View source for Neckarsulm

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Expand German|topic=geo|date=February 2009|Neckarsulm}}

{{Infobox German location
|type                = Stadt
|image_photo        = Neckarsulm_Rathaus01.JPG
|image_coa             = Wappen Neckarsulm.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|49|11|30.1|N|9|13|28.4|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan           = Neckarsulm in HN.png
|state         = Baden-Württemberg
|region   = Stuttgart
|district          = Heilbronn
|elevation               = 162
|area             = 24.94
|postal_code                = 74172
|area_code            = 07132
|licence                = HN
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 08 1 25 065
|divisions         = 4
|website           = [http://www.neckarsulm.de/ Neckarsulm.de]
|mayor             = Steffen Hertwig<ref>[https://www.staatsanzeiger.de/staatsanzeiger/wahlen/buergermeisterwahlen/ Aktuelle Wahlergebnisse], Staatsanzeiger, accessed 13 September 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2016&ndash;24
}}

'''Neckarsulm''' ({{IPA|de|nɛkaʁˈzʊlm|-|De-Neckarsulm.ogg}}) is a city in northern [[Baden-Württemberg]], Germany, near [[Heilbronn]], and part of the district of [[Heilbronn (district)|Heilbronn]]. {{As of|2016||df=}}, Neckarsulm had 26,800 inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.neckarsulm.de/unser-neckarsulm/daten-fakten.html|title=Neckarsulm - Daten & Fakten|last=Neckarsulm|first=Stadt|website=www.neckarsulm.de|language=de|access-date=2019-07-25}}</ref> The name Neckarsulm derives from the city's location where the [[Neckar]] and [[Sulm (German river)|Sulm]] rivers meet.

Neckarsulm is known for its [[renewable energy]] projects and wine. The Weingärtnergenossenschaft Neckarsulm-Gundelsheim (winegrower's cooperative of Neckarsulm and Gundelsheim) is the oldest winegrower's collective in Germany. The wine Trollinger and Lemberger are the principal varieties of grape grown in this region. The [[Schwarz Gruppe]] (Schwarz Group) who leads both companies [[Lidl]] and [[Kaufland]] has its headquarters in Neckarsulm.

Neckarsulm was first mentioned in a document in 771 and was granted city status around 1300.<ref>Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Neckarsulm]]; see its history for attribution.</ref> The city celebrated its 1250th birthday in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1250 jahre neckarsulm (1250 Years of Neckarsulm)|url=https://www.neckarsulm.de/1250-jahre-neckarsulm|website=neckarsulm.de|language=De}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Neckarsulm is located on the eastern side of the Neckar River Valley. The town is approximately {{Convert|30|km|mi}} from the Löwenstein Mountains and is part of the [[Swabian-Franconian Forest]]. The closest nearby city is [[Heilbronn]], the sixth largest city in the federal state Baden-Württemberg.

The urban area of Neckarsulm consists of the city itself and the districts of Amorbach, Dahenfeld, and Obereisesheim.

== History ==
Archaeological finds such as vessel shards indicate human activity in the greater Neckarsulm region as early as the middle of the 6th millennium B.C. (Neolithic period). In 2001, archaeologists found a Late Bronze Age burial ground in Trendpark-Süd (roughly on the modern day site of the German IT company "Bechtle"), which was dated to around 1100 BC on the basis of metal and ceramic finds. Graves found south of the old city wall indicate a Frankish settlement dating to the 7th century AD.

The town, formerly called "Sulmana" or "Sulmgau", is dated to the year 771 in a deed of donation to [[Lorsch Abbey]]. Sulmana is mentioned in the Lorsch Codex. The area became known as Neckarsulm in the 16th century.

==Notable landmarks==
* German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum - a museum dedicated to two-wheeled vehicles including riding cars and motorcycles produced in Germany. The museum is housed in the [[Teutonic Order]] Castle Neckarsulm. 
* Stadtmuseum Neckarsulm - City museum of Neckarsulm which tells the history of the city from medieval times to present days. The year of the construction of museum's house dates to 1545.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stadtmuseum Neckarsulm (Neckarsulm City Museum)|url=https://stadtmuseum-neckarsulm.de|website=stadtmuseum-neckarsulm.de}}</ref>
*[[Neckarsulm TDS Office Tower]]
*[[Obereisesheim transmitter]]
* Remnants of the medieval city wall along the western and northern sides of the centre.

