Überlingen
Encyclopedia
Überlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance
(Bodensee). After the city of Friedrichshafen
, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis
(district), and a central point for the outlying communities. Since January 1, 1993, Überlingen has been categorized as a large district city (Große Kreisstadt).
, an important watersource for southwestern Germany. The countryside is a hilly moraine, formed in the last Ice Age
.
The city is 64 miles from Zürich
(Switzerland
), approximate 1.25 hours; 25 miles from Constance
, or approximately 40 minutes, 145 miles to Munich
, approximately 2.5 hours. The closest airport is 20 miles away, at Friedrichshafen
, and the closest airport with international/transoceanic flights is Zürich. The city is also connected by rail to major hubs at Singen
and Radolfzell
(direct connection), the German station
in Basel
, Friedrichshafen, Ulm
(direct connection), and Constance. In late spring through early fall, regular water transportation links Überlingen with Lindau
, Constance
, Meersburg
, and the islands of Mainau
and Reichenau
in Germany, Bregenz
in Austria, and St. Gallen
and Rorschach in Switzerland.
The following cities and communities border the city of Überlingen. Clockwise from the west, they are: Bodman-Ludwigshafen
and Stockach
, which belong to the County of Constance, and Sipplingen
, Bodman, Ludwigshafen, Owingen
, Frickingen
, Salem and Uhldingen-Mühlhofen
. The city exercises legal jurisdiction over the neighboring communities of Owingen
and Sipplingen
.
Throughout Baden-Württemberg, in the second half of the twentieth century, many old farmsteads were developed into neighborhoods. Some of them retained the names of old villages or large farmsteads. Administrative reorganizations consolidated many of these tiny communities into municipalities and administrative districts. After restructure in the administrative reform of the 1970s, the formerly independent municipalities of Bambergen, Bonndorf, Deisendorf, Hödingen, Lippertsreute, Nesselwangen und Nußdorf are now included in Überlingen. The unified townships are today, in the sense that they have their own elections for municipal governments, with a municipal administrator.
A few are listed below:
, and their habits, dress, and diet has been illuminated through the excavation of archaeological sites, such as a major site in Hallstadt
, Austria, excavated in the mid-to late 19th century; similar sites, although smaller, have been found in vicinity of Überlingen: a site near Hodingen
, another near Dettingen
, and a major site near the village of Unteruhldingen
, where there is now an open air archaeological museum. The dead were either burned, or buried in mounds or flat graves; women wore jewelry made of Bronze or gold, especially earrings. Tools uncovered in archeological excavation suggest that these communities engaged in a combination of hunting, fishing and agriculture.
and Tiberius
. According to some interpretations of the Roman records, one of the Bodensee islands, probably Mainau was the operations base for the military operations in the year 15 BCE. The necessities of troop transport and ship building and maintenance required the Romans to possess the entire Swiss shore of the lake, and from these points along the lake, the Romans could mount a double-pointed excursion to the eastern Tyrol
and present-day Bavaria
, or to the West, in the Rhone
valley. The Bodensee region, as a Roman province administered from Augusta Vindelicorum, present day Augsburg
, was governed by a Finance official (Procurator) under Tiberius's command. The road from Stockach
to Überlingen, and then along the lake's shore to Uhldingen and on to Friedrichshafen
, and the east-west train tracks, generally follow the path of the old Roman road.
Evidence of conflicts between the Romans, their power waning, and the Allemanic and other Germanic groups, their power rising, appears throughout the region. New settlements appeared on top of burned settlements and old villages and farmsteads reclaimed by first by forests and meadows and again reclaimed by men. By the latter half of the fourth century, several families emerged as the warrior leaders, capable of fending off minor Roman feints, and of protecting themselves, their kin, and their dependents from not only the Romans, but other groups. As the Romans withdrew more and more of their forces, to concentrate on the western boundaries or to focus on the conquest of Iberia, Franks, particularly Clodwig, or Clovis
(482-511), and Goths, particularly Theodorich (471-527) contested for control of the region. Throughout this period, Allemanic dukes maintained their primary seat in Überlingen. The Allemannic Überlingen was first mentioned in the year 770 as Iburinga. Before that, it was probably known as Gunzoburg (641), the seat of the Alemannic or Swabian duke Gunzo
. The probable site of Gunzo’s villa has been identified in the northwestern quadrant of the city, just outside the present day inner moat.
, Hildegard, came form the family of Linzgau counts, whose seat in Buchhorn (present-day Friedrichshafen) bordered the lake. Louis the Pious
814-840 and Louis the German
843-876 both married women from the Allemmanic Welf
en families. In the 10th century, the Linzgau fell to an invasion of the Hungarians, and ongoing battles with the Hungarians nearly brought the families of the region to ruin. The Investiture Controversy
of the 11th century brought further conflict. Villages and properties in the possession of one side of the conflict would be besieged and destroyed by members of the other party, in gruesome battle after gruesome battle, but by the end of the 11th century, and the first half of the 12th, the Hohenstaufen
emperors stabilized the Holy Roman Empire. The family came from the region and Swabia, the Linzgau, and the Bodensee region became the middle point of the Empire.
This is also the beginning of Überlingen's period of blossoming. Many of the documents from the period have been lost, possibly in the city fire in 1279, but a great deal can be extrapolated. Hand in hand with the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire, localities throughout the empire experienced infrastructure improvements: improved roads and exchange regulations encouraged trade, particularly in the all important centrally located Swabia. The exact date in which the city received its market rights is ambiguous, but it was probably between 1180 and 1191; maps showing the trading road from Stockach to Buchhorn show the city of Überlingen in comparable size and type; by 1226 Überlingen had a Jewish cemetery, and these clues lead to the conclusion that the city had a market for a much longer period than this, thus the supposition that the Emperor Barbarossa had established the market at the end of his own regime. He had been in the region several times: 1153, 1155, 1162, 1181, 1183, to hold court sessions, and in 1187 he stayed in Wallhausen
, across the lake to sign the documents establishing the Cloister of Salem
.
At the end of the 14th century the city was granted status as a free imperial city
. In 1547, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V
, broadened the city's market rights to prohibit any trade in grain or salt within two German miles (approximately 10 English miles) of the city.
and its salubrious climate, which gave rise to a profitable spital (hospital) industry. The Holy Ghost spital in Überlingen held large landholdings in Upper and Lower Linzgau
, and in the Hegau
. The city's affluence encouraged the construction of an impressive physical edifice: the St Nikolaus Munster in the late 15th century; a City Hall in the late 15th century; and impressive residences for the family of the spital doctors. The relative affluence of the city has been documented in its art and architecture, and the size and solidity of its physical plant, especially its fortifications.
