Aalen (German pronunciation:[ˈaːlən]ⓘ;Swabian:Oole (Swabian pronunciation:[ˈɔːlɐ̃])) is a town located in the eastern part of the German state ofBaden-Württemberg, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east ofStuttgart and 48 kilometres (30 mi) north ofUlm. It is the seat of theOstalbkreis district and is its largest town. It is also the largest town in theOstwürttemberg region. Since 1956, Aalen has had the status ofGroße Kreisstadt (major district town). It is noted for its manyhalf-timbered houses constructed from the 16th century through the 18th century.[3]
With an area of 146.63 km2, Aalen is ranked 7th in Baden-Württemberg and 2nd within theGovernment Region of Stuttgart, after Stuttgart. With a population of about 66,000, Aalen is the 15th most-populated settlement in Baden-Württemberg.
Panoramic view from theAalbäumle (14 January 2022)
Aerial view of the district of Unterkochen (the town centre is partly covered and in the background), the Aalen lowlands well perceptible in the back
Aalen is situated on the upper reaches of the riverKocher, at the foot of theSwabian Jura which lies to the south and south-east, and close to the hilly landscapes of theEllwangen Hills to the north and theWelland to the north-west.
The west of Aalen's territory is on the foreland of the eastern Swabian Jura, and the north and north-west is on theSwabian-Franconian Forest, both being part of theSwabian Keuper-Lias Plains. The south-west is part of theAlbuch, the east is part of theHärtsfeld, these two both being parts of the Swabian Jura.[4]
The Kocher enters the town's territory fromOberkochen to the south, crosses the district of Unterkochen, then enters the town centre, where theAal flows into it. TheAal is a small river located only within the town's territory. Next, the Kocher crosses the district of Wasseralfingen, then leaves the town forHüttlingen. Rivers originating near Aalen are theRems (nearEssingen, west of Aalen) and theJagst (nearUnterschneidheim, east of Aalen), both being tributaries of theNeckar, just like the Kocher.
The elevation in the centre of the market square is 430 m (1,410 ft) relative toNormalhöhennull. The territory's lowest point is at theLein river near Rodamsdörfle, the highest point is the Grünberg's peak near Unterkochen at 733 m (2,405 ft).[5]
Most parts of the territory are on theOpalinuston-Formation (Opalinum ClayFormation) of theAalenian subdivision of theJurassic Period, which is named after Aalen.[3] On theSandberg, theSchnaitberg and theSchradenberg hills, all in the west of Aalen, theEisensandstein (Iron Sandstone) formation emerges to the surface. On the other hills of the city,sands(Goldshöfer Sande),gravel and residualrubble prevail.The historic centre of Aalen and the other areas in the Kocher valley are founded completely onholocenicfloodplainloam(Auelehm) and riverbed gravel that have filled in the valley.
Most parts of Dewangen and Fachsenfeld are founded on formations ofJurensismergel (JurensisMarl),Posidonienschiefer (cf.Posidonia Shale),Amaltheenton (Amalthean Clay),Numismalismergel (Numismalis Marl) andObtususton (Obtusus Clay, named afterAsteroceras obtusum ammonites) moving from south to north, all belonging to the Jurassic and being rich in fossils. They are at last followed by theTrossingen Formation already belonging to theLate Triassic.
Until 1939 iron ore was mined on theBraunenberg hill. (seeTiefer Stollen section).
The maximum extent of the town's territory amounts to 18 km (11 mi) in a north–south dimension and 25 km (16 mi) in an east–west dimension. The area is 14,662.8 hectares (36,233 acres), which includes 42.2% 6,186.2 ha (15,286 acres) agriculturally used area and 37.7% 5,534.9 ha (13,677 acres) of forest. 11.5% 1,692.3 ha (4,182 acres) are built up or vacant, 6.4% 932.8 ha (2,305 acres) is used by traffic infrastructure. Sporting and recreation grounds and parks comprise 1% 152.7 hectares (377 acres), other areas 1.1% 163.9 ha (405 acres).[citation needed]
Aalen's territory consists of the town centre(Kernstadt) and the municipalitiesmerged from between 1938 (Unterrombach) and 1975 (Wasseralfingen, seemergings section).The municipalities merged in the course of the latest municipal reform of the 1970s are also calledStadtbezirke (quarters or districts), and areOrtschaften ("settlements") in terms of Baden-Württemberg'sGemeindeordnung (municipal code), which means, each of them has its own council elected by its respective residents(Ortschaftsrat) and is presided by a spokesperson(Ortsvorsteher).
The town centre itself and the merged former municipalities consist of numerous villages(Teilorte), mostly separated by open ground from each other and having their own independent and long-standing history. Some however have been created asplanned communities, which were given proper names, but no well-defined borders.
As Aalen's territory sprawls on escarpments of the Swabian Jura, on the Albuch and the Härtsfeld landscapes, and its elevation has a range of 355 m (1,165 ft), the climate varies from district to district.
The sunshine duration is about 1800 hours per year, which averages 4.93 hours per day. So Aalen is above the German average of 1550 hours per year. However, with 167 days ofprecipitation, Aalen's region also ranks above the German average of 138. The annual rainfall is 807 mm (31.8 in), about the average within Baden-Württemberg.[citation needed]The annual mean temperature is 9.9 °C (49.8 °F). Here Aalen ranks above the German average of 8.2 °C (46.8 °F) and the Baden-Württemberg average of 8.1 °C (46.6 °F).
