Schweinfurt was first documented in 791 and is one of the oldest cities in Bavaria. Around 1000 the Margraves of Schweinfurt controlled large parts of northern Bavaria. From the 12th century until 1802 Schweinfurt was aFree imperial city within theHoly Roman Empire; around 1700 it became a centre ofhumanist activity, and in 1770 the city's 250-year industrial history began.
DuringWorld War II, the Americans suffered their biggest air defeat over Schweinfurt in theSecond Raid on Schweinfurt(Black Thursday). On 11 April 1945, the US Army invaded the city.[4] During theCold War, the 1945 foundedUSAG Schweinfurt had the highest concentration of US combat units in theFederal Republic of Germany. In the northwest of Schweinfurt, an American town emerged, with a complete civil infrastructure including all kinds of shops for 12,000 Americans, soldiers and civilians. Until the withdrawal of the US Army at Schweinfurt in 2014, a total of about 100,000 US soldiers were stationed in the town.
Traces of settlement as early as 7500 years ago can be detected on today's urban area at various places. The first settlement of the historic Schweinfurt(Village Old Town) was also on the Main, between the two streamsHöllenbach andMarienbach,[6] 1 km east of the later founded imperial city, which corresponds to the old town today. TheVillage Old Town is in its origins at least 2100 years old.
The first documentary mention Schweinfurts (village old town) took place in the year 791.[6] Schweinfurt gained importance in 941 with the mention of Count Berthold as the first member of the House of the Counts of Schweinfurt.[7] He occupied an important position in the central Reich territory, theDuchy of Franconia. Berthold gave the king ofEast FranciaOtto I. (936–973), who in 962 becameRoman-German Emperor, valuable weapons aid against rebellious tribal dukes. As thanks Berthold of Otto I received the counties for the Folkfeld- and the Radenzgau and the Margraviate for the Nordgau, about the present-day Upper Palatinate. Thus he was and from 980 his son Henry the most powerful secular nobility in the area of today's northern Bavaria.
Judith von Schweinfurt (centre) (depiction from the 14th century)
Later supported CountHenry of Schweinfurt (called:Hezilo) the East FrankishHenry II (1002–1024, from 1014 Roman-German Emperor) in the royal election of 1002 and was awarded the Duke dignity of Bavarians. After the election, however, Henry II did not fulfill the promise. Thereupon it came to theSchweinfurt Feud in 1003.[7] Count Heinrich lost all his possessions. The confiscated royal goods formed the core of the new bishopric ofBamberg. Hezilo, however, retained his possessions around the castle hillPeterstirn. The family, in whichJudith of Schweinfurt became a central figure in the history of the old Schweinfurt city, died in the male line of 1057 and at the latest this year marks the undisputed end of the important role of the Margraves of Schweinfurt.
To the beginnings of today's old town from the 12th century, 1 km west of the previous settlement between the two streamsMarienbach andHöllenbach, there are different views. The from a gradual construction to a planned Civitas Imperii (imperial city), so a founding city, by EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa, using existing royal estate, rich. In the struggle for supremacy inMain Franconia (region around the riverMain) between the Henneberger and the Bishop ofWürzburg, the city was destroyed between 1240 and 1250(First City Spoilage). However, it is controversial whether this destruction was still in the old settlement between Höllenbach and Marienbach and thus a reason for the rebuilding of the city on the farther west, today's site was or whether the destruction took place here already. In a letter from KingWilliam of Holland dated January 9, 1254, it is said that Schweinfurt used to be imperial city(... Swinforde, que olim imperii civitas fuerat). It remains unclear whether rights have ever been withdrawn from the city or whether only reference is made to the city's destruction. However, this letter is the first documentary evidence of Schweinfurt as imperial city and thus as a place withcity rights.[8]
Restored walls of the former Reichsburg at the old city districtZürch
The (inner) city fortification of the new city was built and first documented in 1258, it is still largely preserved on Marienbach today. A document from 1282 signed byRudolf I of Habsburg states that Schweinfurt was afree city within theHoly Roman Empire.[8] By pledge 1309 Schweinfurt came to theHouse of Henneberg, who maintained from 1310 to 1427 aReichsburg (castle of the empire) in the old Schweinfurt city districtZürch.
