Karlsruhe
City in Baden-Württemberg, Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Karlsruhe (/ˈkɑːrlzruːə/ KARLZ-roo-ə, US also /ˈkɑːrls-/ KARLSS-,[3][4][5] German: [ˈkaʁlsˌʁuːə] ⓘ; South Franconian: Kallsruh) is the third-largest city of the German state (Land) of Baden-Württemberg after its capital Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants.[6] It is also a former capital of Baden, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of Baden-Baden. Located on the right bank of the Rhine near the French border, between the Mannheim/Ludwigshafen conurbation to the north and Strasbourg/Kehl to the south, Karlsruhe is Germany's legal center, being home to the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht), the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) and the Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice (Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof).
Karlsruhe | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 49°00′33″N 8°24′14″E | |
Country | Germany |
State | Baden-Württemberg |
Admin. region | Karlsruhe |
District | Urban district |
Founded | 1715 |
Subdivisions | 27 quarters |
Government | |
• Lord mayor (2020–28) | Frank Mentrup[1] (SPD) |
Area | |
• Total | 173.46 km2 (66.97 sq mi) |
Elevation | 115 m (377 ft) |
Population (2021-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 306,502 |
• Density | 1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 76131–76229 |
Dialling codes | 0721 |
Vehicle registration | KA |
Website | karlsruhe.de |
Karlsruhe was the capital of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach (Durlach: 1565–1718; Karlsruhe: 1718–1771), the Margraviate of Baden (1771–1803), the Electorate of Baden (1803–1806), the Grand Duchy of Baden (1806–1918), and the Republic of Baden (1918–1945). Its most remarkable building is Karlsruhe Palace, which was built in 1715. It contains the Baden State Museum, the large cultural, art and regional history museum of the Baden region of Baden-Württemberg. There are nine institutions of higher education in the city, most notably the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie). Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden) is the second-busiest airport in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart Airport, and the 17th-busiest airport in Germany.
Karlsruhe lies completely to the east of the Rhine, and almost completely on the Upper Rhine Plain. It contains the Turmberg in the east, and also lies on the borders of the Kraichgau leading to the Northern Black Forest.
The Rhine, one of the world's most important shipping routes, forms the western limits of the city, beyond which lie the towns of Maximiliansau and Wörth am Rhein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The city centre is about 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from the river, as measured from the Marktplatz (Market Square). Two tributaries of the Rhine, the Alb and the Pfinz, flow through the city from the Kraichgau to eventually join the Rhine.
The city lies at an altitude between 100 and 322 m (near the communications tower in the suburb of Grünwettersbach). Its geographical coordinates are 49°00′N 8°24′E; the 49th parallel runs through the city centre, which puts it at the same latitude as much of the Canada–United States border and the cities of Vancouver (Canada), Paris (France), Regensburg (Germany), and Hulunbuir (China). Its course is marked by a stone and painted line in the Stadtgarten (municipal park). The total area of the city is 173.46 km2 (66.97 sq mi), hence it is the 30th largest city in Germany measured by land area. The longest north–south distance is 16.8 km (10.4 mi) and 19.3 km (12.0 mi) in the east–west direction.
Karlsruhe is part of the urban area of Karlsruhe/Pforzheim, to which certain other towns in the district of Karlsruhe, such as Bruchsal, Ettlingen, Stutensee, and Rheinstetten, as well as the city of Pforzheim, belong.
The city was planned with the palace tower (Schloss) at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like the spokes of a wheel, or the ribs of a folding fan, so that one nickname for Karlsruhe in German is the "fan city" (Fächerstadt). Almost all of these streets survive to this day. Because of this city layout, in metric geometry, Karlsruhe metric refers to a measure of distance that assumes travel is only possible along radial streets and along circular avenues around the centre.[7]
The city centre is the oldest part of town and lies south of the palace in the quadrant defined by nine of the radial streets. The central part of the palace runs east–west, with two wings, each at a 45° angle, directed southeast and southwest (i.e., parallel with the streets marking the boundaries of the quadrant defining the city center).