==Mayors and Lord Mayors==
* 1845–1865: Franz Josef Alexander Heinrich Becker
* 1865–1878: Josef Pecoroni
* 1878–1885: Johann Nepomuk Kirner
* 1885–1911: Bernhard Rettenmeier
* 1911–1913: Heinrich Soller
* 1913–1941: Johannes Häußler
* 1942–1945: Oskar Volk
* 1945–1946: Hermann Greiner
* 1946–1949: Johannes Häußler (1879–1949)
* 1949–1955: Erwin Wörner
* 1955–1967: Hans Hoffmann (1915–2005)
* 1967–1992: Erhard Klotz (born 1938)
* 1992–2008: Volker Blust
* 2008–2016: Joachim Scholz <ref>Andreas Bracht: ''OB Joachim Scholz wird in sein Amt eingesetzt.'' Presse-Information der Stadt Neckarsulm vom 27. Oktober 2008.</ref>
* since 2016: Steffen Hertwig

==Population==
The numbers are estimates, census results (¹) or data from statistical offices.
{| border="0"
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Year
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Inhabitants
|-
| 1527 || align="right" | ca. 1000
|-
| 1635 || align="right" | ca. 1400
|-
| 1756 || align="right" | 1544
|-
| 1810 || align="right" | 2050
|-
| 1849 || align="right" | 2576
|-
| 1. December 1871 || align="right" | 2576
|-
| 1. December 1880 ¹ || align="right" | 2845
|-
| 1. December 1890 ¹ || align="right" | 3011
|-
| 1. December 1900 ¹ || align="right" | 3707
|-
| 1. December 1910 ¹ || align="right" | 5170
|-
| 16. June 1925 ¹ || align="right" | 6692
|-
| 16. June 1933 ¹ || align="right" | 7035
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Year
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Inhabitants
|-
| 17. May 1939 ¹ || align="right" | 8593
|-
| December 1945 || align="right" | 7559
|-
| 13. September 1950 ¹ || align="right" | 9319
|-
| 6. June 1961 ¹ ² || align="right" | 15.299
|-
| 27. May 1970 ¹ || align="right" | 18.517
|-
| 31. December 1975 || align="right" | 20.112
|-
| 31. December 1980 || align="right" | 21.871
|-
| 27. May 1987 ¹ || align="right" | 21.534
|-
| 31. December 1990 || align="right" | 22.690
|-
| 31. December 1995 || align="right" | 25.788
|-
| 31. December 2000 || align="right" | 27.408
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Year
! bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | Inhabitants
|-
| 31. December 2002 || align="right" | 27.425
|-
| 31. December 2004 || align="right" | 27.296
|-
| 31. December 2006 || align="right" | 27.246
|-
| 31. December 2008 || align="right" | 26.828
|-
| 31. December 2010 || align="right" | 26.511
|-
| 31. December 2012 || align="right" | 25.754
|-
| 31. December 2014 || align="right" | 25.798
|-
| 31. December 2015 || align="right" | 26.304
|-
| 31. August 2016 || align="right" | 26.749
|}
|}
¹ Census results

² The population increase between 1950 and 1961 comes from the new district Neckarsulm-Amorbach. In 1955, around 3,000 people lived in this place.<ref>Bernd Friedel: ''50&nbsp;Jahre Amorbach.'' Neckarsulm 2005, pp. 6–16.</ref>

==Economy==
[[Schwarz Gruppe]], owner of [[Lidl]] and [[Kaufland]] — the largest European food chain — has its headquarters in Neckarsulm.<ref>"[http://www.lidl-info.com/cps/rde/xchg/SID-56DBF330-CE0E3703/country_selection/hs.xsl/11.htm Impressum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727074418/http://www.lidl-info.com/cps/rde/xchg/SID-56DBF330-CE0E3703/country_selection/hs.xsl/11.htm |date=27 July 2014 }}." [[Lidl]]. Retrieved on 28 September 2012. ": Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG Stiftsbergstraße 1 74167 Neckarsulm "</ref>

The city was home of car manufacturer [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]] which was taken over by [[Volkswagen]] in 1969 and fused with [[Auto Union]] to create [[Audi]]. The former NSU plant is the smaller of Audi's two principal assembly plants in Germany and manufactures the company's larger, high-end models such as the [[Audi A6]], [[Audi A7|A7]], [[Audi A8|A8]]. Audi's performance subsidiary [[Audi Sport GmbH]] which produces the [[Audi R8|R8]] and manages their racing activities is also placed here. ''NSU'' denotes ''Neckarsulm''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Die NSU-Firmengeschichte|url = http://www.zweirad-museum.de/nsu-museum/die-nsu-firmengeschichte.html|access-date = 2016-01-01}}</ref>

