HISTORY OF THE DISTRICT OF CONSTANCE
The size of the district of Constance today nearly equals the one of the early middle-aged Hegau shire, which succeeded the country-shire Nellenburg. With the decay of the country-shire many little and very tiny district areas evolved. Before 1800 the House of Austria was the biggest territorial lord on the today´s district and managed 1465 to buy the county-shire Nellenburg. The bishop of Constance in his secular role hat property all over the Lower Lake of Constance and the Höri.
Other than that there existed many monasteries and institutions of imperial knighthoods and of secular and religious lords. Nearly nowhere the patchwork rug of Lords and official functions so colorful than at the western shore of the Lake of Constance.
In the beginning of the 19th century, monasteries and other religious rulers were abolished and out of Napoleons´mercy two German Mittelstaaten (medium-sized states) Baden and Württemberg were created. This new administrative restructuring brought a radical revision to the political landscape.
1805/06 great areas especially areas form the former Austrian landgrave Nellenburg to the kingdom of Württemberg. The rule of Württemberg in the Hegau area lasted only until 1810, after that these regions came to Baden, which established the souvreign posts Constance, Radolfzell, Stockach and Blumenfeld and the noble posts Engen, Münchhöf, Hilzingen and Tengen. Least was already one year later joined with Blumenfeld. 1813 the noble posts Hilzingen were integrated in the post Blumenfeld and Münchhöf was integrated in the post Stockach.
The old post Engen became the state district post Engen in 1849. In 1857 the annulation of the district post Blumenfeld followed and its communities were integrated to the post Engen. 1872 the district post Radolfzell was facing the same fate. Is communities all were integrated to the district post Constance. The next reform of the county then followed 1936. Back then the district post Engen was closed. The communities of the post were divided between the districts Constance, Donaueschingen und Stockach. The former posts of Meßkirch were also integrated to the district Stockach. The In 1939 there was a small correction. The community Kommingen came to the district of Donaueschingen, Bargen, Biesndorf, Bittelbrunn and Zimmerholz switched form that district to Constance.
1953 the autonomous city district Constance was integrated in the district Constance. 1967 respectively 1969 the Burderhof and the fortress ruin Hohentwil changed over from the district Tuttlingen to the district Constance. 1972 Nordhalden changed over to the district Donaueschingen respectively to the new district Schwarzwald-Baar.
During the district reformation at the 1st of January 1973 the district Stockach was dissolved. 31 communities changed over to the district of Constance, 22 to Sigmaringen, 4 to Tuttlingen and 2 to Zollernalbkreis. From the district Sigmaringen the present city districts from Hohenfels, Deutwang, Kalkofen, Liggersdorf, Mindersdorf and Selgetsweiler changed over to the district of Constance. The new district of Constance which had rapidly enlarged during the district reformation additionally gained the small towns Stetten from the dissolved district Donaueschingen.
And how do the cross, the deer rack and whitefish into the provincial coats of arms?
The three deer racks in the provincial coats of arms stem from the coat of arms of the Lords from Nellenburg and the cross reminds of the former secular possessions of the bishops of Constance in the area of the district. And the two whitefish? They point towards the fact that this district is located at the beautiful Lake of Constance.