Marbach

Birthplace of the old german poet Schiller
30 July 2004

Here we were on a trip going to Marbach on the Neckar, and to Waiblingen, just making a small tour in the closer region.

Marbach got founded in the 8th or 9th century as a frankish town. It was first mentioned in a document from 972 where Marbach got donated to the bishop of Speyer. The owners changed in the next centuries until it fell to Württemberg in 1302.
In 1534 Marbach got reformated (like the duchy Württemberg), and in the late 17th century it was plundered by french troops under General Melac and burned down.

In 1759 the famous german poet Friedrich Schiller got born in Marbach. By 1812 Marbach had its largest spread, thanks to getting two towns integrated, when Napoleon rearranged the south-west german districts.
Marbach got unharmed through the second world war. In 1965 came a high visitor, Queen Elizabeth II, but the story goes that she actually wanted to see something else (there's another Marbach in Baden-Württemberg, that is seat of the state stud farm - she wanted to see horses.