Nördlingen
Encyclopedia
Nördlingen is a town
in the Donau-Ries
district, in Bavaria
, Germany
, with a population of 20,000. It is located in the middle of a complex meteorite crater
, called the Nördlinger Ries
. The town was also the place of two battles
during the Thirty Years' War
. Today it is one of only three towns in Germany that still has a completely established city wall, the other two being Rothenburg ob der Tauber
and Dinkelsbühl
.
Another tourist feature of this mediæval town is its 90 m steeple called "Daniel", being part of the Saint Georg's Church and made of an impact breccia called suevite
containing shocked quartz
. Other notable buildings are the town hall (13th century), St. Salvator church and the Spital, a former medieval hospital. The Ries crater
museum is located in the well-preserved medieval tanner's quarter.
The city is home to several other museums, such as the Bavarian Railway Museum
, the Nördlingen city museum (Stadtmuseum), the city wall museum (Stadtmauermuseum) and Augenblick museum with panoramas, magic lanterns, silent films, barrel organs, pianolas, music boxes and gramophones.
Nördlingen is also notable for the Scharlachrennen, a notable horse riding tournament that was first mentioned in 1463.
The remains of a Roman castellum
, built in the year 85 and probably called Septemiacum, have been found under the city. In 1998, Nördlingen celebrated its 1100-year-old history.
Until the Thirty Years' War
and the Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
, Nördlingen was one of Germany's major trading towns. Nördlingen trade fair (Pfingstmesse) was first mentioned in 1219. A second battle
was also fought there during the Thirty Years' War.
Nördlingen was one of the first Protestant
cities and took part in the Protestation at Speyer
in 1529.
In 1604 a shortened and simplified version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
was performed in Nördlingen - this was one of the first performances of any Shakespearean play outside England.
In 1802 Nördlingen ceased being a Free imperial city
and became part of Bavaria.
Important companies in Nördlingen are:
The local sports club, the TSV 1861 Nördlingen
, has a very successful basketball
department with the men's and the women's team both in the Basketball Bundesliga. The clubs football team is traditionally the strongest side in northern Swabia. Its most successful former player is Gerd Müller
, who was born and raised in Nördlingen. Its stadium was renamed in his honour in 2008.
Princess Tutu
is set in the fictional Kinkan Town, which is heavily based on Nördlingen.
Nördlingen was the town shown in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
in the final scenes when the glass elevator is floating over a town.
Stone buildings in the town contain millions of tiny diamonds, all less than 0.2 millimeters across. The impact that caused the Nördlinger Ries
crater created an estimated 72000 tons of them when it impacted a local graphite deposit. Stone from this area was later quarried and used to build the stone buildings.
, Ontario
, Canada
Wagga Wagga
, New South Wales
, Australia
Riom
, Auvergne
, France
Olomouc
, Czech Republic
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Donau-Ries
Donau-Ries
Donau-Ries is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Ansbach, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, Eichstätt, Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, Aichach-Friedberg, Augsburg and Dillingen, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg .-History:From Palaeolithic times on the Nördlinger Ries was a very...
district, in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
, with a population of 20,000. It is located in the middle of a complex meteorite crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
, called the Nördlinger Ries
Nördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
. The town was also the place of two battles
Battle of Nördlingen
The term Battle of Nördlingen refers to two battles during the Thirty Years' War .*Battle of Nördlingen *Battle of Nördlingen...
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....
. Today it is one of only three towns in Germany that still has a completely established city wall, the other two being Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
and Dinkelsbühl
Dinkelsbühl
Dinkelsbühl is a historic city in Bavaria, Germany and a former Free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. Now it belongs to the district of Ansbach, north of Aalen.-History:...
.
Another tourist feature of this mediæval town is its 90 m steeple called "Daniel", being part of the Saint Georg's Church and made of an impact breccia called suevite
Suevite
Suevite is a rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event...
containing shocked quartz
Shocked quartz
Shocked quartz is a form of quartz that has a microscopic structure that is different from normal quartz. Under intense pressure , the crystalline structure of quartz will be deformed along planes inside the crystal...
. Other notable buildings are the town hall (13th century), St. Salvator church and the Spital, a former medieval hospital. The Ries crater
Nördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
museum is located in the well-preserved medieval tanner's quarter.
The city is home to several other museums, such as the Bavarian Railway Museum
Bavarian Railway Museum
The Bavarian Railway Museum is a railway museum based in the old locomotive sheds at Nördlingen station in Bavaria, Germany. It is home to more than 100 original railway vehicles and has been located in the depot at Nördlingen since 1985.- History of the locomotive shed :The shed, itself, has a...
