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Wiesbaden
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Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the American military). Wiesbaden, together with the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people.
Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe.
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Encyclopedia
Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the American military). Wiesbaden, together with the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people.
Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name literally means "meadow baths". At one time, Wiesbaden boasted 27 hot springs. Fifteen of the springs are still flowing today.
Geographical Setting
Wiesbaden is situated on the right (northern) bank of the Rhine River, below the confluence of the Main, where the Rhine's main direction changes from north to west. The city is across the Rhine from Mainz, the capital of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Frankfurt am Main is located about east. To the north of the city are the Taunus Mountains, which trend in a northeasterly direction.
The city center lies about from the Rhine, in a wide lowland between the Taunus heights in the north, the Bierstadter Höhe and the Hainerberg in the east, the Mosbacher Mountain in the south, and the Steinerberg Mountain in the west, an offshoot of the Taunus range. The downtown is drained only by the narrow valley of the Salzbach, a tributary of the Rhine, on the eastern flanks of the Mosbacher Mountain. The city's main railway line and the Mainz road (Mainzerstraße) follow this valley. Several other streams drain into the Salzbach within the city center: the Wellritzbach, the Kesselbach, the Schwarzbach, the Dambach, and the Tennelbach, as well as the outflow of many thermal and mineral springs in the Kurhaus (spa) district. Above the city center, the Salzbach is better known as the Rambach.
The highest point of the Wiesbaden municipality is located northwest of the city center near the summit of the Hohe Wurzel, with an elevation of above sea level. The lowest point is the harbor entrance of Schierstein at above sea level. The central square (the Schloßplatz, or palace square) is at an elevation of .
The Wiesbaden municipality covers an area of 204 square kilometers. It is from north to south and from west to east. In the north are vast forest areas, which cover 27.4% of the urban area. In the west and east are vineyards and agricultural land, which cover 31.1% of the area. Of the municipality's -long border, the Rhine makes up .
History
While evidence of settlement at present-day Wiesbaden dates back to the Neolithic era, historical records document continuous occupancy after the erection of a Roman fort in 6 A.D. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden are 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. The Mattiaci were a Germanic tribe, possibly a branch of the neighboring Chatti, who lived in the vicinity at that time. The town also appears as Mattiacum in Ptolemy's Geographia (2.10). The line of Roman frontier fortifications, the Limes Germanicus, was constructed in the Taunus not far north of Wiesbaden.
The Alamanni, a coalition of Germanic tribes from beyond the Limes, 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.
After the Franks under Clovis I defeated the Alamanni in the Battle of Tolbiac in 496, the Franks eventually displaced the Alamanni in the Wiesbaden area over the course of the 6th century. In the 8th century, Wiesbaden became the site of a royal palace of the Frankish kingdom. The first documented use of the name Wiesbaden is by Einhard, the biographer of Charlemagne, whose writings mention "Wisabada" sometime between 828 and 830.
When the Frankish Carolingian Empire broke up in 888, Wiesbaden was in the eastern half, called East Francia (which would evolve into the Holy Roman Empire). The town was part of Franconia, the heartland of East Francia. In the 1170s, the Counts of Nassau, Walram I, received the area around Wiesbaden as a fiefdom. When Franconia fragmented in the early 13th century, Nassau emerged as an independent state as part of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1232 Wiesbaden became a reichsstadt, an imperial city, of the Holy Roman Empire. However, in 1242, during the war of Emperor Frederick II against the Pope, the Archbishop of Mainz, Siegfried III, ordered the city's destruction.
Wiesbaden returned to the control of the House of Nassau in 1270 under Count Walram II of Nassau-Weilburg. However, Wiesbaden and the castle at Sonnenberg were again destroyed in 1283 in conflict with Eppstein.
Walram's son and successor Adolf would later became King of Germany from 1292 until 1298. In 1329, under Adolf's son Gerlach I of Nassau-Weilburg the House of Nassau and thereby, Wiesbaden, received the right of coinage from Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Bavarian.
