Engen, Germany

History

Engen has been proved by documentary evidence in the 11th century for the first time, where it belonged to the Baron of Höwen (also Hewen). In the city area of Engen, there has been a medieval castle, the Burg Neuhausen, remaining unlocated however. In the 13th century, Engen received the city charter.

From 1639, the city belonged to the Count of Fürstenberg, and thus to the Principality of Fürstenberg. In 1640, the area has been devastaded by Swedes and French in the context of the Thirty Years' War.

During the War of the Second Coalition, on May 3, 1800, a battle between the Austrians, led by Paul Kray, and the French, commanded by Jean Victor Marie Moreau, took place, resulting in a retreat of the Austrian troops.

In 1806, Engen went to Grand Duchy of Baden. The city became a district authority in 1846, which however, has been centralized to the district authority of Konstanz during the period of Nazi Germany in 1936.

Incorporations

As a consequence of the statewide local government restructuring reforms in Baden-Württemberg during the early 1970s, the following hitherto independent municipalities have been incorporated into Engen:

Demographics

In January 2014, the official census reported a total population of 10,324 in the municipal area. Subsequently, Mayor Johannes Moser declared a long-term increase of inhabitants while other smaller municipalities in the direct vicinity had to suffer a demographic decline.

Religion

Engen is the seat of the deanship Hegau of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg. A vast majority of the inhabitants are of Roman Catholic confession, which is reflected in many Roman Catholic churches in every city district. However, Protestants can attend masses in their own church in the city centre. Like everywhere in Europe, nowadays, Muslim immigrants from Balkan, Arabian and African countries add a further more or less larger confession group to the municipality.

Government

As a consequence of the local elections from May, 25th 2014 with a turnout of 49,1% (2009: 46,8%), the municipal council (18 seats in total) is made up as follows:

Regarding electoral voting behaviour, Engen and particularly its city districts can be described as rather Christian democratic/conservative which is reflected in a share of 45–55% where the CDU gains votes above the nationwide average, proving to be similar to election results in Baden-Württemberg though. Following the state elections in 2016, the Greens significantly increased their support analogous to the state-wide trends and results.

Finances

The city of Engen proves to have a responsible governmental management in financial matters which is reflected in the fact of being free of debt since 1995. Moreover, the local budget shows to have a reserve above the average representing one of the few German municipalities being in a comfortable financial position.

Coat of arms

Blazon: "A silvery five pointed star"

Town twinning

Culture and constructions

Engen is situated on the holiday road Römerstraße Neckar-Alb-Aare and the Schwarzwald-Querweg Freiburg-Bodensee, a long-distance footpath. In the city area, there is the Old city park with the war memorial as well as the new city park with a little lake.

Museums

Places of interest

Engen possesses a renovated Old town. In that respect, worth seeing is the Catholic town church Mariä Himmelfahrt dating back to the 13th century (originally late Romanesque art, then modifications took place in Gothic art, which ended in Baroque). Close to the church, several graves memorials can be found, amongst them, the Count of Lupfen and family members of the aristocratic Pappenheimer. Beside of the palace Krenkinger Schloss in the city centre, the Municipal Museum Engen with gallery can be visited in walking distance from there. The museum used to be a Dominican nunnery from 1333–1803 being called Nunnery St. Wolfgang. Today, there are several exhibitions of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times from the Brudertal (trans.: brother valley), like for instance, the Venus of Engen. Regularly art exhibitions take place, which cause supraregional interest quite often. In the area of the market square, extensive façades in the Trompe-l'œil style are conspicuous. Dispersed over the entire Old town, fountains made by artists of different styles can be found whilst being designed with various artist statements. Along a marked and signposted walking path, visitors can go from fountain to fountain while looking at the attractive Old town.

Originally, the palace Krenkinger Schloss probably was a building dating back to Staufer times and has been constructed around the 13th century. After the large brand in 1640 and renovations in 1892/93 in order to obtain space for the office of the district authority of Baden, the construction has been altered strongly.

Regular events

The Narrenzunft Engen runs the traditional local and native Swabian–Alemannic Fastnacht. The local carnival figure Hansele can be traced back historically, which oldest preserved costume dates back to the year 1850.

Moreover, the traditional Old Town festival (Altstadtfest) regularly takes place in July. This local highlight usually attracts thousands of guests and visitors. In the centre of the event, one can find a jumble sale, a cabaret, music and dance into the night. In particular in the evening, every taste of music can be satisfied when listing to concerts of regional bands on an open-air theatre behind the town hall.

Economy

From 1970, a variety of medium-sized companies established in Engen. For this purpose, the city provided a larger industrial area, the so-called Industriegebiet Grub. Newer positive economic developments show the necessity of an extension of the former area and its realization while and a new industrial region has been created in the smaller city district Welschingen as well.

Today, there are about 600 business enterprises and ca. 2500 employees liable to pay compulsory insurance in Engen.

Traffic and transport

The station of Engen is well connected by both, the Gäu Railway (Stuttgart–Hattingen) and the Black Forest Railway (Baden) (Offenburg-Konstanz). Furthermore, the suburban train Seehas connects the town with other lake-adjacent cities like Singen, Radolfzell and Konstanz at half-hourly intervals. Other connections, in particular to the state capital Stuttgart, and/or to Karlsruhe with the Black Forest Railway (Baden), are available by the Regional-Express at two-hour intervals. Engen is part of the Transport Association Hegau-Bodensee.

The motorway Bundesautobahn 81 (Würzburg–Stuttgart–Singen) and the federal highway Bundesstraße 31 (Breisach–Lindau) as well as the Bundesstraße 491 (in the direction of Tuttlingen) connect Engen with the interstate road network.

Education

In 2006/07, the new founded Gymnasium Engen started with three class sizes of fifth grade. Furthermore, the training centre of the town centre contains the Anne Frank-Realschule, a Werkrealschule and a Förderschule ("Hewenschule"). Additionally, there are two primary schools in Engen and Welschingen. The municipality has also seven kindergarten at its disposal. Moreover, a youth seminar can be found in the town district Anselfingen.

Honorary citizen

Sons and daughters of the city