Bruchsal, A Modern Town with a Long History

Bruchsal is a modern business metropolitan area with thousands of years of history, a variety of leisure activities, a diversified cultural life and excellent shopping facilities. Along with Bruchsal proper, the other towns that make up the Bruchsal metropolitan area - Büchenau, Heidelsheim, Helmsheim, Obergrombach and Untergrombach - with their idyllic niches and historical buildings have succeeded in maintaining their unique village character throughout the centuries.

When you visit Bruchsal you will be able to both experience and enjoy the uniqueness that each borough offers. Your visit may include taking in such historical sites as The Baroque Palace, one of the most beautiful palaces in Germany which features the popular Baroque architecture of the 18th century and the famous central stair case designed and built by Balthasar Neumann (a famous 17th Century German engineer and architect). The Palace’s foundation stone was laid in 1722 by the Prince Bishop Cardinal Damian Hugo von Schönborn. Just before the end of the Second World War it was almost completely destroyed. However, it was restored in the seventies to its original splendor and magnificence along with a complete restoration of Balthasar Neumann’s famous staircase.

Bruchsal’s Palace is a wonderful venue that hosts numerous events and exhibits. The Deutsche Musikautomaten - Museum (German Museum of Mechanical Musical Instruments), housed within the Palace, is one of the largest and most important special museums in the Mechanical Musical Instrument field. The museum has a huge number of mechanical musical instruments and documentation covering nearly 350 years of self-playing instruments, and is absolutely worth seeing.

The Städtische Museum (Town Museum) also located in the palace, is well worth a visit. It features archaeological findings from the New Stone Age up to the Middle Ages from areas around the town. In addition, the history of the Bruchsal Penal system and the documentation detailing the destruction of the town by Allied bombs on March 1, 1945 are also found in the Städtische Museum.

The Bürgerzentrum (Civic Center), completed in 1987, and located in the town center is the heart of cultural life in Bruchsal. In the Civic Center visitors will find the “Badische Landesbühne“ , a professional theater, along with three additional halls that are used as other venues to provide residents and visitors with a variety of cultural and entertaining programs and events.

In additional to historical and cultural venues, Bruchsal also has a robust offering of athletic facilities and venues. In the winter, you can spend your leisure time in the recently renovated indoor swimming pool, featuring large sauna facilities, and in summer not only can you enjoy one of our outdoor swimming pools, but also a round of golf at the local golf club or tennis at one of the numerous clubs throughout the area. And if you just like enjoying the outdoors, the impressive Kraichgau Hills landscape with its extensive forests, lakes, meadows and fields can be explored by either foot or bicycle.

Bruchsal is indeed one of the “economic miracles” of the postwar period. The mutual incorporation of Bruchsal proper along with Büchenau, Heidelsheim, Helmsheim, Obergrombach and Untergrombach, as well as a clever industrial settlement policy have contributed to an excellent infrastructure and made Bruchsal a powerful metropolitan area with a geographical reach of more than 140,000 inhabitants.

Today, Bruchsal is a modern business location with many businesses and larger companies – like John Deere and SEW - that provides a host of employment opportunities for citizens as well as an adequate tax base for the city.

Bruchsal is along the Badische Spargelstrasse (Asparagus Road of Baden) and has one of the largest asparagus markets in Europe. In good crop years, up to 2,000,000 Kilograms of Baden quality asparagus are sold here.

Bruchsal’s friendly Baden culture, mild climate, and delicious regional cuisine offer an exciting and comfortable lifestyle for both residents and visitors.