- there is also Karlsruhe, North Dakota.
Karlsruhe (population 275,049 in December 2005) is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.
Geography
The city's altitude is between 100 m (on the western shore of the Rhine river) and 277.5 m (at the Turmberg in the east). Its geographical coordinates are: 49°00′N 8°24′E, the 49th parallel runs through the city center. Its course is marked by a line of flagstones in the Stadtgarten (city park).
Economy
Germany's biggest oil refinery is located in Karlsruhe, at the western edge of the city, directly on the river Rhine.
Karlsruhe is known as the internet capital of Germany because two well-known internet service providers are located in the city.
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 which gives a good basis for high tech.
Transport
Karlsruhe is well known in transport circles around the world for pioneering the concept of operating trams on train tracks (tram-trains), to achieve a more effective and attractive public transport system. This concept makes it possible to reach other towns in the region, like Ettlingen, Pforzheim, Bad Wildbad, Bretten, Bruchsal, Heilbronn, Baden-Baden and even Freudenstadt in the Black Forest right from the city centre.
Karlsruhe is well-connected via road and rail, with Autobahn and InterCity Express connections going to Frankfurt, Stuttgart/Munich and Freiburg/Basel.
Two ports on the Rhine provide transport capacity on cargo ships, especially for petroleum products.
The nearest airport is the Baden Airpark or officially Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden about 30 km (20 miles) south of Karlsruhe with regular connections to Berlin, London, Rome and Barcelona. Frankfurt International Airport and Stuttgart Airport can also be reached in about an hour by car or rail.
History
Karlsruhe castle at night
The city takes its name from Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach, who founded the city in 1715 after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. Karlsruhe became the capital of Baden-Durlach until 1771, thereafter the capital of Baden until 1945.
Jewish Community
Since its foundation, there has been a Jewish community in the city . In 1925 about 3300 Jewish people lived in Karlsruhe. The community owned buildings and property, such as several synagogues, two elderly citizens' homes, a Jewish school, a hospital, welfare institutions, several Jewish cemeteries, and so forth. Since the 30's and during the holocaust some of the private and community's property was nationalized or destroyed. Some of the jewish inhabitants emigrated, most of them were murdered. In 1945 only 18 jewish people were left in the city.
Today, there are about 200 members in the jewish community, and a Chabad rabbi.
Historical population
(source unknown, figures unconfirmed)
Military
Karlsruhe has always hosted armed forces.
After World War II until 1995, Karlsruhe was a United States Army base. It also had a French garrison.
Famous people
It is the birthplace of Karl Benz (1844 - 1929), inventor of the automobile and founder of Benz & Co., now part of DaimlerChrysler (formerly Daimler-Benz), as well as Karl Drais who invented the precursor of the bicycle and other transportation devices.
In the late 1880's, professor Heinrich Rudolf Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves at the University of Karlsruhe; today, a lecture room named after Hertz lies close by the very spot where the discovery was made.
Oliver Kahn, goalkeeper of the German national football team and Bayern Munich was also born in this city, in 1969.
Institutions
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 court came to Karlsruhe when the provinces of Baden and Württemberg were merged. Stuttgart, capital of Württemberg, became the capital of the new province, and Karlsruhe was given the high court in a compromise.
The Universität Karlsruhe (TH) (University of Karlsruhe) is the oldest technical university in Germany and a well known research and study centre.
Karlsruhe is also the home of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Research Center Karlsruhe), at which engineering and scientific research is performed in the areas of health, earth and environmental sciences.
In 1999 the ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Centre for Art and Media) was opened. Within a short time it built up a worldwide reputation as a cultural institution. Linking new media theory and practice, the ZKM is located in a former weapons factory among the institues integrated under ZKM are the State Academy for Design (whose president is philosopher Peter Sloterdijk), the Museum for Contemporary Art.
Twinning
The town is twinned with Nancy (France), Nottingham (Britain), Krasnodar (Russia), Timisoara (also known as Temesvár) (Romania), Halle (Germany).
Gottesaue Castle (now music college)
Local attractions
Good visibility assumed, the Durlacher Turmberg to the east can be seen miles before reaching the city. It sports a look-out tower (hence its name) with nearby restaurant and can be reached with the historical Turmbergbahn (former rack railway, see link below).
The Stadtgarten is a recreational area near the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and was rebuilt during the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Garden Show) in 1967. It is also the site of the Karlsruhe Zoo.
The Marktplatz with the stone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founding father. The city is nicknamed Die Fächerstadt (the fan city) because of its deliberate layout, with straight streets running out fan-like from the castle. The Karlsruhe Schloss (palace) is an interesting piece of architecture; the adjacent Schlossgarten invites to a walk in the woods stretching out to the north of it.
Another popular attraction is the ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie) - Centre for Art and Media. Its collections are quite unique, since they combine art and modern technologies. The Centre is located in a converted ammunition manufactory.
Events
It attracted an immense crowd of visitors from all directions eager to watch the total solar eclipse at noon on August 11, 1999 (this place being located within the eclipse path and one of the few within Germany not plagued by bad weather).
Every year in July there is a huge free open air festival lasting three days called Das Fest ("The Festival") (http://www.dasfest-karlsruhe.de/ (in German)).
Karlsruhe is the host of the yearly Free Software expo LinuxTag, and the Linux Audio Concerence (http://lac.zkm.de/).
The city is also one of the first in the world to have organized an annual clothing-optional bike ride, locally known as Nackt Radtour.
Sport
Football Karlsruher SC (KSC), 2. Bundesliga (second division)
Basketball BG Karlsruhe, Basketball Bundesliga (first division)
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlsruhe under GFDL
