"Schwäbisch" refers to theSwabian League (German:Schwäbischer Bund). The origin of the second part of the name, "Hall", is unclear. It might be derived from aWest Germanic word family that means "drying something by heating it", possibly referring to theopen-pan salt making method[4] used there until thesaltworks closed down in 1925.[5]
St. Michael's ChurchHouses in the centre next to the river Kocher
Salt was produced frombrine by theCelts at the site of Schwäbisch Hall as early as the fifth century BCE.[6] The town was first mentioned in a document calledÖhringer Stiftungsbrief dating from 1063.[6] The village probably belonged first to theCounts ofComburg-Rothenburg and went from them to the Imperial house ofHohenstaufen (ca 1116). It was probably EmperorFrederick I who founded the imperial mint and started the coining of the so-calledHeller. Hall flourished through the production of salt and coins. Since 1204 it has been called a town.[6]
After the fall of the house of Hohenstaufen, Hall defended itself successfully against the claims of a noble family in the neighbourhood[6] (theSchenken von Limpurg). The conflict was finally settled in 1280 byRudolph I of Habsburg; this allowed the undisturbed development into aFree Imperial City (Reichsstadt) of theHoly Roman Empire. EmperorLouis IV the Bavarian granted a constitution that settled internal conflicts (Erste Zwietracht) in 1340. After this, the city was governed by the inner council (Innerer Rat) which was composed of twelve noblemen, six "middle burghers" and eight craftsmen. The head of the council was theStättmeister (mayor). A second phase of internal conflicts 1510–12 (Zweite Zwietracht) brought the dominating role of the nobility to an end. The confrontation with the noble families was started by StättmeisterHermann Büschler, whose daughterAnna Büschler is the subject of a popular book by professorSteven Ozment ("The Bürgermeister's Daughter: Scandal in a sixteenth-century German city"). The leading role was taken over by a group of families who turned into a new ruling class. Amongst them where theBonhöffers, the ancestors ofDietrich Bonhoeffer.
From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Hall systematically acquired a large territory in the surrounding area, mostly from noble families and theComburg monastery. The wealth of this era can still be seen in somegothic buildings like St. Michael's Church (rebuilt 1427–1526) with its impressive stairway (1507). The city joined theProtestant Reformation very early.Johannes Brenz, a follower ofMartin Luther, was made pastor of St. Michael's Church in 1522 and quickly began to reform the church and the school system along Lutheran lines.
Hall suffered severely during theThirty Years' War, though it was neverbesieged or scene of abattle. However, it was forced to pay enormous sums to the armies of the various parties, especially to theimperial, Swedish and French troops, who also committed numerous atrocities and plundered the city and the surrounding area. Between 1634 and 1638 every fifth inhabitant died of hunger and disease, especially from thebubonic plague. The war left the city an impoverished and economically ruined place. But with the help of reorganizations of salt production and trade and a growingwine trade, there was an astonishingly fast recovery.
Fires were a constant threat to the mostly wooden houses. The great fires of 1680 and especially of 1728 destroyed much of the city, which led to new buildings in theBaroque style, such as the city hall.
The 1802 mediatization of Hall in contemporary imagery
TheNapoleonic Wars brought the history of Hall as a Free Imperial City to an end. Following theTreaty of Lunéville (1801), the duke ofWürttemberg was allowed byNapoleon to occupy the city and several other minor states as a compensation for territories on theLeft Bank of the Rhine that fell to France. This took place in 1802 — Hall lost its territory and its political independence and became aOberamtsstadt (seat of anOberamt, comparable to acounty). Ownership of the salt works was handed over to the state. A long economic crisis during the 19th century forced many citizens to move to other places in Germany or to emigrate overseas, mostly to the United States. While other towns likeHeilbronn grew steadily due to theIndustrial Revolution, the population of Hall stagnated. The economic situation improved during the second half of the 19th century — a main factor was therailway line to Heilbronn (1862) — but was not followed by a significant growth of the city. It was not until the 1920s and 1930s that new settlements were built on the heights surrounding the old town. Hall also grew through the incorporation of Steinbach (1930) and Hessental (1936).
In 1827, a health spa was established on one of the islands in the Kocher river. Especially after the building of the railway (1862) it became a considerable economical factor. The well-preserved old town also brought a rising number of tourists. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Hall has developed many festivities. Especially well known are the theatre productions which are performed every year in the centre of the city on the steps of St. Michael.
In 1934, Hall was officially namedSchwäbisch Hall. During theThird Reich aLuftwaffeair base was built at Hessental.[6] DuringKristallnacht on 9 November 1938, local Nazis burned the synagogue in Steinbach and devastated shops and houses of Jewish citizens.[6] Approximately 40 Jewish citizens of Schwäbisch Hall fell victim to theHolocaust in extermination camps in Eastern Europe.[6] In 1944 aconcentration camp was established next to the train station Hall-Hessental. The train station at Hall was targeted by an American air raid on February 23, 1945, but the devastation was mostly limited to the suburbs of St. Katharina and Unterlimpurg. The city was occupied byUS Army troops on April 17, 1945, without serious resistance; though several buildings were destroyed or damaged, the historical old town suffered comparatively little.
