Reutlingen

Reutlingen
A street view of Reutlingen
Coat of arms
Reutlingen
Location of Reutlingen within Reutlingen district
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Tübingen
District	Reutlingen
Government
• Lord Mayor	Barbara Bosch (Ind.)
Area
• Total	87.06 km2 (33.61 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
• Total	111,357
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	72760–72770
Dialling codes	07121, 07072, 07127
Vehicle registration	RT
Website	www.reutlingen.de

Reutlingen (German pronunciation: ) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828.^[2] Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which was founded in 1855, originally as a weavers' school. Today Reutlingen is home to an established textile industry and also houses machinery, leather goods and steel manufacturing facilities. It is famous for having the narrowest street in the world, Spreuerhofstraße (width 31 cm).^[3]

Geography

Achalm tower

Reütlingen - excerpt from Topographia Sueviae (Swabia), publishes 1643 by Matthäus Merian the Elder, Swiss copperplate engraver and publisher

Reutlingen is located about 35 km (22 mi) south of the State capital of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart. It lies in the Southwest corner of Germany, right next to the Swabian Jura, and that is why it is often called The gate to the Swabian Jura (German: Das Tor zur Schwäbischen Alb). The Echaz river, a tributary of the Neckar, flows through the town centre.

Along with the old university town of Tübingen (about 15 km (9.3 mi) to the west), Reutlingen is the centre of the Neckar-Alb region. It is also part of the larger Stuttgart Metropolitan Region.

History

View of Reutlingen from the forest register books created by Andreas Kieser

Spendhaus, first home of the weaving school that would become Reutlingen University

The first settlements in the area are believed to date from the 4th or 5th century. Some time around 1030, Count Egino started to build a castle on top of the Achalm, one of the largest mountains in Reutlingen district (about 706 m). One of the towers of this castle was rebuilt in the 19th century and is open to visitors. The name Reutlingen was first mentioned in writing in the so-called Bempflingen Treaty (German: Bempflinger Vertrag) which is dated approximately 1089–90.

Around 1180, Reutlingen received market rights and, between 1220 and 1240 it was promoted to city status and city-walls and fortifications were built. Shortly thereafter, from 1247–1343, the town's landmark, the St. Mary's Church (German: Marienkirche) was built.

In 1377 Reutlingen was the scene of a victory by the Swabian League, formed in the previous year by 14 Swabian cities, led by Ulm, over the Count of Württemberg. In 1519, a later Swabian League came to Reutlingen's help when Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg attempted to seize the city; the League landed a crushing blow, conquering Württemberg and selling it to Charles V. In 1495 and 1516 the jews were exiled from the town. ^[4]

As a result of such struggles, Reutlingen became an Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire, free from allegiance to the Duke of Württemberg. In 1530, Reutlingen's city council signed the Augsburg Confession, and in 1580 and the Formula of Concord, key documents of Lutheranism. In 1803, in the wake of the French Revolutionary Wars, Reutlingen lost its independence in the German Mediatisation, being restored to Württemberg.

Fire and bombing raids

The worst disaster in the history of Reutlingen happened in 1726, when a major fire swept through the city, destroying 80% of all residential houses and almost all public buildings, and making 1,200 families homeless. The impact of this fire, which lasted three days, is still visible today.

During World War II, the wings of the V-1 flying bomb were manufactured in Reutlingen, making the city the target of several allied bombing raids.

Mutscheltag

On Mutscheltag (the first Thursday after Epiphany), townspeople gather in halls and homes to play games of dice, the winner of which earns parts or whole Mutschel loaves of bread. The Mutschelspiele (Mutschel games) consist of small games scored by tally marks, and are won both independently and by grand total at the end of the hour or night. This tradition is unique to the city of Reutlingen.

Notable people

• Ferdinand Heim, the "Scapegoat of Stalingrad"
• Friedrich Schlotterbeck, socialist and author
• Friedrich Wilhelm Schnitzler, landowner, business manager and politician (CDU)
• Friedrich List, German and American economist
• Martin Hengel, historian
• Helmuth Naumer, artist
• Ernst Messerschmid, Space Shuttle astronaut
• Dominik Kuhn, Swabian Comedian
• Claus Kleber, television journalist

Transport

Bus 4 to Hohbuch on Pestalozzistrasse in Reutlingen

City buses are run by RSV (Reutlinger Stadtverkehr).

Main sights

Gothic-era Marienkirche by night

• Church of the Virgin Mary, built in Gothic style in the 13th–14th centuries. Nearby is a statue of emperor Frederick II.
• Marktbrunnen ("Market Fountain", 16th century), surmounted by the statue of emperor Maximilian II.
• Spitalhof, built as a hospital in the 14th century. Damaged by a fire, it was largely rebuilt in the 18th century.
• Church of St. Nicholas, built in the 14th century as a chapel.
• Gerber- und Färberbrunnen ("Tanners' and Dyers' Fountain"), 1920.
• City Hall, built in 2013.
• Spreuerhofstraße, the world's narrowest street.