As a fortified bridgehead, the city proved vital to the reduction of the peasant uprisings in 1525 and as a result of its participation and assistance, the city retained its guild rights after the Schmalkaldic War
of 1540s and 1550s. In the Thirty Years War, the city was invested and besieged by Swedish soldiers
and their Saxon allies in 1632 and 1634; despite lengthy and grueling investment, the city defenses held. Even when the walls were breached in May 1634, the population was able to resist in street to street, and house-to-house fighting, until the invaders withdrew. This seemingly miraculous occasion was attributed to the intervention of the Virgin Mary, and every year the citizens of Überlingen hold a so-called Sweden Procession. As a result of the truce ending outright hostilities, Swedish troops occupied the region in 1643, until 1649.
. Through 13 Organizations Edicts, the Duchy of Baden administration reorganized formerly free territories into a new ducal organization. For Überlingen , this meant the restructuring of the entire apparatus of administration and governance. Organizations edicts deconstructed Überlingen's consular system of mayors, in which two men were elected to the office for one year, the first serving until immediately after Christmas, and the second from then until the new election in the spring. The once free imperial city became the administrative seat for the district (Bezirksamt).
Despite the relative importance of its position of administrative authority, the city entered a near-century long economic decline, acerbated in the first decade of ducal authority by the Year without Summer, a consequence of the Tambora volcanic eruption
in 1815, which had a VEI–7 index.
In the revolutionary period, 1848–1849, Überlingen experienced its share of turmoil. Überlingen's own militia apparently enjoyed an early occupation of the wine cellars at the former Salem Abbey which, after 1803 became a ducal palace and winery; but revolutionary activity extended more deeply into the social fabric. In early July 1848, Prussian and Bavarian troops invaded the Bodensee region, and imposed a form of military rule; several important personages, including the Überlingen's doctor and one of the teachers drew lengthy prison sentences for their revolutionary activity, nine months and a year, respectively. One of the former abbeys served as a prison for revolutionary convicts. Two companies of Prussian troops, approximately 400 men plus their officers, occupied the city until late 1850, when they were replaced by ducal troops. Although no sons of Überlingen fought in the Civil War with Austria (Austro-Prussian War
), Baden preferring to remain outside the conflict, 72 of Überlingen's young men were called to fight the war with France in 1870; three of them fell in action and are commemorated in the parish church, St. Nikolaus.
(1771–1848), Ludwig Uhland
, the poet (1787–1862), Gustav Schwab
(1792–1850) and the Germanist Franz Pfeiffer
(1815–1868) were regular visitors. A pathway along the western wall, to the highest point within the city gates is still called the Uhland walkway and a marker notes that this was one of the poet's favorite walks.
The economic problems were in large part due to the difficulties of transportation. Although the first coal powered steam ship, the Hohentwiel (named for the impregnable castle on the dormant volcano Hohentwiel
by Singen
), owned by Joseph Cotta, had traversed the Lake in 1825, it was not until 1895, with the construction of a railway link to Überlingen, that the city emerged from its economic difficulties as a spa city. In 1901, the link was connected through Friedrichshafen
, making travel to and from the city easier and quicker, and improving the city's prospects as a spa city. The link to Friedrichshafen completed the laying of track around the lake. Once the rail line was completed, it became feasible to market the city as a spa resort.
During the period of National Socialism (Third Reich), a subcamp of Dachau was established in the vicinity of Überlingen (KZ Aufkirch). Its 800 detainees worked in Überlingen from October 1944 to April 1945, constructing an extensive underground facility, the Goldbach Stollen (caves, used for the manufacture of military armaments). The underground caves protected the plant from Allied bombing runs. Of the 800, 168 detainees died in either the cave conversion or a misplaced allied bombing raid; 97 are buried in the cemetery in the nearby pilgrim church Birnau. The names of the dead KZ prisoners are listed in the book by Oswald Burger („Der Stollen“) as a memorial. Often, tours through the caves are offered. The Birnau cemetery is near the parking lot by the Cloister church Birnau and the B31 and can be reached on foot. The memorial lies approximately 200 metres (656 ft) east of the church in Birnau.
to institute a tax on second homes, which became known as the so-called Überlingen Model. With the administrative reform of 1973, Überlingen was established as the seat of the County of Überlingen, in the Bodensee region. In 1990, the population of the city passed the 20,000 mark and city authorities applied for status as a large county seat, which was granted by the state administration of Baden-Württemberg in January 1993.
The city received international attention in July 2002 with the mid-air collision of a Tupolev 154 and a Boeing 757 on July 1, 2002. In this incident, the passenger plane carrying 69, mostly children and a few adult chaperons collided with a cargo plane in mid air, at about 30000 feet (9,144 m). The debris fell throughout the northern Überlingen suburbs. Seventy one people died in the accident, including the children, their chaperons, and the pilot and co-pilot of the Boeing cargo plane. One of the largest portions of the debris landed in a glade by Brachenreuthe, and the victims of the crash are commemorated there with a string of over-sized “pearls.”
By the 1950s, Überlingen had established itself as a premier tourist destination on Lake Constance, particularly for those interested in the health cure. Überlingen was Baden-Württembergs first Kneippheilbad, a homeopathic cure using water therapy, diet, aroma therapy, and exercise, based on the principles of health developed by Sebastian Kneipp
. The city's mile long shore promenade ends at the new health resort (opened 2003), the Bodensee Therme (spa).
In 2005, the city and its collaborators, Deisendorf and Lippertsreute, won the gold medal in the competition, Our City Blooms (Unsere Stadt blüht auf).
Aufkirch was first mentioned in 1242 as Ufkilche. The site was the location of the original Parish Church of Überlingen, St. Michael. The church with its surrounding territory was transferred in 1311 to the Cloister Engelberg, and in 1343 to the German Order on the Island of Mainau. These came to Überlingen in 1557. From then, the church became a filial parish of the Munster in Überlingen, and village territories to Überlingen in the status of hamlets.
Bambergen was first mentioned in 1268. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the property the seat of Regentsweil, whose property came to the Spital in Überlingen in 1352. The free imperial city of Überlingen exercised both low and high justice over Bambergen, and a few smaller nearby hamlets, including Reuthemühle. Toward this end, Bambergen was the seat of several villages and hamlets belonging to the Überlingen Spital. In 1803 Baden annexed the territory and it was reorganized into the jurisdiction of Überlingen.
