Achern (; gsw, label=
Low Alemannic, Achre) is a town in Western
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is located approximately 18 km southwest of
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...
and 19 km northeast of
Offenburg
Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital ...
. Achern is the fourth largest town in the district of
Ortenau
The Ortenau, originally called Mortenau, is a historic region in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the right bank of the river Rhine, stretching from the Upper Rhine Plain to the foothill zone of the Black Fore ...
(Ortenaukreis), after Offenburg,
Lahr / Black Forest and Kehl.
As subsequent to the district reform in the 1970s the population passed the 20,000 mark, Achern requested to be awarded the status of ''
Große Kreisstadt
''Große Kreisstadt'' (, "major district town") is a term in the municipal law ('' Gemeindeordnung'') of several German states. In some federal states the term is used as a special legal status for a district-affiliated town—as distinct from an ...
''. The status was granted by the State government effective January 1, 1974. Achern collaborates with the communities of Lauf, Sasbach, and Sasbachwalden in administrative matters.
Besides Achern itself, the municipality includes the boroughs of Fautenbach,
Gamshurst
Gamshurst is a German neighborhood (Stadtteil) of the major district town ( Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. First documented on February 21, 902, Gamshurst was originally the site of a Catholic monastery. ...
,
Großweier
Großweier is an urban subdivision (Stadtteil) of the major county town (Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The population of Großweier is approximately 1,500 inhabitants. Großweier was an autonomous rural mu ...
, Mösbach, Oberachern,
Önsbach
Önsbach is the second-largest district ("Stadtteil") of the major district town ("Kreisstadt") of Achern in the north of Ortenaukreis, located in the Black Forest.
Önsbach is located in northern Ortenau, south of the town of Achern. A third of ...
, Sasbachried and Wagshurst.
Geography
Geographic location
Achern is located in the northern
Black Forest
The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...
near the
Hornisgrinde
The Hornisgrinde, 1,164 m (3,820 ft), is the highest mountain in the Northern Black Forest of Germany. The Hornisgrinde lies in northern Ortenaukreis district.
Origin of the name
The name is probably derived from Latin, and essential ...
, at the entrance to the Acher Valley and not far from the eastern edge of the
Upper Rhine
The Upper Rhine (german: Oberrhein ; french: Rhin Supérieur) is the section of the Rhine between Basel in Switzerland and Bingen in Germany, surrounded by the Upper Rhine Plain. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometres 170 to 529 (the sc ...
Valley. Coming from the Black Forest, the
Acher
The Acher is a 53.6-kilometre-long river and right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the county of Ortenau, in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg. It flows in an northwesterly direction from the Black Forest to the Rhine, between the two ...
enters the city from the southeast and passes Oberachern on its way to the center of town with the historic center, the ''Altstadt'', situated on the right bank. The Acher then continues on in northwesterly direction between Fautenbach and Großweier and south of Gamshurst, before leaving the city to head for the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
. The river gave the city its name.
The city contains several artificially created lakes, some of which still produce gravel and sand. The largest lake is called Achernsee, near the Achern Autobahn ramp, in the West of the city.
Neighboring communities
Achern is surrounded by the following communities (starting clockwise from the north):
Lichtenau and
Ottersweier
Ottersweier is a municipality in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Rastatt, and lies between the larger towns Bühl and Achern.
Twin cities
* - Westerlo, Flanders, Belgium, since 1962
* - Krauschwitz (Saxony), ...
(both
Rastatt District), as well as
Sasbach (Ortenau),
Lauf (Baden)
Lauf ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Louf) is a municipality in the district of Ortenau in Western Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Lauf is situated on the western edge of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), located in a valley (Laufbachtal) that slopes r ...
,
Sasbachwalden
Sasbachwalden is a Black Forest municipality in Western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, popular with tourists. It is located on the western slopes of mountain Hornisgrinde in the Northern Black Forest and belongs to the district of Ortenau. More th ...
,
Kappelrodeck,
Renchen
Renchen ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Renche) is a small town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, part of the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Renchen is located in the foothills of the northern Black Forest at the entrance to the Rench valley at the ed ...
, and
Rheinau (Baden)
Rheinau ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Rhinai) is a town in southwestern Baden-Württemberg, Germany and is part of the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Rheinau is located in the Upper Rhine River Plains directly on the Rhine and as such at the Germ ...
, all part of Ortenau District.
City boroughs
Within the municipal borders of Achern, the city is made up of the city center (Kernstadt), and the boroughs that were redistricted into Achern during the District Reform in the 1970s, namely, Fautenbach,
Gamshurst
Gamshurst is a German neighborhood (Stadtteil) of the major district town ( Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. First documented on February 21, 902, Gamshurst was originally the site of a Catholic monastery. ...
