| Type: | Stadt |
| Image Coa: | Wappen Isny.svg |
| Coordinates: | 47.6919°N 10.0394°W |
| Image Plan: | Isny im Allgäu in RV.svg |
| State: | Baden-Württemberg |
| Region: | Tübingen |
| District: | Ravensburg |
| Elevation: | 704 |
| Area: | 85.37 |
| Postal Code: | 88316 |
| Area Code: | 07562 |
| Licence: | RV |
| Gemeindeschlüssel: | 08 4 36 049 |
| Website: | www.isny.de |
| Mayor: | Rainer Magenreuter[1] |
| Leader Term: | 2023 - 31 |
| Party: | independent |
Isny im Allgäu (Low Alemannic: Isny im Allgai) is a town in south-eastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is part of the district of Ravensburg, in the western, Württembergish part of the Allgäu region.
Isny was a Free Imperial City (Freie Reichsstadt) until the mediatisation of 1803.
| Native Name: | Reichsstadt Isny im Allgäu |
| Conventional Long Name: | Imperial City of Isny in the Allgäu |
| Common Name: | Isny im Allgau |
| Era: | Early modern period |
| Status: | Imperial City |
| Empire: | Holy Roman Empire |
| Government Type: | Republic |
| Year Start: | 1365 |
| Year End: | 1803 |
| Event Pre: | Abbey founded by Count of Altshausen-Veringen |
| Date Pre: | 1096 |
| Event Start: | Isny gained town rights |
| Date Start: | 1235 |
| Event1: | Became Imperial city by purchasing Vogtei from Stewards of Waldburg |
| Date Event1: | 1365 |
| Event2: | Protestant Reformation |
| Date Event2: | 1529 |
| Event3: | Abbey gained Imperialimmediacy |
| Date Event3: | 1781 |
| Event Post: | City and abbey mediatised to Kgdm Württemberg |
| Date Post: | 1806 |
| P1: | House of Waldburg |
| Flag P1: | Wappen Waldburg.svg |
| S1: | Princely County of Quadt-Wykradt |
| Flag S1: | Wappen Quadt.svg |
| Capital: | Isny im Allgäu |
During the three centuries following its origin in 1042, it was a commercial center controlled and exploited by various competing feudal lords. In the 13th century, Isny's merchants built a fortification system to protect the town from marauders and rival feudal rulers. The town is still partially surrounded by the city walls and moat that were built during these early turbulent times.
After three centuries of domination by feudal lords and territorial rulers, Isny's middle class was able to purchase the town's independence in 1365. Isny's status as an Imperial city made it a self-governing republic in which the city government was elected by propertied residents and in which the guild system thrived. In 1529, Isny's Protestant minority took the city council and voted to make the town Protestant and the Nikolaikirche became the town's main Protestant church. In 1803, the city was mediatized and became a possession of the Counts of Quadt. In 1806, the city passed to the Kingdom of Württemberg, which allowed the Catholic majority to once again move to the city. In 1889, the majority of urban residents was Catholic (1139 ev / 1444 Cath.).
Isny enjoyed a vibrant economy, based primarily on linen production, until competition from abroad, the devastation of the Thirty Years' War, and a series of fires and plagues brought production to a halt in the 17th century. The town experienced a revival after the end of World War II, when a rehabilitation center for war veterans was established there. Isny emerged from the war largely undamaged, and has since become a popular destination for vacationers and resort-goers.
In the late 1970s, the town commissioned the renowned graphic designer Otl Aicher to create a graphic identity for its tourist board. Aicher responded with a set of 128 black and white pictograms which, while initially controversial, are now regarded as forward thinking and are still used to promote the town.[2]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany. Isny im Allgäu is twinned with:[3]
Andrychów, Poland
Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, France
Sotkamo, Finland