The market square lies on the street running south from the palace to Ettlingen. The market square has the town hall (Rathaus) to the west, the main Lutheran church (Evangelische Stadtkirche) to the east, and the tomb of Margrave Charles III William in a pyramid in the buildings, resulting in Karlsruhe being one of only three large cities in Germany where buildings are laid out in the neoclassical style.
The area north of the palace is a park and forest. Originally the area to the east of the palace consisted of gardens and forests, some of which remain, but the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (founded in 1825), Wildparkstadion football stadium, and residential areas have been built there. The area west of the palace is now mostly residential.
Climate
Karlsruhe experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) and its winter climate is milder, compared to most other German cities, except for the Rhine-Ruhr area. Summers are hot with several days between 35 °C (95 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F) maximum temperature. With an average of more than 2,000 sunshine hours a year, it is also one of the sunniest cities in Germany, like the Rhine-Palatinate area.
Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter, while in summer it is concentrated on single evening thunderstorms. In 2008, the weather station in Karlsruhe, which had been in operation since 1876, was closed; it was replaced by a weather station in Rheinstetten, south of Karlsruhe.[8]
Climate data for Karlsruhe (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–2020) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
26.7 (80.1) |
30.4 (86.7) |
33.3 (91.9) |
37.3 (99.1) |
39.2 (102.6) |
40.2 (104.4) |
33.2 (91.8) |
29.5 (85.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
19.2 (66.6) |
40.2 (104.4) |
Mean maximum °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
29.5 (85.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
35.2 (95.4) |
34.4 (93.9) |
28.7 (83.7) |
23.9 (75.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
13.5 (56.3) |
36.5 (97.7) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
7.3 (45.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
21.0 (69.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.0 (80.6) |
26.8 (80.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.9 (66.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
20.4 (68.7) |
15.8 (60.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
6.3 (43.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
11.4 (52.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
-0.0 (32.0) |
2.5 (36.5) |
5.3 (41.5) |
9.4 (48.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
10.7 (51.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
3.2 (37.8) |
0.6 (33.1) |
6.8 (44.2) |
Mean minimum °C (°F) | −8.7 (16.3) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
9.3 (48.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−7.5 (18.5) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
Record low °C (°F) | −20.0 (−4.0) |
−15.9 (3.4) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
6.3 (43.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−18.7 (−1.7) |
−20.0 (−4.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 57.0 (2.24) |
52.6 (2.07) |
52.4 (2.06) |
45.2 (1.78) |
75.7 (2.98) |
70.2 (2.76) |
77.2 (3.04) |
62.0 (2.44) |
54.8 (2.16) |
66.5 (2.62) |
64.4 (2.54) |
72.0 (2.83) |
750 (29.52) |
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 13.8 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 83.4 | 78.9 | 73.6 | 67.8 | 69.0 | 68.1 | 68.0 | 69.3 | 76.6 | 83.2 | 86.9 | 86.2 | 75.9 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 57.4 | 85.1 | 143.7 | 196.8 | 223.7 | 239.7 | 257.0 | 239.9 | 180.8 | 111.8 | 60.9 | 43.0 | 1,832.2 |
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[9] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Data derived from Deutscher Wetterdienst[10] |
Karlsruhe is divided into 27 districts.
According to legend, the name Karlsruhe, which translates as "Charles' repose" or "Charles' peace", was given to the new city after a hunting trip when Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach woke from a dream in which he dreamt of founding his new city. A variation of this story claims that he built the new palace to find peace from his wife.
Charles William founded the city on June 17, 1715, after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of the palace. Karlsruhe became the capital of Baden-Durlach, and, in 1771, of the united Baden until 1945. Built in 1822, the Ständehaus was the first parliament building in a German state. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution of 1848, a republican government was elected there.
Karlsruhe was visited by Thomas Jefferson during his time as the American envoy to France; when Pierre Charles L'Enfant was planning the layout of Washington, D.C., Jefferson passed to him maps of 12 European towns to consult, one of which was a sketch he had made of Karlsruhe during his visit.[11]
In 1860, the first-ever international professional convention of chemists, the Karlsruhe Congress, was held in the city.[12]
In 1907 the town was site of the Hau Riot where large crowds caused disturbance during the trial of murderer Carl Hau.
