DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Baden-Württemberg
Regierungsbezirk: Tübingen
Landkreis: Zollernalbkreis

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Hechingen is situated at an elevation of 528 m on the western edge of the Swabian Jura mountain range about 90 km north of Lake Constance below Hohenzollern castle, about 50 km southwest of Stuttgart, the capital of Germany's state of Baden-Württemberg, and about 12 km northeast of the district town Balingen. The municipality has a population of about 19,200 (2021).

The earliest known traces of human settlements in this place date back to about 1500 BC. Hechingen itself was founded by the Alemanni in about the 6th or 7th century. The oldest written mention of Hahhingum dates from AD 786. In 1415, the possessions of the lords of Zollern, including Hechingen, were purchased by the counts of Württemberg. In the early 15th century, the Zollern could again gain the lordship and subsequently Hechingen became the centre of their domains. In 1576, the country was partitioned into Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (the latter of which was inherited by Sigmaringen in 1634). In the early 19th century, under the last reigning Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Konstantin, Hechingen became a cultural centre of southern Germany. Following the March Revolution of 1848, Prince Konstantin of Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern both abdicated in favour of their relative, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. After World War II Hohenzollern-Hechingen (and Sigmaringen) became part of Württemberg-Hohenzollern, which in 1952 was merged with Baden and Württemberg-Baden into the new German state of Baden-Württemberg.

The old town hall [left, no. 4270: top picture] was first mentipned in 1461. A new, Gothic building was mentioned in 1510. This was modified by a reconstruction in 1768. A further reconstruction in Classicist style took place in 1815. In 1885 the town hall was again remodeled in Renaissance revival style. After World War II, in 1955, major structural weaknesses were discovered. Rather than renovating the building, it was demolished and rebuilt completely in simplified forms. The new town hall was inaugurated in 1958.

The collegiate church of St. James [left, no. 427=:bottom right picture: background top centre] is the parish church of the city of Hechingen. Its denomination as collegiate church refers to the collegiate monastery that was founded in 1495 and was dissolved in 1806. The present church was built in 1780 1783 in early Classicist style.

The bottom left picture on glass no. 4270 shows a view of Hohenzollern castle.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hechingen; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern-Hechingen; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus_(Hechingen)]