Freiburg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Freiburg | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
| Administration | |
| Country | Image:Flag of Germany.svg Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Freiburg |
| District | Urban district |
| City subdivisions | 41 districts |
| Lord Mayor | Dieter Salomon (Greens) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 153.07 km² (59.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 278 m (912 ft) |
| Population | 217,547 (31/12/2006)[1] |
| - Density | 1,421 /km² (3,681 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | FR |
| Postal codes | 79098 - 79117 |
| Area codes | 0761, 07664, 07665 |
| Website | www.freiburg.de |
Freiburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany (where it is officially known by its full name, Freiburg im Breisgau), on the western edge of the southern Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald). Popular opinion has it that Freiburg is the warmest city in Germany. It straddles the Dreisam river, on the foothills of the Schlossberg. The city is surrounded by the Black Forest mountains Rosskopf and Bromberg in the east, and in the south and west by the Schönberg, Tuniberg and the Kaiserstuhl.
Contents |
[edit] History
Freiburg was founded in the 12th century by Duke Konrad of Zähringen as a free market town, hence its name, which translates to "Free (or Independent) Castle". It was strategically located at a junction of trade routes between the Mediterranean and the North Sea, and the Rhine and the Danube rivers. In the year 1368 Freiburg bought its liberty from a local count, and turned itself over to the protection of the Habsburgs, who allowed it to retain a large measure of freedom.
Around 1200 the city began construction of its Minster (Münster in German) on the site of an older parish church. The end of the Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance was a time of both advances and tragedy for Freiburg.
In 1457, Duke Albrecht VI established Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, one of Germany's oldest universities. In 1520, the city ratified a set of legal reforms, widely considered the most progressive of the times. The aim was to find a balance between the city traditions and old Roman Law. The reforms were well received, especially the sections dealing with civil process law, punishment and the city's constitution.
In 1520, Freiburg decided not to join the Reformation and became an important center for Catholicism on the Upper Rhine. In 1536, a strong and persistent belief in witchcraft led to the city's first witchhunt. The need to find a scapegoat for calamities such as the Black Plague, which claimed 2000 area residents in 1564, led to an escalation in witch-hunting that reached its peak in 1599. A plaque on the old city wall marks the spot where burnings were carried out.
The 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were turbulent times for Freiburg. Through battles in the Thirty Years' War and other conflicts, the city belonged at various times to the Austrians, the French, the Swedish, the Spanish and various members of the German Confederacy. In the period between 1648 and 1805 it was the administrative headquarters of Further Austria, the Habsburg territories in the South-West of Germany, when the city was not under French occupation. In 1805, the city, together with the Breisgau and Ortenau areas, became part of Baden.
In 1827, when the Archdiocese of Freiburg was founded, Freiburg became the seat of a Roman-Catholic Archbishop.
In 1889, the entire city had to be evacuated when the odorous compound thioacetone was produced in a laboratory.
The city was heavily bombed during World War II. In 1940 German planes mistakenly dropped approximately 60 bombs on Freiburg near the train station. An Allied bombing of the city in November 1944 destroyed a large portion of the city. Most of city centre was leveled, with the notable exception of the Münster. After the war, the city was rebuilt on its medieval plan. It became for a short time the site of government for the German state Badenia, which was merged into Baden-Württemberg soon after. It was occupied by the French Army in 1945. They maintained a presence in the city until 1991, when the last tank division left the city.
On the site of the former French army base, a new neighborhood for 5,000 people, Vauban, was begun in the late 1990s as a "sustainable model district". Solar power is used to power many of the households in this small community.
[edit] Culture
Because of its scenic beauty, relatively warm and sunny climate and easy access to the Black Forest, Freiburg is a hub for regional tourism. The longest cable car run in Germany, which is 3.6 km, or about 2.25 miles long runs from Gunterstal up to a nearby mountain called Schauinsland. The city has an unusual system of gutters (called Bächle) that run throughout its centre. These Bächle, once used to provide water to fight fires and feed livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from the Dreisam. These Bächle were never used for sewage, as such usage could lead to harsh penalties, even in the Middle Ages. During the summer, the running water provides natural cooling of the air, and offers-up a pleasant, gurgling sound. It is said that if you step in a Bächle, you will marry a Freiburger, or 'Bobbele'.