In the 15th century began the construction of a territory around the core city, which lasted until 1620. In 1436, the fishermen's settlement ofFischerrain, which borders on the city wall and lies just to the southwest, whose origins lie in the darkness of history, was incorporated into the city. Due to positive economic development, the city can acquire the suburb of Oberndorf in 1436. 1436/37 received the advice of the city from theTeutonic Knights for 18,000 guilders the castle on thePeterstirn and the associated land area with the villages Zell and Weipoltshausen, which belongs toÜchtelhausen today.
Imperial city Schweinfurt Territory 1620–1802, and surrounding areas
Schweinfurt joined theReformation relatively late, in 1542 since the city, together with neighboring imperial villages and imperial villages, was completely surrounded by the Catholic Hochstift Würzburg.[9] In a confession change had to be expected military assault. The patron of the city, Count Wilhelm von Henneberg, did not offer sufficient support.
In the course of theSecond Margrave War, the city was looted in 1554 and set on fire. This went as theSecond City Spoilage in the city history (First City Spoilage see:8th–13th centuries). The reconstruction dragged on until 1615. In this form, the old town, with the exception of later modernized fortifications, remained almost unchanged until the early 19th century. In 1609 the city joined theProtestant Union. The imperial city territory was supplemented 1620 also still around Madenhausen,[9] which also belongs to Üchtelhausen today. Due to the acquisitions, the territory of the imperial city now had an extension of 17 km from southwest to northeast. As a result of the city of Schweinfurt on the knight canton of Baunach a nearly continuous Protestant corridor was created by the HochstifteWürzburg andBamberg in the Protestant Duchy ofSaxony.[10]
Schweinfurt joined the Protestant Union in 1609. In theThirty Years' War it was occupied byGustavus Adolphus, who erected fortifications, the remains of which are still extant.[11] In 1652 the four doctors Johann Laurentius Bausch,Johann Michael Fehr, Georg Balthasar Wolfahrt and Balthasar Metzger founded theAcademia Curiosorum in Schweinfurt, which is known today as the German Academy of Life Scientists, "Leopoldina".
Schweinfurt remained a free imperial city until 1802, when it passed to theElectorate of Bavaria. Assigned to thegrand duke of Würzburg in 1810, it was granted to theKingdom of Bavaria four years later.[11] The first railway junction was opened in 1852. In the following years Schweinfurt became a world leading centre for the production ofball bearings.[12] This was to lead to grievous consequences for the city duringWorld War II.
Schweinfurt with buildings after the Second Margrave War
Imperial City of Schweinfurt 1648 Matthäus Merian, Frankfurt a. M.
Imperial City of Schweinfurt inTopographia Franconiae 1656
Mühltor (Mill gate) at the end of Mühlgasse (today Rückertstraße) (photo before 1876)
Outer Spitaltor (Spital gate, right) and Inner Spitaltower (watchtower) (photo before 1896)
Spitalstrasse, on the horizon Spitaltor (Spital gate) and Spital Church (photo before 1896)
Roth'sches Haus in the Obere Straße (photo around 1891)
The year 1770 marked the beginning of the industrialization of the city, with its 250-year-old industrial history. In the first century of industrialization, the chemical and paint industry started in Schweinfurt, with the construction of the Wolf's lead white mill at the Bleiweißmühlenwehr. According to Dr. Ferdinand Gademann (1880–1969), it was the oldest German lead white factory.[citation needed] In 1780 the factory was taken over by Johann Martin Schmidt. Further factory-similar plants of this kind originated at the Bellevue and in the neighboring suburbNiederwerrn.