In 1355, the County of Nassau-Weilburg was divided among the sons of Gerlach. The County of Nassau's holdings would be subdivided many times among heirs, with the parts being brought together again whenever a line died out. Wiesbaden became the seat of the County of Nassau-Wiesbaden under Count Adolf I (1307-1370), eldest son of Gerlach. It would eventually fell back to Nassau-Weilburg in 1605.
Modern era
Due to its participation in the uprisings of the Peasants' War of 1525, Wiesbaden lost all its privileges for over forty years. During this time, Wiesbaden 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 Wiesbaden, the old city hall, was built in 1609 and 1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561.
In 1659, the Countship of Nassau-Weilburg was divided again. Wiesbaden became part of the Countship of Nassau-Usingen. In 1744, the seat of Nassau-Usingen was moved to Biebrich.
In 1771, the Count of Nassau-Usingen granting a concession for gambling in Wiesbaden. In 1810, the Weisbaden Casino (German: Spielbank) was opened in the old Kurhaus. Gambling would later be outlawed by Prussian authorities in 1872.
As a result of Napoleon's victory over Austria in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved. On 12 July 1806, 16 states in present-day Germany, including the remaining Countships of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg, formally left the Holy Roman Empire and joined together in the Confederation of the Rhine. Napoleon was its "protector." Under pressure from Napoleon, both countships merged to form the Duchy of Nassau on August 30, 1806.
At the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Duchy of Nassau joined the German Confederation. The capital of Nassau was moved from Weilburg 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 center of Wiesbaden dates back to this time.
In the Revolutions of 1848, 30,000 citizens of Nassau assembled in Wiesbaden on March 4. They demanded a constitution from the Grand Duke, which they received.
In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Nassau took 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 Hesse-Nassau. The deposed duke Adolph of Nassau in 1890 became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (see House of Nassau).
In the subsequent period, Wiesbaden experienced growth as a spa, convention city, and administrative seat. The period around the turn of the 20th century is regarded as the heyday of the city. Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the city regularly in summer. In the wake of the imperial court, numerous nobles, artists and wealthy businessmen increasingly settled in the city. In 1894, the present Hessian State Theater, designed by the Vienna architects Fellner and Helmer, was built on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Weimar Republic and Third Reich (1919 to 1945)
After World War I, Wiesbaden fell under the Allied occupation of the Rhineland and was occupied by the French army in 1918. In 1921, the Wiesbaden Agreement on German reparations to France was signed in the city. In 1925, Wiesbaden became the headquarters of the British Rhine Army until the withdrawal of occupying forces from the Rhineland in 1930.
In 1929, an airport was constructed in Erbenheim on the site of a horse-racing track. In 1936, Fighter Squadron 53 of the Luftwaffe was stationed here.
In the Kristallnacht pogrom on November 10, 1938, Wiesbaden's large synagogue on Michelsberg was destroyed. The synagogue had been designed by Phillip Hoffmann and built in 1869. Another synagogue in Wiesbaden-Bierstadt was also destroyed. During the Third Reich, a total of approximately 1200 Wiesbaden Jews were deported and murdered.
General Ludwig Beck of Wiesbaden was one of the planners of the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler. Beck was designated by his fellow conspirators to be future Head of State (Regent) after elimination of Hitler. The plot failed, however, and Beck was forced to commit suicide. Today, the city annually awards the Ludwig Beck prize for civil courage in his honor.
Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemöller, founder of the Confessing Church resistance movement against the Nazis, is an Honorary Citizen of Wiesbaden. He presented his last sermon before his arrest in Wiesbaden's Market Church.
In World War II, Wiesbaden was the Headquarters for Germany’s Wehrkreis XII. This military district included the Eifel, part of Hesse, the Palatinate, and the Saarland. After the Battle of France, this Wehrkreis was extended to include Lorraine, including Nancy, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The commander was General der Infanterie Walter Schroth.
Wehrkreis XII was made up of three subordinate regions: Bereich Hauptsitze Koblenz, Mannheim and Metz.
