Bretten
Encyclopedia
Bretten is a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route
.
, Karlsruhe
, Heilbronn
and Stuttgart
as corners. It has a population of approximately 28,000. The centre of Bretten consists of many old half-timbered houses around a lively marketplace. Towns and villages under the administration of Bretten include Bauerbach
, Büchig, Diedelsheim, Dürrenbüchig, Gölshausen, Neibsheim, Rinklingen, Ruit and Sprantal.
" in 767. Since 1148 Bretten had the right to mint and issue coins. In 1254 Bretten received city rights. In 1492 Bretten was granted to hold four fairs by Pfalzgraf Philipp. Philipp Melanchthon
was born in Bretten in 1497. The residents of Bretten successfully sallied against the Swabia
n besiegers around Ulrich of Württemberg
in 1504. In 1803 Bretten became “Badische Amtsstadt”. After the industrial revolution, the local economy was dominated by cooker production for many years. In 1975 Bretten was given the status of a "Große Kreisstadt
" (district city).
is on the Württemberg Western Railway
and the Kraichgau Railway
. Every two hours there are direct train connections to Stuttgart
and Heidelberg
. Many commuters live in Bretten and use S4 services of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, which runs three times an hour to Karlsruhe
and back. In Bretten there are 5 Stadtbahn stations and five more stations in the villages that belong to the district of Bretten. The motorways A5, A6 and A8 are reachable within approximately 30 minutes.
Visitors may be irritated by the mixture of costumes which are related to different centuries. You can see mediaeval men-at-arms, shepherds, musicians, jugglers as well as Biedermeier
styled families and militias. But the festival has three different sources. The oldest is the successful sally of citizens and men-at-arms on June 28 in 1504 against Swabia
n besiegers. Bretten was also the place for a traditional competition called “shepherds’ jump”, that was celebrated by all local shepherds. During the 16th and the 18th century several shooting competitions took place, some of them on the Peter and Paul Day. In 1805 a citizen militia was founded in Bretten. Since then the Peter and Paul Festival has been celebrated regularly. After the Revolution in Baden the militias were not allowed to wear weapons anymore and the festival became a children’s festival. In 1923 the militia was refounded and the festival became bigger, with lots of guests and militias from other towns. After World War II
the American administration allowed the festival to happen again in 1950, with a new militia and several societies that promoted the mediaeval aspects of the sally in 1504. Nowadays the organising society tends to advance the mediaeval aspects of the festival. Many citizens of Bretten are busy all the year round organising the Festival, preparing their costumes, studying old books, practicing music (especially drumming), fighting, dancing, juggling or practicing other performances. Since the 1980s, the organising society has also engaged professional artists.
The festival also provides a fairground that attracts mainly kids and teenagers. For most citizens and guests the festival is the most important meeting point for former, existing or new friendships, or - as a pupil told the Bretten newspapers: “For me the Peter-and-Paul-Festival is a festival of love”.
Wittenberg
(Germany
) Hemer
(Germany
) Condeixa (Portugal
) Longjumeau
(France
) Bellegarde
(France
) Pontypool
(United Kingdom
)
Some of the villages have additional twin towns:
Diedelsheim is twinned with
Neibsheim is twinned with
Media/ Newspaper:
Brettener Woche/Kraichgauer Bote (www.brettener-woche.de)
www.brettener-woche.dewww.brettener-woche.de
www.lebensart-kraichgau.de
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route
Bertha Benz Memorial Route
The Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a German tourist and theme route in Baden-Württemberg and member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage...
.
Geography
Bretten lies in the centre of a rectangle that is formed by HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
as corners. It has a population of approximately 28,000. The centre of Bretten consists of many old half-timbered houses around a lively marketplace. Towns and villages under the administration of Bretten include Bauerbach
Bauerbach
Bauerbach is a municipality in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany....
, Büchig, Diedelsheim, Dürrenbüchig, Gölshausen, Neibsheim, Rinklingen, Ruit and Sprantal.
History
Bretten was first mentioned as "villa breteheim" in the "Lorsch codexLorsch codex
The Lorsch Codex is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It consists of 460 pages in large format containing more than 3800 entries...
" in 767. Since 1148 Bretten had the right to mint and issue coins. In 1254 Bretten received city rights. In 1492 Bretten was granted to hold four fairs by Pfalzgraf Philipp. Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
was born in Bretten in 1497. The residents of Bretten successfully sallied against the Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n besiegers around Ulrich of Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
in 1504. In 1803 Bretten became “Badische Amtsstadt”. After the industrial revolution, the local economy was dominated by cooker production for many years. In 1975 Bretten was given the status of a "Große Kreisstadt
Große Kreisstadt
Große Kreisstadt is a term in the German municipal law. In some German federal states the term is used as a special legal status for district-affiliated cities or towns with additional competences in comparison with other municipalities or towns of the district. The title is based on souvereign...
