Aalen

Aalen is a town in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is about 70 kilometres east of Stuttgart and 48 kilometres north of Ulm. Aalen is the largest town in the Ostwürttemberg region and the seat of the Ostalbkreis district. Since 1956, Aalen has been a Große Kreisstadt, meaning a major district town.

The town is known for its many beautiful half-timbered houses from the 16th to 18th centuries. These old houses make the town's historic center very charming. Aalen covers an area of 146.63 km². It is the seventh largest town in Baden-Württemberg and the second largest in the Government Region of Stuttgart, after Stuttgart itself.

Today, about 66,000 people live in Aalen. The town has a rich history and is an important place in the region.

Geography

Aalen is a town in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the upper part of the river Kocher. Nearby, you can find the Swabian Jura to the south and the Ellwangen Hills to the north. The town is surrounded by forests and hills, which makes it a beautiful place to live.

The landscape around Aalen changes in different areas. There are different types of soil and rocks. Some places have sandy soil, while others have gravel or clay. Aalen is important for scientists because it shows many layers of rocks from a very long time ago. These layers help them learn about Earth's history. The town centre is in a valley. It has a mix of older soil layers and newer river deposits.

History

Civic history

First settlements

Many old tools and signs of people living long ago have been found in the area. Tools made of flint and traces of people from the Mesolithic time between the 8th and 5th millennium BC were found near the Kocher and Jagst valleys. On the Schloßbaufeld plateau near Unterkochen, an old settlement from the Bronze Age was found. In the Appenwang forest near Wasseralfingen, and in Goldshöfe and Ebnat, old graves from the Hallstatt culture were found. In Aalen and Wasseralfingen, gold and silver coins from the Celts were found. The Celts built strong walls around the Schloßbaufeld settlement. Near Heisenberg (Wasseralfingen), a special Celtic place called a nemeton was found, but it is hard to see today.

Roman era

After the Romans left the Alb Limes around 150 AD, Aalen's area became part of the Roman Empire. The Romans built a castrum to house their cavalry unit. It is known today as Kastell Aalen. The site is west of today's town centre. It was the largest fort for auxiliaries along the Rhaetian Limes, with about 1,000 soldiers and many workers. There were also civilian settlements nearby. Around 260 AD, the Romans left the fort as they moved back to the Rhine and Danube rivers, and the Alamanni took over. Coins from the 3rd and 4th centuries show that the civilian settlement continued for a while, but there is no sign of people living there between the Roman time and the Middle Ages.

Foundation

Archaeologists think Aalen started in the 7th century based on graves from that time. Roman stones were used in the walls of St. John's church, which is next to the eastern gate of the Roman fort. The church we see today probably dates to the 9th century.

Aalen was first mentioned in 839 when emperor Louis the Pious allowed the Fulda monastery to exchange land with Hammerstadt village. Aalen itself was first mentioned in 1136 as the village Alon, along with a local nobleman named Conrad of Aalen. This nobleman likely had a castle south of today's town centre. The town of Aalen was founded by the Hohenstaufen between 1241 and 1246, but at a different place than the earlier village, which may have been destroyed in 1388. Later, the counts of Oettingen ruled the town and eventually pawned it to the House of Württemberg in 1358 or 1359.

Imperial City

During a war, Emperor Charles IV took the town without a fight in 1360 and declared Aalen an Imperial City, meaning it was responsible only to the emperor. This made it like a small independent country until 1803. In 1377, Aalen joined a group of cities, and in 1398, it got the right to hold markets. In 1401, it got its own court system.

The oldest picture of Aalen was made in 1528 for a legal case. It shows Aalen with walls, towers, and moats. The town had two main gates, but one was closed due to floods and replaced by another gate. The market took place in the main street, which had a turn between two gates.

Around 1500, the graveyard moved to St. John's Church, and in 1514, a group of 24 citizens formed to help run the town.

Reformation

In 1575, a teacher from the University of Tübingen, Jakob Andreae, came to Aalen and convinced the town to adopt the Reformation. This changed many things, as the Catholic priests were not allowed to hold services anymore. Later, during the Thirty Years' War, Catholic practices returned for a short time, but Protestant practices came back after that.