,
Großweier
Großweier is an urban subdivision (Stadtteil) of the major county town (Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The population of Großweier is approximately 1,500 inhabitants. Großweier was an autonomous rural mu ...
, Mösbach, Oberachern,
Önsbach
Önsbach is the second-largest district ("Stadtteil") of the major district town ("Kreisstadt") of Achern in the north of Ortenaukreis, located in the Black Forest.
Önsbach is located in northern Ortenau, south of the town of Achern. A third of ...
, Sasbachried and Wagshurst.
Except Oberachern, the boroughs also have community status under state administrative law, which entitles them to a borough council, elected by registered voters in municipal elections. The borough councils are headed up by the Borough President.
In some cases, named neighborhoods or developments are part of the boroughs, though often with few residents and not clearly defined limits. Examples of such neighborhoods are Litzloch, Michelbuch and Ziegelhütte in Gamshurst, Malghurst in Sasbachried, Lindenhof in Fautenbach and Schollenhof in Wagshurst.
History
Achern was first mentioned in 1095 as Acchara and developed later into Oberachern and Niederachern. Eventually, Niederachern was referred to only as Achern. During the High
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
the town became part of the German Reich, courtesy of the
Staufenberger and
Zähringer families, and was included in the ''Landsvogtei'' of
Ortenau
The Ortenau, originally called Mortenau, is a historic region in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the right bank of the river Rhine, stretching from the Upper Rhine Plain to the foothill zone of the Black Fore ...
. In 1334, together with Ortenau Achern became part of
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
, in 1351 it went to
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, in 1405 to the
Electorate of the Palatinate
The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...
, and in 1504 to
Fürstenberg-Fürstenberg
Fürstenberg-Fürstenberg was a territory in Swabia, which was located in present-day southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was ruled by the House of Fürstenberg in the Circle of Swabia during the Holy Roman Empire.
History
The territory co ...
. In 1551 the town became part of
Further Austria
Further Austria, Outer Austria or Anterior Austria (german: Vorderösterreich, formerly ''die Vorlande'' (pl.)) was the collective name for the early (and later) possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-wes ...
and part of the ''
Reichlandsvogtei'' Ortenau. In 1495 and then again in 1637 Achern burned to the ground and was uninhabited for several years thereafter.
In 1805 Achern again became part of what was then the
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.
It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...
and was made a district court seat. In 1808 it was awarded town status. In 1924 the district of Achern was dissolved and became part of the district of
Bühl which was awarded District status in 1939.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Bühl District was part of the State of Baden and from 1952 part of the ''
Regierungsbezirk
A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts.
Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...
'' of South Baden. Pursuant to the district reform Bühl District was dissolved, effective January 1, 1973. Its southern part — and with it the city of Achern — was made part of the newly created
Ortenaukreis
Ortenaukreis ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Ortenaukrais; french: Arrondissement de l'Ortenau) is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (clockwise from north) Rastatt, Freudenstadt, Rottwe ...
.
History of the boroughs
The boroughs all came under the rule of Baden in 1805 largely as part of the district of Achern. Exceptions are Mösbach, which first belonged to the district of Oberkirch and was joined into the Achern district in 1859, and Wagshurst, which first belonged to the district of
Appenweier
Appenweier ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Appewiir) is a municipality in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Appenweier consists of the main municipal Appenweier (4,075 inhabitants), Urloffen (4,301 inhabita ...
and became part of the Achern district in 1819. When the district of Achern was dissolved in 1924, all of its communities except Wagshurst were joined with the district, and in 1939, District of Bühl. Wagshurst became part of the District of
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exa ...
.
* Fautenbach was first mentioned circa 1100 as ''Vultenbach''. Via the cloister in
Hirsau
Hirsau (formerly ''Hirschau'') is a district of the town of Calw in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, located in the south-west portion of the country, about two miles north of Calw and about twenty-four miles west of Stuttgart.
Town
Hi ...
it gained Großweier und Schauenburg.
*
Gamshurst
Gamshurst is a German neighborhood (Stadtteil) of the major district town ( Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. First documented on February 21, 902, Gamshurst was originally the site of a Catholic monastery. ...
was first mentioned in 902 as ''Hurst des Gaman'' and was an expansion of Sasbach.
