Laupheim

Coordinates: 48°13′44″N 9°52′47″E / 48.22889°N 9.87972°E / 48.22889; 9.87972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Laupheim
Town
Chapel of St Leonhard
Chapel of St Leonhard
Coat of arms of Laupheim
Coat of arms
Location of Laupheim within Biberach district
BavariaAlb-Donau-KreisRavensburg (district)Reutlingen (district)Sigmaringen (district)UlmAchstettenAlleshausenAllmannsweilerAltheimAttenweilerBad BuchauBad SchussenriedBerkheimBetzenweilerUmmendorfBiberach an der RißBurgriedenDettingen an der IllerDürmentingenDürnauEberhardzellErlenmoosErolzheimRiedlingenErtingenGutenzell-HürbelHochdorfIngoldingenKanzachKirchberg an der IllerKirchdorf an der IllerKirchdorf an der IllerLangenenslingenLaupheimLaupheimMaselheimMietingenMittelbiberachMoosburgOchsenhausenOggelshausenRiedlingenRiedlingenRiedlingenRot an der RotSchemmerhofenSchwendiSeekirchSteinhausen an der RottumTannheimTiefenbachUmmendorfUnlingenUnlingenUttenweilerWainWarthausen
Laupheim is located in Germany
Laupheim
Laupheim
Laupheim is located in Baden-Württemberg
Laupheim
Laupheim
Coordinates: 48°13′44″N 9°52′47″E / 48.22889°N 9.87972°E / 48.22889; 9.87972
CountryGermany
StateBaden-Württemberg
Admin. regionTübingen
DistrictBiberach
Subdivisions5
Government
 • Lord mayor (2022–30) Ingo Bergmann[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total61.80 km2 (23.86 sq mi)
Elevation
528 m (1,732 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total22,595
 • Density370/km2 (950/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
88471
Dialling codes07392
Vehicle registrationBC
Websitewww.laupheim.de

Laupheim (German pronunciation:

airbase close to Laupheim, Laupheim Air Base
.

Laupheim was the administrative centre of the district of Laupheim from 1842 until 1938 when the district was abolished. The southern parts of it were incorporated into the district of Biberach (including Laupheim itself) whereas the remainders were allocated to the district of Ulm.

In the second half of the 19th century Laupheim was home to the largest

Jewish community in the Kingdom of Württemberg
.

After World War II, Laupheim became part of the French occupation zone in 1945 and became part of the newly founded state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern in 1947.

Laupheim is the educational centre for the surrounding rural areas particularly with regards to secondary education.

Geography

River Rottum in Laupheim with railway bridge in the background

Laupheim is situated in the region of Upper Swabia approximately 20 km north of Biberach and 20 km south of Ulm on the Bundesstraße 30. Laupheim is the second largest city in the district of Biberach. The original settlement of Laupheim was located close to the Rottum which still runs through the city but since 1950 the city has expanded and sprawls onto the surrounding slopes.

With effect of 1 Januar 2016 Laupheim has been awarded the status of major district town.[3]

The elevation within the city confines ranges from 509 m (1670 ft) above sea level at the bottom of the valley to 539 m (1768 ft) in the outlying suburban areas.[4]

Apart from the city of Laupheim itself, the following once autonomous villages nowadays belong administratively to Laupheim: Baustetten (population 2121), Obersulmetingen (population 1389), Untersulmetingen (population 2082) and Bihlafingen (population 853), which, with an elevation of 580 m (1903 ft), has the highest elevation of the administrative area.[4]

History

The area in and around Laupheim has been settled from very early times onwards.

Alamanni invaded the Agri Decumates, eventually also settling in the area that was to become Laupheim. During archaeological excavations in 1840-1842 graves dating from the Merovingian period were discovered in the northern part of the town.[5]

Laupheim was first mentioned as Louphaim in a charter dated 778.

St Gallen
, Switzerland. This reference is the earliest of any city in Upper Swabia and any parish in the district of Biberach.

