Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

🇩🇪 Bietigheim-Bissingen is the second-largest town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Enz and the river Metter, close to its confluence with the Neckar, about 19 km north of Stuttgart, and 20 km south of Heilbronn.

History Towards the end of the 18th century Bietigheim saw during the beginning of the industrialisation an improvement of the living conditions and an increase in population. The 1806 furnished Oberamt Bietigheim was in 1810, however, dissolved again: the city and its official municipalities were integrated in the Oberamt Besigheim. After Bietigheim was connected mid-19th century to the railway network and the city experienced a real breakthrough and a sustained recovery. At the end of the 19th century there were 3,800 inhabitants. In 1938, Bietigheim came to the new Ludwigsburg (district). A branch of the Nazi Party was in Bietigheim since 1928. Until 1933, this was with 51 members relatively small. After the Nazi seizure of power there were 181 new entrants. By the end of the Nazi regime finally were 939 party members in Bietigheim, representing 10.4 percent of the total population in 1945.

Buildings and sights • 287 m long Bietigheim Enz Valley Bridge ("Bietigheimer Enzviadukt") (built in 1853) • Old gate (only one still present, built in the 14th century) • (Protestant) church in Downtown Bietigheim (built in 1401) • Kilian church in Bissingen (built from 1517) • Wine Press (now a building for public events) • Town hall (built in 1506) • "Hornmoldhaus" (built in 1536) • Castle of Bietigheim (built in 1546, renovated between 2000 and 2002), nowadays home to the Bietigheim-Bissingen music school

Infrastructure Bietigheim-Bissingen station is located on an important railway junction on the Western Railway (connecting Stuttgart with Karlsruhe and Heidelberg) and the Franconia Railway to Heilbronn. Line 5 of the Stuttgart S-Bahn and line 5 of the Stadtbahn Karlsruhe both start here.

Business and industry • Elbe & Sohn

Events • Bietigheim Horse Market • Music Exchange with Shawnee Mission South High School symphonic band every 4 years • Music Exchange with Shawnee Mission South High School string orchestra every 4 years • Music Exchange with Community High School District 99 Honors Band and Orchestra (Downers Grove, IL) every 2 years.