Location:

On the passage of the Heckengaeu in the north-eastern foothills of the Black Forest, along the river Wuerm.

Local authority districts : Weil der Stadt Merklingen Schafhausen Münklingen Hausen

Geographic position: 48°45' North 8°52' East Altitude above sea level: 410m Area: 4.317ha

History:

The Kepler city Weil der Stadt is a place with a great deal of historical past and tradition. With a tour through the old part of town you can become acquainted with the stone witnesses of the Weil history, whether on the city wall with the gates and towers, in the light hall church of St. Peter and Paul, the city landmark, in front of the former Augustine monastery or the hospital with chapel.
The heyday of Weil was certainly in the time after the city was granted the rights of a city by the Stauffer Emperor Friedrich II and the naming to a free imperial city (1272) up to the disastrous city fire in 1648. From the astonishingly large number of clergy and scientists who were born in the small Weil, above all two have made the city famous: Johannes Kepler, astronomer (1571 - 1630) and Johannes Brenz, theologian (1499 - 1570). Kepler is considered to be one of the founders of modern natural sciences. His calculations for the courses of the planets can be seen as the basis for space travel. Brenz was the reformer of Wuerttemberg and one of the most important students of Martin Luther in southern Germany.

Economy:

Trade, commerce and industry are mainly characterized by middle sized companies. Excellent products are brought to the market in the branches mechanical engineering, wood and metal processing as well as the construction material trade and in publishing companies.

Sights:

City church St. Peter and Paul
The city church St. Peter and Paul is a three vessel, net arched late Gothic hall church, the vessel of which was built in 1492. There was a first Roman church in this location in the middle of the 6th century.

Hospital
The hospital was donated around 1358 by the Weiler beguine Hail Brotbeckin and was an old folks and nursing home of the city for 600 years.

Hospital chapel
It was dedicated in 1364. The late Gothic carved altar from the lower Swabian school (around 1500) with the Mother of God is surrounded by the holy tribe of Mary. In addition the baroque stone altars from Joseph Höchstetter (1748) can be seen.

Old City Hall
The medieval stone house (Ortsadelhaus) was previously a courthouse and city hall.

New City Hall
A stately building from the year 1582 which received its current form during the reconstruction in 1664 after the city fire (1648).

Kepler memorial
This memorial was built for Johannes Kepler, astronomer and mathematician. He was born on 27 December 1571 in Weil der Stadt and died on 15 November 1630 in Regensburg. A monument by the sculptor Kreling from the year 1870.

Johannes Brenz Church
It was built in 1889 in the new Gothic style according to the plans of Prof. Reinhardt and named after the reformer of Wuerttemberg who was born on 24 June 1499 in Weil der Stadt. In the inside of the church, a bust of Brenz by K. Donndorf can be seen.

Church fortress Merklingen/Weil der Stadt
On the far western edge of the Stuttgart region in the Weil der Stadt city district Merklingen, the visitor encounters a special kind of fortress: a church fortress. The so-called church trench wall was completely renewed in 1983. Well maintained are in addition a gate tower, two wall towers, the stone house which was fully renovated in 1997 and a keep-like church tower. Even today an impression can be gained of the extent and the unity of the grounds. The town together with the church fortress and the former fortress called the stone house today still belonged to the monastery Herrenalb in the 16th century.

The building group around the St. Remigius Church, earlier called "City", which was protected by a water trench and an impressive double wall ring. The church fortress in Merklingen is one of the largest defense church systems in Wuerttemberg.

Johannes Kepler Observatory
The observatory is operated by the amateur astronomers of the Kepler Observatory (AKS). This group offers educational events and internships. Astrologic photography forms a point of emphasis.
Tel.: +49 (70 33) 69 06 29
www.kepler-sternwarte.de

Museums & Galleries:

Kepler Museum
The Kepler Museum is the birth house of the astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571 - 1630). In the museum Kepler's life is shown in documents, models and writings.
City museum
Marktplatz 12
Tel.: +49 (70 33) 22 38
Lively portrayal of the homeland and city history, collection of historical findings.
Opening hours and admission:
Sundays from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., for groups with registration by phone (see above)
Adults € 2.00, students € 1.00
Fool's Museum
Stuttgarter Straße 60
Tel.: +49 (70 33) 85 93
The history of the fools in Weil with the typical figures from the Weil carnival.
Opening hours and admission:
each 1st and 3rd Sunday a month from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., on carnival Sundays and fool's parade Sundays as well as on other days upon arrangement. Free admission.

Master Eva's Doll House
Stuttgarter Straße 62
Tel.: +49 (70 33) 30 43 47
60 beautifully created wooden dolls can be seen on the Hohnstein doll stage. The fool's group "Weiler Clowns" performs theater pieces written by Rudolf Karl himself in the doll house.
Opening hours and admission:
each 1st and 3rd Sunday a month form 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. and upon arrangement. Free admission.