The name Einbeck originates from the word einbeeke meaning “at the stream” in Low German. The town originated at a military important river crossing of the stream Krumme Wasser, a northern inflow of the river Ilme, as well as at the crossroads of two important trade routes. Even today the stream can be seen on the city’s coat of arms. In the North of the Krumme Wasser the Counts of Katlenburg built an estate.

Count Dietrich II of Katlenburg founded on the estate St. Alexandri Collegiate Church in honour of the Holy Alexander of Rome. In 1108, the building of a Romanesque basilica was finished. This basilica is the foundation of today’s St. Alexandri Collegiate Church. A relic – a drop of Jesus Christ’s blood – turned the Collegiate into a place of pilgrimage at the beginning of the 12th century.

In the South of St. Alexandri Collegiate Church, on the other side of the bank of the stream Krumme Wasser, merchants and tradesman settle – a market settlement emerges. The river plain between the market and the Collegiate is filled up and people also settle here. St. Jacob’s Market Church is built. In 1238, this church is mentioned for the first time.

The rampart with moat walling the market settlement and the Collegiate was the beginning of Einbeck’s town fortifications around 1250. A town wall was first mentioned in a document 1264.

In 1252, Einbeck had its town charter, a town council was mentioned. Therefore, this year accounts as the year of the official foundation of the town.

Extended town charter was given to Einbeck by its sovereign Heinrich Mirabilis in 1279.

The wooden choir stalls dated 1288 are some of St. Alexandri’s treasures. They were meant for 18 canons and are the oldest dated choir stalls in Germany. Further to wood carved heads, foliate masks and other ornaments also a hop cone stands out from its decoration: An indication that this ingredient for beer brewing was already known at the time.

Beer from Einbeck is first mentioned in long-distance trade. Beer trade was very important for the former Hanseatic town. More than 700 houses in Einbeck had the right to brew beer. The town council bought the overproduction and took care of its commercialization all over Germany and abroad. Until today, the interaction between brewing and construction methods may be seen from the architecture of the historic timber-framed houses.

Einbeck is mentioned for the first time as member of the Hanseatic League of cities that was founded after the Hanseatic days in Lübeck 1356/58.

The Gothic new building of St. Alexandri Minster in Einbeck is finished after more than 200 years. The hall church combines building types from the High Gothic, Late Gothic and Baroque periods.

Enforcement of the Reformation in Einbeck.

Two large city fires destroyed nearly the entire medieval Einbeck. The timber-framed houses were reconstructed in the Gothic construction method, many times with influences from the Renaissance periods and with wood carvings.

The town is occupied twice by enemy troops and raided.

Foundation of the dying workshop Wittram. The blue dye printing technique was introduced by the founder's son in Einbeck around 1700.

A supporting façade is added to the 65-metres high steeple of St. Jacob’s Market Church that is inclined to the West. Because of insufficient foundations in the area of the church tower, intensive vault redevelopments already had to take place in 1471/73. The norther side aisle had to be completely replaced. Nevertheless, the steeple is still inclined by 1.50 metres to the side and has been nicknamed “Leaning tower of Einbeck”.

In 1883, the train Ilmebahn connects Einbeck to the railway network.

August Stukenbrok, businessman from Einbeck, opens a small bicycle shop in 1890. Within a couple of years this shop grows into a large company. His secret is bulk purchase at the manufacturers and direct selling to the clients. August Stukenbrok is successful and extends his range of products. He becomes the first “mail order king” of Germany. The global economic crisis hits the company hard. In 1931, the company has to file for bankruptcy, 400 workplaces are destroyed.

Today's TownMuseum (StadtMuseum) is opened.

The company Dähnhardt produces mustard in Einbeck in the grinding by millstone procedure for the first time. In the first half of the 20th century, mustard miller Henry Dähnhardt produces high-quality mustard in the street Altendorfer Straße for 30 years. His maxim: “The honourable reputation of the old Hanseatic town Einbeck is a commitment to widely known quality”.

