Schwetzingen (; ) is a German town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, around southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim. Schwetzingen is one of the five biggest cities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district, and has been the district seat (Große Kreisstadt) since April 1, 1993. It builds, together with Oftersheim and Plankstadt, a continuos residential area.
The city is most famous for the Baroque palace complex including its theater and gardens.
Schwetzingen is also part of the Burgenstraße, a scenic route that runs from Mannheim to Prague.
Geography
Location and climate Schwetzingen is located in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region in the Upper Rhine Plain, east of the Rhine and west of the Odenwald. The Leimbach stream flows through the city and empties into the Rhine not far west of the city, near Brühl.
Being located in Germany's warmest summer region, in summer temperatures sometimes rise up to and higher. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate), bordering closely on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with summer months often averaging above .
Area Schwetzingen serves as the central hub for the southwestern part of the Rhine-Neckar district, with a combined population of over 110,000 residents within the larger metropolitan area of Mannheim. The Schwetzingen sub-regional center includes also the city of Hockenheim, as well as the municipalities of Altlußheim, Brühl, Ketsch, Neulußheim, Oftersheim, Plankstadt, and Reilingen.
Neighbouring municipalities The following municipalities border the city (clockwise, starting in the north): Mannheim, Plankstadt, Oftersheim, Hockenheim, Ketsch, and Brühl.
The city limits are completely blended with those of neighboring Oftersheim, to the south, and Plankstadt, to the east. As a result, the greater Schwetzingen urban area is home to over 44,500 residents. The three municipalities share also the same postal code (68723).
Urban subdivision Until 2010, Schwetzingen was divided into five districts: Kernstadt, Oststadt, Südstadt, Schälzig, and Hirschacker. By resolution dated May 19, 2010, the municipal council expanded this division to include the districts of Kleines Feld and Nordstadt, which were separated from Kernstadt. West of Brühl’s town center, Schwetzingen also has an undeveloped exclave in the Rhine floodplains known as the Schwetzinger Rheinwiesen which are part of the Schwetzinger Rheinwiesen/Edinger Ried nature reserve. DistrictPopulationLocationKernstadt5.353Includes the palace and extends eastward to the Mannheim–Rastatt railroad line.Südstadt2.408Separated from the city center by the Carl-Theodor-Straße. It borders directly with Oftersheim to the south.Oststadt2.617Borders the city center along the railroad line and Plankstadt to the northeast.Nordstadt3.458Borders the city center along the Grenzhöfer and Rathenaustraße and extends northward to the B 535 bypass.Hirschacker2.257The northernmost district. It borders Nordstadt along the B 535 to the south, Mannheim-Rheinau and Brühl to the north.Kleines Feld2.011Located between the Brühler Landstraße and the Lindenstraße.Schälzig3.984It extends south of Zähringerstraße and west of Markgrafenstraße to the B 291 and the Hardtwald. In the southeast, Schälzig borders Oftersheim Nord-West.
History Until the 18th century Traces of settlement in the area date back to the Neolithic period, including many finds from the Linear Pottery culture. Schwetzingen was mentioned as Suezzingen for the first time December 21, 766, in the Codex of the Lorsch Abbey. Finds from early medieval graves indicate that the settlement in question likely dates back to the first third of the 6th century AD and was probably founded by the Franks
Originally it consisted of two settlements, Ober- and Unterschwetzingen, Oberschwetzingen being attested in a document from 803 as Suezzingen Superiore. The two villages then merged in the course of the 17th and 18th century. Originally the town belonged to the Diocese of Worms, but came under the rule of the Counts Palatine as early as the 12th century. The first known population figure dates from 1439: 230 residents.
The moated castle of Schwetzingen is mentioned for the first time in 1350 when Rudolf II, Count Palatine of the Rhine, was granted the right to reside in the castle. It was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War and in the following War of the Palatinate Succession; it was then rebuilt by Count Philip William as well as his son Johann Wilhelm. From 1720 it served temporarily as the residence of Elector Charles Philip, after he moved away from Heidelberg. Beginning in 1742, his successor, Charles Theodore, had it expanded into a summer residence. In 1750, the Neue Stadt (New Town) was planned and built, including Schlossplatz, which connected the upper and lower parts of the village. The palace theater opened in 1752.
In 1759 Schwetzingen received permission to host markets (Marktrecht) and was developed into a baroque city through the 18th century.
19th and 20th century
In 1803, as a result of the Final Recess (Reichsdeputationshauptschluss), the town, along with the entire Electoral Palatinate on the right bank of the Rhine, was ceded to the Grand Duchy of Baden and elevated to the status of Amt (district seat). In 1833, Grand Duke Leopold granted the Schwetzingen city rights. The beginning of industrialization in Schwetzingen in the year 1850 made the city an important seat of cigar factories and canneries. Also, the cultivation of asparagus gained importance and has remained one of Schwetzingen's claims to fame.
In 1924, the Schwetzingen governmental district was abolished and its territory merged with Mannheim, from which the was formed in 1938. In 1931, the city saw a significant expansion of its territory through the allocation of a portion of forested area (the ).
As part of the district reform, the Mannheim Landkreis was dissolved on January 1, 1973, and the city of Schwetzingen was assigned to the newly formed Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. In 1992, the population exceeded 20,000. Following this, Schwetzingen applied for designation as a Große Kreisstadt (district seat), which was approved effective April 1, 1993.