Situated in the vicinity of two major

Swabian Alb and the valley of the river Iller respectively, Laupheim developed into a major settlement. In 853, it was elevated to the status of town when a court responsible for the Rammachgau
(also spelled Rammagau) was set up there.

During the 9th century, parts of Laupheim came into the possession of the monastery of Weißenburg which was afterwards passed on to successive minor Swabian aristocratic houses.

As early as the 10th century, Laupheim possessed a parish church with subsidiaries. In 926, Laupheim and its surroundings were destroyed by the Hungarians. A castle is mentioned around the year 1100.

Laupheim appears to have been home of an indigenous noble family, whose members used the suffix von Laupheim. They were attested for the first time in 1110 with Landoldus de Lobhein and seemed to have been in service of the counts of Kirchberg. The last known member of this family was Berchtolt von Laupheim who was a citizen of Ulm 1372,[7] long after his family has lost possession of any rights in Laupheim around 1310.[8]

After the collapse of the Empire of the

Habsburg
.

The Habsburgs

enfeoffed this baronial family in 1407 with castle, town and patronage
of the church.

The village was badly affected by the crisis of the mid 14th century, caused by the Black Death and other factors. The population shrunk and as a consequence the hamlet of Ringelhausen, situated between Laupheim and Bronnen, was abandoned and eventually lost in the 15th century.[9] Only the name of a street and a development area in the city of Laupheim nowadays hints at the existence of this hamlet.

The Herren von Ellerbach had

St Leonhard's Chapel built in 1448, which soon became a place of pilgrimage
.

In 1430, Emperor

high justice, which gave him the right to hold a criminal court inflicting bodily punishment, including the death penalty. The local ruler was now master of life and death. Due to the weekly market and the annual Gallus
-market, Laupheim quickly developed into a commercial centre.

During the course of the

peasants named after the nearby village of Baltringen
, where approximately 12.000 farmers gathered to form an army. After the suppression of the revolt, the peasants were forced to rebuild the castle.

After the agnatic line of the Ellerbach dynasty became extinct in 1570, Laupheim passed through Hans Pankraz von Freyberg to the Herren von Welden in 1582. They turned Laupheim into their permanent residence and established the first school in 1584. From 1582 until 1806, Laupheim was a Lordship (Reichsritterschaft) ruled by the heir of the Welden family, whose title was "Imperial Knight" (Reichsritter).

Former Hospital of the Holy Spirit

In 1596, the right to bear a coat of arms was given to Laupheim, showing the colours of green, white and red together with three leaves on a three hills, thereby incorporating the coat-of-arms of the family of Welden with the three leaves, referring to the name of the town on the hills of the valley of the river Rottum.

The last member of the House of Ellerbach, Anna von Freyberg, founded the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in 1601, the building of which still exists and now functions as a retirement home.

Between 1623 and 1661, the church St. Peter and Paul was built in the vicinity of the castle.

Due to the inheritance laws of the house of Welden, the market town was divided into two different territories, Großlaupheim and Kleinlaupheim (Great Laupheim and Little Laupheim), in 1621, at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), each territory being ruled by its own dynasty. As a consequence economic growth slowed down.

Laupheim 1726 with Großlaupheim Castle on the left and Kleinlaupheim Castle at the top

During the

outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1635 further diminished the population.[10]
At the close of the Thirty Years' War, Laupheim had lost two-thirds of its pre-war population, so that ultimately towards the end of the 17th century, Laupheim had sunk to the status of an unimportant, impoverished village. As a consequence of the Thirty Years' War, the feudal lords attempted to increase taxation and extend the amount of socage the peasants had to do for them. This led to legal conflicts between the two parties, which lasted for decades.

