Freiburg

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This article refers to the city in Baden-Württemberg. For the Swiss city see: Fribourg/Freiburg im Üechtland. For other uses see Freiburg (disambiguation)

Coordinates: 47°59′N 7°51′E

Freiburg
Coat of arms of Freiburg Location of Freiburg in Germany
Country Germany
State Baden-Württemberg
Administrative region Freiburg
District urban district
Population 214,716 source (2005)
Area 153.06 km²
Population density 1,402 /km²
Elevation 278 m
Coordinates 47°59′ N 7°51′ E
Postal code 79001-79140
Area code 0761
Licence plate code FR
Mayor Dr. Dieter Salomon (Green)
Website freiburg.de
Freiburg city from Schlossberg
Freiburg city from Schlossberg

Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in the Breisgau region, on the western edge of the southern Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) with about 214,000 inhabitants. Freiburg has a sunny microclimate and popular opinion has it that Freiburg is the warmest, sunniest 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) City". It was strategically located on 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 amount of freedom.

Around 1200 the city began construction of its Minster (Münster or Muenster in German) on the site of an older parish church. The end of the Middle Ages and the beginning 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.

Freiburg Münster medieval cathedral
Freiburg Münster medieval cathedral

In 1520, the city undertook a set of legal reforms, widely known as the most progressive of the times. They attempted to create a balance between the old city traditions and old Roman Law. The reforms received extensive acceptance, especially the sections dealing with civil process law, punishment and the city's constitution.

In 1520, Freiburg decided against joining the Reformation and became an important center for Catholicism on the Upper Rhine. In 1536, a strong and persistent belief in witchcraft lead to the city's first witchhunt. The need to find a reason for tragedies such as the Black Plague, which claimed 2000 area residents in 1564, led to an escalation in witch hunting until it 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.

On October 22, 1940, Nazi Gauleiter of Baden ordered the deportation of all the Jews of Baden and 360 Jewish citizen of Freiburg were deported to the Southern French internment camp of Gurs in the Basses-Pyrénées. They remained there under poor conditions until the majority of the survivors were sent to their deaths at Auschwitz on July 18, 1942. The cemetery of the German Jews who died at Gurs is maintained by the town of Freiburg and other cities of Baden. A memorial stands outside the modern synagogue in the town centre. The pavements of Freiburg carry memorials to individual victims in form of brass plates outside former residences, including the home of Edith Stein.

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 of 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. 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.

The Historisches Kaufhaus of 1532 in Freiburg's Cathedral Square or Münsterplatz.
The Historisches Kaufhaus of 1532 in Freiburg's Cathedral Square or Münsterplatz.

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

Dr. Dieter Salomon
Dr. Dieter Salomon

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 Mayor 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.

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 organisation in particular ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and ISES - International Solar Energy Society.

See also: List of mayors of Freiburg

[edit] Sister cities

Freiburg has several sister-cities throughout the world:

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's, controversial comments, which included calling the Holocaust a myth, 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] 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/streetcar 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] Famous Freiburgers

[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.

[edit] Gallery

The Freiburger Münster

Freiburg seen from the Schlossberg

Landscape seen from the Schlossberg

The Martinstor

The Schwabentor

The Historic Marketplace (Historisches Kaufhaus) at the Münsterplatz

Look-Out at the Schlossberg

Freiburg's town-hall

Freiburg's Main Station

The Konzerthaus (concert hall)

Stadttheater

Freiburg with the city centre 'Bächle'

View of Freiburg

[edit] External links


Flag of Baden-Württemberg
 Urban districts and districts in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in Germany
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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 (district) · Hohenlohe · Karlsruhe (district) · 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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