The Augustinerplatz is one of the central squares in the old city. Formerly the location of an Augustine monastery which became the Augustinermuseum in 1921, it is now a popular social space for Freiburg's younger residents. It has quite a few restaurants and bars, including the local brewery 'Feierling', which has a nice Biergarten. On warm summer nights, of which there are many, hundreds of students will gather and enjoy guitar music and socialize.
At the centre of the old city is the Münsterplatz, its largest square. A farmers' market takes place here every day except Sundays. This is the site of Freiburg's Münster, a gothic Minster Cathedral constructed of red sandstone, built between 1200 and 1530. The Freiburg Münster is noted for its towering spire.
The Historisches Kaufhaus, or historical marketplace, is a Renaissance building constructed between 1520 and 1530 which was once the center of the financial life of the region. Its façade is decorated with the coat of arms of the Habsburgs.
The Altes Rathaus, or old city hall, was completed in 1559 and has a painted façade.
The Platz der alten Synagoge "Old Synagogue Square" is one of the more important squares on the outskirts of the historic old city. The square was the location of a Synagogue until it was destroyed on the Night of Broken Glass in 1938.
St. George is the Patron Saint of Freiburg.
[edit] Government
Freiburg is known as an "eco-city". In recent years it has attracted solar industries and research; the Greens have a stronghold here (the strongest in any major German city; up to 25% of the votes city-wide, in some neighbourhoods reaching 40% or more in the 2002 national elections). The newly built neighbourhoods of Vauban and Rieselfeld were developed and built according to the idea of sustainability. The citizens of Freiburg are known in Germany for their love of cycling and recycling.
The Oberbürgermeister, Dr. Dieter Salomon, (elected in 2002), is the only member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen who holds such an office in a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. However, his deputy, Otto Neideck, is a member of the conservative party, the CDU.
In June 1992, the Freiburg city council adopted a resolution that it would only permit construction of "low energy buildings" on municipal land, and all new buildings must comply with certain "low energy" specifications. Low energy housing uses solar power passively as well as actively. In addition to solar panels and collectors on the roof, providing electricity and hot water, many passive features use the sun’s energy to regulate the temperature of the rooms.
Freiburg is host of a number of international organisations, in particular ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and ISES - International Solar Energy Society.
See also: List of mayors of Freiburg
[edit] Education
Freiburg is a famous center of academics and research. Some of the greatest minds have lived and worked in Freiburg and the city houses one of the oldest and most renowned German universities, the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, as well as its equally prestigious medical center. Freiburg is also home to various other institutes of education and research, among them are: the Freiburg University of Education, the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Freiburg, the Freiburg Music University, the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Freiburg, three Max Planck Institutes, and five Fraunhofer Institutes.
[edit] Transportation
Freiburg has an extensive pedestrian zone in the city centre where no automobiles are allowed. Freiburg also has an excellent public transit system, anchored by a continually expanding web of tram routes known as the Straßenbahn.
Freiburg is on the main Frankfurt am Main - Basel train line with frequent and fast long-distance train services to major German and other European cities. Other train lines run east into the Black Forest and west to Breisach.
The city is also served by the A5 Frankfurt am Main - Basel motorway.
Freiburg is served by Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg International Airport, actually located in France. This is now a base for the low-cost carrier, EasyJet. The airport Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden (Baden Airpark) is situated approximately 120 km north of Freiburg and is served by, inter alia, the low-cost carrier Ryanair.
[edit] Sports
Freiburg is home to football team SC Freiburg. Their home stadium is Badenova-Stadion. The home of the EHC Freiburg is the Franz-Siegel Halle. Freiburger FC are a club which had early success in the 20th century, but now compete in lower divisions.
[edit] Sister cities
Freiburg has several sister-cities throughout the world:
- Image:Flag of France.svg Besançon, France since 1959
- Image:Flag of Austria.svg Innsbruck, Austria since 1963
- Image:Flag of Italy.svg Padua, Italy since 1967
- Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Guildford, United Kingdom since 1979
- Image:Flag of the United States.svg Madison, Wisconsin, United States since 1987
- Image:Flag of Japan.svg Matsuyama, Japan since 1988
- Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Lviv, Ukraine since 1989
- Image:Flag of Spain.svg Granada, Spain since 1991
- Image:Flag of Iran.svg Isfahan, Iran since 2000
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's, controversial comments, which included questioning the dimension of the Holocaust, have sparked discussions concerning Freiburg's partnership with Isfahan. Immediately following the comments Freiburg's mayor Salomon postponed a trip to Isfahan, but most people involved, especially those in the Alliance '90/The Greens party, were opposed to cancelling the partnership. ([1])
[edit] Notable residents
- Friedrich von Hayek, economist
- Hans F. K. Günther, Nazi eugenicist
- Dany Heatley, player for the Ottawa Senators NHL team
- Martin Heidegger, philosopher (originally not from Freiburg, taught in Freiburg)
- Edmund Husserl, philosopher
- Boris Kodjoe, model and actor
- Benjamin Lebert, author and newspaper columnist
- Joachim Löw, coach of the German national football team.