Bonndorf was first mentioned in 800 as Pondorf. In the 12th century, became part of the Hohenfels estate. Between 1423 and 1479, it was sold to the Spital, and came under the authority of the city. In 1803, Baden annexed the territory and merged it with the community in the administrative district of Überlingen.
Nesselwangen was mentioned in 1094 as Nezzelwanc. Later, the site came into the possession of the Cloister of All Holies, in Schaffhausen
. Later it was part of the lordship of Hohenfels, and from them it came into the possession of the Überlingen spital. In 1803, it was annexed by the Duchy of Baden and incorporated into the jurisdiction of Überlingen.
Walpertsweiler was originally known as Waltprechtesweiler in 1160, when it belonged to the Cirstercian cloister in Salem. In 1415 it came into the possession of the Überlingen spital and since the annexation by Baden (1803) belonged to the community of Bonndorf .
, France, since 1987
Bad Schandau
, Saxony, since 1990
in the south of former Baden
at the northern shore of the Bodensee. A traveler to the city might hear several dialects in addition to Hochdeutsch
, including the distinctive Bodensee dialect (Bodenseealemannisch), which is a special form of Niederalemannisch
. Because the city attracts tourists from around the Lake Constance and from all over Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, one will also hear Austrian variants of Hochdeutsch, Swiss dialects, Badenese dialects, and other Alemannic German
dialects.
, Oberndorf
and Elzach
are the other three members of this union. The carnival figure of Überlingen dates to the 14th century, where it is mentioned in city council documents; the figure is called "Der Überlinger Hänsele
," which would translate roughly, and redundantly, as The Little Jackie of Überlingen. On St. Martin's Day, in November, the Carnival clubs officially begin their practice; the club members parade through the streets behind a band playing the Hänsele song. Überlingers fall into line behind the Hänseles, and the procession ends with an impromptu rally in the market square. The carnival clubs heighten their activities closer to Fasnet, the Swabian term for the celebration of carnival (see also Fasching or Fasnacht
). Celebrations peak at Shrove Tuesday.
The carnival character, Hänsele, appears in many celebrations throughout the year. There is only one chosen "Hänsele," and he is involved in most civic celebrations; his identity usually remains anonymous. Other club members also dress up as the figure. Hänsele's costume is noted for its colorful felted squares, its wolf's tail, and the incense he wears in his hood. In addition, Hänsele carries a heavy whip; prior to Fasnet, groups of uncostumed Hänseles gather in the market square to practice snapping their whips.
), a heated wine with fruit zest, usually orange peel, and spices, usually cinnamon and cloves.
, and march in a procession around the city's inner perimeter, the inner wall. A select group of individuals carry the Swedenmadonna, a figure of Mary gilded in silver in 1659. At designated places (the entry to the old pilgrim church, several gates, and the fountain where Mary appeared to chase the Swedes away, the priest offers special prayers and a small cannon is fired. The city band plays music to accompany the procession. At the July procession, a company of men perform the Swertletanz (small sword dance
) at the church plaza, for the priest, and at the market place, for the mayor. Although once a Catholic celebration, today it is a celebration for all believers.
, with upper school campuses of Spetzgart Castle, Hohenfels, and the new campus at Härlen.
The Münster St. Nikolaus is the largest late Gothic building in the region and is a city landmark, as well as an emblem of Überlingen. The church has a large wooden alter carved by Jörg Zürn in the late Renaissance. On a pier in the inner alter is a figure of Jakob with his staff and scallop shell. On a wider pier is a cannon ball, from the 1634 siege by Swedish troops and their allies, and carries the inscription (loosely translated): Überlingen would have been subdued by the Swedish Field Marshal HOX, [whose Swedish troops] attempted and lost three storming [of the city], and afterward he must yield. Maria (Holy Maria) this is your Victory sign.” The cannonball was fired into the city and lodged in the main beam of the Hosanna bell tower.
The Sylvester Chapel in the city quarter of Goldbach is the oldest church building in the Lake Constance region, and contains frescoes of the Reichenauer School, from the 9th century.
The City Hall was erected during the Renaissance period. The City Council room is decorated with a cycle of limewood figures carved by master Jakob Ruß. The figures illustrate the hierarchy of the imperial estates, from princes to peasants, arranged into groups of four - the so-called "Imperial quaternions". The decorative programme offers an impression of the power structure in the time of its installation (1490–1494).
The Granary served as the center of Überlingen's once great grain trade is, since its complete renovation in 1998, one of the most visually appealing cultural monuments of the city. Between the landing place and the market place, directly on the shore of the lake, the classic structure of the merchant and grain house can be seen from Mainau. Since its renovation in 1998, it is a notable cultural monument of the city. Documentary evidence through the proclamation of the so-called Grain Ordinance dates the original building to 1421. Construction researchers date the load-bearing oak piers to the year 1382. Foundation remnants suggest it was the site of an older building of similar size. The present-day Granary was constructed in 1788 by Franz Anton Bagnato
, in the style of the transitional period from Baroque
to Classic
. Since 1936/37, it has been protected under the Baden State Building ordinance.
The Franciscan church was built in 1348 in the Romanesque style, and in the early 18th century, converted to a Baroque style. It was renovated in the 1990s.
The Chapel St. Michael (Aufkirch), outside of the city, was built in the year 1000, and was the city’s first parish church. It and the village were severely damaged in the 1634 siege.
Teufelstisch, or The Devil's Table, is a feldspar needle 20–22 meters in diameter, located approximately 80 meters from the southwestern shoreline of the Überlingen Lake, between Überlingen and Wallhausen
. Between 1975 and the early 1990s, several divers experienced Caisson's syndrome after diving at the needle. In the 1990s, the deaths of several experienced divers, and the disappearance of two of them, resulted in a diving ban in the vicinity of the needle.
. Here, and at the city's moat, one can also see the geologic molasse
created in the Jurassic
and Cretaceous
periods. This area is a protected Natural area (see below).
The Aach Ravine, 72 hectares (ha), the Hödinger Ravine (28 ha) between Hödingen and Sipplingen, the Katharine Rocks (4 ha) and Spetzgarten Ravine (12 ha) between Goldbach und Spetzgart.
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...
(Bodensee). After the city of Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis
Bodenseekreis
Bodenseekreis is a district in the south-east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Konstanz, Sigmaringen, Ravensburg and Lindau...
(district), and a central point for the outlying communities. Since January 1, 1993, Überlingen has been categorized as a large district city (Große Kreisstadt).
