Salem, Baden-Württemberg

Salem is a municipality in the Bodensee district of Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany, located 9 km (5 miles) north of Lake Constance, with a population of 11,100.

Salem
Salem train station
Salem train station
Coat of arms of Salem
Location of Salem within Bodenseekreis district
Lake ConstanceAustriaSwitzerlandBavariaBermatingenDaisendorfDeggenhausertalEriskirchFrickingenFriedrichshafenHagnau am BodenseeHeiligenbergImmenstaad am BodenseeKressbronn am BodenseeLangenargenMarkdorfMeckenbeurenMeersburgNeukirchOberteuringenOwingenSalemSipplingenStettenTettnangÜberlingenÜberlingenUhldingen-MühlhofenKonstanz (district)Konstanz (district)Ravensburg (district)Sigmaringen (district)
Salem is located in Germany
Salem
Salem
Salem is located in Baden-Württemberg
Salem
Salem
Coordinates: 47°46′00″N 09°17′45″E / 47.76667°N 9.29583°E / 47.76667; 9.29583
CountryGermany
StateBaden-Württemberg
Admin. regionTübingen
DistrictBodenseekreis
Government
 • Mayor (2020–28) Manfred Härle[1]
Area
 • Total
62.70 km2 (24.21 sq mi)
Elevation
440 m (1,440 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total
12,119
 • Density190/km2 (500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
88682
Dialling codes07553, 07554, 07544, 07556
Vehicle registrationFN
Websitewww.salem-baden.de

Geography

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The community is located about nine kilometers (5 miles) east of Überlingen and ten kilometers (6 miles) north east of Meersburg in Linzgau mainly in the valley of Linzer Aach. The district Oberstenweiler is situated on a side peak of the Gehrenberg up to 600 metres (2000') height. The district area covers approximately 6270 hectares (24¼ sq. mi.) (as of December 31, 2014).[3]

Neighboring communities

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The community is adjacent to Überlingen, Meersburg, Bermatingen, Heiligenberg, Deggenhausertal, Frickingen and Uhldingen-Mühlhofen.

Municipality arrangement

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The town of Salem consists of eleven member locations.[4] The locations (as at 31 December 2014) are listed below:[5]

  • Salem Stefansfeld (chief town) 743 ha (2¾ sq. mi.)
  • Beuren 888 ha (3½ sq. mi.)
  • Buggensegel 361 ha (1½ sq. mi.)
  • Grasbeuren 347 ha (1¼ sq. mi.)
  • Mimmenhausen 628 ha (2½ sq. mi.)
  • Mittelstenweiler 314 ha (1¼ sq. mi.)
  • Neufrach 1030 ha (4 sq. mi.)
  • Oberstenweiler 324 ha (1¼ sq. mi.)
  • Rickenbach 171 ha (⅔ sq. mi.)
  • Tüfingen 911 ha (3½ sq. mi.)
  • Weildorf 551 ha (2¼ sq. mi.)

History

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For a detailed history of the monastery, see the article about Salem Abbey.

The area has been populated since at least the Bronze Age. Beginning in the 3rd century, the Alemanni and, later, the Franks established several villages, including the small settlement of Salemanneswilare (later Salmannsweiler). Salem Abbey, founded by the Order of Cistercians, was established here in 1134. It quickly achieved the rank of an imperial abbey.

From about 1285 to 1425, the High Gothic Salem Münster (Minster) was built, and it has been preserved until the current day. During the 17th century, the monastery had to cope with serious setbacks, including the Thirty Years' War, which brought death and destruction to many areas.

In 1697, a fire destroyed not only most of the buildings, but also numerous art treasures owned by the abbey. Subsequently, under the master builder Franz Beer of Vorarlberg, the Baroque buildings currently standing on the site were built.

Among other things, Abbot Anselm II Schwab founded an Orphans' Fund in 1749 that is considered the first savings bank in Germany. Anselm also had the pilgrimage church Birnau built on the shores of Lake Constance.

The heyday of the monastery ended with the German mediatization in 1803. It was secularized, and the territory fell to the Margraviate of Baden.

Culture and sights

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Salem Abbey

The Cistercian monastery of Salem Abbey was founded in 1134, when the knight Guntram von Adelsreute donated land for its establishment. The abbey already had its own scriptorium in the 12th century and formed one of the most important monastery libraries in Europe.

 
Schule Schloss Salem

Currently, the grounds are home to the middle school campus of Schule Schloss Salem, a boarding school founded in 1920 by Kurt Hahn and Prince Max of Baden. The abbey complex covers a total of 17 hectares.

Other sights are the Gothic-style Salem Minster (the former church of the abbey complex) and the Baroque chapel.

Sports

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In summer, the Schlosssee (castle lake) attracts swimmers from all over the region. There are also tennis courts, a football and athletics stadium, sports grounds, sports halls and rehearsal rooms for teams.[6]

Teams

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Salem Fanfarenzug

Fanfarenzug Salem during the day of open doors on 14 September 2014 in Salem Monastery and Palace.

Salem has numerous clubs, including the Fanfarenzug Salem.[7]

Regular events

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The Schloss Seefest Salem, one of the largest open-air events in the Lake Constance region, is held every first summer holiday weekend. International artists perform large outdoor concerts on the castle grounds in the lakeside park.[6]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ Aktuelle Wahlergebnisse, Staatsanzeiger, accessed 11 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht am 31. Dezember 2022" [Population by nationality and sex as of December 31, 2022] (CSV) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg. June 2023.
  3. ^ Einwohner und Fläche Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine der Gemeinde Salem; retrieved, 24 February 2015
  4. ^ Vgl. Salem. in: Das Land Baden-Württemberg. Amtliche Beschreibung nach Kreisen und Gemeinden. Band VII: Regierungsbezirk Tübingen, Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-17-004807-4. S. 590–596.
  5. ^ Einwohner und Fläche Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine der Gemeinde Salem; retrieved 24. February 2015
  6. ^ a b Peter Schober: Salem. Salem ist nicht Hintertupfingen. In: Die Region stellt sich vor. Wir sind hier. Sonderbeilage des Südkurier vom 19. November 2010, S. 8.
  7. ^ Vereine in Salem (Baden). Archived 2016-08-17 at the Wayback Machine