Bühl (Baden)
Encyclopedia
The city of Bühl is part of the district of Rastatt
in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
. It has a history reaching back to the twelfth century and was formerly an agricultural town, especially famous for its plums. Bühl has a population of about 29,000, and is in the region between the Rhine Valley
and the Black Forest
.
Today it is mainly an industrial town, especially in the car manufacturing supply industry. Yet it still has preserved its character and is also renowned for its good restaurants.
Bühl is a town in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
, about 10 km (6.2 mi) South of Baden-Baden
. Bühl is the third largest town in Rastatt County (Landkreis), after Rastatt itself and Gaggenau
. Due to its location, size and importance it has become a central place for numerous towns, townships and villages in the neighbourhood. Bühl was proclaimed a major district town (Große Kreisstadt) on 1 January 1973, after it lost its status as an independent county seat during municipal reforms in Baden-Württemberg. Bühl has agreed to form a joint administrative community with the municipality of Ottersweier.
is derived from Old German "puhil" and Middle German "buhel", meaning "hill". The three yellow hills on blue ground seen on the coat of arms (already displayed in the court seal of Bühl in 1324) confirm this interpretation.
To distinguish Bühl from other towns named Bühl, not only in Germany, but other German-speaking countries like Switzerland and Austria, the town used the denominator Bühl (Baden) or Bühl/Baden, clearly identifying Bühl in the Margravate of Baden (Baden) and later in the Granddutchy and the State of Baden. With the unification of Baden, Hohenzollern and Württemberg in 1952 forming the state of Baden-Württemberg and later the introduction of postal ZIP codes there was no need anymore for the denominator Baden. However, it is still used frequently.
, the latter with a panoramic view across the Rhine Valley into the neighbouring Alsace and to the Vosges in France. The lower flat part is mainly used for agriculture, the hilly zone is dominated by wine and fruit plantations, and the mountain forests are used for lumber. Bühl is located on both sides of the Büllot/Bühlot, a creek originating in the Northern Black Forest, which is re-named Sandbach after it has passed the town of Bühl on its way to the River Rhine.
, Balzhofen, Eisental, Kappelwindeck, Moos, Neusatz, Oberbruch, Oberweier, Vimbuch and Weitenung.
Except for Kappelwindeck, the aforementioned villages became an integral part of town of Bühl during the municipal reforms in the early 1970s. These townships are subordinated to the town of Bühl, each with its own administrative head, called Ortsvorsteher. Bühl and Kappelwindeck were already united in 1934 forming the town of Bühl, with Kappelwindeck about half the population of Bühl at that time.
Some of these villages are the result of municipal reforms over the past centuries forming bigger municipalities from even smaller villages or hamlets prior to the reforms between 1971 and 1973. In many cases the names of these smaller villages, hamlets or estates–farms still exist, in some cases within defined areas, in some cases only known by their former names within undefined areas, nowadays residential areas.
Balzhofen was formed by Henchhurst and Balzhofen, Eisental by the villages and/or hamlocks of Affental, Eisental, Horrenbach and Müllenbach, Neusatz by Bach, Fischerhöfe, Gebersberg, Kirchbühl, Neusatz, Neusatzeck, Waldsteg, Waldmatt and Wörth, Kappelwindeck by Brombach, Einsel/Einsiedel, Gucken, Kappel, Riegel, Hohbaum and Rittersbach, Weitenung by Elzhofen, Ottenhofen, Weitenung, and Witstung. Former estates such as Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe, Burg Windeck (Windeck Castle), Kurhaus Sand, Schugshof, and Schweighof complete the list of names.
Besides the main city, there are also several smaller villages that belong to Bühl. Those are:
: Villefranche-sur-Saône
(1987), Moldova
: Călăraşi, Moldova
(1990), Germany, Saxony
: Schkeuditz
(1991), Spain
: Vilafranca del Penedès
(2001), Italy
: Cantù
Rastatt (district)
Rastatt is a district in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Karlsruhe, Calw, Freudenstadt and the Ortenaukreis. To the west it borders the French département Bas-Rhin...
in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg
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 has a history reaching back to the twelfth century and was formerly an agricultural town, especially famous for its plums. Bühl has a population of about 29,000, and is in the region between the Rhine Valley
Rhine Valley
The Rhine Valley is a glacial alpine valley, formed by the Alpine Rhine , i.e. the section of the Rhine River between the confluence of the Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine at Reichenau and its mouth at Lake Constance....
and the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
.
