Aach, Baden-Württemberg

Aach is a small town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, located in the beautiful region of Hegau. Because it is close to Lake Constance and the border with Switzerland, Aach has a special feature that makes it famous: the Aachtopf. This spring is the biggest natural spring in all of Germany in terms of how much water it produces.

In the past, Aach had a partnership with a place called Colmnitz. But when Colmnitz became part of another town called Klingenberg, Saxony, Aach’s partner changed to Klingenberg itself. This shows how towns can change their friendships over time.

History

Aach was first mentioned in the year 1100 as part of the Duchy of Swabia. By 1150, it was known in Latin as Oppidum Ach in Hegovia. In 1200, the town was granted to the Prince-Bishopric of Constance, and received town rights in 1283 from King Rudolph I of Germany. For centuries, it was part of Further Austria until the House of Habsburg purchased the County of Nellenburg, where Aach was located.

In 1499, battles of the Swabian War happened near Aach. In 1525, during the German Peasants' War, the town was occupied by rebel peasants but was quickly retaken. In 1799, a battle between Austria and France occurred in Aach during the Napoleonic Wars. After Austria’s defeat in 1805, Aach became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg, and later the Grand Duchy of Baden, which joined the German Empire in 1871. After World War II, Aach became part of the new German state of Baden-Württemberg. In 1973, the town moved from the Stockach district to the Konstanz district.

Geography

Aach is a small town located near the edge of the Hegau, a special landscape shaped by old volcanic activity. It sits between Lake Constance and the Swabian Alb mountains. To the north lies the Upper Danube, and just a short distance to the east and southeast are parts of Lake Constance, including Überlinger See and Zeller See. The border with Switzerland is about 14 kilometers away to the southeast.

Nearby towns include Eigeltingen to the north, Orsingen-Nenzingen to the east, Volkertshausen to the south, and Mühlhausen-Ehingen to the west.

Aach experiences a humid continental climate, which means it has four distinct seasons with warm summers and cold winters. The town has seen some extreme weather over the years, like very hot days, very cold nights, and times with a lot or very little rain.

Law and government

Aach works together with the nearby City of Engen to share some of its administrative tasks.

Aach has a city council with ten seats. In the last elections in 2017, five seats went to the CDU, and five went to independent voters' groups. The mayor of Aach is Manfred Ossola, who was elected in 2017 with 97.42% of the vote.

Coat of arms

Blazon: "In red a golden (yellow) lion with three silver (white) stars distributed between the paws."

The lion shows that Aach was once linked to Habsburg. The stars help make this coat of arms different from others in the area.

Landmarks

Buildings

The old town hall at Stadtstraße 38 was chosen as a special monument in November 2008 by a group that protects important buildings in Baden-Württemberg. Near the town, you can find old ruins of the Tower of Aach, which dates back to the 11th century.

Natural beauties

Aach is home to the Aachtopf, the strongest spring in Germany. This spring is the source of the Radolfzeller Aach River, which flows into Lake Constance. The spring gets its water from the Danube River, which travels underground for about twelve kilometres before popping up here with lots of water flowing out every second.

Economy and Infrastructure

Aach has many businesses, mostly in a shared area with the nearby town of Volkertshausen.

The town has a public primary school for about 100 students and a kindergarten. The secondary school closed in 2010 because very few students were attending.

The closest train station is in Mühlhausen-Ehingen, about five kilometres away. You can catch buses to Singen, Stockach, and Engen. Aach is close to a major motorway junction and has good road connections through Bundesstraße 81, Bundesstraße 98, and Landesstraße 33.

Personalities

Aach has been home to many interesting people. Otto Trippel (1891–1954) was a documentary filmmaker. Andreas Mettler, born in 1968, is known for designing and developing games. Thomas Rid, born in 1975, is a political scientist and non-fiction author.