Location
Überlingen lies on the so called Überlinger Lake portion of Lake ConstanceLake 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...
, an important watersource for southwestern Germany. The countryside is a hilly moraine, formed in the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
(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....
), approximate 1.25 hours; 25 miles from Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
, or approximately 40 minutes, 145 miles to 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...
, approximately 2.5 hours. The closest airport is 20 miles away, at Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, and the closest airport with international/transoceanic flights is Zürich. The city is also connected by rail to major hubs at Singen
Singen
Singen is an industrial city in the very south of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany and just north of the German-Swiss border.-Location:...
and Radolfzell
Radolfzell
Radolfzell am Bodensee is a town in Germany at the western end of Lake Constance approximately 18 km northwest of Konstanz. It is the third largest town, after Constance and Singen, in the district of Konstanz, in Baden-Württemberg....
(direct connection), the German station
Basel Badischer Bahnhof
Basel Badischer Bahnhof is a railway station situated in the Swiss city of Basel. Whilst the station is situated on Swiss soil, the platforms and part of the entrance hall are extraterritorial, belonging to Germany, and the station is operated by the German railway company Deutsche Bahn...
in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Friedrichshafen, 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...
(direct connection), and Constance. In late spring through early fall, regular water transportation links Überlingen with 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...
, Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
, Meersburg
Meersburg
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 and upper town are reserved for pedestrians only and connected by two stairways and a steep street .-History:The name of the town means "Burg on the...
, and the islands of Mainau
Mainau
Mainau is an island in Lake Constance . It is maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices...
and Reichenau
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany, at approximately . It lies between Gnadensee and Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838...
in Germany, Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
in Austria, and St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
and Rorschach in Switzerland.
The following cities and communities border the city of Überlingen. Clockwise from the west, they are: Bodman-Ludwigshafen
Bodman-Ludwigshafen
Bodman-Ludwigshafen is a village in the district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The mayor is Matthias Weckbach.The village is located near the Lake Constance ....
and Stockach
Stockach
Stockach is a town in the district of Konstanz, in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Location:It is situated in the Hegau region, about 5 km northwest of Lake Constance, 13 km north of Radolfzell and 25 km northwest of Konstanz....
, which belong to the County of Constance, and Sipplingen
Sipplingen
Sipplingen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-World heritage site:It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site....
, Bodman, Ludwigshafen, Owingen
Owingen
Owingen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Frickingen
Frickingen
Frickingen is a commune and a village in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
, Salem and Uhldingen-Mühlhofen
Uhldingen-Mühlhofen
Uhldingen-Mühlhofen is a town at the northern shore of Lake Constance, Germany between Überlingen and Meersburg. The town is a popular holiday destination and home to the Pfahlbauten open air museum in Unteruhldingen and the cathedral of Birnau.-Composition:...
. The city exercises legal jurisdiction over the neighboring communities of Owingen
Owingen
Owingen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
and Sipplingen
Sipplingen
Sipplingen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-World heritage site:It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site....
.
Administrative subdivisions of Überlingen
Besides central Überlingen (the Kernstadt), the town of Überlingen consists of several villages and neighborhoods.Throughout Baden-Württemberg, in the second half of the twentieth century, many old farmsteads were developed into neighborhoods. Some of them retained the names of old villages or large farmsteads. Administrative reorganizations consolidated many of these tiny communities into municipalities and administrative districts. After restructure in the administrative reform of the 1970s, the formerly independent municipalities of Bambergen, Bonndorf, Deisendorf, Hödingen, Lippertsreute, Nesselwangen und Nußdorf are now included in Überlingen. The unified townships are today, in the sense that they have their own elections for municipal governments, with a municipal administrator.
A few are listed below:
- in the Kernstadt: Altbirnau, Andelshofen, Aufkirch, Brachenreuthe, Brünnensbach, Goldbach, Höllwangen, Hohenlinden, Kogenbach, Rengoldshausen, Restlehof, Reutehöfe, Weiherhöfe
- to Bambergen: Forsthaus Hohrain, Heffhäusle, Neuhof, Ottomühle, Reuthemühle, Schönbuch
- to Bonndorf: Buohof, Eggenweiler, Fuchsloch, Haldenhof, Helchenhof, Kaienhof, Negelhof, Talmühle, Walpertsweiler
- to Deisendorf: Hasenweide, Katharinenhof, Klammerhölzle, Königshof, Nonnenhölzle, Scheinbuch, Wilmershof
- to Hödingen: Länglehof, Spetzgart
- to Lippertsreute: Bruckfelder Mühle, Ernatsreute, Hagenweiler, Hebsack, Hippmannsfelderhof, In der hohen Eich, Neues Haus, Oberhof, Schellenberg, Steinhöfe, Wackenhausen
- to Nesselwangen: Alte Wette, Fischerhaus, Hinterberghof, Katzenhäusle, Ludwigshof, Mühlberghof, Reutehof, Sattlerhäusle, Vorderberghof, Weilerhof
- to Nußdorf: Untermaurach
History
The history of Überlingen dates back to Roman times, but a variety of settlements pre-dated Roman occupation. Stone age settlements, discovered along the shoreline of Lake Constance, document that the lake supported several dozen thriving communities of 50–100 individuals. These settlements fall under the category of the Hallstatt cultureHallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
, and their habits, dress, and diet has been illuminated through the excavation of archaeological sites, such as a major site in Hallstadt
Hallstadt
Hallstadt is a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg on the left bank of the Main, 4 km north of Bamberg.-Geography:Hallstadt borders in the south on the city of Bamberg and in the west on the Main. There are two constituent communities named Hallstadt and Dörfleins...
, Austria, excavated in the mid-to late 19th century; similar sites, although smaller, have been found in vicinity of Überlingen: a site near Hodingen
Hödingen
Hödingen is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen....
, another near Dettingen
Dettingen
- Municipalities :* Dettingen an der Erms in the district of Reutlingen in Baden-Württemberg* Dettingen an der Iller in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg* Dettingen unter Teck in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg...
, and a major site near the village of Unteruhldingen
Unteruhldingen
Unteruhldingen is a small village, part of the town of Uhldingen-Mühlhofen, on the northwestern shore of Lake Constance, Germany.It is home to the Pfahlbauten, an open air museum displaying reconstructions of Neolithic and Bronze Age pile dwellings...
, where there is now an open air archaeological museum. The dead were either burned, or buried in mounds or flat graves; women wore jewelry made of Bronze or gold, especially earrings. Tools uncovered in archeological excavation suggest that these communities engaged in a combination of hunting, fishing and agriculture.
