Editing Backnang

{{more footnotes needed|date=March 2013}}
{{Expand German|topic=geo|date=February 2009|Backnang}}

{{Infobox German place 
|type              = Stadt
|image_photo       = Backnang-Marktstrasse.jpg
|image_coa         = Wappen Backnang.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|48|56|47|N|09|25|50|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan        = Backnang im Rems-Murr-Kreis.png
|state        = Baden-Württemberg
|region  = Stuttgart
|district         = Rems-Murr-Kreis
|elevation              = 271
|area            = 39.37
|postal_code               = 71501–71522
|area_code           = 07191
|licence               = WN, BK
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 08 1 19 008
|divisions         = [[Kernstadt]] und 5 Stadtteile
|website           = [http://www.backnang.de/ www.backnang.de]
|mayor             = Maximilian Friedrich<ref>[https://www.staatsanzeiger.de/staatsanzeiger/wahlen/buergermeisterwahlen/ Aktuelle Wahlergebnisse], Staatsanzeiger, accessed 14 September 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2021&ndash;29
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party             = Independent
}}
'''Backnang''' ({{IPA|de|ˈbaknaŋ|-|De-Backnang.ogg}}; {{langx|swg|Bagene}}) is a [[town]] in [[Germany]] in the [[Bundesland (Germany)|Bundesland]] of [[Baden-Württemberg]], roughly {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=on}} northeast of [[Stuttgart]]. Its population has increased greatly over the past century, from 7,650 in 1900 to 37,957 in 2022.

Backnang was ceded to Württemberg by the [[Grand Duchy of Baden|Baden]] ([[Zähringer]] family) in 1325.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Backnang|volume=3|page=135}}</ref> Backnang has been known as ''Gerberstadt'' due to several [[Tanning (leather)|tanneries]] and [[leather]] [[factory|factories]], and [[wool]] and [[Textile manufacturing|cloth mills]] that dominated Backnang's industries. Today, all of these have vanished, and instead, [[telecommunication companies]] such as [[Ericsson]] (formerly [[AEG (German company)|AEG]], [[Telefunken]], [[ANT Nachrichtentechnik]], [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]] and [[Marconi Company|Marconi]]) and [[Tesat-Spacecom]] dominate the town's industries. The ''Stiftskirche'', formerly the church of [[Backnang Abbey]], dates back to the 12th century.

Backnang hosts the annual ''Strassenfest'' during the last weekend in June. It has been founded as a street festival where local sports and cultural clubs offered drinks and foods. The traditional opening of the ''Strassenfest'' is marked with cannon shots from the city tower at 6 pm on Friday and ends with the ''Zapfenstreich'' on the following Monday at 11 pm. The ''Strassenfest'' typically attracts more than 100,000 spectators.

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|align=left
|1849:|4,464
|1871:|4,472
|1900:|7,650
|1925:|8,811
|1939:|11,601
|1946:|15,412
|1961:|23,725
|1975:|29,614
|1995:|33,882
|2010:|35,395
}}
{{clear left}}

==Mayors==
Before 1930 the title for this position was ''Stadtschultheiß''. In 1930 the title became ''Bürgermeister'' (Mayor), and in 1956 with the elevation of Backnang to a "large district town," the title was changed to ''Oberbürgermeister'' (Lord Mayor).

