Location:

Schwäbisch Gmünd is in the center of southern Germany in the region east Wuerttemberg in the east Alb district. Schwäbisch Gmünd is the oldest Staufer city. Picturesque at the foot of the Swabian Alb and the Dreikaiserberge, Schwäbisch Gmünd is a city with atmosphere and a southern quality of life. The city is in the upper Rems Valley.

Local authority districts: Schwäbisch Gmünd Bargau Bettringen Degenfeld Großdeinbach Herlikofen Lindach Rechberg Straßdorf Weiler in den Bergen Wetzgau

Geographic position: 48°48' North 9°48' East Altitude above sea level: 320m Area: 11.378 hectares

History:

In the 2nd century A.D., a protective wall built by Roman legionnaires, the Limes, passed through the area of Schwäbisch Gmünd. In the second half of the 3rd century, the Alemanni overtook this border formation and settled in the strips of land given up by the Romans. The area "Gamundias", mentioned for the first time in a document falsified in the 9th century to the year 782 for the monastery St. Denis near Paris, probably belonged to the properties of this monastery in the dukedom of Alamannia. In the year 1162, the community already had city rights which were granted during the reign of King Konrad III (1138-1152). After the downfall of the Staufers, the city reached the status of a free imperial city through several stages. Above all in the late Middle Ages and in the early modern age, having become relatively wealthy through the intermediate trade with cloths and wines and the production and sales of scythes in all of Europe, it was possible to create a small state area through acquisitions and the ownership of a city hospital and the monastery. As of the 17th century, the gold and silver trade became the predominant guild. The city remained orthodox in the time of the reformation. During the persecution of witches before and after the Thirty Years' War, in Schwäbisch Gmünd, around 50 women and men were victims of the witch-hunts.

In the middle of the 18th century (ca. 1730 - 1770), the city once again experienced a great cultural upswing. The magnificent furnishings of the churches, the rebuilt patrician's houses as well as the marketplace, reconstructed by the city building master Johann Michael Keller, still characterize the late Baroque flair of the city today.

The Peace of Luneville in the year 1801 and the Imperial Deputation in 1803 sealed the end of the "free imperial city" Schwäbisch Gmünd and its territory became an integral part of the kingdom of Wuerttemberg. The Rems Valley railway, opened in 1861, made new economic initiatives possible and brought wealth. In the founding years of the German Reich (until ca. 1890), the city was able to take first place in Germany for processing silver. As of 1929, massive unemployment began in the silver and gold industry in Schwäbisch Gmünd. In 1934, Schwäbisch Gmünd was declared an emergency area. Through the settling of differing industries, however, the unemployment could be slowly conquered by the beginning of the forties. Schwäbisch Gmünd itself remained undestroyed in the Second World War and was captured by American troops on 20 April 1945.

After the war, Schwäbisch Gmünd had to meet its greatest challenge. In 1949, a population census showed that 33,578 people lived in the city, among them 8,279 expellees. These expelled Germans brought at times their own industry with them. In Schwäbisch Gmünd especially the glass and jewelry industries from Gablonz and Silesia settled.

In the seventies and eighties of the 20th century, Schwäbisch Gmünd changed drastically. The old barracks - the former Dominican monastery - were rebuilt into the culture center of the city, a new municipal hall in the historic ambience of the city garden with its Rococo castle was built, the old hospital of the Holy Spirit was given new tasks of administration and of geriatric care and is used as a city library. In addition the late Roman Johanniskirche and the cathedral, built greatly in the 14th century by the Parlers and renovated in the past decades, the largest hall church in southern Germany, still stand for the unchangeable historical traditional lines in the city.

Today Schwäbisch Gmünd has around 62,000 inhabitants but still had to cease being its own district seat after the district reform in the year 1972 and is today a large district city in the newly created eastern Alb district.

Economy:

With more than 60,000 residents, Schwäbisch Gmünd is an attractive economic area within the eastern Wuerttemberg region. In just 30 minutes, you can reach the center of the state capital Stuttgart. With a catchment area of around 150,000 people, the city offers more than 24,000 employees a job. In addition there are numerous self-employed and freelancers.