Today it is mainly an industrial town, especially in the car manufacturing supply industry. Yet it still has preserved its character and is also renowned for its good restaurants.
Bühl is a town in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg
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...
, about 10 km (6.2 mi) South of Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
. Bühl is the third largest town in Rastatt County (Landkreis), after Rastatt itself and Gaggenau
Gaggenau
Gaggenau is a town in the district of Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located some 8 km northeast of Baden-Baden.- Geography :...
. Due to its location, size and importance it has become a central place for numerous towns, townships and villages in the neighbourhood. Bühl was proclaimed a major district town (Große Kreisstadt) on 1 January 1973, after it lost its status as an independent county seat during municipal reforms in Baden-Württemberg. Bühl has agreed to form a joint administrative community with the municipality of Ottersweier.
Etymology
The word BühlBühl
- Place name :* Bühl , in the district Rastatt, Germany* Bühl bei Aarberg, in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland* Sportplatz Bühl, Schaffhausen, Switzerland- See also :* Buhl * Buel...
is derived from Old German "puhil" and Middle German "buhel", meaning "hill". The three yellow hills on blue ground seen on the coat of arms (already displayed in the court seal of Bühl in 1324) confirm this interpretation.
To distinguish Bühl from other towns named Bühl, not only in Germany, but other German-speaking countries like Switzerland and Austria, the town used the denominator Bühl (Baden) or Bühl/Baden, clearly identifying Bühl in the Margravate of Baden (Baden) and later in the Granddutchy and the State of Baden. With the unification of Baden, Hohenzollern and Württemberg in 1952 forming the state of Baden-Württemberg and later the introduction of postal ZIP codes there was no need anymore for the denominator Baden. However, it is still used frequently.
Timeline
- 1148/49 Bühl is mentioned in a document for the first time "L. de buhel".
- 1200–1220 Windeck Castle was built.
- 1283 Oldest secured recording of the town's name Bühl. The esquire Burkhard of Crutenbach hands over his belongings „in banno Buhel“ to the abbey and convent of Schwarzach.
- 1324 Bühl is mentioned as a town with court-house, a mayor, twelve men at court, with a coat of arms - three yellow hills on blue ground.
- 1370/71 During a feud between the knight Reinhard of Windeck with the city of Strassburg the town of Bühl und the villages in the vicinity of Bühl were seriously affected.
- 1386 Margrave Rudolf VII. acquires the Northern part of Bühl.
- 1403 King Ruprecht of the Palatinate awarded knight Reinhard of Windeck with the right to hold a weekly market in the town of Bühl. From then on Bühl was known as market town or Flecken Bühl.
- 1514–1524 Construction of the oldest church in Bühl consecrated saints Peter and Paul (since 1880 city hall)
- 1582 Oldest record about the settlement of Jews in the town of Bühl.
- 1561 Windeck Castle is mentioned as a ruin. The knights of Windeck were living in a palace house in Bühl, nowadays the location of the hotel and restaurant Badischer Hof.
- 1592 With the death of the young aristocrat Jacob of Windeck the family of the knights of Windeck died out in their male line.
- 1622 During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) troops from Croatia (Part of the Catholic Liga) conquered Bühl, killed numerous inhabitants, and burned the town to ashes.
- 1632–1634 and 1643 Troops from Sweden occupied Bühl.
- 1689 During the Nine Year's War (War of the Grand Alliance) the newly rebuilt town of Bühl was again destroyed completely by French troops.
- 1703–1707 During the War of the Spanish Succession Bühl became again a focal point of the war. At the so-called Bühl-Stollhofen defense line, a 20-mile long barricade, which was built and defended under the command of Margrave Louis William of Baden (Ludwig Wilhelm), a French army was held back successfully in 1703. The line was enventually conquered in 1707.