Fire of 1634

In 1634, two soldiers set fire to some weapons to stop them from falling into enemy hands. This caused a big fire that destroyed parts of the town. Different stories tell of how much was lost, but it was a serious damage. After the fire, soldiers took things from the town. It took nearly 100 years for the town to grow back to 2,000 people.

French soldiers passed through Aalen in 1688, 1702, and 1741, but did not cause much damage. In 1765, the tower of the town church fell down and destroyed part of the church. Reconstruction began that same year.

In 1749, an agreement called the Aalen protocol was signed in Aalen to help Lutherans and Catholics live together peacefully.

Napoleonic era and end of the Imperial City of Aalen

During the War of the First Coalition, Aalen was looted. In 1803, most Imperial Cities, including Aalen, were given to nearby states. Aalen became part of the Electorate of Württemberg. During the War of the Third Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in Aalen with a large army, causing hardship for the town.

In 1811, the municipality of Unterrombach was formed from some villages that used to belong to Aalen.

Industrial Revolution

Before the Industrial Revolution, Aalen was a small town where people also worked on farms. Many people were tanners, and there were also mills for making cloth and bakeries for sweet treats.

Industrialisation started slowly in Aalen. The first big change came in the 1840s with factories for making nails. The Rems Railway from Cannstatt to Wasseralfingen in 1861 brought more industry to Aalen. More railways were built in the 1860s, turning Aalen into a important railway centre. This created many new jobs. Utilities like gas lighting, water supply, electricity, and streetlights were added between 1866 and 1935.

During and after World War I, the town built temporary housing areas. Even during the Great Depression of 1929, public baths were modernised and reopened in 1931.

Nazi era

In 1932, the Nazi Party did not do as well in Aalen as in other places, but by 1933, they were in control. The mayor was replaced, and Nazi events were held in the town.

During Nazi rule in Germany, many military offices were built in Aalen. Neighbouring towns were merged into Aalen starting in 1935. In 1944, a concentration camp was built nearby for forced labour. Many prisoners died there.

Aalen was not heavily damaged in World War II until the last weeks, when air attacks destroyed parts of the town, the train station, and other buildings. In April 1945, US forces took control of Aalen.

Post-war era

Aalen became part of the new state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952. In 1973, the district of Aalen was merged into the Ostalbkreis district, and Aalen became its seat. In 1975, the town grew to its current size.

The population of Aalen passed 20,000 in 1946, making it a Große Kreisstadt. It was declared an Unmittelbare Kreisstadt in 1947 and a Große Kreisstadt in 1956.

Religions

In 2008, about half of Aalen's people were Catholic Church members, and about a quarter were Evangelical-Lutheran Church members. The rest were from other or no religious groups.

Protestantism

Aalen was originally under the control of Ellwangen Abbey and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Augsburg. In 1575, with help from the Duke of Württemberg, the reformation was introduced in Aalen. Aalen became mostly Protestant, except for a short time during the Thirty Years' War. As an Imperial City, Aalen managed its own church matters. There was even a special hymn book for Aalen. After becoming part of Württemberg in 1803, Aalen became the seat of a deanery. Notable deans included Georg Pfäfflin.

Other Protestant churches in Aalen include St. John's Church, St. Mark's parish, St. Martin's parish, and churches in Unterrombach, Fachsenfeld, Wasseralfingen, and Unterkochen. There are also Old Pietistic communities.

Catholicism

The few Catholics in central Aalen were part of the Unterkochen parish until the 19th century. St. Mary's Church was built in 1868, and Aalen got its own parish in 1872. More Catholic churches were built over the years, including Salvator's Church in 1913, Holy Cross Church in 1969, St. Mary's Church in 1972, St. Augustine's Church in 1970, St. Elizabeth's Church in 1976, and St. Thomas' Church in 1988.

Other Catholic churches serve areas like Hofherrnweiler, Dewangen, Ebnat, Hofen, Waldhausen, and Wasseralfingen. All Catholic parishes in Aalen are part of four pastoral care units in the Ostalb Deanery of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart.

Other Christian communities

In addition to the two main religions, Aalen has free churches and other groups, including the United Methodist Church, the Baptists, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the New Apostolic Church.

