Bad Mergentheim (; Mergentheim until 1926; East Franconian: ''Märchedol'') is a town in the Main-Tauber-Kreis district in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

state of Baden-Württemberg. It has a population of around 23,000. An officially recognized spa town since 1926, Bad Mergentheim is also known as the headquarters of the Teutonic Order from 1526 until 1809.

Geography

Subdivisions

Since administrative reform in the 1970s the following villages have been part of the municipality: Althausen ''(pop. 600)'', Apfelbach ''(350)'', Dainbach ''(370)'', Edelfingen ''(1,400''; birthplace of the American biochemist Julius Adler), Hachtel ''(360)'', Herbsthausen ''(200)'', Löffelstelzen ''(1,000)'', Markelsheim ''(2,000)'', Neunkirchen ''(1,000)'', Rengershausen ''(480)'', Rot ''(260)'', Stuppach ''(680)'', Wachbach ''(1,300)''

History

Mergentheim is mentioned in chronicles as early as 1058, as the residence of the family of the counts of Hohenlohe. The brothers Andreas, Heinrich and Friedrich von Hohenlohe joined the ''Deutscher Orden'' ( Teutonic Order) in 1219 and gave their two castles near Mergentheim to the order. One was abandoned, the other became the seat of the local '' Komtur'' (commander) of the order. Following the order's conquest of

East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...

and part of Livland in the 1230s, in 1309 the Grand Master of the order moved to the '' Marienburg''. In 1340 Mergentheim was awarded town privileges. It rapidly became the most important of the eleven commanderies of the Teutonic Order. The ''Deutschmeister'', highest ranking member inside the Holy Roman Empire (to which Prussia did not belong), moved his seat to Mergentheim in 1525 after his castle at Hornberg/Neckar had been destroyed by peasants. That same year, Grand Master Albrecht von Zollern-Brandenburg resigned his position, left the order, introduced Reformation, married and – supported by his liege lord the

King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...

– turned the order's eastern territories into a temporal duchy. The rulers of the order in Germany, now styling themselves ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister'', then made Mergentheim the order's new headquarters and expanded the castle into a palatial residence. Over the next centuries, the town served as the centre of the order's southern German territories much like the residence town of any ruling prince. Some grand masters, like Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614–62), who in his 21 years in that role never once set foot in the town, were hardly ever present. Others, like Maximilian Franz (1756-1801), a son of

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

, loved the place. For the order's general chapter in 1791 he brought the orchestra of the Archbishopric of Cologne, including one Ludwig van Beethoven on viola. Mergentheim retained this role until the dissolution of the order in the countries of the '' Rheinbund'' in 1809 by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

.. Additional citations: Höring, ''Das Karlsbad bei Mergentheim'' (Mergentheim 1887); and Schmitt, ''Garnisongeschichte der Stadt Mergentheim'' (Stuttgart, 1895). Mergentheim's fortunes declined after that but were reversed in 1826, when a shepherd by the name of Franz Gehring discovered rich mineral springs in the surrounding area, during the time when spas were expanding in Germany at a rapid pace. The water turned out to be the strongest sodium-sulfate water in Europe, reportedly effective for the treatment of digestive disorders. In the 1970s during the ''Gemeindereform'' (administrative reform) several neighbouring villages were incorporated into the municipality.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Mergentheim Palace

The best-known sight of Bad Mergentheim is the ''Deutschordensschloss'', the castle where the Teutonic Knights once had their home base. It is a complex of buildings built over a period of eight hundred years. The first buildings of the castle were probably erected as early as the 12th century. The castle was expanded in the late 16th century under Grand Master Walther von Cronberg. Over the course of time a representative Renaissance complex was built by connecting the individual buildings in the inner palace courtyard to a closed ring of buildings. In 1574, the main architect, , also constructed the spiral staircase between the west and north wing. Today the castle houses the ''Deutschordensmuseum'' (museum of the Teutonic Order). The English landscape garden between palace and spa building is mainly due to Archduke Maximilian Franz. In 1797, he had a "mosque" built there to recall the past Turkish threat and in 1802 the ''Schellenhäusle'', a late Chinoiserie. The obelisk was built under Duke Paul von Württemberg, a memorial for a dog that saved his life on one of his expeditions. The castle complex is dominated by the ''Schlosskirche'' (palace church), begun in 1730 under Franz Ludwig Herzog von Pfalz-Neuburg in

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 ...

style. It was finished in 1735 under Clemens August von Wittelsbach. The plans for the interior were drawn up by François de Cuvilliés, the Electoral court architect of Cologne. Architects working on site were Joseph Roth and Friedrich Kirchenmayer. Its Rococo interior features elaborate ceiling

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

s by the court painter , depicting ''The Defense of Faith'', the ''Glorification of the Cross in

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

and on Earth'' and the ''Emperor

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...

's Vision of the Cross''. The main altar painting is ''Die Salbung Jesu durch Maria in Bethanien'' by local painter . Side altar paintings were by

Giambattista Pittoni Giambattista Pittoni or Giovanni Battista Pittoni (6 June 1687 – 6 November 1767) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque or Rococo period. He was among the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, of which in 1758 he became the s ...

(''Kreuzaufnahme'', ''Armenspeisung durch die heilige Elisabeth''). The crypt below the church is the burial site of the order's grand masters. For around 200 years the ''Schlosskirche'' has been a Protestant church.