Roman and Merovingian Period
The Alpine lands and the eastern Swiss Plateau were overrun by the troops of the emperor Augustus (31 BCE to 14 CE), who established the Roman writ from the Alps to the Danube, through the efforts of Augustus' stepsons DrususDrusus
Drusus was a cognomen in Ancient Rome originating with the Livii. Under the Republic, it was the intellectual property and diagnostic of the Livii Drusi. Under the empire and owing to the influence of an empress, Livia Drusilla, the name was used for a branch of the Claudii into which she had...
and Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
. According to some interpretations of the Roman records, one of the Bodensee islands, probably Mainau was the operations base for the military operations in the year 15 BCE. The necessities of troop transport and ship building and maintenance required the Romans to possess the entire Swiss shore of the lake, and from these points along the lake, the Romans could mount a double-pointed excursion to the eastern Tyrol
German Tyrol
German Tyrol is a historical region in the Alps now divided between Austria and Italy. It includes largely ethnic German areas of historical County of Tyrol: the Austrian state of Tyrol and the province of South Tyrol but not the largely Italian-speaking province of Trentino .-History:German...
and present-day 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...
, or to the West, in the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
valley. The Bodensee region, as a Roman province administered from Augusta Vindelicorum, present day Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, was governed by a Finance official (Procurator) under Tiberius's command. The road from Stockach
Stockach
Stockach is a town in the district of Konstanz, in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Location:It is situated in the Hegau region, about 5 km northwest of Lake Constance, 13 km north of Radolfzell and 25 km northwest of Konstanz....
to Überlingen, and then along the lake's shore to Uhldingen and on to Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, and the east-west train tracks, generally follow the path of the old Roman road.
Evidence of conflicts between the Romans, their power waning, and the Allemanic and other Germanic groups, their power rising, appears throughout the region. New settlements appeared on top of burned settlements and old villages and farmsteads reclaimed by first by forests and meadows and again reclaimed by men. By the latter half of the fourth century, several families emerged as the warrior leaders, capable of fending off minor Roman feints, and of protecting themselves, their kin, and their dependents from not only the Romans, but other groups. As the Romans withdrew more and more of their forces, to concentrate on the western boundaries or to focus on the conquest of Iberia, Franks, particularly Clodwig, or Clovis
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
(482-511), and Goths, particularly Theodorich (471-527) contested for control of the region. Throughout this period, Allemanic dukes maintained their primary seat in Überlingen. The Allemannic Überlingen was first mentioned in the year 770 as Iburinga. Before that, it was probably known as Gunzoburg (641), the seat of the Alemannic or Swabian duke Gunzo
Gunzo
Gunzo was a 7th century duke of the Alamanni under Frankish sovereignty. His residence was at villa Iburninga at Lake Constance...
. The probable site of Gunzo’s villa has been identified in the northwestern quadrant of the city, just outside the present day inner moat.
Medieval Period
The Allemanic dukes were well connected to other families throughout Europe; the first wife of CharlemagneCharlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, Hildegard, came form the family of Linzgau counts, whose seat in Buchhorn (present-day Friedrichshafen) bordered the lake. Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
814-840 and Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
843-876 both married women from the Allemmanic Welf
Elder House of Welf
The Elder House of Welf was a dynasty of European rulers in the 9th through 11th centuries to 1055. It consisted of two groups, a Burgundian group and a Swabian group. It is disputed whether the two groups formed one dynasty or whether they shared the same name by coincidence only.-Burgundian...
en families. In the 10th century, the Linzgau fell to an invasion of the Hungarians, and ongoing battles with the Hungarians nearly brought the families of the region to ruin. The Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
of the 11th century brought further conflict. Villages and properties in the possession of one side of the conflict would be besieged and destroyed by members of the other party, in gruesome battle after gruesome battle, but by the end of the 11th century, and the first half of the 12th, the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
emperors stabilized the Holy Roman Empire. The family came from the region and Swabia, the Linzgau, and the Bodensee region became the middle point of the Empire.
This is also the beginning of Überlingen's period of blossoming. Many of the documents from the period have been lost, possibly in the city fire in 1279, but a great deal can be extrapolated. Hand in hand with the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire, localities throughout the empire experienced infrastructure improvements: improved roads and exchange regulations encouraged trade, particularly in the all important centrally located Swabia. The exact date in which the city received its market rights is ambiguous, but it was probably between 1180 and 1191; maps showing the trading road from Stockach to Buchhorn show the city of Überlingen in comparable size and type; by 1226 Überlingen had a Jewish cemetery, and these clues lead to the conclusion that the city had a market for a much longer period than this, thus the supposition that the Emperor Barbarossa had established the market at the end of his own regime. He had been in the region several times: 1153, 1155, 1162, 1181, 1183, to hold court sessions, and in 1187 he stayed in Wallhausen
Wallhausen
Wallhausen may refer to the following places in Germany:*Wallhausen, Baden-Württemberg, in the district of Schwäbisch Hall*Wallhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Bad Kreuznach*Wallhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz...
, across the lake to sign the documents establishing the Cloister of Salem
Salem Abbey
Salem Abbey , also known as Salmansweiler and in Latin as Salomonis Villa, was a very prominent Cistercian monastery in Salem in the district of Bodensee about ten miles from Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-Abbey:The abbey was founded in 1136 by Gunthram of Adelsreute Salem Abbey (Kloster or...
.
At the end of the 14th century the city was granted status as a free imperial city
Imperial City
-Places:* Imperial City, Beijing, the central section of Beijing* Imperial City , a walled fortress and palace in the former capital of Vietnam.* Free imperial city, city formally responsible only to the emperor in the Holy Roman Empire,....
. In 1547, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, broadened the city's market rights to prohibit any trade in grain or salt within two German miles (approximately 10 English miles) of the city.
Early modern period
The city flourished in the 13th to 16th centuries mainly due to widespread grapevine cultivation on the south-facing slopes of the Lake ConstanceLake 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...
and its salubrious climate, which gave rise to a profitable spital (hospital) industry. The Holy Ghost spital in Überlingen held large landholdings in Upper and Lower Linzgau
Linzgau
Linzgau is a region in southern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg north of Lake Constance and south of the Danube valley. It is bounded by Lake Constance on the south, the Hegau on the west, the Danube valley on the north, and the Schussen River on the east.It reaches east as far as...
, and in the Hegau
Hegau
The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...