, the Nördlingen city museum (Stadtmuseum), the city wall museum (Stadtmauermuseum) and Augenblick museum with panoramas, magic lanterns, silent films, barrel organs, pianolas, music boxes and gramophones.
Nördlingen is also notable for the Scharlachrennen, a notable horse riding tournament that was first mentioned in 1463.
History
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, built in the year 85 and probably called Septemiacum, have been found under the city. In 1998, Nördlingen celebrated its 1100-year-old history.
Until 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 Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
The Battle of Nördlingen was fought on 27 August or 6 September , 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. The Roman Catholic Imperial army, bolstered by 18,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, won a crushing victory over the combined Protestant armies of Sweden and their German-Protestant allies .After...
, Nördlingen was one of Germany's major trading towns. Nördlingen trade fair (Pfingstmesse) was first mentioned in 1219. A second battle
Battle of Nördlingen (1645)
The second Battle of Nördlingen was fought on August 3, 1645 southeast of Nördlingen near the village of Alerheim...
was also fought there during the Thirty Years' War.
Nördlingen was one of the first Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
cities and took part in the Protestation at Speyer
Protestation at Speyer
On April 19, 1529 six Fürsten and 14 Imperial Free Cities, representing the Protestant minority, petitioned the Reichstag at Speyer against the Reichsacht against Martin Luther, as well as the proscription of his works and teachings, and called for the unhindered spread of the "evangelical" On...
in 1529.
In 1604 a shortened and simplified version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
was performed in Nördlingen - this was one of the first performances of any Shakespearean play outside England.
In 1802 Nördlingen ceased being a Free 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...
and became part of Bavaria.
Economy
- Strenesse – fashion
- C.H. Beck – book publisher
- Kathrein – antenna manufacturer
- Ankerbräu – brewery
Sport
TSV 1861 Nördlingen
The TSV 1861 Nördlingen is a German football club in the town of Nördlingen, Schwaben, formed in 1861. It plays its home games at the Rieser Sportpark which has a capacity of 10000 spectators...
, has a very successful basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
department with the men's and the women's team both in the Basketball Bundesliga. The clubs football team is traditionally the strongest side in northern Swabia. Its most successful former player is Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
, who was born and raised in Nördlingen. Its stadium was renamed in his honour in 2008.
Popular culture
The fairytale-ballet animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Princess Tutu
Princess Tutu
is a magical girl anime series created by Ikuko Itoh in 2002 for animation studio Hal Film Maker. It was adapted as a 2-volume manga illustrated by Mizuo Shinonome...
is set in the fictional Kinkan Town, which is heavily based on Nördlingen.
Nördlingen was the town shown in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
in the final scenes when the glass elevator is floating over a town.
Impact Diamonds
Nördlinger Ries
The Nördlinger Ries is a large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nördlingen is located about southwest of the centre of the depression....
crater created an estimated 72000 tons of them when it impacted a local graphite deposit. Stone from this area was later quarried and used to build the stone buildings.
Twin Cities
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Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Riom
Riom
Riom is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the seat of the dukes of Auvergne. The city was of Gaulish origin, the Roman Ricomagus...
, Auvergne
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
, 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...
Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
See also
- Battle of Nördlingen (1634)Battle of Nördlingen (1634)The Battle of Nördlingen was fought on 27 August or 6 September , 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. The Roman Catholic Imperial army, bolstered by 18,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, won a crushing victory over the combined Protestant armies of Sweden and their German-Protestant allies .After...
- Battle of Nördlingen (1645)Battle of Nördlingen (1645)The second Battle of Nördlingen was fought on August 3, 1645 southeast of Nördlingen near the village of Alerheim...
- Rintfleisch-PogromRintfleisch-PogromThe Rintfleisch-Pogrom was a pogrom against Jews in the year 1298.It was set during the civil strife between King Adolf of Nassau and his rival Albert of Austria, when imperial authority, traditionally concerned with the protection of the Jews, had temporarily collapsed.The Jews of the Franconian...
- Master of NördlingenMaster of NördlingenThe Master of Nördlingen was a German woodcarver active in Nördlingen in the 1460s. His name comes from a group of wooden sculptures carved for the high altar of the Georgskirche in Nördlingen; these depict the Crucifixion, with figures of the Virgin, John the Apostle, two grieving angels, Saint...
, whose name is derived from the town - Henry of NördlingenHenry of NördlingenHenry of Nördlingen was a German Catholic priest from Bavaria, who lived in the 14th century, his date of death being unknown. He was the spiritual adviser of Margaretha Ebner , the mystic nun of Medingen.-Life:...
External links
- Ries Crater Museum, Nördlingen
- Noerdlingen — a Bavarian town in a crater, website with further information and some pictures
- Scharlachrennen Nördlingen