Location with tradition and perspective
As a gold and silver city, Schwäbisch Gmünd has a long tradition in the manufacturing trade. Still today valuable jewelry is designed and manufactured in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Many of the companies are represented in the precious metal association Schwäbisch Gmünd. Numerous members offer their products in an attractive presentation shop in Franziskanergasse. Schwäbisch Gmünd is the city with the highest "density of designers in Europe". In more than 100 design offices in the region, national and international companies are supported with the creation and development of their products. The nucleus for this is the University of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung). The industrial location is characterized today by the leading companies in the automotive supply industry, metal processing and precision engineering. The city has a reputation around the world as an innovative center for surface engineering.

Future market health
As the home of one of the largest health insurance companies in Germany and one of the leading medication and personal hygiene companies, Schwäbisch Gmünd is a competence center in the area of health. Numerous activities give the city a special position in this future market. The city offers growth-oriented companies space to operate. Attractive commercial property in excellent positions creates the prerequisite for the future-oriented settlements. The quick implementation for investment plans is made possible by a climate which is friendly to the economy.

Sights:

Holy Cross Cathedral
The Holy Cross Cathedral is the oldest southern German hall church form the Gothic period and was built between 1315 and 1521 on the location of a Roman predecessor church. Essentially it is a Parler building. The Parlers are an important building master family in the 14th century. Noteworthy in the chapel wreath of the choir is the holy grave (around 1350) and the Sebaldus Altar in the baptismal chapel (1510). The architectural sculptures, due to size and the artistic quality, belong to the best of the Gothic city churches. To be emphasized are in particular the two choir portals created in 1351 with their plastic ornaments.

Augustinian Church
The mendicant order of the Augustinian hermits settled in Gmünd in 1284/85. The monastery church, originally built in a late Gothic style, was made to a Baroque church in 1756 by the city building master Johann Michael Keller. He changed the gables, windows and ceilings. Thus a strictly organized Gothic house of God was turned into a bright Baroque room. Since 1806, it has been a protestant garrison church and as of 1820 the protestant city church named after Augustinus. It was renovated from the ground up in 1984/85. The ceiling frescos come from Johann Anwander from Lauingen on the Danube and his assistant Franz Ferdinand Dent. The mirrored ceiling of the nave measures 8 x 15 meters and shows five scenes from the life of St. Augustinus with in all 85 figures. The stucco works from the Wessobrunner School were created by an unknown master.

St. John's Church
The church is dedicated to John the Baptist. The late Roman column basilica was built between 1220 and 1250 above the foundations of an earlier church which came from the 12th century. It is rich in sculpture ornaments from the animal and fable world as well as plant ornaments. The choir is a reconstruction from the past century, the churches with a similar construction in Murrhardt, Faurndau and Brenz served as a model. The St. John's Church is a typical column basilica from the 13th century. In the Gothic and Baroque periods, the church experienced encroaching changes. In the second half of the past century, the "Re-Romanising" followed with the goal of recreating the original condition. Karl Dehner from Rottenburg painted out the walls in 1878. Since 1977, the two side aisles have been home to fragments of original construction sculptures from St. John's Church and the cathedral. In the choir, a Baroque painting reminds us of the original saga of the church, the so-called ring legend.

Franciscan Church
The Franciscan Church belongs to the probably oldest Gmünder monastery, which was founded in the middle of the 13th century. The church, originally Roman, then Gothic, was made into a Baroque church in 1750. The high altar was probably created by Dominikus Zimmerman, the creator of the Weiskirche. The frescos come from Joseph Wannenmacher from Tomerdingen (1722 - 1780), in the nave they portray the stations from the life of St. Francis, in the choir the Maria Immaculata. The two side altars were painted by Johann Georg Strobel, the most famous portraitist of the Gmünder Baroque period. Since 1908 the second city parsonage. Second patron saint of the church: St. Ludwig von Toulouse (died 1270).

