Bad Windsheim

10.000 g

Bad Windsheim (East Franconian: Winsa) is a small historic town in Bavaria, Germany with a population of almost 12,000. It lies in the district Neustadt an der Aisch-Bad Windsheim, west of Nuremberg. In the Holy Roman Empire, Windsheim held the rank of Imperial City (until 1802). Since 1810 Windsheim is part of Bavaria. In 1961, it became a spa town and has since been called "Bad Windsheim".

History

A document from 741 proves for the first time the existence of the town, then called Uuinidesheim. The name changed to "Windsheim" by linguistic development, meaning "the home of the wind".

In the late stage of World War II, a Volkssturm battalion took control of the town and refused to surrender to the approaching American troops, declaring Windsheim a "fortress". American troops eventually captured the town after deploying fire bombs through aerial bombing. The civilian population was forced to flee from Windsheim under enemy fire. The town was rebuilt after the war.

Attractions

The town is known for its waters and spa, Franken-Therme, and an open-air museum, the Freilandmuseum, which brings together old farms and farmhouses from the area. On the first weekend in August every year Bad Windsheim is the location for an event called Weinturm Open Air, a concert on the top of a hill in the town. The town also features a war memorial in the form of a large statue of Roland.

Notable people

Sons and daughters of the town

Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746), physician and scientist who participated in the Great Northern Expedition
Johann Christoph Döderlein (1745–1792), theologian
Otto Strasser (1897–1974), politician, brother of Gregor Strasser
Erich Mühe (1938–2005), surgeon, founder of micro-invasive surgery in 1985
Nevio Passaro (born 1980), German-Italian singer and songwriter
Vyncint Smith (born 1996), American Football Wide Receiver in the National Football League (NFL)