*
Großweier
Großweier is an urban subdivision (Stadtteil) of the major county town (Große Kreisstadt) of Achern in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The population of Großweier is approximately 1,500 inhabitants. Großweier was an autonomous rural mu ...
was first mentioned around 1115 as ''Crosvvilare''. It remained ''Croschweier'' well into the 19th century. Like Gamshurst it was an expansion of Sasbach. Großweier had been given to a family as a fief by the Duke of Baden. That vassal family lived in and took its name from the castle in town. When the last of the vassal family died, Großweier became the property of the Lords of Seldeneck whose kin sold it back to Baden in 1583. The
moated castle
A water castle is a castle whose site is largely defended by water. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle ...
was then the seat of the district court until it was moved to Bühl after the castle's destruction in 1689 by French troops during the
Nine Years' War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
.
* Mösbach was first mentioned in 1386 as ''Mestbach''. It belonged to Strasbourg before it became part of Baden.
* Oberachern was first mentioned in 1347 as ''Obernacher''. Before that date no distinction was made between Oberachern and Niederachern. It belonged to the Staufenberg family as early as 1100 though parts of it belonged to the cloister in Hirsau. Before 1130 Oberachern belonged to the cloister
St. Georgen. In the 12th century a noble and free family who apparently also supplied the judges for Achern, named itself after the city. This family lived in a moated castle the remains of which were later used in the construction of the Stephanus church tower in Oberachern. While Oberachern was part of the district court Achern und as such shared in Achern's luck, it had always been an independent village until it was annexed in 1971.
*
Önsbach
Önsbach is the second-largest district ("Stadtteil") of the major district town ("Kreisstadt") of Achern in the north of Ortenaukreis, located in the Black Forest.
Önsbach is located in northern Ortenau, south of the town of Achern. A third of ...
was first mentioned in the 13th century as ''Ongisbach''. The cloisters in
Honau,
Ettenheim
Ettenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Äddene) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
History
Ettenheim was founded in the 8th century by Eddo, bishop of Strasbourg, and the was founded at about that time. Ettenheim recei ...
and Allerheiligen all owned property in the village. The village was part of the district of Achern.
* Sasbachried was first mentioned in 1697 as ''aus dem Rieth''. It grew out of Sasbach and, like Sasbach, it used to belong to Strasbourg. In the 19th century, Sasbachried split from Sasbach and became an independent community.
* Wagshurst was first mentioned in 1136 as ''Wageshurst''. It too belonged to Strasbourg and was part of the district court of
Ulm
Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
.
Religions
In the beginning Achern was part of the
diocese of Strasbourg
The Archdiocese of Strasbourg ( la, Archidioecesis Argentoratensis o Argentinensis; french: Archidiocèse de Strasbourg; german: Erzbistum Straßburg; gsw-FR, Ärzbischofsìtz Strossburi(g)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdi ...
. As a consequence of its belonging to Further Austria, the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
did not take hold. Achern and its surrounding area therefore remained almost exclusively
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
throughout the centuries. In 1803 the communities were joined with the
diocese of Konstanz before it became part of the newly created
archdiocese of Freiburg
The Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau (Latin ''Archidioecesis Friburgensis'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in Baden-Württemberg comprising the former states of Baden and Hohenzollern. The Archdiocese of Freiburg is led by an archbishop, who als ...
in 1821 through 1827. The villages then belonged to the district of
Ottersweier
Ottersweier is a municipality in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Rastatt, and lies between the larger towns Bühl and Achern.
Twin cities
* - Westerlo, Flanders, Belgium, since 1962
* - Krauschwitz (Saxony), ...
but in 1929 Achern became its own district with the Catholic city church (Stadtkirche) as its seat. Additional Catholic communities, whose churches were elevated to
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
es early on, exist in almost all boroughs. Only Mösbach didn't become a parish until 1865 and Sasbachried is still serviced by the neighboring parish of Sasbach. All parishes now belong to the Acher-Renchtal district within the archdiocese of Freiburg.
At the dawn of the 19th century, Protestants started to move into Achern. The first Protestant service was held in 1842 in the Illenau hospital. The Protestant parish of Achern, founded in 1892, was able to build its church, the Christuskirche, in 1908 and 1909. The Protestant parish also serves the boroughs of Oberachern, Fautenbach, Gamshurst, Großweier and Sasbachried as well as the neighboring towns of Sasbach, Obersasbach and Lauf. The boroughs of Önsbach, Mösbach and Wagshurst on the other hand, are part of the parish of
Renchen
Renchen ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Renche) is a small town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, part of the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Renchen is located in the foothills of the northern Black Forest at the entrance to the Rench valley at the ed ...
