- Achstetten
Infobox German Location
Art = municipality
image_photo = Achstetten01.jpg
Wappen = Wappen Achstetten.png
lat_deg = 48 |lat_min = 15 |lat_sec = 35
lon_deg = 9 |lon_min = 53 |lon_sec = 51
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Baden-Württemberg
Regierungsbezirk = Tübingen
Landkreis = Biberach
Höhe = 503
Fläche = 23.38
Einwohner = 4124
Stand = 2008-03-31
PLZ = 88480
PLZ-alt = 7958
Vorwahl = 07392
Kfz = BC
Gemeindeschlüssel = 08 4 26 001
Gliederung = 4
Straße = Laupheimer Straße 6
Website = [http://www.achstetten.de/ www.achstetten.de]
Bürgermeister = Kai FenebergAchstetten is a the northernmost
municipality in the district of Biberach, in the region ofUpper Swabia inBaden-Württemberg ,Germany . As of 30 June 2007, it has a population of 4.065.The villages of
Oberholzheim ,Bronnen and Stetten were incorpated into the municipality of Achstetten between 1972 and 1975.Geography
The strung-out village is situated west of the federal road
Bundesstraße 30 . The river Rot runs through it. Achstetten lies approximately 4 km north of the city ofLaupheim and approximately 18 km south of the city ofUlm .The name "Achstetten" is derived from the
Old High German words "aha" meaning water, and "stet", meaning place; the name meaning thus "place close to water".History
Close to the road to Ersingen, tumuli from the Hallstatt period have been discovered. This indicates that the area has been settled for at least 2500 years. Celtic tribes are associated with Hallstatt culture.
During the Roman period, Achstetten was also a place of settlement, indicated by the remains of
Roman villa . The outlines of this structure is visible on aerial photographs.The Hil(de)gartstraße in Achstetten is a reminder of an early mediaeval
trade route . It is a relic of a route leading fromKonstanz viaMeersburg towards Ulm and then further via Heidenheim toAalen andWürzburg , terminating atFulda . There is evidence to indicate that a road towards the crossing of the riverIller branched off on the territory of Achstetten. This road would then lead on towardsRegensburg .Achstetten was first mentioned in a
charter dated 1194. This charter was signed byPope Celestine III , confirming the rights ofWiblingen Abbey in "Asteten". The possessions of the monastery of Wiblingen in Achstetten were, however, certainly older than 1194.From 1356 to 1447, the
Freiherr n vonFreyberg were the sole rulers of Achstetten. In 1442, the rule over Achstetten was divided amongst three brothers,Eberhard von Freyberg ,Hans von Freyberg andWilhelm von Freyberg . However, in 1447, Wilhelm von Freyberg sold his part toGutenzell Abbey . As a consequence, the Freiherrn von Freyberg were forced to share the rule of the village with Gutenzell Abbey until 1625.In 1594,
Ochsenhausen Abbey bought the second half of the revenues made fromtithes , having already owned the first half for some time. Through marriage, the two remaining parts of Achstetten came into the possession of theCounts ofÖttingen-Spielberg in 1689. They exchanged it in 1765, so that from 1765 on, it was part of the landed territories of the Freiherrn vonWelden . The Freiherrn von Welden sold it on12 May 1795 to the lastKomtur of theTeutonic Knights , the FreiherrBeat Conrad Reuttner von Weyl . He transferred his possession to his nephewJulius Cäsar Reuttner von Weyl , who, in 1802, bought the rights of the revenue from the complete tithes from Ochsenhausen Abbey. He was elevated to the rank of count in 1819. To this day, his successors are owners of the Lordship of Achstetten.Following the secularization in 1803, the Counts of
Toerring-Gutenzell became the inheritors of the share of Gutenzell Abbey, part of which had, since 1449, also been the hamlet ofMönchhöfe .As part of the
mediatization , Achstetten became temporarily part ofBavaria in 1805, only to be handed over to the newly formed Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806.After having initially been part of the district of Wiblingen, it became part of the district of Laupheim in 1845. On 1 October 1938, Achstetten became part of the district ofBiberach.
