Memmingen
Encyclopedia
Memmingen is a town in the Bavaria
n administrative region
of Swabia
in Germany
. It is the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller
, the river that marks the Baden-Württemberg
border. To the north, east and south the town is surrounded by the district of Unterallgäu
(Lower Allgäu).
With about 42,000 inhabitants, Memmingen is the 5th biggest town in the administrative region of Swabia. The origins of the town go back to the Roman Empire
. The old town, with its many courtyards, castles and patricians' houses, palaces and fortifications is one of the best preserved in southern Germany. With good transport links by road, rail and air, it is the transport hub for Upper
and Central Swabia, and the Allgäu
.
Due to its proximity to the Allgäu
region, Memmingen is often called the Gateway to the Allgäu (Tor zum Allgäu). The town motto is Memmingen – Stadt mit Perspektiven ("Memmingen - a town with perspectives"). In recent times it has been frequently referred to as Memmingen – Stadt der Menschenrechte (Memmingen - the town of human rights). This alludes to the Twelve Articles
, considered to be the first written set of human rights in Europe, which were penned in Memmingen in 1525. Every four years there is the Wallensteinfestspiel, with about 4,500 participants, the biggest historical reenactment in Europe. It commemorates the invasion of Wallenstein and his troops in 1630.
It is believed that on the site of present day Memmingen in Roman
times there was a small military town, probably called Cassiliacum. In the 5th century an Alemanic settlement was established and in the 7th century there was here a palace belonging to the king of the Franks
.
Memmingen was linked to Bohemia
, Austria
and Munich
by the salt road to Lindau
. Another important route through Memmingen was the Italian road from Northern Germany to Switzerland
and Italy
. Both roads helped Memmingen gain importance as a trading centre. In the Middle Ages
, the place was known as Mammingin; in 1158 the Welfian Duke Welf VI
founded the town of Memmingen. In 1286 it became an Imperial City
, responsible only to the Kaiser
.
Christoph Schappeler
, the preacher at St. Martin's in Memmingen during the early 16th century, was an important figure during the Protestant Reformation
and the German Peasants' War
. His support for peasant rights helped to draw peasants to Memmingen. The city first followed the Tetrapolitan Confession
, and then the Augsburg Confession
.
The Twelve Articles: The Just and Fundamental Articles of All the Peasantry and Tenants of Spiritual and Temporal Powers by Whom They Think Themselves Oppressed was written (probably by Schappeler and Sebastian Lotzer
) in early 1525. This was a religious petition borrowing from Luther's
ideas to appeal for peasant rights. Within two months of its publication in Memmingen, 25,000 copies of the tract were in circulation around Europe. These are the first known set of human rights documents in the world.
In the 1630s Memmingen was at centre stage during the Thirty Years' War
, and the Imperial generalissimo
Wallenstein was quartered in the town when he was dramatically dismissed from service. From 1632 Memmingen was briefly garrisoned by the Swedish army, and became a base of operations for Swedish troops in Swabia
.
Following the reorganization of Germany in 1802, Memmingen became part of Bavaria. The 19th century saw the slow economic deterioration of the town, which was halted only with the building of a railway following the course of the River Iller.
Since World War II
Memmingen has been a developing town, with a rate of economic growth above the average for Bavaria.
The theatre has a long tradition in Memmingen. By the Middle Ages some chroniclers were already recording different theatre performances. In 1937 the Landestheater Schwaben (State Theatre of Swabia) or LTS was founded in the city. In 1945, after World War II
, the LTS was one of the first theatres in West Germany
to begin putting on performances again. The performances take place in the Rooms of the City Theatre, the theatre at the Schweizerberg (cabaret stage), in the Kaminwerk cultural centre or in rooms at the boroughs of Memmingen.
The Schweizerberg Theatre will be closed at the end of 2010. It will move to new premises in the Elsbethen area, behind the City Theatre, where a new cabaret stage, rehearsing rooms, workshops, depots, management rooms, the foyer and some guest rooms will be built.
Another theatre was founded by Helmut Wolfseher and members of the Alternative Kleinkunst e.V. (Alternative Cabaret Society), Parterretheater im Künerhaus (PIK). This theatre is specifically for amateur actors and young talented musicians. The Kaminwerk also puts on major plays by amateur actors. The municipal hall is for Volksschauspieler or other artists.