Numerous remains of early civilization have been found in the area. Tools made offlint and traces ofMesolithic human settlement dated between the 8th and 5th millennium BC were found on several sites on the margins of the Kocher and Jagst valleys. On theSchloßbaufeld plateau (appr. 650 by 350 m (2,130 by 1,150 ft)), situated behindKocherburg castle near Unterkochen, a hill-top settlement was found, with the core being dated to theBronze Age. In theAppenwang forest near Wasseralfingen, in Goldshöfe, and in Ebnat,tumuli of theHallstatt culture were found. In Aalen and Wasseralfingen, gold and silver coins left by theCelts were found. The Celts were responsible for the fortifications in the Schloßbaufeld settlement consisting of sectional embankments and a stone wall. Also, Near Heisenberg (Wasseralfingen), a Celticnemeton has been identified; however, it is no longer readily apparent.[19]
After abandoning theAlb Limes (alimes generally following the ridgeline of the Swabian Jura) around 150AD, Aalen's territory became part of theRoman Empire, in direct vicinity of the then newly erectedRhaetian Limes. The Romans erected acastrum to house thecavalry unitAla II Flavia milliaria; its remains are known today asKastell Aalen ("Aalen Roman fort"). The site is west of today's town centre at the bottom of theSchillerhöhe hill. With about 1,000 horsemen and nearly as manygrooms, it was the largest fort ofauxiliaries along the Rhaetian Limes. There were Civilian settlements adjacent along the south and the east. Around 260 AD, the Romans gave up the fort as they withdrew their presence in unoccupiedGermania back to theRhine andDanube rivers, and theAlamanni took over the region.[20][21] Based on 3rd- and 4th-century coins found, the civilian settlement continued to exist for the time being. However, there is no evidence of continued civilization between the Roman era and theMiddle Ages.[19]
Based on discovery of alamannic graves, archaeologists have established the 7th century as the origination of Aalen. In the northern and western walls of St. John's church, which is located directly adjacent to the eastern gate of the Roman fort, Roman stones were incorporated. The building that exists today probably dates to the 9th century.
The first mention of Aalen was in 839, when emperorLouis the Pious reportedly permitted theFulda monastery to exchange land with the Hammerstadt village, then known asHamarstat.[22]Aalen itself was first mentioned in an inventory list ofEllwangen Abbey, dated ca. 1136, as the villageAlon, along with a lower nobleman named Conrad of Aalen. This nobleman probably had his ancestral castle at a site south of today's town centre and was subject first to Ellwangen abbey, later to theHouse of Hohenstaufen, and eventually to theHouse of Oettingen. 1426 was the last time a member of that house was mentioned in connection with Aalen.Documents, from the Middle Ages, indicate that the town of Aalen was founded by the Hohenstaufen some time between 1241 and 1246, but at a different location than the earlier village, which was supposedly destroyed in 1388 during the war between the Alliance of Swabian Cities and the Dukes of Bavaria.Later, it is documented that the counts of Oettingen ruled the town in 1340. They are reported to have pawned the town to CountEberhard II and subsequently to theHouse of Württemberg in 1358 or 1359 in exchange for an amount of money.[23]
During the war against Württemberg, EmperorCharles IV took the town without a fight after a siege. On 3 December 1360, he declared Aalen anImperial City, that is, a city or town responsible only to the emperor, a status that made it a quasi-sovereign city-state and that it kept until 1803.[24] In 1377, Aalen joined the Alliance of Swabian Cities, and in 1385, the termcivitas appears in the town's seal for the first time. In 1398, Aalen was granted the right to hold markets, and in 1401 Aalen obtained proper jurisdiction.
Town view of 1528
The oldest artistic representation of Aalen was made in 1528. It was made as the basis of a lawsuit between the town and the Counts of Oettingen at theReichskammergericht in Speyer. It shows Aalen surrounded by walls, towers, and double moats. The layout of the moats, which had an embankment built between them, is recognizable by the present streets namedNördlicher, Östlicher, Südlicher andWestlicher Stadtgraben (Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Moat respectively). The wall was about 6 metres (20 ft) tall, 1518single paces (990 metres (3,250 ft)) long and enclosed an area of 5.3 hectares (13 acres). During its early years, the town had twotown gates: TheUpper orEllwangen Gate in the east, and St. Martin's gate in the south; however due to frequent floods, St. Martin's gate was bricked up in the 14th century and replaced by theLower orGmünd Gate built in the west before 1400. Later, several minor side gates were added. The central street market took place on theWettegasse (today calledMarktplatz, "market square") and theReichsstädter Straße. So the market district stretched from one gate to the other, however in Aalen it was not straight, but with a 90-degree curve between southern (St. Martin's) gate and eastern (Ellwangen) gate.
Around 1500, the civic graveyard was relocated from the town church to St. John's Church,[23] and in 1514, theVierundzwanziger ("Group of 24") was the first assembly constituted by the citizens.
Delegated by Württemberg's DukeLouis III, on 28 June 1575, nearly 30 years afterMartin Luther's death,Jakob Andreae, professor and chancellor of theUniversity of Tübingen, arrived in Aalen. The sermon he gave the following day convinced the mayor, the council, and the citizens to adopt theReformation in the town. Andreae stayed in Aalen for four weeks to help with the change.[23] This brought along enormous changes, as the council forbade the Roman Catholic priests to celebrate masses and give sermons. However, after victories of the imperial armies at the beginning of theThirty Years' War, thePrince-Provostry of Ellwangen, which still held theright of patronage in Aalen, were able to temporarily bring Catholicism back to Aalen; however after the military successes of theProtestant Union, Protestant church practices were instituted again.
On the night of 5 September 1634,[25] two ensigns of the army ofBernard of Saxe-Weimar who were fighting with the Swedes and retreating after theBattle of Nördlingen set fire to two powder carriages, to prevent the war material to fall into Croatian hands and to prevent their advance. The result was a conflagration, that some say destroyed portions of the town. There are differing stories regarding this fire. According to 17th-century accounts, the church and all the buildings, except of theSchwörturm tower, were casualties of the fire, and only nine families survived. 19th century research by Hermann Bauer, Lutheran pastor and local historian, discovered that the 17th-century account is exaggerated, but he does agree that the town church and buildings in a "rather large" semicircle around it were destroyed. The fire also destroyed the town archive housed in an addition to the church, with all of its documents.[23] After the fire, soldiers of both armies went through the town looting.[26] It took nearly 100 years for the town to reach its population of 2,000.
