Pfullingen

Pfullingen (Swabian: Pfullenga) is a town in the district of Reutlingen, Baden Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 3 km southeast of Reutlingen at the foot of the Swabian Alb. With its almost 20,000 inhabitants it is famous for its Handball team, which in 2006 had to file for bankruptcy, the Schönbergturm and the People mover. Pfullingen is situated in the Northern foothills of the Alb in the valley of the river Echaz. Pfullingen is surrounded by the cone like hills Achalm and Georgenberg as well as some mountains of the Albtrauf. Pfullingen was first mentioned in a charta by Emperor Otto I in 937. It was the main settlement in the Pfullichgau. At the end of the 14th century Pfullingen lost its city privileges after having been conquered and destroyed by the forces of the Free Imperial City Reutlingen. About 1500 Pfullingen became part of Württemberg, its city privileges being restored only in 1699. Pfullingen is home to many schools, in 2013 Wilhem Hauff Realschule held an exchange with East Bergholt High School. The Friedrich Schiller Gymnasium, which is named by a famous German poet, held an exchange with Park Ridge High School, New Jersey.

In a deed of donation of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor in the year 937 Pfullingen was first documented. Towards the end of the 14th century, Pfullingen lost due to the cities wars his town privileges to the city of Reutlingen and was captured and destroyed. The Poor Clares Monastery in Pfullingen was founded in 1250 by two sisters, Mechtild and Irmel, from a family of minor nobility in Pfullingen. The Holy Roman Emperors granted it preferential rights and freedoms. The monastery Hofmeister also managed the monastery's properties at Genkingen and Reicheneck. During the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved and disintegrated. In 1793 the ruins were completely removed. In 1487 the last lord of Pfullingen, Caspar Remp, sold his holdings including castle and all goods to Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg, thus, the town came under control of Württemberg. Together with the villages Unter and Oberhausen, Honau, Lichtenstein, Holzelfingen and Kleinengstingen Pfullingen formed an Unteramt which became part of Oberamt of Urach. During the Thirty Years' War Pfullingen was, from 1635 to 1648 with short interruptions, the administrative headquarters of Pfandherren ("pledge lords") of Achalm and thus part of Further Austria. The Austrian manager resided in the castle. This was attacked by the commander of Württemberg fortress Hohentwiel, Konrad Widerholt, and was badly damaged. With the Peace of Westphalia Pfullingen returned to Württemberg. The monastery was vacated. In 1699 Pfullingen again received town privileges and was raised to a monastery office. In 1806 it was incorporated into the Oberamt Reutlingen. In 1824 the town of Pfullingen had 3,435 inhabitants. The hydropower of the Echaz made very early industrialization possible. Already in 1830 were counted 22 water engines. The formerly dominant agriculture fell sharply, also former viticulture does not longer exist today. In 1999, the Baden Württemberg homeland days ( Heimattage Baden Württemberg ) took place in Pfullingen.

The mayor is elected for a term of eight years. From January 13, 2015 until January 2021, the incumbent was Michael Schrenk, who was elected on October 19, 2014 as successor of Rudolf Hess. At the beginning of 2021, the Reutlingen district office has given Pfullingen's mayor Michael Schrenk early retirement due to illness. Elections were held in May 2021, at which Stefan Wörner was elected mayor.