The bicycle manufacturer Karl Heidemann (Baronia) from Bielefeld bought Stukenbrok’s unused buildings in 1937 and built a bicycle manufactory at this site. The Heidemann Werke (HWE) – taken over by Karl’s son Gerhard in 1942 – were soon to be Germany’s largest bicycle producer. In 1977, a modern bicycle manufactory is constructed in the Einbeck’s industrial area. Furthermore, Heidemann also supplies parts to the car industry. At the end of the 1980s the company is completely restructured and bicycle manufacturing is abandoned in 1992.

As part of the Franco-German agreement the French city Thiais, Departement du Val-de-Marne, becomes twin town of Einbeck. 60 years later, Einbeck and Thiais still maintain the exchange between groups and associations related to culture, sport and youth. The square Thiaisplatz is located at Einbeck central train station. Every year a French delegation comes to the Owl Festival and offers wine from their region at their booth.

Einbeck an 31 suburbanised villages become part of the Northeim county.

Under the slogan “Half-timbered unites” timber-frame towns from 7 German federal states joined up in order to coordinate their marketing. The German Half-Timbered Houses Route runs meanwhile from the river Elbe in the North passing the region Oberlausitz in eastern Saxony to Lake Constance in the South through the federal states of Saxony, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden Wuerttemberg. It is divided into seven regional routes - Einbeck is located on the route “From the river Elbe to the Harz mountains”.

After the Germany’s reunification Artern in Thuringia becomes twin town of Einbeck. The square Artern-Platz is inaugurated in 2012. As “the East and the West” have been growing closer together over the last decades, there are now only occasional exchanges between groups and associations as well as representatives from city council and administration.

After the World War II Einbeck received Germans expellees from Patschkau in today’s Poland. Since 1954, Einbeck is their twin town and people meet up on a regular basis. You can learn more in our TownMuseum (StadtMuseum). As a symbol of reconciliation and of the European friendship, a twin town agreement is closed with the Polish who now live in Paczków (formerly Patschkau). There are special contacts in relation to the youth and culture. Every year, a Polish delegation comes to the Owl Festival and their regional products at their booth.

A visit of Einbeck’s delegation gave occasion to sign a twin town document in Keene in a ceremony. Einbeck city council agreed on the partnership with Keene city. Keene, New Hampshire (USA), had already initiated a first contact with Einbeck in 1998. There are special contacts in the areas youth, sport and culture.

In order to restore the former glory of this timber-framed jewel in the street Marktstraße, the foundation Stiftung Eickesches Haus was founded in 2002. During four years the houses is restored and repaired from a static point of view. With a great festival for its citizens, Einbeck inaugurated the Eicke House on 3rd September 2006.

The foundation received the German Award for Timber-Framing for the restoration work around the project “The Eicke House” in 2009 awarded by the working group Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutsche Fachwerkstädte e.V. Thus, the jury honours the “exemplary and model restoration” of the building and the “great commitment for timber-framing”.

The city of Einbeck merges with the community Kreiensen: As of now 46 villages belong to Einbeck so that it is now the largest municipality according to size in southern Lower Saxony.

Since 1987, the former community Kreiensen is twin town of the municipality of Wieselburg in Lower Austria. After merging with Kreiensen, Einbeck continues the partnership. A lot of associations and the fire fighters - especially in the region of the former community Kreiensen - have been bringing life to this partnership for three decades and visit each other on a regular basis. And there are more common topics: The 4,000-citizens town Wieselburg is beer town just like Einbeck, but also the automobile and mobility sector.

The cities Einbeck, Duderstadt, Hann. Münden, Northeim and Osterode am Harz join up in the project “Fachwerk5Eck” (pentagon of timber-framed cities) to promote the Lower Saxony as a region. A unique selling point of this region is the large amount of well-preserved, protected timber-framed houses from seven hundred years. The unique portfolio of timber-framed buildings represents timber-framed architecture from different periods and counts as important cultural heritage that has to be preserved.

Inauguration of the vintage cars experience exhibition PS.SPEICHER in the historic granary.

The railway section between Einbeck city centre, Einbeck central train station, and Einbeck-Salzderhelden train station is re-activated in December 2018.

After a yearlong brand development process Einbeck has a new brand. With a new focus, new logo and new target groups.