Territory of the Imperial City of Aalen
French troops marched through Aalen in 1688 during theNine Years' War; however, unlike other places, they left without leaving severe damages. The French came through again in 1702 during theWar of the Spanish Succession and in 1741 during theWar of the Austrian Succession,[23] the latter also caused imperial troops to move through in 1743.[27]
The town church's tower collapsed in 1765, presumably because proper building techniques were not utilized during the reconstruction after the fire of 1634. The collapsing tower struck two children of the tower watchman who died of their injuries, and destroyed the nave, leaving only the altar cross intact. The remaining walls had to be knocked down due to the damage. Reconstruction began the same year, creating the building that exists today.[23]
On 22 November 1749, the so-calledAalen protocol regulating the cohabitation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics in the jointly ruled territory of Oberkochen was signed in Aalen by the Duchy of Württemberg and the Prince-Provostry of Ellwangen. Aalen had been chosen because of its neutral status as a Free Imperial City.
Napoleonic era and end of the Imperial City of Aalen
During theWar of the First Coalition (1796), Aalen was looted.[23] The War of the Second Coalition concluded in 1801 with the signing of theTreaty of Lunéville, which led to theGerman Mediatisation of 1803 that assigned most Imperial Cities to the neighbouring principalities. Aalen was assigned to theElectorate of Württemberg, which later became the Kingdom of Württemberg, and became seat of the District ("Oberamt") of Aalen. During theWar of the Third Coalition, on 6 October 1805,Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Aalen, with an army of 40,000. This event, along with Bavarian and Austrian troops moving in some days later, caused miseries that according to the town clerk "no feather could describe".[28]
In 1811, the municipality of Unterrombach was formed out of some villages previously belonging to Aalen, some to the Barons of Wöllwarth, and the eastern villages were assigned to the municipality of Unterkochen.
In the age of the Napoleonic wars, thetown walls were no longer of use, and in the 18th century, with the maintenance of walls, gates and towers becoming more neglected Finally, due to the fact that the funds were lacking, starting in 1800, most towers were demolished, the other buildings followed soon.[28]
Before theIndustrial Revolution, Aalen's economy was shaped by its rural setting. Many citizens were pursuing farming besides their craft, such astanning. In the mid 19th century, there were twelve tanneries in Aalen, due to the proximity ofUlm, an important sales market. Other crafts that added to the economy wereweaving mills, which produced linen and woolen goods, and baking of sweet pastry and gingerbread.[29][30]
In Aalen, industrialisation was a slow process. The first major increase was in the 1840s, when three factories fornails and some other factories emerged.[29] It was the link with the railway network, by the opening of theRems Railway fromCannstatt to Wasseralfingen in 1861, that brought more industry to Aalen, along with the royalsteel mill (laterSchwäbische Hüttenwerke) in Wasseralfingen. The Rems Railway's extension to Nördlingen in 1863, the opening of theBrenz Railway in 1864 and of theUpper Jagst Railway in 1866 turned Aalen into arailway hub. Furthermore, between 1901 and its shutdown in 1972, theHärtsfeld Railway connected Aalen withDillingen an der Donau viaNeresheim. Part of becoming a rail hub entailed more jobs based on the rail industry. These included, a maintenance facility, aroundhouse, an administrative office, two track maintenance shops, and a freight station with an industrialbranch line. This helped shape Aalen into what today's historians call a "railwayman's town".[31] Starting in 1866, the utilities in town all began to be upgraded. Starting with the Aalengasworks which were opened andgas lighting was introduced. Then in 1870, a modernwater supply system was started and in 1912 themains electricity. Finally, in 1935, the first electrically poweredstreetlights were installed.[29]
Aalen by 1900
To fight housing shortage during and immediately afterWorld War I, the town set up barracks settlement areas at theSchlauch andAlter Turnplatz grounds. In spite of the industry being crippled by theGreat Depression of 1929, the public baths at the Hirschbach creek where modernized, extended and re-opened in 1931.[31]
In thefederal election of 1932, theNazi Party performed below average in Aalen with 25.8% of votes compared to 33.1% on the national level, thus finishing second to theCentre Party which had 26.6% (11.9% nationwide) of the votes, and ahead of theSocial Democratic Party of Germany with 19.8% (20.4%). However, theMarch 1933 federal elections showed that the sentiment had changed as the Nazi Party received 34.1% (still below German average 43.9% nationwide), but by far the leading vote-getter in Aalen, followed by the Centre party at 26.6% (11.3% nationwide) and the Social Democrats 18.6% (18.3% nationwide).[32]
The democratically elected mayor Friedrich Schwarz remained in office until the Nazis removed him from office, in 1934, and replaced him by chairman of the Nazi Party town council head and brewery owner Karl Barth. Karl Barth was a provisional mayor until the more permanent solution of Karl Schübel. In August 1934, the Nazi consumer fairBraune Messe ("brown fair") was held in Aalen.[33]
DuringNazi rule in Germany, there were many military offices constructed in Aalen, starting with, in 1936, a military district riding and driving school forWehrkreis V. The Nazis also built an army replenishment office(Heeresverpflegungsamt), a branch arsenal office(Heeresnebenzeugamt) and a branch army ammunitions institute(Heeresnebenmunitionsanstalt).
Starting in 1935,mergers of neighbouring towns began. In 1938, the Oberamt was transformed into theLandkreis of Aalen and the municipality of Unterrombach was disbanded. Its territory was mostly added to Aalen, with the exception of Hammerstadt, which was added to the municipality of Dewangen. Forst, Rauental and Vogelsang were added to Essingen (in 1952 the entire former municipality of Unterrombach was merged into Aalen, with the exception of Forst, which is part of Essingen until present).
