Wasserburg am Inn

Wasserburg a.Inn
Coat of arms of Wasserburg a.Inn Coat of arms
Wasserburg a.Inn
Location of Wasserburg a.Inn within Rosenheim district 250px
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	Bavaria
Admin. region	Oberbayern
District	Rosenheim
Government
• Mayor	Michael Kölbl (SPD)
Area
• Total	18.80 km2 (7.26 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)
• Total	12,348
• Density	660/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	83512
Dialling codes	08071
Vehicle registration	RO, AIB, WS
Website	www.wasserburg.de

Wasserburg am Inn is a town in Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The historic centre is a peninsula formed by the meandering Inn River. Many Medieval structures remain intact, giving the city a unique air.

History

File:Wening wasserburg.png

Engraving by Michael Wening in Topographia Bavariae around 1700

The town was first mentioned in a document (now considered to be a fake) in 1137, when Hallgraf Engelbert moved his residence from the nearby castle Limburg to his "Wasserburg" (Water Castle). It is one of the most historic towns of Old Bavaria – somewhat older than Munich, continually fought over by the Bavarian nobility and, up to the 16th century, on an equal footing with larger cities. The privileges afforded by this enabled the salt trade to flourish right into the 19th century. At the junction of the main overland route with the main water route, Wasserburg became the most important trade centre with the Balkans, Austria and Italy, a means of attaining power and wealth for the shipping owners and merchants.

In the early days, Wasserburg was an important hub in the salt trade. Its bridge was the only possibility to cross the river Inn for 30 km in both directions. On its shore the salt, mined in Berchtesgaden or produced in the Saline (saltern) at Bad Reichenhall and shipped from there by cart, could be loaded on ships travelling on the Inn River. Up to the 17th century Wasserburg was used as the port of the capital Munich.

Up until 1972, when it was merged with the district Rosenheim, Wasserburg was a district capital on its own.

Demography

File:Wasserburg3.jpg

Wasserburg am Inn

File:Stadtplan Wasserburg.gif

Wasserburg am Inn illustrated

The population of Wasserburg is approx. 12,000.

In literature

Gustav Meyrink's most esoteric novel The White Dominican (Der weiße Dominikaner) is set in a mystical version of the town of Wasserburg.