. The city's affluence encouraged the construction of an impressive physical edifice: the St Nikolaus Munster in the late 15th century; a City Hall in the late 15th century; and impressive residences for the family of the spital doctors. The relative affluence of the city has been documented in its art and architecture, and the size and solidity of its physical plant, especially its fortifications.
As a fortified bridgehead, the city proved vital to the reduction of the peasant uprisings in 1525 and as a result of its participation and assistance, the city retained its guild rights after the Schmalkaldic War
Schmalkaldic War
The Schmalkaldic War refers to the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire, commanded by Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the Holy Roman...
of 1540s and 1550s. In the Thirty Years War, the city was invested and besieged by Swedish soldiers
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
and their Saxon allies in 1632 and 1634; despite lengthy and grueling investment, the city defenses held. Even when the walls were breached in May 1634, the population was able to resist in street to street, and house-to-house fighting, until the invaders withdrew. This seemingly miraculous occasion was attributed to the intervention of the Virgin Mary, and every year the citizens of Überlingen hold a so-called Sweden Procession. As a result of the truce ending outright hostilities, Swedish troops occupied the region in 1643, until 1649.
Annexation by the Duchy of Baden: 1803-1918
With the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in 1803, Überlingen lost its status as a Free Imperial city, and its legal, economic and political autonomy. As part of the mediatization process, through which several of the German dynasties that lost lands and subjects on the west bank of the Rhine were compensated with other territories and populations, Überlingen became a part of the duchy of Baden, later the Grand Duchy of BadenGrand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
. Through 13 Organizations Edicts, the Duchy of Baden administration reorganized formerly free territories into a new ducal organization. For Überlingen , this meant the restructuring of the entire apparatus of administration and governance. Organizations edicts deconstructed Überlingen's consular system of mayors, in which two men were elected to the office for one year, the first serving until immediately after Christmas, and the second from then until the new election in the spring. The once free imperial city became the administrative seat for the district (Bezirksamt).
Despite the relative importance of its position of administrative authority, the city entered a near-century long economic decline, acerbated in the first decade of ducal authority by the Year without Summer, a consequence of the Tambora volcanic eruption
Mount Tambora
Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Sumbawa is flanked both to the north and south by oceanic crust, and Tambora was formed by the active subduction zone beneath it. This raised Mount Tambora as high as , making it...
in 1815, which had a VEI–7 index.
In the revolutionary period, 1848–1849, Überlingen experienced its share of turmoil. Überlingen's own militia apparently enjoyed an early occupation of the wine cellars at the former Salem Abbey which, after 1803 became a ducal palace and winery; but revolutionary activity extended more deeply into the social fabric. In early July 1848, Prussian and Bavarian troops invaded the Bodensee region, and imposed a form of military rule; several important personages, including the Überlingen's doctor and one of the teachers drew lengthy prison sentences for their revolutionary activity, nine months and a year, respectively. One of the former abbeys served as a prison for revolutionary convicts. Two companies of Prussian troops, approximately 400 men plus their officers, occupied the city until late 1850, when they were replaced by ducal troops. Although no sons of Überlingen fought in the Civil War with Austria (Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
), Baden preferring to remain outside the conflict, 72 of Überlingen's young men were called to fight the war with France in 1870; three of them fell in action and are commemorated in the parish church, St. Nikolaus.
Überlingen as a spa
The healing properties of the city's mineral waters, which sprang from a source under one of the towers on the western side of the city wall, had been understood since the early 16th century, and produced a regular source of income for the city and the spital; during the Thirty Years War, the spring had been covered over, and it remained covered in the post-war period, and was then largely forgotten. It was fortuitously "rediscovered" during Überlingen's difficult times. A spa hotel was constructed and the notables started to arrive: Heinrich ZschokkeHeinrich Zschokke
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke was a German author and reformer. Most of his life was spent, and most of his reputation earned, in Switzerland...
(1771–1848), Ludwig Uhland
Ludwig Uhland
Johann Ludwig Uhland , was a German poet, philologist and literary historian.-Biography:He was born in Tübingen, then Duchy of Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in medieval literature, especially old German and French poetry...
, the poet (1787–1862), Gustav Schwab
Gustav Schwab
Gustav Benjamin Schwab was a German writer, pastor and publisher.-Life:Gustav Schwab was born in Stuttgart, the son of a professor and was introduced to the humanities early in life...
(1792–1850) and the Germanist Franz Pfeiffer
Franz Pfeiffer
Franz Pfeiffer , was a Swiss literary scholar.He was born in Solothurn as a Bürger of Bettlach. After studying at the University of Munich he went to Stuttgart, where in 1846 he became librarian to the royal library. In 1856, Pfeiffer founded the Germanic, a quarterly periodical devoted to German...
(1815–1868) were regular visitors. A pathway along the western wall, to the highest point within the city gates is still called the Uhland walkway and a marker notes that this was one of the poet's favorite walks.
The economic problems were in large part due to the difficulties of transportation. Although the first coal powered steam ship, the Hohentwiel (named for the impregnable castle on the dormant volcano Hohentwiel
Hohentwiel
Hohentwiel is an extinct volcano in the Hegau region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. About 20 miles from Lake Constance, it lies in the German city of Singen....
by Singen
Singen
Singen is an industrial city in the very south of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany and just north of the German-Swiss border.-Location:...
), owned by Joseph Cotta, had traversed the Lake in 1825, it was not until 1895, with the construction of a railway link to Überlingen, that the city emerged from its economic difficulties as a spa city. In 1901, the link was connected through Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, making travel to and from the city easier and quicker, and improving the city's prospects as a spa city. The link to Friedrichshafen completed the laying of track around the lake. Once the rail line was completed, it became feasible to market the city as a spa resort.
The Weimar Republic and the Period of National Socialism
The peaceful life in Überlingen was interrupted by the war in 1914, when 145 of its sons died, and 20 were missing in action. In 1918, with the German Revolution and the abdication of the Kaiser, Überlingen became part of the Republic of the Free State of Baden. "The Revolution in the year 1918 came as a peaceful relief." From 1918 to 1923, inflation overran the city, and many of the pensioners living there came on hard times. After 1939, close to 300 were killed, and many more were recruited in 1944 to serve in the Alsatian territory. Troops of the French army arrived on April 25, 1945, and collected all the arms, munitions and weaponry in the city, to store in one of the guild houses built in the 15th century. On the night of May 2, a fire destroyed the building and the western side of the market square.Post World War II to present
In 1972, Überlingen became the first city in the German Federal RepublicGerman Federal Republic
"German Federal Republic" was one of the derogatory terms used by the communist German Democratic Republic to refer to the Federal Republic of Germany from the 1950s until 1968, when they started using the propaganda term "BRD"....
to institute a tax on second homes, which became known as the so-called Überlingen Model. With the administrative reform of 1973, Überlingen was established as the seat of the County of Überlingen, in the Bodensee region. In 1990, the population of the city passed the 20,000 mark and city authorities applied for status as a large county seat, which was granted by the state administration of Baden-Württemberg in January 1993.