Following theReichsdeputationshauptschluss, Schweinfurt came to Bavaria in 1803, two years before theKingdom of Bavaria was founded. 4000 people demonstrated against the Anschluss at the Rossmarkt.[citation needed] After the interim membership of the Grand Duchy of Würzburg (1810–1814), Schweinfurt fell in 1814 to the Kingdom of Bavaria. The villages belonging to the imperial city territory were spun off. As a result, Schweinfurt lost about two-thirds of its territory.[citation needed]
1852 took place with the opening of theLudwigs-Westbahn fromBamberg to the newSchweinfurt Stadt station the connection to the railway network. With the construction of the line toBad Kissingen (1871) and theSchweinfurt–Meiningen railway (1874) Schweinfurt became a railway junction. In 1874, a large marshalling and central station was built 3 km west of the city station, at that time on Oberndorf district, the so-calledCentral Station and today'sSchweinfurt Hauptbahnhof at theBamberg–Rottendorf railway. It was created in a far-sighted manner amidst fields as a passenger and goods main station, with the aim of leaving as much room for the expected industrialization of the station, which also took place here until the end of the 1930s was. The Schweinfurt tram was the first municipal tram in Bavaria from 1895 to 1921 to connect the Schweinfurt Hauptbahnhof with the city centre.
Unlike many other cities, the 1930s were one of the most important epochs of urban development in Schweinfurt. The number of employees of major metalworking companies rose to 20,700 by 1939.[citation needed] This led to a construction boom and set the course for modern urban development.[citation needed]
AUSAAF raid on ball-bearing works in Schweinfurt in 1943Operation Overlord with combined bomber offensive June 1944: Schweinfurt (checkered hatching in the German centre) was the only primary target of the Allies in Bavaria.First attack on Schweinfurt with Boeing B-17 formation, 17 August 1943
TheSchweinfurt–Regensburg mission caused an immediate 34% loss of production[13] and all plants but the largest were devastated by fire. Efforts to disperse the surviving machinery began immediately and theLuftwaffe deployed large numbers of interceptors along the corridor to Schweinfurt.[14] Bombing also included theSecond Raid on Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 ("called Black Thursday because of the enormous loss of aircraft (60) and lives (600+)")[clarification needed] andBig Week in February 1944.
Although losses of production bearings and machinery were high and much of the industrial and residential areas of the city were destroyed, killing more than a thousand civilians, the factories were restored to production and the industry dispersed. Although German planners initially thought it essential to purchase the entire output of the Swedish ball-bearing industry, losses in the production of bearings were actually made up from surpluses found within Germany in the aftermath of the first raid. The decentralized industry was able to restore output to 85% of its pre-bombing level.[citation needed]Hitler made restoration of ball bearing production a high priority and massive efforts were undertaken to repair and rebuild the factories,[specify] partly in bomb-proof underground facilities.[citation needed]
USAG Schweinfurt Ledward Barracks Headquarter Building
After the war Schweinfurt became a stronghold of the U.S. military and their dependents. Thus Schweinfurt recovered relatively quickly from its third period of destruction. The tank barracks renamed Ledward Barracks in 1946, became the headquarters of the newly founded U.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt (USAG Schweinfurt). The U.S. Army took over theLuftwaffe Airfield asSchweinfurt Army Heliport and renamed the air base toConn Barracks. In the course of time, until 2014, they were expanded into large barracks with many hangars, administration buildings, a large event hall, church and sports facilities.
From the 1950s to the late 1990s, a civilian infrastructure similar to that of a small American town was successively built in the northwest of Schweinfurt. As a result of the closure of many other German U.S. sites, Schweinfurt eventually became one of Europe's largest U.S. locations. Including theBrönnhof training area the USAG Schweinfurt covered a total area of 29 km2. Schweinfurt formerly hosted the U.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt, which the U.S. Army closed on 19 September 2014 due to an ongoing effort to concentrate the U.S. military's footprint in Germany to fewer communities.[16]
A quick, scheduled rebuilding of the city was not necessary due to the degree of destruction of 40 to 45% (see:Cityscape). Like many other West German cities and communities, Schweinfurt also experienced an unprecedented economic miracle in the 1950s and 1960s, and large-scale industry boomed. To counteract the labor shortage, guest workers were recruited from 1960 onwards.
