Bad Waldsee

Bad Waldsee is a town in Upper Swabia in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in Oberschwaben. It is situated 20 km south of Biberach an der Riß, and 20 km northeast of Ravensburg. The town is known for its historic old city with many landmarks and large pedestrian zone. Bad Waldsee is the district center for the Bodensee-Oberschwaben district and is the seat of the townships of Bad Waldsee, Aulendorf and Bergatreute.

Geography
Bad Waldsee is located in Upper Swabia north of the Altdofer forest. The old city is situated on an isthmus between two lakes—the Stadtsee on the east connects to Urbach through a channel in the south, and the smaller Schlosssee on the west, which empties into the Stadtsee from the direction of Pfaffenbach.

History
Waldsee was first documented in 926 in the Weissenburger Codex, which mentions the destruction caused by the Hungarians during their invasion of southern Germany. It says "In Walahsé a royal estate was destroyed by the heathens. All it has left is two lots of farmland, 60 carts of hay, a mill and a church." The town was granted city-rights in 1298. Authority over the city was exercised by the "Lords of Waldsee," a title the city soon sold to the Habsburg Herzog of Austria. However, in 1386 the House of Habsburg pledged the city of Waldsee to the steward Johann von Waldburg.

In 1406 the authority of the Stewarts of Waldburg was renewed, when the city of Waldsee, together with the towns of Mengen, Riedlingen, Munderkingen and Saulgau, were finally sold off from the House of Habsburg. From this time these cities have been known together as the "fünf Donaustädte" (Five Danube Towns). The House of Waldburg stayed in control of the towns until Napoleon established a new European order through war and politics, which made Waldsee part of the Kingdom of Württemberg in 1806. In 1807 Waldsee was elevated the status of township, and the city grew in prominence during this period. Waldsee held this status until 1938, when the Nazis dissolved the townships and Waldsee became part of the new Biberach and Ravensburg County. During the economic reorientations after the War, the city opened its first mud bath spa in 1950. With the construction of more spas, the city obtained the designation "Moorheilbad," awarded to spa towns with mud thought to have curative properties. In 1974 the city was designated as "Kneippkurort," awarded to certain towns with water thought to have curative properties.

Flag and Arms
The city colors of Bad Waldsee are black and white. The fish to the right of the arms stands for the fishing from the city's lakes. The star over the arms symbolizes the city's devotion to the Virgin Mary, who is venerated at the mountain chapel "Our Dear Lady of the Mountain." The baker's paddle on the right of the arms stands for the flourishing grain trade, which the city was based on in its early years. The seal probably comes from the first possessor of the city, the "Lord of Waldsee."

Sister Cities
Bad Elster, Germany

Bâgé-le-Châtel, France

Transportation
The city is connected by intercity bus to Bad Wurzach, Leutkirch and Ravensburg by the Bodensee-Oberschwaben Verkehrsverbund. Bad Waldsee is on the B-30 highway. Bad Waldsee has its own airport for small craft, though the nearest major airport is Friedrichshafen Airport.

Local Businesses
The most well known firms in Bad Waldsee are Hymer and the Walz Mail-Order Company. Hymer is a manufacturer of campers and mobile homes and employs over 1,000 people in the city. The Walz Firm specializes in mail-order baby articles. The third largest industry in the city are the local spas such as Maximilianbad, Elisabethenbad, Mayenbad and also the Waldsee-Therme.