Villingen-Schwenningen

Villingen-Schwenningen
View of Villingen
Coat of arms
Villingen-Schwenningen
Location of Villingen-Schwenningen within Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis district
Coordinates: 48°03′37″N 08°27′31″E / 48.06028°N 8.45861°ECoordinates: 48°03′37″N 08°27′31″E / 48.06028°N 8.45861°E
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Freiburg
District	Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis
Government
• Mayor	Dr. Rupert Kubon (SPD)
Area
• Total	165.47 km^2 (63.89 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
• Total	81,128
• Density	490/km^2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	78001–78056
Dialling codes	07721, 07720, 07425, 07705
Vehicle registration	VS
Website	http://www.villingen-schwenningen.de

Villingen-Schwenningen (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlɪŋən ˈʃvɛnɪŋən]) is a city in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It has 81,128 inhabitants (as of 2013).

History

Villingen

In the Middle Ages Villingen was a town under Austrian lordship. During the Protestant Reformation it remained Catholic. Villingen came to international attention when it was besieged by marshal Tallard in 1704. Colonel Von Wilstorff put up a stout defence of the outdated fortifications, and after six days the siege failed.

Schwenningen remained a village until the 19th century. In 1858 the first watch factory was established, and watchmaking and precision mechanics have been important industries ever since.

As part of the Baden-Württemberg territorial reform of 1972, Villingen and Schwenningen were merged with a number of surrounding villages to form the city of Villingen-Schwenningen. Nevertheless, the two halves of the city are separated by a plateau and remain distinct.

Villingen is a major center of German Carneval celebrations. The traditional Narros represent the old citizens of Villingen: Alt Villingere, Morbili, Hansele, Suribbel.

Since 1904, Villingen-Schwenningen has also been home to the hockey team the Schwenninger Wild Wings which competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Geography

Villingen-Schwenningen lies on the eastern edge of the Black Forest about 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level. The source of the River Neckar is in Schwenningen (Schwenninger Moos).

Boroughs

• Villingen
• Schwenningen
• Obereschach
• Weilersbach
• Weigheim
• Mühlhausen
• Marbach
• Rietheim
• Pfaffenweiler
• Herzogenweiler
• Tannheim

Main sights

• Town Wall
• Municipal Art Gallery
• Franciscan Monastery Museum (in German)
• Schwenningen Clock Museum (in German)
• Minster of Our Lady
• Theater am Ring
• Wanne Observation Tower, one of the oldest towers built of iron

International relations/sister cities

• Terre Haute, Indiana, USA
• Tula, Russia
• Pontarlier, France

Famous people

• Daniel Caligiuri, footballer
• Sebastian Rudy, footballer
• Robert Prosinečki, footballer
• Dennis Seidenberg, NHL hockey player
• Ivana Brkljačić, athlete
• Howard Alberts, artist, Fashion Hair stylist

References

1. "Gemeinden in Deutschland mit Bevölkerung am 31. Dezember 2013 (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011)". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). 2014.

External links

• Stadt Villingen-Schwenningen (in German)
• Villingen-Schwenningen: history & pictures(in German)
• Ice Hockey Club
• The siege of Villingen in 1702