Laupheim

Sister cities

• Feyzin
• Neustadt an der Orla

History

The area in and around Laupheim has been settled from very early times onwards. Archaeological evidence shows that 15000 years ago nomadic tribes roamed the countryside. From ca. 2000 BCE onwards, Celts inhabited this area. From the first century CE until around the year 260 CE, it was part of the Roman province of Raetia, after which the Alamanni invaded the Agri Decumates, eventually also settling in the area that was to become Laupheim. During archaeological excavations in 1840-1842 graves dating from the Merovingian period were discovered in the northern part of the town. Laupheim was first mentioned as Louphaim in a charter dated 778. The charter is still kept in the archives of the monastery of St Gallen, Switzerland. This reference is the earliest of any city in Upper Swabia and any parish in the district of Biberach. Situated in the vicinity of two major trade routes between the Lake of Constance and Ulm and the Swabian Alb and the valley of the river Iller respectively, Laupheim developed into a major settlement. In 853, it was elevated to the status of town when a court responsible for the Rammachgau (also spelled Rammagau) was set up there. During the 9th century, parts of Laupheim came into the possession of the monastery of Weißenburg which was afterwards passed on to successive minor Swabian aristocratic houses. As early as the 10th century, Laupheim possessed a parish church with subsidiaries. In 926, Laupheim and its surroundings were destroyed by the Hungarians. A castle is mentioned around the year 1100. Laupheim appears to have been home of an indigenous noble family, whose members used the suffix von Laupheim. They were attested for the first time in 1110 with Landoldus de Lobhein and seemed to have been in service of the counts of Kirchberg.…

Geography

Laupheim is situated in the region of Upper Swabia approximately 20 km north of Biberach and 20 km south of Ulm on the Bundesstraße 30. Laupheim is the second largest city in the district of Biberach. The original settlement of Laupheim was located close to the Rottum which still runs through the city but since 1950 the city has expanded and sprawls onto the surrounding slopes. With effect of 1 Januar 2016 Laupheim has been awarded the status of major district town. The elevation within the city confines ranges from 509 m (1670 ft) above sea level at the bottom of the valley to 539 m (1768 ft) in the outlying suburban areas. Apart from the city of Laupheim itself, the following once autonomous villages nowadays belong administratively to Laupheim: Baustetten (population 2121), Obersulmetingen (population 1389), Untersulmetingen (population 2082) and Bihlafingen (population 853), which, with an elevation of 580 m (1903 ft), has the highest elevation of the administrative area.

Most-observed species

• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,255
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,166
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,079
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  996
• Eurasian Coot

  Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  971
• Mute Swan

  Cygnus olor (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  971
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  949
• Graylag Goose

  Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  933

Most recent

• M 3.4 — 2022-10-16
  Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
• M 4 — 2022-07-09
  2 km NNE of Grosselfingen, Germany
• M 3.6 — 2013-07-20
  3 km ESE of Andwil, Switzerland
• M 3.1 — 2008-12-25
  3 km NNW of Saulgau, Germany
• M 2.5 — 2008-12-12
  2 km ESE of Nehren, Germany
• M 2.7 — 2008-07-09
  1 km WSW of Dußlingen, Germany