Ravensburg
urban municipality in the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Ravensburg (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaːvn̩sˌbʊʁk] or [ˈʁaːfn̩sˌbʊʁk]; Swabian: Raveschburg) is a city in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg.
Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was a Free Imperial City and an important trading centre. The "Great Ravensburg Trading Society" (Große Ravensburger Handelsgesellschaft) owned shops and trading companies all over Europe.
The historic city centre is still very much intact, including three city gates and over 10 towers of the medieval fortification.
History
The city of Ravensburg is situated at a ford in the river Schussen along the trade route between the Danube and Lake Constance. A castle known by the Franconian name Rauenspurg was founded on a spur overlooking the valley by the Welfs, a Frankish dynasty in Swabia at some point in the first half of the eleventh century. In the middle of the century, the Welfs relocated their court to the Ravensburg castle, making it their ancestoral seat, and a town had developed in its shadow.
The town is first mentioned in writing in 1088. After razing the town of Augsburg to the ground, the Historia Welforum records that Welf IV took its bishop captive, transporting him to Ravensburg where he held him for ransom.
The public source identifies “Ravensburg” as urban municipality in the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Ravensburg, urban and municipality.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Ravensburg”, the useful work is to connect “urban municipality in the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6832. VIAF identifies the subject as 129012144. The Library of Congress control number is n81033290. Authority coordinates are 47.783, 9.611. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1088.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Ravensburg”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Ravensburg primary sources, Ravensburg archive and Ravensburg research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Ravensburg”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Ravensburg” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.