On Kristallnacht in 1938, the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, and the city's Jews were later sent to the Dachau concentration camp, Gurs concentration camp, Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz during the Holocaust, with 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews being killed.[13] During World War II, it was the location of a forced labour camp for men,[14] and a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp, whose prisoners were mainly Poles and Russians.[15]
Much of the central area, including the palace, was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing during World War II, but was rebuilt after the war. Located in the American zone of the postwar Allied occupation, Karlsruhe was home to an American military base, established in 1945. After the war, the city was part of West Germany until 1990. In 1995, the bases closed, and their facilities were turned over to the city of Karlsruhe.[16]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1720 | 2,347 | — |
1770 | 3,333 | +42.0% |
1800 | 7,275 | +118.3% |
1834 | 21,047 | +189.3% |
1871 | 36,582 | +73.8% |
1890 | 73,684 | +101.4% |
1900 | 97,185 | +31.9% |
1919 | 135,952 | +39.9% |
1925 | 145,694 | +7.2% |
1933 | 154,902 | +6.3% |
1939 | 190,081 | +22.7% |
1950 | 201,013 | +5.8% |
1956 | 222,237 | +10.6% |
1961 | 244,942 | +10.2% |
1971 | 258,409 | +5.5% |
1976 | 276,620 | +7.0% |
1981 | 271,877 | −1.7% |
1986 | 268,309 | −1.3% |
1991 | 278,579 | +3.8% |
1996 | 277,191 | −0.5% |
2001 | 279,578 | +0.9% |
2006 | 286,327 | +2.4% |
2011 | 291,995 | +2.0% |
2016 | 309,999 | +6.2% |
2021 | 306,502 | −1.1% |
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. |
Karlsruhe has a population of about 310,000 and is the 3rd largest city in Baden-Württemberg. Karlsruhe, which was founded by Charles III William, became a major city in the 19th century. Karlsruhe became in the 1950s a significant city where the population started to grow. It gained a large popularity of many students due to the university of technology and media arts. Karlsruhe reached population of 200,000 in 1950 and 300,000 in 2014.
Rank | Nationality | Population (31 December 2022)[17] |
---|---|---|
1 | Romania | 6,369 |
2 | Turkey | 5,618 |
3 | Italy | 4,568 |
4 | Ukraine | 3,637 |
5 | Croatia | 3,433 |
6 | Poland | 3,089 |
7 | China | 2,542 |
8 | France | 2,352 |
9 | Serbia | 1,746 |
10 | Russia | 1,712 |
11 | Spain | 1,502 |
12 | Bulgaria | 1,384 |
13 | Hungary | 1,294 |
14 | Greece | 1,258 |
15 | India | 1,183 |
The Stadtgarten is a recreational area near the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and was rebuilt for the 1967 Federal Garden Show (Bundesgartenschau). It is also the site of the Karlsruhe Zoo.
The Durlacher Turmberg has a lookout tower (hence its name). It is a former keep dating back to the 13th century.
The city has two botanical gardens: the municipal Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe, which forms part of the Palace complex, and the Botanischer Garten der Universität Karlsruhe, which is maintained by the university.
The Marktplatz has a stone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founder. Built in 1825, it is the emblem of Karlsruhe. The city is nicknamed the "fan city" (die Fächerstadt) because of its design layout, with straight streets radiating fan-like from the Palace.
The Karlsruhe Palace (Schloss) is an interesting piece of architecture; the adjacent Schlossgarten includes the Botanical Garden with a palm, cactus and orchid house, and walking paths through the woods to the north.
The so-called Kleine Kirche (Little Church), built between 1773 and 1776, is the oldest church of Karlsruhe's city centre.
The architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed many of the city's most important sights. Another sight is the Rondellplatz with its 'Constitution Building Columns' (1826). It is dedicated to Baden's first constitution in 1818, which was one of the most liberal of its time. The Münze (mint), erected in 1826/27, was also built by Weinbrenner.
