Hanau

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Hanau
Coat of arms Location
Coat of arms of Hanau
Hanau (Germany)
Hanau
Administration
Country Flag of Germany Germany
State Hesse
Admin. region Darmstadt
District Main-Kinzig-Kreis
Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area 76.49 km² (29.5 sq mi)
Elevation 104 m  (341 ft)
Population 88,251  (30/04/2007)
 - Density 1,154 /km² (2,988 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate HU
Postal codes 63450, 63452, 63454 63456, 63457
Area code 06181
Website www.hanau.de

Coordinates: 50°08′0″N 08°55′0″E / 50.13333, 8.91667

Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main.

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Districts

  • City center
  • Lamboy
  • Kesselstadt
  • Großauheim
  • Klein-Auheim
  • Mittelbuchen
  • Steinheim
  • Wolfgang
  • Hohe Tanne
  • Wilhelmsbad

[edit] History

Hanau was first mentioned in 1143 and became a city in 1303.

At the end of the 16th century, Count Philipp Ludwig II allowed Protestant refugees from the Netherlands to found their own settlement near Hanau, to which these Walloons brought their knowledge of jewellery production. For this reason goldsmiths are still educated there. In the 19th century the Neustadt (New Town), as it was called, was merged with Hanau.

In the 19th century Hanau was a centre of the German democratic movement and contributed significantly both in 1830 and in the Revolution of 1848. Also in 1848 the German Gymnastic League (Turnerbund) was founded here.

During World War II Hanau was for the most part destroyed by British airstrikes in March 1945 a few days before it was taken by the US Army.

Nowadays many inhabitants work in the technological industry (VAC, Heraeus) or commute to Frankfurt. Frankfurt International Airport is only 30km away.

[edit] Population

  • Hanau is the 6th largest town in Hesse. Having recently lost its status as administrative centre of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis (Main-Kinzig district) to Gelnhausen, proposals have been made, that Hanau should form its own administrative district.
  • More than 20% of the inhabitants are foreign nationals.

[edit] Twin towns

Hanau has twinned with 8 others towns:

In addition it is associated with two other towns:

[edit] Sights

  • The German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
  • Philippsruhe Castle
  • Health Establishment at Hanau-Wilhelmsbad
  • St Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
  • Dutch-Walloon Church (Niederländisch-Wallonische Kirche)

[edit] Famous persons

Sculpture of brothers Grimm in Hanau
Sculpture of brothers Grimm in Hanau

[edit] Sports

  • Turngemeinde 1837 Hanau a.V. (TGH), one of the oldest of Germany's sports clubs
  • Hanauer Rudergesellschaft 1879 e.V. (HRG), one of Germany's oldest rowing clubs
  • 1.Hanauer FC 1893 e.V. (Hanau '93), Hesse's oldest football/soccer club

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] References