Most of the postwar construction projects were realized under the aegis of Mayor Georg Wichtermann (SPD, 1965–1974), in the city governed by theSPD by an absolute majority. Numerous new residential districts were created. By theJump over the River Main (starting from 1963)[7] developed south of the Main River the commercial parkPort East and the new industrial areaPort West. The infrastructure was expanded, with the Main Port (1963) and today'sUniversity of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (1971).
After successful reconstruction and the boom years, the time of Mayor Kurt Petzold (SPD, 1974–1992) was marked by consolidation, but also by theoil crisis and recessions, with job cuts in the local large-scale industry. The old town renovation began in 1979,[7] as the starting point of a 40-year-long transformation of the city that has continued to this day, with a change in image, from the gray mouse industrial city to a city with a high quality of life. In 1991, the largeLeopoldina Hospital was opened.[7]
In the city dominated by theSPD, theCSU succeeded in 1992 for the first time to make the Lord Mayor, with the political cross-starterGudrun Grieser. The Bavarian state government under the then Prime MinisterEdmund Stoiber (CSU) sympathetically accompanied the historical change of power and parts of the Bavarian State Social Court and the Bavarian State Statistics Office were relocated fromMunich to Schweinfurt. During Grieser's term of office, the economic situation stabilized starting in the mid-1990s, with 4,500 new industrial jobs and around 6,000 jobs in the service sector. Trade tax revenue rose to a record high.
Stadtgalerie Schweinfurt, a 300 m long shopping mall (2009)
In the Grieser era, the city's new motto,Industry and Art, was developed. A large number of projects, in cooperation with the construction officer Jochen Müller (SPD) gave the city a new face, set new, nationally recognized symbols in architecture and were honored with numerous architecture prizes. Among the many realized projects are the new Industrial ParkGewerbepark Maintal (since 1995),[7] theMuseum Georg Schäfer (2000),[7] theMaininsel Conference Center (2004), theStadtbücherei Ebracher Hof (2007), theKunsthalle Schweinfurt (art gallery, 2009), theStadtgalerie Schweinfurt, a 300 m-long (980 ft) shopping mall 2009) with redesign of the Weststadt (westend) and the newSchweinfurt Mitte station, the Youth Hostel (2009), theHealth Park Schweinfurt (2009) and the Campus 2 of theUniversity of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt. The era of Grieser remains to this day shaping the city, like no other epoch after the reconstruction and it changed the city's image lasting positive.
New Hadergasse Project (2014) on the city wall at the former Neutor
TheNew Hadergasse Project was implemented under the current mayor Sebastian Remelé (CSU, since 2010). Trade tax receipts continued to rise and the city was able to save reserves. These are currently being used for the mammoth U.S. conversion project, which is currently one of the five largest military conversion projects in Germany.[citation needed] Thei-Campus Schweinfurt in the former Ledward Barracks and the new district of Bellevue in the former Askren Manor Housing Area deserve special mention.
Schweinfurt also has a natural location in the Franconian wine country, at theSchweinfurter Rhön, with the National Natural HeritageBrönnhof and is surrounded byHaßberge Hills,Steigerwald,Rhön andSpessart, with several natural parks and a biosphere reserve.[17] In sight are Steigerwald,Gramschatzer Forest and Rhön. The city is located in a climatically contrasting region, between the summer hotMainfränkischen Plates in the south and the low mountain range in the north, with international winter sports inOberhof.
Schweinfurt is situated in the middle of the catchment area of the river Main ...
... and on the northeastern edge of theSchweinfurt Basin.
