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Ravensburg was first mentioned in a document in 1088. The core of today's city was built as a settlement below the mighty ancestral castle of the Guelphs on the hill between Flappach- and Schussental.

From the Ravensburg the Guelphs administered their ancestral lands in Swabia. Welf IV. was appointed Duke of Bavaria in 1070; his grandson Heinrich the Proud was able to obtain the title of Duke of Saxony in 1137 by marriage to Gertrud von Supplinburg. In contrast, the Swabian dukedom always remained reserved for their fiercest political rivals, the Staufer.

The few remaining Representations show the castle as a representative and at the same time well-fortified ducal castle, which, however, used half of the plateau, which was secured with its steep slopes on three sides, while the front half was used as a tournament place.

In 1129 the famous son of Henry the Proud and Gertrud von Supplinburg, Henry the Lion, was born, probably on the Ravensburg. After the death of Henry the Proud in 1139, the leadership of the House of Guelphs and the rule of Ravensburg fell to his brother Welf VI, Duke of Spoleto. At first he defended the Guelph interests with great success, but after the death of his son Welf VII in 1167 he lost interest in politics and finally bequeathed the Ravensburg in 1178 to his nephew, the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He thus disappointed his other nephew, Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony. From then on Ravensburg belonged to the Staufer family.

In 1278, the Habsburg Emperor Rudolf I confirmed the imperial privileges of the town of Ravensburg below the castle. From then on the imperial bailiff of the imperial bailiwick of Swabia sat at the castle itself. Over time, to avoid confusion, the castle was no longer called Ravensburg, but was instead called Veitsburg (after the castle chapel consecrated to Sankt Veit - St. Vitus) near Ravensburg.

During the Thirty Years War the castle was almost completely razed to the ground by Swedish troops. The seat of the bailiff was then moved to Weingarten. In the 18th century, the town magistrate was able to purchase the castle hill from the Empire. He had a small baroque castle built on the ruins by Johann Caspar Bagnato.

Today a restaurant is located in Bagnato's building and modern annexes. Outbuildings of the castle complex - once used as a farm and stable - serve as a youth hostel.

The town has preserved its medieval character with remains of the town wall and town towers and some Gothic buildings.

Stadtturm Ravensburg mit Frauentor

Green tower with city wall and Frauentor

Marktstrasse Ravensburg

View through Marktstrasse from Obertor to Blaserturm.


Untertor Ravensburg

Tower (Untertor) and parking garage

Blaserturm Ravensburg

Blaserturm and Waaghaus


Jodokkirche Ravensburg

The Jodok church has retained its original 14th century character.

church Saint Jodok, Ravensburg Jodokstatue

St. Jodok with his pilgrim costume and staff resembles a little bit James. He is represented with the crown at his feet, which he has renounced.


Spitze vom Blaserturm in Ravensburg Blaserturm Ravensburg

The Blaser Tower


View from the Blaserturm

  • View over the town hall to the 'Mehlsack'
  • Lederhaus at Marienplatz
  • BachstrasseFrom there the Jakobsweg continues in the direction of Constance in the Meersburger Strasse
  • View into the Kirchstrasse to the Frauentor
1 View over the town hall to the 'Mehlsack'2 Lederhaus at Marienplatz3 Bachstrasse4 5 View into the Kirchstrasse to the Frauentor6 7 8

Ledererhaus in Ravensburg

The Lederhaus on Marienplatz was built around 1400 as a central sales outlet for shoemakers, saddlers and tanners and was considerably enlarged in 1512/1513.

town hall of Ravensburg

The town hall was built in 1386. On the north side you can see the court oriel from 1571 and inside there are two late gothic council halls.


Marien square in Ravensburg

The Marienplatz


Liebfrauen church Ravensburg

Liebfrauenkirche


Liebfrauen church Ravensburg

The Liebfrauenkirche (church) was built in the 14th century in gothic style.


iterior view Liebfrauenkirche in Ravensburg

The interior of the Liebfrauenkirche


Schutzmantelmadonna Ravensburg

The sculpture of the Madonna with the protective mantle was probably created by Friedrich Schramm or Michel Erhart around 1480 in Ravensburg. It consists of lime wood and is 135 cm high.

Schutzmantelmadonna Original

The original of the sculpture is in the National Museums in Berlin, Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art (Bodemuseum, Berlin-Mitte), in the Liebfrauenkirche there is a copy from 1935.


gotic Altar

High altar from 1519 (bought from Switzerland).


West portal Liebfrauenkirche

West portal of the Liebfrauenkirche with tympanum with scenes from the life of Mary


Muschelsymbol

By bike on the Way of St. James Leipzig - Constance

Pilgrim symbol

Wein­garten

shell symbol

Way of St. James Ulm - Constance

Pilgrim symbol

further

Gertrud

In search of Gertrud

After her marriage to Henry the Proud (Heinrich der Stolze), Gertrud von Supplinburg came to Ravensburg in 1127 to the ancestral castle of the Guelphs. She was 12 years old at that time! At the age of 14 she gave birth to her son "Henry the Lion (Heinrich der Löwe)".


Heinrich der Löwe

She's not buried here!