The St. Stephan parish church is one of the masterpieces of neoclassical church architecture in.[18] Weinbrenner, who built this church between 1808 and 1814, orientated it to the Pantheon, Rome.
The neo-Gothic Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built between 1889 and 1896, is a mausoleum rather than a church, and is located in the middle of the forest.
The main cemetery of Karlsruhe is the oldest park-like cemetery in Germany. The crematorium was the first to be built in the style of a church.
Karlsruhe is also home to a natural history museum (the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe), an opera house (the Baden State Theatre), as well as a number of independent theatres and art galleries. The State Art Gallery, built in 1846 by Heinrich Hübsch, displays paintings and sculptures from six centuries, particularly from France, Germany and Holland. Karlsruhe's newly renovated art museum is one of the most important art museums in Baden-Württemberg. Further cultural attractions are scattered throughout Karlsruhe's various incorporated suburbs. Established in 1924, the Scheffel Association is the largest literary society in Germany.[citation needed] Today the Prinz-Max-Palais, built between 1881 and 1884 in neoclassical style, houses the organisation and includes its museum.
Due to population growth in the late 19th century, Karlsruhe developed several suburban areas (Vorstadt) in the Gründerzeit and especially art nouveau styles of architecture, with many preserved examples.
Karlsruhe is also home to the Majolika-Manufaktur,[19] the only art-ceramics pottery studio in Germany.[citation needed] Founded in 1901, it is located in the Schlossgarten. A 'blue streak' (Blauer Strahl) consisting of 1,645 ceramic tiles, connects the studio with the Palace. It is the world's largest ceramic artwork.[citation needed]
Another tourist attraction is the Centre for Art and Media (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, or ZKM), which is located in a converted ammunition factory.
Justice
Karlsruhe is the seat of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) and the highest Court of Appeals in civil and criminal cases, the Bundesgerichtshof. The courts came to Karlsruhe after World War II, when the provinces of Baden and Württemberg were merged. Stuttgart, capital of Württemberg, became the capital of the new province (Württemberg-Baden in 1945 and Baden-Württemberg in 1952). In compensation for the state authorities relocated to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe applied to become the seat of the high court.[20]
Public health
There are four hospitals: The municipal Klinikum Karlsruhe provides the maximum level of medical services, the St. Vincentius-Kliniken and the Diakonissenkrankenhaus, connected to the Catholic and Protestant churches, respectively, offer central services, and the private Paracelsus-Klinik basic medical care, according to state hospital demand planning.[citation needed]
Germany's largest oil refinery is located in Karlsruhe, at the western edge of the city, directly on the river Rhine. The Technologieregion Karlsruhe is a loose confederation of the region's cities in order to promote high tech industries; today, about 20% of the region's jobs are in research and development. EnBW, one of Germany's biggest electric utility companies, with a revenue of 19.2 billion € in 2012,[21] is headquartered in the city.
Internet activities
Due to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology providing services until the late 1990, Karlsruhe became known as the internet capital of Germany.[22] The DENIC, Germany's network information centre, has since moved to Frankfurt, though, where DE-CIX is located.
Two major internet service providers, WEB.DE and schlund+partner/1&1, now both owned by United Internet AG, are located at Karlsruhe.
The library of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology developed the Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog, the first internet site that allowed researchers worldwide (for free) to search multiple library catalogues worldwide.
In the year 2000 the regional online "newspaper" ka-news.de was created. As a daily newspaper, it not only provides the news, but also informs readers about upcoming events in Karlsruhe and surrounding areas.