View from theZabelstein Mountain in the Steigerwald over theSchweinfurt Basin
River Main with old mills (right), old town and the old fishing districtFischerrain (left)
TheSchweinfurt Main Bend with village and castleMainberg and vineyards
Schweinfurt itself is also a city of great contrasts, in terms of topography, use and population structure. The bourgeois east lies on the foothills of theSchweinfurter Rhön, is intersected by valleys with streams, with the above theMarienbach located old town and numerous detached houses, on the edge with vineyards and the city forest. The west, with the city centre, main station and (former) working-class neighborhoods, has a high proportion of migrants. The almost uninhabited south is the largest contiguous industrial area in Bavaria.[citation needed]
As a result of the fall of theIron Curtain, the economic and geographical situation of Schweinfurt changed fundamentally. In 2005, theThuringian Forest Autobahn 71Erfurt-Schweinfurt was completed as a transportProject German Unity No. 16. In 2017 Schweinfurt gained further centrality with the 10 billion Euro transportProject German Unity No. 8.Berlin is now under three and a half hours,Munich from 2:33 hours andHamburg from 3:57 hours reachable, now two high-speed lines, with change inBamberg andWürzburg. Berlin and Munich are about three-quarters of an hour faster from Schweinfurt than from Frankfurt. Paris is in 6:22 hours reachable. As part of theDeutsche Bahn Long-Distance Transport Offensive Schweinfurt receives no later than December 2028 a directInter City (IC) connection, through the new IC Bamberg-Stuttgart-Tübingen.
Schweinfurt's east side with vineyards. Steel engraving from 1847
Viticulture has probably been practiced in the city for well over 1000 years. At the beginning of the 19th century, Schweinfurt was an important Franconian wine-growing and wine-trading town. At the end of the imperial city period in 1802 there were around 320 hectares of vines, which corresponds to today's largest Franconian wine-growing town inNordheim am Main. Large parts of today's district, right up to the edge of the old town, are located on former vineyards.Goethe appreciated the Schweinfurt wine and had large quantities delivered. Today, with only 3.54 hectares of vineyards (2017),[18] the local viticulture has hardly any economic, but still cultural importance for the self-awareness and way of life of the city.
VineyardSchweinfurter Peterstirn
Thephylloxera appeared in Franconia in 1902 and hit the Schweinfurt area particularly hard.[19] Since the 1980s, viticulture with the leading varietySilvaner has been carried out as planned in the historic wine locations ofPeterstirn andMainleite. Due to the almost complete interruption of winegrowing, the vineyards were spared the major land consolidation of the 1970s, during which the historical structures were mostly destroyed. The small wine-cultural landscape at Peterstirn Palace remained intact. There is a family-owned winery on Peterstirn, where a wine festival takes place twice a year.
In the Bavarian territorial reform no suburbs were incorporated into the city of Schweinfurt, which is why the urban area includes only the core city and incorporated in 1919 Oberndorf. The urban area was divided into 23 statistical districts, which are summarized in 15 districts (bold font in the table). For a long time, the Bergl was the most populous district, with 13,000 inhabitants around 1970. With only 9,163 inhabitants at the end of 2017, it was only second, after the city centre, with 11,276 inhabitants.[20]
In 1939, Schweinfurt had about 49,000 inhabitants. The population reached its highest level in 1970 with 58,500 inhabitants. While thereafter most German cities could compensate for ademographic-related decrease of inhabitants by incorporations, in Schweinfurt the population decreased to about 52,000 in 1987. By 1996, the population rose to 56,000, mainly due to the influx of late repatriates. However, by 2014, the number of inhabitants fell again to 51,600 people, the lowest since the early 1950s. Thereafter, contrary to the forecasts of the Bavarian State Statistics Office and theBertelsmann Foundation, both of which merely continued the past demographic development, a positive turnaround occurred due to several factors not taken into account: refugees, US conversion, i-Campus Schweinfurt. Since 2015, the number of inhabitants has been rising steadily, most recently to 54,032 at the end of 2018.
The last 12,000 American soldiers and civilians living in and around Schweinfurt (here at the 2009 American Independence Day) are not included in the official population statistics.
Not included in the population statistics are members of theU.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt stationed in and near the city between 1945 and 2014 with their families. These were at times over 12,000 people.
