Просмотр кода страницы Английская Википедия:Heilbronn

{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}{{Infobox German location
|type              = City
|image_photo       = Heilbronn Innenstadt u Wartberg 20050918.jpg
|image_caption     = View of the Heilbronn centre of town toward the ''Wartberg''
|image_flag        = Flagge Heilbronn.svg
|image_coa         = Wappen Heilbronn.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|49|9|N|9|13|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Heilbronn map closer.gif
|plantext          = Area map
|state             = Baden-Württemberg
|region            = Stuttgart
|district          = urban
|elevation         = 157
|area              = 99.88
|postal_code       = 74072–74081
|area_code         = 07131, 07066
|licence           = HN
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 08 1 21 000
|divisions         = 9 ''[[Stadtteil]]e''
|website           = {{URL|https://www.heilbronn.de/|heilbronn.de}}
|mayor             = Harry Mergel<ref>[https://www.staatsanzeiger.de/wahl/oberbuergermeisterwahl-heilbronn-2022/ Oberbürgermeisterwahl Heilbronn 2022], Staatsanzeiger.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2022&ndash;30
|Bürgermeistertitel= Oberbürgermeister
|party             = SPD
}}
'''Heilbronn''' ({{IPA-de|haɪlˈbʁɔn|-|Heilbronn.ogg}}) is a [[List of cities and towns in Germany|city]] in northern [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany,<ref>{{Cite web |last=e.V |first=Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus |title=Discover Heilbronn, a historical city on the Neckar - Germany Travel |url=https://www.germany.travel/en/cities-culture/heilbronn.html |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=www.germany.travel |language=en}}</ref> surrounded by [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn District]]. With over 126,000 residents, it is the [[List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population|sixth-largest city]] in the state.<ref>[[:de:Liste der gr%C3%B6%C3%9Ften St%C3%A4dte in Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg|List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population (in German)]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=April 2022}}

From the late Middle Ages on, it developed into an important trading centre. At the beginning of the 19th century, Heilbronn became one of the centres of early industrialisation in Württemberg. Heilbronn's old town was completely destroyed during the air raid of 4 December 1944 and rebuilt in the 1950s. Today Heilbronn is the economic centre of the [[Heilbronn-Franconia|Heilbronn-Franken region]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bernd Venohr |first=& Floran Langenscheidt |title=Deutsche Standards. Heilbronn-Franken. Region der Weltmarktführer: Rund 100 Weltmarktführer einer der erfolgreichsten Regionen Deutschlands |publisher=GABAL |year=2011 |isbn=978-3869362229}}</ref>

Heilbronn is known for its wine industry and is nicknamed ''Käthchenstadt'', after [[Heinrich von Kleist]]'s ''[[Das Käthchen von Heilbronn]]''.

==Geography==
Heilbronn is located in the northern corner of the [[Neckar]] [[Sedimentary basin|basin]] at the bottom of the [[Wartberg (Heilbronn)|Wartberg]] (308 m). It occupies both banks of the Neckar, and the highest spot inside city limits is the [[Schweinsberg (mountain)|Schweinsberg]] with a height of 372 meters. Heilbronn is adjacent to the [[Swabian-Franconian Forest]] Nature Park and is surrounded by vineyards.
[[File:Neckar watershed closer.gif|right|thumb|210px|Heilbronn (upper right) on the [[Neckar|Neckar River]], in southwest Germany]]

Heilbronn and its surroundings are located in the northern part of the larger [[Stuttgart]] metropolitan area. The city is the economic center of the Heilbronn-Franken region and is one of fourteen such cities in the Baden-Württemberg master plan of 2002. It also serves [[Abstatt]], [[Bad Rappenau]], [[Bad Wimpfen]], [[Beilstein (Württemberg)|Beilstein]], [[Brackenheim]], [[Cleebronn]], [[Eberstadt (Württemberg)|Eberstatt]], [[Ellhofen]], [[Eppingen]], [[Flein]], [[Gemmingen]], [[Güglingen]], [[Ilsfeld]], [[Ittlingen]], [[Kirchardt]], [[Lauffen am Neckar]], [[Lehrensteinsfeld]], [[Leingarten]], [[Löwenstein]], [[Massenbachhausen]], [[Neckarwestheim]], [[Nordheim (Württemberg)|Nordheim]], [[Obersulm]], [[Pfaffenhofen (Württemberg)|Pfaffenhofen]], [[Schwaigern]], [[Siegelsbach]], [[Talheim, Neckar|Talheim]], [[Untergruppenbach]], [[Weinsberg]], [[Wüstenrot]], and [[Zaberfeld]] as a regional economic centre.

===Neighboring communities===
Heilbronn shares a border with the following cities and towns, all part of [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn County]] and listed here clockwise from the North: [[Bad Wimpfen]], [[Neckarsulm]], [[Erlenbach (Landkreis Heilbronn)|Erlenbach]], [[Weinsberg]], [[Lehrensteinsfeld]], [[Untergruppenbach]], [[Flein]], [[Talheim, Neckar|Talheim]], [[Lauffen am Neckar]], [[Nordheim (Württemberg)|Nordheim]], [[Leingarten]], [[Schwaigern]], [[Massenbachhausen]] and [[Bad Rappenau]].

===Boroughs===
The city is divided into nine [[borough]]s: 
{|
| valign="top" |
* 001: Heilbronn itself
* 002: Böckingen
* 003: Neckargartach
* 004: Sontheim
* 005: Klingenberg
| valign="top" | 
* 006: [[Heilbronn-Frankenbach|Frankenbach]]
* 007: Kirchhausen
* 008: Biberach
* 009: Horkheim
|}

===Climate===

{{Excerpt|Öhringen|Climate|paragraphs=0|files=0|this=This climate table}}

==History==

===Up to AD 1200===
The oldest traces of humans in and around Heilbronn date back to the [[Old Stone Age]] (30,000 BC). The fertile Neckar floodplains in the Heilbronn basin aided early settlement by farmers and ranchers. The city limits of present-day Heilbronn contain many sites of [[Bronze Age]] finds. Later on, but still before AD, the [[Celt]]s already mined here for salt from brine.

Under [[Roman Emperor]] [[Domitian]] (AD 81–96) the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] pushed east away from the [[Rhine]] and the outer boundary of the [[Roman Empire]] was set at the [[Neckar-Odenwald Limes]]. A [[castle]] in today's borough of Böckingen was part of that ''[[Limes (Roman Empire)|limes]]'', and nearby numerous Roman villas and plantations were built. Around AD 150, the Neckar-Odenwald Limes became obsolete when the boundary of the Roman Empire was moved approximately {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=on}} to the east, where it was subsequently fortified with the construction of the [[Upper Germanic Limes]] complete with [[parapet]] and [[trench]]es.

Around 260, the Romans surrendered the limes, and the [[Alamanni]] became rulers of the Neckar basin. Between the 4th and 7th centuries, the area became part of the [[Frankish Empire]], and the first settlement was built in the general vicinity of the present center of town.

