Vaihingen

Vaihingen an der Enz is a town in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is on the banks of the Enz river between the large cities of Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. About 30,000 people live there.

History
Vaihingen is an old city, going back as far as the year 799 CE. Vaihingen was formally established as a town by Count Gottfried von Vaihingen in the year 1252. After theReformation, Vaihingen became a Protestant city. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Vaihingen became a battle ground between the Protestants and Catholics. The Revolution of 1848 hurt the economy in Vaihingen. Many people left Vaihingen to look for work in other towns. In the early 1900s, a railroad connection was made to Vaihingen. That brought more people, and also businesses, to Vaihingen. In 1938 Vaihingen became the regional center.

People
 Jacob Friedrich von Abel (1751-1829), Professor of Philosophy
Born in Vaihingen May 9, 1751. Published his "Introduction to the doctrine of spirituality" ("Einleitung in die Seelenlehre") in Stuttgart, 1786
 Karl Friedrich Hensler (1759-1825), Viennese theater director
 Karl Gerok (1815-1890), Bishop
 Friedrich Kellner (1885-1970) Chief Justice Inspector, Diarist
Born in Vaihingen February 1, 1885. Kellner lived in Laubach, Hessen, during WWII. He recorded the misdeeds of the Nazis in a secret diary. His 10-volume diary was exhibited at the George Bush Presidential Library in 2005. A Canadian documentary, My Opposition: the Diaries of Friedrich Kellner, was made in 2006.

References

Other websites

 Internet website for Vaihingen
 Pictures of the concentration camp cemetery at Vaihingen/Enz at the Sites of Memory webpage
 Pictures of the military and refugee memorials in the municipal cemetery at Vaihingen/Enz at the Sites of Memory webpage