Wangen im Allgäu

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Wangen (Wangen in Allgäu)


Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Administrative region	Tübingen
District	Ravensburg
Population	27,157 (September 2005)
Area	101.28 km²
Population density	268 /km²
Elevation	556 m
Coordinates	47°41′ N 9°50′ E
Postal code	88239 (alt. 7988)
Area code	07522
Licence plate code	WG
Mayor	Michael Lang
Website	wangen.de

The title of this article contains the character ä. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Wangen im Allgaeu.

Wangen im Allgäu is a historic city in southeast Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It lies north-east of Lake Constance in the Westallgäu. It is the second-largest city (Population: 27,157 in 2005) in the Ravensburg district and is a nexus for the surrounding communities. From 1938 to 1972, Wangen was the county seat of the Wangen rural district.

A Satellite Photo of Wangen in Allgäu

1 Geography
- 1.1 Neighboring Municipalities
2 History
- 2.1 Population Growth
3 Politics
4 Economics and infrastructure
5 Attractions
- 5.1 Museums
- 5.2 Buildings/Architecture
6 Other
7 See Also
8 External Links

[edit] Geography

Wangen in Allgäu lies on the north bank of the upper Argen River. The lower Argen flows past northwest Wangen and unites southwest of the city with the upper Argen. The city today is shaped by its historical town center as well as by numerous nearby districts.

[edit] Neighboring Municipalities

Several settlements border Wangen. Their names are as follows: Amtzell, Vogt, Kißlegg, Argenbühl, and Achberg (Ravensburg district), Hergatz and Hergensweiler (Lindau district), and Neukirch (Bodensee district).

[edit] History

The city was first mentioned in 815 under the name "Wangun" in a monastery document.

In 1217, Emperor Fredrick II declared in a document that Wangen should remain in royal hands. In 1286, King Rudolph I granted Wangen the status of free imperial city.

During the late Middle Ages, the city's growth was amplified by its central location at the crossroads between Ravensburg, Lindau, Leutkirch, and Isny and the growing trade through the Alps.

A picture of Wangen during the 1600s

Wangen's production and export of manufactured goods, particularly scythes and canvas, gave the city a tremendous positive trade balance. This surplus money was used to acquire lands outside of the city walls, thus giving Wangen a safeguard against economic fluctuations.

During the German Mediatisation, in 1802, Wangen lost its status as a free city and was incorporated into the Kingdom of Bavaria; it later changed hands in 1810 to the Kingdom of Württemberg.

In 1936, the city was officially named "Wangen in Allgäu"

From 1938 up unto its dissolution and integration into the Ravensburg district in 1972, Wangen was the capital of the Wangen rural district. In 1973, Wangen was officially designated by the Baden-Württemberg state government to Großen Kreisstadt (large district town) due to its population having reached 20,000.

In 1999, the largest flood in the most recent 50 years of Wangen's history completey flooded the lower city. The city was again flooded in 2006 by the upper Argen River.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the national team of Togo stayed in Wangen.

[edit] Population Growth

Year	Inhabitants
1300	ca. 700
1450	ca. 1,400
1522	ca. 1,500
1794	1,450
1823	1,308
1855	1,926
December 1, 1871 ¹	2,357
December 1, 1880 ¹	2,873
December 1, 1900 ¹	3,848
December 1, 1910 ¹	4,831
June 16, 1925 ¹	5,837
June 16, 1933 ¹	7,005

Year	Inhabitants
May 17, 1939 ¹	8,045
September 13, 1950 ¹	10,526
June 6, 1961 ¹	13,317
May 27, 1970 ¹	14,561
December 31, 1975	23,127
December 31, 1980	23,259
May 27, 1987 ¹	23,588
December 31, 1990	24,589
December 31, 1995	25,721
December 31, 2000	26,254
September 30, 2005	27,157

¹ Census

[edit] Politics

[edit] Local Council

As of the June 13, 2004 elections, the Wangen city council has 33 members from 4 different political parties (CDU, FWV, GOL, SPD).