In 741, Heilbronn is first mentioned in an official document of the [[Diocese of Würzburg]] as ''villa Helibrunna'' (together with a ''Michaelsbasilica''), and in 841, King [[Louis the German]] set up court here for a period of time. The name ''Heilbrunna'' (''healing well'') hints to a well that is located not far from the basilica. In 1050, a significant settlement of [[Jews]] is noted in official documents, and the Codex of the monastery in [[Hirsau]] documented Heilbronn's right to hold market days and mint coins, mentioning its harbor and vineyards as well. The name of the city became a widespread [[Jewish surname]] in many varieties, see [[Heilprin]], [[Halpern]], and [[Halperin]].

===1200–1500===
[[File:DeutschHof HN.JPG|thumb|The ''Deutschhof'']]
In 1225, Heilbronn was incorporated into the [[Hohenstaufen]] Empire as ''oppidum Heilecbrunnen''. ''Oppidum'' signified a city fortified by [[parapet]] and [[trench]]es. Later during the 13th century, the [[Teutonic Knights]] obtained ownership of a large area south of Heilbronn which would remain owned by that order until [[German Mediatisation]] in 1805. Starting in 1268, the order built the ''Deutschhof'' there as one of its residences. The church building of the order that was located on the premises was modified and expanded several times: First in 1350 it was expanded ([[gothic architecture|Gothic]]), then it was remodeled in 1719 ([[Baroque]]), and in 1977, it was consecrated as a cathedral.

After the demise of the [[Hohenstaufen|Staufen]] dynasty, King [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolf I]] returned city status to Heilbronn in 1281 and installed a regal advocate to rule the city. In addition to the advocate he put a council in place that was headed up by a mayor. Around 1300, the first city hall was erected in the market place and the [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]] (built on the foundation of the Michaelsbasilica) was expanded. The Neckar privilege gave the city the right to modify the flow of the river in 1333, which meant it now had the right to construct dams, harbors and mills. Because of the infrastructure thus created, during the 14th century Heilbronn grew attractive to merchants and craftspeople, who now demanded the right to determine their own fate.

In 1371, [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]], issued a new charter to the city. Now Heilbronn needed to answer only to the Emperor and as such was an [[Imperial Free City]]. Craftspeople and merchants were now represented in its council and the villages of Böckingen, [[Flein]], [[Frankenbach]] and Neckargartach became part of Heilbronn's territory.

As an Imperial Free City Heilbronn was threatened by the ambitious [[House of Württemberg]]. A relationship with the Holy Roman Emperor and a treaty with the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]] in effect from 1417 to 1622 strengthened Heilbronn's position and kept the House of Württemberg at bay. The political stability enjoyed by the city during the 15th century enabled it to expand, and many of its historic structures, such as the [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]] (1455–60), trace their origins to that era.

===1500–1700===
[[File:Heilbronn Bollwerksturm 20050828.jpg|left|thumb|160px|''Bollwerksturm'']]

[[Götz von Berlichingen]] spent three years in "knightly custody" in Heilbronn starting in 1519 and even spent a night in the tower of the bastion. That same year people first took note of the pub owner [[Jäcklein Rohrbach]] who with accomplices would later kill the executor of Böckingen. After he had spent some time in the [[Hohenlohe Plains]] and collected similarly minded characters around him, he returned to Heilbronn in April 1525 just as the [[German Peasants' War]] was getting into full swing. On April 16 the peasants killed many of the nobles in Weinsberg and on April 18 the Heilbronn monastery of the [[Carmelites|Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel]] was attacked and ransacked. The city opened its gates in response to demands of the peasants and consequently more churches and municipal institutions were robbed the next day. For about a month Heilbronn remained under the control of rebellious peasants. And even though [[Johann Lachmann]], later a church reformer, had attempted to mediate, the peasants did not leave the city until one of their armies was defeated on May 12, 1525, in [[Böblingen]]. Their leader Rohrbach was executed on May 21, 1525, in Neckargartach and his home town of Böckingen was partially burnt to the ground in punishment.

In 1528, the replacement of the mayor by [[Hans Riesser]], a Protestant, brought on the previously delayed [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] and through the efforts of Reformer Lachmann schools and healthcare were also reorganized. In 1529 the [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]] (church tower of the Kilianskirche) was completed. It was the first important religious building of the [[Renaissance]] in Germany. The year 1530 brought about the acceptance of the [[Augsburg Confession]] by city council and residents and the ''Heilbronn Catechism'' of 1536 is the second oldest catechism in the Protestant Church. In 1538 Heilbronn joined the [[Schmalkaldic League]] but by 1546 squabbles between troops of the Schmalkaldic League and those of the Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] escalated into battles that were won by the Emperor. As a result, Charles V spent Christmas 1546 in Heilbronn to attend the ensuing criminal proceedings. It is also Charles V who in 1522 changed the charter of the city and this charter survived almost unscathed until 1803.

[[File:Heilbronn 1643 von Matthaeus Merian.jpg|thumb|Heilbronn in 1643. Engraving by [[Matthäus Merian]]]]
During the [[Thirty Years' War]] the city and surrounding villages suffered badly. After the [[battle of Wimpfen]] in 1622, Neckargartach was burnt to the ground. In 1631 Heilbronn was occupied by imperial troops but the same year the Swedes succeeded in conquering the city. From 1644 through 1647, Heilbronn was again part of the Holy Roman Empire, but then French troops moved in and later those of the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]]. The city was not free of occupying forces until four years after the [[Peace of Westphalia]] of 1648. But already in the 1670s the city again became the stage for armed manoeuvres, until it was occupied by French troops in 1688. But while that occupation of the city only lasted several months, the French were only persuaded to leave the surrounding areas in 1693, after a large defensive army had been put into the field and fortifications had been erected.

===1700–1900===
[[File:KäthchenHaus HN02.JPG|thumb|''Käthchenhaus'']]
During the 18th century, archives suggest all members of the city council enjoyed some sort of formal education; [[Friedrich Schiller|Schiller]] and [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]] came to visit; and elaborate buildings were being constructed in the [[Rococo]] style.

On September 9, 1802, Heilbronn lost its status as an Imperial Free City when the troops of Duke [[Frederick I of Württemberg|Friedrich I]] of [[Duchy of Württemberg|Württemberg]] arrived. The duke had conceded the left bank of the Rhine to France during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] but had been compensated with areas on the right bank. This is how Heilbronn and other former Imperial Free Cities became part of Württemberg in 1803. Heilbronn became the seat of an ''Oberamt'' (district), and the four Imperial Free villages became separate communities within the district. In 1806 the Duchy of Württemberg became the [[Kingdom of Württemberg]].
[[File:Heilbronn Stadtplan 1858-2.jpg|thumb|left|Plan of Heilbronn, 1858]]
In 1815, Heilbronn again became a staging area for major armies ahead of the campaign against [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]], and 10,000 troops paraded in front of Emperor [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Franz of Austria]] and more than one hundred German princes and generals in the ''Theresienwiese''. [[Tsar]] [[Alexander I of Russia]] met in Heilbronn with the [[Baltic German|Baltic]] Baroness [[Barbara Juliana, Baroness von Krüdener|Juliane]] von [[Barony of Krüdener|Krüdener]], who talked him into founding the "[[Holy Alliance]]".

