Wiesbaden

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Wiesbaden
Coat of arms of Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (Germany)
Wiesbaden
Coordinates: 50° 5′ N, 8° 15′ E
Time zone: CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Administration
Country: Germany
State: Hesse
Administrative region: Darmstadt
District: Urban district
City subdivisions: 26 Stadtbezirke
Lord Mayor: Hildebrand Diehl (CDU)
Governing parties: CDU / FDP / Greens
Basic Statistics
Area: 203.9 km² (79 sq.mi.)
Population: 275,522 (30 Sep. 2006)
 - Density: 1,351 /km² (3,500 /sq.mi.)
Elevation: 115 m  (377 ft)
Founded: 6 AD
Further Information
Postal codes: 65001 - 65207, 55240 - 55252
Area codes: 0611, 06122, 06127, 06134
Licence plate code: WI
Website: wiesbaden.de
Location of Wiesbaden within Hesse

Map

Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. It is the capital of the state of Hessen. Wiesbaden is situated on the right, northern bank of the river Rhine, opposite the city of Mainz on the other side of the river, and it is only a short distance from Frankfurt am Main. Wiesbaden has about 274,000 inhabitants, including approximately 12,000 U.S. citizens (mostly associated with the American military).

Contents

[edit] History

Memorial for the German Hessen-Nassaus fallen at the Battle of Waterloo
Memorial for the German Hessen-Nassaus fallen at the Battle of Waterloo

Evidence of settlements at Wiesbaden date back to the neolithic era.

Historical records document continuous occupancy after the erection of a Roman fort in the year 6. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden were first mentioned in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia. The Roman settlement is first mentioned using the name, Aquae Mattiacorum (Latin for "Waters of the Mattiaci"), in 121. This name refers to the Chattian tribe of the Mattiaci (German: "Mattiaker"), who were living in this area at the time. The town also appears as Mattiacum in Ptolemy (2.10).

The Alamanni captured the fort c. 260. Later, in the 370s, when the Romans and Alamanni were allied, the Alamanni gained control of the Wiesbaden area and were in charge of its defense against other Germanic tribes.

During the 6th century, the Franks displaced the Alamanni. In the 8th century the Franks built a royal yard ("Königshof", "curtis regia"). Sometime between 828 and 830, Einhard mentions "Wisabada". This is the first time that the name, Wiesbaden, is documented.

In the 1170s the Dukes of Nassau received the area around Wiesbaden as a fiefdom. They governed until in 1242 the archbishop of Mainz conquered Wiesbaden and burnt it down. Wiesbaden returned to the house of Nassau in 1270. In 1329 the house of Nassau and thereby, Wiesbaden, received the right of coinage from Louis the Bavarian.

Due to its participation in the uprisings of the Peasants' War Wiesbaden lost all its privileges in 1525 for over forty years. During this time, Wiesbaden built a new vineyard in 1526, became Protestant with the nomination of Wolf Denthener as first Lutheran pastor on January 1, 1543. The same day the first Latin school was opened, preparing pupils for the gymnasium in Idstein. In 1566 the privileges of the city were restored.

The oldest remaining building of the town, the old city hall, was built during 1609 to 1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561.

In 1815 the capital of Nassau was moved to Wiesbaden, and the city became the ducal residence. Building activity started in order to give the city a magnificent appearance. Most of the historical centre of Wiesbaden dates back to this time. In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau decided to take Austria's side. This decision led to the end of the duchy: After the Austrian defeat Nassau was annexed by Prussia and became part of the Prussian province of Hessen-Nassau.

Wiesbaden pedestrian zone.
Wiesbaden pedestrian zone.

After World War II, the state of Hessen was established, and Wiesbaden became its capital, though nearby Frankfurt is much larger and contains many Hessian government offices.

American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since the World War Two. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division and Third Corps Support Command (3rd COSCOM) are both headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, just off the Autobahn toward Frankfurt. Smaller supporting American kasernes and housing areas are scattered around the city. The Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany) (German: Bundeskriminalamt or BKA) is headquartered in a former American kaserne on the west side of the city.

[edit] Main sights

Biebrich Palace
Biebrich Palace

The Schlossplatz ("palace square") is situated in the center of the city. There are two outstanding buildings on this square: the ducal palace and the new town hall. The palace was built by Duke Wilhelm of Nassau in 1840. For the twenty-six remaining years of ducal authority it was the residence of the ruling family. Today the building serves as Landtag (parliamentary building) for the federal state of Hesse. The new town hall replaced the old one in 1887. (The old town hall, built in 1610, is the oldest preserved building of the city and now is used as a civil registry office.) Engraved in the paving in front of the town hall are the heraldic eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, the lion of Nassau, and the lilies of Wiesbaden.

