Population statistics In 1810, Beihingen had a population of 692, Heutingsheim 566, and Geisingen 438, adding up to a total population of 1,696. In 1900, the total population numbered 2,298 inhabitants, growing steadily from 3,322 in 1939 through 4,516 in 1950 and 11,749 in 1970 to more than 15,600 in 2007. Town council The result of the council elections on 7 June 2009 was as follows (comparisons are with the previous election): CDU 24.6% (-9,6): 6 seats (-2) SPD 20.1% (+1,5): 5 seats (+1) FW¹ 20.0% (-2,7): 4 seats (-1) ULF² 15.5% (+1.9): 3 seats (±0) OGL³ 13.4% (+2.5): 3 seats (+1) FDP 6.4% (--): 1 seat (+1) ¹ Freie Wähler ("Free Voters"); ² Unabhängige Liste Freiberg ("Freiberg Independent List"); ³ Offene Grüne Liste ("Open Green List") The next council elections are scheduled for 25 May 2014. Twin towns Soisy-sous-Montmorency (France) Erzin (Turkey) Roßwein (Saxony/Germany) Újhartyán (Hungary) Transport Freiberg's rail link is the Backnang–Ludwigsburg railway, served by the S4 line (Backnang–Marbach–Stuttgart Schwabstraße) of the Stuttgart S-Bahn. The railway station, situated today within the Heutingsheim quarter, was opened in 1879 as Beihingen railway station and initially served the Backnang–Bietigheim line. Two years later, a branching feeder line to Ludwigsburg was added. When the town was chartered, the station was renamed "Freiberg (Neckar)" on 1 June 1975. In 2011, the line via Marbach to Benningen was doubled. Currently, the station handles 1.4 million passengers per year. The international Stuttgart Airport in Leinfelden-Echterdingen is about 45 km away. Local firms About 600 small and medium-sized businesses are located at Freiberg am Neckar, among them an SAP branch office with 275 employees and a Porsche subsidiary with 475 employees. Viticulture Freiberg am Neckar is a wine-growing town whose vineyards are part of the vineyard region of Schalkstein within the Württemberg Lowlands (Württembergisch Unterland) in the wine region of Württemberg. Public institutions In 2001, the Prisma convention centre was opened near the town square. It is used as a venue for a wide variety of cultural and communal events. For music and theatre events for a smaller public the old castle wine press house opposite Beihingen Castle is still popular. Next to the Oscar Paret School is the town library. There is a retirement and nursing home. A youth club uses the premises of Beihingen's old town hall, now under a preservation order. Education Four types of secondary education school are based at the Oscar