Donaueschingen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Donaueschingen

Coat of arms

Country

Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis

Elevation

686 m (2,251 ft)

Population

(2022-12-31)

• Total

22,431

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

78151–78168

0771

Donaueschingen is a town in the Black Forest region of Germany. It's located in the southwest part of the Baden-Württemberg state. The town is famous because it's near where two rivers, the Brigach and Breg, meet to form the mighty Danube River. This is why the town is called Donaueschingen, which means "Danube-Eschingen."

Donaueschingen sits in a valley surrounded by low mountains. It's about 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Villingen-Schwenningen. The town is also about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. In 2015, about 21,750 people lived here. This makes it the second-largest town in its district, Schwarzwald-Baar. It's also an important place for trains.

Where is Donaueschingen?
A Look at Donaueschingen's Past
What Donaueschingen Does
- Getting Around
Learning in Donaueschingen
Fun and Culture
Partner Cities
Famous People from Donaueschingen
Gallery
See also

Where is Donaueschingen?

Donaueschingen is in a flat area called the Baar basin. This area is in the southern part of the Black Forest. The town gets its name from the Brigach and Breg rivers. These two rivers come together here to form the Danube. Many people consider this spot the true beginning of the Danube.

The source of the Donaubach in Donaueschingen, once thought to be the Danube's source.

There's also a special spring in the park of Donaueschingen Palace. This spring is called the "Donaubach" and was historically thought to be the source of the Danube.

The land around Donaueschingen is very interesting. It changes from the rocky Black Forest to the flat Baar plateau. You can see different types of rocks and landscapes here. The highest points are about 1,020 meters (3,346 feet) in the Black Forest. The lowest points are around 660 meters (2,165 feet) on the Baar plateau. There's a model in a park near the train station that shows how special the geology of this area is.

The town is also close to Titisee, a beautiful lake. You can drive to Switzerland and France in less than an hour from Donaueschingen.

A Look at Donaueschingen's Past

Donaueschingen was first mentioned in records in the year 889. Back then, it was called Esginga. The name we use today, Donaueschingen, first appeared in 1292.

Donaueschingen in 1827, showing how it looked long ago.

In 1283, a ruler named Rudolph von Habsburg gave control of the area to Heinrich von Fürstenberg. This also gave them the right to brew beer. This is how the famous Fürstenberg Brewery started. Later, in 1488, the land went to the Count of Fürstenberg-Baar.

From the 1700s, the Princes of Fürstenberg lived in Schloss Donaueschingen. In 1806, Donaueschingen became part of the Grand Duchy of Baden. It officially became a town in 1810.

The town after a big fire in August 1908.

A big fire destroyed much of the town in 1908. Donaueschingen has also been a place for soldiers. From 1945 to 2014, the French military had bases here. The U.S. Air Force also had a hospital until the early 1990s. This hospital was used most in 1989. At that time, the United States offered it as a temporary home for refugees from East Germany who were moving to West Germany.

Even though the Princes of Fürstenberg lost their power as rulers, they still own a lot of land in the area. This includes their palace and its gardens. The palace gardens used to be open to everyone, but now they are private again. The Princes of Fürstenberg also owned an important old book called the Nibelungenlied until they sold it in 2001. Their family brewery has also been sold.

What Donaueschingen Does

Donaueschingen has almost 1,000 different businesses. About 24 of these are medium-sized companies that employ 2,200 people. The most important types of businesses here are:

Building machines
Making semiconductors (parts for electronics)
Making plastic parts (injection molding)
Creating magnets
Producing dyes
Making shoes

Getting Around

Donaueschingen station is a busy train station. Four different train lines meet here. It's on the Schwarzwaldbahn line, which goes from Offenburg to Konstanz. It's also the start of the Höllentalbahn, which goes to Freiburg im Breisgau. Both of these train lines are special because they were built to travel through the tough Black Forest mountains.

Donaueschingen is also where trains start for the Danube Valley Railway and the Bregtalbahn. These lines go to Ulm and Bräunlingen. The town is part of the local public transport system.

The town is connected to the A 864 highway, which links to the A 81 to Stuttgart. Three main federal highways also meet near Donaueschingen:

The B 27 from Stuttgart to Schaffhausen
The B 31 from Freiburg im Breisgau to Lindau
The B 33 from Offenburg to Konstanz

A very long bike path called the Danube Cycle Trail starts in Donaueschingen. It follows the Danube River and is one of the most famous and longest bike trails in Europe.

Learning in Donaueschingen

The town has several schools for different age groups:

Four secondary schools, including the Fürstenberg-Gymnasium.
Four elementary schools, like Eichendorffschule.
Two special-needs schools.

There are also two schools for professional training: the Donaueschingen Commercial School and the Business and Home Economics Schools. You can also find a Nursing College and a College for Agriculture here. An academy for further education is located in the old district hospital building.

Fun and Culture

Donaueschingen is home to the Donaueschingen Festival. This festival is for modern music and is called "Donaueschinger Musiktage." It started in 1921 and is one of the oldest festivals for new music in the world. It happens every October. Famous composers like Paul Hindemith and John Cage have been guests here.

The Fürstenberg Library in Donaueschingen has old copies of five of Mozart's operas. These copies have been very important for people who want to perform these operas the way they were originally played.

Donaueschingen also has the Museum Art.Plus. This museum opened in 1941 and shows modern art.