Mühlacker

Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War brought hardship and misery. In 1648, only 11 inhabitants remained from originally 1242 inhabitants (1622).^[5] In the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), after the Battle of Ötisheim [de], Dürrmenz was looted in 1692 by French troops. To defend against future attacks, the Eppingen lines were erected.^[4] To make up for the population loss, the duke of Württemberg allowed French Huguenot refugees to settle in the duchy, including 500 in the Welschdorf of Dürrmenz.^[4] Eckenweiher was incorporated to Dürrmenz in 1832.^[6]

Industrialisation

With the opening of the Württemberg Western Railway Stuttgart - Bruchsal in 1853 the industrial age began in the Dürrmenz-Mühlacker area. As the Karlsruhe-Mühlacker railway was built in 1863, Mühlacker was at the same railway junction and border station.^[4] As a curiosity, until 1930 it had two stations side by side, the larger Württemberg station and the Baden railway station. Favored by the dismantling of custom barriers 1819-1851 and the abolition of the compulsory guild (1862), industrial enterprises settled near the train station.

20th century

After World War I, inflation, Great Depression and high unemployment interrupted the further development. In 1930, the municipality of Dürrmenz-Mühlacker became the city of Mühlacker. That same year, the large Mühlacker radio transmitter was put into operation, earning Mühlacker the byname "Senderstadt" ("Transmission City").^[4] Upon request by city officials in 2022, the name became an official title in September 2023.^[7] Lienzingen's historical inner town also became recognised as Etterdorf.^[8]

With the dissolution of Oberamt Maulbronn, young city Mühlacker in 1938 was incorporated into district Vaihingen. During the Nazi period, eight Jewish citizens of Mühlacker were deported to Auschwitz, including three who had fled to Le Mans in France. Seven were murdered at the camp while the eighth, Theodor Slepoj, survived to see the liberation of Auschwitz, but died days later of his previous mistreatment. Commemorative Stolpersteine for the Holocaust victims were paved into Mühlacker's streets in 2009.^[9]

The World War II ended in Mühlacker with destruction by air raids and artillery shelling. After 1945, 3000 refugees and displaced persons found settled in Mühlacker.^[4]

Enzberg and Mühlhausen an der Enz became part of Mühlacker in 1972.^[10] As part of the district reform on 1 January 1973, the district Vaihingen was dissolved. The western region, with the town of Mühlacker became part of the newly formed Enzkreis.^[4] The eastern part of the district Vaihingen was incorporated into the district of Ludwigsburg. The community of Ötisheim joined onto the city as a Vereinbarte Verwaltungsgemeinschaft [de] so as to act as a single municipality for certain tasks. Mühlacker also acts as a Mittelzentrum [de] to Ötisheim, Maulbronn, Illingen, Knittlingen und Sternenfels.^[3]