Other religions

Until the late 19th century, there were no Jews in Aalen. By 1933, there were seven Jews in Aalen, but most left after the Nazis came to power. The last Jewish person, Fanny Kahn, was forced to leave, and a street in Aalen is named after her.

Aalen has an Islamic Ditib community with a mosque, and the Millî Görüş organisation also has a mosque in the town.

Mergings

The current size of Aalen was formed on 21 June 1975 when Aalen and Wasseralfingen merged, initially named Aalen-Wasseralfingen. The name Aalen was restored on 1 July 1975. Before this, Aalen had already merged with several municipalities:

• 1938: Unterrombach
• 1 January 1970: Waldhausen
• 1 July 1972: Ebnat
• 1 January 1973: Dewangen, Fachsenfeld (including Hangendenbach, transferred from Abtsgmünd in 1954) and Unterkochen. Merging with Dewangen almost doubled Aalen's size.

Population's progression and structure

During the Middle Ages and early modern times, Aalen was a small town with only a few hundred people. The population grew slowly due to wars, hunger, and diseases. Growth sped up during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. In 1803, there were 1,932 people, and by 1905, the population was 10,442. It reached 15,890 in 1939.

After World War II, many refugees and ethnic Germans from eastern Europe moved to Aalen, increasing the population to 31,814 by 1961. The merger with Wasseralfingen in 1975 added 14,597 people, bringing the total to 65,165. By 2005, the population was 67,125.

On 31 December 2008, Aalen had 66,058 people, with 33,579 women and 32,479 men. The average age was 42.4 years. There were 6,312 foreigners, about 9.6% of the population. The largest groups were from Turkey (38%), Italy (13%), Croatians (6%), and Serbs (5%).

The number of married people fell from 32,948 in 1996 to 31,357 in 2007, while the number of divorced people rose from 2,625 to 3,859. The number of single people increased slightly from 1996 to 2004 and then fell a little by 2007. The number of widowed people fell from 5,036 in 1996 to 4,783 in 2007.

Average age of Aalen's inhabitants

Ratio of married inhabitants contrasted to unmarried

Politics

Aalen has a partnership with the towns of Essingen and Hüttlingen.

Since the local election of 2014, the town council has 51 members and serves for five years. The mayor of Aalen is elected for eight years and leads the council.

Aalen’s coat of arms shows a black eagle with a red tongue on a golden background. On the eagle’s chest is a red shield with a silver eel. This design is from 1385 and represents the town’s history. The town’s flag is red and white and features the coat of arms.

The name Aalen may come from the German word for "eel" because the town is near a river where eels were caught. Other ideas suggest the name relates to an old Roman fort or a Celtic word for water.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Aalen has friendly partnerships with towns in several countries. These partnerships help people from different places share traditions, sports, and school activities.

Aalen’s partner towns include:

• Saint-Lô in France (since 1978)
• Christchurch in the United Kingdom (since 1981)
• Tatabánya in Hungary (since 1987)
• Antakya in Turkey (since 1995)
• Cervia in Italy (since 2011)
• Vilankulo in Mozambique (since 2018)

The Twin Towns Society of Aalen works to support these friendly connections between the towns.

Culture and sights

Theatre

The Theater der Stadt Aalen theatre was started in 1991. It has 400 to 500 shows each year.

Schubart Literary Award

The town gives out the "Schubart Literary Award" each two years to writers in German. It started in 1955 to honor Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart, who grew up in Aalen. The award is worth 12,000 Euros.

Music

The Music School of the Town of Aalen was started in 1958. It has about 1,500 students and 27 teachers. In 1977, a symphony orchestra began in Aalen. It is called Aalener Sinfonieorchester. It gives three concerts each year. Music festivals also happen in Aalen, like the Aalen Jazzfest.

The Aalen volunteer fire department has had a marching band since 1952. In 1959, the band got its first glockenspiel from TV host Peter Frankenfeld.

A famous German rapper, designer, and singer named Cro was born in Aalen.

Arts

The Kunstverein Aalen was started in 1983. It is in the Old Town Hall and has over 400 members. It shows art by artists from around the world. It is part of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Kunstvereine (ADKV).