In September 1944, theWiesendorfconcentration camp, asubcamp ofNatzweiler-Struthof, was constructed nearby. It was designated for between 200 and 300 prisoners who were utilized forforced labor in industrial businesses nearby. Until the camp's dissolution in February 1945, 60 prisoners died.[34] Between 1946 and 1957, the camp buildings were torn down; however, its foundations are still in place in houseMoltkestraße 44/46. Also, there were several other labour camps which existed where prisoners of war along with women and men from occupied countries occupied by Germany were pooled. The prisoners at these other camps had to work for the arms industry in major businesses likeSchwäbische Hüttenwerke and theAlfing Keßler machine factory.[35]
Fortunately, Aalen avoided most of the combat activity duringWorld War II. It was only during the last weeks of the war that Aalen became a target ofair warfare, which led to the destruction and severe damage of parts of the town, the train station, and other railway installations. A series of air attacks lasting for more than three weeks reached its peak on 17 April 1945, whenUnited States Army Air Forces planes bombed the branch arsenal office and the train station. During this raid, 59 people were killed, more than half of them buried by debris, and more than 500 lost their homes.[37] Also, 33 residential buildings, 12 other buildings and 2 bridges were destroyed, and 163 buildings, including 2 churches, were damaged.[28] Five days later, the Nazi rulers of Aalen were unseated by the US forces.
Aalen became part of the State ofBaden-Württemberg, upon its creation in 1952. Then, with the Baden-Württemberg territorial reform of 1973, the District of Aalen was merged into theOstalbkreis district. Subsequently, Aalen became seat of that district, and in 1975, the town's borough attained its present size (see below).
The population of Aalen exceeded the limit of 20,000, which was the requirement for to gain the status ofGroße Kreisstadt ("major district town") in 1946. On 1 August 1947, Aalen was declaredUnmittelbare Kreisstadt ("immediate district town"), and with the creation of theGemeindeordnung (municipal code) of Baden-Württemberg on 1 April 1956, it was declaredGroße Kreisstadt.
On 31 December 2008, 51.1 percent of Aalen were members of theCatholic Church, 23.9 percent were members of theEvangelical-Lutheran Church. About 25 percent belong to other or no religious community or gave no information.[38] The district of Waldhausen was the district with the highest percentage of Roman Catholic inhabitants at 75.6 percent, and the central district was the one with the highest percentage of Evangelical-Lutheran inhabitants at 25.6 percent, as well as those claiming no religious preference at 32.5 percent.[citation needed]
With the assistance of the Duke of Württemberg, in 1575, thereformation was implemented in Aalen. Subsequently, Aalen has been a predominantly Protestant town for centuries, with the exception of the years from 1628 until 1632 (seereformation section). Being an Imperial City, Aalen could govern its clerical matters on its own, so Clerics, organists and choir masters were direct subjects to the council, which thus exerted bishop-like power. There was even a proper hymn book for Aalen.[23] After the transition to Württemberg, in 1803, Aalen became seat of adeanery, with the dean church being the Town Church (with the building constructed from 1765 to 1767 and existing until present).Georg Pfäfflin was dean in Aalen (1952–1967). He carried out the parish service with great commitment, built community centers and renovated churches. When he said goodbye to Aalen, the newspaper Schwäbische Post paid tribute to him:A distinguished personality in intellectual life is leaving Aalen.
Another notable church in Aalen isSt. John's Church, located on the cemetery and refurbished in 1561.
As Aalen's population grew in the 20th century, more parishes were founded:St. Mark's parish with its church building of 1967 andSt. Martin's parish with its church of 1974. In the borough of Unterrombach, Aalen had implemented thereformation as well, but the community remained achapel-of-ease of Aalen. A proper church, the Christ Church, was erected in 1912 and a proper parish was established in 1947. In Fachsenfeld, the ruling family of Woellwarth resp. of Leinroden implemented the reformation. A parish church was built in 1591, however with an influx of Catholics in the 18th century, a Catholic majority was established. The other districts of present-day Aalen remained mostly catholic after the reformation, however Wasseralfingen established a Lutheran parish in 1891 and a church, St. Magdalene's Church, in 1893. In Unterkochen, after World War II, a parish was established and a church was built in 1960. All four parishes belong to the deanery of Aalen within theEvangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg. Furthermore, in Aalen there areOld Pietistic communities.
The few Catholics of today's central district were covered by the parish of Unterkochen until the 19th century, a situation which continued for some years even after completion ofSt. Mary's Church in 1868, which was constructed byGeorg Morlok.[28] However, in 1872 Aalen got its proper parish again, and in 1913, a second Catholic church, Salvator's Church, was completed, and in 1969 the Holy Cross Church was also finished. In 1963, a second parish was set up, and in 1972 it got a new Church, the new St. Mary's Church, which has been erected in place of the old St. Mary's church, which had been torn down in 1968. Another church of the second parish was St. Augustine's Church, which was completed in 1970. Finally, in 1976 and 1988, St. Elizabeth's Church and St. Thomas' Church were completed. Furthermore, in 1963, the St. Michael pastoral care office was built.
Hofherrnweiler has its own Catholic church,St. Boniface's, since 1904. The villages of Dewangen, Ebnat, Hofen, Waldhausen and Wasseralfingen had remained Catholic after reformation, so old parishes and churches persist there. TheAssumption of Mary Church in Dewangen has anearly Gothic tower and a newly built nave (1875).Mary's Immaculate Conception Church in Ebnat was constructed in 1723; however the church was first mentioned in 1298.
