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Friedrichshafen ( or ; Low Alemannic: ''Hafe'' or ''Fridrichshafe'') is a city on the northern shoreline of
Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
(the ''Bodensee'') in
Southern Germany Southern Germany () is a region of Germany which has no exact boundary, but is generally taken to include the areas in which Upper German dialects are spoken, historically the stem duchies of Bavaria and Swabia or, in a modern context, Bavaria ...
, near the borders of both Switzerland and Austria. It is the district capital (''Kreisstadt'') of the Bodensee district in the
federal state A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-governi ...
of
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
. Friedrichshafen has a population of about 58,000.


History


19th and early 20th century

Friedrichshafen was established in 1811 as part of the new
Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...
, an ally of France during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. It was named for King
Frederick I of Württemberg , image = Seele-Friedrich I..jpg , caption = Portrait by Johann Baptist Seele , birth_date = , birth_place = Treptow an der Rega, Prussia (now Trzebiatów, Poland) , death_date = , death_place = Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württe ...
, who privileged it as a free port and transshipment point for the kingdom's
Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...
trade. Friedrichshafen was created from the former city of Buchhorn, whose coat of arms it adopted. The new city also incorporated the former village of Hofen, whose monastery was refurbished to serve as the summer residence of the Württemberger kings. King
William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
continued improving the city, including the purchase of the steamship ''Wilhelm''. Ministers and senior officials built villas around the royal castle, and many foreign tourists visited the city as well, including Tsar
Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...
. The first track laid by the
Royal Württemberg State Railways The Royal Württemberg State Railways (''Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen'' or ''K.W.St.E.'') were the state railways of the Kingdom of Württemberg (from 1918 the ''People's State of Württemberg'') between 1843 and 1920. Please ...
connected the port to Ravensburg in 1847.
Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...
was connected in 1850, and a ferry to
Romanshorn Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. History Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th century, and is first mentioned in 779 as ''Rumanishorn'' in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abb ...
in Switzerland began operating in 1869. Despite their previous opposition to
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
, under the federal structure of the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
, Württemberg and Friedrichshafen continued to enjoy some special privileges following their incorporation into Germany following the Franco-Prussian War.
Ferdinand von Zeppelin Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (german: Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin; 8 July 1838 – 8 March 1917) was a German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name soon became synonymous with airships a ...
established his famous
dirigible An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
factory at the end of the 19th century. The 128m-long LZ1 airship rose from its mooring on July 2, 1900. Other aviation companies, including
Maybach Maybach (, ) is a German luxury car brand that exists today as a part of Mercedes-Benz. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH'', and ...
, also arose in Friedrichshafen to help service the industry, which received a major impetus from
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Following the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
, the Kingdom of Württemberg was dissolved but the deposed royal family continued in their possession of their castle in Friedrichshafen, despite a workers' revolution there in November, 1918.


World War II

Friedrichshafen served the Nazi regime as a resort for workers. The presence of Zeppelin, Maybach, Dornier, and Zahnradfabrik made it an important German industrial center during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Between 1942 and 1945, the factories used slave labor of hundreds of
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
prisoners from Dachau and
Dora-Mittelbau Mittelbau-Dora (also Dora-Mittelbau and Nordhausen-Dora) was a Nazi concentration camp located near Nordhausen in Thuringia, Germany. It was established in late summer 1943 as a subcamp of Buchenwald concentration camp, supplying slave labour f ...
. They were housed first at Zeppelin's hangar and then, following its destruction during a raid, the
V-2 The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develope ...
factory Raderach. The prisoners were also used to dig tunnels near Friedrichshafen to protect production sites from the repeated bombing. Between June 1943 and February 1945, the city was targeted for Allied bombing attacks. The most accurate took place on April 28, 1944, and destroyed most of the old town center. Approximately two-thirds of the city was destroyed over the course of the war.


Modern Germany

Following World War II, Friedrichshafen was part of the
French occupation zone The French occupation zone in Germany (, ) was one of the Allied-occupied areas in Germany after World War II. Background In the aftermath of the Second World War, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin met at the Yalta ...
before its incorporation into
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
,
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
. In the aftermath of the war, Maybach and many other aviation companies turned to automobile construction, while
Claudius Dornier Claude (Claudius) Honoré Désiré Dornier (born in Kempten im Allgäu on 14 May 1884 – 5 December 1969) was a German-French airplane designer and founder of Dornier GmbH. His notable designs include the 12-engine Dornier Do X flying boa ...
purchased Theodor Kober's failed
Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH was a German aircraft manufacturing company. Overview The company was founded in 1912 in Friedrichshafen, Germany by Theodor Kober who had previously worked for the Zeppelin company. The town, which is located b ...
and established
Dornier Flugzeugwerke Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claude Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many designs for both the civil and military markets. History Originally ...
. Owing to the provisions of the Versailles treaty, many of the planes were initially produced in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
or
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, but resumed work at its Friedrichshafen and other German factories following the rise of the
Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. The 1937
Hindenburg disaster The ''Hindenburg'' disaster was an airship accident that occurred on May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. The German passenger airship LZ 129 ''Hindenburg'' caught fire and was destroyed during its attemp ...
and a subsequent embargo on sending American helium to Germany, however, effectively ended the production of German dirigibles. The German aeronautics industry was again banned for many years after the war, and companies again failed or shifted production. The city's principal recovery dates to its establishment as the administrative seat of the Bodenseekreis district of
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, in 1973. The last French troops withdrew from their "Durand de Villers" Quarter (''Quartier Durand de Villers'') in 1992.


