Villingen-Schwenningen: Germany's largest double town and their history!

Villingen-Schwenningen: Germany's largest double town and their history!

Villingen-Schwenningen, Deutschland - In Baden-Württemberg there are 42 municipalities with double names, and the most prominent example of this is Villingen-Schwenningen. This city, which was created as part of a regional reform on January 1, 1972 by the merger of the two independent cities of Villingen and Schwenningen, is the largest community with double names in Germany. According to a report by Merkur Villingen-Schwenningen currently counts around 89.784 inhabitants (Stand November 2024). The city not only has significant historical roots, but also a remarkable size.

The two districts could not be more culturally. Villingen, a thousand -year -old city, was planned by the ruling family of the Zähringer and presents itself with buildings significant in art history and a clearly structured cityscape. This city has a Roman Catholic character and is known for its half-timbered houses. Schwenningen, on the other hand, developed from an unplanned village with workers' housing estates and petty -bourgeois houses and is historically strongly connected to the watch industry. Here the Kienzle company made the first battery -operated watches in 1956. A report by regional studies Baden-Württemberg emphasizes the different political cultures and mentalities of the two districts: Villingen as the city of trade and the administration, Schwenningen as the center of the craft.

a city with rich history

Both cities were first mentioned in a document by Emperor Ludwig I in 817. Villingen has an eventful story. The city was destroyed several times and then founded, among other things, belonged to Austria and Württemberg before it became part of Baden in 1806. The cultural differences between the two parts of the city are remarkable-while Villingen is Catholic, Schwenningen is evangelical-Lutheran, which also influences social practices and community life. The Protestants in Schwenningen found access to Catholic amusements in Villingen, such as the carnival, which makes it clear how different religious traditions find their place in a city coexistence. This is also shaped by the regional Swabian mentality.

Another point in the integration of Villingen and Schwenningen is that the merger of the citizens of both cities met with broad approval. Since the merger, both districts have been carrying their own postcodes and have their own town halls, which illustrates the challenges, but also the advantages of this unique partnership. In 2001 Villingen-Schwenningen received its own coat of arms, which combines the imperial eagle of Villingen and the swan of Schwenningen and thus documented the symbolic connection of the two locations.

double names in the country

viewed in all, double names were created primarily by community mergers. Villaingen-Schwenningen is the largest municipality with double names throughout Germany, followed by other regional example municipalities. In Baden-Württemberg, double names make up about 3.8 % of the municipalities, and this trend is different for other federal states. The smallest community with double names in Baden-Württemberg is Häg-Ehrsberg, with only 825 inhabitants.

The interesting development of cities with double names, as it has collected Wikipedia , shows how complex the municipal landscape is in Germany. Villingen-Schwenningen not only stands for the merger of two cities, but also symbolizes the common path of Baden and Württemberg at eye level, a lively common future.