Neu-Ulm is a town in
BavariaBavaria, 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...
, capital of the
Neu-Ulm districtNeu-Ulm is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Günzburg and Unterallgäu and the state of Baden-Württemberg ....
. Neighbouring towns include
UlmUlm 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...
,
SendenThe town of Senden is the second-largest town of the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and is located at the border to Baden-Württemberg. The town belongs to the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund...
,
Pfaffenhofen an der RothPfaffenhofen an der Roth is a municipality in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria in Germany. Its most famous son is Hermann Köhl, an aviation pioneer of the 1920s.-Geography:...
, Holzheim,
NersingenNersingen is a municipality in the District of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria, Germany. The neighbours are Neu-Ulm, Elchingen, Bibertal and Pfaffenhofen an der Roth.-Geographic location:...
and
ElchingenElchingen is a municipality about 7 km east of Ulm–Neu-Ulm in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria, GermanyMunicipality parts:* Thalfingen: 4 211 residents, 8.83 km²* Oberelchingen: 3 024 residents, 7.31 km²...
. The population is 51,110 (30 June 2005).
History
The modern history of Neu-Ulm began with the change of the sovereignty over the city of
UlmUlm 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...
in 1810 from the
Kingdom of BavariaThe Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
to the
Kingdom of WürttembergThe Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
. The
DanubeThe 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....
became the boundary between Bavaria and Württemberg. Land on the right-hand side of the Danube thus fell under Bavarian sovereignty. This was the beginning of Neu-Ulm's status as an independent town.
At this time Neu-Ulm was very small with little more than a few houses, taverns, pieces of land, and the village of Offenhausen. It was still known as "Ulm am rechten Donauufer (Ulm on the right-hand side of the Danube). The name "Neu-Ulm" was first mentioned in records in 1814.
The town's real growth began a few decades later in 1841, when the
Frankfurter Bundesversammlung announced the building of the
Federal Fort of UlmUnder the term of the 1815 Peace of Paris, France was obliged to pay for the construction of a line of fortresses to protect the German Confederation against any future aggression by France.Section C...
, the Bundesfestung. Upon the wishes of
King Ludwig ILudwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
, Neu-Ulm was included within the fort and the building work in Neu-Ulm was overseen by Major Theodor von Hildebrandt. After Neu-Ulm was connected to the railway line to
AugsburgAugsburg 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, soldiers arrived and a garrison was created there.
The city began to blossom under Mayor Josef Kollmann at the end of the 19th century. A tram line connecting Ulm and Neu-Ulm was built in 1897 and in 1900 the water tower (still a landmark today) was built, guaranteeing Neu-Ulm's water supply. In 1906, Neu-Ulm expanded beyond the city walls for the first time. The first factories were built, and it continued to expand.
After
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the garrison was closed. The population and wealth of the town grew, and it became a rich town. However,
World War IIWorld 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...
left its mark; nearly eighty percent of the town was destroyed by Allied bombing, and all bridges across the Danube to Ulm were destroyed.
Rebuilding began, and from the end of World War II up to the 1990s, the US Army were stationed in Neu-Ulm. From 1964 to 1991, thirty-six
Pershing missilePershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the PGM-11 Redstone missile as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable theater-level weapon. The Pershing systems lasted over 30 years from the first test...
s were located in Neu-Ulm under the
56th Field Artillery CommandThe 56th Field Artillery Command was a brigade size element of the United States Army. The unit was constituted in 1942 with the last period of active service being 1970 through 1991. It was the only unit to field the nuclear Pershing missile system. This unique mission required an almost "Super...
.
The departure of the US Army had a large impact on the town's economy, and also left a large number of vacant army buildings.
Coat of arms
In 1857, the town was given a coat of arms, although it was not legally a city at the time. It was first granted city status by
King Ludwig IILudwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
in 1869. The coat of arms consists of three horizontal bands of black, white and blue, with a tower in front. The tower symbolises the fort built around Neu-Ulm, the colours black and silver indicate the relationship with
UlmUlm 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...
, and the colours white and blue show the association with
BavariaBavaria, 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...
.
Districts
Neu-Ulm is arranged into 14 districts, 9 of them added between 1972 and 1977. The districts are: Burlafingen, Finningen, Gerlenhofen, Hausen, Holzschwang (including Tiefenbach), Jedelhausen, Ludwigsfeld, Neu-Ulm, Offenhausen, Pfuhl, Reutti, Schwaighofen, Steinheim and Wiley.
Politics
Neu-Ulm is currently controlled by the
Christian Social UnionThe Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
(CSU). On 11 January 2004, the acting deputy mayor Gerold Noerenberg was elected mayor. He succeeded Dr Beate Merk, who had been appointed as Bavarian law minister by
Edmund StoiberEdmund Rüdiger Stoiber is a German politician, former minister-president of the state of Bavaria and former chairman of the Christian Social Union...
on 14 October 2003.
The town council is arranged into four parliamentary groups with six different parties and citizens' initiatives (the number of seats are shown in brackets):
- Christian Social Union
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
(CSU) (22)
- Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) (14)
- Green Party (3)
- Free Democratic Party
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP) (2)
- Free Voters' Union (FWG) (2)
- Pro Neu-Ulm (1)
Education and science
In 1994, the Neu-Ulm "Fachhochschule"
(University of Applied Sciences) was founded. The School of Economics was first opened as a branch office of the Fachhochschule
Kempten im AllgäuKempten is the largest town in Allgäu, a region in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. The population was ca 61,000 in 2006. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later overtaken by the Romans, who called the town Cambodunum...
, but has been independent since 1998. The "Fachhochschule Neu-Ulm" is located in the former US-base "Wiley Barracks", expanded into two floors of the newly build "Edison Center" and will be transferred into a new, bigger building which is currently build on the former US-base area, in summer 2008.
Born in Neu-Ulm
- Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Early life:Jackson's father, Edwin Jackson, Sr., a military cook, was stationed in Germany at the time of his birth. Jackson is one of 27 major league players who were born in Germany...
, (born 9 September 1983), Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
- Hermann Köhl
Hermann Köhl was a German Aviation pioneer and pilot of the first trans-atlantic flight in the East-West direction....
, (15 April 1888-7 October 1938), German flight pioneer.
- Edwin Scharff
Edwin Scharff was a German sculptor.He was born in Neu-Ulm and died in Hamburg.In 1928 he won a bronze medal in the art competitions of the Olympic Games for his "Médaille pour les Jeux Olympiques"...
, (1887–1955), sculptor, Professor in BerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, DüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and Hamburg.
- Harald Schmidt
Harald Franz Schmidt is a German actor, writer, comedian and television entertainer best known as host of two popular German late-night shows.- Early life :...
, (born 18 August 1957), actor, comedian and TV presenter.
- Magdalena Kopp
Cecilina Magdalena Kopp was born in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria in 1948. She was a photographer and member of the Frankfurt Revolutionary Cells . She is known for being the wife and accomplice of political militant Ilich Ramírez Sánchez also known as "Carlos the Jackal".- Early life :Magdalena Kopp grew up in...
, (born 1948), former terrorist
International relations
Neu-Ulm is
twinnedTwin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Bois-ColombesBois-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
MeiningenMeiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
,
GermanyGermany , 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...
New Ulm, MinnesotaNew Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....
, USA
TrissinoTrissino is a comune in the province of Vicenza, in northern Italy.Its mayor is Claudio Rancan.The town is famous all over Italy for its hockey team, the Gruppo Sportivo Hockey Trissino....
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
External links