St. Mary, Unterkochen
Hofen'sSaint George's Church is afortified church, whose current nave was built between 1762 and 1775.[39] Alongside the church, the Late GothicSt. Odile's Chapel is standing, whose entrance has the year 1462 engraved upon it. Foundations of prior buildings have been dated to the 11th and 13th century.[40]
St. Mary's Church of Unterkochen was first mentioned in 1248, and has served the Catholics of Aalen for a long time. Waldhausen's parish church ofSt. Nicholas was built between 1699 and 1716. Wasseralfingen at first was achapel of ease for Hofen, but has since had its own chapel,St. Stephen, built. It was presumably built in 1353 and remodeled in 1832. In 1834, a proper parish was established, which built a new St. Stephen's Church. This new building utilized theRomanesque Revival architecture style and was built between 1881 and 1883, and has since remained the parish's landmark. Also, Fachsenfeld received its own church, namedSacred Heart in 1895. All Catholic parishes within Aalen are today incorporated into four pastoral care units within theOstalb Deanery of theDiocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart; however these units also comprise some parishes outside of Aalen. Pastoral Care Unit two comprises the parishes of Essingen, Dewangen and Fachsenfeld, unit four comprises Hofen and Wasseralfingen, unit five comprises both parishes of Aalen's centre and Hofherrnweiler, unit five comprises Waldhausen, Ebnat, Oberkochen and Unterkochen.[clarification needed]
Until the late 19th century, noJews were documented within Aalen. In 1886 there were four Jews were living in Aalen, a number that rose to ten in 1900, fell to seven in 1905, and remained so until 1925. Upon the Nazis' rise to power in 1933, seven Jews, including two children, lived in Aalen.[41] During theKristallnacht in 1938, the vitrines of the three Jewish shops in the town were smashed and their proprietors imprisoned for several weeks. After their release, most Aalen Jews emigrated. The last Jews of Aalen, Fanny Kahn, was forcibly resettled toOberdorf am Ipf, which had a large Jewish community. Today, a street of Aalen is named after her. The Jew Max Pfeffer returned from Brussels to Aalen in 1948 to continue his shop, but emigrated to Italy in 1967.[41]
In Aalen, there is an IslamicDitib community, which maintains theD.I.T.I.B. Mosque of Aalen (Central Mosque) located at Ulmer Straße.[42] The mosque's construction started on 30 August 2008. The IslamistMillî Görüş organisation maintains theFatih Mosque, as well at Ulmer Straße.[43]
The present-day make up of Aalen was created on 21 June 1975 by the unification of the cities of Aalen and Wasseralfingen,[3] with the initial name ofAalen-Wasseralfingen. This annexation made Aalen's territory one third larger than its prior size. On 1 July 1975, the nameAalen was revived. Prior to this merger, the town of Aalen had already annexed the following municipalities:
1938: Unterrombach
1 January 1970: Waldhausen
1 July 1972: Ebnat
1 January 1973: Dewangen, Fachsenfeld (including the village of Hangendenbach, which was transferred from Abtsgmünd in 1954) and Unterkochen. The merging of Dewangen nearly doubled the territory of Aalen.
During theMiddle Ages and theearly modern period, Aalen was just a small town with a few hundred inhabitants. The population grew slowly due to numerous wars, famines and epidemics. It was the beginning of theIndustrial Revolution in the 19th century where Aalen's growth accelerated. Whereas in 1803, only 1,932 people inhabited the town, in 1905 it had already increased to 10,442. The number continued to rise and reached 15,890 in 1939.
The influx of refugees andethnic Germans from Germany's former eastern territories afterWorld War II pushed the population to 31,814 in 1961. The merger with Wasseralfingen on 21 June 1975 added 14,597 persons and resulted in a total population of 65,165 people. On 30 June 2005, the population, which was officially determined by theStatistical Office of Baden-Württemberg, was 67,125.
The following overview shows how the population figures of the borough were ascertained. Until 1823, the figures are mostly estimates, thereafter census results or official updates by the state statistical office. Starting in 1871, the figures were determined by non-uniform method of tabulation using extrapolation.
On 31 December 2008, Aalen had precisely 66,058 inhabitants, of which 33,579 were female and 32,479 were male. The average age of Aalen's inhabitants rose from 40.5 years in 2000 to 42.4 in 2008.[citation needed] Within the borough, 6,312 foreigners resided, which is 9.56 percent. Of them, the largest percentage are fromTurkey (38 percent of all foreigners), the second largest group are from Italy (13 percent), followed byCroatians (6 percent) andSerbs (5 percent).[citation needed]
The number of married residents fell from 32,948 in 1996 to 31,357 in 2007, while the number of divorced residents rose in the same period from 2,625 to 3,859. The number of single residents slightly increased between 1996 and 2004 from 25,902 to 26,268 and fell slightly until 2007 to 26,147. The number of widowed residents fell from 5,036 in 1996 to 4,783 in 2007.[citation needed]
Average age of Aalen's inhabitants
Ratio of married inhabitants contrasted to unmarried
Since thelocal election of 25 May 2014, thetown council consists of 51 representatives having a term of five years. The seats are distributed as follows on parties and groups (changes refer to the second last election of 2004):
Since 1374, the mayor and the council maintain the government of the town. In the 16th century, the town had two, sometimes three mayors, and in 1552, the council had 13 members. Later, the head of the administration was reorganized several times. In the Württemberg era, the mayor's title was initially calledBürgermeister, then from 1819 it wasSchultheiß, and since 1947 it isOberbürgermeister. The mayor is elected for a term of eight years, and he is chairman and a voting member of the council. He has one deputy with the official title ofErster Bürgermeister ("first mayor") and one with the official title ofBürgermeister ("mayor").
Aalen'scoat of arms depicts a black eagle with a red tongue on golden background, having a red shield on its breast with a bent silvereel on it. Eagle and eel were first acknowledged as Aalen's heraldic animals in the seal of 1385, with the eagle representing the town'simperial immediacy.[5] After the territorial reform, it was bestowed again by theAdministrative District of Stuttgart on 16 November 1976.
The coat of arms'blazon reads: "In gold, the black imperial eagle, with a red breast shield applied to it, therein a bent silver eel"(In Gold der schwarze Reichsadler, belegt mit einem roten Brustschild, darin ein gekrümmter silberner Aal).
Aalen's flag is striped in red and white and contains the coat of arms.
The origin of the town's name is uncertain.Matthäus Merian (1593–1650) presumed the name to originate from its location at the Kocher river, where "frequently eels are caught", whileAal is German for "eel". Other explanations point to Aalen as the garrison of anala during the Roman empire, respectively to an abridgement of the Roman name "Aquileia" as a potential name of the Roman fort, a name that nearbyHeidenheim an der Brenz bore as well. Another interpretation points to a Celtic wordaa meaning "water".[5]
On the occasion of the 1980Reichsstädter Tage, Aalen took over godparenthood for the more than 3000 ethnic Germans displaced from theWischau linguistic enclave. 972 of them settled in Aalen in 1946. The "Wischau Linguistic Enclave Society"(Gemeinschaft Wischauer Sprachinsel) regularly organises commemorative meetings in Aalen. Their traditional costumes are stored in theOld Town Hall.
