Besigheim
Besigheim is a municipality in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.
It is situated 13 km north of Ludwigsburg at the confluence of the Neckar and Enz rivers. The town has many old buildings and a town hall that dates back to 1459. There are two medieval towers, Gothic church, cobblestone market place and other historical objects of interest.
History
Besigheim was founded in the 12th century as a well-defended walled city. The first mention of the city in official documentation was in 1153 in a decree by King Friedrich I.In 1693, the fortifications were all but destroyed by French troops, and by 1750 were little more than rubble.
International relations
Besigheim is twinned with:- Aÿ, France.
- Newton Abbot, England.
- Bátaszék, Hungary.
Notable people
- John Zeller, Protestant missionary in Ottoman Israel.
- Friedrich Schrempf, editor and member of the German Reichstag
- Christoph Schrempf, evangelical theologian and philosopher
- William Frank, athlete, bronze medallist in the marathon at the 1906 Intercalated Games
- Werner Villinger, Nazi Germany child and youth psychiatrist
- Luisa Richter, a Venezuelan-based graphic artist and professor
- Hans Mezger, an engineer famous for the engines designed at Porsche for the 911 and many racecars. His 911 engine had been used and developed for around four decades until 2010.