St. Salvator
Behind the train station, a traditional way of the Cross leads up to St. Salvator. The sanctuary there was created by the church building master Caspar Vogt after 1617. He made already existing caves into a lower and upper chapel. Included an octagonal tower with an onion dome. The Kaplanei house was designed by the city building master Johan Michael Keller in 1771. The processions up to St. Salvator were attended to by the Capuchins as long as Schwäbisch Gmünd was an imperial city.

Marketplace
The marketplace of the city was created in the time of the Staufers according to plan. On a long axle a street market with rib formed branched alleys was constructed. Until the 16th century, a stream called Thierach divided the square in two halves. Numerous late Baroque middle class houses border the marketplace.

Hospital of the Holy Ghost
The hospice of the hospital brothers, founded in 1269, was an important land owner in the time of the imperial city. The timber frame construction of the official building comes from the year 1434, the northern wing from the 16th century. In the 19th century, the change from a home for the poor and old people to a hospital was completed and it was used as a hospital unrtil 1985. Today in the hospital complex there is the city library, parts of the city administration and many social facilities.

Grain house
Built as a "Fruchtschranne" (grain storage). The bulky three floor timber frame house with oak columns and bolt work comes from the year 1507 (stated on the north-west corner).

Preacher (Prediger)
The Dominican monastery, founded in 1294, used as a barracks in the 19th century, has been a culture center since 1973. Here there is also a museum and the gallery of the city.

Fünfknopf tower
Height: 27.0 m
The defense tower of the outer city wall from the 15th century. The tower was occupied by the fire department until 1918 and used as a residential tower until 2005.

King's Tower
Height: 39.9 m
In the outer city wall, before 1350. The tower served as a high watch in the wall ring due to its position. The room in the lower floor was a dungeon from the beginning of the 17th century until the end of the imperial city period (1802).

Faul Tower
Height: 20.3 m
In the outer city wall, before 1350. The tower burnt out at the end of 1969. Since 1952, the tower has been used by the St. Georg's boy scouts.

Blacksmith's Tower
Height: 32.0 m
Gate tower in the outer city wall, before 1350. The upper tower floor with the former tower keeper living quarters was added in 1498. A restoration of the tower followed in 1985.

Water Tower
Height: 26.8 m
In the outer city wall, before 1350. Through an archway opening underneath the tower, the Höferles Stream flew into the city. It was reconstructed in 1980/81 by the "Catholic Studying Youth".

Rinderbacher Gate Tower
Height: 35.5 m
Gate tower in the outer city wall, before 1350. During the siege in 1546 (Schmalkaldischer War) it suffered from cannonballs hitting the blocks of stone (bright stones in the façade).

Rococo Castle
In the city garden is the enchanting Rococo castle. The mayor of the imperial city Georg Franz Stahl, nobly born from Pfeilhalden, had it build as a pleasure castle for his wife Veronika in 1780. In the cartridge on the balcony, the Baroque family arms can be seen.

St. Leonhard's Church and Lord's Rest Chapel
The St. Leonhard's Church, built around 1350, is now the chapel of the cemetery which was built in 1542 outside of the city. The Gothic building was made Baroque in 1776 by Joh. Michael Keller and painted by Johann Wannemacher. Not far from here, Caspar Vogt built the Lord's Rest Chapel in 1622-24, which is tied to the legend of the "fiddler from Gmünd" through the poem by "Justinus Kerner".

Fortress ruin and pilgrimage church Hohenrechberg
On the higher of the two summits of the mountain, there is the pilgrimage church Hohenrechberg, on the lower one the ruin Hohenrechberg. Both can be reached by foot. The fortress, which was mentioned for the first time by the end of the 12th century, in the Staufer period formed an important part of the fortification ring which surrounded the fortress Hohenstaufen. Like many other fortresses from the Staufer period, it was built after the temple of Salomon in Jerusalem and in the buckelquader construction method. In this way the secular as well as the spiritual claim to rule was supposed to be documented. After the fortress withstood all wars, it burnt down in 1865 after being struck by lighting. The pilgrimage church Hohenrechberg, built in 1686, is on top of the Rechberg. Together with the ruin, it forms a harmonic ensemble of landscape, history and art. Without a doubt, the exquisite view which is offered to the visitor from the Rechberg is inspiring. The facility is furnished with a restaurant which makes a stay possible.