According to the 2007 municipal poll by the Baden-Württemberg chapter of theGerman Taxpayers Federation, municipal tax revenues totalling to 54,755 million Euros (2006) resp. 62,148 million Euros (2007) face the following debts:[45][page needed]
2006 total: 109.9 million Euros debts (64.639 million of the finance department and 48.508 million of the municipal enterprises and fund assets)
2007 total: 114.5 million Euros debts (69.448 million of the finance department and 45.052 million of the municipal enterprises and fund assets)
The "Twin Towns Society of Aalen"(Städtepartnerschaftsverein Aalen e. V.) promotes friendly relations between Aalen and its twin towns,[48] which comprises mutual exchanges of sports and cultural clubs, schools and other civic institutions. On the occasion of theReichsstädter Tage, from 11 until 13 September 2009 the first conference of twin towns was held.
The town endowed the "Schubart Literary Award"(Schubart-Literaturpreis) in 1955 in tribute toChristian Friedrich Daniel Schubart, who spent his childhood and youth in Aalen. It is one of the earliest literary awards in Baden-Württemberg and is awarded biennially to German-language writers whose work coincide with Schubart's "liberal and enlightened reasoning".[50] It is compensated with 12,000 Euros.
Founded in 1958, the "Music School of the Town of Aalen" today has about 1,500 students taught by 27 music instructors in 30 subjects.[51] In 1977, asymphony orchestra was founded in Aalen, which today is calledAalener Sinfonieorchester, and consists mostly of instructors and students of the music school. It performs three public concerts annually: The "New Year's Concert" in January, the "Symphony Concert" in July and a "Christmas Concert" in December.[52] Beyond that, music festivals regularly take place in Aalen, like theAalen Jazzfest.
The Aalen volunteer fire department has had amarching band since 1952, whose roots date back to 1883. In 1959, the band received its firstglockenspiel from TV hostPeter Frankenfeld on the occasion of a TV appearance.[53]
A famous German rapper, designer and singer, that goes under the name ofCro, was born in Aalen and lived his early years here.
TheKunstverein Aalen was founded in 1983 as a non-profit art association and today is located in the Old Town Hall. The institution with more than 400 members focuses on solo and group exhibitions by international artists.[54] It belongs to theArbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Kunstvereine (ADKV), an umbrella organization for non-profit art associations.[55]
In the central district of Aalen, there are two museums: The "AalenLimes Museum"(Limesmuseum Aalen) is located at the place of the largestRoman cavalry fort north of the Alps until about 200 AD. It opened in 1964.[56] The museum exhibits numerous objects from the Roman era. The ruins of the cavalry fort located beside the museum is open to museum visitors. Every other year, a Roman festival is held in the area of the museum (see below).
In the Geological-Paleontological Museum located in the historic town hall, there are more than 1500 fossils from the Swabian Jura, includingammonites,ichthyosaurs andcorals, displayed.
In the Waldhausen district theHeimatstüble museum of local history has an exhibition on agriculture and rural living.
In the Wasseralfingen district, there are two more museums: TheMuseum Wasseralfingen comprises a local history exhibition and an art gallery including works ofHermann Plock,Helmut Schuster andSieger Köder. Also, thestove plate collection of theSchwäbische Hüttenwerke steel mill is exhibited, with artists, modellers and the production sequence of a cast plate from design to final product being presented.
There is memorial stone at theSchillerlinde tree above Wasseralfingen's ore pit dedicated to four prisoners of the subcamp of Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp killed there. Also in Wasseralfingen, in the cemetery a memorial with the Polish inscription "To the victims ofHitler" which commemorates the deceased forced labourers buried there.[35]
In 1954, on theSchillerhöhe hill the town erected a bell tower as a memorial to Aalen's victims of both world wars and to thedisplacement of ethnic Germans. The tower was planned byEmil Leo, the bell was endowed by Carl Schneider. The tower is open on request. Every evening at 18:45 (before 2003: at 19:45), the memorial's bell rings.[57]
St. John's ChurchSt. Stephen's Church, Wasseralfingen
The town centre is dominated by the Evangelical-LutheranSt. Nicholas' Church in the heart of the pedestrian area. The church, in its present shape being built between 1765 and 1767, is the only majorLate Baroque building in Aalen and is the main church of the Evangelical-Lutheran parish of Aalen.
St. John's Church is located inside of St. John's cemetery in the western centre. The building presumably is from the 9th century and thus is one of Württemberg's oldest existing churches. The interior featuresfrescos from the early 13th century.
For other churches in Aalen, see theReligions section.
The Historic Town Hall was originally built in the 14th century. After the fire of 1634, it was re-constructed in 1636. This building received a clock from Lauterburg,[23] and the Imperial City ofNuremberg donated aCarillon. It features a figurine of the "Spy of Aalen" and historically displayed other figurines, however the latter ones were lost by a fire in 1884. Since then, the Spy resides inside the reconstructed tower and has become a symbol of the town. The building was used as the town hall until 1907. Since 1977, the Geological-Paleontological Museum resides in the Historic Town Hall.[58]
According to legend, the citizens of Aalen owe the "Spy of Aalen"(Spion von Aalen) their town having been spared from destruction by the emperor's army:
The Imperial City of Aalen was once in quarrel with the emperor, and his army was shortly before the gates to take the town. The people of Aalen got scared and thus dispatched their "most cunning" one out into the enemy's camp to spy out the strength of their troops. Without any digression, he went straight into the middle of the enemy camp, which inescapably led to him being seized and presented to the emperor. When the emperor asked him what he had lost here, he answered inSwabian German: "Don't frighten, high lords, I just want to peek how many cannons and other war things you've got, since I am the spy of Aalen". The emperor laughed upon such a blatancy andacted naïvety, steered him all through the camp and then sent him back home. Soon the emperor withdrew with his army as he thought a town suchwise guys reside in deserved being spared.[59]
The earliest record of the Old Town Hall was in 1575. Its outside wall features the oldest known coat of arms, which is of 1664. Until 1851, the building also housed theKrone-Post hotel, which coincided with being a station of theThurn und Taxis postal company. It has housed many notable persons. Thus the so-called "Napoleon Window" with its "N" painted on reminds of the stay of French emperorNapoleon Bonaparte in 1805. According to legend, he rammed his head so hard it bled on this window, when he was startled by the noise of his soldiers ridiculing the "Spy of Aalen".[28] The building was used as Aalen's town hall from 1907 until 1975. Today it houses a cabaret café and the stage of the Theatre of the Town of Aalen. The town has adopted theWischau Linguistic Enclave Society due to their godparenthood and stores their traditional costumes in the building.