Judenberg in Laupheim

In order to stimulate the local economy and income generated by taxation,

Jewish families to settle in Großlaupheim in the 1720s. This which was made possible by a contract, protecting the Jews. The Jews were made to settle in an area of the town soon to be called Judenberg (literally Jews' mountain or Jews' hill). Subsequently, a Jewish quarter evolved, with a cemetery, synagogue, school and a Rabbi's office.[11]

Main article: History of the Jews in Laupheim

During the 18th century, the Welden dynasty had the old castle, Großlaupheim Castle, restored, and subsequently renewed in Baroque-style in 1752. Between 1766 and 1769, the branch of the Welden dynasty that ruled Kleinlaupheim had their residence renewed in Baroque-style by architect Johann Georg Specht. This castle is now called Schloss Kleinlaupheim (Kleinlaupheim Castle). This makes Laupheim unique in that it has two castles within its city boundaries, as a result of once having been two independent states.

Schranne (granary)

In 1778, a town hall and the granary were built in the Upper Market Square.

Following the

principalities within the former Holy Roman Empire, both parts of Laupheim were annexed by the newly formed Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806. The last ruler of Laupheim was Constantin von Welden. Laupheim first became administratively part of the district of Wiblingen
, but in 1845 the district administration was moved to Laupheim, creating the district of Laupheim. The district as abolished in 1938 when Laupheim became part of the district of Biberach.

Due to laws based on the ideas of the enlightenment, servitude in the Kingdom of Württemberg was abolished in 1836. During the same period, laws forcing Jews to live in separate quarters and excluding them from most business activities were revoked. This enabled them to contribute enormously to the economic upturn Laupheim was experiencing, even though complete civil rights were not granted until 1864.

In 1848, with the arrival of civil servants from the original Duchy of Württemberg (Altwürttemberg), a Protestant parish was founded.

In 1850, a train station opened two kilometers west of Laupheim, on the

railway line Ulm-Friedrichshafen from Ulm to Friedrichshafen, this station therefore being named as Laupheim-West
.

In 1869, Laupheim was granted a

Lateinschule, was established in Laupheim. In 1871, Laupheim, being part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, was incorporated into the German Empire
.

Laupheim, main train station ca. 1904

During the steep economic growth of the

public houses
in the whole Kingdom of Württemberg.

In 1904, the city was connected to the railway line Ulm-Friedrichshafen by a branch line, linking the railway artery with the city itself. At the same time a train station was built in the city. This extension of the railway line went on for a further 16 km, terminating at the village of Schwendi.

Main article:
Railway Line Laupheim - Schwendi

Before

Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and the systematic deprivation and subsequent suppression of Jews in Germany, also had their effects on Laupheim, culminating in the destruction by fire of the synagogue during Kristallnacht
1938.

Due to the programme of

extermination camps
in 1941 and 1942. After the last of four transports, the Jewish community in Laupheim ceased to exist on 19 August 1942.

Sixty-two Jewish citizens of Laupheim were murdered in the Shoah, only two survived.

After World War II, in the 1960s, Laupheim began to renew and modernize its appearance. New schools were built: a

interchange
.

Additionally, several industrial estates on the outskirts of the city were established in order to attract trade and industry. As a consequence, companies from outside Laupheim established offices and production facilities there, as well as companies that formerly had been operating from the city centre.

Population

Year Population[12][13]
1500 950
1600 1,240
1700 1,660
1806 2,369
1820 2,687
1832 2,934
1840 3,251
1844 3,457
1854 3,712
1871 6,302
1900 7,319
1925 8,467
1933 8,572
1939 8,402
1950 10,337
1961 11,997
1971 14,582
1981 15,095
1991 16,831
2001 18,626
2008 19,576
2009 19,668
2010 19,796
2011 19,700
2012 19,951
2013 20,213
2014 20,655
2015 21,153
2016 21,742
2017 22,136
2018 22,387
2019 22,429
2020 22,579

Having developed from a rural market town into a city, predominated by industry, trade and the service industries, the demographics of Laupheim have changed as well.

After growing continuously from 1871 until 1933, from the

Nazis
came to power, this development came to a halt. The stagnation and eventual decrease in population was due to increasing persecution of the Jews, as a result of which many Jewish inhabitants left Laupheim or, after 1940, were deported and subsequently murdered.

