Bad Wimpfen

Sister cities

• Shizukuishi
• Servian
• Sopron

History

The first traces of settlement at Bad Wimpfen date from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. An old trade road running from France forks here towards Nürnberg and Öhringen linking to the Danube. Several archaeological finds demonstrate that the route has existed since prehistoric times. Around 450 B.C. the Celtic tribe of Helvetii settled around the Neckar, Kocher and Jagst, including the site of Bad Wimpfen. Presumably the Celts had given names to the rivers as they are today. Wimpfen presumably comes from "uimpe" (umwallt) = "surrounded" and "bin" (Berg) = "mountain". It is believed that around 98 A.D. the Romans secured the area in southwestern Germany conquered by Domitian (called the Agri Decumates) by the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes, a system of castella built every . Opposite the Jagst mouth, the castellum of Wimpfen im Tal was created. As elsewhere, a civilian settlement formed around the castellum containing many traders and manual workers. After the expansion of the Roman Empire up to the limes near Jagsthausen arranged by emperor Antoninus Pius in 138–161 A.D., the castellum lost its military importance. All the more important was Wimpfen im Tal as a civilian town. It used to be the centre of a district called the Civitas Alisinensium and was surrounded by a city wall like only a few Roman towns in what is southern Germany today. With an area of about 19 hectares, Wimpfen was one of the biggest Roman towns in today's Baden-Württemberg. Despite this importance, the Latin name of the town is unknown today. In addition, there was a wooden bridge above the Neckar which got destroyed by severe ice occurrence in the early Middle Ages. A beam salvaged during excavation works in 1957 was proved to have originated as part of the old bridge. A survey proved the…

Geography

Bad Wimpfen is located on the west bank of the River Neckar, around north of Heilbronn. The town is divided into two parts: the older Wimpfen im Tal (Lower Wimpfen/ literally Wimpfen in the valley) situated on the Neckar, and Wimpfen am Berg (Upper Wimpfen/ literally Wimpfen on the hill) containing the town centre. Besides the town itself, the village Hohenstadt also belongs to Bad Wimpfen. Neighbouring town and municipalities of Bad Wimpfen are (clockwise from the south): Heilbronn, Bad Rappenau, Offenau, Bad Friedrichshall, Untereisesheim and Neckarsulm.