Rottweil

Town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

This article is about the town. For the district, see Rottweil (district).

Town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Rottweil

Town

A bird's-eye view of the whole city

Coat of arms

Location of Rottweil within Rottweil district

Rottweil

Show map of Germany

Rottweil

Show map of Baden-Württemberg

Coordinates: 48°10′5″N 8°37′29″E﻿ / ﻿48.16806°N 8.62472°E﻿ / 48.16806; 8.62472
Country| Germany
State| Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region| Freiburg
District| Rottweil
Government

• Lord mayor (2022–30) | Christian Ruf[1] (CDU)
Area

• Total

| 71.76 km2 (27.71 sq mi)
Highest elevation

| 609 m (1,998 ft)
Lowest elevation

| 557 m (1,827 ft)
Population

(2023-12-31)[2]

• Total

| 24,977
• Density| 350/km2 (900/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes|

78628, 78652 (Unterrotenstein)

Dialling codes| 0741, 07427 (Neukirch)
Vehicle registration| RW
Website| www.rottweil.de
Aerial view

Rottweil (German: [ˈʁɔtvaɪl] ⓘ; Alemannic: Rautweil) is a town in southwest Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Rottweil was a free imperial city for nearly 600 years.

Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, Rottweil has over 25,000 inhabitants as of 2022. The town is famous for its medieval center and for its traditional carnival (called "Fasnet" in the local Swabian dialect). It is the oldest town in Baden-Württemberg,[3] and its appearance has changed very little since the 16th century.

The town gives its name to the Rottweiler dog breed.

## History

[edit]

Tourist sign reading „Älteste Stadt Baden-Württembergs“ ("Oldest town of Baden-Württemberg")

Rottweil was founded by the Romans in AD 73 as Arae Flaviae and became a municipium, but there are traces of human settlement going back to 2000 BC. Roman baths and an Orpheus mosaic of c. AD 180 date from the time of Roman settlement. The present town became a ducal and a royal court before 771 and in 1268 it became a free imperial city.

In 1463 Rottweil joined the Swiss Confederacy under the pretence of a temporary alliance. In 1476 the Rottweilers fought on the Swiss side against Charles the Bold in the Battle of Morat. In 1512, Pope Julius II gave the city a valuable "Julius banner" for its services in the 1508–1510 "Great Pavier Campaign" to expel the French.[4] In 1519, the Rottweilers left the old Swiss alliance. They joined a new one in which their membership was extended indefinitely – the so-called "Eternal Covenant".

Rottweil thus became a centre of the Swiss Confederation. The relations between the Swiss Confederation and Rottweil cooled rapidly during the Protestant Reformation. When Rottweil was troubled by wars, however, it still asked the Confederates for help.[5]

In the Rottweil Witch Hunts from 1546 to 1661, 266 so-called witches, wizards and magicians were executed in the imperial city of Rottweil. On April 15, 2015, they were given a posthumous pardon. An official apology was given by the City Council about 400 years after their violent deaths.[6]

Rottweil lost both its status as free city and its alliance with the Swiss Confederacy with the conquest of the region by Napoleon in 1803.

## Lord mayors since the 19th century

[edit]

* 1820–1833: Max Joseph von Khuon, Schultheiß
* 1833–1845: Max Teufel
* 1845–1848: Karl Dinkelmann
* 1848–1851: Kaspar Rapp
* 1852–1887: Johann Baptist Marx
* 1887–1923: Edwin Glückher
* 1924–1943: Josef Abrell
* 1943–1944: Otto Mann
* 1944–1945: Paul Fritz
* 1945–1946: Franz Mederle
* 1946–1965: Arnulf Gutknecht
* 1965–1985: Ulrich Regelmann, mayor; from 1970 Lord Mayor
* 1985–2001: Michael Arnold
* 2001–2009: Thomas Engeser
* 2009–2022: Ralf Broß[7][8][9]
* 2022–present: Christian Ruf[1]

## Climate

[edit]

Climate data for Rottweil (1991-2020)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −0.1
(31.8)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | 3.9
(39.0)  | 7.8
(46.0)  | 12.1
(53.8)  | 15.7
(60.3)  | 17.6
(63.7)  | 17.2
(63.0)  | 12.9
(55.2)  | 8.8
(47.8)  | 3.8
(38.8)  | 0.7
(33.3)  | 8.4
(47.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 55.9
(2.20)  | 50.2
(1.98)  | 56.2
(2.21)  | 52.6
(2.07)  | 92.2
(3.63)  | 79.8
(3.14)  | 89.8
(3.54)  | 82.7
(3.26)  | 57.7
(2.27)  | 63.1
(2.48)  | 61.4
(2.42)  | 66.9
(2.63)  | 808.5
(31.83)
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 66.9  | 89.4  | 135.2  | 172.9  | 199.1  | 217.8  | 234.8  | 220.8  | 164.1  | 117.5  | 70  | 58.4  | 1,748.9
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst[10][11][12]

## Economy

[edit]