The city received international attention in July 2002 with the mid-air collision of a Tupolev 154 and a Boeing 757 on July 1, 2002. In this incident, the passenger plane carrying 69, mostly children and a few adult chaperons collided with a cargo plane in mid air, at about 30000 feet (9,144 m). The debris fell throughout the northern Überlingen suburbs. Seventy one people died in the accident, including the children, their chaperons, and the pilot and co-pilot of the Boeing cargo plane. One of the largest portions of the debris landed in a glade by Brachenreuthe, and the victims of the crash are commemorated there with a string of over-sized “pearls.”
Überlingen as a Resort today
By the 1950s, Überlingen had established itself as a premier tourist destination on Lake Constance, particularly for those interested in the health cure. Überlingen was Baden-Württembergs first Kneippheilbad, a homeopathic cure using water therapy, diet, aroma therapy, and exercise, based on the principles of health developed by Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp was a Bavarian priest and one of the founders of the Naturopathic medicine movement...
. The city's mile long shore promenade ends at the new health resort (opened 2003), the Bodensee Therme (spa).
In 2005, the city and its collaborators, Deisendorf and Lippertsreute, won the gold medal in the competition, Our City Blooms (Unsere Stadt blüht auf).
Some of the hamlets and villages
Andelshofen was first mentioned in 1239 as Andelsowe. The site was the property of the Knights of St. John (Order of Malta). In 1552 and again in 1634, the site was burned to the ground, and later rebuilt. Judicial authority over the village lay with Überlingen. In 1805 Baden annexed Andelshofen, and it was reorganized into a part of the Überlingen administrative district. In 1927, the commune was dissolved and Andelshofen was incorporated into the commune of Überlingen. Its various hamlets came under the administrative jurisdiction of other small towns: Hagenweiler to Lippertsweiler, Schonbuch to the commune of Bambergen.Aufkirch was first mentioned in 1242 as Ufkilche. The site was the location of the original Parish Church of Überlingen, St. Michael. The church with its surrounding territory was transferred in 1311 to the Cloister Engelberg, and in 1343 to the German Order on the Island of Mainau. These came to Überlingen in 1557. From then, the church became a filial parish of the Munster in Überlingen, and village territories to Überlingen in the status of hamlets.
Bambergen was first mentioned in 1268. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the property the seat of Regentsweil, whose property came to the Spital in Überlingen in 1352. The free imperial city of Überlingen exercised both low and high justice over Bambergen, and a few smaller nearby hamlets, including Reuthemühle. Toward this end, Bambergen was the seat of several villages and hamlets belonging to the Überlingen Spital. In 1803 Baden annexed the territory and it was reorganized into the jurisdiction of Überlingen.
Bonndorf was first mentioned in 800 as Pondorf. In the 12th century, became part of the Hohenfels estate. Between 1423 and 1479, it was sold to the Spital, and came under the authority of the city. In 1803, Baden annexed the territory and merged it with the community in the administrative district of Überlingen.
Nesselwangen was mentioned in 1094 as Nezzelwanc. Later, the site came into the possession of the Cloister of All Holies, in Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
. Later it was part of the lordship of Hohenfels, and from them it came into the possession of the Überlingen spital. In 1803, it was annexed by the Duchy of Baden and incorporated into the jurisdiction of Überlingen.
Walpertsweiler was originally known as Waltprechtesweiler in 1160, when it belonged to the Cirstercian cloister in Salem. In 1415 it came into the possession of the Überlingen spital and since the annexation by Baden (1803) belonged to the community of Bonndorf .
Partner Cities
ChantillyChantilly, Oise
Chantilly is a small city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune in the department of Oise.It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km...
, France, since 1987
Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau is a spa town in Germany, in the south of the Free State of Saxony and the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the little valley of the Kirnitzsch.-Geography:...
, Saxony, since 1990
Culture
While its cultural activities are similar to other towns and cities in this region, its cultural expressions are specific to Überlingen and reflect elements of its heritage as a former Free Imperial City and as a Catholic city.Idioms
Überlingen lies as part of Baden-WürttembergBaden-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 south of former 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....
at the northern shore of the Bodensee. A traveler to the city might hear several dialects in addition to Hochdeutsch
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
, including the distinctive Bodensee dialect (Bodenseealemannisch), which is a special form of Niederalemannisch
Low Alemannic German
Low Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though it is only partly intelligible to speakers of German.Variants:*Vorarlbergisch*Upper Rhenish*Alsatian, spoken in the Alsace, France...
. Because the city attracts tourists from around the Lake Constance and from all over Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, one will also hear Austrian variants of Hochdeutsch, Swiss dialects, Badenese dialects, and other Alemannic German
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
dialects.
Fasnet
Überlingen is a stronghold of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival. The carnival club, Narrenzunft Überlingen, or the Knaves Guild of Überlingen, is a member of the "Vierbund" a carnival union. The carnival clubs of RottweilRottweil
Rottweil is a town in the south west of Germany and is the oldest town in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb hills, Rottweil has about 25,000 inhabitants...
, Oberndorf
Oberndorf
Oberndorf may refer to the following places:*in Germany:**Oberndorf am Neckar, in the district of Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg** Oberndorf , a suburb of Rottenburg am Neckar in the district of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg...
and Elzach
Elzach
Elzach is a town in the district of Emmendingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Elz, 26 km northeast of Freiburg.-Twin towns:Elzach is a town in the district of Emmendingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
are the other three members of this union. The carnival figure of Überlingen dates to the 14th century, where it is mentioned in city council documents; the figure is called "Der Überlinger Hänsele
Der Überlinger Hänsele
The Überlinger Hänsele is a famous carnival figure of the city of Überlingen am Bodensee.The Hänsele is the main figure of the carnival in Überlingen. Only male citizens of Überlingen are allowed to appear with this carnival suit on...
," which would translate roughly, and redundantly, as The Little Jackie of Überlingen. On St. Martin's Day, in November, the Carnival clubs officially begin their practice; the club members parade through the streets behind a band playing the Hänsele song. Überlingers fall into line behind the Hänseles, and the procession ends with an impromptu rally in the market square. The carnival clubs heighten their activities closer to Fasnet, the Swabian term for the celebration of carnival (see also Fasching or Fasnacht
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
). Celebrations peak at Shrove Tuesday.