There have also been several world premières in Memmingen. For example the Metal Operas by David DeFeis
who has reached pan-German popularity with reports in Der Spiegel
or national newspapers like the Süddeutsche Zeitung
.
The following works featuring Memmingen have been produced:
Stage plays and operas that have had world premières in Memmingen are:
The biggest museum in Memmingen is the Town Museum at the Hermannsbau. The town's history is described in its historical rooms. There is also a section covering the history of the Jewish people, who lived in Memmingen until 1939. Part of a Torah
from the destroyed synagogue
is on display there. The Freudenthal
/Altvater
Homeland Museum for refugees who have settled in Memmingen is also part of the town museum. It is one of 43 homeland museums recognised by the Ministry of the Interior. A foundation, founded and administered by the town, takes responsibility for the museum.
The Antonier- and Strigelmuseum at the Antonierkloster have displayes of the wood carvings and paintings from the Strigel artist's family and the work of the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
. The museum was opened in 1996.
With donations from the Memminger Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft (MeWo) the MeWo-Kunsthalle (art hall) was opened in 2005 in the rooms of the old station postal depot. The museum has paintings from the Memmingen artists Max Unold and Josef Madlener
as well as a rolling exhibition of other artists. Such an art gallery is unique in Middle and Upper Swabia.
The former Kreuzherren monastery is used for rolling exhibitions.
There are several Pubs, Restaurants, Wine taverns and Cafés and also some discothèques in an around the City. The cultural centre Kaminwerk (Chimney factory) is for concerts, theater, program cinema, readings and special parties.
Memmingen has considerable tourist interest, mainly because large areas of the medieval old town survived both World War II and the tasteless post-war reconstruction which has ruined many other German cities. There are ten city gates and towers and about two kilometres of the city wall. The old town contains many interesting houses of patricians, some in the baroque
style. They are picturesque Streets with the Stadtbach (town river) beside. The medieval market place, surrounded by the town hall, which is built in renaissance
style, the Großzunft(Guildhouse) and the painted Steuerhaus (tax house). Also famous is St. Martin's church, built in gothic style
with its over 500 year-old Choir and the 1996 restored Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
monastery (Antonierkloster), the oldest, best conserved and biggest of these kind.
The probably oldest church in town Unser Frauen (Church of Our Lady) or also called Frauenkirche with significant frescos of the 15. and 16. century. Also the Seven Roof House, the baroque Kreuzherren monastery, the renovated whorehouse of the city, the Salzstadel (salt barn), the Kramerzunft (shopkeepers guild, also called the Twelve-Article-House
are sights in Memmingen. Not so well known is the Bismarck tower
in the west of Memmingen. Beside the tower is the 2007 build new soccer stadium.
Nearby every residential area has its own smaller parks. There is also the city park in the New World, the old Landesgartenschau place. Also the old and the forest cemetery, which are both used as parks.
There were four cemeteries in Memmingen in the Middle Ages. They were around the St. Martin's Church and the Church of Our Lady, also at the Kreuzherren monastery and the Scottish monastery
. They were abandoned in 1530. The replacement was the Old cemetery at the former Scottish monastery. This cemetery was abandoned in 1930. The closing of the Old Cemetery has involved a new Cemetery. It was founded in the east of Memmingen as a Forest Cemetery. More cemeteries are in the districts Amendingen, Steinheim, Buxach, Volkratshofen, Ferthofen and Dickenreishausen. In the east of the city is also a Jewish cemetery.
, and 100 km west of Munich. The landscape or region beginning with Memmingen is called Unterallgäu
and forms a part of the region Mittelschwaben
who is next to Oberschwaben and Allgäu
. Memmingens named also Gate to the Allgäu. It is reached by the A7 and the A96 motorways and connected to the railroads Munich-Lindau and Ulm-Oberstdorf.
since 1966, the biggest party in the city council is traditionally the Christian Social Union
.
