Constance on Lake Constance, Germany

Konstanz is a university town with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in southern Germany. The city is home to the University of Konstanz and has been the Roman Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Konstanz for over 1,200 years. It enjoys magnificent views of the Alps and is also an ancient city with a long history. Due to its border with Switzerland, it avoided Allied bombing during World War II. These unique conditions are rare in German cities. The earliest traces of civilization in Konstanz can be traced back to the late Stone Age. During the reign of Augustus, the Celts who lived south of the Danube were conquered by the Romans. Around 40 AD, the first Romans settled here. Around 585, the first bishop settled in Constance, marking the beginning of the city's importance as a spiritual center. By the late Middle Ages, about a quarter of Constance’s 6,000 inhabitants were exempt from taxation due to religious rights. Trade flourished in the Middle Ages. Constance has the region's only bridge across the Rhine, making it a strategic location for the Duchy of Swabia. Its linen production earned the city international fame and it was very prosperous. In 1192, Constance received the status of an imperial city and thus from then on was subordinate only to the Holy Roman Emperor. The Council of Constance was held from 1414 to 1418, during which Jan Hus, a Czech religious thinker, philosopher and reformer who was considered a threat to Christianity by the Roman Catholic Church, was sentenced to be burned at the stake on July 6, 1415 for his views. On November 11, 1417, 48-year-old Martin was elected Pope. The election of Pope Martin V also ended the Western Schism from 1378 to 1417. The Council of Constance is one of the most important events in Christian history. The Imperia statue (Figure 2) commemorating this conference was secretly erected at the entrance of the Port of Constance in 1993. Konstanz is the birthplace of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the builder of the famous Zeppelin airship. Today, the factory that produces airships is located in Führerhamn, across the lake from Konstanz. No matter where you are on Lake Constance, it is easy to see airships in the sky. #GermanyTravel #GreenTourism #staycation #OverseasTourism #Lake Constance #SwissTravel #Switzerland #Airship #Castle #deutschland #kongstanz #bodensee #Statue #Christianity