The
Unofficial Website Öhringen
Wickersley Twin Town
Wickersley has been twinned with the town of since 1996. I went Googling
for information about Öhringen in August 2004 but facts proved quote sparse. Even the
German Tourist Board website did not appear to have heard of the place. However this is what I
have found from other sources.
The town of Öhringen is in Southern Germany, just east of Heilbron, and appears to be in the province of Baden Württemburg according to my atlas. It is situated on the River Öhr, has a mainline railway running through it and a motorway just to the north. According to my German dictionary Öhr means the eye of a needle, then again is might just be the Germanisation of the Latin name Aurelia.
There was a settlement here in Roman times which I believe was called Vicus Aurelii. The Roman wall built to keep out the barbarians from greater Germany ran a little to the east of the town. I understand that there are some remains.
By the Middle Ages there was a small and thriving town here. There are Medieval town walls and gates, the remains of the Mediaeval Town Hall, an 11th Century Monastery and the palace of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Öhringen.
What they get up to these days I have not managed to find out but since the town is very well situated for the transport network it may well be a dormitory for the nearby cities.