Bad Reichenhall Facts for Kids

Bad Reichenhall is a special kind of town in Germany. It's known as a "spa town" because of its natural healing waters. You can find it in the Berchtesgadener Land district, which is part of Upper Bavaria. The town is close to Salzburg and is surrounded by beautiful mountains like Mount Staufen and Mount Zwiesel.

Bad Reichenhall is famous for making salt. For a long time, people have gotten salt here by boiling water that's full of salt from underground pools. This salty water is called "brine." The town is also part of a group called the Alpine Town of the Year Association. This group works to protect and develop mountain towns in a good way. Bad Reichenhall was even named an "Alpine Town of the Year" in 2001.

A Look Back in Time: Bad Reichenhall's History
Important Events: Ice Rink Collapse
Famous People from Bad Reichenhall
Gallery
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A Look Back in Time: Bad Reichenhall's History

Ancient Times and Roman Rule

The first people known to live here were from the Bell Beaker culture around 2000 B.C. They lived during the Bronze Age.
Around 450 B.C., Celtic people started to organize salt production. They used the local brine pools. There was also a Celtic place of worship nearby.
From 15 B.C. to 480 A.D., the town was part of the Roman Empire. It was in a Roman area called Noricum.

Salt Production and Growth

In 1136 A.D., a monastery called St. Zeno was founded.
Between 1617 and 1619, a long wooden pipeline was built. It carried salty water to another town called Traunstein. This pipeline was 31 kilometers long and went up over 200 meters!
In 1834, a big fire destroyed two-thirds of the town's buildings.
In the early 1800s, people started visiting Bad Reichenhall for their health. It became a well-known health resort.
In 1890, the town officially added "Bad" to its name. "Bad" means "bath" or "spa" in German.

Modern Era and World War II

During World War II, the town was bombed by Allied forces on April 25, 1945. About 200 people died. The town center, including hospitals and the train station, was mostly destroyed.
After the war, from 1945 to 1948, the American military governed the area.
The Americans also set up a camp in the town for people who had lost their homes during the war. Many Holocaust survivors lived there before moving to other countries.
In 1947, Ben Gurion, an important leader, visited this camp. He saw artworks made by Samuel Bak, who was a Holocaust survivor living there.
In 2001, Bad Reichenhall was named an Alpine Town of the Year. A few years later, it joined Alpine Pearls, another group promoting sustainable tourism in the Alps.

Important Events: Ice Rink Collapse

On January 2, 2006, the roof of the Bad Reichenhall Ice Rink collapsed. Sadly, fifteen people died in this accident. Twelve of those who died were children. Thirty-four people were also injured.

Famous People from Bad Reichenhall

Anni Friesinger-Postma (born 1977): A German speed skater.
Johannes Frießner (1892–1971): A German Army general during World War II.
Lore Frisch: A famous German actress from the 1940s and 1950s.
Hermann Gassner Jr (born 1988): A rally car driver.
Walter Grabmann (1905–1992): A German Luftwaffe General during World War II.
Barbara Gruber: A ski mountaineer.
Regina Häusl: An alpine skier.
Andreas Hinterstoisser (1914–1936): A German mountaineer.
Andreas Hofer (composer) (1629–1684): A composer.
Michael Neumayer (born 1979): A ski jumper.
Georg Nickaes (born 1971): A ski mountaineer.
Franz Oberwinkler (1939–2018): A mycologist, who studied fungi.
Philipp Öttl (born 1996): A motorcycle racer.
Günther Rall (1918–2009): A World War II Luftwaffe ace pilot and later a general.
Gerd Rasp (born 1960): A doctor specializing in ear, nose, and throat.
Peter Schreyer (born 1953): A car designer.
Hans Söllner (born 1955): A singer-songwriter.
Walter F. Tichy (born 1952): A computer scientist who helped create the RCS revision control system.
Karl Ullrich (1910–1996): An SS Oberführer.