Freiberg am Neckar is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Neckar, 18 km north of Stuttgart, and 4 km north of Ludwigsburg. Administrative structure The town of Freiberg am Neckar consists of the three former independent villages of Beihingen am Neckar, Geisingen am Neckar and Heutingsheim. The former municipality of Beihingen am Neckar comprised Beihingen am Neckar village and the abandoned village of Bruderhaus. The former municipality of Heutingsheim consisted of Heutingsheim village and Haus Rosenau as well as the abandoned castle of Kasteneck. Location Freiberg am Neckar lies between the bend in the River Neckar to the north of the town and the hill ranges to the south and west. It is a typical provincial town within the prosperous easily accessible periphery of a city region. The townscape shows residential areas with detached houses and small blocks of flats, as well as traffic areas and commercial areas. It is divided by the A 81 motorway. The fertile silt soils in the hills around the town lend themselves to intensive agricultural exploitation, and farms are situated on the fields and orchards outside the urban areas. From the hills above the town there are wide panoramic views of the Neckar region, towards Hohenasperg and Stromberg, and the valleys and hills of the Murr and Bottwar region. These views are, however, somewhat spoilt by electricity pylons crossing the landscape that radiate from the electrical substation Ludwigsburg-Hoheneck. Municipal history Freiberg am Neckar was created on 1 January 1972 by the voluntary association of the three originally agricultural communities of Beihingen am Neckar, Geisingen am Neckar and Heutingsheim. The town was given its charter on 1 January 1982. The new name and coat of arms of the town was based on the family name of the hereditary barons of Freyberg, who held the castle and most of the parish of Beihingen from 1534 until 1569. Religion After the Protestant Reformation, most of the population within the area of the modern town of Freiberg adhered to the Protestant faith as decreed by the rulers of Württemberg at the time. Thus in each of the three boroughs there is still a Protestant congregation. Since 1954, there has also been a Roman Catholic parish. In addition, there are Methodist, Mormon and New Apostolic communities. About 25.5% of the population is Catholic, and 44.5% are Protestants.