University

Reutlingen University is a university of applied sciences, focusing on hands-on learning, which is apparent in their mandatory internship for all business majors. The university is an internationally friendly school with 111 cooperative campuses worldwide. Classes are generally taught in German; however, in some Bachelor programs and in the Master's programs classes are taught in English.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Reutlingen is twinned with:

References

External links

• Official website
• The University of Applied Sciences in Reutlingen
• Weather
•  "Reutlingen".  

Swabian League (1488–1534) of the  Holy Roman Empire Imperial cities Aalen Augsburg Biberach Bopfingen Dinkelsbühl Donauwörth Esslingen Giengen Heilbronn Isny Kaufbeuren Kempten Leutkirch Lindau Memmingen Nördlingen Pfullendorf Ravensburg Reutlingen Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Hall Überlingen Ulm Wangen Weil Wimpfen Nobility St George's Shield (Gesellschaft von Sanktjörgenschild) Territories Brandenburg-Ansbach Baden Bavaria Bayreuth Palatinate Hesse Mainz Trier Württemberg

Swabian Circle (1500–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire Ecclesiastical Augsburg Constance Ellwangen Kempten Abbey Lindau Secular Baden Buchau Heiligenberg Hohenzollern-Hechingen Klettgau Liechtenstein Tengen Waldburg Scheer Trauchburg Waldsee Wolfegg Wurzach Zeil Württemberg Prelates Baindt Buchau Elchingen Gengenbach Gutenzell Heggbach Irsee Kaisheim Mainau Marchtal Neresheim Ochsenhausen Petershausen Roggenburg Rot Rottenmünster Salmanweiler Schussenried Söflingen Ursberg Weingarten Weißenau Wettenhausen Zwiefalten Counts Lords Altshausen Baar Bondorf Eberstein Eglingen Eglofs Fugger Jakob Johann Markus Gundelfingen Gutenstein Hausen Heiligenberg Hohenems Hohengeroldseck Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Justingen Kinzigerthal Königsegg and Aulendorf Lustenau Meßkirch Mindelheim / Schwabegg Oberdischingen Öttingen Baldern Öttingen Wallerstein Rechberg Rothenfels and Stauffen Stühlingen and Hohenhöwen Tettnang / Langenargen Thannhausen Wiesensteig Cities Aalen Augsburg Biberach Bopfingen Buchau Buchhorn Dinkelsbühl Eßlingen Gengenbach Giengen Heilbronn Isny Kaufbeuren Kempten Leutkirch Lindau Memmingen Nördlingen Offenburg Pfullendorf Ravensburg Reutlingen Rottweil Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Hall Überlingen Ulm Wangen Weil Wimpfen Zell Circles est. 1500: Bavarian, Swabian, Upper Rhenish, Lower Rhenish–Westphalian, Franconian, (Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512: Austrian, Burgundian, Upper Saxon, Electoral Rhenish     ·     Unencircled territories

Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire   As of 1792 Aachen Aalen Augsburg Biberach Bopfingen BremenH Buchau Buchhorn CologneH Dinkelsbühl DortmundH Eßlingen Frankfurt Friedberg Gengenbach Giengen GoslarH HamburgH Heilbronn Isny Kaufbeuren Kempten Kessenich Leutkirch Lindau LübeckH Memmingen Mühlhausen MülhausenD, S Nordhausen Nördlingen Nuremberg Offenburg Pfullendorf Ravensburg Regensburg Reutlingen Rothenburg RottweilS Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Hall Schweinfurt Speyer Überlingen Ulm Wangen Weil Weißenburg in Bayern Wetzlar Wimpfen Windsheim Worms Zell Free Imperial Cities as of 1648   Cities that lost Imperial immediacy or were no longer part of the Holy Roman Empire by 1792 BaselS BernS Besançon Brakel Cambrai Diessenhofen Donauwörth Duisburg Düren Gelnhausen HagenauD Herford KaysersbergD KolmarD Konstanz LandauD Lemgo LucerneS Mainz Metz MunsterD ObernaiD Pfeddersheim Rheinfelden RosheimD St. GallenS Sarrebourg SchaffhausenS Schmalkalden SchlettstadtD SoestH SolothurnS Straßburg Toul TurckheimD Verden Verdun Warburg Weißenburg in ElsaßD ZürichS D Member of the Décapole H Member of the Hanseatic League S Member or associate of the Swiss Confederacy.

Towns and municipalities in Reutlingen (district) Bad Urach Dettingen an der Erms Engstingen Eningen Gomadingen Grabenstetten Grafenberg Hayingen Hohenstein Hülben Lichtenstein Mehrstetten Metzingen Münsingen Pfronstetten Pfullingen Pliezhausen Reutlingen Riederich Römerstein Sonnenbühl St. Johann Trochtelfingen Walddorfhäslach Wannweil Zwiefalten