Bad Kissingen
Encyclopedia
Bad Kissingen is a spa town
in the Bavaria
n region of Lower Franconia
and is the seat
of the district Bad Kissingen
. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains
on the Franconian Saale river, it is a world-famous health resort.
(Number of inhabitants in brackets)
(Austria), around 700 km away Massa
(Italy), around 900 km away Vernon
(France), around 800 km away
' with participation by internationally recognised orchestras and soloists is a highlight of the cultural calendar. A similar event called the ‘Kissinger Winterzauber’ takes place each winter. Other annual events include the ‘Rakoczy Fest’ in the last weekend of July, which is held to honour all historical figures whose lives were connected with Bad Kissingen. The high point is the procession on the Sunday afternoon. Historical figures are represented by citizens of the town for the entire weekend, and take part in town life.
One of the most important buildings in the town is the old town hall, a renaissance design from 1577. Between 1838 and 1913, the arcade was built around the spa garden by Friedrich von Gärtner, as well as the pump rooms, following a design by Max Littmann. The Regency building was constructed by Balthasar Neumann. Max Littmann also designed the Art Nouveau spa theatre, completed in 1905. The oft-forgotten train station building, with its classical neo-renaissance façade, was built in 1874 under supervision by Friedrich Bürklein. The ruins of castle Bodenlaube from 1180 looks over the town from above Reiterswiesen. The KissSalis Therme, opened in 2004, gives the town a modern feel. It is one of the largest wellness baths in Europe, and the largest building project in the town since the Second World War.
Another point of interest is the casino in the spa park.
(the Croatian team was in Bad Brückenau). In honour of this unique event, a street was renamed from Grabengasse to Avenida Amazonas. Sport facilities and infrastructure were also upgraded to ensure optimal training conditions for the team.
The town itself was first documented in the year 801 as “chizzicha” and was renowned above all for its medicinal springs, which are recorded from as early as 823. Kissingen was first mentioned as a town in 1279, and the first official spa guest was recorded in 1520, the same century that the town established itself as a spa. Kissingen grew to be a chic resort in the 19th century, and was rebuilt as such during the reign of Ludwig I of Bavaria. Crowned heads of state such as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Tsar Alexander II of Russia and King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who bestowed the 'Bad' on Kissingen in 1883, were among the guests to the spa at this time. On 10 July 1866 in Mainfeldzug, Kissingen was the site of fierce battle between Bavarian and Prussia
n troops. Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck visited Kissingen's spas many times, and in 1874 narrowly avoided an assassination attempt by Eduard Franz Ludwig Kullmann there. Bismarck’s former home in Kissingen is now the Bismarck museum. Other visitors to the resort included author Leo Tolstoy and artist Adolph von Menzel.
The resort’s clientele changed in the 20th century, with more normal citizens visiting than noblemen and women. 1945 is the only year that the spa resort remained closed. After that, the Department of Social Security built clinics in the town, but a change in health legislation in the 1990s reduced the opportunities for German health insurance contracts to fund spa visits, which led to job losses. As a result, efforts were made to attract a new kind of clientele, helped in no small part by the EMNID survey which named Bad Kissingen Germany’s most well-known spa town. In 2003, 1.5 million people stayed in the town. With the opening of the KissSalis Therme in February 2004, Bad Kissingen now also had a spa leisure centre, and in December 2004, the German-Chinese Football Academy was opened in the town, where the Chinese "08 star team" both train and live in preparation for the Olympic Games in China in 2008.
At the Eastern edge of the Bad Kissingen town center is what was once a military post established by the German military as part of Hitler's growth of the new German "Wehrmacht" (Army) program. This post was then called Manteuffel Kaserne (Manteuffel Barracks). In 1945, the American military entered Bad Kissingen peacefully, and took over the barracks: the name changed to Daley Barracks in 1953.