Population development
These figures are estimates only, official census results (¹) or statistics of the resident's registration office. YearPopulation 1726 420 1784 1,784 1800 2,090 1850 2,900 1. December 1871 3,862 1. December 1880 ¹ 4,649 1. December 1890 ¹ 5,116 1. December 1900 ¹ 6,432 1. December 1910 ¹ 7,876 8. October 1919 ¹ 9,146 16. June 1925 ¹ 9,341 16. June 1933 ¹ 10,016 Year Population 17. May 1939 ¹ 10,983 December 1945 ¹ 11,129 13. September 1950 ¹ 14,068 6. June 1961 ¹ 14,992 27. May 1970 ¹ 16,508 31. December 1975 18,296 31. December 1980 18,384 27. May 1987 ¹ 17,729 31. December 1990 19,098 31. December 1995 21,872 31. December 2000 22,267 31. March 2004 22,635 ¹ official census results
Politics
Local council The local council of Schwetzingen has 26 members since the last elections in June 2009.
Elections in May 2014: CDU: 7 seats Schwetzinger Wähler Forum 97: 4 seats SPD: 5 seats Free voters: 5 seats Alliance 90/The Greens: 4 seats FDP: 1 seat
Mayors The mayor is directly elected for a term of eight years and has been entitled to use the title Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor) since April 1, 1993. Their deputy is the Erste Beigeordnete (First Deputy) whose official title is Erster Bürgermeister (First Mayor). 1833 – 1838: Daniel Helmreich 1838 – 1851: Carl Welde 1851 – 1855: Josef Vetter 1855 – 1865: Johann Wilhelm Ihm 1865 – 1883: Heinrich Wittmann 1883 – 1898: Karl Mechling 1898 – 1904: Heinrich Häfner 1904 – 1910: Jean Wipfinger 1910 – 1914: Wilfried Hartmann 1914 – 1923: Jakob Reinhard (elected) 1914 – 1918: Georg Pitsch (acting) 1923 – 1929: Johannes Götz (initially acting) 1929 – 1930: Leopold Stratthaus (acting) 1930 – 1933: Dr. Arthur Trautmann1933 – 1945: Arthur Stober 1945: Ernst Karl 1945 – 1948: Dr. Valentin Gaa (CDU) 1948 – 1954: Franz Dusberger (SPD) 1954 – 1961: Hans Kahrmann 1961 – 1962: Adolf Schmitt (acting) 1962 – 1981: Kurt Waibel (SPD) 1981 – 1982: Walter Bährle (acting) 1982 – 1998: Gerhard Stratthaus (CDU) 1999 – 2007: Bernd Kappenstein 2007 – 2008: Bernd Junker (Freie Wähler, split from Wähler Forum 97) 2008 – 2024: René Pöltl (independent, Freie Wähler) since 2024: Matthias Steffan (independent)
Coat of arms The coat of arms of Schwetzingen consists of a divided shield with a golden lion on the upper half on a black background and on the lower half there is a silver ring on blue background. The city flag is white and blue. The lion symbolizes the Palatine Electorate, of which Schwetzingen was a member until 1803. The ring was originally a wheel originating from the seal of an inhabitant who had contacts to the castle of Schwetzingen.
Twin towns Schwetzingen is twinned with:
Lunéville, France, since 1969 Pápa, Hungary, since 1992 Spoleto, Italy, since 2005 Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States, since 2012 Karlshuld-Neuschwetzingen, Germany, since 2018 Schrobenhausen, Germany, since 2018 Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, Germany, since 2018
Economy and infrastructure
Transport Schwetzingen lies relatively favourably between the two autobahns A 5 (with the junction Heidelberg/Schwetzingen) and A 6 (with the junctions Schwetzingen/Hockenheim and Mannheim/Schwetzingen). Schwetzingen station was opened in 1870 on the Rhine Railway, connecting Mannheim and Karlsruhe.
Between 1910 and 1938 there was a tramline connecting Schwetzingen and Ketsch, between 1927 and 1973 there was also a tramline connecting Heidelberg with Schwetzingen.
Media In Schwetzingen the daily newspaper is the "Schwetzinger Zeitung", which is a local newspaper published by the "Mannheimer Morgen".
Public institutions In Schwetzingen there is a district court, a notary's office, an internal revenue service, a customs office and an employment office.
Education
The city maintains the Hebel-Gymnasium, the Karl-Friedrich-Schimper-Realschule, the Hilda Hauptschule, four elementary schools (Grundschule Hirschacker, Johann-Michael-Zeyher Grundschule, Nordstadt-Grundschule and Südstadt-Grundschule) as well as a special school, the Kurt-Waibel-Förderschule. Furthermore there are two vocational schools (Carl-Theodor- and Erhart-Schott-School) and the Comenius-School for mentally handicapped. In the left wing of Schwetzingen's castle there is an advanced technical college for administration of justice, maintained by the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Main sights Palace
Schwetzingen Palace is the city's most famous landmark. It began as a simple aristocratic fishing retreat (much like Versailles and Karlsruhe which began as hunting lodges)and had an eventful architectural history, in several phases of construction, especially during the reigns of the Elector Charles Philip and Charles Theodore who, as their answer to Versailles, embellished the castle gardens with some of the finest and most elaborate formal water parterres in Germany.
As it evolved, the central Baroque block of the palace was extended from 1747 onwards to either side in matching curved ranges of glazed arcades that were punctuated by pavilions which followed the arc of the vast garden circle. They partly enclose the circle bisected by a wide gravel axis flanked by parterres which centers on a spring-fed water-basin representing the Greek myth of Arion and the dolphins, inspired by the bassin of Diana at Versailles. Its gardens contains both elements of French and English garden styles, with statuary by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt.
The curving outbuildings of Schwetzingen inspired the smaller Rococo perfections of Schloss Benrath, with its quarter arcs of matching corps de logis embracing a sheet of water, built for Charles Theodore near Düsseldorf.