50 years of Aalen-Wasserfingen: Memories of the forced combination

50 years of Aalen-Wasserfingen: Memories of the forced combination

On June 27, 2025, many can look back on an eventful story: 50 years ago, exactly in 1973, Wasseralfingen was forced to give up its independence and to join eels. What remains in the memory at the time as a "forced conversion" is still critically seen by many water fingers. Eckhard Scheiderer, who was only 13 at the time, remembers the heated debates and strong resistance from the population against this step. "It was a combative atmosphere. Many knew that this was not in the spirit of the majority," he explains. The lawsuit of the Wasseralfingen citizens against the merger was dismissed by the State Court, although over 80 percent of the city citizens (https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/ulm/interView-mit-scheiderer-ueber-an-an-an-aalen-100.html) reported.

The tense relationship between the two cities can look back on a long history. Wasseralfingen, which had had the status of a city since 1951, stood in a constant competition with Aalen, which was characterized by denominational differences and economic rivalry. After an economic flowering period, the Wasser finger had an iron ore finds and steelworks, and the Aaleners often looked at them with a mixture of envy and resentment. Eckhard Scheiderer notes that the resistance was primarily economic in nature. "The Aaleners wanted to benefit from the industrial companies from Wasseralfingen and at the same time position themselves as the stronger city with more influence." This resentment means that the merger among the population is still found as a accusation for many years after the execution.

political tensions and protests

The merger, which was enforced on July 1, 1975 against the will of the Wasseralfinger by a judgment of the administrative court, leads to far -reaching political tensions that continue to act today, such as Swabian Post reported. Numerous protests by citizens took place during the negotiations and judgments. These demonstrations testify to the determination of the population to fight for their independence. Erwin Hafner, the then editor -in -chief of the Swabian Post, recalls: "We were under pressure as an editorial office, it was difficult for us to report neutrally." Many readers terminated their subscriptions when the editorial team advocated the merger. Despite the tensions, some readers found back after a while, also because they needed the information from the newspaper.

In addition to the protests, the decision led to violent clashes, in which there were also no handicaps. Hafner withdrew after an incident in which the mayor's wife asked for his release. "In Wasseralfingen I was quickly stamped as an undesirable person," continued Hafner. The situation was different with Richard Scheuber, Hafner's deputy, who was accepted due to his rooting in the region.

a split memory

Today, 50 years after the merger, a split picture is shown in the perception of the population. Scheiderer believes that the difference between older and younger citizens strongly shapes the perception of the merger. While many older water finger are still frustrated, younger generations often see advantages in integration: "Today Wasseralfingen benefits, for example, through the visitor mine of deep tunnels, which represents a tourist flagship," argues Scheiderer. The Mayor of Aalen Ulrich Pfeifle is also mentioned as an important factor for the integration and maintenance of the identity of the different communities.

summarized the merger of WasserAlfingen and Aalen is not only an event of the past, but also a smoldering conflict that still influences the political climate and the sense of community in the region. The decision that has been 50 years ago still arouses many emotions and remains a lively debate in the local politics of Baden-Württemberg.