Schwäbisch Gmünd is a town in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 62,000, the town is the second largest in the Ostalbkreis and the whole region of East Württemberg after Aalen. The town is a Große Kreisstadt, a chief town under district administration; it was the chief town of its own rural district until the district reform on January 1 1973. The rural district was called Schwäbisch Gmünd and it had the car license key GD.

Geography

Schwäbisch Gmünd lies on the Rems river about 50 kilometers east of Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg. It also lies at the northern foot of the Swabian Jura Mountains.

History

The first settlement in this area was around the 2nd century AD, when the Roman soldiers settled the nearby Limes. In the 3rd century the border lines were assaulted and taken by the Alemans, who settled down in the areas the Romans had abandoned.

In the 8th century a false document in the name of Karl the Great, in the Monastery of St Denis near Paris mentioned a monk's cell called Gamundias built by Abott Fulrad of St Denis. Whether or not this refers to Gmünd is highly uncertain. There are no archaeological indications for a cell of this type in Gmünd.

Schwäbish Gmünd was founded in the mid-12th century. It was a free imperial city from 1268 until 1803, when it passed to Württemberg.

Economics

From the 17th century until today Schwäbisch Gmünd have been producers of gold and silver handicrafts. In the city is the Forschungsinstitut für Edelmetalle und Metallchemie, which is an institute for precious metal work. The industries prevailent in this town are the automotive industry and manufacturers of machinery and glass.

Famous Sons and Daughters

• Peter Parler 91330 - 1399) architect and builder
• Hans Ratgeb (circa 1480 - 1526) painter
• Hans Baldung (1484/85 - 1545) painter
• Hans Judenkönig (died 1526) orator