Meersburg () is a town in
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 ...
in the southwest of
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 on
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
.
![Meersburg-Winter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Meersburg-Winter.jpg)
It is known for its medieval city. The lower town ("Unterstadt") and upper town ("Oberstadt") are reserved for pedestrians only, and connected by two stairways and a steep street ("Steigstrasse").
History
The name of the town means "Castle on the Sea", referring to a castle which, according to a tradition from 1548, was built here in 630 by the Merovingian king
Dagobert I
Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dy ...
.
The commune obtained the status of free city in 1299, though nominally still under the
Bishop of Constance
The Prince-Bishopric of Constance, (german: Hochstift Konstanz, Fürstbistum Konstanz, Bistum Konstanz) was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-12th century until its secularisation in 1802–1803. In his dua ...
. In 1803 it was annexed to the Land 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 ...
.
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 ...
, Meersburg was in the
French military occupation area in Germany.
Main sights
The town is home to two castles, the
Old Castle and the
New Castle. The Old Castle, built by Merovingian King
Dagobert I
Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dy ...
in the seventh century, is one of the oldest surviving castles in Germany. It is in private ownership. A self-guided tour is available. German poet
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
Baroness Anna Elisabeth Franziska Adolphine Wilhelmine Louise Maria von Droste zu Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (; 10 January 179724 May 1848), was a 19th-century German poet, novelist, and composer of Classical music. She was ...
lived there for eight years and purchased the
Prince's House. The New Castle was built in the eighteenth century. Originally the residence of the bishop of Constance, it was used for various purposes after the
Secularization
In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...
of 1803. It is now a museum. There is also an expanse of
half-timbered house
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
s, and two medieval town gates, which are the remains of the
fortification
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
.
Transport
Meersburg is the northern terminus of a car ferry service to
Constance
Constance may refer to:
Places
*Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English
*Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada
* Constance, Kentucky
* Constance, Minnesota
* Constance (Portugal)
* Mount Constance, Washington State
People
* Consta ...
. On the opposite side Meersburg is connected to the region by the B 31, a major road that leads from
Breisach
Breisach (formerly Altbreisach; Low Alemannic: ''Alt-Brisach'') is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway b ...
(on the French border) to
Lindau
Lindau (german: Lindau (Bodensee), ''Lindau am Bodensee''; ; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Lindou'') is a major Town#Germany, town and Lindau (island), island on the eastern side of Lake Constance (''Bodensee'' in German) in Bavaria, Ge ...
(on the Austrian border), largely bypassing all parts of Meersburg. To exit to Meersburg and to get to the car ferry, one takes B 33 to Meersburg and Constance.
Meersburg is also reachable by pleasure boat services from Lake Constance to Überlingen (to the west), to Lindau, Bregenz (to the east) and to Constance opposite.
Famous people
![Droste Haus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Droste_Haus.jpg)
One of Germany's most celebrated poets,
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff
Baroness Anna Elisabeth Franziska Adolphine Wilhelmine Louise Maria von Droste zu Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (; 10 January 179724 May 1848), was a 19th-century German poet, novelist, and composer of Classical music. She was ...
, lived her final years at
Meersburg Castle
Meersburg Castle (german: Burg Meersburg), also known as the Alte Burg (English: Old Castle), in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited castles in Germany. The central tower wa ...
, from 1841–1848. She also owned the small vine-covered villa known as ''Fürstenhäusle''.
Homepage of the Droste-Museum
/ref>
The famous eighteenth-century doctor Franz Anton Mesmer
Franz Anton Mesmer (; ; 23 May 1734 – 5 March 1815) was a German physician with an interest in astronomy. He theorised the existence of a natural energy transference occurring between all animated and inanimate objects; this he called " ani ...
(from whose name the verb "to mesmerize" derives) died in 1815 in Meersburg and is buried near the old wall of the graveyard about northeast of the upper town-gate "Obertor" (see picture beneath).
others
* Stefan Lochner (c.1410–1451) German painter working in the late "soft style" of the International Gothic
International Gothic is a period of Gothic art which began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by th ...
.
* Hugo von Hohenlandenberg
Hugo von Hohenlandenberg (c. 1457 in Schloss Hegi bei Winterthur Zurich">/nowiki>Zurich.html" ;"title="Zurich.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Zurich">/nowiki>Zurich">Zurich.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Zurich">/nowiki>Zurich/nowiki> – 7 January 1532 in Me ...