On 1 March 1972, the formerly independent municipality of Oberholzheim was incorporated into Achstetten, followed on 1 November 1972 by Bronnen and on 1 January 1975 by Stetten.
Coat of arms
The three silver balls on blue were taken from the
coat of arms of the Freiherrn of Freyberg who ruled the village from 1356 to 1625. The red and silver banderole is a reminder of the Cistercian abbey in Gutenzell with whom the Freiherrn of Freyberg shared authority over the village from 1447 onwards.Attractions
Parish church St Oswald and Agatha
Originally, Achstetten was part of the
parish of Laupheim. It became an independent parish in 1442, when the Freiherrn von Freyberg founded a new parish, subordinate to the monastery of Ochsenhausen.The monastery of Ochsenhausen had the church St Oswald and Agatha built in
Renaissance -style in 1625, replacing a late mediaeval structure at the same location.In 1823, the
spire was raised and a new top was added. The interior was last renovated in 1932 and a newpipe organ was installed in 2000.The gallery is separated into two parts, one part designated for the general public, and a second part into which only the former rulers of Achstetten, members of the dynasty of Reuttner von Weyl, were permitted. The compartment for the
aristocracy is connected to thecastle by a passageway, built on woodencolumns . A similar structure existed in Laupheim. There, however, the passageway is only preserved in fragments.Chapel of the Annunciation
The Chapel of the Annunciation was built ca. 1650, immediately after the
Thirty Years' War . It was meant as burial church for the Freiherrn von Freyberg. It served this purpose, and now does so for members of the Counts of Reuttner von Weyl. The structure of the Chapel is marked by flat wall-pillars on the interior as well as the exterior, a semi-circularchoir and a spire with a pointed top.Castle
A castle was first mentioned in 1386. A further reference in 1449 referred to the existence of a
moat , surrounding the castle. The original castle was burnt down in 1525 during thePeasants' War , when theBaltringer Haufe stormed the building.A re-building of the castle at the same location was mentioned in 1583, while, around 1620, the
abbot of the monastery of Ochsenhausen referred to the newly erected castle as being a magnificent building.The last Komtur of the Teutonic Knights, the Freiherr Beat Conrad Reuttner von Weyl, had the castle renovated by the official
architect of the Teutonic Knights,Franz Anton Bagnato , between 1794 and 1796.Franz Anton Bagnato's design consists of a simple, un-adorned three-storey builing, containing the living quarters, as well as two economy wings. The interior contains nowadays antique furniture, a stove from 1798, and familyportraits of members of the family of Reuttner von Weyl.The original castle park is home to an enclosure where
fallow deer are kept.Country Inn Rössle
Already in 1449, a tavern was mentioned to have existed in Achstetten. In 1573, the two lordships over Achstetten determined that apart from this one, no other tavern or inn was to be allowed in Achstetten. Even then, the inn was used as a place for gatherings where the villagers would discuss and decide local affairs. The present building was erected at the beginning of the 18th century and still serves as a country inn.
Notable people from Achstetten
*
Christoph Martin Wieland (5 September 1733 in Oberholzheim;20 January 1813 inWeimar ), German poet and translator in theAge of Enlightenment .References
cite book
last = Gemeinde Achstetten (ed.)
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = 800 Jahre Achstetten: 1194 - 1994
publisher = Gemeinde Achstetten
year = 1994
location = Achstetten
pages =
url =
doi =
id =cite book
last = Beck
first = Otto
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Pfarrkirche Sankt Oswald und Agatha, Achstetten
publisher = Schnell & Steiner
year = 1994
location = Regensburg
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 3-7954-5895-1cite book
last = Landesarchivdirektion Baden-Württemberg/Staatsarchiv Sigmaringen mit Landkreis Biberach (ed.)
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Der Landkreis Biberach vol. 1
publisher = Thorbecke
year = 1998
location = Stuttgart
pages =
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 3-7995-6187-0ee also
* District of Biberach
*Upper Swabia
*Baden-Württemberg
*Upper Swabian Baroque Route External links
* [http://www.achstetten.de Webpage of the municipality of Achstetten (in German)]
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