DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Baden-Württemberg
Regierungsbezirk: Freiburg
Landkreis: Waldshut

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Bad Säckingen is situated at an elevation of 291 m on the right bank of the river Rhine, about 32 km west of the district town Waldshut-Tiengen and about 35 km east and upstream of Basel. The municipality has a population of about 17,100 (2016).

The earliest known document mentioning Seckinga dates from 878. Although traditionally explained as being derived from Alemannic Secco, it is actually more likely derived from the Latin place name Sanctio (maybe derived from the name of the province Maxima Sequanorum that had been founded in 297 AD. The modern town was founded near the monastery and ladies' convent, which itself was founded in the 7th century. In 1805, Säckingen became part of the Duchy (1806 Grand Duchy) of Baden. Until 1830, the town was situated on an island in the river, but in 1830 th right branch of the river was filled up. The former left branch of the Rhine today marks the border between Germany and Switzerland. The district Säckingen was dissolved in 1973 and for the most part was merged with the district Waldshut. The former independent communities of Rippolingen and Wallbach were merged with Säckingen in 1973. In 1978 the attribute Bad (spa) was added to the name of the municipality.

The Fridolinsmünster (minster church of St. Fridolin) [left, no. 3478: background right] is the popular landmark of the town. It is dedicated to Saint Fridolin of Säckingen, a missionary monk from Ireland who died here in 538 AD. Te church originally was the church of the ladies' convent. Built first in Romanesque style, it was rebuilt after a large fire in Gothic style in the 14th century, and renovated in Baroque style in the 17th and 18th century. The relics of St. Fridolin are kept in the Fridolin chapel in the church's choir.

Schönau castle [left, no. 3479], popularly known also as Trumpeter's castle, was built in 1600–1680 for the Schönau family. Two of the originally four corner towers were broken off in the 17th century. At the same time, a central tower was added between the remaining two corner towers. In the 19th century, when the castle had been in use as a brewery, part of the historic substance was lost. In 1928 the municipality of Säckingen purchased the castle and renovated it for the High Rhine Museum. the popular name 'Trumpeter's castle' alludes to the marriage of the commoner Franz Werner Kirchhofer (1633–1690) with the noble lady Maria Ursula von Schönau (1632–1691), popularised in the epic poem Der Trompeter von Säckingen by Joseph Victor von Scheffel, published in 1854.

The monument for Joseph Victor Scheffel was unveiled in 1901 in Münsterplatz square. It consisted of a bronze bust of Scheffel placed on a granite base, a larger-than-life bronze statue of the trumpeter [depicted on glass no. 3854, left]. The monument was created by the Munich sculptor Joseph Wilhelm Menges. The cost of 25,000 Reichsmarks came from donations and a city grant; even Emperor Wilhelm II and Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden had donated. Until about 1933 the monument was surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The fence was removed in the 1930s and replaced by a spacious fountain. In 1941, during World War II, the monument was removed to melt down the metal; only the Scheffel bust could be saved and today is located in the castle park.

The old Rhine bridge [left, no. 3626: top picture] connects the German town with the Swiss municipality of Stein AG. With its length of 203.7 metres it is Europe's longest covered wooden bridge, being just under a metre longer than the well-known Kapell bridge of Luzern. The bridge was first mentioned in a written document of 1272. That original, also wooden bridge was repeatedly destroyed by floodings of the river. Further destructions occurred during the wars of the 17th century. The construction from the 16th century was based on shallow foundations that could only be laid in the river during low water, which resulted in an S-shaped course of the bridge and unequal spans of the wooden upper parts of between 21 and 31 metres. In 1960–1963 the former brick pillars were replaced by concrete pillars with deeper foundations. Since the construction in 1979 of the new Fridolin bridge, the old bridge is only used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Säckingen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Säckingen; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridolinsmünster, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridolin_von_Säckingen; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Schönau_(Bad_Säckingen); https://www.trompeter-von-saeckingen.de/scheffel/scheffeldenkmal.htm, https://www.trompeter-von-saeckingen.de/scheffel/scheffelfest1901.htm]