Theurban agglomeration is in the case of Schweinfurt a better comparison size to the population of other cities. In 1994, it had 105,000 inhabitants, fell to 96,600 inhabitants (Census 9. 5. 2011) and then rose again to 100,200 inhabitants (estimate 31. 12. 2018).[3]
According to a recent study by the Swiss Institute of Economic Research forecasters, Schweinfurt is one of the fastest-growing cities in Germany. The study confirmed the city, among other things, the highest concentration of jobs in Germany, with particularly high Beschäftigungsanteil (employment share) in the German high-tech sector.[citation needed]
The Contor-2010 study, which was commissioned by theManager Magazine, ranked Schweinfurt as one of the most dynamic cities in Europe in terms of development opportunities. From rank 63 in 2007, the city significantly improved to rank 16 in 2010.[28]
Schaeffler Group (formerly DAX Group FAG Kugelfischer), the second largest rolling bearing group in the world, the largest manufacturing site in Schweinfurt, also the seat of the industry; Headquarters inHerzogenaurach
Swedish ball bearing factoriesSKF, largest rolling bearing group in the world; largest plant worldwide is in Schweinfurt; Headquarters inGothenburg
SenerTec, European market leader for micro-cogeneration plants
SRAM (formerly bicycle components byFichtel & Sachs); European headquarters is in Schweinfurt; Headquarters in Chicago
Winora Staiger, bicycles [150]
ZF Friedrichshafen (formerly Fichtel & Sachs), the second largest automotive supplier in the world, the largest factory in the world is in Schweinfurt, also the headquarters of the E-Mobility; Headquarters inFriedrichshafen
TheSt. Johannes Church, first written mention in the year 1237, during theRomanesque period. Nearly all European architectural styles are represented in this church, with thegothic choir of the beginning of the 15th century and thebaptismal font, with its original painting of 1367.[31]
TheEbracher Hof is a renaissance building, acquired in 1431 from the Cistercian monasteryEbrach. It burned down to the external walls during theSecond Margrave War in 1554 and was reconstructed in 1578. TheSchweinfurt City Library moved into the Ebracher Hof in 2006 after extensive refurbishing measures.[31]
The marketplace has a largeFriedrich Rückert monument in the centre, around which weekly markets and many city festivals are held.Stadtgalerie Schweinfurt, a 300 m-long (980 ft) shopping mall, was built 2009.
Motherwell Park andChâteaudun Park connects the surrounding medieval buildings to the old town.
View of Schweinfurt Volksfest 2025 festival grounds from the Ferris wheel
Schweinfurt Volksfest (Schweinfurter Volksfest(German)) is an annualVolksfest (beer festival andtravelling funfair) running for about ten days in summer.[33] The festival features rides, a large beer tent,Franconian cuisine, live entertainment, fireworks and community events.[34] It transforms the Volksfestplatz near the Niederwerrner Straße into a vibrant fairground with over 50 rides and stalls.[35]
^abcdefgInformation brochure Stadt Schweinfurt. Weka Info-Verlag, Mering 2002, pp. 5.
^abSchweinfurt | City | Culture | topics. Publication of the Schweinfurter Tagblatt and special issue for Handelsblatt and ZEIT: Micro-locale of German history, 20 May 2009, p. 4 f.
^abCity map Schweinfurt with history and sights. Printing and Publishing House Weppert. Schweinfurt 2003.
^Several authors: Great Atlas of World History. Lingen Verlag, Cologne 1987, map p. 79: Germany in 1648.
^Turner, S.J., (F. R. G. S) – maps (June 1944).Pictorial History of the Second World War. Wm. H. Wise & Co., Inc. p. 1880.Germans await American orders April 14, 1945 THEY DON'T LIKE IT. After the fall of Schweinfurt, the ball bearing centre of Germany, male civilians between sixteen and sixty were rounded up to be screened by American authorities. (caption){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"The Museum".The Georg Schaefer Museum. Retrieved17 May 2020.
^Howora, Larissa; Adlfinger, Dieter (2009).100 Jahre Schweinfurter Volksfest 1909–2009 (in German). Schweinfurt: Museen und Galerien der Stadt Schweinfurt.ISBN978-3-936042-48-1.
.jpg)
_SCHWEINFURT_Fichtel_%2526_Sachs_Abb.2.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg)