[[Industrialization]] arrived in 1820. When the first train lines were placed in service in Württemberg, Heilbronn was at the end of the line of the northern branch that connected Heilbronn with [[Stuttgart]] and further fueled industrialization.

For a while Heilbronn suffered from the upheavals of the [[Revolutions of 1848 in the German states|Baden Revolution]] that its civil guard participated in. During that time the 8th infantry regiment switched sides and joined the revolutionaries until it was subsequently disarmed and force-transferred out of the area.

In 1849, the [[Hoerner Bank]], one of the oldest still functioning banks in [[Germany]], was founded in Heilbronn.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hoerner Bank AG|url=https://www.hoernerbank.de/hoerner-bank-ag|access-date=2017-03-10}}</ref>

Heilbronn became part of the [[German Empire]] in 1871 during the [[unification of Germany]].

In the 1860s the city's train tracks were extended to [[Heidelberg]] via [[Bad Wimpfen]], to [[Würzburg]] via [[Osterburken]], and to [[Crailsheim]] (and later on to [[Nuremberg]]) via [[Schwäbisch Hall]]. In 1880, the [[Kraichgau]] line was completed and created an important connection towards [[Karlsruhe]], and by the end of the 19th century, Heilbronn had become an important hub, second in Wuerttemburg to Stuttgart in industrial output.

The year 1892 brought a connection to the power plant in Lauffen; thus Heilbronn became the first city in the world to enjoy long-distance electric power.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

===1900–1945===
[[File:Stadtgemeinde Heilbronn 1923.JPG|thumb|Bond of the Municipality Heilbronn, issued on April 10, 1923]]
[[File:Heilbronn ca. April 1945.jpg|thumb|Ruins in Heilbronn in 1945]]
With the dissolution of monarchy in the [[German Reich]] as a result of World War I, Heilbronn became part of the [[Free People's State of Württemberg]] in 1918.

After almost a century of economic boom and growth of the local industry Heilbronn's citizenry included many labourers. The city came to be known as a "red hot spot"''';''' numerous worker and sports clubs were begun. Already prior to World War I the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] cornered the majority of the vote and stayed that course during the [[Weimar Republic]]. At his visit to the city on May 15, 1926, [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] was clearly not welcome by everyone, and several people were injured when a man was mistaken for Hitler and attacked. Hitler himself was able to give his speech in the city's community center ''Harmonie'', but the SPD had the majority in Heilbronn over the [[Nazi Party|NSDAP]] as late as the elections on March 5, 1933.

[[Richard Drauz]], who had been born into a respected Heilbronn family, became Heilbronn's NSDAP [[Kreisleiter]] (District Leader) in 1932. He was also elected to the [[Reichstag (German Empire)|Reichstag]] from 1933 on and pushed hard for the ''[[Gleichschaltung]]'' of the Heilbronn clubs and press in [[Nazi Germany]].

On July 28, 1935, the port was opened in a canal off the Neckar, and 1936 saw the [[Autobahn]] between Heilbronn and Stuttgart completed. Economy and infrastructure were booming in Württemberg, and Heilbronn was at the logistic centre of it all. As the result of a district reform on October 1, 1938, Heilbronn became the seat of the newly created [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn County]] and regained independent city status. At the same time the previously independent communities of Böckingen, Sontheim, and Neckargartach were annexed, and with 72,000 residents Heilbronn then was the second largest city in Württemberg. The port turned into an important transfer station on the Neckar and one of the ten largest interior ports in the country.

On November 10, 1938, the [[Old Synagogue (Heilbronn)|Heilbronn synagogue]] was destroyed during the [[Kristallnacht]]. Soon thereafter the [[Jew]]ish community was all but eliminated.

Starting in 1942 during World War II, the salt mines in and around Heilbronn were used to store art and artifacts from Germany, France, and Italy. Similarly, important producers of the war industry were moved into the [[Shaft mining|mine shafts]]. The expansion of the shafts was undertaken by labour brigades of the [[concentration camp]] branches in Kochendorf and Neckargartach. From Heilbronn all the way to [[Neckarelz]] numerous subterraneous complexes, some of them gigantic, were constructed''';''' on November 20, 1942, the Heilbronn Bureau of Labour had 8,000 forced labourers registered in its district.

In 1940 [[Bombings of Heilbronn in World War II|allied air raids]] began, and the city and its surrounding area were hit about 20 times with minor damage. On September 10, 1944, a raid by the allies targeted the city specifically, in particular the Böckingen train transfer station. As a result of 1,168 bombs dropped that day, 281 residents died. The city was carpet-bombed from the southern quarter all the way to the [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]] in the center of town. The church was burnt out.

After a [[Battle of Heilbronn (1945)|ten-day battle]], with the allies advancing over the strategically important [[Neckar]] crossings, the war ended for the destroyed city, and it was occupied by the U.S. Army on April 12, 1945. Local NSDAP leader [[Richard Drauz]] became a fugitive because of executions of American prisoners of war he had ordered in March 1945. He was eventually arrested, tried, and hanged by the Allies in [[Landsberg Prison|Landsberg]] on December 4, 1946.

===Second Half of the 20th Century===
[[File:StadtTheater HN01.JPG|thumb|''Stadttheater'' Heilbronn]]
After the war, Emil Beutinger, mayor until 1933, returned to office and began the formidable task of reconstruction that was subsequently continued by his successors [[Paul Metz]] and Paul Meyle. Milestones were the rededication of historic city hall in 1953 and the reopening of the community centre, ''Harmonie''. Heilbronn was part of [[Württemberg-Baden]] until 1952, after which it became part of [[Baden-Württemberg]].

After 1951, US troops were permanently stationed in Heilbronn. They used barracks built prior to World War II and added some structures of their own.

The opening of the Autobahn [[Bundesautobahn 6|A 6]] from Heilbronn to [[Mannheim]] in 1968 was an important economic event. When the [[Bundesautobahn 81|A 81]] to [[Würzburg]] and the [[Bundesautobahn 6|A 6]] to [[Nuremberg]] was completed in 1974 and 1979, respectively, Heilbronn became an important logistical centre in southern Germany. As a result, many large companies opened offices in Heilbronn.

When Klingenberg became part of Heilbronn on January 1, 1970, the city's population exceeded 100,000 for the first time; thus Heilbronn attained "major city" (''Großstadt'') status. During the last district reform in the 1970s, Kirchhausen, Biberach, Frankenbach and Horkheim were incorporated into Heilbronn, and the city was reconfirmed as independent city and seat of Heilbronn County. It was also declared seat of the newly formed Franken region, now Heilbronn-Franken.

Also during the 1970s, the centre of the city was transformed into a [[pedestrian zone]] and the rededication of the city theatre in 1982 closed one of the largest holes left in the inner city from World War II.

Pursuant to the [[NATO Double-Track Decision]] of 1979, [[Pershing II]] intermediate-range [[nuclear missiles]] were stationed just uphill of Heilbronn in the Waldheide. This made Heilbronn the only major city in Germany with atomic missiles inside its city limits — a fact that became front-page news during the missile accident on January 11, 1985. After the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty|INF Treaty]] was signed in 1987, the missiles were removed.

In the 1980s, Heilbronn hosted ''Heimatttage'' and ''Landesgartenschau'' staged by the State of Baden-Württemberg.