Other well-known companies based in Neckarsulm are Fujitsu TDS, [[Bechtle|Bechtle AG]] and [[Rheinmetall|Rheinmetall Automotive AG]].<ref name="EncycloMoto245">{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Hugo|title=The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofmo00wils_1|url-access=registration|year=1995|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=London|isbn=0-7513-0206-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofmo00wils_1/page/245 245]|chapter=The Directory of Motorcycles|quote=Around 1890 Neckarsulm Strickmaschinen – "knitting machine" – Union began making bicycles.}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Rough translation|German|Deutsch|section|listed=yes|date=August 2022}}

=== Honorary citizens of Neckarsulm ===

* 1894: Franz Joseph Maucher (1826–1910), was a chaplain and parish priest in Neckarsulm for 35 years.
* 1911: Gottlob Banzhaf (1858–1930), was Kommerzienrat and after the death of his brother Christian Schmidt first director the ''Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik AG'' from 1884 to 1910.
* 1930: Ernst Josef Bauer (died 1881), was a teacher and successful author of the local play "Peter Heinrich Merkle, the Löwenwirt of Neckarsulm".
* 1933: [[Christian Mergenthaler]] (1884–1980), NSDAP politician, Prime Minister of Württemberg from 1933 to 1945. On 27 July 1933, Neckarsulm granted him honorary citizenship which had been revoked on 28 August 1945.<ref>Anton Heyler: ''Neckarsulm im Auf und Ab eines halben Jahrhunderts.'' (s. Literatur), pp. 58 and 92.</ref>
* 1949: Johannes Häußler (1879–1949), was mayor of Neckarsulm for 30 years.
* 2004: Kurt Bauer (born 1934), was city council for 36 years, deputy mayor, SPD parliamentary leader and chairman of the SPD local association.
* 2008: Volker Blust (born 1944), was head of the city's main and personnel office and was elected in 1992 as mayor of Neckarsulm.

===Born in Neckarsulm===
* [[Simon Molitor|Franz Simon Molitor]] (1766–1848), in [[Vienna]], musician
[[File:Simon Molitor portrait.jpg|left|thumb|160px|Simon Molitor portrait]]
[[File:August Herold NSU.JPG|thumb|180px|August Herold memorial plate in the wine yards]]
* [[August Herold]] (1902–1973), by Neckarsulm; vine growers

===Other people connected to the city===

* [[Wilhelm Ganzhorn]] (1818–1880), was a senior judge for Neckarsulm 1859–1878. Ganzhorn was a poet, and was known as the author of the text for the song "In the loveliest meadow" (Im schönsten Wiesengrunde).
[[File:Ganzhorn PlaketteNSU.jpg|thumb|160px|Ganzhorn plaque in Neckarsulm]]
* Albert Roder (1896–1970), was an engineer who became known for the construction of [[motorcycle]]s. He was from 1946 to 1961 chief designer at [[NSU Motorenwerke|NSU]].
* Klaus Zwickel (born 1939), German [[trade union|unions]] functionary and former chairman of [[IG Metall]]. From 1968 to 1983 he was first secretary of the IG-Metall Headquarter Neckarsulm.
* Verena Stenke (born 1981), German artist
* [[Dominik Britsch]] (born 1987), German boxer

== Subsidiary cities ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="font-size:100%; background:#FFFFEF; float:left;"
|-
! City
! Country
! Year
|-
| [[Carmaux]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} France
| 1958
|-
| [[Bordighera]]
| {{flagicon|ITA}} Italy
| 1963
|-
| [[Grenchen]]
| {{flagicon|SUI}} Switzerland
| 1988
|-
| [[Zschopau]]
| {{flagicon|GER}} Germany
| 1990
|-
| [[Budakeszi]]
| {{flagicon|HUN}} Hungary
| 1993
|}
{{clear}}

{{Clear}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Neckarsulm-FussgaengerZone-20060922-1.JPG|Pedestrian zone on the market place
File:Neckarsulm Loewengasse1.JPG|Old House
File:Neckarsulm_Stadtkirche.jpg|[[:de:Stadtpfarrkirche St. Dionysius (Neckarsulm)|St. Dionysius Church]]
File:Neckarsulm_Zweiradmuseum.jpg|The ''Deutschordensschloss'' (a former castle of [[Teutonic Order|Teutonic Knights]]) houses the [[Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum]]
File:Neckarsulm_Weinberge.JPG|Vineyards on Scheuerberg mountain
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.neckarsulm.de/ Neckarsulm] {{in lang|de}}

{{Cities and towns in Heilbronn (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Neckarsulm| ]]
[[Category:Audi]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Neckar basin]]
[[Category:Populated riverside places in Germany]]
[[Category:NSU Motorenwerke]]