Meersburg

Meersburg
Meersburg
Location of the town of Meersburg within Bodenseekreis district
Coordinates	47°41′45″N 9°16′15″E
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Tübingen
District	Bodenseekreis
Municipal assoc.	Meersburg
Mayor	Martin Brütsch (/)
Basic statistics
Area	12.08 km2 (4.66 sq mi)
Elevation	444 m  (1457 ft)
Population	5,658 (31 December 2011)
- Density	468 /km2 (1,213 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	FN
Postal code	88709
Area code	07532
Website	www.meersburg.de

Meersburg is a town of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany at Lake Constance.

Vineyards, Meersburg, Lake Constance and Alps.

Meersburg 2010

It is famous for its charming 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 "Burg on the Sea", the former referring to the castle which, according to a tradition from 1548, was built here in 630 by the Merovingian king Dagobert I.

The commune obtained the status of free city in 1299, though nominally still under the Bishop of Constance. In 1803 it was annexed to the Land of Baden.

After World War II, Meersburg remained 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, according to the Swiss chronicles, was built by the Merovingian King Dagobert I in the 7th Century. It was also the home of the German poetess Annette von Droste-Hülshoff for the last eight years of her life. The Old Castle is open for visitors and features a self-guided tour. The New Castle was built in the 18th Century as a home for the Bishop of Constance. Following the Secularization of 1803, the New Castle was used for a variety of purposes before becoming a museum.

There is an entity of half-timbered houses.

Also two medieval town-gates can be seen, which are the remainders of the fortification.

Transportation

Meersburg is the northern terminus of a car ferry to Constance. At the opposite side Meersburg is connected to the region by the B 31, a large roadway which leads from Breisach (at the French border) to Lindau (at the Austrian border), bypassing largely all parts of Meersburg. To exit to Meersburg and to the car ferry, take B 33 to Meersburg and Constance.

Meersburg is also reachable by pleasure boats from Lake Constance to Überlingen (westwards), to Lindau, Bregenz (eastwards) and to Constance opposite.

Famous people

Fürstenhäusle, property of poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

One of Germany's most celebrated poets, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, lived her final years at Meersburg Castle, from 1841–1848. She also owned the small vine-covered villa known as Fürstenhäusle.

The famous 18th century doctor Franz Anton Mesmer (from whose name the verb "to mesmerize" derives) died in 1815 in Meersburg and is buried near the old wall of the graveyard about 0.5 km northeast of the upper town-gate "Obertor" (see picture beneath).

The theatre critic and philosopher of language Fritz Mauthner whose work influenced the ideas of Wittgenstein and presaged the linguistic turn in twentieth century philosophy lived in Meersburg at Lake Constance from 1911 until his death in 1923 where he edited Bibliothek der Philosophen.

Viticulture

The Meersburg vineyards at the northern banks of Lake Constance are famous within Germany. The rosée "Weissherbst" wine is a specialty of the region.

International relations

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

Meersburg is twinned with:

• Hohnstein, Saxony, Germany – since 1991
• Louveciennes, France – since 1991
• San Gimignano, Italy – since 2002

Gallery

• 

  Old castle of Meersburg.

• 

  Half-timbered water mill, now private house near the Altes Schloss, Meersburg.

• 

  Franz Anton Mesmers' gravestone in Meersburg.

• 

  View of the centre of the upper town.

External links

• The official Meersburg homepage
• Meersburg-Webcam: 2 livecams show the historical marketplace
• Meersburg: history and images (in German)
• Meersburg: Pictures