" (district city).
Transport
Bretten stationBretten station
Bretten station is the centre of rail transport in the town of Bretten in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The Württemberg Western Railway and the Kraichgau line cross at the station.-History :...
is on the Württemberg Western Railway
Württemberg Western Railway
The Western Railway in Württemberg was opened in 1853 and ran from Bietigheim-Bissingen to Bruchsal. It was the first railway link between the states of Württemberg and Baden in Germany and one of the oldest lines in Germany....
and the Kraichgau Railway
Kraichgau Railway
The Kraichgau Railway is a 64.8 km long railway line in the region of Kraichgau in northwestern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It runs from Karlsruhe via Bretten and Eppingen to Heilbronn and was built in 1880...
. Every two hours there are direct train connections to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. Many commuters live in Bretten and use S4 services of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, which runs three times an hour to Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and back. In Bretten there are 5 Stadtbahn stations and five more stations in the villages that belong to the district of Bretten. The motorways A5, A6 and A8 are reachable within approximately 30 minutes.
Peter and Paul Festival
The largest event in Bretten is the annual Peter and Paul Festival, which usually attracts up to 80,000 visitors. It is held one long weekend in summer. The main attractions are the numerous performances in countless camps and in the mediaeval lanes in the old town of Bretten. On Sunday, a huge procession of dressed up citizens and guest groups takes place.Visitors may be irritated by the mixture of costumes which are related to different centuries. You can see mediaeval men-at-arms, shepherds, musicians, jugglers as well as Biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
styled families and militias. But the festival has three different sources. The oldest is the successful sally of citizens and men-at-arms on June 28 in 1504 against Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n besiegers. Bretten was also the place for a traditional competition called “shepherds’ jump”, that was celebrated by all local shepherds. During the 16th and the 18th century several shooting competitions took place, some of them on the Peter and Paul Day. In 1805 a citizen militia was founded in Bretten. Since then the Peter and Paul Festival has been celebrated regularly. After the Revolution in Baden the militias were not allowed to wear weapons anymore and the festival became a children’s festival. In 1923 the militia was refounded and the festival became bigger, with lots of guests and militias from other towns. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the American administration allowed the festival to happen again in 1950, with a new militia and several societies that promoted the mediaeval aspects of the sally in 1504. Nowadays the organising society tends to advance the mediaeval aspects of the festival. Many citizens of Bretten are busy all the year round organising the Festival, preparing their costumes, studying old books, practicing music (especially drumming), fighting, dancing, juggling or practicing other performances. Since the 1980s, the organising society has also engaged professional artists.
The festival also provides a fairground that attracts mainly kids and teenagers. For most citizens and guests the festival is the most important meeting point for former, existing or new friendships, or - as a pupil told the Bretten newspapers: “For me the Peter-and-Paul-Festival is a festival of love”.
Notable natives and residents
- Philipp MelanchthonPhilipp MelanchthonPhilipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
; birth name: Philipp Schwarzerdt; companion of the Protestant reformer Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
; February 16, 1497 to April 19, 1560.
Partner cities
Partner cities/twin towns of Bretten areWittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) Hemer
Hemer
Hemer is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Hemer is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river. The highest elevation, at 546 metres , is in the Balver Wald in the south of the city...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) Condeixa (Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) Longjumeau
Longjumeau
Longjumeau is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Longjumeau are known as Longjumellois.-Transportation:...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) Bellegarde
Bellegarde
Bellegarde may refer to:In communes in France:* Bellegarde, Gard* Bellegarde, Gers* Bellegarde, Loiret* Bellegarde, Tarn* Bellegarde-du-Razès, in the Aude département* Bellegarde-en-Diois, in the Drôme département...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
(United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
)
Some of the villages have additional twin towns:
Diedelsheim is twinned with
- HidasHidasHidas is a village in Baranya county, Hungary.- External links :*...
(HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
)
Neibsheim is twinned with
- NeuflizeNeuflizeNeuflize is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-External links:* * * *...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) and - NemesnadudvarNemesnádudvarNemesnádudvar is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary.The parish of Nádudvar was founded in 1739, separating from parish Hajos...
/Nadwar (HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
).
Media/ Newspaper:
Brettener Woche/Kraichgauer Bote (www.brettener-woche.de)
External links
- Official Web Site of Bretten
- Official Web Site of the organising society of the Peter-and-Paul-Festival (German)
- Official Peter-and-Paul-Festival Web Site (German)
- History of the city arms
- Bertha Benz Memorial Route
www.brettener-woche.dewww.brettener-woche.de
www.lebensart-kraichgau.de