- Bereich Hauptsitz Koblenz was the headquarters for 12 Unterregion-Hauptsitze, namely Trier I, Trier II, Koblenz, Neuwied, Kreuznach, Wiesbaden, Limburg an der Lahn, Lahn, Mainz, Worms, Darmstadt and Luxemburg.
- Bereich Hauptsitz Mannheim was the headquarters for 10 Unterregion-Hauptsitze, namely Saarlautern, Saarbrucken, St. Wendel, Zweibrucken, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt (Weinstrasse), Ludwigshafen (Rhein), Mannheim I, Mannheim II and Heidelberg.
- Bereich Hauptsitz Metz was the headquarters for Unterregion-Hauptsitze Metz, Diedenhofen (Thionville) and Saint-Avold.
During the war, Wiesbaden was largely spared by allied bombing raids. But between August 1940 and March 1945, Wiesbaden was attacked by allied bombers on 66 days. In the attacks, about 18% of the city's homes were destroyed and approximately 1,700 people lost their lives.
Wiesbaden was captured by U.S. Army forces on 28 March 1945. The U.S. 317th Infantry Regiment attacked in assault boats across the Rhine from Mainz while the 319th Infantry attacked across the Main River near Hochheim am Main. The attack started at 0100 and by early afternoon the two forces of the 80th U.S.Infantry Division had linked up with the loss of only three dead and three missing. The Americans captured 900 German soldiers and a warehouse full of 4,000 cases of champagne.
Cold War and contemporary history
After World War II, the state of Hesse was established (see Greater Hesse), and Wiesbaden became its capital, though nearby Frankfurt am Main is much larger and contains many Hessian government offices. Wiesbaden however suffered much less than Frankfurt from air bombing. There is a constant rumour that the U.S. Army Air Force spared the town due to its scheduled function as a postwar HQ, but USAAF sources claim this to be a myth, arguing that Wiesbaden's economic and strategic importance simply did not justify more bombing. Wiesbaden was host to the Headquarters, U.S. Air Forces, Europe based at the former Lindsey Air Station from 1953 to 1973.
American armed forces have been present in Wiesbaden since World War II. The U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division is still headquartered at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, just off the Autobahn toward Frankfurt. Smaller supporting American kasernes and housing areas are scattered around the city. More Americans are moving in from bases scheduled to be closed such as Darmstadt and Heidelberg.
Bathing and Gambling
Wiesbaden has long been famous for its thermal springs and spa. Use of the thermal springs was first documented by the Romans. The business of spring bathing became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages. By 1370, sixteen bath houses were in operation. By 1800, the city had 2,239 inhabitants and twenty-three bath houses. By 1900, Wiesbaden, with a population of 86,100, hosted 126,000 visitors annually. Famous visitors to the springs included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, and Johannes Brahms. In those years there were more millionaires living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany.
Gambling followed bathing en suite and in the 19th century Wiesbaden was famous for both. Its casino ("Spielbank") rivalled those of Bad Homburg, Baden-Baden or Monaco. In 1872, the Prussian-dominated Imperial government closed down all German gambling houses. The Wiesbaden casino was reopened in 1949.
Main sights
The Palace Square
The Schlossplatz ("palace square") is situated in the center of the city, surrounded by several outstanding buildings. The ducal palace was begun under William, Duke of Nassau. Its foundations were laid in 1837 and it was completed in November 1841 (two years after William's death). For the twenty-six remaining years of ducal authority it was the residence of the ruling family. It later served as a secondary residence for the King of Prussia 1866 to 1918. It was later used as a headquarters for French and British occupying forces after World War I, then as a museum. Since 1945, the building has served as Landtag (parliamentary building) for the federal state of Hesse. The site of the palace had been that of a castle, probably from the early Middle Ages, around which the city had developed. While nothing is known of the former castle, remains of it were uncovered during excavations after World War II.
The new town hall was built in 1887. 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 fleur-de-lis of Wiesbaden. The old town hall, built in 1610, is the oldest preserved building in the city center and now is used as a civil registry office.
The Protestant Marktkirche ("market church") was built from 1852 to 1862 in a neo-Gothic style. Its western steeple is 92 m (302 ft) in height, making the church the highest building in the city.