. The Protestant parish of Achern first belonged to the district of
Rheinbischofsheim, and later on to the districts of Baden-Baden and Rastatt. The parish of Renchen belongs to the district of Kehl within the
Evangelical Church in Baden
The Protestant Church in Baden (german: link=no, Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden; i.e. Evangelical Regional Church in Baden) is a United Protestant member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), and member of the Conference of Church ...
. Finally, the Josua-Christian parish and the Christian parish Sasbachried are the two independent churches in Achern.
Also represented in Achern, though in smaller numbers, are
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
,
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
,
New Apostolic Church
The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a Christian denomination, Christian church that split from the Catholic Apostolic Church during an 1863 schism in Hamburg, Germany.
The church has existed since 1863 in Germany and since 1897 in the Ne ...
, and
Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
.
District reform
The following villages and areas were incorporated into the city of Achern:
* January 1, 1971: Oberachern
* January 1, 1973: Fautenbach, Gamshurst, Großweier, Mösbach, Önsbach, Sasbachried und Wagshurst
Demographics
![Achern-Population-Stats](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Achern-Population-Stats.png)
Figures reflect the city limits at the time and are estimates or Census data (¹), or official extensions thereof, counting only primary residences.
¹ Census result
Government
City Council
The municipal elections on June 13, 2004, resulted in the following make-up of the City Council:
Elections in May 2014:
Ergebnisse der Gemeinderatswahlen 2014
/ref>
*SPD: 2 seats
*Free voters Germany: 8 seats
*Acherner Bürger Liste (Citizen list) (ABL): 6 seats
*FDP: 1 seat
*CDU: 9 seats
*Total: 26 seats
Mayor
Heading up the village of Achern was the ''Heimburge'' (later: ''Bürgermeister'' or mayor) and the ''Bauernzwölfer''. Since becoming part of Baden, the Mayor and City Council attend to Achern's local administration. The mayor is elected for a period of 8 years in direct elections. The mayor is also the City Council President. The First Councilman or woman is given the additional role of Deputy Mayor.
Mayors since 1905
*1905–1933: Wilhelm Schechter
*1933–1945: Richard Krämer
*1945–1955: Wendelin Morgenthaler
*1955–1963: Richard Krämer
*1963–1991: Winfried Rosenfelder
*1991–2007: Reinhart Köstlin
*2007–present: Klaus Muttach
Flag and coat of arms
Achern's coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
shows a split shield in the front, on golden background half a black eagle with red tipped wings, and in the back a silver beam on red background. Achern's flag is red-white-red.
The coat of arms has been in use for a long time. The eagle was the symbol of the district court and appears in the seals of the court as early as 1415. When the district was lost to Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
the white beam was added to the seal. The seal later served as the foundation for the coat of arms which is in use to this day.
People, culture and architecture
Theater
Achern is home to the Illenau Theater Achern e. V., a private theater company.
Museums
The Sensen-Heimat-Stadtmuseum Achern features an original scythe manufacturing facility. Displays also show the history of cutting tools from the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
through the present. In addition there is an exhibit covering Achern's local history.
Buildings
The St. Nikolaus Chapel, also called "Klauskirchl", is the symbol of the city. It was built around 1300 and features a round corner tower. The main church in the city, it is a Catholic church, built in 1824 and designed in the Weinbrenner style. Its predecessor was a Chapel of Mary, that was promoted in 1489 to ''Kaplanei'' and then again in 1535 to parish.
The former Grand Duchy's hospital is also a sight worth seeing. It was built in 1842 and was also the place where the first Protestant services were held in the city. A dedicated Protestant church was not built until 1909.
In the boroughs one can find the following churches: Catholic Church of Saint Bernard of Baden in Fautenbach (built in 1955 and 1956), Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas in Gamshurst (built in 1927 in neo-baroque style), Catholic Church of Großweier (built from 1901 in neo-gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style), Catholic Church of Saint Roman in Mösbach (built in 1862, neo-gothic), Catholic Church of Saint Stefan in Oberachern (built 1903 through 1905 in a mix of neo-classical, late gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
and baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
styles), Pilgrims Chapel of Saint St. Antonius in Oberachern (built in 1763 and 1764), Catholic Church of Saint Joseph (built in 1808, but Joseph's Chapel existed as early as 1686), Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist (built in 1899 in neoroman style, but there is evidence that a chapel exited already shortly after the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
).
Events
* The Stadtfest takes place every other year during the second weekend in July
* The Achern City Soccer Championship is an annual event where the boroughs compete for the title of City Champion.
Economy and infrastructure
As Achern is the center of the otherwise rural region of northern Ortenau District, small merchant enterprises are very important.