- 1776 With the purchase of the Southern part of Bühl, a fiefdom owned by the family of Waldersdorff at that time, through Margrave Karl Frederick of Baden (Karl Friedrich) all of Bühl was in the hands of the House of Baden.
- 1788 The county seat in Steinbach (previously called Yberg) is relocated from Steinbach to Bühl.
- 1813 The county of Bühl is converted to the district of Bühl.
- 1822/23 Construction of the synagoge, the new Jewish school.
- 1835 Grandduke Leopold of Baden awarded the Flecken Bühl the title Town with all corresponding rights.
- In about 1840 a new species of plums was found in Kappelwindeck, which was more resistant and ripened faster than other plums. It was named Bühler Early Plums (Frühzwetschge), which soon found its way into markets all over Germany and Europe. It helped the town to overcome significant financial losses after the decline of the hemp industry, a major source of income in Bühl prior to the availability of cotton.
- 1846 Bühl is connected to the train line connecting Baden-Oos and Offenburg.
- 1848/1849 Civil Revolution. Major Josef Häfelin fled Bühl
- 1856 The first Protestant church was built.
- 1863 The County of Bühl became part of the District of Baden.
- 1873–1876 Construction of the new catholic church Sts. Peter and Paul after a design by Karl Dernfeld.
- 1879–1880 Reconstruction of the old parish church into the new city hall.
- 1902 Construction of the central water system.
- 1919 Founding of the Fruit Cooperative (OAG).
- 1920 Introduction of electric light.
- 1924 The county of Achern is resolved and its remains were integrated into the county of Bühl
- 1926–1934 Construction of the sour system.
- 1927, 6.-8 August, Bühl celebrated its first annual Plum Fest.
- 1928 The first movie theatre opened in Bühl
- 1933 The municipal council is replaced after the Nazi party NSDAP gained control over the country via new legislation called Gleichschaltung.
- 1934 Kappelwindeck became part of Bühl.
- 1938, 10 November. The synagogue in Bühl was destroyed. Jewish citizens of Bühl were harassed.
- 1939 The county of Bühl became the district of Bühl.
- 1945, 14 April, French troops marched into Bühl.
- 1946, 15 September, First free municipal counsel since 1933.
- 1971–1973: After integrating 9 neighboring villages into the town of Bühl the population reached the critical mark of 20,000 inhabitants. The government of Baden-Württemberg awarded Bühl the title "Große Kreisstadt" on 1 January 1973. The district county of Bühl was dissolved. Its area to the North was incorporated into the district of Rastatt, its Southern area incorporated into the district of Ortenau. The three towns of Steinbach, Neuweier and Varnhalt became a part of the county town of Baden-Baden.
Geography
Geographically, Bühl extends from as low as 123 to 1,038 meters (453 – 3,823 feet) above sea level in a three-step panoramic landscape, divided into the Rhine valley, an extended foothill zone, and the mountain range of the Black ForestBlack Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
, the latter with a panoramic view across the Rhine Valley into the neighbouring Alsace and to the Vosges in France. The lower flat part is mainly used for agriculture, the hilly zone is dominated by wine and fruit plantations, and the mountain forests are used for lumber. Bühl is located on both sides of the Büllot/Bühlot, a creek originating in the Northern Black Forest, which is re-named Sandbach after it has passed the town of Bühl on its way to the River Rhine.
Neighboring communities
The following towns and municipalities border the town of Bühl starting clockwise in the North. Baden-Baden (district town), Forbach, Lauf (Ortenau County), Ottersweier, Lichtenau, Rheinmünster and Sinzheim, all of them Rastatt County. The town of Bühlertal is completely surrounded by Bühl, forming an inclusion or enclave in the eastern part of the town of Bühl.Municipal division
The area of the town of Bühl is divided into downtown Bühl and the suburbs of AltschweierAltschweier
Altschweier is a German village to the East of the town of Bühl . It is located in the Büllot valley on both sides of the Büllot creek extending into the foothills of the Black Forest mountain range.- Geography :...
