Discover Hechingen with the Small City Guide People, Places and History
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Discover Hechingen with the Small City Guide People, Places and History City Map included 12 11 10 1 2 Welcome to Hechingen! The former seat of royal power 3 invites you for a visit. Exciting and 6 diverse activities await. The Romans were attracted to the beautiful location at the foot of the 4 Swabian Alps. A hereditary count later celebrated his famous wedding here, where princes met with the European higher nobility and kings fulfilled their childhood dreams. Goethe admired Hechingen’s churches, Franz Liszt 5 worked with the court orchestra and 7 Einstein visited dear relatives. Take a relaxing stroll through Hechingen’s Old Town or visit one of 8 9 the other points of interest by car. * 400 m 450 m 100 m 180 m 270 m 230 m approx. 2.7 km approx.* 11.6 km *approx. 2.9 km *approx. 6.1 km approx.* 5.2 km 1 Villa 2 Protestant 3 St. Jakobus 4 City Hall with 5 State Museum of 6 Old 7 Lower 8 St. Luzen 9 Roman 10 Stetten im 11Raichberg- 12 Hohenzollern Eugenia Church of Collegiate and Market Square Hohenzollern Synagogue Tower Monastery Open-Air Gnadental Tour Castle St. Johannes Parish Church Fountain Museum The History of Hechingen at a Gallop 786 First mention of Hechingen as an Alemannic village in a deed of donation for the Abbey of Saint Gallen. 1838- The city enjoyed a cultural blossoming called the Orpheic Hechingen 1849 1061 First mention of the aristocratic House of Zollern during the reign of the last Hechingen royal couple. The court orchestra enjoyed supraregional standing with famed musicians such as Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz and Louis Spohr staying in the residence as 1255 First mention of the City of Hechingen, which was built by guests and performing in Villa Eugenia and the adjacent building of the the Zollern count on a projection of the Starzel River next museum society, currently the City Hall Museum. to the Alemannic village in the first half of the 1849- 13th century. The two Hohenzollern principalities of Hechingen and 1850 Sigmaringen passed on to the control of the kindred house of Prussia in the course of the Revolution After the destruction of Zollern Castle, 1423 of 1848/1849. This gave rise to the Prussian the counts of Zollern relocated their administrative district called the “Hohenzollern court to the city. Hechingen became State”. Under Prussian rule, the city was a seat of royal power. industrialised, primarily under the leadership of Jewish entrepreneurs. 1546 The first synagogue was built by Jews, who had been accounted for in the Kristallnacht: the interior of the Old Synagogue 1938 city since the 15th century. was destroyed. Around 30 Hechingen Jews were murdered during National Socialist rule. 1576 The division of the Hohenzollern estate The city underwent significant structural expansion 1950 created the counties of Hohenzollern- after World War II. The residential areas of im Weiher, Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen am Fasanengarten and am Schlossberg were developed. and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch. Development of the construction location of Stockoch began in 1980. Under Count Eitelfriedrich I of Hohenzollern-Hechingen 1971- (1576 – 1605), the city developed into a thriving renaissance residence. Over the course of municipal reform, the surrounding villages of 1972 Eitelfriedrich commissioned the expansion of the St. Luzen Church Bechtoldsweiler, Beuren, Boll, Schlatt, Sickingen, Stein, Stetten in the style characterised by the counter-reformation, a four-wing and Weilheim were incorporated into Hechingen. palace, the hospital and the Lower Tower. With the district reform, the City of Hechingen lost its central role 1973 as a district or administrative centre and was incorporated into The Hohenzollern Wedding: The wedding of the heir, Johann Georg 1598 Zollernalbkreis. of Hohenzollern-Hechingen with Franziska Wild- and Rhinegravine of Salm-Neufville was one of the greatest parties of the Renaissance in southwest Germany. Starting in the 1970’s, the city’s economic emphasis shifted from the 1970ff. textile industry to medical technology (Medical Valley Hechingen). Villa Eugenia was the residence of the last ruling Prince of Hohen- zollern-Hechingen. The building was actually constructed in 1787 as a pleasure-garden house of Prince Joseph Wilhelm. Some 50 years later, Friedrich Wilhelm Constantin and his wife Eugenie, a step-grandchild of Napoleon Bonaparte, had it con- verted into the city palace. The two side wings were expanded and, at the request of the princess, the surrounding gardens were devel- oped into an English countryside garden, now known as the Power Couple with Demanding Tastes Fürstengarten. Today the Villa is open with numer- Hechingen enjoyed a significant Thomas Täglichsbeck, had an ous exhibits and events and can be cultural upturn in the first half excellent reputation that stretched far wider than the confines of the booked as a representative event of the 19th century under the royal couple Friedrich Wilhelm principality. Famous musicians and location. Constantin