The carnival character, Hänsele, appears in many celebrations throughout the year. There is only one chosen "Hänsele," and he is involved in most civic celebrations; his identity usually remains anonymous. Other club members also dress up as the figure. Hänsele's costume is noted for its colorful felted squares, its wolf's tail, and the incense he wears in his hood. In addition, Hänsele carries a heavy whip; prior to Fasnet, groups of uncostumed Hänseles gather in the market square to practice snapping their whips.
Market Day
Wednesdays and Saturdays are traditional market days in Überlingen, and have been since the late 14th century, when the city was granted market rights. Today's 21st century Market Days bring farmers, fruit growers, wine and brandy producers, honey producers, from throughout the region; in addition to local growers and producers, some come from the Three Corner area by Basel, and others from the Tyrol. Typically, housewives will purchase cheese, bread, wine, fruits and vegetables from these sellers, although items are also available in grocery stores (which sell everything), and specialty stores, which sell single types of items: bakeries, butchers, green grocers, wine merchants, etc. Market on Saturday lasts until early afternoon, and participants set up stalls in the market place and the adjacent church plaza. It is complete with a hurdy-gurdy organist, and occasionally other street performers. Sales also include flowers, baskets, and an expanded array of home made items, including items from local artisans. Market on Wednesday is a smaller affair, and closes shortly at 1300.Christmas Market
The Überlingen Christmas Market, also called Weihnachtsmarkt, and Christkindlmarkt, begins with the celebration of St. Nikolaus day, December 6. Nikolaus is the patron saint of Überlingen. A Nikolaus figure, complete with attendees including Black Peter, travels from Constance by boat, arriving at the city's boat landing. The "saint" leads a procession to the church, and then offers a special mass, particularly for children. In the ensuing 10 days, vendors offer a variety of merchandise from stalls in the Market square: delicately carved wooden ornaments, baskets, leather items, tree decorations, and all kinds of food and treats are available, such as Fladeln, or Wähe, or Wähefladel (more or less Swabian pizza), and the more widely known Würst (sausage), Kraut (cabbage), and Spätzle (little noodles). There is always Glühwein (mulled wineMulled wine
Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.-Glühwein:...
), a heated wine with fruit zest, usually orange peel, and spices, usually cinnamon and cloves.
The Sweden Procession
To commemorate the victory over the Swedes in 1634, Überlingen holds an annual procession called the Sweden Procession. The event actually has two components, one in early May and the second in mid-July. Men and women dress in the traditional costume, TrachtTracht
Tracht is a traditional national costume in German-speaking countries. Although the word is most often associated with Austrian and Bavarian costumes, many other peoples of Germany have them.-History:...
, and march in a procession around the city's inner perimeter, the inner wall. A select group of individuals carry the Swedenmadonna, a figure of Mary gilded in silver in 1659. At designated places (the entry to the old pilgrim church, several gates, and the fountain where Mary appeared to chase the Swedes away, the priest offers special prayers and a small cannon is fired. The city band plays music to accompany the procession. At the July procession, a company of men perform the Swertletanz (small sword dance
Sword dance
Sword dances are recorded from throughout world history. There are various traditions of solo and mock battle sword dances from Greece, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, England, Scotland and Japan...
) at the church plaza, for the priest, and at the market place, for the mayor. Although once a Catholic celebration, today it is a celebration for all believers.
Schloss Salem
Überlingen also is home to the famous boarding school Schule Schloss SalemSchule Schloss Salem
Schule Schloss Salem is a boarding school with campuses in Hohenfels, Salem and Überlingen in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. It is considered one of the most elite schools in Europe.It offers the German Abitur, as well as the International Baccalaureate...
, with upper school campuses of Spetzgart Castle, Hohenfels, and the new campus at Härlen.
Structures and Buildings
The City Hall was erected during the Renaissance period. The City Council room is decorated with a cycle of limewood figures carved by master Jakob Ruß. The figures illustrate the hierarchy of the imperial estates, from princes to peasants, arranged into groups of four - the so-called "Imperial quaternions". The decorative programme offers an impression of the power structure in the time of its installation (1490–1494).
Franz Anton Bagnato
Franz Anton Bagnato, , also known as Francesco Antonio Bagnato, was the son of architect Johann Caspar Bagnato. Franz Anton Bagnato was born in Altshausen. Like his father he was an architect active during the Baroque period...
, in the style of the transitional period from Baroque
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...
to Classic
Classic
The word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality. The word can be an adjective or a noun . It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature and other cultural artifacts...
. Since 1936/37, it has been protected under the Baden State Building ordinance.
The Chapel St. Michael (Aufkirch), outside of the city, was built in the year 1000, and was the city’s first parish church. It and the village were severely damaged in the 1634 siege.
Geologic Anomalies
Überlingen's location on the eastern Swiss plateau places it at the end of glacial moraine of the second ice age. The glaciers of the last ice age cut through the region as well, creating a mixture of moraine and glacial cuts, the deepest of which runs through the old forests at Hödingen to the lake. The combination of glacial carving, moraine, and erosion have created several unique geologic formations.Teufelstisch
Wallhausen, Baden-Württemberg
Wallhausen is a municipality in the district of Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
. Between 1975 and the early 1990s, several divers experienced Caisson's syndrome after diving at the needle. In the 1990s, the deaths of several experienced divers, and the disappearance of two of them, resulted in a diving ban in the vicinity of the needle.
Spetzgart
From the Alemannic, Spetz (or spitz, meaning point) and Gart (or Garten, meaning garden). The area immediately to the west of Überlingen is known as the Spetzgart due to its jointed tower formations. The Spetz are an example of the geologic processes that shaped the eastern regions of the Swiss plateauSwiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
. Here, and at the city's moat, one can also see the geologic molasse
Molasse
The term "molasse" refers to the sandstones, shales and conglomerates formed as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse is deposited in a foreland basin, especially on top of flysch, for example that left from the rising Alps, or erosion in the Himalaya...
created in the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
periods. This area is a protected Natural area (see below).
Protected Areas
In the region of the city of Überlingen there are as of April 2009 three Rural Parks and four Nature Areas, protected by law.- Protected Natural Areas
The Aach Ravine, 72 hectares (ha), the Hödinger Ravine (28 ha) between Hödingen and Sipplingen, the Katharine Rocks (4 ha) and Spetzgarten Ravine (12 ha) between Goldbach und Spetzgart.