Museums and memorial sites

Museums

In central Aalen, there are two museums: The "Aalen Limes Museum" opened in 1964. It shows objects from Roman times. The ruins of the Roman fort are open for visitors. A Roman festival happens there every two years.

In the Geological-Paleontological Museum in the old town hall, there are over 1500 fossils from the Swabian Jura, including ammonites, ichthyosaurs, and corals.

In the Waldhausen area, the Heimatstüble museum shows local history.

In Wasseralfingen, the Museum Wasseralfingen has a local history exhibit and an art gallery. It also shows the stove plate collection from the Schwäbische Hüttenwerke steel mill.

Memorial sites

There is a memorial stone for people who died in a difficult time at the Schillerlinde tree above Wasseralfingen's ore pit. In Wasseralfingen's cemetery, there is a memorial for people who suffered and died.

In 1954, the town built a bell tower to remember people who were moved from their homes. The tower rings every evening.

Buildings

Churches

The town center has the Evangelical-Lutheran St. Nicholas' Church, built between 1765 and 1767. It is the main church for the community.

St. John's Church is in St. John's cemetery. The building likely dates back to the 9th century.

For other churches in Aalen, see the Religions section.

Historic Town Hall with "Spy"

The Historic Town Hall was first built in the 14th century. After a fire in 1634, it was rebuilt in 1636. It has a figurine of the "Spy of Aalen" and became a symbol of the town. The building was used as the town hall until 1907. Since 1977, the Geological-Paleontological Museum is in the Historic Town Hall.

There is a story that the town was saved because of the "Spy of Aalen."

Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall was first recorded in 1575. It was used as Aalen's town hall from 1907 to 1975. Today it has a café and the stage for the Theatre of the Town of Aalen.

Bürgerspital

The Bürgerspital is a timber-frame house built in 1702. It was used as a hospital and later as a home for older people. After a big renovation in 1980, it became a center for older adults.

Limes-Thermen

The Limes-Thermen are hot springs built in ancient Roman style and opened in 1985. The water is about 34 to 36 °C.

Market square

The market square is the historic center of Aalen. It has been the place for the weekly market since 1809.

Market fountain

A well was built at the north end of the market square in 1705. In 1975, the old market fountain was put back. It has a copy of an emperor's statue.

Reichsstädter Brunnen

The Reichsstädter Brunnen fountain is in front of the town hall. It was made in 1977 to remember Aalen's time as an Imperial City. It has bronze figures showing the town's history.

Radgasse

The Radgasse has Aalen's oldest building face. The buildings were built between 1659 and 1662.

Tiefer Stollen

The old iron ore mine Wilhelm at Braunenberg hill was turned into the Tiefer Stollen tourist mine. It has a mine museum for visitors.

Observatory

The Aalen Observatory was built in 1969. It became a public observatory in 2001. It has two refractive telescopes. The observatory has regular tours and talks.

Windpark Waldhausen

The Windpark Waldhausen wind farm started in early 2007. It has seven wind turbines.

Aalbäumle observation tower

The Aalbäumle observation tower is on Langert mountain. It was built in 1898. It gives a great view of Aalen. Below the tower, there is a playground and a cabin.

Natural monuments

The state has set aside protected lands and forests in Aalen. There are also many big and single natural monuments and two protected areas.

The Dellenhäule protected area is a sheep field with old willow trees.

The Goldshöfer Sande protected area has sand hills that are important for science.

Sports

The football team, VfR Aalen, was started in 1921. Its home is the Scholz-Arena.

The KSV Aalen wrestling team plays in the Wrestling Federal League.

Two American sports, American football and Baseball, are played by MTV Aalen. Volleyball has become more popular in Aalen.

The Ostalb ski lifts are south of the town center. The skiing area has platter lifts and runs.

Regular events

Reichsstädter Tage

Since 1975, the Reichsstädter Tage festival has been held every year in September. It is the biggest festival in the area.

Roman Festival

The international Roman Festival happens every two years at the site of the old Roman fort and the modern Limes museum.

Aalen Jazz Festival

Every year during the second week of November, the Aalen Jazz Festival brings famous and new artists to Aalen. The festival also has extra concerts in spring and summer.