- Gerdvic von Holtzapple, Last commander of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg during World War II
- Karl Rahner, Catholic theologian
- Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of the Interior, 1989 - 1991, in Helmut Kohl and, 2005 - current, Angela Merkel governments.
- Jürgen Schrempp, former head of DaimlerChrysler
- Berthold Schwarz, fabled alchemist who supposedly introduced gunpowder to Germany
- Til Schweiger, actor and director
- Hermann Staudinger, Nobel Prize in chemistry "for his discoveries in the field of macromolecular chemistry"
- Edith Stein, Saint of the Roman Catholic Church, martyred by the Nazis, member of the Freiburg faculty; her residence is marked by a plaque.
- Martin Waldseemüller, the inventor of the name America
- Bernhard Witkop, organic chemist
[edit] Gallery
Muenster gegenlicht 1.jpg
The Freiburger Münster |
Octagonal belfrey.jpg
Inside the belfry of the Freiburger Münster |
Freiburg vom Schlossberg.jpg
Freiburg seen from the Schlossberg |
Freiburg Landschaft vom schlossberg aus.jpg
Landscape seen from the Schlossberg |
Freiburg Martinstor.jpg
The Martinstor |
Freiburg Schwabentor.jpg
The Schwabentor |
Freiburg Muensterplatz Kaufhaus.jpg
The Historic Marketplace (Historisches Kaufhaus) at the Münsterplatz |
Freiburg Schlossberg Aussichtsturm.jpg
Look-Out at the Schlossberg |
Freiburg Rathaus.jpg
Freiburg's town-hall |
Freiburg Hauptbahnhof.JPG
Freiburg's Main Station |
Konzerthaus Freiburg.JPG
The Konzerthaus (concert hall) |
Freiburger Stadttheater.JPG
Stadttheater |
Friburgo Ruscelli nel Centro -- Freiburg with the city center streams.jpg
Freiburg with the city centre 'Bächle' |
Friburgo - Freiburg.jpg
View of Freiburg |
Haus zum Walfisch 2.jpg
Haus zum Walfisch |
Colombi Palace 2.jpg
Colombi Palace |
Fischbrunnen Freiburg.jpg
Fischbrunnen or Fish Fountain |
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Freiburg:History and images (German)
- City of Freiburg and the Black Forest
- Augustinermuseum
- VAG Freiburg Freiburg Public Transit Authority
- Freiburg-Home.com - Information & Reviews about Freiburg in English for expats, tourists and the community
- Solar City - Germany August 2000
- Webcams in Freiburg and the Black Forest
- Tramway in Freiburg
- fudder - a popular online-mag for young people (Winner of Grimme Online Award 2007)
- Freiburg's History for Pedestrians
[edit] References
- ^ Statistiches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg. Population data.
Urban and rural districts in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany | |
|---|---|
| Urban districts | Baden-Baden · Freiburg · Heidelberg · Heilbronn · Karlsruhe · Mannheim · Pforzheim · Stuttgart · Ulm |
| Rural districts | Alb-Donau · Biberach · Bodensee · Böblingen · Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald · Calw · Konstanz (Constance) · Emmendingen · Enz · Esslingen · Freudenstadt · Göppingen · Heidenheim · Heilbronn · Hohenlohe · Karlsruhe · Lörrach · Ludwigsburg · Main-Tauber · Neckar-Odenwald · Ortenau · Ostalbkreis · Rastatt · Ravensburg · Rems-Murr · Reutlingen · Rhein-Neckar · Rottweil · Schwarzwald-Baar · Schwäbisch Hall · Sigmaringen · Tuttlingen · Tübingen · Waldshut · Zollernalb |
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