, Balzhofen, Eisental, Kappelwindeck, Moos, Neusatz, Oberbruch, Oberweier, Vimbuch and Weitenung.
Except for Kappelwindeck, the aforementioned villages became an integral part of town of Bühl during the municipal reforms in the early 1970s. These townships are subordinated to the town of Bühl, each with its own administrative head, called Ortsvorsteher. Bühl and Kappelwindeck were already united in 1934 forming the town of Bühl, with Kappelwindeck about half the population of Bühl at that time.
Some of these villages are the result of municipal reforms over the past centuries forming bigger municipalities from even smaller villages or hamlets prior to the reforms between 1971 and 1973. In many cases the names of these smaller villages, hamlets or estates–farms still exist, in some cases within defined areas, in some cases only known by their former names within undefined areas, nowadays residential areas.
Balzhofen was formed by Henchhurst and Balzhofen, Eisental by the villages and/or hamlocks of Affental, Eisental, Horrenbach and Müllenbach, Neusatz by Bach, Fischerhöfe, Gebersberg, Kirchbühl, Neusatz, Neusatzeck, Waldsteg, Waldmatt and Wörth, Kappelwindeck by Brombach, Einsel/Einsiedel, Gucken, Kappel, Riegel, Hohbaum and Rittersbach, Weitenung by Elzhofen, Ottenhofen, Weitenung, and Witstung. Former estates such as Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe, Burg Windeck (Windeck Castle), Kurhaus Sand, Schugshof, and Schweighof complete the list of names.
Besides the main city, there are also several smaller villages that belong to Bühl. Those are:
- Kappelwindeck: Has belonged to Bühl longer than the other villages, and today it is hard to distinguish between parts of the main city and Kappelwindeck.
- AltschweierAltschweierAltschweier is a German village to the East of the town of Bühl . It is located in the Büllot valley on both sides of the Büllot creek extending into the foothills of the Black Forest mountain range.- Geography :...
: Situated in the Bühl Valley, literally translated Bühlertal, Altschweier, it is there where the first hills and the gentle vineyards begin. - Balzhofen: Located about five and a half kilometres from the main city of Bühl in the Rhine Valley. It became part of Bühl in 1973 and has about 700 inhabitants.
- Eisental: Situated just at the beginning of the black forest and has got three parts: Müllenbach, Affental und Eisental. Together they have about 2000 inhabitants. Affental is where the local wine "Affentaler" comes from. Müllenbach was named already in 1070
- Moos: Situated in the Rhine Valley and about 8 kilometres away from the city centre. Today it has about 800 inhabitants.
- Neusatz: Situated in the Black Forest and has about 2600 inhabitants. There are at least two carnival societies.
- Oberbruch
- Oberweier
- Vimbuch
- Weitenung
- Rittersbach
Infrastructure
Bühl is designated a "" (literally "middle centre") town, which mainly determines its infrastructural capabilities, such as the diversity of schools, hospitals, transportation systems, courthouse, notaries, shopping malls, etc. The serviced region of Bühl includes the municipalities of Bühlertal, Lichtenau, Ottersweier, Rheinmünster, interlaced with municipalities in the Northern Alsace. The whole area is part of Karlsruhe.Twinned towns
Bühl has twin cities in FranceFrance
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...
: Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies 1 mile west of the Saône River, and is around north of Lyon...
(1987), Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
: Călăraşi, Moldova
Calarasi, Moldova
Călăraşi was founded 1848. Long ago, the word "călăraşi" meant "horsemen". The name of Călăraşi was inspired by a legend. In this legend, it is said that once when Ştefan cel Mare fought the Ottomans, he ordered a regiment of horsemen to stand guard...
(1990), Germany, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
: Schkeuditz
Schkeuditz
Schkeuditz is a town in the district of Nordsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, 12 km northwest of Leipzig. Leipzig/Halle Airport is located in Schkeuditz...
(1991), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, Villafranca del Penedés, is no longer in official use...
(2001), Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: Cantù
Cantù
Cantù is a city and comune in the Province of Como, located at the center of the Brianza zone in Lombardy. It is the second largest city in Brianza.-History:...