Bad Mergentheim (; Mergentheim until 1926;

East Franconian East Franconian ( ), usually referred to as Franconian (' ) in German, is a dialect spoken in Franconia, the northern part of the federal state of Bavaria and other areas in Germany around Nuremberg, Bamberg, Coburg, Würzburg, Hof, Bayreuth, ...

: ''Märchedol'') is a town in the Main-Tauber-Kreis 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 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, 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, 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'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 (''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, France * Fuefuki, Yamanashi, Japan * Borgomanero, Italy

Infrastructure

* Löffelstelzen Transmitter * German Diabetes Center Mergentheim

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 in 1791 * Carl Arnold (1794–1873), pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and organist * (1814–1872), Protestant pastor and Württemberg local historian * Eduard Mörike (1804–1875), German poet, lived in Mergentheim from 1844–1851 * Wilhelm Zimmermann (1807–1878), German theologian, historian and vegetarian, died in Mergentheim * Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852–1925), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshall from 1871–1918, died in Mergentheim. * Ottmar Mergenthaler (1854–1899), inventor of the Linotype * Edvard Hjelt (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 (born 1935), theatre director and figure in the Regietheater movement. * (born 1944), children's and youth book author ( Jugendliteraturpreis 1984) * Barbara Stamm (1944–2022), politician CSU, 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 (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 (born 1984), football player, played 259 games * Carolin Golubytskyi (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 (born 1996), footballer who has played over 275 games * Valentin Kluss (born 2007), racing driver

References

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