Backnang - the Murr metropolis

Backnang, which was first mentioned in documents in 1067, became the property of the Margraves of Baden
around 1070. They founded an Augustinian canons' monastery on the castle hill, which was confirmed and
privileged by the papacy in 1116. Backnang was the center of power for one of the most important aristocratic
families of the time, which was underlined by the fact that the collegiate church served as the burial place of
the Margraves of Baden until the middle of the 13th century. Her remains have been kept in the restored crypt
since 1929. Between 1220 and 1230, Backnang was expanded into a town under Baden rule. In 1235 the young
city was destroyed again. The highlight of the reconstruction was the parish church of St. Michael, whose early
Gothic tower choir with its polygonal floor plan, the highly original leaf and animal capitals and the nine-part
vault have been delighting visitors since autumn 2004 after its fundamental renovation. Around 1300, Backnang
fell through marriage to the House of Württemberg, which increasingly expanded its influence on the monastery
before it lost its spiritual function during the Reformation in the 16th century and only continued to exist as an
administrative unit and business enterprise.