During the Middle Ages, Rottweil used to be a flourishing imperial city with great economic and cultural influence.[13] In 1868, Rottweil was connected to Stuttgart by rail, which boosted the economy of the region.[13]

Today, most companies in Rottweil are either small or medium-sized.[14] A trading and shopping town with a high level of innovation that benefits from its well developed educational and transport infrastructure, Rottweil has many industrial companies and a steadily growing proportion of knowledge-intensive service jobs.[14]

At 7.9%, Rottweil has one of the highest academic rates in the region.[14]

### Media

[edit]

Local events in Rottweil are reported in the daily newspaper Schwarzwälder Bote, the Stadtanzeiger, online and once a week in the print edition Neue Rottweiler Zeitung [de], the TV station Regio TV Bodensee [de] and the local radio station antenne 1 Neckarburg Rock & Pop [de], which is based in the district.

### Notable former companies

[edit]

* Moker
* KB Uhren Rottweil [de]
* Peter-Uhren[15]
* Rhodia
* Pulverfabrik Rottweil [de]
* Brauerei Pflug[16]

## Infrastructure

[edit]

### Rail traffic

[edit]

Rottweil station has regular (at least hourly) regional services to Stuttgart, Villingen, Singen, as well as many nearby towns. The hourly Stuttgart-Zurich intercity train also stops at Rottweil. In 2003, the Ringzug concept was established, providing rail service to many previously abandoned stations in the region between Villingen, Rottweil, Tuttlingen and Donaueschingen, which became a major success.

### Road traffic

[edit]

By car, Rottweil can be reached via the Bundesautobahn 81 Stuttgart-Singen, exit Rottweil. The city lies on the Bundesstraße 27 between Schaffhausen and Stuttgart, on the Bundesstraße 14, which runs from Stockach on Lake Constance via Tuttlingen to Rottweil and on via Horb am Neckar to Stuttgart, and on the Bundesstraße 462 from Rottweil through the Black Forest to Freudenstadt and Rastatt.

### Bicycle traffic

[edit]

Rottweil is located on the Neckartal-Radweg [de] along the Neckar River via Horb, Tübingen, Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Heidelberg to Mannheim.

### Air traffic

[edit]

Rottweil-Zepfenhan airfield

In the neighboring village of Zepfenhan, about 12 km (7.5 mi) away, is the Flugplatz Rottweil-Zepfenhan [de] (Rottweil-Zepfenhan airfield), which can be approached by small aircraft. The nearest commercial airports are Stuttgart Airport and Zurich Airport.

## Education

[edit]

Rottweil has three Gymnasien (Albertus-Magnus-Gymnasium, Droste-Hülshoff-Gymnasium, Leibniz-Gymnasium), one Realschule, one Förderschule (Achert-Schule), three Grundschulen (Eichendorff-Grundschule, Grundschule Neufra and Grundschule Neukirch), and four Hauptschulen (GHS Göllsdorf, Johanniter-Grund- und Hauptschule, Konrad-Witz-Grund- und Hauptschule and Römer-Grund- und Hauptschule).

## Main sights

[edit]

Main Street

* The late-Romanesque and Gothic–era Münster Heiliges Kreuz ("Minster of the Holy Cross"), built over a pre-existing church from 1270. It features a crucifix by Veit Stoss and noteworthy Gothic sculptures.
* Kapellenkirche (1330–1340), a Gothic church with a tower and with three statue-decorated portals
* Lorenzkapelle ("Church of St. Lawrence", 16th century) in late Gothic style. It houses some two hundred works by Swabian masters and Gothic altarpieces from the 14th and 15th centuries.
* The town's museum, including a notable Roman mosaic with the legend of Orpheus
* The late-Gothic town hall (1521)
* St. Pelagius, a Romanesque church from the 12th century. Excavations have brought to light Roman baths on the same site.
* Dominican Museum of Rottweil – local branch of the Landesmuseum Württemberg
* ThyssenKrupp constructed a $45 million, 807-foot (246 m) tower, the Rottweil Test Tower. The tower is a research facility for the company and is used to test new elevator cars and technologies. When the tower was completed in 2017, it was the tallest elevator test tower in the world.[17][a] The tower has 12 elevator shafts.[18]

## Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Rottweil is twinned with:[19]

* L'Aquila, Italy
* Brugg, Switzerland
* Hyères, France
* Imst, Austria

## Notable people

[edit]

Franz Xavier Wernz, 1910

* Konrad Witz (1400/10–1445/46), painter, active mainly in Basel.
* Adam of Rottweil, 15th-century scholar and printer
* Johann Georg Herbst (1787–1836), a German Orientalist.[20]
* Franz Xavier Wernz (1842–1914), the 25th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
* Erwin Teufel (born 1939), politician (CDU), former minister president of Baden-Württemberg
* Rüdiger Safranski (born 1945), philosopher, writer and literary scholar
* Matthias Hölle (born 1951), opera bass
* Anne Haigis (born 1955), musician, singer and songwriter.
* Wolfgang Stryi (1957–2005), jazz musician, composer, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist
* Andreas Schwab (born 1973), politician (CDU) and member of the European Parliament
* Johannes Erath (born 1975), opera director
* Heike Heubach (born 1979), politician, (SPD); she is deaf