The Protestant Marktkirche ("market church") was built during 1852 to 1862 in a neo-Gothic style. Its western steeple is 92 m (302 feet) in height, being the highest building of the city. Another building from the regency of Duke Wilhelm is the Luisenplatz, a square named for the Duke's first wife. It is surrounded by Neoclassicist buildings, and in the middle of the square is the Waterloo Obelisk, commemorating the Nassauers who died in the wars against Napoleon. The monumental Kurhaus ("spa house") (now containing a casino) and the Hessian state theater are from the time of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Apart from the palace in the center, the ducal family had a large palace on the banks of the Rhine, known as Schloss Biebrich. This baroque building was erected in the first half of the 18th century.

Nerobergbahn funicular.
Nerobergbahn funicular.

North of the city there is the Neroberg. From the top of this hill it is possible to view a panorama of the city. The Nerobergbahn funicular railway connects the city with the hill.

One of the three Hessian state museums, Museum Wiesbaden is located in Wiesbaden.

[edit] Baths and spa

Wiesbaden is famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs is first documented by the Romans. The spring bathing business became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages. In 1370, sixteen bath houses were in operation. By 1800, there were 2,239 inhabitants and twenty-three bath houses. Among visitors to the springs were Goethe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, and Johannes Brahms. In 1900, there were 86,100 inhabitants and 126,000 visitors. In those years there were more millionaires living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany.

[edit] Incorporations into Wiesbaden

The Marktkirche's neo-Gothic steeple dominates the center of Wiesbaden.
The Marktkirche's neo-Gothic steeple dominates the center of Wiesbaden.
Year Place
October 10, 1926 Biebrich (Stadt)
October 10, 1926 Schierstein
October 10, 1926 Sonnenberg
April 10, 1928 Bierstadt
April 10, 1928 Dotzheim
April 10, 1928 Erbenheim
April 10, 1928 Frauenstein
April 10, 1928 Heßloch
April 10, 1928 Igstadt
April 10, 1928 Kloppenheim
April 10, 1928 Rambach
Georgenborn (1939)
August 10, 1945 Mainz-Amöneburg ¹
August 10, 1945 Mainz-Kastel ¹
August 10, 1945 Mainz-Kostheim ¹
January 1, 1977 Auringen
January 1, 1977 Breckenheim
January 1, 1977 Delkenheim
January 1, 1977 Medenbach
January 1, 1977 Naurod
January 1, 1977 Nordenstadt

[edit] Historical population

Population
Population
Year Population
1521 192 (village)
1629 915
1699 730
1722 1,329
1800 2,239
1840 11,648
1870 33,339
1900 86,086
1910 109,002
June 16, 1925 102,737
June 16, 1933 159,755
May 17, 1939 ¹ 191,955
September 13, 1950 ¹ 220,741
June 6, 1961 ¹ 253,300
May 27, 1970 ¹ 250,122
June 30, 1975 251,400
June 30, 1980 273,700
June 30, 1985 267,000
May 27, 1987 ¹ 251,871
June 30, 1997 267,700
January 1, 2002 271,076

[edit] Mayors of Wiesbaden

[edit] Twinning

Wiesbaden is twinned with:

[edit] Coat-of-arms

Wiesbaden's coat-of-arms features fleurs-de-lys, stylized representations of the city's heraldic symbol, the lily. The blazon is: "Azure, two and one fleurs-de-lys Or".

[edit] Miscellaneous

Notable people born in Wiesbaden include painter Maria Vasilievna Yakunchikova-Weber, American tennis star John McEnroe (who was born on a U.S. military base at Wiesbaden), F1 driver Nico Rosberg, German film director Volker Schlöndorff, German product designer Dieter Rams, former head of design for Braun, and founder of Anheuser-Busch,Adolphus Busch (born in Mainz-Kastel).David P Koston Jr., son of U.S. Army Soldier David P Koston Sr., {David also is now a Soldier for the U.S. Army), A.J. MacQuarrie, American actor.

Mainz, on the opposite side of the Rhine river, is Wiesbaden's archrival — the two cities are the capitals of their respective Bundesländer, and citizens of both cities jokingly refer to those on the other one as "living on the wrong side of the river".

[edit] Transportation

Wiesbaden railroad station, built from 1904 till 1906.
Wiesbaden railroad station, built from 1904 till 1906.

Wiesbaden has several minor railway stops and one major station (Hauptbahnhof), which connects different local trains to Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Mainz, Limburg, and Koblenz via Rüdesheim. Train service to most locations outside the immediate area connect through Frankfurt. Local train and bus services are coordinated through the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund. Wiesbaden is connected to the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line by a 13-kilometer branch line. The A66, A671, and A643 autobahn highways directly service Wiesbaden, connecting to the nearby A3, A60, and A61. The nearest airport is Frankfurt International Airport, though discount airline flights are available at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, around an hour's drive to the southwest. There are small container port operations nearby on the Rhine and Main Rivers.

[edit] External links

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