TheBürgerspital ("Civic Asylum") is atimber-frame house erected onSpritzenhausplatz ("Fire Engine House Square") in 1702. Until 1873, it was used as civic hospital, then, later as a retirement home. After a comprehensive renovation in 1980 it was turned into a senior citizen's community centre.[58]
On a slope of theLangert mountain, south of the town, theLimes-Thermen ("LimesThermae")hot springs are located. They were built in ancient Roman style and opened in 1985. The health spa is supplied with water about 34 to 36 °C (93 to 97 °F).
The market square is the historic hub of Aalen and runs along about 150 metres (490 ft) from the town hall in the south to the Historic Town Hall and the Old Town Hall in the north, where it empties intoRadgasse alley. Since 1809, it is site of the weekly market on Wednesday and Saturday. About 10 metres (33 ft) in front of theReichsstädter Brunnen fountain at the town hall, the coats of arms of Aalen, its twinned cities and of the Wischau linguistic enclave are paved into the street as mosaic.
In 1705, for the water supply of Aalen a well casing was erected at the northern point of the market square, in front of the Historic Town Hall. It was a present of dukeEberhard Louis. The fountain bore a statue of emperorJoseph I., who was enthroned in 1705 and in 1707 renewed Aalen's Imperial City privileges.[23] The fountain was supplied via a wooden pipe. Excessive water was dissipated through ditches branched from Kocher river. When in the early 1870s Aalen's water network was constructed, the fountain was replaced by a smaller fountain about 100 metres (330 ft) distant. In 1975, the old market fountain was re-erected in baroque style. It bears a replica of the emperor's statue, with the original statue exhibited in the new town hall's lobby. Thecast iron casing plates depict the 1718 coat of arms of the Duchy of Württemberg and the coats of arms of Aalen and of the merged municipalities.
TheReichsstädter Brunnen fountain ("Imperial Civic Fountain") is located in front of the town hall at the southern point of the market square. It was created by sculptorFritz Nuss in 1977 to commemorate Aalen's time as an Imperial City (1360–1803). On its circumference is afrieze showing bronze figurines illustrating the town's history.[58]
TheRadgasse ("Wheel Alley") features Aalen's oldest façade. Originally a small pond was on its side. The buildings were erected between 1659 and 1662 for peasants with citizenry privileges and renovated in the mid-1980s. The namesake for the alley was the "Wheel" tavern, which was to be found at the site of today's addressRadgasse 15.[58]
The former iron ore pitWilhelm at Braunenberg hill was converted into theTiefer Stollen tourist mine in order to remind of the old-day miners' efforts and to maintain it as a memorial of early industrialisation in the Aalen area. It has a mining museum open for visitors, and amine railway takes visitors deep into the mountain. The Town of Aalen, a sponsorship association, and many citizens volunteered several thousand hours of labour to put the mine into its current state. As far as possible, things were left in the original state. In 1989, a sanitary gallery was established where respiratory diseases are treated within rest cures.[clarification needed] Thus the Aalen village of Röthard, where the gallery is located, was awarded the title of "Place with sanitary gallery service" in 2004.[60]
The Aalen Observatory was built in 1969 as school observatory for the SchubartGymnasium. In 2001, it was converted to a public observatory. Since then, it has been managed by theAstronomische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Aalen ("Aalen Astronomical Society"). It is located on Schillerhöhe hill and features tworefractive telescopes. They were manufactured byCarl Zeiss AG which has its headquarters in nearby Oberkochen and operates a manufacturing works in Aalen (see below). In the observatory, guided tours and lectures are held regularly.
TheWindpark Waldhausenwind farm began operations in early 2007. It consists of sevenREpower MM92 wind turbines with anameplate capacity of 2 MW each.[61] The hub height of each wind turbine is 100 metres (330 ft), with a rotor diameter of 92 metres (302 ft).
The 26 metres (85 ft) tallAalbäumle observation tower is built atopLangert mountain. This popular hiking destination was built in 1898 and was remodelled in 1992. It features a good view over Aalen and the Welland region, up to the Rosenstein mountain and Ellwangen. Beneath the tower, an adventure playground and a cabin is located. A flag on the tower signals whether the cabin's restaurant is open.
The Baden-Württemberg State Institute for Environment, Measurements and Natural Conservation has laid out six protected landscapes in Aalen (theSwabian Jura escarpment between Lautern and Aalen with adjacent territories, theSwabian Jura escarpment between Unterkochen and Baiershofen, theHilllands around Hofen, theKugeltal and Ebnater Tal valleys with parts of Heiligental valley and adjacent territories,Laubachtal valley andLower Lein Valley with side valleys), two sanctuary forests (Glashütte andKocher Origin), 65 extensivenatural monuments, 30 individual natural monuments and the following twoprotected areas:[62]
The 24.1 hectares (60 acres) largeDellenhäule protected area between Aalen's Waldhausen district and Neresheim's Elchingen district, created in 1969, is a sheep pasture withjuniper andwood pasture of old willow oaks.[63]
The 46.5 hectares (115 acres) largeGoldshöfer Sande protected area was established in 2000 and is situated between Aalen's Hofen district and Hüttlingen. The sands on the hill originated from theEarly Pleistocene are of geological importance, and the various grove structures offer habitat to severely endangered bird species.[64]
The football team,VfR Aalen, was founded in 1921 and played in the2nd German League between 2012 and 2015, after which they were relegated to3. Liga. Its playing venue is theScholz-Arena situated in the west of the town, which bore the nameStädtisches Waldstadion Aalen ("Civic Forest Stadium of Aalen") until 2008. From 1939 until 1945, the VfR played in theGauliga Württemberg, then one of several parallel top-ranking soccer leagues of Germany.