Economy and infrastructure

Aalen is a busy town with many jobs. About 30,000 people who live in Aalen go to work each day, mostly making machines and tools or helping others with their needs. Many people from nearby areas come to Aalen for jobs, and some people from Aalen travel to other cities for work.

The town has around 4,700 businesses, from large factories to small shops. Making metal things and building machines is very important for Aalen. There are also companies that work with light, paper, computers, chemicals, clothes, medical tools, medicine, and food.

Aalen is a central place for trains and buses. The main train station connects Aalen to cities like Stuttgart, Ulm, and Nuremberg. There are many bus lines that help people travel around the town and nearby areas. Some roads connect Aalen to big highways, making it easy to drive to places like Würzburg or Füssen. There are also places to ride bikes and small airports for private planes and gliding.

Aalen has important public buildings such as a local court, offices for jobs and taxes, and hospitals. The town has many schools, including three high schools, several middle schools, special schools for students who need extra help, and eight primary schools. There is also a college called Hochschule Aalen that focuses on engineering and business.

Two radio stations, Radio Ton and Radio 7, have studios in Aalen. The town also has several local newspapers and magazine rental services.

Notable people

Aalen has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some well-known figures include Johann Christoph von Westerstetten, a prince-bishop and church leader, and Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart, a poet and musician who spent his childhood there. Other notable individuals include Karl Joseph von Hefele, a church historian, and Rudolf Duala Manga Bell, a leader from Kamerun who lived in Aalen in the late 1800s.

The town has also seen many athletes grow up or live there, such as Thomas Zander, a world champion wrestler, and Andreas Beck, a footballer who played for the German national team. Other famous sports figures include Walter Adams, a middle-distance runner, and Carl-Uwe Steeb, a retired tennis player.

• Johann Christoph von Westerstetten (1563–1637), Prince-bishop of Eichstätt and counter-reformer
• Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (1739–1791), poet, organ player, composer and journalist; lived in Aalen as a child and adolescent.
• Karl Joseph von Hefele (1809–1893), Roman Catholic theologian, clerical historian and bishop.
• Stephan Jakob Neher (1829–1902), Catholic priest and church historian.
• Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873–1914), King of Duala and resistance leader in the German colony of Kamerun, lived in Aalen from 1891 until 1896.
• Kurt Jooss (1901–1979), born in Wasseralfingen; dancer, choreographer and dance educator
• Georg Elser (1903–1945), opponent of Nazism, worked in 1923 as an apprentice carpenter in Aalen.
• Bruno Heck (1917–1989), politician (CDU), former minister of the government and CDU secretary general
• Hermann Bausinger (1926–2021), cultural scientist
• Hans Elsässer (1929–2003), astronomer and founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
• Werner Sobek (born 1953), architect and structural engineer
• Gerhard Thiele (born 1953 in Heidenheim), physicist and former astronaut, attended school in Aalen.
• Angela Schanelec (born 1962), actress, film director and screenwriter
• Ulrich Spiesshofer (born 1964), business executive, former CEO of the ABB Group
• Martin Gerlach, (DE Wiki)) (born 1965), independent politician, mayor of Aalen (2005–2013)
• Steffen Schorn (born 1967), jazz musician & professor at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg
• Carlo Waibel (born 1990), singer known as Cro, wears a panda mask on stage.

Sport

• Werner Bickelhaupt (born 1939), football coach, lives in Aalen since 2004, head coach for Swaziland for 3 months in 2003
• Walter Adams (born 1945 in Wasseralfingen), middle-distance runner
• Thomas Zander (born 1967), wrestler, world champion in 1994 and silver medallist at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Carl-Uwe Steeb (born 1967), retired tennis player
• Erol Sabanov (born 1974), former football goalkeeper who played about 300 games
• Andreas Beck (born 1987), footballer, immigrated aged 3, grew up in Aalen; played about 475 games and 9 for Germany
• Patrick Funk (born 1990), footballer, played about 375 games
• Fabio Kaufmann (born 1992), footballer, played over 350 games

Honorary citizens

• Wilhelm Jakob Schweiker (1859–1927), founder of the Aalen Historical Society (Geschichts- und Altertumsverein Aalen) and name giver of the Wilhelm Jakob Schweiker Award
• Ulrich Pfeifle, Mayor of Aalen from 1976 until 2005