Was this once a Roman settlement? You stand before Petershausen a district of Konstanz nestled on the Seerhein’s right bank. Its history whispers tales of Roman occupation a bustling life abandoned in the third century. Later the Reichenau Abbey claimed this land.
Bishop Gebhard of Constance then founded the imperial abbey of Petershausen. This act birthed a unique double village. The Sternenviertel or Star Quarter thrived east of the monastery its name echoing the local inn Zum Sternen. A lower village southwest housed the monastery’s servants. These villages grew independently eventually falling under Konstanz’s influence becoming a suburb around 1600.
Petershausen’s growth slowed after the monastery’s secularization in 1802. The decaying buildings briefly served as a military hospital. Expansion into barracks followed in 1850. A turning point arrived in 1863. The Baden State Railway connected Konstanz. Petershausen flourished. Constance’s southward growth was limited by the Swiss border. So population expansion centered around the former monastery in Petershausen. Promenades and new residential areas sprang up.
An elementary school now the Theodor-Heuss-Realschule opened in 1912. A planned church delayed by World War I and inflation was finally dedicated seventeen years later. Sadly the Star Quarter vanished in 1936. Demolition made way for a multi-lane road and railway underpass to Staad. Only the Sternenplatz traffic junction remains a poignant reminder.
Petershausen’s story is one of transformation. From Roman settlement to abbey to bustling suburb it stands as a testament to Konstanz’s rich history. Its past echoes in its streets its present thrives in its vibrant community. Soak it all in remember this unique part of Konstanz.