In addition to established companies, Karlsruhe has a vivid and spreading startup community with well-known startups. Together, the local high tech industry is responsible for over 22.000 jobs.[23]
Mayor
The current mayor of Karlsruhe is Frank Mentrup of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) since 2013. The most recent mayoral election was held on 6 December 2020, and the results were as follows:
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Frank Mentrup | SPD/Green | 50,064 | 52.6 | |
Sven Weigt | CDU/FDP | 24,158 | 25.4 | |
Petra Lorenz | Free Voters/For Karlsruhe | 8,303 | 8.7 | |
Paul Schmidt | Alternative for Germany | 3,914 | 4.1 | |
Vanessa Schulz | Die PARTEI | 2,660 | 2.8 | |
Marc Nehlig | Independent | 6,065 | 6.4 | |
Other | 97 | 0.1 | ||
Valid votes | 95,261 | 99.6 | ||
Invalid votes | 430 | 0.4 | ||
Total | 95,961 | 100.0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 231,335 | 41.4 | ||
Source: City of Karlsruhe |
List of mayors
After the castle was founded in 1715, there was also a settlement in which a mayor was appointed from 1718. From 1812 the mayors received the title of Lord Mayor.
In addition to the Lord Mayor, there are five other mayors.
Mayor for:
- Human Resources, Elections and Statistics, Citizen Service and Security, Culture
- Youth and social affairs, schools, sports, pools
- Finance, economy and work, city marketing, congresses, exhibitions and events, tourism, supply and ports, real estate and market affairs
- Environment and climate protection, health, cemetery office, waste management, forestry, fire and disaster control
- Planning, building, real estate management, people's apartment and zoo
List of Mayors
Name | Time | Party |
---|---|---|
Johannes Sembach | 1718–1720 | |
Johannes Ludwig | 1721–1723 | |
Georg Adam Ottmann | 1724–1733 | |
Johannes Ernst Kaufmann | 1733–1738 | |
Johann Cornelius Roman | 1738–1744 | |
Johannes Ernst Kaufmann | 1744–1746 | |
Johann Christian Maschenbauer | 1746–1750 | |
Johann Cornelius Roman | 1750–1753 | |
Johann Sebald Kreglinger | 1753–1763 | |
Johann Cornelius Roman | 1763–1765 | |
Georg Jakob Fink | 1765–1773 | |
Christoph Hennig | 1773–1781 | |
Christian Ludwig Schulz | 1781–1799 | |
Georg Friedrich Trohmann | 1799–1800 | |
Gabriel Bauer | 1800–1809 | |
Wilhelm Christian Griesbach | 1809–1816 | |
Bernhard Dollmaetsch | 1816–1830 | |
August Klose | 1830–1833 | |
Christian Karl Füeßlin | 1833–1847 | |
August Klose | 1847 (May–September) | |
Ludwig Daler | 1847–1848 | |
Jakob Malsch | 1848–1870 | |
Wilhelm Florentin Lauter | 1870–1892 | |
Karl Schnetzler | 1892–1906 | |
Karl Siegrist | 1906–1919 | |
Julius Finter | 1919–1933 | DDP |
Friedrich Jäger | 1933–1938 | NSDAP |
Oskar Hüssy | 1938–1945 | NSDAP |
Josef Heinrich | 1945 (April–August) | |
Hermann Veit | 1945–1946 | SPD |
Friedrich Töpper | 1946–1952 | SPD |
Günther Klotz | 1952–1970 | SPD |
Otto Dullenkopf | 1970–1986 | CDU |
Gerhard Seiler | 1986–1998 | CDU |
Heinz Fenrich | 1998–2013 | CDU |
Frank Mentrup | since 2013 | SPD |
City council
The Karlsruhe city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows:
Party | Votes | % | +/- | Seats | +/- | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 1,802,237 | 30.0 | 10.2 | 15 | 6 | |
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 1,122,013 | 18.7 | 8.0 | 9 | 4 | |
Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 856,649 | 14.3 | 7.6 | 7 | 3 | |
Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 436,671 | 7.3 | 1.2 | 4 | 1 | |
Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 427,155 | 7.1 | 1.5 | 3 | ±0 | |
The Left (Die Linke) | 420,361 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 3 | 1 | |
Karlsruher List (KAL) | 301,826 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 2 | ±0 | |
Die PARTEI (PARTEI) | 274,628 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | |
Free Voters Baden-Württemberg (FW) | 193,764 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | |
For Karlsruhe (FÜR) | 163,214 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 137,805 | 100.0 | 48 | ±0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 234,850 | 58.7 | 13.5 | |||
Source: City of Karlsruhe Archived 2022-01-19 at the Wayback Machine |