Kreuzlingen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Kreuzlingen

Kreuzlingen in early-October 2009

Coat of arms

Kreuzlingen

Location in Switzerland

Kreuzlingen

Location in Canton of Thurgau

Switzerland

Area

• Total

11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)

Elevation

397 m (1,302 ft)

Population

(Dec 2020 )

• Total

22,390

• Density

1,947/km² (5,043/sq mi)

Postal code

8280

Localities

Emmishofen, Kurzrickenbach

Surrounded by

Bottighofen, Constance (Konstanz) (DE-BW), Kemmental, Lengwil, Tägerwilen

Twin towns

Wolfach (Germany), Cisternino (Italy)

Kreuzlingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in north-eastern Switzerland. It is the seat of the district and is the second largest city of the canton, after Frauenfeld, with a population of about 22,000. Together with the adjoining city of Konstanz just across the border in Germany, Kreuzlingen is part of the largest conurbation on Lake Constance with a population of almost 120,000.

History
Economy
Images for kids
See also

History

Interior of St. Ulrich Church

The name of the municipality stems from the Augustinian monastery Crucelin, later Kreuzlingen Abbey. It was founded in 1125 by the Bishop of Constance Ulrich I. In the Swabian War and the 30 Years' War after the siege of Constance by Swedish troops, the Augustinian monastery was burned down by the people of Constance, who blamed the monks for having supported the enemy. In 1650, the monastery was rebuilt in its present location. In 1848, the buildings became a teachers' school. The chapel became a Catholic church.

Kreuzlingen Abbey

People already lived in the Kreuzlingen area during the Bronze Age. Celtic and Roman coins and artifacts show that people continued to be settled in the area pre-writing.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, the current centre of Kreuzlingen was still largely agricultural. The first steamboats began to operate on Lake Constance in 1824. The first train line to Romanshorn was finished in 1871, and the second to Etzwilen in 1875.

House in Kreuzlingen, built 1543

This brought commerce and industry to the area. In 1874, Kreuzlingen became the capital of the district, instead of the previous capital, Gottlieben. However, until World War I, Kreuzlingen was a kind of suburb of Constance. Most of its profits went to German firms. The war made Kreuzlingen more independent.

Part of the former Sanatorium

The Sanatorium of Bellevue (1857–1980), which occupied part of the old monastery, played an important role in the history of Kreuzlingen. In 1842, Ignaz Vanotti from Constance bought a large area of land and built a residential and commercial building in 1843. In 1857, Ludwig Binswanger, a psychiatrist from Münsterlingen acquired the property and opened a private sanatorium. The clinic was very modern and remained in the control of the Binswanger family for nearly 120 years. Important psychiatric advances were made at the sanatorium. However, few of its buildings remain.

Town sign at Kreuzlinger harbor

Economy

Earlier, most of the people in Kreuzlingen made a living in the wine industry. However, because of diseases and bad harvests, the last wine grapes were raised in Kreuzlingen in 1938.

Today, the local economy is mostly shopping and handcraft, with the largest employer being a clothing maker.