Schwetzingen

Schwetzingen is a German city lying in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, around 10 km southwest of Heidelberg and 15 km southeast of Mannheim.

Politics

Local council

The local council of Schwetzingen has 26 members since the last elections in June 2004.They belong to the following parties:

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• CDU Christian Democrats 10 seats
• SPD Social Democrats 5 seats
• FW Free voters organization 4 seats
• SWF Free voters of Schwetzingen 4 seats
• Die Grünen Green party 2 seats
• FDP Liberals 1 seat

Mayors

• 1833 - 1838: Daniel Helmreich
• 1838 - 1851: Carl Welde
• 1851 - 1855: Josef Vetter
• 1855 - 1865: Johann Wilhelm Ihm
• 1865 - 1883: Heinrich Wittmann
• 1883 - 1898: Karl Mechling
• 1898 - 1904: Heinrich Häfner
• 1904 - 1910: Jean Wipfinger
• 1910 - 1914: Wilfried Hartmann
• 1914 - 1923: Jakob Reinhard
• 1914 - 1918: Georg Pitsch
• 1923 - 1929: Johannes Götz
• 1929 - 1930: Leopold Stratthaus
• 1930 - 1933: Dr. Arthur Trautmann
• 1933 - 1945: Arthur Stober
• 1945: Ernst Karl
• 1945 - 1948: Dr. Valentin Gaa
• 1948 - 1954: Franz Dusberger
• 1954 - 1961: Hans Kahrmann
• 1961 - 1962: Adolf Schmitt
• 1962 - 1981: Kurt Waibel
• 1981 - 1982: Walter Bährle
• 1982 - 1998: Gerhard Stratthaus
• 1999 - today: Bernd Kappenstein

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Schwetzingen consists of a divided shield with a golden lion on the upper half on a black background and on the lower half there is a silver ring on blue background. The city flag is white and blue.

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The lion symbolizes the Palatine Electorate, of which Schwetzingen was a member until 1803. The ring was originally a wheel originating from the seal of an inhabitant who had contacts to the castle of Schwetzingen.

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Twin towns

Schwetzingen is twinned with

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• Lunéville, France, since 1969
• Pápa, Hungary, since 1992