The city politics is mostly dominated by a coalition of bigger parties ("coalition of the reasoned") from CSU, SPD, Christlicher Rathausblock Memmingen (Christian Town Hall Party Memmingen) and the Free Voters
. The smaller parties of Ecological Democratic Party
, Alliance '90/The Greens
and the Free Democratic Party
are building the opposition.
There was a hefty dispute between the parties in 2005, concerning financial participation in the Memmingen Airport
. The Ecological Democratic Party and the Greens initiated a referendum to inhibit financial support for the airport, but this vote met with no success.
At the top of the city government is the Lord Mayor, who is elected directly by the people. The next vote will be 2010. He is the representative of the town and the leader of municipality. As second representatives, tho majors are elected from the members of the city council. Historically the CSU, as biggest party, appoints the second major. The third major is appointed by the third biggest party. The second biggest party, the SPD, traditionally declines to appoint the third major, because they already appoint the Lord Mayor.
Memmingen is building, alongside the double centre Ulm
/Neu-Ulm
, the second economical centre in Upper Swabia. It thus leads the central supply function for the adjoining cities and districts.
¹ Christlicher Rathausblock Memmingen ("Christian Townhall-Party")
: Split from gold and silver, in front a half, reinforced in red, black eagle. Backward a red pawcross
The city's colours, handed down since 1488, are Black, Red, White. The flag is a banner flag with cross bar.
Amendingen and Eisenburg have their own historical coats of arms.
with:
Glendale, Arizona
, USA, since 1976 Province of Teramo
, Italy
, since 1981 Teramo
, Italy, since 1981 Auch
, France
, since 1990 Eisleben
, Germany, since 1990 Kiryat Shmona
, Israel
, since 2009 Karataş
, Turkey
, since 2009 Litzelsdorf
, Austria
, since 2009 Chernihiv
, Ukraine
, since 2009
Memmingen has a partnership with:
Colmar
, France
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 administrative region
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
of Swabia
Swabia (administrative region)
Swabia is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany.- Geography :Swabia is located in southwest Bavaria. It was formed out of the part of the historic region of Swabia which was annexed by Bavaria in 1803. It was once formally ruled by dukes of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. During...
in 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 the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller
Iller
The Iller is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube, 147 km in length.The source is located near Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region of the Alps, close to the Austrian border. From there it runs northwards, passing the towns of Sonthofen, Immenstadt, and Kempten...
, the river that marks the 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...
border. To the north, east and south the town is surrounded by the district of Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu is a Kreis in the southwestern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neu-Ulm, Günzburg, Augsburg, Ostallgäu, Oberallgäu, and the districts Ravensburg und Biberach in Baden-Württemberg. The district-free city Memmingen in the west of the district is nearly surrounded by...
(Lower Allgäu).
With about 42,000 inhabitants, Memmingen is the 5th biggest town in the administrative region of Swabia. The origins of the town go back to the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The old town, with its many courtyards, castles and patricians' houses, palaces and fortifications is one of the best preserved in southern Germany. With good transport links by road, rail and air, it is the transport hub for Upper
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...
and Central Swabia, and the Allgäu
Allgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
.
Due to its proximity to the Allgäu
Allgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
region, Memmingen is often called the Gateway to the Allgäu (Tor zum Allgäu). The town motto is Memmingen – Stadt mit Perspektiven ("Memmingen - a town with perspectives"). In recent times it has been frequently referred to as Memmingen – Stadt der Menschenrechte (Memmingen - the town of human rights). This alludes to the Twelve Articles
Twelve Articles of the Black Forest
The Twelve Articles are part of the peasants' demands raised towards the Swabian League in the German Peasants' War in Germany of 1525.-Incidents:...
, considered to be the first written set of human rights in Europe, which were penned in Memmingen in 1525. Every four years there is the Wallensteinfestspiel, with about 4,500 participants, the biggest historical reenactment in Europe. It commemorates the invasion of Wallenstein and his troops in 1630.
History
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times there was a small military town, probably called Cassiliacum. In the 5th century an Alemanic settlement was established and in the 7th century there was here a palace belonging to the king of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.
Memmingen was linked to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
by the salt road 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...
. Another important route through Memmingen was the Italian road from Northern Germany to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and 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...