TheKSV Aalen wrestles in theWrestling Federal League. It was German champion in team wrestling in 2010. Its predecessor, theKSV Germania Aalen disbanded in 2005, was German champion eight times and runner-up five times since 1976. Another Aalen club, theTSV Dewangen, wrestled in the Federal League until 2009.
Two American sports,American football andBaseball, are pursued by theMTV Aalen.Volleyball has been gaining in popularity in Aalen for years. The first men's team ofDJK Aalen accomplished qualification for regional league in the season of 2008/09.
TheOstalb ski lifts are located south of the town centre, at the northern slope of the Swabian Jura. The skiing area comprises twoplatter lifts that have a vertical rise of 130 and 30 metres (427 and 98 ft), with two runs with lengths of 800 and 1,200 metres (2,600 and 3,900 ft) and a beginners' run.[65]
Since 1975,Reichsstädter Tage ("Imperial City days") festival is held annually in the town centre on the second weekend in September. It is deemed the largest festival of theOstwürttemberg region,[66] and is associated with a shopping Sunday in accordance with theLadenschlussgesetz code. The festival is also attended by delegations from the twinned cities. On the town hall square, on Sunday anecumenical service is held.
The international Roman Festival(Römertage) are held biannially on the site of the former Roman fort and the modern Limes museum. The festival's ninth event in 2008 was attended by around 11,000 people.[67]
In 2008 there were 30,008 employees liable tosocial insurance living in Aalen. 13,946 (46.5 percent) were employed in themanufacturing sector, 4,715 (15.7 percent) in commerce, catering, hotels and transport, and 11,306 (37.7 percent) in other services.[68] Annually 16,000 employees commute to work, with about 9,000 living in the town and commuting out.[69]
Altogether in Aalen there are about 4,700 business enterprises, 1,100 of them being registered in thetrade register. The others comprise 2,865small enterprises and 701 craft enterprises.[70]
In Aalen,metalworking is the predominant industry, along with machine-building. Other industries includeoptics, paper, information technology,chemicals, textiles,[56] medical instruments, pharmaceuticals, and food.[44]
Notable enterprises includeSHW Automotive (originating from the formerSchwäbische Hüttenwerke steel mills and a mill of 1671 in Wasseralfingen), theAlfing Kessler engineering works, the precision tools manufacturerMAPAL Dr. Kress, the snow chain manufacturerRUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz and its subsidiaryErlau, theGesenkschmiede Schneider forging die smithery, theSDZ Druck und Medien media company, thePapierfabrik Palm paper mill, the alarm system manufacturerTelenot, the laser show providerLOBO electronic and thetextile finisherLindenfarb, which all have their seat in Aalen. A branch in Aalen is maintained by optical systems manufacturerCarl Zeiss headquartered in nearby Oberkochen.[70]
Aalen station is served at two-hour intervals by trains ofIntercity line 61Karlsruhe–Stuttgart–Aalen–Nuremberg. For regional rail travel, Aalen is served by various lines of theInterregio-Express,Regional-Express andRegionalbahn categories. Since the beginning of 2019, the British companyGo-Ahead took over the regional railway business ofDB Regio in the region surrounding Aalen. The town also operates the Aalenindustrial railway(Industriebahn Aalen), which carries about 250 carloads per year.[71]
Aalen also is a regional hub in the bus network of OstalbMobil, the transport network of the district Aalen is in. The bus lines are operated and serviced by regional companies like OVA and RBS RegioBus Stuttgart.
Several bus lines operate within the borough. TheOmnibus-Verkehr Aalen company is one of the few in Germany that usedouble-decker buses, it has done so since 1966.[72] A district-wide fare system,OstalbMobil, has been in effect since 2007.
Stuttgart Airport, offering international connections, is about 90 kilometres (56 mi) away, the travel time by train is about 100 Minutes. AtAalen-Heidenheim Airport, located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south-east of Aalen, small aircraft are permitted.Gliding airfields nearby are inHeubach andBartholomä.
The Stuttgartadministrative court, the Stuttgart Labour Court and the Ulm Social Welfare Court are in charge for Aalen.
Aalen had a civic hospital, which resided in theBürgerspital building until 1873, then in a building atAlte Heidenheimer Straße. In 1942, the hospital was taken over by the district. The district hospital at the present site ofKälblesrain, known today asOstalb-Klinikum, was opened in 1955.[28]
ALatin school was first recorded in Aalen in 1447; it was remodeled in 1616 and also later in various buildings that were all situated near the town church, and continued up through the 19th century. In the course of the reformation, a "German school" was established in tandem, being a predecessor of the latterVolksschule school type. In 1860, theRitterschule was built as aVolksschule for girls; the building today houses thePestalozzischule. In 1866, a new building was erected for the Latin school and for theRealschule established in 1840. This building, later known as theAlte Gewerbeschule, was torn down in 1975 to free up land for the new town hall. In 1912, theParkschule building was opened. It was designed byPaul Bonatz and today houses theSchubart-Gymnasium.
The biggest educational institution in the town is theHochschule Aalen, which was founded in 1962 and focuses on engineering and economics. It is attended by 5000 students on five campuses and employs 129 professors and 130 other lecturers.
The town provides threeGymnasiums, fourRealschulen, twoFörderschulen (special schools), six combinedGrundschulen andHauptschulen and eight standalone Grundschulen. The Ostalbkreis district provides three vocational schools and three additional special schools. Finally, six non-state schools of various types exist.
The GermanEsperanto Library (German:Deutsche Esperanto-Bibliothek, Esperanto:Germana Esperanto-Biblioteko) has been located in the building of the town library since 1989.
Erwin Rommel (1891–1944), Field Marshal of World War II, grew up in Aalen
Wilhelm Jakob Schweiker (1859–1927), founder of the Aalen Historical Society(Geschichts- und Altertumsverein Aalen) and name giver of the Wilhelm Jakob Schweiker Award[25]
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