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History
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The earliest records of our guest
house are from the early 18th century. At the time it
was said to be the home of senior officials, later it
was known as 'the doctor’s house'. Apparently, it did
not change hands until 1840 when it became private
property after belonging to Illereichen sovereignty.
In its time, the house has been utilised in various
ways. It was converted extensively in the 1970s and
has been used as a guest house since.
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Historical evolution of the
market town Altenstadt
It is not documented when the first houses of
the villages belonging to the former sovereignty
Illereichen came into being, thus, the earliest
history of this area is mere speculation.
According to the writings of Roman historian
Tacitus, the Germanic peoples knew neither
villages nor towns but lived in individual
homesteads. Clues to prove this form of
settlement can still be found in the area of the
former Illereichen sovereignty, although traces
have been blurred through numerous changes. Wide
areas in the west were affected by flooding by
the river Iller from time to time. |
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| Migrating Alemannic tribes
initially only occupied reclaimed land along the old
Iller-road. At the time the existing abandoned terrain
sufficed for their small numbers. The names Upper and
Lower (“Lesser”) Aichheim reveal clearly that the
settlements were located around the oak forests of the
hill. The earliest reference to the nobility of Aichheim
was found in the charter of 26 March 1128 drawn up at
the governing assembly chaired by Count Eberhard of
Kirchberg. Amongst the seven free witnesses appeared
Adalbert von Aichheim. In the 12th/13th century the
noble Freemen of Aichheim gained significant rank in the
Swabian aristocracy but were not ministries of the Count
Palatin of Tübingen. |
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After
the demise (1330) of Berthold, the last member
of the Aichheim family, the sovereignty of
Aichheim went to Konrad of Rechberg who had wed
Berthold’s daughter Luitgard. Thus he also took
possesion of the existing Castle Aichheim. In
the following years the masters of Rechberg took
control of several territorial sovereignties
between the rivers Iller and Lech. As the centre
of their new Aichheim dominion they built a
mighty castle between 1420 and 1460 and settled
craftsmen on its eastern side; this settlement
was named ‘Oberaichheim’ (Upper Aichheim).
The old, abandoned settlement near the
Mönchsburg (monk’s castle) was henceforth called
"Alte Stadt" (Old Town), from which the
present-day name Altenstadt was derived. |
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| Castle Aichheim, erected 1420-1460,
demolished 1838 |
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| This settlement, once seat of power,
henceforth led a rural existence as a small village, as
did other small settlements around the new centre
Übereichen (Upper Eichen), which bears the name
Illereichen today. The new place Illereichen developed
rapidly and had soon grown to more than twice the size
of Altenstadt. Until about the year 1700, Altenstadt
remained a dreamy farming village off the beaten track. |
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The
present-day centre, the shopping centre at the
2031 road did not develop until about 1720. At
that time, several houses were erected in
Altenstadt, outside the Christian settlement,
and rented to Jewish families who, since the end
of the 17th century, came to live in the
sovereignty of Illereichen, first in small
numbers, then from 1718/19 onwards in large
numbers. In the year 1721 the Jews acquired the
right to settle their disputes themselves; one
year later they obtained permission for the
construction of a Synagogue. The Jewish
congregation of Altenstadt gradually grew to an
independent community alongside the Christian
dual community of Illereichen-Altenstadt,
although it had few liberties and rights. Around
this time the sovereignty of Illereichen was
held by the Westphalian Counts of Limburg-Styrum
whose rule began in 1677 and lasted for almost a
century. In 1772 Count (and later Duke) Karl of
Palm acquired the sovereignty for the price of
450000 florins. |
| Illereichen and Altenstadt |
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| He sold the property in 1788 for
750000 florins to Duke Johann Nepomuk Josef of
Schwarzenberg, to whose son Joseph it devolved
in 1789. During his reign the sovereignty of
Illereichen came under Bavarian rule in 1806. In
the year 1833, just before his death, Duke
Joseph of Schwarzenberg sold Illereichen to the
Bavarian Minister of State, Maximilian Count of
Montgelas, who relinquished jurisdiction and
property to the King of Bavaria in 1834. |
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| Tower of the estate buildings of
former Castle Aichheim |
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The Market Town of Altenstadt –
today
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The market town of
Altenstadt of today lies seven kilometres South
of the former district town of Illertissen,
District Neu-Ulm (railway station 529 metres
above sea level). The town is accessed by the
rail link Ulm-Kempten, Road 2031, which leads
through Altenstadt on its way to the Allgäu, and
the motorway A 7.
The borough consists of Altenstadt in the Iller
valley and Illereichen on the hill above, as
well as the communities of Dattenhausen,
Herrenstetten and Untereichen, incorporated in
1972 and 1976. In 1978 two further communities
were incorporated: Bergenstetten and Filzingen.
At the same time the joint administrative body
of Altenstadt was created, consisting of the
independent communities Altenstadt, Kellmünz on
the river Iller and Osterberg. |
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In the year 1872 Altenstadt counted 921 inhabitants;
today there are about 4800, this includes the
incorporated communities. The joint administrative body
of Altenstadt has around 7000 inhabitants. |
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