. Both roads helped Memmingen gain importance as a trading centre. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the place was known as Mammingin; in 1158 the Welfian Duke Welf VI
Welf VI
Welf VI was the margrave of Tuscany and duke of Spoleto , the third son of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, and a member of the illustrious Italo-German family of the Welf....
founded the town of Memmingen. In 1286 it became an Imperial City
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
, responsible only to the Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
.
Christoph Schappeler
Christoph Schappeler
Christoph Schappeler was a German religious figure, the preacher at St. Martin's in Memmingen during the early 16th century, during the Protestant Reformation and the German Peasants' War. He tended to side with the poor, causing the senate to regulate his sermons in 1516. However, by 1521 the...
, the preacher at St. Martin's in Memmingen during the early 16th century, was an important figure during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
. His support for peasant rights helped to draw peasants to Memmingen. The city first followed the Tetrapolitan Confession
Tetrapolitan Confession
The Tetrapolitan Confession, also called the Confessio Tetrapolitana, Strasbourg Confession, or Swabian Confession, was the official confession of the followers of Huldrych Zwingli and the first confession of the reformed church...
, and then the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
.
The Twelve Articles: The Just and Fundamental Articles of All the Peasantry and Tenants of Spiritual and Temporal Powers by Whom They Think Themselves Oppressed was written (probably by Schappeler and Sebastian Lotzer
Sebastian Lotzer
Sebastian Lotzer was a Memmingen journeyman furrier and scribe to the Baltringer Haufen, a peasant army during the German Peasants' War...
) in early 1525. This was a religious petition borrowing from Luther's
Martin Luther
Martin 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...
ideas to appeal for peasant rights. Within two months of its publication in Memmingen, 25,000 copies of the tract were in circulation around Europe. These are the first known set of human rights documents in the world.
In the 1630s Memmingen was at centre stage during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, and the Imperial generalissimo
Generalissimo
Generalissimo and Generalissimus are military ranks of the highest degree, superior to Field Marshal and other five-star ranks.-Usage:...
Wallenstein was quartered in the town when he was dramatically dismissed from service. From 1632 Memmingen was briefly garrisoned by the Swedish army, and became a base of operations for Swedish troops in 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...
.
Following the reorganization of Germany in 1802, Memmingen became part of Bavaria. The 19th century saw the slow economic deterioration of the town, which was halted only with the building of a railway following the course of the River Iller.
Since 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...
Memmingen has been a developing town, with a rate of economic growth above the average for Bavaria.
Culture and main attractions
Every year Memmingen celebrates the Fischertag (Fisherman's day), recreating medieval traditions. Every four years Memmingen re-enacts the events around the visit of Wallenstein in 1630. The next Wallenstein Festival will occur during the summer of 2012.Theatre
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 LTS was one of the first theatres in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
to begin putting on performances again. The performances take place in the Rooms of the City Theatre, the theatre at the Schweizerberg (cabaret stage), in the Kaminwerk cultural centre or in rooms at the boroughs of Memmingen.
The Schweizerberg Theatre will be closed at the end of 2010. It will move to new premises in the Elsbethen area, behind the City Theatre, where a new cabaret stage, rehearsing rooms, workshops, depots, management rooms, the foyer and some guest rooms will be built.
Another theatre was founded by Helmut Wolfseher and members of the Alternative Kleinkunst e.V. (Alternative Cabaret Society), Parterretheater im Künerhaus (PIK). This theatre is specifically for amateur actors and young talented musicians. The Kaminwerk also puts on major plays by amateur actors. The municipal hall is for Volksschauspieler or other artists.
There have also been several world premières in Memmingen. For example the Metal Operas by David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
who has reached pan-German popularity with reports in Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
or national newspapers like the Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
.
The following works featuring Memmingen have been produced:
- Stage play Memmingen from Bettina Fless (1989)
- Book Mohr of Memmingen from Utz Benkel
- Song Memmingen by Blackmore’s Night, see aso Shadow of the MoonShadow of the MoonShadow of the Moon, released in 1997 on Edel Music, is the first album by musical group Blackmore's Night. It stayed on the German charts for 17 weeks.-Track listing:#"Shadow of the Moon" – 5:06...
