Bad Mergentheim (; Mergentheim until 1926; ) is a town in the

Main-Tauber-Kreis Main-Tauber-Kreis is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the northeast of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from northwest clockwise) Miltenberg, Main-Spessart, Würzburg, Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim and Ansbach (all in Bavari ...

district in the German state of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, 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 i ...

. It has a population of around 23,000. An officially recognized

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

since 1926, Bad Mergentheim is also known as the headquarters of the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

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 House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It formerly ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire, which was divided between several branches. In 1806, the area of Hohenlohe was 1,760 km² and its estimated pop ...

. The brothers Andreas, Heinrich and Friedrich von Hohenlohe joined the ''Deutscher Orden'' (

) 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 (; ; ; ; ), or Knight Commander, is a title of honor prevalent in chivalric orders and fraternal orders. The title of Commander occurred in the medieval military orders, such as the Knights Hospitaller, for a member senior to a Knight. ...

'' (commander) of the order. Following the Order's conquest of

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

and part of

Livland Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

in the 1230s, in 1309 the Grand Master of the order moved to the '' Marienburg''. In 1340 Mergentheim was awarded

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

. It rapidly became the most important of the eleven commanderies of the Teutonic Order. The ''Deutschmeister'', highest ranking member inside the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

(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 The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, 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 Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

– 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 Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (5 January 1614 – 20 November 1662), younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand III, was an Austrian soldier, administrator and patron of the arts. He held a number of military commands, with limited success, a ...

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

, loved the place. For the order's general chapter in 1791 he brought the orchestra of the

Archbishopric of Cologne Archbishopric of Cologne may refer to: * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne, the spiritual jurisdiction of the archbishops of Cologne since * Electorate of Cologne, the temporal jurisdiction of the archbishops of Cologne between the mid-13th ce ...

, including one

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

on viola. Mergentheim retained this role until the dissolution of the order in the countries of the ''

Rheinbund The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...

'' in 1809 by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. 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 The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

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 The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (, , , , ), is a style of "landscape" garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal ...

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 (, ; loanword from French '' chinoiserie'', from '' chinois'', "Chinese"; ) is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other Sinosphere artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, garden design, architecture, lite ...

. 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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style. It was finished in 1735 under Clemens August von Wittelsbach. The plans for the interior were drawn up by

François de Cuvilliés François de Cuvilliés, sometimes referred to as ''the Elder'' (23 October 1695, Soignies, Hainaut14 April 1768, Munich), was a Bavarian decorative designer and architect born in the Spanish Netherlands. He was instrumental in bringing the Roco ...

, the Electoral court architect of Cologne. Architects working on site were Joseph Roth and Friedrich Kirchenmayer. Its

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

interior features elaborate ceiling

fresco Fresco ( 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 plaster, the painting become ...

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 cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

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 g ...

'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 Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

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 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 at

Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a Cities of Germany, city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg (district), Lu ...

in 1809, when Mergentheim became part of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...

. In 1853, the statue was restored to this church.

Demographics

Governance

Town twinning

Bad Mergentheim is twinned with: *

Digne-les-Bains Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the Franco-Provençal, classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Alpe ...

, France *

Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche Sainte-Marie-du-Mont () is a commune in the Manche department and in the region of Normandy in north-western France. The commune has 712 inhabitants (2019). Geography Saint-Marie-du-Mont is located in the southeast of the Cotentin Peninsula, ...

, France *

Fuefuki, Yamanashi 270px, Ichinomiya Asama Shrine is a city in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 67,300 in 30,408 households, and a population density of 340 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Fuefuki is ...

, Japan *

Borgomanero Borgomanero (; ) is a (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin, about northwest of Novara and about 60 km northwest of Milan. Borgomanero borders the following municipalities ...

, Italy

Infrastructure

* Löffelstelzen Transmitter *

German Diabetes Center Mergentheim The Diabetes Center Mergentheim (DCM) is a large and modern treatment center for people with diabetes mellitus in Germany. The center includes the Diabetes-Clinic, the Diabetes-Academy, FIDAM, the Diabetes-Medical Practice, ConDiaZ and InsulinJ ...

Notable people

Heinrich von Hohenlohe Heinrich von Hohenlohe (15 July 1249) was a German nobleman who served as the seventh Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1244 to 1249. He was the son of one of the richest and most powerful feudal lords in Württemberg and had four brothers ...