(c.1457–1532 in Meersburg) Bishop of Konstanz
The Prince-Bishopric of Constance, (german: Hochstift Konstanz, Fürstbistum Konstanz, Bistum Konstanz) was a small ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the mid-12th century until its secularisation in 1802–1803. In his dua ...
.
* Hieronymus Harder
Hieronymus Harder (1523 – April 1607) was a German botanist and teacher of Latin.
Harder was born in Meersburg in the Lake Constance region of Germany, but part of his youth was spent in Bregenz, where his father taught from 1535 onwards. ...
(1523–1607) German botanist and teacher of Latin.
* Baron Joseph Maria Christoph von Lassberg (1770–1855) German antiquary
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, lived at Meersburg Castle
Meersburg Castle (german: Burg Meersburg), also known as the Alte Burg (English: Old Castle), in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited castles in Germany. The central tower wa ...
from 1838.
* Friedrich August Walchner (1799–1865) German geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
, chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
and mineralogist
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...
.
* Levin Schücking
Levin Schücking (full name: ''Christoph Bernhard Levin Matthias Schücking''; September 6, 1814 – August 31, 1883) was a German novelist. He was born near Meppen, Kingdom of Prussia, and died in Bad Pyrmont, German Empire. He was the uncle o ...
(1814–1883) German novelist, lived at Meersburg Castle
Meersburg Castle (german: Burg Meersburg), also known as the Alte Burg (English: Old Castle), in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is considered to be one of the oldest inhabited castles in Germany. The central tower wa ...
1841/1843.
* Robert Eberle
Robert Eberle (1815–1862), a German animal painter, was born at Meersburg, on Lake Constance on 22 July 1815. He died at Eberingg, near Munich, on 19 September 1862.
Life
He was first instructed by J.J. Johann Jakob Biedermann, Bidermann at ...
(1815–1862), German animal painter
An animal painter is an artist who specialises in (or is known for their skill in) the portrayal of animals.
The ''OED'' dates the first express use of the term "animal painter" to the mid-18th century: by English physician, naturalist and wri ...
* Fritz Mauthner
Fritz Mauthner (22 November 1849 – 29 June 1923) was an Austrian novelist, theatre critic and satirist. He was an exponent of philosophical scepticism derived from a critique of human knowledge and of philosophy of language.
Mauthner was bo ...
(1849–1923 in Meersburg) Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
novelist, theatre critic, satirist, and exponent of philosophical skepticism
Philosophical skepticism ( UK spelling: scepticism; from Greek σκέψις ''skepsis'', "inquiry") is a family of philosophical views that question the possibility of knowledge. It differs from other forms of skepticism in that it even reject ...
.
* Markus Baur
Markus Baur (born 22 January 1971) is a former German handball player now turned trainer. He is considered one of the world's best players on his position.
Born in Meersburg, he is a member of the German national handball team since 1994, makin ...
(born 1971) former German handball player now turned trainer.
Viticulture
The Meersburg vineyards at the northern banks of Lake Constance are famous within Germany. The rosée "Weissherbst" wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
is a specialty of the region.
International relations
Meersburg is twinned with:
*
Hohnstein
Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.
Geography
It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km so ...
, Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, 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 ...
– since 1991
*
Louveciennes
Louveciennes () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, between Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and adjacent to Marly-le-Roi.
Population
...
, 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 ...
– since 1991
*
San Gimignano
San Gimignano () is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
– since 2002
Gallery
File:Meersburg old.jpg, Old castle of Meersburg
File:House near the Altes Schloss.jpg, Half-timbered water mill, now private house near the Altes Schloss, Meersburg
File:Meersburg (Aw58MW)1.jpg, City gate
File:Franz Anton Mesmers Grabstein 01 Gesamt.jpg, Gravestone of Franz Anton Mesmer in Meersburg
File:AltstadtMeersburg3.jpg, View of the centre of the upper town
References
4
New Mayor
External links
The official Meersburg homepage
Meersburg-Webcam: 2 livecams show the historical marketplace
Meersburg: history and images (in German)
Meersburg: Pictures
{{Authority control
Populated places on Lake Constance
Bodenseekreis
Articles containing video clips