "La Force" on the bottom pedal C.
*The surrounding convent and other abbey buildings are also built in Baroque style.
*The '''Alemans Museum''' displays [[Archaeology|archaeological]] finds from an Alemannic burial place of the early [[Middle Ages]]. It is one of the largest museums specializing in the history of the [[Alemans]].
*The '''"Schlössle"''' ("small palace") was erected around 1550 as the administrative seat of the Imperial steward (''Reichslandvogt'') of Swabia. In the 18th century it was used as residence of the imperial judge, in the 19th and 20th century as a domicile of higher-ranking military officers. Since 2001 it is home to the municipal museum.

==Events==
[[File:Weingarten Fasnet Plaetzler.jpg|thumb|The ''Plätzler'' Guild at Carnival]]

===Fasnet===
The local tradition of the [[Swabia]]n-[[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] [[carnival]] called '''[[Fastnacht|Fasnet]]''' can be traced back to 1348. At that time "town-hall dances" were reported, celebrating the end of a [[pest (animal)|pest]] [[epidemic]].

Every year, the Fasnet season starts with the ''Gumpige Dunnschdig'' (Jumpy Thursday) a week before [[Ash Wednesday]]. In the evening, the ''Hemedglonkerumzug'' (from "hemed" = ''nightgown'' in local dialect) takes place, so everybody runs through the streets in pyjamas or nightshirts. This custom symbolizes the awakening of carnival fools.

The main pageant takes place at Sunday. Typical carnival characters of Weingarten are the ''Plätzler'' (in a red and white costume, first depicted in 1868), the ''Lauratal ghosts'' and the ''Bockstallnarren'' ("buck stable fools"). In addition to these local groups, many other carnival groups from the region take part in the pageant.

==="[[Blutritt]]" procession===
[[File:Weingarten Blutritt Beyer.jpg|thumb|"Blutritt", about 1865]]
On the Friday following [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]], Catholics from Weingarten and from most parts of [[Upper Swabia]] take part in the annual [[Blutritt]], a large equestrian [[procession]]. The procession of about 3,000 riders and dozens of local [[music band]]s leads through the town centre and some surrounding villages to bless houses, farms and fields with a [[relic]] of the holy [[blood of Jesus Christ]]. During the rest of the year, the relic is on display in the [[Weingarten Abbey]] church.

==Notable people==
* [[:de:Konrad Huber (Maler, 1752)|Konrad Huber, (DE Wiki)]] (1752–1830), painter
*[[Guido Wolf (politician)|Guido Wolf]] (born 1961), politician (CDU), President of the [[Landtag of Baden-Württemberg|Parliament of Baden-Württemberg]], 2011–2015
* [[:de:Uli Boettcher|Uli Boettcher, (DE Wiki)]] (born 1966), actor and cabaret artist
*[[Andreas Beck (tennis)|Andreas Beck]] (born 1986), tennis player
*[[Benjamin Strasser]] (born 1987), lawyer and politician, (FDP), member of the [[Bundestag]] since 2017

==See also==
*[[Ravensburg–Weingarten–Baienfurt tram line]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Weingarten}}
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.hs-weingarten.de/ University of Applied Sciences of Ravensburg-Weingarten]
*[http://www.ph-weingarten.de/ Teachers' College of Weingarten]
*[http://www.plaetzlerzunft.de/ Plätzlerzunft Altdorf-Weingarten 1348 e.V.]
*[http://www.die-orgelseite.de/disp/D_Weingarten_Basilika.htm Specification and images of the Gabler organ from Die Orgelseite]

{{Cities and towns in Ravensburg (district)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weingarten, Wurttemberg}}
[[Category:Ravensburg (district)]]

Weingarten, Württemberg - Revision history

imported>BigBullfrog at 14:51, 9 November 2025