Since 1945, the population of Laupheim has almost doubled. This is due to the fact that a great number of refugees from

Oder-Neisse line
were settled in Laupheim.

The establishment of a

German Army Aviation Corps
airbase in 1964 further contributed to the growth in population.

After the collapse of the

ethnic Germans from the Commonwealth of Independent States
added to the population growth.

As of 31 December 2019, the number of non-German inhabitants of Laupheim totals 3,269 (14.58% of the total population).[14]

Government and politics

Mayors since 1825

Years Name
1825-1838 Christian Paul Koch
1838–1850 Johann Gottfried Brigel
1850–1872 Franz Seraph Müller
1872–1880 Konrad Hepperle
1880–1882 Heinrich Hepperle
1883–1924 Johannes Schick
1924–1934 Franz Konrad
1934–1945 Ludwig Marxer
1945–1946 Adolf Sheffold
1946 Josef Hyneck
1946–1949 Karl Wiest
1949–1963 Alfons Hagel
1963–1966 vacant
1966–2002 Otmar Schick
2002–2010 Monika Sitter
2010–2017 Rainer Kapellen
2017–2021 Gerold Rechle
2022–present Ingo Bergmann
Laupheim town hall

City council

The city council consists of 27 members.

During the local elections on 26 May 2019, all seats on the city council were contested. The elections gave the following result:[15]

Party Percentage Gains/Losses Seats Gains/Losses
CDU
 27.9 Decrease 3.3 8 Decrease 1
FW 37.4 Increase 1.2 10 Steady
SPD 7.9 Decrease 2.2 2 Decrease 1
Open List 26.8 Increase 4.2 7 Increase 1

The next local elections are due to be held in 2024.

Members of state and federal parliaments

Laupheim is part of the

constituency of Biberach for elections to the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg as well as the Bundestag
.

The following politicians were or are from Laupheim:

International links

Laupheim is formally twinned with:

Economy, industry and infrastructure

Traffic

  • Road: the western borders of the city itself are marked by the Bundesstraße 30. Laupheim is connected by three junctions to this federal road. It was planned to upgrade this federal road to autobahn status, turning it into the A89. These plans were dropped in the early 1980s.
  • Railway: the
    Ulm Central Station. Passengers travelling south to Biberach an der Riß still had to change trains at Laupheim-West station. Plans existed, however, to establish direct trains from Laupheim to Biberach an der Riß. In June 2011, after construction works lasting two years a new southern route towards Biberach was opened. In order to facilitate railway traffic a second railway platform was built at Laupheim city station.[16]
Main article:
Railway Line Laupheim - Schwendi

Industry

The following companies, some of them operating internationally, are based in Laupheim:

  • Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG : manufacturer of machines for packaging of pharmaceutical products.
  • Rentschler Holding GmbH:
    pharmaceutical
    products.
  • Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug: snow grooming vehicles.
  • Diehl Aerospace: manufacturer of interior aircraft components.
  • Kronenbrauerei Laupheim: brewery (since 1753)
  • body kits
    .
  • JERMI Käsewerk GmbH & Co. KG.: cheese products.
  • Lindenmaier AG: manufacturers of metal parts and mechanical engineering.
  • Kekeisen GmbH & Co.KG: mechanical engineering and
    toolmaking
    .
  • Colep Laupheim GmbH & Co.KG: manufacturer of
    aerosol sprays
    .
  • Bergmann GmbH & Co. KG:
    wigs
    and other hair products.

