Leipheim
Encyclopedia
Leipheim is a town in the district of Günzburg
, in Bavaria
, Germany
. It is situated on the Danube
, 5 km west of Günzburg
, and 17 km northeast of Ulm
. The village Riedheim and the hamlet Weissingen are districts of Leipheim. Since 1993, Leipheim has been twinned with the Hungarian
town Fonyód
.
(Ludwig the Bavarian). In 1343, ownership was transferred to the Count of Württemberg. In 1453, the Free Imperial City
of Ulm
purchased the town from Count Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg
for 23,000 Gulden. When Ulm converted to Protestantism
in 1531, Leipheim officially turned Protestant as well.
During the German Peasants' War
in 1525, roughly 5,000 peasants called the Leipheimer Haufen (literally: the Leipheim Bunch) gathered near Leipheim to rise against the city of Ulm and were subsequently defeated by the army of the Swabian League
. During the German Mediatisation
in 1803, the town was integrated into Bavaria
. Leipheim was one of the few possessions of the Free Imperial City of Ulm to remain Bavarian after 1810 when Bavaria was forced to transfer certain borderland back to Württemberg
. In the course of the administrative reform of Bavaria in 1818 under King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the community emerged in its current form.
In 1816/17, following the Napoleonic Wars
and long periods of rain and cold, the people of Leipheim suffered famine and hardship. During this time, the city made a promise to celebrate the end of the famine, and in 1818 after a good harvest, they made good on this promise by creating the Kinderfest (literal: festival of children). Up to this day, the festival is held every year on the second weekend of July, incorporating traditional elements commemorating the end of the famine through song and dance, as well as a modern fairground and beer garden
atmosphere.
With the construction of the railroad section Ulm
-Augsburg
in 1853, Leipheim gained further economic significance. In 1937, construction of the autobahn A8 and the motorway bridge crossing the Danube was completed. The air base, which saw the mass production of the cargo glider Messerschmitt Me 321
and the first strategic transport aircraft Messerschmitt Me 323
, was built the same year. The first flight of the prototype of the Messerschmitt Me 262
Schwalbe (Swallow), the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft took place in Leipheim on July 18, 1942. From 1944, the aircraft was mass produced (around 800 units).
After the end of World War II
in 1945, a displaced persons camp
for Jewish survivors was established on the premises of the former air base. This camp, which sheltered up to 3,150 people, was disbanded in June 1950. After 1957 the area was used for military air traffic again until 1993.
The city's coat of arms (a blue shield with a golden diagonal bar and three six-pointed stars in red) has been in use since the 14th century and has first been sourced in 1404. The colors are the ones of the family of Güß von Güssenberg. The coat of arms in its current form first emerged the early 19th century. Recently, Leipheim has adopted a modern logo, the city's signature followed by a red circle with a black exclamation mark inside, which is now being used on all official publications to evoke a corporate identity
.
Günzburg (district)
Günzburg is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Dillingen, Augsburg, Unterallgäu and Neu-Ulm, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg ....
, in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is situated on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, 5 km west of Günzburg
Günzburg
Günzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. This district was constituted in 1972 by combining the city of Günzburg—which had not previously been assigned to a Kreis —with the district of Günzburg and the district of Krumbach.Günzburg lies...
, and 17 km northeast of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
. The village Riedheim and the hamlet Weissingen are districts of Leipheim. Since 1993, Leipheim has been twinned with the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
town Fonyód
Fonyód
Fonyód is a town and holiday resort on the south shore of Lake Balaton, in north-west Somogy, western Hungary, with over 5000 residents.- History :...
.
History
Between 1270 and 1373, Leipheim was owned by the family of Güß von Güssenberg who arranged for it to be granted market privileges in 1327 and town privileges in 1330 through Louis IVLouis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
(Ludwig the Bavarian). In 1343, ownership was transferred to the Count of Württemberg. In 1453, the Free Imperial City
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
purchased the town from Count Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg
Ulrich V, Count of Wurttemberg
Ulrich V of Württemberg called "der Vielgeliebte" , Count of Württemberg. He was the younger son of Count Eberhard IV and Henriette of Mömpelgard.-Life:...
for 23,000 Gulden. When Ulm converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in 1531, Leipheim officially turned Protestant as well.
During the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
in 1525, roughly 5,000 peasants called the Leipheimer Haufen (literally: the Leipheim Bunch) gathered near Leipheim to rise against the city of Ulm and were subsequently defeated by the army of the Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
. During the German Mediatisation
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
in 1803, the town was integrated into Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Leipheim was one of the few possessions of the Free Imperial City of Ulm to remain Bavarian after 1810 when Bavaria was forced to transfer certain borderland back to Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
. In the course of the administrative reform of Bavaria in 1818 under King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the community emerged in its current form.
In 1816/17, following the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and long periods of rain and cold, the people of Leipheim suffered famine and hardship. During this time, the city made a promise to celebrate the end of the famine, and in 1818 after a good harvest, they made good on this promise by creating the Kinderfest (literal: festival of children). Up to this day, the festival is held every year on the second weekend of July, incorporating traditional elements commemorating the end of the famine through song and dance, as well as a modern fairground and beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
atmosphere.
With the construction of the railroad section Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
-Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in 1853, Leipheim gained further economic significance. In 1937, construction of the autobahn A8 and the motorway bridge crossing the Danube was completed. The air base, which saw the mass production of the cargo glider Messerschmitt Me 321
Messerschmitt Me 321
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter. Messerschmitt Me 321/323: The Luftwaffe's "Giants" in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 2001. ISBN 0-7643-1442-4....
and the first strategic transport aircraft Messerschmitt Me 323
Messerschmitt Me 323
The Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant was a German military transport aircraft of World War II. It was a powered variant of the Me 321 military glider and was the largest land-based transport aircraft of the war...
, was built the same year. The first flight of the prototype of the Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
Schwalbe (Swallow), the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft took place in Leipheim on July 18, 1942. From 1944, the aircraft was mass produced (around 800 units).
After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945, a displaced persons camp
Displaced persons camp
A displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
for Jewish survivors was established on the premises of the former air base. This camp, which sheltered up to 3,150 people, was disbanded in June 1950. After 1957 the area was used for military air traffic again until 1993.
The city's coat of arms (a blue shield with a golden diagonal bar and three six-pointed stars in red) has been in use since the 14th century and has first been sourced in 1404. The colors are the ones of the family of Güß von Güssenberg. The coat of arms in its current form first emerged the early 19th century. Recently, Leipheim has adopted a modern logo, the city's signature followed by a red circle with a black exclamation mark inside, which is now being used on all official publications to evoke a corporate identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
.