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n region of Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria , Germany ....
and is the seat
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of the district Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen (district)
Bad Kissingen is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the district Main-Kinzig and Fulda in Hesse, and the districts of Rhön-Grabfeld, Schweinfurt and Main-Spessart.- History :...
. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains
Rhön Mountains
The Rhön Mountains are a group of low mountains in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end of the East Hesse Highlands , are partly a result of ancient volcanic activity...
on the Franconian Saale river, it is a world-famous health resort.
Town structure
In addition to the main town of Bad Kissingen, its districts include according to the latest statistics dating from 31 December 2009:- Bad Kissingen town centre (10,991)
- Albertshausen (635)
- Arnshausen (1,235)
- Garitz (4,550)
- Hausen (1,722)
- Kleinbrach (395)
- Poppenroth (883)
- Reiterswiesen (2,113)
- Winkels (1,397)
(Number of inhabitants in brackets)
Town Council
The Council of Bad Kissingen (2008–2014) consists of:- The mayor Kay Blankenburg (SPD)
- 11 members of the Christian Social Union of BavariaChristian Social Union of BavariaThe Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
(CSU), - 9 members of the Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD), - 4 members of the DBK,
- 3 members of the Freie Wähler party,
- 2 members of the BfU/Alliance '90/The GreensAlliance '90/The GreensAlliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
- 1 member of the Free DemocratsFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP). - In addition there is one representative for Albertshausen, one for Kleinbrach and one for Arnshausen who have no right to vote in the council.
Twin Towns
EisenstadtEisenstadt
- Politics :The current mayor of Eisenstadt is Andrea Fraunschiel ÖVP.The district council is composed as follows :* ÖVP: 17 seats* SPÖ: 8 seats* Austrian Green Party: 2 seats* FPÖ: 2 seats- Castles and palaces :...
(Austria), around 700 km away Massa
Massa
Massa is a town and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, the administrative centre of the province of Massa-Carrara. It is located in the Frigido River Valley, near the Alpi Apuane, some 5 kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea....
(Italy), around 900 km away Vernon
Vernon, Eure
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen...
(France), around 800 km away
Museums
- Bismarck museum in the upper saltworks
- Permanent exhibition: Jewish life in the former Jewish school
- Cardinal Döpfner museum in Hausen
Music
The classical music festival 'Kissinger SommerKissinger Sommer
The Kissinger Sommer is a classical music festival held every year in the summer in the city of Bad Kissingen, Southern Germany. The festival was founded in 1986 and is one of the most popular classical music festivals in Germany....
' with participation by internationally recognised orchestras and soloists is a highlight of the cultural calendar. A similar event called the ‘Kissinger Winterzauber’ takes place each winter. Other annual events include the ‘Rakoczy Fest’ in the last weekend of July, which is held to honour all historical figures whose lives were connected with Bad Kissingen. The high point is the procession on the Sunday afternoon. Historical figures are represented by citizens of the town for the entire weekend, and take part in town life.
Constructions
Another point of interest is the casino in the spa park.
Sport
Bad Kissingen boasts a large number of sports clubs and types of sports:- Football
- 1. FC 06 Bad Kissingen (district upper league 2005/2006)
- TV “Vater Jahn” Bad Kissingen-Winkels (A class)
- Post SV Bad Kissingen (A class)
- TSV gg Kissingen-Hausen (district league)
- SV Bad Kissingen-Garitz (district league)
- SV Bad Kissingen-Arnshausen (lower district league)
- FC Viktoria Bad Kissingen-Poppenroth
- Tennis
- TC Rot Weiss Bad Kissingen
- TSV Bad Kissingen
- Golf
- Fencing
- Basketball
- Swimming
- Ice hockey
- Flying
- Judo
- Chess
- Shooting
- Shooting club “Edelweiss” Reitersweisen (Bavarian league air pistol 2005/2006)
World Cup 2006
During the World Cup 2006, Bad Kissingen was home to the Ecuadorian national football teamEcuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
(the Croatian team was in Bad Brückenau). In honour of this unique event, a street was renamed from Grabengasse to Avenida Amazonas. Sport facilities and infrastructure were also upgraded to ensure optimal training conditions for the team.