Museums & Galleries:

Museum in the Prediger
The Museum in the Prediger, founded in 1876 as an applied arts museum, is among the oldest museums in Baden-Wuerttemberg. A generous gift of the private collection of the manufacturer Julius Erhard with numerous sculptures, paintings, silver devices and jewelry from the regional and international environment extensively expanded the collection in 1890. In 1900, the "Picture Chronics" with more than 1000 pages was added, it supplements the graphic inventory of the museum with medieval books and woodcuttings, plans and drawings from the 18th century, watercolors and engravings of the 19th century as well as early photographs. Since 1973, the museum has been located in the former Dominican monastery "Prediger".

Gallery in the Prediger
Since 1994, the Gallery in the Prediger has been an integral part of the contemporary art scene in Schwäbisch Gmünd. From the former nave of the former Dominican Church in the Prediger, a spacious and bright exhibition room was created, which in spite of its modernization still is characterized by the medieval ground plan type of the three vessel facility.

Silverware factory Ott-Pauser
The silverware factory Ott - Pauser is the oldest remaining factory building in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The factory was built in 1845 and is considered to be a unique testimonial of the industrialization and economic history of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd and the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. As a cultural memorial to the history of industry worth preserving, the silverware factory Ott-Pauser was entered into the landmark book of Baden-Wuerttemberg in 1986.

City tours & walking tours:

Guided city tour
During a one and half hour long city stroll, the history of the oldest Staufer city of Schwäbisch Gmünd becomes alive for you. Your tour leads you to the hospital building, then on across the Baroque marketplace to the Roman St. John's Church and to the Holy Cross Cathedral. Enjoy the impressive view of the Holy Cross Cathedral, the oldest hall church in southern Germany. Get to know Schwäbisch Gmünd and its building styles from eight centuries.

Duration: ca. 1.5 hours
Saturdays from May to October
Meeting point: 10:30 a.m., in front of the I-point on the marketplace.
We ask that you inform us of groups with more than 10 participants.
Price per person: 3.00 €, students 2.00 €
For groups this city tour is also possible daily with registration.
Price for groups up to 30 persons: 50.00 €, each further person 3.00 €

The city wall and its city towers
With this city tour, we deal with the life in a medieval city. The way first takes you to the remains of the city wall, which is dated to before 1350. You will also see the six of 24 city towers which have remained fully intact in the city. When you climb the King's Tower, you have a unique view of the historical city center of Schwäbisch Gmünd.

Duration: ca. 2.5 hours
Price for groups up to a maximum of 30 persons: 80.00 €

King's Tower or Fünfknopf Tower
Visit one of our accessible towers in the city center. Fünfknopf Tower: The Fünfknopf Tower with a height of 27 meters is considered to be an elegant watchtower of the city. It is the only tower with a pentagon shape. Until 1918, tower and fire watchers still lived in the stone block tower built in the 15th century. Until the beginning of 2004, a group of students still lived in this tower. King's Tower: This 39.9 meter high tower was built in the year 1350, but was not named in documents until 1502. The dungeon in the cellar was once a women's prison for witches, later an ice cellar and until 1802 the city prison.

Duration: ca. 1 hour
Price for groups of up to 15 persons: 35.00 € plus 0.50 € admission to the King's Tower, Fünfkopf Tower is free.

Art historical city center tour
The historical old town of Schwäbisch Gmünd offers pieces of art as historical testimony from different epochs: the middle ages (Roman and Gothic), characterized through the period of the Staufers and the Parler building masters, the modern age (Baroque) and today. With a city tour, you can discover and experience these cultural highlights.

Duration: ca. 2 hours
Price for groups of up to 30 persons: 70.00 €

Schwäbisch Gmünd for Kids
There are many stories and anecdotes about Schwäbisch Gmünd. Most of them are so exciting that this city tour becomes an exciting trip through the history of the city especially for children. A special highlight is the climbing of the King's Tower, which served as a watchtower as well as a dungeon for scoundrels or suspected witches.