[edit] Mayors Since 1804

1804–1810: Franz Josef von Bentele
1811-1819: Mathias Tschugg
1819-1826: Rudolf Salis
1826-1829: Martin Schnitzer
1829-1847: Christian Nepomuk Weber
1847-1859: Leopold Wocher
1860-1894: Jacob Trenkle
1894-1922: Rudolf Trenkle
1922-1933: Fritz Geray
1933: Gottlob Pfeiffer, provisional
1933-1939: Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Erbacher
1939: Heinrich Fischer, provisional
1939-1942: Carl Speidel, in Vertretung von Heinrich Fischer
1942-1945: Max Steinegger, provisional
1945: Karl Geiger, provisional
1945: Franz Büchele, provisional
1945-1946: Josef Max Kraus, provisional
1945-1968: Wilhelm Uhl
1968-2001: Dr. Jörg Leist
2001-present: Michael Lang

[edit] Sister/Twin Cities

- La Garenne-Colombes, France
- Prato, Italy.

[edit] Economics and infrastructure

Wangen was once a center of the German textile industry before the decline of German textile manufacturing.

[edit] Inter-City Transportation

Wangen lies on the A96 Autobahn between Lindau and Memmingen, in addition to federal highways 18 and 32. The town is part of the Aulendorf – Kißlegg – Wangen - Hergatz – Lindau and Ulm - Memmingen - Kißlegg - Wangen – Hergatz – Lindau train lines. It lies on the bus route between Ravensburg and Tettnang. The city also belongs to the Bodensee-Oberschwaben public transportion association.

[edit] Education

Wangen has a Gymnasium (Rupert-Neß-Gymnasium), a Realschule (Johann-Andreas-Rauch-Realschule), two Hauptschulen (Anton-von-Gegenbaur-Schule and Hauptschule Karsee), a special school (Martinstorschule), two combined secondary and elementary schools (GHS Niederwangen and Prassberg-Schule), and six elementary schools (Berger-Höhe-Schule, Deuchelried, Grundschule im Ebnet, Leupolz, Neuravensburg, and Schomburg).

The Wangen district has two vocational schools (Friedrich-Schiedel-Schule and Kaufmännischen Schule Wangen), in addition to the Heinrich-Brügger-Schule medical school.

[edit] Media

Wangen is serviced by the Schwäbische Zeitung newspaper as well as the local EURO 3 television station.

[edit] Governmental

Wangen is the seat of a local tax office. It has a district court, which belongs to the Ravensburg regional court district, which in turn belongs to the Stuttgart court district .

The Ravensburg Gate

[edit] Attractions

Despite several major fires in 1539, 1793, and 1858, the old part of the town remains a juxtaposition of architectural elements ranging from those of the early middle ages to those of the late baroque era.

[edit] Museums

The local history museum, Heimatmuseum in der Eselmühle, was opened in 1974 in a former mill acquired by the city in 1969. The museum displays the original mechanisms of the mill in addition to a collections from various spans of the city's history.

[edit] Buildings/Architecture

The Oberstadtkirche St. Martin (literally translated as the St.Martin upper city church) is one of Wangen's oldest buildings. The church was already present in the 9th century; it was renovated numerous times in the following years. It contains both Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

The Ravensburg Gate is the city's prime landmark. It was first mentioned in 1472, but was probably changed to its current appearance in 1608. The building is decorated with Renaissance-era artwork. Similarly aged relics of the old city include the Lindau Gate and the Pfaffenturm tower.

[edit] Other

From 1943 to 1945, Wangen served as the backdrop for the propaganda movie Quax in Fahrt
From April 14 to May 13, 2004, the city and its surrounding areas served as a setting for the Tatort television series.
The Wangen Juze Tonne e. V is the oldest youth club in Germany
The Jugendmusikschule in Wangen is the largest school of music in Baden-Württemberg.