Education

The following educational establishments exist in Laupheim and its subordinate villages:

  • Primary schools
    • Anna-von-Freyberg-Grundschule (
      Grundschule
      : primary school)
    • Grundschule Bronner Berg (Grundschule: primary school)
    • Grundschule in Bihlafingen (Grundschule: primary school)
    • Grundschule in Untersulmetingen (Grundschule: primary school)
  • Primary and secondary schools
    • Ivo-Schaible-Grund- und Hauptschule in Baustetten (Grundschule: primary school, Hauptschule: secondary school for general studies)
    • Bischof-Ulrich Grund-, Haupt- und Werkrealschule in Obersulmetingen (Grundschule: primary school, Hauptschule: secondary school for general studies, Werkrealschule: offering additional year to obtain O-levels)
  • Secondary schools
  • Vocational training school
  • Other
    • Wieland-Förderschule (Förderschule: school for children with special needs)
    • Staatlichen Seminars für Didaktik und Lehrerbildung Laupheim (teacher-training college)

Legal

Laupheim had a magistrates' court which was a branch of the district court of Biberach. The Laupheim branch was closed on 1 April 2004.[17] The town hall houses the offices of the district notary.[18]

Media

  • Schwäbische Zeitung (Swabian Newspaper) contains a local supplement for Laupheim and its surroundings.
  • Wochenblatt (Weekly Paper), free weekly newspaper.

Military

ILA
2002
Main article: Laupheim Air Base

Laupheim was home to

Bo-105
. The unit disbanded in 2007.

Until the beginning of the 1990s the regiment had only seen service in other

MONUC to monitor the general elections in 2006. This mission began in June 2006 and ended with the last soldiers returning in December of the same year.[21]

With a workforce of about 1,350, both military and civilian, the base is the largest, single employer in Laupheim.[22]

Attractions

Großlaupheim Castle

Großlaupheim Castle

Großlaupheim Castle is situated on a hill on the verge of the city close to the local parish church. The existence of a castle in Laupheim was documented for the first time around the year 1100. There is no evidence that the castle originally consisted of more than a wooden structure. This castle existed until the Peasants' War in 1525, when it was destroyed by rebellious peasants. After the end of hostilities, the peasants were forced to rebuild the castle in stone. The structure as it stands today was erected in three different phases:

  • The so-called
    edifice
    with two flanking round towers.
  • Adjoining it, the so-called New Castle (Neues Schloss) (built between 1660 and 1680) with an early Baroque square flanked by arcades and a gateway.
Baroque rose garden with Kleines Schlössle
  • Somewhat removed but still part of the complex, the so-called Little Castle (Kleines Schlössle) was built in the middle of the 17th century. It was used by the Freiherren von Welden as dwelling place for the widows of former rulers of Laupheim. On a terrace below the castle buildings, a small rose garden was designed in Baroque-style.

Museum of the History of Christians and Jews

The Museum of the History of Christians and Jews is situated in Großlaupheim Castle. It is unique in Germany in that its collection concentrates on the documentation of the relationship between Christians and Jews on a local level, using Laupheim, which once had the largest Jewish community in the Kingdom of Württemberg, as an example. The exhibition documents in chronological order all aspects of more than 200 years of Jewish life in Laupheim.

Castle Park

Castle Park

The park is situated at the bottom of the hill on top of which Schloss Großlaupheim lies. The castle park was designed in the

English Style by Kilian von Steiner. A huge number of trees, meadows and lakes created an impressive appearance. Originally, it was well known for its exotic trees and plants. Formerly, there were five lakes, which, during winter, provided a brewery with ice. During summer, the lakes were used for raising trout. However, in recent times the maintenance of the ground and the lakes was neglected due to a lack of council funding. In recent years efforts have been made to restore the park, at least in parts, to its former glory. In 2011, the park was declared a "Garden Monument' by the state of Baden-Württemberg's National Trust.[23]

Kleinlaupheim Castle

Kleinlaupheim Castle

Kleinlaupheim Castle is situated on a hill south-west of the river Rottum within the city limits of Laupheim. In its present state it was built between 1766 and 1769 as a place of residence for the ruler of Kleinlaupheim at the time, the

vestibule
.

It now houses the local police station and an art gallery, Die Wache Galerie, a pun on words in that Wache can mean police station as well as alert or awake.

