Neuenstadt am Kocher
Neuenstadt, usually known as Neuenstadt am Kocher (; and until as late as 1800 also known as Neuenstadt an der großen Linde) is a town in Baden-Württemberg in south-western Germany with 9,600 inhabitants. It consists of Neuenstadt, the villages of Stein am Kocher, Kochertürn, Cleversulzbach and Bürg and the hamlets Brambacher Hof (part of Kochertürn), Buchhof and Lobenbacher Hof (part of Stein). The name Neuenstadt is derived from the “der neuen Stadt” or “New Town” in English. Geography. Neuenstadt lies on the Kocher river in the east of the District of Heilbronn. It stands on a  hill where the Brettach flows into the Kocher river. Neighbouring communities. Starting from the south going in a clockwise direction, Neuenstadt is surrounded by Eberstadt, "Neckarsulm", Oedheim, "Bad Friedrichshall", "Neudenau", Hardthausen am Kocher and Langenbrettach (all also in the district of Heilbronn). Neuenstadt is part of a joint administration agreement with Hardthausen am Kocher and Langenbrettach. Districts of Neuenstadt. The town of Neuenstadt is subdivided into the districts of Neuenstadt itself, Stein am Kocher, Kochertürn, Cleversulzbach, Bürg and the hamlets of Brambacherhof, Buchhof and Lobenbacher Hof (of Stein). History. Neuenstadt was originally a settlement known as Helmbund which was first  mentioned in records as early in 797 A.D. Helmbund stood in the meadows of Brettach. It is believed that the settlement moved a kilometer away at some time around the beginning of the 14th century to avoid flooding. Since then it has stood on higher ground between the Kocher and Brettach rivers. This gave rise to name New Town, or "Neue Stadt" in German. The hamlet of Helmbund subsequently all but disappeared with only the scattered ruins of the Gothic church of Helmbund remaining. Neuenstadt first fell under the reign of the rulers of Weinsberg whose lineage came to an  end in 1507. As a result, it was originally a town from the Electorate of the Palatinate before falling into the area of Württemberg in 1504. In the 17th and 18th century the Württemberg-Neuenstadt branch line of the ducal house of Württemberg took up residence in Neuenstadt castle until the male lineage of dukes died out in 1742. Towards the end of the Second World War the fortified stronghold of Neuenstadt came under heavy fire from allied forces. In April 1945, nearly 80% of Neuenstadt old town was destroyed. During fighting, one of the wires holding up the legendary  lime tree that stood outside the gates of the town, which had given the town part of its name in medieval times, was torn into pieces. Subsequently, a violent storm shattered the tree. Since then, fragments of live wood, suitable for 'cuttings', were garnered, grown until rooted then large enough to hold a structure, a kind of pergola in an attractive lime garden, which now surrounds the bottom of the tree trunk that has survived. This is so substantial it gives some idea of just how enormous the original tree would have been. Religion. Neuenstadt underwent the influence of the  Reformation in 1541 and is now home to the deanery of the Württembergisch State Church. The Evangelical Church Parish of Neuenstadt, which also encompasses Kochertürn, Stein and Bürg currently boasts 2960 members. The font in the church at Gosheim castle is said to have originally stood in Bürg church. Politics. District council. Local elections on June 13, 2004 returned the following seats: The town mayor is also member and chairman of the district council. Coat of arms and flag. The Neuenstadt coat of arms depicts two silver shields over a silver helmet on a blue background. Blue and white are  the town’s official colours. The coat of arms originate from a seal first used in the late 13th century. The colours have remained unchanged since 1535. The shields are believed to represent the two founders of the “new town” – the Lords of Weinsberg – who used three silver shields on a red background as their coat of arms. The helmet (German:‘Helm’) points to the origins of the town, the now lost settlement of Helmbund. International relations. Neuenstadt am Kocher belongs to a ‘towns association’ consisting of 36 towns in 5 European states. All towns in the association share a similar  name in the indigenous language: ''. People, culture and architecture. Open-air theatre. Since 1958, Neuenstadt has staged an open-air theatre every year between June and July in the castle moat. Some 20,000 visitors a year descend on the town to hear classical music and watch traditional local plays. Museums. The town museum in the Schafstall was opened in 1991. As well as housing a memorial to the Mörike Family it has an exhibition of local history with rotating themes throughout the year. The museum in the Town Tower (Stadtturm) house the former tower residence and town jail. There is  also a Mörike Museum in Cleversulzbach. Economy and Infrastructure. Transportation. Neuenstadt is directly on the A81 Autobahn. Between 1907 and 1993 the town was connected to the outside world via the now disused Untere Kochertalbahn railway. Education. Neuenstadt has a primary school, the Lindenschule, two secondary school, Helmbundschule Hauptschule and the Eduard-Mörike grammar school, a special needs school and a music school. In addition to the primary school in Stein am Kocher, there are also 6 state-run, 2 catholic and one evangelical kindergartens.