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Lindau is a German city and an island in the eastern part of the Lake Constance. It is located in the Bundesland of Bavaria and is also capital of the district Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on the 0,68 km² island which is connected with the main land by an bridge and by a railway dam.
History
Remains of an early Roman settlement of the 1st century have been found in the district of Aeschach. The name Lindau was mentioned first by a St. Gallen monk in a document in 882 stating that Graf Adalbert von Rätien had founded a nuns monastery on the island.
In 1180 the church St. Stephan was founded. In 1224 the franciscans founded a monastery on the island. In 1274/75 Lindau became an Imperial Free City under Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph I. In 1528, Lindau accepted the Reformation. After the Thirty Years War, in 1655 the first Lindauer Kinderfest (childrens festival) was held in memory of the war time.
After liquidation of the Holy Roman Empire Lindau lost its status of an Imperial Free City in 1802. The city went to Karl August von Bretzenheim who gave the city and monastery to the Kingdom of Austria in 1804. In 1805 Austria returned the city to Bavaria.
In 1853 the railway dam was built to the island. In 1856 the city built a new harbour with its characteristic land marks,the lighthouse and the lions sculpture.
In 1922 the independent districts Aeschach, Hoyren and Reutin were integrated in the city. After World War II the city was under French administration. In 1955 Lindau returned back to Bavaria.
Today Lindau is located near the three borders of Austria, Germany and Switzerland it is nestled under the mountain Pfänder of the Alps in the lake. Due to its historic medieval city center and the plesent location in Lake Constance, Lindau is a popular place for sightseeing tours and holidays. Annually a meeting of Nobel Price Winners and a congress of medical physics is held in the city. A further attraction is the casino owned by the state of Bavaria.
Toristical Attractions
- Port entrance with Lighthouse and Bavarian Lion
- Church of St. Stephan
- Peterskirche (Church of St. Peter)
- Cathedral "Unserer Lieben Frau" former church of the monestary Maria Himmelfahrt
- Maximilianstraße (main shopping street)
- Historic Town Hall
- Promenade on the Aeschach lake side
Economy
In former times an important trading route from Nuremberg to Italy passed by Lindau and fishery has played a big roll in the cities economy. In the 19th century Lindau has been an important location for textile industries. Today there are a lot of small companies amongst some industrial companies:
- Lindauer DORNIER GmbH (Textile machines)
- Liebherr (Elektronics)
- Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems (http://www.metzeler-profiles.com/)
- Axima Refrigeration (http://www.de.axiref.com) (former Sulzer-Escher-Wyss, refrigeration and air conditioning plants)
- Lindavia/Hero (Fruit drinks)
- Bahlsen (Cookies and sweets)
- ADC Automotive Distance Control (Automotive rubbers)
- Tanner AG (http://www.tanner.de/) (Technical documentations)
Cooperations
Since 1964 Lindau has a cooperation with the French City of Chelles which was initiated by the returned French soldier after World War II.
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