Bad Reichenhall

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
image_photo = Bad Reichenhall Altes Rathaus.jpg
image_caption = Former town hall
Wappen = Wappen von Bad Reichenhall.pnglat_deg = 47 |lat_min = 43 |lat_sec = 29
lon_deg = 12 |lon_min = 52 |lon_sec = 37
Lageplan = Bad_Reichenhall_in_BGL.pngBundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Oberbayern
Landkreis = Berchtesgadener Land
Höhe = 473
Fläche = 39.44
Einwohner = 18351
Stand = 2004-06-30
PLZ = 83435
Vorwahl = 08651
Kfz = BGL ("until 1972:" REI)
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 1 72 114
Straße = Rathausplatz 1
Website = [http://www.stadt-bad-reichenhall.de/ www.stadt-bad-reichenhall.de]
Bürgermeister = Herbert Lackner
Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
Partei = CSU

Bad Reichenhall is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgauer Alps (including Mount Staufen (1,771 m) and Mount Zwiesel (1,781 m)).

Bad Reichenhall is a traditional center of salt production, obtained by evaporating water saturated with salt from brine ponds.

History

* The earliest known inhabitants of this area are the tribes of the Glockenbecher-Culture (a Bronze Age Culture, from about 2000 B.C.)
* In the age of the La Tene culture (about 450 B.C.) organized salt production commenced utilizing the local brine pools. In the same period a celtic place of worship is placed at the "Langacker"
* From 15 B.C to 480 A.D, the city is part of a roman province, Noricum
* 1136 A.D bought the founding of a monastery St. Zeno
* In 1617-1619 a wooden pipeline for brine exportation to Traunstein was built, with a length of 31 km, and more than 200 m in altitude difference
* In 1834, two thirds of the city's buildings were destroyed by a major fire
* The early 19th century saw the beginning of tourism, with Reichenhall becoming a famous health resort
* From 1890, Reichenhall is now called "Bad Reichenhall"
* On April, 25th of 1945, the area was bombed by allied forces, 200 people were killed. The town centre with many hospitals and the train station was nearly totally destroyed, the barracks didn't suffer any damage. After World War II the area was under American military governance (1945-1948)

Ice rink disaster

Fifteen people, twelve of them children, died in the collapse of the Bad Reichenhall Ice Rink on 2 January 2006. Thirty-four people were injured in the accident [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060105/ap_on_re_eu/germany_roof_collapse] .

Famous people from Bad Reichenhall

*Hans Söllner, singer-songwriter
*Stefan Holzner, triathlete
*Michael Neumayer, ski jumper
*Regina Häusl, alpine skier (born in Bad Reichenhall, started for the Ski-Klub Bad Reichenhall, lives in Schneizlreuth since her birth)
*Anni Friesinger, speed skater (born in Bad Reichenhall, lived in Inzell ~10 km away and now lives in Salzburg)

External links

* [http://www.stadt-bad-reichenhall.de City of Bad Reichenhall]
* [http://www.bad-reichenhall.de Bad Reichenhall Tourist Centre]