Stage plays and operas that have had world premières in Memmingen are:
- 1995: The Jewbank
- Metal-Operas by David DeFeisDavid DeFeisDavid DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
:- 1999: Klytaimnestra
- 2001: HelHelHel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...
- 2005: LilithLilithLilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
- 2005: Mohr of Memmingen
- 2007: Green Organes
- 2008: Katharina and Till (10 January 2009)
Museums
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
from the destroyed synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
is on display there. The Freudenthal
Bruntál
Bruntál is a town located near the western boundary of Moravian-Silesian Region, in Czech Silesia. A suitable position in the middle of the Jeseníky Mountains provides an ample number of touristic opportunities to the town...
/Altvater
Hrubý Jeseník
Hrubý Jeseník is a mountain range of Eastern Sudetes in northern Moravia and Czech Silesia. It is the second highest mountain range in the Czech Republic.Some of the most interesting sights:*Praděd, the highest mountain...
Homeland Museum for refugees who have settled in Memmingen is also part of the town museum. It is one of 43 homeland museums recognised by the Ministry of the Interior. A foundation, founded and administered by the town, takes responsibility for the museum.
The Antonier- and Strigelmuseum at the Antonierkloster have displayes of the wood carvings and paintings from the Strigel artist's family and the work of the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
The Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony, Order of St. Anthony or Canons Regular of St. Anthony of Vienne , also Antonines, were a Roman Catholic congregation founded in 1095 or so, with the purpose of caring for those suffering from the common medieval disease of St...
. The museum was opened in 1996.
With donations from the Memminger Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft (MeWo) the MeWo-Kunsthalle (art hall) was opened in 2005 in the rooms of the old station postal depot. The museum has paintings from the Memmingen artists Max Unold and Josef Madlener
Josef Madlener
Josef Madlener was a German artist and illustrator. He was born near Memmingen, Swabia. His work was published in various newspapers, magazines, and a few children's Christmas books, e. g. Das Christkind Kommt and Das Buch vom Christkind . Madlener's Christmas art also appeared in several...
as well as a rolling exhibition of other artists. Such an art gallery is unique in Middle and Upper Swabia.
The former Kreuzherren monastery is used for rolling exhibitions.
Music
The organ concerts in the St.-Martins-Church are famous in the region. Chamber music would be performed in the former Kreuzherren monastery and also in some other buildings in Memmingen.There are several Pubs, Restaurants, Wine taverns and Cafés and also some discothèques in an around the City. The cultural centre Kaminwerk (Chimney factory) is for concerts, theater, program cinema, readings and special parties.
Buildings
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. They are picturesque Streets with the Stadtbach (town river) beside. The medieval market place, surrounded by the town hall, which is built in renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, the Großzunft(Guildhouse) and the painted Steuerhaus (tax house). Also famous is St. Martin's church, built in gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
with its over 500 year-old Choir and the 1996 restored Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
The Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony, Order of St. Anthony or Canons Regular of St. Anthony of Vienne , also Antonines, were a Roman Catholic congregation founded in 1095 or so, with the purpose of caring for those suffering from the common medieval disease of St...
monastery (Antonierkloster), the oldest, best conserved and biggest of these kind.
The probably oldest church in town Unser Frauen (Church of Our Lady) or also called Frauenkirche with significant frescos of the 15. and 16. century. Also the Seven Roof House, the baroque Kreuzherren monastery, the renovated whorehouse of the city, the Salzstadel (salt barn), the Kramerzunft (shopkeepers guild, also called the Twelve-Article-House
Twelve Articles of the Black Forest
The Twelve Articles are part of the peasants' demands raised towards the Swabian League in the German Peasants' War in Germany of 1525.-Incidents:...
are sights in Memmingen. Not so well known is the Bismarck tower
Bismarck tower
Bismarck Towers are a unique genre of German monument, built to honour the ex-chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck. A total of 240 of these towers were built between German unification and the National Socialist takeover, i.e. between 1869 and 1934...
in the west of Memmingen. Beside the tower is the 2007 build new soccer stadium.