Parish Church St Peter and Paul with rectory

Parish Church St Peter and Paul

The Parish Church St Peter and Paul, built between 1623 and 1661, lies in close proximity to Großlaupheim Castle. It was designed by

manierism.[24] The interior of the church is decorated with sculptures by Dominikus Hermenegild Herberger and paintings by Johann Georg Bergmüller
.

Planetarium and Public Observatory

Laupheim planetarium, view from top of the dome

The

Carolyn Shoemaker, who named the asteroid 7167 Laupheim
in honour of the institution.

The Laupheimer Kinder- und Heimatfest

The annual historical festival, the Kinder- und Heimatfest, takes place during the last weekend of June. It consists of

funfair, accompanied by several pole marquees, as well as much revelling in the bars, cafes and pubs
of the city.

Brunnenfest

On the last Sunday of the summer holidays, the traditional Brunnenfest (fountain party) takes place in the city centre. A

Volksmusik bands entertain visitors. On a stage dance and sport performances are shown. Additionally, a flea market
is held at the same time.

Other

Cafe Hermes

Sport

Honorary citizens

Notable people from Laupheim

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Oberbürgermeisterwahl Laupheim 2022, Staatsanzeiger.
  2. Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg
    . June 2022.
  3. ^ Ray, Roland (14 October 2015), "Laupheim wird Große Kreisstadt", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), retrieved 25 April 2016
  4. ^ a b Laupheim in Zahlen (in German), retrieved 25 April 2016
  5. ^ (in German) K. Diemer, Laupheim, p. 179
  6. ^ Wirtembergisches Urkundenbuch, p. 21
  7. ^ (in German) K. Diemer, Laupheim, p. 73
  8. ^ (in German) J.G. Brigel, Statistisch-Geschichtliche Beschreibung..., p. 92f.
  9. ISBN 3-7995-6186-2
  10. ^ (in German) K. Diemer, Laupheim, p. 86
  11. ^ Georg Schenk, "Die Juden in Laupheim", in: K. Diemer, Laupheim, p. 286ff
  12. ^ "Bevölkerung im Überblick". Landesinformationssystem. Statistisches Landesamt Baden Württemberg. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  13. ^ (in German) J.G. Brigel, Statistisch-Geschichtliche Beschreibung..., p. 9
  14. ^ "Bevölkerung nach Nationalität – vierteljährlich". Landesinformationssystem. Statistisches Landesamt Baden Württemberg. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Vorläufiges Endergebnis". Stadt Laupheim Gemeinderat 2019 (in German). Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Feierliche Eröffnung der neuen Bahnlinie Laupheim Stadt–(Südkurve)–Biberach (Riß)" (in German). bahnaktuell.net. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  17. ^ Ray, Roland (25 March 2004), "Abschied in Schwarz", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), retrieved 21 March 2013
  18. ^ "Notariat Laupheim". Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  19. ^ "Wehrbeauftragter besucht die Laupheimer Heeresflieger", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), 28 August 2012, retrieved 11 November 2012
  20. ^ Wiegold, Thomas (26 June 2017). "Mal ein erfolgreiches Rüstungsprojekt: Alle H145M-Hubschrauber bei der Truppe angekommen" (in German). augengeradeaus.net. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  21. ^ Ray, Roland (22 December 2006), "Heeresflieger meistern den Kongo-Einsatz "mit Bravour"", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), retrieved 28 May 2013
  22. ^ Ray, Roland (22 May 2013), "Bund streicht Investitionen von rund 60 Millionen Euro", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), retrieved 28 May 2013
  23. ^ Ray, Roland (7 March 2013), "Jetzt kann die Arbeit im Schlosspark beginnen", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German), retrieved 9 March 2013
  24. ^ K. Diemer, Laupheim, p. 160f.
  25. ^ "STEINER, KILIAN VON – JewishEncyclopedia.com". jewishencyclopedia.com.

Further reading

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Laupheim.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laupheim.
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