(died 1249), nobleman, the seventh

Grand Master of the Teutonic Order The grand master of the Teutonic Order (; ) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the Grand master (order), grand master of other Military order (religious society), military orders and the superior general in non-milit ...

from 1244 to 1249, buried in the local church * Johann Friedrich Mayer (1719–1798), priest and agricultural reformer ("Plaster Apostle") *

(1770–1827), was viola player in the court's musical establishment of the

Maximilian Franz of Austria Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria (Maximilian Franz Xaver Joseph Johann Anton de Paula Wenzel; 8 December 1756 – 27 July 1801) was Elector of Cologne and Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights from 1780 until his death. Influenced by En ...

in 1791 * Carl Arnold (1794–1873), pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and organist * (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 b ...

(1804–1875), German poet, lived in Mergentheim from 1844–1851 *

Wilhelm Zimmermann Wilhelm Zimmermann (2 January 1807 in Stuttgart – 22 September 1878 in Mergentheim) was a German theologian and historian.Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf Franz Xaver Josef Conrad von Hötzendorf (after 1919 Franz Conrad; 11 November 1852 – 25 August 1925), sometimes anglicised as Hoetzendorf, was an Austrian general who played a central role in World War I. He served as '' K.u.k. Feldmarschal ...

(1852–1925), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshall from 1871–1918, died in Mergentheim. *

Ottmar Mergenthaler Ottmar Mergenthaler (11 May 1854 – 28 October 1899) was a German-American inventor who invented the linotype machine, the first device that could easily and quickly set complete lines of type for use in printing presses. This machine revo ...

(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 oppos ...

(1855–1921), Finnish chemist and politician, died in Mergentheim * Felix Fechenbach (1894–1933), German-Jewish journalist, poet, political activist; murdered by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

Hansgünther Heyme Hansgünther Heyme (born 22 August 1935) is a German theatre director and prominent figure in the Regietheater movement of the 1960s and 70s. Born in Bad Mergentheim, he studied at Heidelberg University and then under the German director Erwin Pis ...

(born 1935), theatre director and figure in the

Regietheater Regietheater (; German for ''director's theater'') is the modern practice of allowing a director freedom in devising the way a given opera or play is staged so that the creator's original, specific intentions or stage directions (where supplied) c ...

movement. * (born 1944), children's and youth book author ( 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 ...

(1944–2022), politician

CSU CSU may refer to: Universities and university systems United States * Columbia Southern University, in Orange Beach, Alabama * California State University system * Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colorado * Connecticut State Univers ...

, President of the

Landtag of Bavaria The Landtag of Bavaria, officially known in English as the Bavarian State Parliament, is the unicameral legislature of the German state of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum in Munich. Elections to the Landtag are held every ...

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 lif ...

(born 1955), mayor of

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

, former MP and former national chairman of the Greens * (born 1963), cook, awarded one star in the ''

Michelin Guide The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few restaurants ...

Carolin Golubytskyi podium 2013 Fencing WCH FFS-IN t204741

Sport

Martin Lanig Martin Lanig (born 11 July 1984) is a German professional football coach and a former defensive midfielder. Career Youth squads Lanig began playing for SV Königshofen. Later he played for TSV Tauberbischofsheim and 1. FC Nürnberg. FV Lauda, ...

(born 1984), football player, played 259 games *

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 Tauberbisc ...

(born 1985), foil fencer * Christopher Bieber (born 1989), footballer who has played over 375 games *

Atilla Yildirim Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central and East ...

(born 1990), Dutch-Turkish football player, played over 175 games *

Luca Pfeiffer Luca Pfeiffer (born 20 August 1996) is a German professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for club SV Elversberg. Career In the 2019–20 3. Liga, 2019–20 season Pfeiffer contributed ...

(born 1996), footballer who has played over 275 games *

Valentin Kluss Valentin Kluss (alternatively spelt Kluß, born 25 May 2007) is a German racing driver who last competed in the Eurocup-3 series for Campos Racing. He previously competed in the 2023 Italian F4 Championship with PHM Racing. Career Karting H ...

(born 2007), racing driver

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:BadMergentheim Spa towns in Germany Main-Tauber-Kreis Franconian Circle