Parks
Green areas were created all along the city wall. The old ditches where filled up and replaced with green areas or parks with partially over 150-year-old trees. The name of the parks are (starting clockwise at the Ulmer Gate): Hubergarten, Zollergarten, Ratzengraben/Zollergraben, Kohlschanze, Reichshain, Kaisergraben, Hohe Wacht, Westertorplatz, Grimmelschanze.Nearby every residential area has its own smaller parks. There is also the city park in the New World, the old Landesgartenschau place. Also the old and the forest cemetery, which are both used as parks.
Cemeteries
Hiberno-Scottish mission
The Hiberno-Scottish mission was a mission led by Irish and Scottish monks which spread Christianity and established monasteries in Great Britain and continental Europe during the Middle Ages...
. They were abandoned in 1530. The replacement was the Old cemetery at the former Scottish monastery. This cemetery was abandoned in 1930. The closing of the Old Cemetery has involved a new Cemetery. It was founded in the east of Memmingen as a Forest Cemetery. More cemeteries are in the districts Amendingen, Steinheim, Buxach, Volkratshofen, Ferthofen and Dickenreishausen. In the east of the city is also a Jewish cemetery.
Geography
Memmingen is located at the western border of Bavaria at the river Iller, 50 km south of UlmUlm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, and 100 km west of Munich. The landscape or region beginning with Memmingen is called Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu
Unterallgäu is a Kreis in the southwestern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neu-Ulm, Günzburg, Augsburg, Ostallgäu, Oberallgäu, and the districts Ravensburg und Biberach in Baden-Württemberg. The district-free city Memmingen in the west of the district is nearly surrounded by...
and forms a part of the region Mittelschwaben
Mittelschwaben
Mittelschwaben is a part of the Bavarian administrative region Swabia. It consists of the districts Günzburg, Neu-Ulm, Unterallgäu and the district-free town Memmingen....
who is next to Oberschwaben and Allgäu
Allgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
. Memmingens named also Gate to the Allgäu. It is reached by the A7 and the A96 motorways and connected to the railroads Munich-Lindau and Ulm-Oberstdorf.
Politics
Although the Lord Mayor has been from the Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
since 1966, the biggest party in the city council is traditionally the Christian Social Union
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The 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...
.
The city politics is mostly dominated by a coalition of bigger parties ("coalition of the reasoned") from CSU, SPD, Christlicher Rathausblock Memmingen (Christian Town Hall Party Memmingen) and the Free Voters
Free Voters
Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the...
. The smaller parties of Ecological Democratic Party
Ecological Democratic Party
The Ecological Democratic Party is an environmentalist political party in Germany. It was founded in 1982 by former members of the German Green Party. The ÖDP combines issues which are not often found together: a focus on state financial support for families and childrearing, and a belief in the...
, Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '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...
and the Free Democratic Party
Free 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...
are building the opposition.
There was a hefty dispute between the parties in 2005, concerning financial participation in the Memmingen Airport
Memmingen Airport
Memmingen Airport is a small public airport in the town of Memmingerberg near Memmingen, in the Swabia region of Germany. It is the smallest of three commercial airports in Bavaria and has the highest altitude of any commercial airport in Germany...
. The Ecological Democratic Party and the Greens initiated a referendum to inhibit financial support for the airport, but this vote met with no success.
At the top of the city government is the Lord Mayor, who is elected directly by the people. The next vote will be 2010. He is the representative of the town and the leader of municipality. As second representatives, tho majors are elected from the members of the city council. Historically the CSU, as biggest party, appoints the second major. The third major is appointed by the third biggest party. The second biggest party, the SPD, traditionally declines to appoint the third major, because they already appoint the Lord Mayor.
Memmingen is building, alongside the double centre Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
/Neu-Ulm
Neu-Ulm
Neu-Ulm is a town in Bavaria, capital of the Neu-Ulm district. Neighbouring towns include Ulm, Senden, Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, Holzheim, Nersingen and Elchingen. The population is 51,110 .-History:...
, the second economical centre in Upper Swabia. It thus leads the central supply function for the adjoining cities and districts.