Kurhaus and Theater
The monumental Neo-Classical Kurhaus ("spa house") was built at the request of Kaiser Wilhelm II between 1904 and 1907. Its famous Spielbank (casino) is again in operation.
In front of the Kurhaus is a lawn known as the Bowling Green. To one side of the Bowling Green is the Kurhaus Kolonnade. Built in 1827, the 129 meter structure is the longest hall in Europe supported by pillars. To the other side is the Theater Kolonnade, built in 1839. It is adjacent to the Hessian State Theater, built between 1892 and 1894.
Other sights
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.
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.
North of the city 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.
Boroughs of Wiesbaden
The city of Wiesbaden is divided into 26 boroughs: five in the central city and 21 suburban districts. The 21 suburban districts were incorporated in four phases from 1926 to 1977. The former right Mainz suburbs Amöneburg, Kastel and Kostheim have belonged to Wiesbaden since 1945.
Inner Boroughs
| Borough | Population | Area (ha) |
|---|
| Mitte (Center) | 21,427 | 153 | | Nordost (Northeast) | 22,598 | 1,944 | | Rheingauviertel | 19,504 | 247 | | Südost (Southeast) | 18,832 | 662 | | Westend | 16,497 | 67 | | Totals for inner boroughs | 98,858 | 3,224 |
|---|
Suburban Boroughs
| Borough | Incorporation Date | Population | Area (ha) |
|---|
Biebrich | October 10, 1926 | 36,792 | 1,299 | Schierstein | October 10, 1926 | 10,094 | 943 | Sonnenberg | October 10, 1926 | 7,948 | 834 | Bierstadt | April 1, 1928 | 12,319 | 922 | Dotzheim | April 1, 1928 | 26,114 | 1,827 | Erbenheim | April 1, 1928 | 9,238 | 1,127 | Frauenstein | April 1, 1928 | 2,373 | 1,065 | Heßloch | April 1, 1928 | 721 | 154 | Igstadt | April 1, 1928 | 2,094 | 726 | Kloppenheim | April 1, 1928 | 2,298 | 539 | Rambach | April 1, 1928 | 2,235 | 992 | Mainz-Amöneburg | August 10(11), 1945 | 1,464 | 371 | Mainz-Kastel | August 10, 1945 | 12,122 | 951 | Mainz-Kostheim | August 10, 1945 | 13,897 | 953 | Klarenthal | September 11, 1964 | 10,093 | 613 | Auringen | January 1, 1977 | 3,361 | 312 | Breckenheim | January 1, 1977 | 3,472 | 640 | Delkenheim | January 1, 1977 | 5,020 | 743 | Medenbach | January 1, 1977 | 2,535 | 447 | Naurod | January 1, 1977 | 4,441 | 1,099 | Nordenstadt | January 1, 1977 | 8,000 | 773 | Totals for outer boroughs | - | 176,631 | 17,337 | Totals for city | - | 275,489 | 20,390 |
Historical 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 | 191,955 | September 13, 1950 | 220,741 | June 6, 1961 | 253,300 | May 27, 1970 | 250,122 | June 30, 1975 | 251,400 | June 30, 1980 | 273,700 | June 30, 1985 | 267,000 | May 27, 1987 | 251,871 | June 30, 1997 | 267,700 | January 1, 2002 | 271,076 | September 30, 2005 | 274,865 |
Mayors
- 1849-1868: Heinrich Fischer
- 1868-1882: Wilhelm Lanz
- 1882-1883: Christian Schlichter
- 1883-1913: Carl Bernhard von Ibell
- 1913-1919: Karl Glässing
- 1919-1929: Fritz Travers
- 1946-1953: Hans Heinrich Redlhammer
- 1951-1954: Georg Kluge
- 1954-1960: Erich Mix
- 1960-1968: Georg Buch
- 1968-1980: Rudi Schmitt
- 1980-1982: Georg-Berndt Oschatz
- 1982-1985: Hans-Joachim Jentsch
- 1985-1997: Achim Exner
- 1997-2007: Hildebrand Diehl
- 2007- Helmut Müller
Transport
Wiesbaden's main railway station and several minor railway stops connect the town with Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Mainz, Limburg and Koblenz via Rüdesheim. Train services to most locations outside the immediate area connect through Frankfurt. Local train and bus services are coordinated by 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 autobahns directly service Wiesbaden, connecting to the nearby A3, A60 and A61. The nearest airport is Frankfurt International Airport and 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.