In 1960, Schwäbisch Hall reached the status of aGroße Kreisstadt.[6] This means that the city took over some tasks of the district.[6] From the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War, Dolan Barracks and Schwäbisch Hall Army Air Field was akaserne which hosted a series of US Army aviation units and ordnance units until it was turned back over to German control in 1993.[7]
As of December 31, 2009, Schwäbisch Hall has a population of 36,799. The residents come from over 100 countries.[8] As of December 31, 2008, there are 18,838 Protestants, 7,375 Roman Catholics and 10,234 who are either in another religion or not religious.[9] In 2017 Schwäbisch Hall had a population of over 39,000.
Schwäbisch Hall has a mix of historic and modern buildings.[8] The older are mostly medieval, and with Timber Frame, Gothic and Baroque styles dominating the city centre. The more modern are on the outskirts and suburbs, helping preserve the history of the city.
There is an outdoor summer theatre which performs on the open-air staircase at St. Michael's Church and at the Globe Theatre.[3] TheHällisch-Frankische Museum and the Hohenloher Freilandmuseum (Wackershofen open air museum) shows the history of the region starting from the Middle Ages.[3]
TheKunsthalle Würth, a modern art gallery, can be explored to see paintings, graphic art, and sculptures dating from the 19th century onward.[3] Schwäbisch Hall and the surrounding area offer a plenty of leisure activities which includes sports flying, swimming, hiking and cycling.[3]
Other parts of the city's culture include the Salt Festival where the historical salt economy of the city is celebrated, the Summer Night Festival, the Baker's Oven Festival and the Christmas Market which includes traditional handicrafts.[13]
The town hall has a cycle of 22 murals painted byLivio Retti.
"Victory of virtue over vices" on the ceiling of the Great Council Chamber of the City Hall, by Livio Retti.
Allegory of the city and its prosperity.
Oil painting on the ceiling of the hero room of the city hall: Greek and Roman heroes.
Schwäbisch Hall has a long tradition as a city of learning.[14]
Schwäbisch Hall offers education opportunities through vocational schools and various technical schools. Programs are offered in schools such as Schwäbisch Hall Evangelical School of Social Work, Social Service Department of Social Professions, Protestant vocational school for the elderly, School of Alternative Education Nursing, School of Nursing and the Ayurvedic teaching and training institute, the Institute of Ayurveda and Yoga.[14]
Due to a branch of theGoethe-Institut at Schwäbisch Hall, the city attracts up to 2,000 students a year, coming from countries around the world to study the German language.[15] The programs are especially popular during the summer, as college students attend the program over their break to earn credits and improve their German.
The City Archives Hall is a documentation centre, which allows for historical research and memory management.[16] The duties of the City Archives Hall are the ordering, preparing, evaluating and management of its archives and collections, to support historical research, to collaborate in exhibitions and to publish its own or other publications on the history of Schwäbisch Hall.[16]
The archive keeps official records and files of the present city administration and its predecessors, and of collection items of different type and origin, which refer to the city, such as photographs, posters, graphics, paintings, maps and plans, or a newspaper clipping collection.[16] There are also extensive library collections in the literature on the history of Schwäbisch Hall and the region, as well as valuable historical prints.[16]
The Lord Mayor of Schwäbisch Hall is Daniel Bullinger, elected in July 2021.[1] He succeeded Hermann-Josef Pelgrim, who had been in office since 1997.[8] The city administration was an early mover in the migration fromMicrosoft Windows toLinux andopen source software in the early years of the 21st century.[17]
Next scheduled elections for citizens of Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall is the most important regional economic hub betweenFrankfurt,Stuttgart andNuremberg.[19] Formerly, salt was important to Schwäbisch Hall,[8] but today the economy is shaped by a group of medium-sized companies,[6] focusing mainly on trade and services sectors.[3] A number of businesses dealing in property finance, solar energy and telecommunications sectors also have their headquarters in Schwäbisch Hall.[3] Notable companies areBausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG, a housing credit company, founded in 1944 andRECARO Aircraft Seating, an aircraft seats manufacturer.
Annually, there are up to 600 overnight stays in Schwäbisch Hall hotels byGoethe-Institut students.[15]
Schwäbisch Hall has an exit on theAutobahn 6 (Heilbronn–Nürnberg). Federal highways14 (Stuttgart–Nürnberg) and19 (Ulm–Aalen–Schwäbisch Hall–Würzburg) also run through the city.
The city is served by two aerodromes, very close to each other, but neither offers commercial air transport. To the North of Tüngentaler Strasse is the recreational grass airfield of Weckrieden (EDTX), to the South is Adolf Würth Airport (EDTY), closely associated with theWürth group of companies and hosting their own business jet operations.
Schwäbisch Hall has a history withbrine.[21] The first brine bath started in 1827.[21] Diakonie-Krankenhaus, with 574 beds, is the main hospital in Schwäbisch Hall.[21] There are 100 general practitioners, medical specialists and physiotherapists in Schwäbisch Hall.[21] There are health fairs such as Well-Vital Health Fair and the Haller Gesundheits- und Naturheiltagen in Schwäbisch Hall.[21]
The sports played in Schwäbisch Hall include swimming, light athletics, tennis, shooting, soccer, baseball, handball andAmerican football.[22] There are 22 sports halls and 25 outdoor playing fields.[22] TheSchwäbisch Hall Unicorns have been among the preeminent German American football teams ever since their two national championships in 2011 and 2012. The Unicorns are further notable for being the former team ofMoritz Böhringer.
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