Leonberg

Leonberg is the gateway to the area of Stuttgart. People coming from northern directions to the conurbation of Stuttgart have to pass Leonberg junction, one of the major traffic junctions in Europe. A look at Leonberg proves it to be a modern town outlined by prominent multi-storey buildings just below the Engelberg.

But don’t be deceived: Leonberg is a town of contrasts. Entering town one will be surprised by the picturesque historic centre situated on a spur and a grand terrace close to the Palace which houses the only Renaissance-garden in southern Germany, a so-called ‘Pomeranzengarten’ (garden of bitter orange trees).

In Eltingen, once an independent rural community, a most beautiful village street is to be found. As Eltingen the three former villages – Warmbronn, Höflingen and Gebersheim – managed to preserve their individual features as districts of Leonberg.

These contrasts in town stimulate variety not only in architecture but in social life, which is moulded by vivid debating as well as its citizens’ customary social engagements. At present, all groups of political or social impact are discussing how to develop the huge area in the centre, the former ‘Leonberger Bausparkasse’ (Building Society Estate).

Personages throughout the centuries left traces in Leonberg. In 1775, for example, the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling was borne here. Here the astronomer Johannes Kepler went to school in the 16th century. But a reeve of Leonberg, Lutherus Einhorn, was one of the most eager witch persecutors before the Thirty Years’ War; Kepler’s mother only just escaped his sentence of death. The poet and farmer Christian Wagner, born in Warmbronn, committed himself to the ethics of nature at the end of the 19th century. And hence he has become one of the ancestors of environmental protection movement.
Today several well-known people have chosen Leonberg as residence: Frei Otto (architect), Helmut Rilling (conductor and founder of the Bach-Academy in Stuttgart) or Helmut Lachenmann (composer).

 

Leonberg loves to revel: The festivity looking back on the longest history and still enjoying uninterrupted public attention is a horse fair. In 1684 Duke Friedrich Karl gave permission to hold a so-called ‘Rossmärkt’, by now it is a four-days event, yearly culminating on the second Tuesday of February. Amongst the more recent annual events are Days for Children and Youths’ or the Long Night of the Arts proceeding in the historic centre.

‘Leonberger’, the world famous dogs, are one of Leonberg’s trademarks. This amiable dog is a crossbreed of Spain Bernhard, Newfoundlander and Pyrenean Wolfhound, which the Leonberg citizen Heinrich Essig first bred in 1846. Dog-fanciers from all over the world arrive on the occasion of the yearly breeders’ meeting.

 

Sights, there are plenty to be found in Leonberg:

_ The town church (1312-1574) with epitaphs by the Renaissance-sculptor Jeremias Schwarz; St. John’s church choir is performing here.

_ The Black Eagle (1351) – a traditional restaurant, where 500 years ago the first Württembergian Landtag convened.

_ The ‘Pomeranzengarten’ (garden of bitter orange trees), here readings may be held.

_ Market square with town hall (1480) – well worth seeing, an ensemble of half-timbered buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries.

_ The Gallery Society – a 200-year-old barn converted successfully into a gallery exhibiting contemporary art.

_ The Town Museum in the former grammar school Johannes Kepler once went to; the Farmhouse Museum in Gebersheim and the ‘Christian-Wagner-Haus’ in Warmbronn, where the poet used to live.

_ The former motorway tunnel, where prisoners from Leonberg’s concentration camp were forced to work for the armaments industry, in 1944/45.

_ The catholic church St John’s (1953), the interior by the sculptor Matthias Eder; the organ by Mühleisen is noteworthy.

_ The town park and citizen hall taking 750 visitors; a memorial of peace by the sculptor Hans D. Sailer.

 

Music in Leonberg

is not only played by the established school of music, but also by numerous orchestras and choirs. To be mentioned are five flagships of classical music: town orchestra Leonberg, ‘Lyra’ (lyre) Eltingen,  Music Society Höfingen – all brass orchestras – the Graun-Society Warmbronn and the symphony orchestra Leonberg. As the name ‘Graun’ indicates, this society is concerned with baroque music (director Albert Boesen). The symphony orchestra directed by Alexander Adire is in the process of gaining experience in contemporary music. Many well-known musicians are teaching at the school of music, inter alia the jazz-pianist Patrick Bebelaar.

Amongst all choirs the St John’s church choir (director Atila Kalman) and the Camerata VocaLeo choir (director Wilhelm Bäuml) enjoy the best reputation.

All tendencies in rock music are represented by the annual open-air concerts in Warmbronn. Therefore a vibrant scene of bands is shaping up well in Leonberg, being active both at the school of music and youth clubs.

Several sites are ideal for performing, besides the churches and the citizen hall, these are the Theatre in Hospital Yard, a chamber theatre in the heart of the historic centre, school assembly halls at both Gymnasiums (secondary schools) in Leonberg, or the Gallery Society’s building.