Schwaigern

Geschichte

is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 12 km west of Heilbronn.GeographyNeighbouring municipalitiesThe neighbouring towns and municipalities of Schwaigern are: Leingarten, Nordheim , Brackenheim, Eppingen, Gemmingen and Massenbachhausen .Town structureSchwaigern consists of Schwaigern itself and its districts Massenbach, Stetten am Heuchelberg and Niederhofen. Schwaigern has approximately 11,000 inhabitants.HistoryFinds of the Neolithic era and during the Roman period show an early settlement of this area. The town was first mentioned in writing in the Lorsch codex of 766. Bertilo, Lord of Schwaigern, is first mentioned in 1120. The construction of a church is proved in the 13th century. Bertilo's descendants took on the name "Lords of Neipperg" in 1241, after their castle of Neipperg near Brackenheim. In 1407 they also acquired the Lordship of Klingenberg near Heilbronn. In 1702, Schwaigern became the residence of the Lords of Neipperg, who were elevated to the rank of counts in 1726. In 1766, the County of Neipperg became an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire, mediatised to the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806. The last ruling count, Adam Albert von Neipperg, married Napoleon's widow Marie Louise.