=== 21st Century ===
[[File:Stadtausstellung BuGa Heilbronn1.jpg|thumb|View of the Bundesgartenschau and the Neckarbogen]]
In 1998, Heilbronn was connected to the S-Bahn net with Karlsruhe. This further transformed the city centre, and an extension of the S-Bahn towards [[Öhringen]] opened on December 10, 2005, marking the completion of the east–west axis of the Baden-Wuerttemburg regional transportation system. In 2013, the north–south axis to Neckarsulm was opened.

Heilbronn won the European competition "Entente Florale 2000" on September 9, 2000, in Broughshane, Northern Ireland, and in 2005–06 the city became the first [[UNICEF]] children's city in Germany.

Late in 2005, Heilbronn was chosen to host the [[Bundesgartenschau]] in 2019. More than 2.3 million visitors came to the garden and city exhibition in 2019, which took place on a former commercial site of about 40 hectares located directly north of the main station.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Bundesgartenschau Heilbronn 2019 - Die Garten- und Stadtausstellung |publisher=Bundesgartenschau 2019 GmbH |year=2020 |isbn=9783-00-066284-3 |location=Heilbronn |pages=71}}</ref> Now a part of the site is being developed into a new Urban district called Neckarbogen, where up to 3,500 people will live and 1,000 people will work in the future. The first buildings of the green and family-friendly quarter have been highly acclaimed and already received several awards.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-22 |title=Stadtquartier Neckarbogen |url=https://www.heilbronn.de/bauen-wohnen/stadtquartier-neckarbogen.html |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=www.heilbronn.de}}</ref>

Other major new buildings in the city area in recent years include two Neckar bridges, the two shopping centres Stadtgalerie and Klosterhof, the experimenta Science Center and the Bildungscampus.

In 2021, the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg decides to locate its new innovation park artificial intelligence in Heilbronn.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Realisierung des Innovationsparks Künstliche Intelligenz kann starten |url=https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilung/pid/realisierung-des-innovationsparks-kuenstliche-intelligenz-kann-starten/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=www.baden-wuerttemberg.de}}</ref>

===Religion===
[[File:Heilbronn Kilianskirche 20050828.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[St. Kilian's Church, Heilbronn]], as seen from the Kiliansplatz]]
Ever since the [[Franks]] under [[Clovis I|Chlodwig]] settled in the Neckar region around 500 the area has been predominantly [[Christians|Christian]] and when Heilbronn was first mentioned in an official document in 741 Christian Michaelsbasilica, present day's [[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]], was mentioned along with the city. The [[Teutonic Knights]] constructed its church from the 13th century and both churches were continually expanded. They were joined later by other churches and cloisters in the city.

Around 1050 an important Jewish community was mentioned that had settled in what became known as the ''Judengasse'' (''Lohtorstraße''). In 1298, 143 Jews were killed during the [[Rintfleisch-Pogrom]] and in 1350 Jews suffered attacks again during a European [[epidemic]] of the [[Bubonic plague]]. The city's constitution required the council to include Jews, but already in the middle of the 15th century Jews were the target of vigilantes again until they were evicted from the city in 1490 with the blessings of Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]].

It is worth noting that the common Jewish name Halpern, and many variants such as Alpert, derive from the name of this city Heilbronn, and the early Jewish community there.

While Heilbronn was part of the [[Diocese of Würzburg]], the independent villages of Böckingen, Neckargartach and Frankenbach were attached to the [[Diocese of Worms]]. From 1514 on the Heilbronn native Johann Lachmann was caretaker of the parish in St. Kilian, in 1521 he became its preacher, in 1524 he converted to [[Lutheranism]] and proceeded to teach and lead the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] in Heilbronn against the wishes of both dioceses. After the [[Protestant reformation]] of Heilbronn was complete the city remained Lutheran for centuries and the council and citizens accepted the [[Augsburg Confession]] without dissent. Catholics were no longer welcome, Jews were prohibited from settling in Heilbronn, and the city took part in the [[Protestation at Speyer]] on April 19, 1529 (the Protestation was the origin of the terms Protestant and Protestantism).

The [[Age of Enlightenment]] brought Heilbronn freedom of religion. From 1803 Jews were again permitted to settle in the city, Catholics also began to move back in and by the 1860s Jews were granted equal rights as Heilbronn citizens.

After the city became part of Württemberg in 1803 it also became seat of a deaconry and the [[Prelate]] or regional bishop of the Protestant State Church in Württemberg. To this day Protestants are in the majority in Heilbronn. The Catholic parishes belong to the Deacony Heilbronn and are part of the [[Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart]].

Around 1920 first groups of "Serious Bible Students" (now: [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]) formed. Their small community suffered from oppression during the [[Third Reich]] and many of its members died in [[concentration camps]]. Similarly, the Jewish community had to watch as its colossal [[synagogue]] went up in flames and its 350 members were subsequently all but extinguished. Jehovah's Witnesses built a first meeting room in Heilbronn in 1953 and many more have been added since then.

[[File:Heilbronn Rathausuhr 20050828.jpg|thumb|200px|Astronomical clock at City Hall]]

Since the 1970s, after guest workers and immigrants from [[Islam]]ic or [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian-Orthodox]] countries settled here, these faiths are practiced by a growing part of the population and numerous mosques have been created since the 1990s in the city and county of Heilbronn.

===District reform===
Over the years, the following, formerly independent towns or communities, have been annexed to Heilbronn:
{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor="#efefef"
! Year !! Town !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
|-----
| June 1, 1933 || Böckingen || align="right" | 11.35
|-----
| October 1, 1938 || Neckargartach || align="right" | 11.25
|-----
| October 1, 1938 || Sontheim || align="right" | 7.40
|-----
| January 1, 1970 || Klingenberg || align="right" | 2.72
|-----
| July 1, 1972 || Kirchhausen || align="right" | 11.47
|-----
| January 1, 1974 || Biberach || align="right" | 10.58
|-----
| April 1, 1974 || Frankenbach || align="right" | 8.89
|-----
| April 1, 1974 || Horkheim || align="right" | 4.86
|}

===Demographics===
Figures reflect city limits at the time and are estimates (until 1870) or [[Census]] data (¹), or official extensions thereof, counting only primary residences.