Infrastructure
Achern is located off the Autobahn
The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...
A 5, Exit Achern (between Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
and Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
), and is easily accessed by car or truck also via Bundesstraße
''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.
Germany
Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km.
German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...
B 3 that runs through the city.
Achern's railway station is a stop on the Karlsruhe-Basel route, a stop on line S32 and S4 of the Stadtbahn Karlsruhe
The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbou ...
and used as the starting point of the SWEG line to Ottenhöfen.
Public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
within the city and its immediate surroundings is provided by several bus lines.
Media
In Achern, the ''Badischen Neuesten Nachrichten'' (''BNN''), a daily newspaper operating out of Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, publishes a local edition by the name of ''Acher und Bühler Bote'' and the Offenburger Tageblatt publishes its local edition as ''Acher-Rench-Zeitung''.
Public service
Achern is the seat of a district court, the Finance Ministry maintains an office, and residents can find a notary public. In addition, the Ortenau District Hospital is also located in Achern.
Education
Achern has a college-track highschool (Gymnasium Achern
Gymnasium Achern is a ''Gymnasium (school), Gymnasium'' (grammar school) in Achern, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, founded in 1877. Its address is Berlinerstraße 30. It has about 1000 students and 95 teachers. The current principal is Stefan Weih. ...
), a non-college-track highschool (Robert-Schumann-Realschule), a school for the learning disabled (Achertalschule), three grammar and middle schools with a vocational highschool (Antoniusschule Oberachern, Grund- und Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule Achern, Grund- und Hauptschule Önsbach and Vinzenz-Wachter-Schule), as well as five grammar schools, one each in the boroughs of Gamshurst, Grossweier, Mösbach, Sasbachried and Wagshurst.
Ortenau District operates two vocational training schools (Gewerbeschule Achern and Kaufmännische und Hauswirtschaftliche Schule), the Maiwaldschule for the language handicapped, and the nursing school that is attached to the District Hospital in Achern.
Furthermore, Achern is home of the Music and Art School Achern-Oberkirch.
Notable people
Sons and daughters of Achern
* Joseph Ignatz Peter (1789–1872), politician and revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
ary
* Max Weber (1824–1901), officer of the Badische Army, revolutionary and general of the northern states in the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
* Alfred Kast (1856–1903), internist, professor at the University of Breslau
* Oscar Burkard (1877–1950), winner of the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
, the highest military decoration given in the United States
* Julius Hirsch (1892–1945), murdered in Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
, Olympian soccer player and first Jewish member of the national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
, two-time Germany team champion, awarded the Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
during World War I
* Karl Braun (1902–1937), motorcycle racer
* Helmut Merkel (born 1949), CEO of the department store chain Karstadt
Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH was a German department store chain whose headquarters were in Essen.
Until 30 September 2010 the company was a subsidiary of Arcandor AG (which was known until 30 June 2007 as KarstadtQuelle AG) and was responsible w ...
Others
*Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...
(1898–1956), influential German playwright and poet of the 20th century. As a child, Brecht lived with his grandparents, who resided in Achern
*Heinrich Hansjakob Heinrich Hansjakob (1837- 1916, pseudonym: Hans am See) was a German Catholic priest and Baden historian and politician who was especially well known as a writer. In addition to scientific works, political writings and travel reports, he also publis ...
, author. Several times, Hansjakob was a patient at the Illenau Hospital because of psychological illnesses
International relations
Since 1987 Achern has partnered with the town of Morez
Morez () is a former commune of the Jura department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Hauts de Bienne.France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
For the past 18 years, Achern has had an exchange program with Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in and the county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,918 at the 2010 census. Morganton is approximately northwest of Charlotte.
Morganton is one of the principal cities in the Hick ...
.
References
Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent German Wikipedia article (retrieved January 25, 2006). The German article cited the following sources:
* Badisches Städtebuch; Band IV 2. Teilband aus "Deutsches Städtebuch. Handbuch städtischer Geschichte - Im Auftrage der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der historischen Kommissionen und mit Unterstützung des Deutschen Städtetages, des Deutschen Städtebundes und des Deutschen Gemeindetages, hrsg. von Erich Keyser Erich Keyser (12 October 1893 – 21 February 1968) was a Nazi activist and far-right nationalist historian connected with the anti-Polish ideology of Ostforschung and the racist Volkisch movement. He supported German expansion in Central and East ...
, Stuttgart, 1959
* Hans-Martin Pillin, ''Achern. Eine Stadt und ihre Geschichte'', Achern 1997.
{{Authority control
Towns in Baden-Württemberg
Ortenaukreis
Baden