Dunningen (
Swabian: ''Dunninga'') is a town in the
district of Rottweil, in
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 ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
Dunningen
Geography
Dunningen is located at the centre of the administrative district of
Rottweil in the south western part of
Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The village is located in the shell
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
area between the
Black Forest
The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...
and the
Swabian Alps on a strip of open country that crosses the district from north to south and that is mainly used for agriculture.
It is located on the eastern slope of the central part of the
Black Forest
The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...
, which borders on the ''Oberen Gäuen'' in the west.
From an infrastructural perspective, Dunningen is located advantageously on the B462, which is the main road between
Schramberg and
Rottweil.
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, as well as
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...
, can be reached in one hour, Austria in two hours by car. The French region of
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
lies to the east and is also within easy reach.
The
Eschach, which is a tributary of the
Neckar
The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar ...
, passes through , Lackendorf and Dunningen.
Neighbouring communities and districts
Dunningen shares the municipal boundaries with Waldmössingen, Beffendorf, Bösingen, Villingendorf, Hochwald, Zimmerm ob Rottweil, Eschbronn and Sulgen.
Administratively, Waldmössingen and Sulgen, which are located in northern and western direction, are part of the city of Schramberg, whereas Hochwald in southern and Beffendorf in northern direction, belong respectively to the towns of Rottweil and Oberndorf.
The municipality consists of three districts which are Dunningen, Seedorf and Lackendorf. The district of Dunningen includes the village itself, the villers Auf der Stampfe and Frohnhof, the farms Eichhof, Gifizenmoos, Stittholz, Staudenrain and Beckenwäldle and the dwelling place Hindenburg. The districts of Lackendorf and Seedorf include, in each case, the two villages themselves.
History
The foundation of the village dates back to the Romans, as a Roman road and a
Villa Rustica
Villa rustica () was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a farmhouse or villa set in the countryside and with an agricultural section, which applies to the vast majority of Roman villas. In some cases they were at the centre of a large ...
- a Roman farm - were found in the area. Moreover, there is proof of a Roman fort in the neighbouring village of Waldmössingen.
Dunningen was first mentioned in a deed of gift from Count Gerold (+799) to the monastery of St. Gallen in 786. The village was independent until it became part of the imperial city of Rottweil in 1435.
After the Principal Decree of the Imperial Deputation in 1803, the village became part of
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
and was integrated into the newly created city district of Rottweil.
Dunningen Castle, which was built in the 11th century, has disappeared completely.
In the course of the administrative reform that took place in Baden-Wurttemberg in the seventies, the municipalities of Lackendorf and Seedorf were incorporated into Dunningen, on 1 August 1972 and 1 January 1974 respectively.
In earlier times, Seedorf was administrated by the imperial city of Rottweil and was handed over to the city of Oberndorf after mediation in the course of the Principal Decree of the Imperial Deputation. After the latter was resolved in 1938, the village was passed over to the district of Rottweil.
Religion
Even after the Reformation, Dunningen remained Roman Catholic. Up to today, only the church congregation of St. Martin possesses a catholic pastorate. The few Protestant inhabitants are incorporated into the Protestant church parish of the neighbouring village of
Eschbronn.
Educational institutions
Dunningen offers several types of secondary school (
Realschule
Real school (, ) is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), F ...
) and a primary school located in Seedorf. Grammar schools (
Gymnasium) can be attended in Schramberg and Rottweil, while each of the three municipalities has its own
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
. The so-called "Dunninger Forum" is an adult education institution that also operates in the area.
Furthermore, there is a music school and an art school for children and teenagers in Dunningen.
Sports
The sports clubs of Dunningen and its municipalities are FC Dunningen (Football), TSV Dunningen (handball and gymnastics), TC Dunningen (tennis), TTV Dunningen (table tennis), Shooting Club Dunningen, SpVgg Stetten-Lackendorf 1963, SV Seedorf (football, skiing, handball) and TTC Seedorf (table tennis). The SV Seedorf has the most members of all the clubs in the municipality of Dunningen. Apart from the more classical sporting activities like
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...
and
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
, the clubs offer various leisure sport activities including
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ...
,
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...
and
dancing. The Skiclub Seedorf e. V. that has its own ski hut, "the SCS- Alpenhaus", in Braz/Austria for friends of
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
.
Culture and sights
The Museum of local history
The museum of local history, which is located in Dunningen town hall, illustrates the lives of famous sons and daughters of the village, for example Emil Maier, Landolin Ohnmachtand Jacob Maier. Maier was a politician of the
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...
, during the times of the German Empire and the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
, and became the
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
of Baden some years later. At the level of local politics, he was particularly active in Mannheim and Heidelberg.
Another part of the museum is dedicated to the classical artist
Landolin Ohmacht (1760-1834). From 1803, he lived and worked primarily in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
where he created important monuments of popular personalities of the city and the region. His most famous work shows Susette Gontard, the wife of a Frankfurt banker, who is known in literary history as Hölderlin's Diotima.
[Dr. Mechtild Ohnmacht, Landelin Ohnmacht, Fink-Verlag 2012] The third exhibition portrays the life and work of Jakob Mayer, who invented a technique to cast steel in moulds in the 1840s. Apart from bells, he produced iron rails and wheels. In cooperation with Eduard Kühne, Mayer founded the Bochum Association of Mining and Cast Steel Production. Their greatest competitor was the
Krupp
Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp (formerly Fried. Krupp AG and Friedrich Krupp GmbH), trade name, trading as Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century as well as Germany's premier weapons manufacturer dur ...
company in Essen. Mayer was born in Dunningen in 1813 and died in Bochum in 1875 where he has an honorary grave in Kortum Park.
The museum is open on the first Sunday of the month from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Notable residents
Notable people born in Dunningen
*
William Sohmer (1852-1929), assurance man and politician in New York City
*
Hugo Sohmer
Hugo Sohmer (1845 in Dunningen, Kingdom of Württemberg - June 8, 1913 in Scarsdale, New York) was an American piano builder and manufacturer of German descent.
Life
Hugo Sohmer (1845-1913) was born in Dunningen, a village near Rottweil, on the ...
(1854–1913), manufacturer of pianos, founded in 1872 Sohmer & Co. in New York City
* Landolin Ohnmacht (1760-1834), sculptor who worked mostly in Straßburg gewirkt hat, made the bust of Diotima, love of Hölderlin
* Jakob Mayer
* Walther Straub (1925-1986), a circus artist, the tallest European at the time (2.38 metres tall).
Regular events
During
Advent
Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...
a Christmas concert is performed by the Musical Society Dunningen. In turn with the district of Seedorf, a big village fair is held yearly in the last weekend of June.
References
{{Authority control
Rottweil (district)