Bindlach

Infobox German Location
Wappen = Wappen Bindlach.pnglat_deg = 49 |lat_min = 58
lon_deg = 11 |lon_min = 36
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Bayern
Regierungsbezirk = Oberfranken
Landkreis = Bayreuth
Höhe = 362
Fläche = 37.60
Einwohner = 7197
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 95463
Vorwahl = 09208
Kfz = BT
Gemeindeschlüssel = 09 4 72 119
Gliederung = 7 Ortsteile
Straße = Rathausplatz 1
Website = [http://www.bindlach.de www.bindlach.de]
Bürgermeister = Hermann Hübner
Partei = CSU

Bindlach is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Upper Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The town is adjacent immediately north of the town of Bayreuth. The population count of December 2006 was 7197 inhabitants.

History

The name Bindlach ist derived from the Slavic "Pnetluky" containing the verb "tlouki" which means "to chop". Thus Bindlach can be translated with "Village of the people chopping trunks" [Haas, Helmut: "Bindlacher Chronik", Bindlach 1983, herausgegeben von der Gemeinde Bindlach anlässlich der Rathauseinweihung im Jahre 1983 und der 800-Jahr-Feier.] as the village is situated in an area rich with woods and a clearance had to be created prior to settlement.
More recent research traces the name back to the Old Saxon word "Binutlaka" meaning "Small, standing lake overgrown with juncus". Charlemagne has supposedly resettled deported Saxons in the area.

Archaeological excavations have produced Celtic leftovers as well as remains from the Urnfield culture and the Bronze Age giving proof of settlement as early as 1300 bc.

The first official mentioning in modern times occurred in a private charter [Urkunde HU Bamberg 335 - Hauptstaatsarchiv München] on April 6. 1178 as "bintlvke".

Being part of the Prussian Principality of Bayreuth, Bindlach had to be ceded to France in 1807 following the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1810 it became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Todays town was formed in 1818.

Culture

Bindlach's Protestant church St. Bartholomew was built in gothic style between 1766 and 1768 by Carl Phillip von Gontard and Rudolf Heinrich Richter. The altar with integrated pulpit and the organ are of extraordinary beauty.

Infrastructure

Bindlach is situated at the railroad line from Bayreuth to Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg and is served by local trains. The Autobahn A9 crosses through Bindlach at the western edge of the old part of the town, separating it from the newer parts built in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Bundesstraße 2 runs though the old part of the town linking Bayreuth and Bad Berneck. Bayreuth Airport is on top of the hills on the eastern side of town; despite the name on Bindlach territory.

Military

Overlooking Bindlach from the east, a large American military base was maintained on top of the hills east of Bindlach. Its official name was "Christensen Barracks" but it was jocularly called "The Rock" by the personal stationed there. The main function of the base was securing the borders to the GDR and Czechoslovakia, both borders being only 70 km (43 mls) away. This was home to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States) from the late 50's into the 90's. Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith was assigned to "Christensen Barracks" prior to joining the 3rd Infantry Division and winning the Medal of Honor in Baghdad Iraq. The base closed down in the early 90s after German reunification and the opening of the borders to the east.

ources

External links

* [http://www.bindlach.de Bindlach's official Homepage]
* [http://www.bindlacherberg.de History of "Bindlacher Berg", the former site of the American military base (German text)]
* [http://bindlach.worldofbelushi.de/index.php Private Homepage about Bindlach, mostly German text]