Meersburg
Meersburg | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Meersburg within Bodenseekreis district  | |
  Meersburg  Meersburg | |
| Coordinates:47°42′N9°16′E/ 47.700°N 9.267°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Tübingen |
| District | Bodenseekreis |
| Municipal assoc. | Meersburg |
| Government | |
| •Mayor(2017–25) | Robert Scherer[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.08 km2(4.66 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 444 m (1,457 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 6,142 |
| • Density | 510/km2(1,300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00(CEST) |
| Postal codes | 88709 |
| Dialling codes | 07532 |
| Vehicle registration | FN / ÜB |
| Website | www.meersburg.de |
Meersburg(German:[ˈmeːɐ̯sˌbʊʁk]) is a town inBaden-Württembergin the southwest ofGermany.It is onLake Constance.
It is known for its medieval city. The lower town ( "Unterstadt" ) and upper town ( "Oberstadt" ) are reserved for pedestrians only, and connected by two stairways and a steep street ( "Steigstrasse" ).
History
[edit]The name of the town means "Castle on the Sea", referring to a castle which, according to a tradition from 1548, was built here in 630 by the Merovingian kingDagobert I.
The commune obtained the status offree cityin 1299, though nominally still under theBishop of Constance.In 1803 it was annexed to theElectorate of Baden.
AfterWorld War II,Meersburg was in theFrench military occupation areain Germany.
Main sights
[edit]The town is home to two castles, theOld Castleand theNew Castle.The Old Castle, built by Merovingian KingDagobert Iin the seventh century, is one of the oldest surviving castles in Germany. It is in private ownership. A self-guided tour is available. German poetAnnette von Droste-Hülshofflived there for eight years and purchased thePrince's House.The New Castle was built in the eighteenth century. Originally the residence of the bishop of Constance, it was used for various purposes after theSecularizationof 1803. It is now a museum. There is also an expanse ofhalf-timbered houses,and two medieval town gates, which are the remains of thefortification.
Transport
[edit]Meersburg is the northern terminus of a car ferry service toConstance.On the opposite side Meersburg is connected to the region by the B 31, a major road that leads fromBreisach(on the French border) toLindau(on the Austrian border), largely bypassing all parts of Meersburg. To exit to Meersburg and to get to the car ferry, one takes B 33 to Meersburg and Constance.
Meersburg is also reachable by pleasure boat services from Lake Constance to Überlingen (to the west), to Lindau, Bregenz (to the east) and to Constance opposite.
Famous people
[edit]
One of Germany's most celebrated poets,Annette von Droste-Hülshoff,lived her final years atMeersburg Castle,from 1841–1848. She also owned the small vine-covered villa known asFürstenhäusle.[3]
The famous eighteenth-century doctorFranz Anton Mesmer(from whose name the verb "to mesmerize" derives) died in 1815 in Meersburg and is buried near the old wall of the graveyard about 0.5 kilometres (0.3 miles) northeast of the upper town-gate "Obertor" (see picture beneath).
others
[edit]- Stefan Lochner(c.1410–1451) German painter working in the late "soft style" of theInternational Gothic.
- Hugo von Hohenlandenberg(c.1457–1532 in Meersburg)Bishop of Konstanz.
- Hieronymus Harder(1523–1607) German botanist and teacher of Latin.
- Baron Joseph Maria Christoph von Lassberg(1770–1855) Germanantiquary,lived atMeersburg Castlefrom 1838.
- Friedrich August Walchner(1799–1865) Germangeologist,chemistandmineralogist.
- Levin Schücking(1814–1883) German novelist, lived atMeersburg Castle1841/1843.
- Robert Eberle(1815–1862), Germananimal painter
- Fritz Mauthner(1849–1923 in Meersburg)Austro-Hungariannovelist, theatre critic, satirist, and exponent ofphilosophical skepticism.
- Markus Baur(born 1971) former German handball player now turned trainer
Viticulture
[edit]The Meersburg vineyards at the northern banks of Lake Constance are famous within Germany. The rosée "Weissherbst"wineis a specialty of the region.
International relations
[edit]Meersburg istwinnedwith:
Hohnstein,Saxony,Germany– since 1991
Louveciennes,France– since 1991
San Gimignano,Italy– since 2002
Gallery
[edit]-
Old castle of Meersburg -
Half-timbered water mill, now private house near the Altes Schloss, Meersburg -
City gate -
Gravestone of Franz Anton Mesmer in Meersburg -
View of the centre of the upper town
References
[edit]- ^Aktuelle Wahlergebnisse,Staatsanzeiger, accessed 11 September 2021.
- ^"Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht am 31. Dezember 2022"[Population by nationality and sex as of December 31, 2022](CSV)(in German).Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg.June 2023.
- ^Homepage of the Droste-Museum
External links
[edit]
- The official Meersburg homepage
- Meersburg-Webcam: 2 livecams show the historical marketplace
- guidebook Meersburg(in German)
- Meersburg: Pictures
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