Regular events
- Kissinger Sommer (international music festival June/July)
- Kissinger Winterzauber (international music festival December/January)
- Bad Kissingen Theatre Days (August)
- Rakoczy Festival; official German term: "Rákóczi-Fest" (last weekend of July)
- Kissinger Piano Olympics (September)
Schools
- "Anton Kliegel Volksschule" elementary school
- State secondary school, Bad Kissingen
- "Jack-Steinberger-Gymnasium" grammar school, the name refers to Jack SteinbergerJack SteinbergerJack Steinberger is a German-American physicist currently residing near Geneva, Switzerland. He co-discovered the muon neutrino, along with Leon Lederman and Melvin Schwartz, for which they were given the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics.-Life:...
(a German-American physicist an d Nobel Prize Winner) - Berufschule Bad Kissingen, vocational school
- Franz-von-Prümmer-Schule, special school
History
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n troops. Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck visited Kissingen's spas many times, and in 1874 narrowly avoided an assassination attempt by Eduard Franz Ludwig Kullmann there. Bismarck’s former home in Kissingen is now the Bismarck museum. Other visitors to the resort included author Leo Tolstoy and artist Adolph von Menzel.
The resort’s clientele changed in the 20th century, with more normal citizens visiting than noblemen and women. 1945 is the only year that the spa resort remained closed. After that, the Department of Social Security built clinics in the town, but a change in health legislation in the 1990s reduced the opportunities for German health insurance contracts to fund spa visits, which led to job losses. As a result, efforts were made to attract a new kind of clientele, helped in no small part by the EMNID survey which named Bad Kissingen Germany’s most well-known spa town. In 2003, 1.5 million people stayed in the town. With the opening of the KissSalis Therme in February 2004, Bad Kissingen now also had a spa leisure centre, and in December 2004, the German-Chinese Football Academy was opened in the town, where the Chinese "08 star team" both train and live in preparation for the Olympic Games in China in 2008.
At the Eastern edge of the Bad Kissingen town center is what was once a military post established by the German military as part of Hitler's growth of the new German "Wehrmacht" (Army) program. This post was then called Manteuffel Kaserne (Manteuffel Barracks). In 1945, the American military entered Bad Kissingen peacefully, and took over the barracks: the name changed to Daley Barracks in 1953.
Famous inhabitants of Bad Kissingen
- Jeff Baker (born 29 June 1981), MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Infielder on the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... - Claus-Frenz ClaussenClaus-Frenz ClaussenClaus-Frenz Claussen, is a German ENT-Medician and University teacher, author, editor, artist and inventor...
(born 28 May 1939), otolaryngologist - Julius DöpfnerJulius DöpfnerJulius August Döpfner was a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1961 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958.-Early life and ordination:...
(1913–1976), cardinal and archbishop - Cyrill KistlerCyrill KistlerCyrill Kistler was a German composer, music theoretician, Music educator and Music publisher.-Life:...
(1848–1907), composer, music educator and music publisher - Oskar PanizzaOskar PanizzaLeopold Hermann Oskar Panizza was a German psychiatrist and avant-garde author, playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, publisher and literary journal editor...
(1853–1921), physician and writer - Hanna RalphHanna RalphHanna Ralph was a German stage and film actress whose career began on the stage and in silent film in the 1910s and continued through the early 1950s.-Career:...
(1888–1978), stage and film actress - Jack SteinbergerJack SteinbergerJack Steinberger is a German-American physicist currently residing near Geneva, Switzerland. He co-discovered the muon neutrino, along with Leon Lederman and Melvin Schwartz, for which they were given the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics.-Life:...
(born 25 May 1921), Nobel prize in physicsNobel Prize in PhysicsThe Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
- Henry KissingerHenry KissingerHeinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
's great great grandfather, Meyer Löb, derived his name from Bad Kissingen in 1817.