[[File:Population Statistics Heilbronn.png|thumb|right|250px|Population statistics of Heilbronn]]
{| border="0" 
| valign="top" | 
{| class="wikitable" 
! Year 
! Population
|-
| 1399 || align="right" | approx. 5,500
|-
| 1501 || align="right" | 6,168
|-
| 1618 || align="right" | approx. 6,000
|-
| 1769 || align="right" | 6,077
|-
| 1803 || align="right" | 5,692
|-
| 1830 || align="right" | 10,703
|-
| 1849 || align="right" | 12,377
|-
| December 1, 1871 || align="right" | 18,955
|-
| 1880 || align="right" | 24,446
|-
| December 1, 1890 || align="right" | 29,941
|-
| December 1, 1900 || align="right" | 37,891
|-
| December 1, 1910 || align="right" | 42,688
|-
| June 16, 1925 || align="right" | 45,520
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" 
! Year 
! Population
|-
| June 16, 1933 ¹ || align="right" | 68,953
|-
| May 17, 1939 ¹ || align="right" | 77,569
|-
| 1944 ¹ || align="right" | 46,350
|-
| September 13, 1950 ¹ || align="right" | 64,643
|-
| June 6, 1961 ¹ || align="right" | 89,100
|-
| May 27, 1970 ¹ || align="right" | 101,646
|-
| June 30, 1975 || align="right" | 114,999
|-
| June 30, 1980 || align="right" | 111,509
|-
| June 30, 1985 || align="right" | 111,188
|-
| May 27, 1987 ¹ || align="right" | 110,970
|-
| June 30, 1990 ¹ || align="right" | 115,055
|-
| June 30, 1997 || align="right" | 121,500
|-
| March 31, 2020 || align="right" | 126,559
|} 
|}

[[File:Rathaus HN.JPG|thumb|right|250px|City Hall]]
¹ Census data

==Government==
In connection with the district reform in the 1970s, municipal laws of Baden-Württemberg were amended to introduce borough councils for certain boroughs. Residents of such boroughs elect their borough council at each municipal election and the borough council must be consulted on all matters of significance to the respective borough. The Borough President also presides over the Borough Council. In Heilbronn the boroughs of Biberach, Böckingen, Frankenbach, Horkheim, Kirchhausen, Klingenberg, Neckargartach, and Sontheim have borough councils.

===City council===
After the municipal elections of May 26, 2019 the city council of Heilbronn was made up of 40 seats. Multiple members have since changed parties, resulting in the following distribution of seats:<ref>{{cite web|title=Homepage City of Heilbronn |url=https://www.heilbronn.de/rathaus/politik/gemeinderat.html|access-date=2024-01-16}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Party
! Seats
|-
| align="left" | [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)|CDU]]|| align="right" | 9
|-
| align="left" | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] || align="right" | 8
|-
| align="left" | [[Worldwide green parties|Bündnis 90/Green Party]] || align="right" | 8
|-
| align="left" | [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] || align="right" | 4 
|-
| align="left" | [[Free Voters|FV]] ||align="right" | 2
|-
| align="left" | Pro Heilbronn || align="right" | 2
|-
| align="left" | Unabhängige für Heilbronn (UfHN) || align="right" | 2
|-
| align="left" | [[Alternative for Germany|AfD]] || align="right" | 3
|-
| align="left" | [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] || align="right" | 2
|}

===Mayor===
At first Heilbronn was governed by a regal advocate and an executor. Later, the city had two mayors but ever since the city was made part of Württemberg it has had just one mayor at a time.

{| border="0"
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Mayor
|-
| 1803–1819|| Georg Christian Franz Kübel
|-
| 1819–1822 || Lebrecht Landauer
|-
| 1822–1835 || Johann Clemens Bruckmann
|-
| 1835–1848 || Heinrich Titot
|-
| 1848–1869 || Christian August Klett
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" 
! Year 
! Mayor
|-
| 1869–1884 || Karl Wüst
|-
| 1884&ndash;1904 || Paul Hegelmaier
|-
| 1904–1921 || Paul Göbel
|-
| 1921–1933 || Emil Beutinger
|-
| 1933–1945 || Heinrich Gültig
|-
| 1945–1946 || Emil Beutinger
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable" 
! Year 
! Mayor
|-
| 1946–1948 || Paul Metz
|-
| 1948–1967 || Paul Meyle
|-
| 1967–1983 || Hans Hoffmann
|-
| 1983–1999 || Manfred Weinmann
|-
| 1999–2014 || Helmut Himmelsbach
|-
|2014–''present''
|Harry Mergel
|}
|}

===Representatives from Heilbronn===
The city of Heilbronn together with the northern municipalities of Heilbronn County makes up the electoral District 268 for national elections of representatives to the [[Bundestag (Germany)|Bundestag]].

[[File:NaturHistMuseum HN01.JPG|thumb|Museum of Natural History]]

For State elections to the [[Landtag of Baden-Württemberg]] Heilbronn makes up an electoral district (District 18) together with Erlenbach. Before the 2006 elections, it was an electoral district all by itself.

===Coat of arms===
Heilbronn's [[coat of arms]] features a black eagle with red tongue and claws on golden background. The eagle is protected by a red, silver and blue shield. The city flag is red, white and blue.

The oldest seal of the city dates back to 1265. The eagle is the symbol for the imperial freedom enjoyed by Heilbronn until it was [[German Mediatisation|annexed]] by the [[Grand Duchy]] (and later Kingdom) of [[Württemberg]]. While it is established that it appeared for the first time with shield in 1556 to distinguish it from other versions of eagles, the origin of the colors of the shield has yet to be determined. The colors also appeared in reverse order in 1556, 1581 and 1681 and there have been other variations of colour as well, such as white rather than golden background.

Interesting is the fact that Heilbronn sports three colours in its flag. Newly dedicated municipal flags in [[Baden-Württemberg]] only use two colours. According to State municipal laws, Heilbronn's flag was grandfathered as it had been in use prior to 1935.

==Main sights==

===Buildings===
[[File:Heilbronn Handkran 20050828.jpg|thumb|left|Historic manual crane]]
* Historic manual crane
* ''Bollwerksturm''
* ''Deutschhof''
* Steam power plant
* Community centre "Harmonie"
* Court and ''Fleischhaus''
* ''Götzenturm''
* ''Hafenmarktturm'' (port market tower)
* ''Haus Zehender'' at the market place
* ''Käthchenhaus'' at the market place
* City Hall with historic astronomic clock
* ''Schießhaus''
* ''[[Trappenseeschlösschen]]''
* ''Weinvilla''

===Churches===
* ''[[Kilianskirche (Heilbronn)|Kilianskirche]]'' (Protestant): The tower from the early [[Renaissance]] is the [[logo]] of the city. The [[high altar]] by [[Hans Seyffer]] was completed in 1498.
* ''Deutschordensmünster St.-Peter-und-Paul'' (Catholic)
* ''Nikolaikirche'' (Protestant)

===Museums===
* Museum of Natural History
* City Galery ''Deutschhof''
* Museum of archeology
* ''[[Kleist-Archiv Sembdner]]''
* South-German Train Museum Heilbronn
[[File:Siebenröhrenbrunnen.JPG|200px|thumb|Siebenröhrenbrunnen]]
[[File:Heilbronn view from Wartberg.jpg|200px|thumb|View of Heilbronn from Wartberg viewing tower]]

===Other sights===
* Old cemetery (created in 1530, a park since 1882)
* Viewing tower on the Wartberg hill provides a nice view of Heilbronn and the neighboring area.
* ''Ehrenfriedhof'' for the victims of the air raid on December 4, 1944
* ''Fleinertorbrunnen''
* [[Julius Robert von Mayer|Robert Mayer]] Memorial in the market place
* [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck]] Memorial
* ''Siebenröhrenbrunnen''
* [[Trappensee]]

== Culture ==

=== Language ===
Heilbronn is located near the border between the [[Swabian German|Swabian]] and the [[South Franconian German|South Franconian]] [[dialects]] of the German language.