Other sights

The sacristy of the ''Marienkirche'' (finished in 1388) features frescos made in 1300-10 by the monk Rudolfus. This was formerly the church of a Dominican monastery. The cloister has a fresco from 1486 showing a

Visitation Visitation may refer to: Law * Visitation (law) or contact, the right of a non-custodial parent to visit with their children * Prison visitation rights, the rules and conditions under which prisoners may have visitors Music * ''Visitation'' (D ...

that depicts an embryo inside the body of Mary. The church also contains the epitaph of Walther von Cronberg, the first Mergentheim Grand Master. Modelled in 1539, probably by Hans Vischer, it was taken to

Monrepos Mon Repos or Monrepos (French for "my place of rest") may refer to: Places * Mon Repos, Queensland, Australia ** Mon Repos Conservation Park, a turtle rookery at Mon Repos * Mon Repos, Saint Lucia, a village on the island of Saint Lucia * Mon Re ...

at Ludwigsburg in 1809, when Mergentheim became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg. In 1853, the statue was restored to this church.

Demographics

Governance

Town twinning

Bad Mergentheim is twinned with: * Digne-les-Bains, France * Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche, France * Fuefuki, Yamanashi,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

* Borgomanero, Italy

Infrastructure

* Löffelstelzen Transmitter * German Diabetes Center Mergentheim

Notable people

Johann Friedrich Mayer - Oeconomische Encyclopädie

* Heinrich von Hohenlohe (died 1249), buried in the church in Mergentheim * Johann Friedrich Mayer (agriculturist) (1719–1798), priest and agricultural reformer ("Plaster Apostle") * Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), was viola player in the court's musical establishment of the '' Hochmeister'' (Grand Master) of the Teutonic Knights,

Maximilian Franz of Austria Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria (Maximilian Franz Xaver Joseph Johann Anton de Paula Wenzel; 8 December 1756 – 26 July 1801) was Elector of Cologne and Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. He was the youngest child of Holy Roman Em ...

in 1791 * (1814–1872), Protestant pastor and Württemberg local historian *

Eduard Mörike Eduard Friedrich Mörike (8 September 18044 June 1875) was a German Lutheran pastor who was also a Romantic poet and writer of novellas and novels. Many of his poems were set to music and became established folk songs, while others were used by ...

(1804–1875), German poet, lived in Mergentheim from 1844–1851 * Fritz Keller (1850–1923), member of parliament, president of the Württemberg Forest Office * Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852–1925), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshall from 1871–1918, died in Mergentheim

* Ottmar Mergenthaler (1854–1899), inventor of the Linotype *

Edvard Hjelt Edvard Immanuel Hjelt (28 June 1855 – 2 July 1921) was a Finnish chemist, politician and a member of the Senate of Finland. Hjelt studied chemistry in Finland and in Germany and became rector of the University of Helsinki in 1899. He oppose ...

(1855–1921), Finnish chemist and politician, died in Mergentheim *

Felix Fechenbach Felix Fechenbach (28 January 1894 – 7 August 1933) was a German journalist, poet and political activist. He served as State-Secretary in the government of Kurt Eisner that overthrew the Bavarian Wittelsbach Monarchy. After its overthrow, he wor ...

(1894–1933), German Jewish journalist, poet and political activist, who was murdered by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

* (born 1944), writer, children's and youth book author ( Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 1984) *

Barbara Stamm Barbara Stamm (; 29 October 1944 – 5 October 2022) was a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. She joined the CSU in 1969, was a member of the town council of Würzburg from 1972, and a member of the Landtag of Bavaria fr ...

(born 1944), politician

CSU CSU may refer to: * Channel service unit, a Wide area network equivalent of a network interface card * Chari Aviation Services, Chad, by ICAO airline code * Christian Social Union (UK), an Anglican social gospel organisation * Christian Social Un ...

, President of the Bavarian Parliament *

Fritz Kuhn Fritz Kuhn (born 29 June 1955) is a German politician who served as Mayor of Stuttgart from 2012 until 2021. He was co-chairman of Alliance '90/The Greens, the German Green party, in 2002 and its parliamentary group from 2002 to 2013. Early li ...

(born 1955), mayor of

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, former Member of Parliament and former national chairman of the

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

* (born 1963), cook, awarded one star in the

Michelin Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...

* Martin Lanig (born 1984), football player *

Carolin Golubytskyi Carolin Elisabeth Golubytskyi (née Wutz, born 19 December 1985 in Bad Mergentheim, Germany) is a German foil fencer. Biography Carolin Golubytskyi attended Riemenschneider-Realschule Tauberbischofsheim and the Kaufmännische Schule Tauberbis ...

(born 1985), foil fencer *

Atilla Yildirim Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...

(born 1990), Dutch-Turkish football player *

Florian Ruck Florian Ruck (born 6 February 1992) is a German footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian ...

(born 1992), football player *

Valentin Kluss Valentin is a male given name meaning "strong, healthy, power, rule, terco". It comes from the Latin name ''Valentinus'', as in Saint Valentin. Commonly found in Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Latin America ...

(born 2007), racing driver

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:BadMergentheim Castles of the Teutonic Knights Spa towns in Germany Main-Tauber-Kreis Historic Jewish communities Franconian Circle Württemberg