Meersburg
Encyclopedia
Meersburg is a town of Baden-Württemberg
in the southwest of Germany
at Lake Constance
.
It is famous for its charming 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").
.
The commune obtained the status of free city in 1299, though nominally still under the Bishop of Constance
. In 1803 it was annexed to the Land of Baden
.
After World War II
, Meersburg remained in the French military occupation area in Germany.
and the New Castle
. The Old Castle, according to the Swiss chronicles, was built by the Merovingian King Dagobert I
in the 7th Century. It was also the home of the German poetess Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
for the last eight years of her life. The Old Castle is open for visitors and features a self-guided tour. The New Castle was built in the 18th Century as a home for the Bishop of Constance. Following the Secularization
of 1803, the New Castle was used for a variety of purposes before becoming a museum.
There is an entity of half-timbered houses.
Also two medieval town-gates can be seen, which are the remainders of the fortification
.
. On the other hand Meersburg is connected to the region by the B 31, a large roadway which leads from Breisach
(at the French border) to Lindau
(at the Austrian border), bypassing largely all parts of Meersburg. To exit to Meersburg and to the car ferry, take B 33 to Meersburg and Constance.
Meersburg is also connected by pleasure boats on Lake Constance to Ueberlingen (westwards), to Lindau, Bregenz (eastwards) and to Constance opposite.
One of Germany's most celebrated poets, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
, lived her final years at Meersburg Castle, from 1841–1848. She also owned the small vine-covered villa known as Fürstenhäusle.
The famous 18th century doctor Franz 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 km northeast of the upper town-gate "Obertor" (see picture beneath).
is a specialty of the region:
with:
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...
in the southwest of 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...
at Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
.
History
The name of the town means "Burg on the Lake", the former referring to the castle which, according to a tradition from 1548, was built here in 630 by the Merovingian king Dagobert IDagobert I
Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...
.
The commune obtained the status of free city in 1299, though nominally still under the Bishop of Constance
Bishopric of Constance
The Bishopric of Constance was a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church and ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from about 585 until 1821. Its seat was Konstanz at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany...
. In 1803 it was annexed to the Land of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
.
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...
, Meersburg remained in the French military occupation area in Germany.
Main sights
The town is home to two castles, the Old CastleBurg Meersburg
Burg Meersburg, also known as the Alte Burg , in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany is the oldest inhabited castle in Germany. The central tower was first built during the 7th century, though the original structure is no longer visible...
and the New Castle
Neues Schloss (Meersburg)
The Neues Schloss Meersburg is located in Meersburg near Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. From its construction in 1750 until the bishopric was dissolved in 1803 it was the seat of the Prince-Bishop of Constance....
. The Old Castle, according to the Swiss chronicles, was built by the Merovingian King Dagobert I
Dagobert I
Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...
in the 7th Century. It was also the home of the German poetess Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
Anna Elisabeth von Droste-Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff , was a 19th century German author, and one of the most important German poets.-Biography:...
for the last eight years of her life. The Old Castle is open for visitors and features a self-guided tour. The New Castle was built in the 18th Century as a home for the Bishop of Constance. Following the Secularization
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
of 1803, the New Castle was used for a variety of purposes before becoming a museum.
There is an entity of half-timbered houses.
Also two medieval town-gates can be seen, which are the remainders of the fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
.
Transportation
Meersburg is the northern terminus of a car ferry to ConstanceKonstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
. On the other hand Meersburg is connected to the region by the B 31, a large roadway which leads from Breisach
Breisach
Breisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the...
(at the French border) to Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
(at the Austrian border), bypassing largely all parts of Meersburg. To exit to Meersburg and to the car ferry, take B 33 to Meersburg and Constance.
Meersburg is also connected by pleasure boats on Lake Constance to Ueberlingen (westwards), to Lindau, Bregenz (eastwards) and to Constance opposite.
Famous people
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
Anna Elisabeth von Droste-Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff , was a 19th century German author, and one of the most important German poets.-Biography:...
, lived her final years at Meersburg Castle, from 1841–1848. She also owned the small vine-covered villa known as Fürstenhäusle.
The famous 18th century doctor Franz 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 km northeast of the upper town-gate "Obertor" (see picture beneath).
Viticulture
The Meersburg vineyards at the northern banks of Lake Constance are famous within Germany. The rosée "Weissherbst" wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
is a specialty of the region:
International relations
Meersburg is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
- Hohnstein, Saxony
SaxonyThe 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....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , 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...
– since 1991 - Louveciennes
LouveciennesLouveciennes is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, between Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and adjacent to Marly-le-Roi.-Sights:...
, 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...
– since 1991 - San Gimignano
San GimignanoSan Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, which may be seen from several kilometres outside the town....
, ItalyItalyItaly , 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...
– since 2002