===Theater===
The Heilbronn municipal theatre on Berliner Platz was built between 1979 and 1982 and continues the tradition of the municipal theatre that was once located there. Together with the adjacent Logentheater of the Theaterforum K3, completed in 2001, the Salon 3 and the BOXX the Heilbronn Theatre offers drama, musical and opera performances.

The Theaterschiff Heilbronn, located on the Neckar river, also offers changing performances.

The young theatre label Tacheles and Tarantismus has created a place of encounter and dialogue with the theatre laboratory STILBRUCH. The programme includes in-house productions and own play developments, workshops with students, readings, performance pieces, concerts, open-stage formats and party series.

=== Museum ===
The Heilbronn's municipal museum in the Deutschhof shows its art and sculpture collections as well as exhibits on the history of the city, archaeology and the history of the earth. The municipal art collection focuses on works by regional artists, including 18th and 19th century painters such as Heinrich Friedrich Füger and Carl Doerr as well as 20th century artists such as Heinrich Altherr and Hal Busse. There is also a special collection of small sculptures and bozzetti by international sculptors such as Wilhelm Lehmbruck and Henry Moore. The archaeology collection is in the tradition of the earlier municipal collection of ground finds founded by Alfred Schliz (1849-1915) and largely destroyed during the Second World War. Friedrich von Alberti (1795-1878), who gave the name Triassic to the sequence of Buntsandstein, Muschelkalk and Keuper, was particularly responsible for research into the history of the earth in and around Heilbronn.

The Deutschhof is also home to Haus der Stadtgeschichte (House of City History), which hosts a permanent exhibition on the city's history by the Heilbronn City Archive. Admission to the permanent exhibitions of the municipal museums and the city archives is free, and the exhibition rooms are structurally connected. The municipal museums also run the Vogelmann Art Gallery together with the Heilbronn Art Association.

The Kunsthalle Vogelmann is a municipal exhibition hall in Heilbronn and focusses on modern art. The Kunsthalle was built in 2009/2010 as an extension of the municipal concert and congress center Harmonie.

The most important art associations in the city are the Kunstverein Heilbronn, which has existed with two new foundations since 1879 and has held more than 400 events since 1956, and the Künstlerbund, Heilbronn.

The Literaturhaus Heilbronn has opened in 2020. It is located in the Trappenseeschlösschen, a striking baroque building in the middle of a lake in the east of the city. With readings by contemporary authors, lectures, discussions, workshops and conferences as well as smaller temporary exhibitions, the Literaturhaus Heilbronn offers a variety of formats on the subject of literature and reading. Associated to the Literaturhaus is the Kleist Archiv Semdner, an archive and study center on the famous German author [[Heinrich von Kleist]].

In 2009, Experimenta, the largest science centre in southern Germany, opened in the Hagenbucher, a former storage building. The exhibition was expanded by 2019 with a new building, designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, an architecture practice based in Berlin, Germany.

=== Music ===
The Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn (WKO), founded in 1960 by Jörg Faerber, is one of the best known German chamber orchestras.

Since 2015 the Classic Open Air Festival takes place in the city centre. With free admission and in the open air, orchestras and music groups from Heilbronn present themselves with a varied concert program.

The Heilbronn municipal music school is housed in the K3 theatre forum.

The [https://www.cave61.de/ jazz club Cave 61], founded in 1961, is a nationally known organizer of jazz concerts with jazz groups from all over the world. Its venue is an old theatre.

=== Other cultural venues ===
The city of Heilbronn supports various cultural projects, including the [https://www.zigarre-heilbronn.de/ art and cultural workhouse Zigarre] and [https://www.koki-heilbronn.de/ Kommunales Kino] in the Kulturkeller in the Gewerkschaftshaus as well as the free cultural center [https://maschinenfabrik-hn.de/ Maschinenfabrik], which started in 2021 in an old factory.

===Events===
In February the citizens of Heilbronn and the surrounding area have an opportunity to enjoy themselves at the Pferdemarkt. In May the Trollinger marathon takes place. The Heilbronner Volksfest on the Theresienwiese is the largest festival of its kind in Heilbronn. Each year it begins on the last Friday in July and ends on the second Monday in August. In September, people enjoy themselves at the Heilbronner Weindorf, in October at the Hafenmarkt and in November and December at the Weihnachtsmarkt, a Christmas market.

==Sport==
[[FC Heilbronn]] is a football club based in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg formed only recently – in 2003 – out of a merger between two former clubs with the elder dating back to 1896 and playing a five-year stint in the [[Regionalliga Süd (1963-74)|Regionalliga Süd]] (II) / [[2nd Bundesliga Süd (1974-81)|2nd Bundesliga Süd]] from 1969 to 1975.

Heilbronn hosts an annual tennis tournament [[Intersport Heilbronn Open|Heilbronn Open]] (see [http://www.heilbronn-open.de/ Heilbronn Open website]) which is part of the [[ATP Challenger Tour|ATP Challenger tour]].

Heilbronn is also the hometown of ice hockey team Heilbronner Falken (Heilbronn Falcons). The team currently plays in the second German ice hockey league. The Eisbären Heilbronn (Heilbronn polar bears) is the second ice hockey team, which is playing in the regional league South-West in Baden-Württemberg.

The „Red Devils“ Heilbronn is a wrestling team, which is part of the national wrestling league.[https://www.reddevils-heilbronn.de/]

The city's 68 [http://www.sport-heilbronn.de/seiten/vereine-nach-sportarten sport clubs]  offer a wide range of different sporting activities and have around 30,000 members.

==Economy and infrastructure==
{{Missing information|section|industry in Heilbronn|date=June 2016}}
[[File:Heilbronn Weinbau 20050904.jpg|thumb|250px|Vineyards east of Heilbronn]]

[[Viticulture]] has a long tradition in Heilbronn and is an important part of its economy to this day. Its 514 [[hectare|ha]], two thirds of it growing red grapes, is the third largest vineyard in [[Württemberg (wine region)|Württemberg's vine-growing region]] after [[Brackenheim]] and [[Lauffen am Neckar]]. In 1888, the [[vintner]]s of the Heilbronn area combined and formed the ''Weingärtnergesellschaft Heilbronn'', a cooperative. In 1933, that cooperative then merged with the competing cooperative ''Winzergenossenschaft Heilbronn'' that had formed in 1919 and that cooperative again merged with the Vintner cooperatives of [[Erlenbach, Baden-Württemberg|Erlenbach]] and [[Weinsberg]] to form the ''Genossenschaftskellerei Heilbronn-Erlenbach-Weinsberg'' with seat just outside the city limits in Erlenbach. In addition to the cooperative, numerous independent vintners are also located here.

South of the steam power plant is located the [[conveyor tower]] of the ''Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG'' (SWS). The SWS runs a [[salt]] mine in the Heilbronn area. That mine was connected through a tunnel with the now shut-down (since 1994) salt mine ''Kochendorf'' in [[Bad Friedrichshall]]. Extraction had extended the Heilbronn mine far to the west so that in 2004 a new shaft, ''Konradsberg'', was added — probably the last mining shaft that was constructed in all of Germany.