### Sport

[edit]

* Klaus-Dieter Sieloff (1942–2011), footballer, brought up locally, played 338 games and 14 for West Germany
* brothers Marcus Trick (born 1977) & Armon Trick (born 1978), retired international rugby union players
* Simone Hauswald (born 1979), a former biathlete and bronze medallist at the 2010 Winter Olympics
* Markus Fuchs (born 1980), footballer who played over 300 games
* Christoph Burkard (born 1983), Paralympic swimmer, medallist at the 2004 & 2012 Summer Paralympics
* Maximiliane Rall (born 1993), footballer, played over 200 games and 9 for  Germany women
* Joshua Kimmich (born 1995), footballer, played over 310 games and 85 for Germany

## Trivia

[edit]

* The Rottweiler dog breed is named after this town; it used to be a butcher's dog in the region.[21]
* "Das Mädchen aus Rottweil" is a song by the German band Die Toten Hosen.[22]

## Gallery

[edit]

*   * Depiction of St. Veronica's sudarium over the portal of the Minster of the Holy Cross

* A statue for Rottweiler dogs in Rottweil

* Rottweiler "Fasnet"

* Rottweil Test Tower

* Rottweil station with ThyssenKrupp Test Tower in the background

## See also

[edit]

* Baden-Württemberg portal

* Rottweil (district)
* Synagoge Rottweil

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ There are higher elevator test towers now, see List of elevator test towers.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Oberbürgermeisterwahl Rottweil 2022, Staatsanzeiger.
2. ^ "Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht am 31. Dezember 2023 (Fortschreibung auf Basis des Zensus 2022)" [Population by nationality and sex as of December 31, 2023 (updated based on the 2022 census)] (CSV) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg.
3. ^ Website of Dominikaner Museum Rottweil (retrieved May 22, 2014), on permanent display is a wooden table from August 4, AD 186 naming arae flaviae as municipium thus making Rottweil the oldest town in Baden-Württemberg [1] Archived 2014-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Hecht, Winfried (1973). "The Julius Banner of the Village of Rottweil". Der Geschichtsfreund: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins der Fünf Orte Luzern, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden und Zug. 126–127: 141. doi:10.5169/seals-118647. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
5. ^ Hecht, Winfried. "Rottweil". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
6. ^ Zeck, Mario (2000). "Im Rauch gehen Himmel geschüggt", Hexenverfolgung in der Reichsstadt Rottweil. Stuttgart. p. 43.
7. ^ "Oberbürgermeisterwahl 2009 - vorläufiges amtliches Endergebnis" (in German). Kommunale Informationsverarbeitung Reutlingen-Ulm. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
8. ^ "Ralf Broß - Oberbürgermeister - Stadt Rottweil" (in German). XING. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
9. ^ "Mitarbeiter: Broß, Ralf" (in German). Rottweil (official site). Retrieved 2 February 2017.
10. ^ "Lufttemperatur: vieljährige Mittelwerte 1991 - 2020" [Air Temperature: Long-term averages for 1991-2020]. dwd.de (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
11. ^ "Niederschlag: vieljährige Mittelwerte 1991 - 2020" [Precipitation: Long-term averages for 1991-2020]. dwd.de (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
12. ^ "Sonnenscheindauer: vieljährige Mittelwerte 1991 - 2020" [Sunshine: Long-term averages for 1991-2020]. dwd.de (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
13. ^ a b "Wirtschaft | Landkreis Rottweil". www.landkreis-rottweil.de. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
14. ^ a b c "Wirtschaftsstruktur | Stadt Rottweil - Die älteste Stadt Baden Württembergs". www.rottweil.de. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
15. ^ "Peter-Uhren GmbH – Rottweiler Bilder". www.rottweil.net. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
16. ^ "Ehemalige Pflug-Brauerei – Rottweiler Bilder". www.rottweil.net. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
17. ^ Dillon, Conor (2015-06-26). "World's tallest elevator tower rises in Rottweil, Germany | DW | 26.06.2015". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
18. ^ Brown, Eliot (September 15, 2015). "Elevators Elevate German City's Image". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
19. ^ "Rottweil und seine Partnerschaften". rottweil.de (in German). Rottweil. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
20. ^ Souvay, Charles Léon (1910). "Johann Georg Herbst" . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7.
21. ^ "Rottweiler | Description, Temperament, Images, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
22. ^ "Menschen Das Mädchen aus Rottweil - verzweifelt gesucht!". faz.net (in German). 2002-08-07. Retrieved 2021-12-24.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rottweil.

* Official website (in German)
* Feast of Fools: Medieval Carnival Celebrations in Rottweil
* History and territory of the former Reichsstadt Rottweil
* Pictures of and stories about Rottweil

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