Böblingen

Böblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the seat of Böblingen District. The town is close to another place called Sindelfingen, and the two places share a border. Böblingen is sometimes confused with two other places named Böbingen and Böbingen an der Rems, but they are different locations.

History

Böblingen was founded in 1253 by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen. In 1357, it became part of Württemberg. One of the big battles of the German Peasants' War happened here in 1525.

The town became an important place for airplanes when an airbase was built during World War I in 1915. This helped the town grow. Sadly, during World War II, many bombs were dropped on Böblingen, destroying much of the old town and hurting many people. After the war, the town was rebuilt and grew quickly, especially after big companies like IBM and Hewlett-Packard opened offices there. By 1970, the population had more than tripled from what it was in 1950.

Population history

Climate

The climate of Böblingen is mild and has some features of both ocean-like and continent-like weather patterns. This type of climate is common in many parts of Europe.

Transport

Böblingen is easy to reach by many different ways of traveling.

You can fly into Stuttgart Airport, which is about 20 minutes away by train.

If you're driving, the city sits near big roads called Autobahn A 8 and A 81. There are several exits to get to Böblingen from these roads.

Trains stop in Böblingen often. The main train station is on a line that goes from Stuttgart to Singen. Local buses and trains follow set prices and schedules managed by the Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart.

The S1 train line connects Böblingen to Stuttgart in about 25 minutes. Other smaller train lines also serve nearby areas. Many bus routes also run through the city.

U.S. military

Panzer Kaserne, also called Tank Barracks, is a U.S. base. It is where important offices for Marine Corps Forces in Europe and Africa are located. It is also home to part of the U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group.

In the past, this place was used by the U.S. Army for many years. Later, some soldiers set up a temporary camp outside the city for training exercises.

Education

Education in Germany has different types of schools. Young children start in kindergarten and then go to elementary school, called Grundschule, for grades 1 to 4. At the end of fourth grade, families choose which higher level school their child will attend based on how well they are doing in school.

Boeblingen has many schools, including two Werkrealschulen, two Realschulen, and four Gymnasiums. There are also special schools for students with different needs, several vocational schools, and eight primary schools. Additionally, there are private schools and two American schools on a military base.

Museums

Böblingen has interesting places to visit called museums. The Peasants War Museum tells the story of a big fight in 1525 where German farmers stood up for their rights. Inside, you can see models and learn more about this important time. There is also a German Butcher Museum inside an old wooden house, and an art museum called Städtische Galerie Böblingen.

Buildings

The Protestant parish church in the market place is a famous landmark in Böblingen. It was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt after the war.

Other notable buildings include the Water Tower Böblingen-Waldburg and the disused Böblingen Airport, which was the first commercial airport in the Stuttgart area. There is also Orplid, a tall apartment building designed by Hans Scharoun, a supporter of Organic architecture.

Events

Böblingen hosts many fun fairs and festivals throughout the year. You can enjoy the Town fair called "Böblinger Jahrmarkt" in July, a wine festival in September, and a Christmas Market in December. These events take place around the marketplace, Schlossplatz, and the beautiful lakes.

Since 1996, Böblingen has held "Böblinger Sommer am See" every summer from June to September. This means over 60 exciting events, such as concerts and flea markets, happen around the town’s two lakes. Other popular events, like the famous TV show Wetten, dass..? and concerts by well-known music stars, often take place at the Kongresshalle.

Business

The Böblingen–Sindelfingen area is home to many big companies. Some of these include Advantest, which makes tools for checking computer chips, and Agilent Technologies, which makes electronic equipment.

You can also find car makers like the Mercedes-Benz Group and Smart, as well as computer companies such as HP Inc. and IBM. These businesses help make Böblingen an important place for both cars and computers.

Sports

The Sporthalle in Böblingen was used as one of the two places for the FIBA EuroBasket tournament in 1971.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Böblingen has friendly partnerships with several cities around the world. These include:

• Alba in Italy, since 1985
• Bergama in Turkey, since 1967
• Glenrothes in Scotland, United Kingdom, since 1991
• Krems an der Donau in Austria, since 1972
• Pontoise in France, since 1972
• Sittard-Geleen in the Netherlands, since 1962
• Sömmerda in Germany, since 1988

Every three years, the cities (except Sömmerda) come together for a friendly competition called the twin town Olympiad.

Notable people

Böblingen is the hometown of several interesting people. Daniel Mögling was an alchemist and a Rosicrucian who lived from 1596 to 1635. Wilhelm Ganzhorn was a jurist, adjudicator, and poet known for writing the folk song called "In the most beautiful meadows."

Sport

Some athletes from Böblingen have achieved great things in sports. Birgit Hamann, born in 1969, is an athlete who specializes in the 100 metres hurdles. Vincenzo Marchese, born in 1983, is a footballer who has played 397 games. Lukas Kiefer, born in 1993, is another footballer with about 250 games played. Tevfik Altındağ, born in 1988, is a footballer with over 260 games. Frank Stäbler, born in 1989, is a Greco-Roman wrestler who has won multiple medals in the World Wrestling Championships. Tim Leibold, born in 1993, is a footballer with over 290 games played. Fabienne Dongus, born in 1994, is a football midfielder who has played over 240 games and also represented the Germany women team five times.