===Infrastructure===
[[File:Heilbronn Bahnhofsvorplatz Stadtbahn01 2002-09-08.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Heilbronn Stadtbahn|Heilbronn]]/[[Karlsruhe Stadtbahn]] train pulling into the station outside of [[Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof]]]]

The city of Heilbronn is readily accessible by road courtesy of the [[Weinsberg Intersection]] just to the northeast of the city, the intersection of the [[Autobahn]] [[Bundesautobahn 81|A 81]] from [[Würzburg]] to [[Gottmadingen]] and the [[Bundesautobahn 6|A 6]] from [[Saarbrücken]] to [[Waidhaus]]. In addition to the Autobahns the city is connected via the [[Bundesstraße]]n [[Bundesstraße 27|B 27]] from [[Blankenburg am Harz|Blankenburg]] to [[Schaffhausen]], [[Bundesstraße 39|B 39]] from [[Frankenstein (Palatine)]] to [[Mainhardt]] and [[Bundesstraße 293|B 293]] from [[Karlsruhe]] to Heilbronn that both run through the city itself.

Heilbronn is also a forerunner of [[right turn on red]] in Germany and 65 "Green arrow" signs have been installed at appropriate intersections since 1996.

Although [[Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof]] (central station) does not benefit from the [[DB Fernverkehr|Deutsche Bahn long-distance service]], the city is well connected by train. The [[Franconia Railway]] (''Frankenbahn'') connects [[Stuttgart]] and Würzburg, the [[Neckar Valley Railway]] and [[Elsenz Valley Railway]] run from Heilbronn to Heidelberg and [[Mannheim]], and the [[Hohenlohe Railway]] accommodates travel to [[Schwäbisch Hall]] via [[Öhringen]].

The [[Heilbronn Stadtbahn|Heilbronn]] and [[Karlsruhe Stadtbahn]]s provide a connection all the way to [[Karlsruhe]] on the [[Kraichgau Railway]]'s tracks. Currently the S 4 takes travellers from Karlsruhe through the central train station past the centre of town all the way to the Öhringen borough of Cappel (since December 11, 2005). Because of massive delays in the construction of the S-Bahn tracks through Heilbronn's city limits and with the modernization[[File:Heilbronn Kanalhafen 20050905.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Heilbronn canal port]] and electrification of the existing tracks from Heilbronn to Öhringen meant that the new section's official opening needed to be postponed several times. In the future, additional S-Bahn lines are planned to [[Neckarsulm]], [[Lauffen am Neckar]] and [[Zaberfeld]]. As well a these new lines, additional stops will also be built in the inner city of Heilbronn. In 2014 the S-Bahn line to Neckarsulm was established.

Whilst the original ''[[tram|Straßenbahn]]'' of Heilbronn, nicknamed the ''Spatzenschaukel'' (German for "sparrows' swing"), was discontinued on April 1, 1955, the city used electrically powered [[trolley bus]]es until 1960. Today, [[public transportation]] is provided by the S-Bahn that runs through Heilbronn similar to the [[Karlsruhe model]] and this is complemented by buses run by the ''Stadtwerke Heilbronn (Verkehrsbetriebe)'' and several other enterprises. All now belong to the ''Heilbronner Verkehrsverbund''.

[[File:Heilbronn EnBW 20050905.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Thermal power plant]]
[[File:Heilbronn PowerPlant view from Wartberg.jpg|thumb|200px|right|View of the Thermal Power Plant from Wartberg]]

The canal port on the Neckar is one of the ten largest German interior [[port]]s.

===Power plant===
In the industrial part of Heilbronn EnBW AG runs a large powerplant that is powered by coal. Its two chimneys (250 m tall) and cooling tower (140 m tall) are visible from afar, see [[Heilbronn Power Station]]

===Transport===
The public light rail system with the lines S4, S41 and S42 ([[Heilbronn Stadtbahn]]) is run by the [[Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft]]. The local bus system is run by the Stadtwerke Heilbronn (municipal utilities of Heilbronn). There are also various regional bus lines to the Zabergäu area, the Schozach/Bottwartal area, the Kraichgau area and the Kochertal area. These are run by OVR (a part of the [[Transdev]] group) and Regiobus Stuttgart (a part of [[DB Regio]]).

===Media===
Heilbronn is home to one of the studios of [[Südwestrundfunk]] (SWR). From here regional programmes like ''Frankenradio'' are broadcast on SWR4 Baden-Württemberg. The ''[[Heilbronner Stimme]]'' is a daily newspaper published in the city and the advertisers ''Neckar Express'', ''echo am Mittwoch'' and ''echo am Sonntag'' are available weekly free of charge. Heilbronners also peruse the monthly city magazines ''Freizeit Journal'' and ''Moritz''.

===Public service===

Several courts are located in Heilbronn, two belonging to the Stuttgart court district, a specialty court hearing labour issues, and a family court whose district includes the city of Heilbronn and the counties of [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn]], [[Ludwigsburg (district)|Ludwigsburg]], [[Schwäbisch Hall (district)|Schwäbisch Hall]], [[Hohenlohekreis (district)|Hohenlohe]] and [[Main-Tauber-Kreis|Main-Tauber]].

The city is also the seat of the Prelature of Heilbronn and of the church district of Heilbronn (of the Protestant State Church as well as of the Heilbronn Deacony of the [[Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart]]).

===Education===
Heilbronn offers a wide range of higher education institutions developing very dynamically. In 2020, 9054 people were studying in Heilbronn, almost 60 percent more than ten years ago.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stadt Heilbronn |url=https://www.heilbronn.de/fileadmin/daten/stadtheilbronn/formulare/bauen_wohnen/20211020_Bericht_zur_Bautaetigkeit_2021_01.pdf |title=Bericht zur Bautätigkeit der Stadt Heilbronn 2021 |publisher=Stadt Heilbronn |year=2021 |pages=6}}</ref> On 1 February 2020 the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg awarded the city of Heilbronn the designation of University City.

Heilbronn is the seat of the main campus of the ''[[Hochschule Heilbronn]]'', founded in 1961 as a public engineering school. Since 1971 the school was known as the ''Fachhochschule Heilbronn'' (Heilbronn University) and has operated a secondary campus in [[Künzelsau]] since 1988. Starting with the fall semester on September 1, 2005, the [[Fachhochschule]] was awarded the status of a [[Hochschule]]. In 2009 a third campus in Schwäbisch Hall was established.
[[File:Bildungscampus Heilbronn (4).jpg|left|thumb|250x250px|View of the Bildungscampus Heilbronn]]
Today the business faculties of the Hochschule Heilbronn reside at the [https://bildungscampus.hn/en/ Bildungscampus of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation] in the heart of Heilbronn along with the [https://www.heilbronn.dhbw.de/ Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Heilbronn] (DHBW Heilbronn), the [https://www.cas.dhbw.de/ Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University - Center for Advanced Studies] (DHBW CAS) as well as the [https://www.wi.tum.de/tum-campus-heilbronn/welcome-tum-campus-heilbronn/ Campus Heilbronn of the Technical University of Munich] and other educational establishments and scientific institutions.

[https://www.42heilbronn.de/en/ 42 Heilbronn], a full-time tuition-free coding school, was established in 2021 nearby the Bildungscampus.