City Council
The last local elections were on March 2, 2008, with following results:| CSU Christian Social Union of Bavaria The 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... |
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
CRB ¹ | FV Free Voters Free Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the... |
Greens Alliance '90/The Greens Alliance '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... |
ödp Ecological Democratic Party The Ecological Democratic Party is an environmentalist political party in Germany. It was founded in 1982 by former members of the German Green Party. The ÖDP combines issues which are not often found together: a focus on state financial support for families and childrearing, and a belief in the... |
FDP Free 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... |
Sum | |
| Seats | 13 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 40 |
| Percent | 32,2 % | 22,0 % | 10,8 % | 11,8 % | 6,7 % | 10,5 % | 5,9 % |
¹ Christlicher Rathausblock Memmingen ("Christian Townhall-Party")
Lord Mayors
- 1884–1909: Karl Scherer
- 1910–1931: Fritz Braun
- 1932–1945: Heinrich Berndl, NSDAP
- 1945–1948: Georg Fey, CSU
- 1948–1952: Lorenz Riedmiller, SPD
- 1952–1966: Heinrich Berndl, without party
- 1966–1968: Rudolf Machnig, SPD
- 1968–1980: Johannes Bauer, SPD
- 1980–today: Ivo Holzinger, SPD
City Finances
Memmingen is, with its low level of debt, from €512 per capita, is one of the cities in Germany with the lowest level of debt (Germany-wide more than €1,300). The city had 2007 a management budget (Verwaltungshaushalt) of €94,925,160 and an asset budget (Vermögenshaushalt) of €19,490,860. The income from trade taxes amounted to about €40 million, the income tax assignment to about €20 million. The local rates were last changed in 2003. The city has many charitable foundations, with roots partly going back to the Middle Ages (such as the Unterhospitalstiftung).Coat of Arms and Flag
BlazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
: Split from gold and silver, in front a half, reinforced in red, black eagle. Backward a red pawcross
The city's colours, handed down since 1488, are Black, Red, White. The flag is a banner flag with cross bar.
Amendingen and Eisenburg have their own historical coats of arms.
International relations
Memmingen 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:
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, USA, since 1976 Province of Teramo
Province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...
, 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...
, since 1981 Teramo
Teramo
Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines and the Adriatic coast...
, Italy, since 1981 Auch
Auch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
, 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...
, since 1990 Eisleben
Eisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
, Germany, since 1990 Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, since 2009 Karataş
Karatas
Karataş is a small city and a district in Adana Province, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, 47 km from the city of Adana, between the rivers of Seyhan and Ceyhan, the Pyramos of Antiquity...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, since 2009 Litzelsdorf
Litzelsdorf
Litzelsdorf is a town in the district of Oberwart in Burgenland in Austria.Litzelsdorf was formerly a part of Hungery and therefore the former Hungarian name was “Lödös” .- History :...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, since 2009 Chernihiv
Chernihiv
Chernihiv or Chernigov is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast , as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion within the oblast...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, since 2009
Memmingen has a partnership with:
Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, France
Trade and Economy
Most of its enterprises are SMEs. Of importance are:- Metzeler http://www.metzeler-schaum.de/metzeler_flash.php
- Berger High-Tech-Zerspanung
- Magnet-Schultz
- Hans Kolb Wellpappe
- Pfeifer Seil- und Hebetechnik
- Memminger Brauerei
- Gefro Reformversand
- Alpine Hydraulik
- Dachser Logistics
- Rohde & SchwarzRohde & SchwarzRohde & Schwarz is an independent group of companies specializing in electronics. Well known as a manufacturer of electronic test equipment, they also manufacture equipment used for broadcasting, radiolocation, and radio communications...
- Goldhofer
Famous people
- Holger BadstuberHolger BadstuberHolger Badstuber is a German footballer who plays as a defender for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and the German national football team...
, Footballer for Bayern MunichFC Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. - Mario GötzeMario GötzeMario Götze is a German footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Götze is considered to be an up-and-coming, potential...
, footballer for Borussia DortmundBorussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football... - Timo GebhartTimo GebhartTimo Gebhart is a German footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for VfB Stuttgart.-Club career:In January 2009, Gebhart transferred from 2nd Bundesliga side 1860 Munich to join Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart. He signed a contract until 30 June 2013.-External links: * at VfB.de * at...
, footballer for VfB StuttgartVfB StuttgartVerein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...