* 1901–1921: Hermann Eckstein
* 1921–1945: Albert Rienhardt
* 1946–1966: Walter Baumgärtner
* 1966–1986: Martin Dietrich (1929-2012)
* 1986–1994: Hannes Rieckhoff (born 1944)
* 1994–2002: Jürgen-Heinrich Schmidt (born 1942)
* 2002-2021: Frank Nopper (born 1961) <ref>[http://www.bkz-online.de/node/42918 ''Frank Nopper mit 87 Prozent im Amt bestätigt''], Backnanger Kreiszeitung vom 8. Februar 2010</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bkz-online.de/node/1099923|title=87,1 Prozent: Frank Nopper gewinnt OB-Wahl|website=Backnanger Kreiszeitung|access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref>
* since 2021: Maximilian Friedrich (born 1987) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.backnang.de/lebenslauf+des+oberbuergermeisters|title=Lebenslauf des Oberbürgermeisters|website=Stadt Backnang|access-date=2023-01-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.staatsanzeiger.de/wahl/oberbuergermeisterwahl-backnang-2021/|title=Oberbürgermeisterwahl Backnang 2021|website=Staatsanzeiger|access-date=2023-01-10}}</ref>
{{clear}}
[[File:Backnang-Stiftshof.jpg|left|thumb|235px|Stiftshof, the local court, on the right]]
[[File:Weihnachtsmarkt Backnang 2010.jpg|thumb|245px|Christmas market 2010]]
{{clear}}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Backnang is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.backnang.de/start/Stadt+Backnang/Unsere+Partnerstaedte|website=backnang.de|publisher=Backnang|language=de|access-date=2019-12-04|archive-date=2020-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205082723/https://www.backnang.de/start/Stadt+Backnang/Unsere+Partnerstaedte|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Annonay]], France
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Bácsalmás]], Hungary
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[City of Chelmsford|Chelmsford]], England, United Kingdom

==Notable people==
[[File:Ursula Sax 2023.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Ursula Sax]], 2023]]
* [[Johannes Magirus the elder]] (1537–1614), Lutheran Theologian.
* [[:de:Eduard Breuninger|Eduard Breuninger, (DE Wiki)]] (1854–1932), entrepreneur, founder of [[Breuninger]] company
* [[Anna Ziegler (politician)|Anna Ziegler]] (1882–1942), politician (USPD, SPD), mayor of [[Nuremberg]], member of the Reichstag
* [[Ferdinand Schneider]] (1911–1984), chemist, researched sugar technology
* [[Ursula Sax]] (born 1935), visual artist and sculptor.
* [[:de:Alois Albrecht|Alois Albrecht, (DE Wiki)]](born 1936), Roman Catholic priest and songwriter
* [[Volker Hauff]] (born 1940), politician (SPD), MP, Federal Minister, former mayor of [[Frankfurt|Frankfurt am Main]]
* [[Thomas Mayer (German economist)|Thomas Mayer]] (born 1954), Chief Economist of the [[Deutsche Bank]], 2010 to 2012.
* [[Jens Weidmann]] (born 1968), president of the Bundesbank, 2011 and 2021, did his [[Abitur]] in Backnang
* [[Gültekin Kaan]] (born ca.1975), a Turkish German musician and singer 
* [[Gregor Meyle]] (born 1978), German singer-songwriter.
* [[Christina Stumpp]] (born 1987), politician ([[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]), [[Member of the German Bundestag]] since 2021
[[File:2022-07-30 Fußball, Männer, DFL-Supercup, RB Leipzig - FC Bayern München 1DX 3148 by Stepro.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Ralf Rangnick]], 2022]]
=== Sport ===
* [[Ralf Rangnick]] (born 1958), [[association football|football]] [[Manager (association football)|manager]], manager of [[Austria national football team|Austria national football team]]
* [[Patrick Bauer (footballer)|Patrick Bauer]] (born 1992), [[association football|footballer]] and play-off winner with [[Charlton Athletic]], played over 300 games
* [[Andreas Hinkel]] (born 1982), footballer with [[SC Freiburg]] played 282 games and 21 for [[Germany national football team|Germany]]
* [[Julian Schieber]] (born 1989), [[Hertha Berlin]] and Germany footballer, played 190 games
* [[Viola Brand]] (born 1994), retired [[artistic cycling|artistic cyclist]]

==External links==
*http://www.backnang.de - Official homepage
*http://www.juzebacknang.com
*https://web.archive.org/web/20070523190641/http://backnang24.de/murr-regatta/
*https://web.archive.org/web/20110719095242/http://www.traumzeit-theater.de/TraumZeit-Theater-KalanagMuseum.htm - Kalanag Museum

==References==
{{commons category|Backnang}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Cities and towns in Rems-Murr (district)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Baden-Württemberg]]
[[Category:Rems-Murr-Kreis]]