Roman Empire and the city lost its independence. On September 5, 1802, Duke Frederick II of Württemberg wrote to “the Mayor and Town Council of the Imperial City of Giengen” that “they should convince themselves of the necessity for Giengen” to be incorporated into his duchy. The following month, the Duke ordered his bailiff in Heidenheim to enter Giengen and take possession. At that time, the city - one of the 15 Free Imperial Cities to be absorbed into Württemberg between 1802 and 1810 - was home to 464 families, had 1,695 inhabitants, 354 houses, 119 barns, and a budget surplus of 6,000 gulden. Mayors 1819–1826: Johannes Oswald 1826–1848: Martin 1848–1851: Lorenz David Wencher 1851–1860: Anton Fink 1860–1891: Lorenz David Wencher 1891-1929: Julius Brezger 1929–1945: Christian Ehrlinger 1945–1948: Adolf Kolb 1948–1977: Walter Schmid 1977–2001: Siegfried Rieg 2001–2009: Clemens Stahl 2009-2017: Gerrit Elser October 2017-present: Dieter Henle Notable people Jacob Heerbrand (1521–1600), professor of theology, chancellor and prophet in Tübingen Margarete Steiff (1847–1909), founder of the toy factory Steiff Max von Zabern (1903–1991), district administrator and banker Karl Gerold (1906–1973), journalist, editor of the Frankfurter Rundschau Erich Ehrlinger (1910–2004), mass murderer, SS Brigade Commander and Commander of Security Police Russia Center Ursula Späth (born 1937), patron of the National Association "Action Multiple Sclerosis ill patients" (BLACKBIRD), widow of Lothar Späth Jörg Knoblauch (born 1949), entrepreneur and author Jochen Klein (1967–1997), painter Frank Zeller (born 1969), chess player, coach and author Andreas Stoch (born 1969), lawyer and politician (SPD), minister of education in Baden-Württemberg 2013–2016 Franz Garlik, musician and actor Freemen The municipality of Giengen awarded the freemanship to the following people: 1875 Johann Vötsch, teacher (1824 East Village – 1897 Ulm) 1894 Josef Stocker, forester (1822 Bühlertann – 1895 Giengen) 1902 Christian Baumann, senior teacher (1830 – 1913, born and died in Giengen) 1906 Karl Rau, architect of town (1830 – 1913, born and died in Giengen) 1908 Hans Haehnle, Commerce, member of the Reichstag (1839 Giengen – 1909 Winnental) 1909 August Dieterlen, professor (1847 Gönningen – 1923 Stuttgart) 1920 Georg Käumle, Rector (1853 Gärtringen – 1936 Stuttgart) 1921 Dr. Paul Wörnle, forest official (1869 – 1937, born and died in Stuttgart) 1929 Julius Brezger, mayor (1861 Giengen – 1930 Göppingen) 1930 Lina Hähnle, founder and chairman of Bund für Vogelschutz, later transformed in Nature Conservation Union (1851 Sulz am Neckar – 1941 Giengen) 1977 Walter Schmid, mayor (1910 – 1994