Esslingen on Neckar
Esslingen on Neckar comes second in size and first in age among all towns of the Stuttgart area. It seeks co-operation with other councils, at the same time it maintains unique features in culture and history.
A town between past and present
Esslingen’s origin is recorded in a document of the year 777. Since then the town’s history has been marked by clear-cut breaks.
During the Middle Ages the town has experienced a first phase of prosperity. In 1298, a Habsburgian document recorded Esslingen as ‘Freie Reichsstadt’ (Reichstown). In 1488, it witnessed the founding of the ‘Swabian Alliance’ , and by 1531 speedily became a foothold of the Reformation.
When, in 1802, the town lost its status as Reichstown, industrialisation developed quickly and as soon as 1830 Esslingen turned to be the most advanced industrial town in the Kingdom of Württemberg. The first train was to go from Cannstatt to Esslingen in 1845. Esslingen, once nucleus, has become the economic heart of the Middle-Neckar-Area.
History from the Middle Ages to modern times is mirrored by town’s architecture. Well over 800 buildings have been classified as historical monuments. One of these jewels is the town hall built in 1423 with its tower clock working on a (recently restored) mechanism made in 1589.
Today Esslingen is a vibrant town between tradition and modernity with many attractive shopping facilities, nice cafés and pubs, not to forget public festivals. Many very modern service companies and industries are located here.
Arts and Culture
Esslingen – with regard to culture, art, entertainment and education – has a lot to offer.
Council facilities are:
_ The public library, renowned for the festival ‘LesART’ (version/art of reading)
_ The school of music
_ The town archive, one of the most important and oldest municipal archives in Southern Germany
_ The Esslingen Town Museum in the Yellow House
_ The ‘J.-F.-Schreiber-Museum’, it pays special attention to the family press ‘Schreiber’ – exhibiting children’s books, toy theatres and cut engravings, once published by Schreiber in Esslingen. Since the 19th century the family press supplied generations of children with popular and educative engravings
_ Galleries of the City of Esslingen on Neckar with the branches ‘Villa Merkel’ and ‘Bahnwärterhaus’ (signalman house) exhibiting International Foto Triennale
_ Beneath the Church of St Dionys archaeological excavations are to be seen in a unique museum on the site
_ The adult education centre
_ The ‘Württembergische Landesbühne’ funded by town and county, one of the first county theatres in Germany, founded in 1919; it houses several stages; the children’s theatre being a separate branch
_ The contemporary cabaret ‘Die Galgenstricke’ (gallows ropes) is well known beyond town boundaries as is the cinema ‘Kommunales Kino’ featuring an outstanding film programme, including an open air programme – presented at the Esslinger Castle – and an international film festival;
_ ‘LIMA’, the puppet theatre – established in the former shoemaker’s guild hall-chapel – stages pieces of world literature en miniature, thus being regarded as a jewel in the crown of culture;
Numerous cultural organisations and societies are supported by the council including the
_ Artists Guild
_ Esslinger Art Society
_ ‘Galerie Kunst im Heppächer’ (art gallery)
_ ‘FACE’ – an amateur film- and video club, adorned with national and international awards
_ ‘Lichtspielgruppe’
_ Children Art Society
_ Young Southwestern Philharmonic Orchestra Esslingen
_ Esslinger Jazz and Rock Musicians
_ Cultural Meetings at the Centraltheater
_ Culture on the Fringe, a society co-operating with the homeless
Town of music
Esslingen on Neckar is a town with high professional standards in all fields of music. The Esslingen Council sponsors e. g. the ‘Kulturzentrum Dieselstrasse’ (cultural centre). ‘Dieselstrasse’ is famous for two features, comedy and avant-garde jazz. And in re-opening the jazz club ‘Jazzkeller’, in 1995, Esslingen managed to enlarge its reputation as a stronghold of jazz. Here, during the 1960s and 1970s, many well-known musicians met and many others started their careers. In addition to these programmes open-air jazz concerts are part of the attraction.
Besides jazz, sacred music is particularly precious to Esslingen on Neckar. More than 80 amateur choirs and orchestras are active giving concerts throughout the year. Concerts – if classical music, jazz, or rock, played in church, concert halls, school assembly halls, cultural centres, or jazz-clubs – are attended by a well-informed and open-minded audience.
A series of musical events provides for the festival calendar like:
- Esslingen master concerts
- Hour of Music in Church- ‘Musik der Zeiten’ (music of times)
- ‘Forum für junge Solisten’ (forum for young soloists)
- ‘Festival KlangSeiten’ (festival soundsides)
- ‘TonArt Festival’ (festival notes / art -how to hit the tone)
- Open-air rock-concerts at the Esslingen castle.
Thus talent and enthusiasm just make Esslingen the ideal venue for the project ‘ZukunftsMusik’ (music of the future).