Bad Tölz Travel Guide

More about the History of Bad Tölz

Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz. For example, there are finds from the Hallstatt culture, as well as from Roman Raetia, or at least occupation by romanized Celts.

The name Tölz (as Tolnze) appears relatively late in documentation at the end of the 12th century. The name Reginried appears as that of a settlement belonging to the monastery at Tegernsee (Tegernsee vacation rentals | Tegernsee travel guide) in earlier texts, which is probably the same as Reid in the western part of Mühlfeld.

Hainricus de Tolnze built a castle on the site, which controlled the river and road traffic in the region, but which no longer exists. In 1331 Louis IV made Tölz a market town.

The 14th century saw Tölz become a crossroads for the salt and lumber traffic on the Isar. In 1453 the market street, church, and castle were destroyed by fire. Duke Albrecht III enabled the city to rebuild, but this time in stone. He also built a palace which stood until 1770 when it fell into disrepair, and was eventually undermined by the Ellbach.

The Thirty Years' War (1618 – 1648) brought plague and destruction to the region. During the War of the Spanish Succession things began to turn around again, with trade in lime and wood products, among other items. During this war, in 1705, the vintner Johann Jäger of Tölz led a band of farmers to battle at Sendling (Sendling vacation rentals | Sendling travel guide) (south of Munich).

In the middle of the 19th century, Tölz changed directions with the discovery of natural springs. The town began to focus on the healing properties of these spring, and became a cure and spa town. In 1899 it became known as Bad Tölz. The town is also known as a pilgrimage site; on November 6 there is a festival to Saint Leonard of Noblac. In 1718 a chapel was built in his honor on the Calvary hill.

In 1937 a SS-Junkerschule (SS Officer Candidate School) was established at Bad Tölz which operated until the end of World War II in 1945. As well, a subcamp of the Dachau (Dachau vacation rentals | Dachau travel guide) concentration camp was located in the town. It provided labour for the SS-Junkerschule and the Zentralbauleitung (Central Administration Building). The former SS-Junkerschule was the base of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group until 1991.

Bad Tölz is known for its spas, historic medieval town, and spectacular views of the alps. On the western bank of the Isar River lies the Kurverwaltung, or modern spa, whose iodine-rich waters are known for their soothing and healing powers. Another major attraction is Stadtpfarrkirche, a church built in 1466, which is an excellent example of German late-Gothic architecture.

[ source: wikipedia ]