Heilbronn (district)

Statistics
State:	Baden-Württemberg
Adm. Region:	Stuttgart
Region:	Franken
Capital:	Heilbronn
Area:	1,099.59 km²
Inhabitants:	325,173 (2002)
pop. density:	296 inh./km²
Car identification:	HN
Homepage:	http://www.landkreis-heilbronn.de
Map

Heilbronn is a district (Kreis) in the north of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from north clockweise) Neckar-Odenwald, Hohenlohe, Schwäbisch Hall, Rems-Murr, Ludwigsburg, Enzkreis, Karlsruhe and Rhein-Neckar. The district-free city Heilbronn is completely sorrounded by the district.

The origin of the district is the Oberamt Heilbronn, which was created in 1803 when the previously free city Heilbronn became part of Württemberg. In 1926 about half of the Oberamts Weinsberg was added. 1938 the district was created, and additional to the previous Oberamt parts of the dissolved Oberämter Neckarsulm, Brackenheim, Marbach and Besigheim were added. The city Heilbronn was not included into the district. In 1973 the districts were reorganized, and part of the dissolved districts Sinsheim, Mosbach, Buchen and Schwäbisch Hall were added. In next two years 5 municipalities were incorporated into the city and therefore left the district, which got its current borders in 1975.

The main river in the district is the Neckar, which flows through the district from the south to the north. The western part of the district belongs to the landscape Kraichgau, the east to the Hohenloher Ebene, Kocher-Jagst-Ebene and the Löwensteiner Berge.

• Official website (German)