# Wernau

Wernau (Swabian: Wärnao) is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg southwestern Germany. It is situated on the Neckar river, 25 km southeast of Stuttgart.

## Geography
### Location

Wernau is located on the southeast bank of the Neckar river, south of Plochingen and about 25 km east of Stuttgart. The Bodenbach river flows through the city. In 1981 the Wernau Baggerseen (quarry ponds) were declared a wildlife preserve. Today it spans across 45 hectares. Another 5.5 hectares of wildlife preserve are located in an area of the city called the Wernau Lehmgrube (clay pits).
The small community of "Freitagshof," which lies to the South, also belongs to Wernau.

### Neighboring Communities

Neighboring Wernau are the communities of Deizisau to the Northwest, Plochingen to the North, Hochdorf to the East and Notzingen to the Southeast; the cities of Kirchheim unter Teck to the South and Wendlingen to the Southwest and the community of Köngen to the West. All of them are located within and belong to the district of Esslingen am Neckar.

### Land Use Distribution

Dark green: Forest 22.5%, Yellow: Agriculture 40.9%, Blue: Water surface 3.0%, Lighter green: Recreational areas 3.3%, Red: Buildings and open areas 16.0%, Beige: Transportation surfaces 10.2%, Purple: Other
According to data from the Statistischen Landesamtes, as of 2014.

## History

Wernau was established in 1938 by the joining of the two communities Pfauhausen and Steinbach. These communities tried to unite in 1384 and again in 1681. While the first attempt lasted a few decades, the 1681 union by Franz Josef von Wernau did not last seven years.

### Up until Wernau's establishment

In 1384 and again in 1681 an attempt was made to establish a community out of Pfauhausen and Steinbach, but these attempts failed after a short period of time. Up until 1769 Pfauhausen belonged to the sovereignty of Neuhausen from Anterior Austria. It then belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer up to 1802 and was therefore a catholic community. Steinbach also remained catholic through the Protestant Reformation under the sovereignty of the Speth von Sulzburg. This made both communities an enclave of the Catholics in the predominately Protestant land of Württemberg. Pfauhausen and Steinbach were assigned to Oberamt Esslingen in 1808 as part of the implementation of the District Reformation of Württemberg in the Kingdom of Württemberg. During NAZI-Germany both communities were fused together to form Wernau in 1938 and were assigned, as part of the NAZI District Reformation, to Esslingen.

### After WWII until Present

After World War II Wernau became a part of the American Zone of Occupation in the German state of Württemberg-Baden which was later reformed into the current German state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952. After WWII many refugees from Hungary moved to Wernau. And on On April 1, 1968, Wernau received its charter as an official city.

### Demographics

| Year | Population |
| 1871 | 1,259 |
| 1880 | 1,298 |
| 1890 | 1,388 |
| 1900 | 1,407 |
| 1910 | 1,857 |
| 1925 | 2,241 |
| 1933 | 2,312 |
| Year | Population |
| 1939 | 2,814 |
| 1950 | 4,325 |
| 1961 | 9,339 |
| 1970 | 12,552 |
| 1975 | 12,699 |
| 1980 | 12,147 |
| 1985 | 11,763 |
| Year | Population |
| 1990 | 11,829 |
| 1995 | 11,917 |
| 2000 | 12,459 |
| 2005 | 12,388 |
| 2010 | 12,383 |
| 2015 | 12,376 |

## Economy an Infrastructure

Wernau is an attractive economic location. Famous companies like Bosch-Thermotechnik; the Japanese company Mori Seiki; the manufacturer of electrical component systems, 2E mechatronic; and the producer of folk costumes, Perry have settled here. Handcraft companies and wholesale businesses have also found a home in the city.
A Convention Center is located in the "Quadrium" with an indoor pool and spa. Wernau also has a public outdoor pool and an ice rink.
A public library was opened in 1971. As of 1996 it is located in a building right across from the train station. It houses 24,000 books and other printed and electronic media and in 2012 loaned out 90,000 items.

### Transportation

Wernau is connected by the Plochingen-Tübingen railway (Neckar-Alb-Bahn) to the national rail network. Since December 12, 2009 Wernau is a stop on S1 line of the S-Bahn Stuttgart. The S1 line ends in Kirchheim unter Teck. Wernau is connected by the B 313 to the Bundesautobahn 8 and to the Bundesstraße 10, that leads to Stuttgart.

### Companies based in Wernau

* DEWETRON Elektronische Messgeräte GmbH
* Eurotubes Thomas Klein Präzisionsdrahtführer und Löttechnik
* Junkers Gasgeräte (Bosch Gruppe) / BBT Thermotechnik
* Krüger Dirndl GmbH, manufacturer of high-end traditional garments for men and women
* Prakesch Zerspanungstechnik GmbH, precision machined automotive and other parts,
* Steinpilz GmbH Softwareentwicklung
* DMG Mori AG manufacturer of cutting machine tools (DMG Mori AG)

## Arts and culture

* Maria-Hilf-Kapelle (Maria Help Chapel) from 1667, is the oldest building in Wernau
* The castle from the Baron von Palm (18th century)
* Castle of the lords of Wernau
* Old church tower of St. Erasmus with its Roman elements
* Stadtbücherei am Bahnhofsplatz (public library)
* Theater

## Parks and outdoor recreation

* Nature conservation area Wernau Quarry Ponds, bird paradise
* Natural conservation area Wernau Clay Pit
* Forest teaching path

## Government
### Town Council

The Town Council has 22 seats. The Council Elections on May 26, 2019, reported the following preliminary results. The Town Council consist of elected officials (unpaid posts) and the Mayor as head of the government. The Mayor has voting power in the town council.
| Parties | Parties | % 2019 | Seats 2019 | % 2014 | Seats 2014 |
| WBL/JB | Wernau Citizen List/Young Citizens | 30.97 | 7 | 26.63 | 6 |
| FWV | Independent Voters of Wernau | 22.67 | 5 | 23.90 | 5 |
| CDU | Christian Democratic Union | 19.11 | 4 | 24.20 | 6 |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party | 13.63 | 3 | 14.61 | 3 |
| GRÜNE | Green/Independents | 13.63 | 3 | 10.66 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 100.0 | 22 | 100.0 | 22 |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 59.38 % | 59.38 % | 49.00 % | 49.00 % |
Old town hall of Wernau (photo at right)

### Mayor

* 1945–1964 Friedrich Schönherr
* 1964–1984 Hans Wagner
* 1984–2007 Roger Kehle
* since 2007 Armin Elbl
On October 11, 2015, Elbl was re-elected with 93.43% of the votes.

### Coat of arms

Blazon: "In silver, a black diagonal stripe with three golden balls."
The coat of arms stems from the Herren von Wernau (Lord of Wernau), whose name is also the origin of the city's name. The three balls symbolize the legend of Nicolaus, according to which, the Bishop of Nikolaus from Myra threw three bags of gold through the window of a house where three poor girls lived, so that they could pay for their weddings.

## Notable people from Wernau

* Julius Denzel (1852–1915), German chemist
* Max Hesse (born 2001), German racecar driver