and his wife Eugenie. composers, including Franz Liszt For further information visit The prince supported the musical and Hector Berlioz, were welcome www.villa-eugenia.de arts and Villa Eugenia became the guests in Hechingen. centre of Orpheic Hechingen. The family connections of Constantin was a composer and Eugenie amongst the European a singer, as was Eugenie, who sang high nobility also ensured The Focal Point of in the choir during performances. illustrious guests. The Hechingen court orchestra, City and Society under the direction of composer Villa Eugenia and the Fürstengarten 1 Start Villa Eugenia, BOOK YOUR PERSONAL CITY GUIDE! +49 (0) 7471 - 940-211 ≤City walk Fürstengarten Princess Eugenie planned the landscape park of Villa Eugenia in English style. The “Fürstengarten”, as it is now known, is filled with majestic trees, enchanting paths and cosy corners. It has been open to the public since 1850. As a place of retreat with a variety of usable open areas, it is an extremely popular destination in Hechingen year round. The “little white house” situated on the edge of the Fürstengarten had been constructed by the prince in the 19th century as a billiard room. Today it is the exhibit room of the Hechingen Art Association. Villa Eugenia, Protestant Church Fürstengarten of St. John In the Cylinder District The villas of the city elite were built around the Protestant Church of St. Johannes Many of these residents were Prussian officials, referred to as “cylinder wearers” because of their top hats. They were sent from Berlin to Hechingen to run the new administrative district based on Prussian legislation. The last German Crown Prince, Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia, spent his final years at the foot of the family seat in the Hechingen Cylinder District after World War II. He was buried in the St. Michaels Bastion of Hohenzollern Castle. In the year 1850, the former principalities of Hechingen and Sigmaringen were merged to form a Prussian administrative district. The number of Protestants grew with the arrival of Prussian officials and military personnel, as well as the workers employed for the construction of the third castle. As a result, King Frederick William IV built a Protestant church in Hech- ingen in 1856/1857 – the first in Hohenzollern – based on the plans of Friedrich A. Stüler. Anyone who looks at Hohenzollern Castle will immediately recognise Spiritual Home that it is the work of the same The Small architect in the same architectural Difference in Exile style and the same stone. Open from Easter until the The service in the new 2 The Protestant harvest festival on Sundays church was celebrated in from 11:00 to 17:00 the form of the “Liturgy of Church of the Old Prussian Union”. St. Johannes and This meant that the formality of the mass was utilised, its surroundings but there was no worship of the holy spirit and it lacked the sacrificial character of the service. The emphasis was on the sermon rather than the Eucharist. Fürstengarten St. Jakobus The beautiful glass windows in the entrance area of the church are a spectacle to behold. The church is an impressive architectural example of a period whose style departed from the opulent baroque spatial design. Symmetry and sobriety were the ideals of classicism, which reflected The Heart the elements of classical antiquity. Returns Home As Goethe viewed the collegiate church during The heart of the last his stay in 1797, he was sovereign, Princess very impressed and noted: Eugenie of Hohenzollern- “Very beautiful church”. Hechingen, has resided in the niche of the church since 1952. At the request of her mother, Auguste de Beauharnais, it had been returned to Munich after her death. The body of St. Jakobus, one of the most the princess remains next to her husband, Prince important sacred buildings of Wilhelm Constantin of the early classical period and an Hohenzollern-Hechingen unmistakeable landmark of Hechingen, in the prince’s crypt towers majestically and monumentally under the church. over the upper city. The architect of the collegiate church, Pierre Michel d’Ixnard, impressed his client, Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, with a tower 55 m high and a distinctly Italian-French architectural style. High Demands Open: daily from 8:30 to 17:00 3 St. Jakobus Collegiate and Parish Church Protestant Church of St. John City Hall In the Thick of it and Thereabouts 4 City Hall with Market Place Fountain The history of Hechingen is told on the The Market fountain in front of the city hall. It shows over 2000 years of the city history in Place Fountain inspiring scenes. 1. Long-time and committed city 3. Retired Mayor council member Norbert Roth. Hilde Wallishauser 4. Retired Reverend 2. Factory owner Theodor Seeger Friedrich Biedermann (backside) (centre) Hechingen is always bustling at the square around the city hall – Under the protection whether at the weekly markets, of the count, Jews have The ancient Romans the Christmas market or the an- been coming to Hechingen already put down roots nual Irma-West children’s and folk since 1500 and become an here! The Roman open-air active part of the city.