As far as general education is concerned, Heilbronn operates five college-track highschools or [[Gymnasium (school)|gymnasiums]] (''Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Gymnasium'', ''Justinus-Kerner-Gymnasium'', ''Mönchsee-Gymnasium'', ''Robert-Mayer-Gymnasium'' and ''Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium''), four non-college-track highschools or ''Realschulen'' (''Dammrealschule'', ''Helene-Lange-Realschule'', ''Heinrich-von-Kleist-Realschule'' in Böckingen and ''Mörike-Realschule''). There are also six special-education schools run by the city ''Wilhelm-Hofmann-Förderschule'', ''Pestalozzi-Förderschule'', and ''Paul-Meyle-Schule'' for the mentally and physically impaired, two special-education schools run by Heilbronn County (''Gebrüder-Grimm-Schule'' for the speech impaired and ''Hermann-Herzog-Schule'' for the seeing impaired), and the ''Lindenparkschule'', which is run by the state of Baden-Württemberg for the hearing and speech impaired. The latter also includes a boarding school and consultation centre.

City primary schools are the ''Damm-Grundschule'', ''Deutschorden-Grundschule Kirchhausen'', ''Grundschule Horkheim'', ''Grundschule Klingenberg'', ''Grünewaldschule Grundschule Böckingen'', ''Reinöhlschule Grundschule Böckingen'', ''Silcherschule Grundschule'' and ''Uhlandschule Grundschule Sontheim''. Grammar and middle schools (some include vocational training programs) are ''Albrecht-Dürer-Schule Neckargartach'', ''Elly-Heuss-Knapp-Schule Böckingen'', ''Fritz-Ulrich-Schule Böckingen'', ''Gerhart-Hauptmann-Schule'', ''Grund- und Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule Biberach'', ''Grund- und Hauptschule mit Werkrealschule Frankenbach'', ''Ludwig-Pfau-Schule'', ''Rosenauschule'', ''Staufenbergschule Sontheim'', ''Wartbergschule'' and ''Wilhelm-Hauff-Schule''.

The ''Gustav-von-Schmoller-Schule'' and the ''Technische Schulzentrum Heilbronn'' consisting of the ''Johann-Jakob-Widmann-Schule'' and the ''Wilhelm-Maybach-Schule'' are professional training schools run by the city. The county runs the ''Andreas-Schneider-Schule'' and ''Christiane-Herzog-Schule'', and in the fall of 2005 the ''Peter-Bruckmann-Schule'' was added to the already operating professional training schools.

Finally, the following private schools round out the education options offered in Heilbronn:
* The ''Abendrealschule Heilbronn e.V.'' allows students with middle school diplomas to achieve the first in a series of steps to gain college entrance prerequisites on a part-time basis after work. It is part of a structured program commonly referred to as the [[:de:Zweiter Bildungsweg|Alternate Path to Higher Education]].
* Academy for Communication sciences
* ''Alice-Salomon-Schule''
* ''Altenpflegeschule Heilbronn''
* ''Berufskolleg für Grafik Heilbronn''
* ''Freie Waldorfschule Heilbronn''
* ''Internationaler Bund e. V. Bildungszentrum Heilbronn''
* ''Katholisches Freies Bildungszentrum St. Kilian Heilbronn'' with grammar, middle, and college-track as well as non-college-track highschools
* ''Kolping-Bildungszentrum Heilbronn''

===Crime===
A female police officer, [[Michéle Kiesewetter]], was in 2007 fatally shot in Heilbronn, an event that gave its name to the so-called [[Phantom of Heilbronn]]{{spaced ndash}}an elusive serial killer hunted by German police for several years. The "Phantom" was in March 2009 revealed not be a serial killer, but the result of procedural errors by the German police.<ref name="Yeoman">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5983279.ece|title=The Phantom of Heilbronn, the tainted DNA and an eight-year goose chase|last=Yeoman|first=Fran|date=2009-03-27|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=2009-03-28 | location=London}}</ref> In 2011 the police discovered that Kiesewetter was murdered by [[National Socialist Underground]] terrorists.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Heilbronn is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.heilbronn.de/heilbronn-entdecken/partnerstaedte.html|website=heilbronn.de|publisher=Heilbronn|language=de|access-date=2021-02-13}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Béziers]], France (1965)
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Solothurn]], Switzerland (1981)
*{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Stockport]], England (1982)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt (Oder)]], Germany (1988)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Słubice, Lubusz Voivodeship|Słubice]], Poland (1998)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Novorossiysk]], Russia (2019)
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
{{main|List of people of Heilbronn}}

==Gallery==
{{wide image|Heilbronn Panorama 20050918.jpg|1500px|150° panorama of Heilbronn's city centre}}

==Footnotes==
===References===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last=Schrenk |first=Christhard |author2=Hubert Weckbach |author3=Susanne Schlösser  |title=Von Helibrunna nach Heilbronn: eine Stadtgeschichte |year=1998 |publisher=Theiss |location=Stuttgart |isbn=3-8062-1333-X |language=de }} (Publications from the archives of the city of Heilbronn; 36)
*{{cite book |title=Chronik der Stadt Heilbronn|publisher=Stadtarchiv Heilbronn |language=de |location=Heilbronn |year=1895–2004}} Published so far are Vols. I–VII (741 to 1957) and X (1970 to 1974)
* Keyser, Erich (ed.) (1962). ''Württembergisches Städtebuch''. In: ''Deutsches Städtebuch. Handbuch städtischer Geschichte''. Vol. '''4,2'''. Stuttgart: [[Kohlhammer Verlag]].
*{{cite book |last=Fekete |first=Julius |title=Kunst- und Kulturdenkmale im Stadt- und Landkreis Heilbronn |language=de |publisher=Konrad Theiss Verlag |location=Stuttgart |year=2002 |isbn=3-8062-1662-2}}
*{{cite book |last=Jacobi |first= Uwe |title=Die vermissten Ratsprotokolle |language=de |publisher=Heilbronner Stimme|location=Heilbronn |year=1992 |isbn=3-921923-09-3}}
*{{cite book |last=Jacobi |first= Uwe |title=Heilbronn 4. Dezember 1944. Protokoll einer Katastrophe |language=de |publisher=Heilbronner Stimme|location=Heilbronn |year=2004 |isbn=3-921923-12-3}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Heilbronn}}
{{Collier's Poster|year=1921}}
*{{wikivoyage-inline|Heilbronn}}
*{{in lang|de}} [https://www.heilbronn.de/startseite.html Official website of the City of Heilbronn]
*{{in lang|de}} [https://www.hs-heilbronn.de/ Hochschule Heilbronn (Heilbronn University)]
*{{in lang|en}} [https://bildungscampus.hn/en/ Bildungscampus Heilbronn (Education and Science Campus)]

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Swabian League}}
{{Swabian Circle}}
{{Free Imperial Cities}}
{{Germany districts baden-württemberg}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Heilbronn| ]]
[[Category:Stuttgart (region)]]
[[Category:Free imperial cities]]
[[Category:Swabian Circle]]
[[Category:Swabian League]]
[[Category:Württemberg]]
[[Category:Former states and territories of Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Germany]]
[[Category:Urban districts of Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Neckar basin]]
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