Events
Rheingau Wine Festival
Local wines and sparkling wine are the principal topics revolving around the Wiesbaden City Hall during this ten-day Rheingau Wine Festival in the month of August. The festival takes place in the immediate vicinity of the Wiesbaden palace square palace square, the square in front of the Marktkirche Marktkirche and the Market Square called “Dern’sches Gelände”. At 118 booths the Rheingau and Wiesbaden vintners offer their wine and sparkling wine and invite to discover the already well known and favored, but also new vintages. Every year thousands of visitors use this opportunity to get acquainted with the Rheingau Riesling Wines with all its various facets and flavours. Regional Specialities compatible with the wines are offered as well. A diversified musical program entertains the wine festival guests. Initiated more than 30 years ago by the Rheingau vintners, this Wine Festival has a long tradition.
Twinkling Star Market
Wiesbaden’s Sternschnuppen Markt is located at the central Schloßplatz and the neighbouring streets of the parliamentary building, old town hall and market church.
The Sternschnuppen Markt takes place from the end of November until the 23rd December every year. opening hours:
Monday till Thursday 10:30 – 9:00 pm, Friday – Saturday 10:30 – 9:30 pm, Sunday 12:00 – 9:00 pm.
The market is related to the city arms of Wiesbaden: The colours Blue and Gold and the three lilies are characteristic.
Four gates and an illuminated floral roof symbolizing Fleur-de-lis, consisting of twelve over ten metre high an twelve metre wide luminous lily, emboss the Sternschnuppen Markt.
Over 110 booths are decorated in oriental style, coloured blue and gold, offering Christmas style goods, arts and crafts as well as nostalgic carousels and a toy train. An over 28 metre high Christmas tree is decorated with 1000 blue and golden ties, 2500 electric bulbs and 30 flash bulbs.
The nativity scene shows life-sized wooden figures.
Twin towns
Wiesbaden is twinned with:
Fondettes, France
Ghent, Belgium
Kefar Sava, Israel
Klagenfurt, Austria
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Montreux, Switzerland
Ocotal, Nicaragua
San Sebastián, Spain
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".
Notable Residents
Notable people born in Wiesbaden include:
Others who have resided in Wiesbaden include:
- Richard Wagner settled in Biebrich (now part of Wiesbaden) in 1861, after the political ban against him in Germany was lifted. It was there that he began work on Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
- Priscilla Presley (Beaulieu at the time) lived in Wiesbaden with her parents (her father was an Air Force Officer stationed here). It was here that she met Elvis Presley - she was 14 years old at the time, Elvis was 24.
Famous Visitors
- Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who suffered from an acute gambling compulsion, allegedly lost his travelling money in Wiesbaden's Spielbank casino in 1865. The experience became the inspiration of his 1866 novel The Gambler (Russian ?????), set in the fictitious place "Roulettenburg". Some historians have disputed this account, saying that Bad Homburg was the location for Dostoyevsky's real-life misfortune.
- U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Wiesbaden during a stay in Germany in June 1963.
- U.S. President Jimmy Carter visited one of the U.S. military installations in Wiesbaden in July 1978.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his visit to Germany with a stay in Wiesbaden on May 28, 2003, meeting with Roland Koch, the state's Minister-President.
- U.S. President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush made a stop in Wiesbaden during a visit to Germany on February 23, 2005 to talk to U.S. troops (U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division).
Rivalry with Mainz
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".
Fictional references
In the 1983 American television movie The Day After, Wiesbaden was the first city to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon during the escalating war between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces that eventually leads to a full scale nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union.
External links
- — Panoramic Views and virtual Tours
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