Duration: 1.5 hours ages 7 - 10 years or 11 - 14 years
Price for groups up to 15 persons: 50.00 € plus admission to King's Tower 0.50 €

Schwäbisch Gmünd at night
In the evening and at night, Schwäbisch Gmünd offers a very special flair. New forms of lighting ensure this and are introduced during the tour. Especially impressive is the Holy Cross Cathedral through the lighting of the windows from the inside. During this late city tour, experience the historical and modern Schwäbisch Gmünd. After the tour, we invite you to again ponder on the history of the city while drinking a quarter liter of Wuerttemberg wine.

Duration of the tour: ca. 1.5 hours
Minimum number of participants: 12 persons
Price per person (including a quarter liter of wine): 8.00 €

The Holy Cross Cathedral and the Gothic period
The Holy Cross Cathedral is the oldest south German hall church from the Gothic period. Build between 1315 and 1521 on the location of a Roman predecessor church, the cathedral is essentially a Parler construction. As an important building master family, the Parler family was known far beyond the city already in the 14th century. Connected to the name Parler are among others the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague or the Strasbourg Cathedral.

Duration: ca. 1 hour
Price for groups of a maximum of 30 persons: 35.00 €

Gmünder women's paths
The bid of the state was the occasion for looking for famous and deserving women from the city history of Schwäbisch Gmünd. Women from the near and far history were found who left a trace in Schwäbisch Gmünd through their commitment and their works. That women are not often rewarded properly when writing history is often due to the lacking sources but certainly also on a too narrow understanding of famous people and historicity. With the women's paths in Schwäbisch Gmünd, unusual women from the city are introduced. Women who stepped forward as political actors at a time when few women dared to do so. Women who worked as writers and artists, women who acquired honor with social work and education. During a walk, on 10 plates women are introduced who left their trace on Schwäbisch Gmünd.

Duration: ca. 1.5 hours
Price for groups of a maximum of 30 persons: 50.00 €

St. Salvator
Right behind the train station in Schwäbisch Gmünd, a traditional way of the Cross with shrines and chapels with life sized figures leads up to St. Salvator. The sanctuary there, the St. Salvator Chapel, was created by the church building master Caspar Vogt after 1617. He constructed upper and lower chapels from caves which already existed there. As long as Schwäbisch Gmünd was a free imperial city, the processions up to the chapel were attended to by the Capuchins. For the participants, this tour opens up a freeing view of the Staufer city of Schwäbisch Gmünd, which lies in the valley, and the Three Kaiserberge.

Duration: ca. 1.5 hours
Price for groups of a maximum of 30 persons: 50.00 €

Gmünder Silver and Jewelry Presentation Shop
Since the fall of 2004, the Gmünder silver and jewelry workshops have taken a new turn for the marketing of their noble products. Located in the city center, under the roof of a collective outlet there is the possibility of direct shopping for attractive prices. The Gmünder and their guests experience a further facet of the gold and silver city of Schwäbisch Gmünd.

Opening hours:
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - noon
Thursday / Friday noon - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (and for groups upon arrangement)

WELEDA medicinal plant garden
During a guided stroll, discover the fabulous medicinal plant gardens of the world-wide famous producer of natural healing means and natural cosmetics Weleda. On around 16 hectares, you will find the most beautiful, most blooming and most useful biotope of Germany.

Duration: ca. 1.5 to 2 hours
Price for groups of up to 25 persons: 70.00 €

Fortress ruins Rechberg
The fortress, first mentioned at the end of the 12th century, formed, during the Staufer period, an important part of the fortification ring which surrounded the Hohenstaufen fortress. After the fortress withstood all wars, it was hit by lightning during a winter storm in 1865 and burnt down.

Duration: ca. 1 hour
Price for groups up to 25 persons: 50.00 € plus admission to the fortress compound

Tour on the "Street of the Staufers"
With a bus tour along the tourist route "street of the Staufers" the history of the ruling family in their homeland becomes alive. Different sights are seen upon arrangement.

Price for each bus group: first hour: € 35 / each further hour:  € 30 plus admission for different sights
Tip: For further information, the brochure "Street of the Staufers" is available at the iPunkt Schwäbisch Gmünd.