Geography


Geographical location

Friedrichshafen is located on a gently curved bay on the north shore of
Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
and on the southwest edge of the Schussen. The city is over an altitude of 395.2 m above sea level. NHH on the shores of Lake Constance up to 501.6 m in Ailingen. The core city is located not far to the west of the confluence of the
Rotach The Rotach is a tributary of Lake Constance, which drains to the Rhine, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The river source is near the municipality of Wilhelmsdorf. It flows southward through Horgenzell and Oberteuringen before emptyi ...
and Lake Constance. Coming from
Oberteuringen Oberteuringen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany. It lies some 8 km north of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and 4 km east of Mount Gehrenberg. Nearby towns are Markdorf (6 km), Friedrichshafen (7 km) ...
, this river reaches the city west of the village of Ailingen and flows through some smaller districts before it flows into the lake on the eastern edge of the city center. The somewhat larger Schussen touches the northeast corner of the urban area.


Neighboring communities

The following municipalities border the city of Friedrichshafen: Immenstaad,
Markdorf Markdorf is a town in the Bodenseekreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. It is situated near Lake Constance, 10 km northwest of Friedrichshafen. Georg Riedmann has been the mayor of Markdorf since 2013. Markdorf was first ...
,
Oberteuringen Oberteuringen is a town in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany. It lies some 8 km north of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and 4 km east of Mount Gehrenberg. Nearby towns are Markdorf (6 km), Friedrichshafen (7 km) ...
, Ravensburg,
Meckenbeuren Meckenbeuren is a municipality in the Bodensee district, in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. It is located south of Ravensburg, and northeast of Friedrichshafen, on Lake Constance. Geography Location Meckenbeuren is located about eight ...
,
Tettnang Tettnang is a town in the Bodensee district in southern Baden-Württemberg in a region of Germany known as Swabia. It lies 7 kilometres from Lake Constance. The region produces significant quantities of Tettnang hop, an ingredient of beer, and ...
and Eriskich.


Climate

Friedrichshafen's climate is mainly influenced by the Lake Constance and the nearby
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
. Compared to the
Hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...
, the temperatures are rather mild. The proximity to the Alps creates
foehn winds A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...
and sometimes strong
thunderstorms A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are somet ...
. In addition, fog often forms in winter.


Border with Baden

The border line between the former states of
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
and
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
ran on the Grenzbach between Friedrichshafen, Fischbach and Immenstaad. Remains of the ''"Grenzhof"'' can still be found between the Bundesstraße 31 and the nature-protected shore zone.


Economy


Aviation

Airship construction in the first third of the 20th century attracted considerable industry and contributed significantly to Friedrichshafen's relative prosperity. Friedrichshafen is best known for having been home to the
Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturing company. It is perhaps best known for its leading role in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, commonly referred to as ''Zeppelins'' due to the company's prominence. The name ...
Airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
Company, the aircraft manufacturer
Dornier Flugzeugwerke Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claude Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many designs for both the civil and military markets. History Originally ...
,
ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally ''Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen'', and commonly abbreviated to ZF (ZF = "Zahnradfabrik" = "Cogwheel Factory"), is a German car parts maker headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south- ...
, a manufacturer of transmission systems and
MTU Friedrichshafen MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a German manufacturer of commercial internal combustion engines founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach in 1909. Wilhelm Maybach was the technical director of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG), a predec ...
GmbH, the engine manufacturing company founded by
Wilhelm Maybach Wilhelm Maybach (; 9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) was an early German engine designer and industrialist. During the 1890s he was hailed in France, then the world centre for car production, as the "King of Designers". From the late 19th ce ...
.
Ferdinand von Zeppelin Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (german: Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin; 8 July 1838 – 8 March 1917) was a German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name soon became synonymous with airships a ...
, who was born in
Konstanz Konstanz (, , locally: ; also written as Constance in English) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was th ...
(Constance), originally had his airships built in a floating
airship hangar Airship hangars (also known as airship sheds) are large specialized buildings that are used for sheltering airships during construction, maintenance and storage. Rigid airships always needed to be based in airship hangars because weathering was a ...
on the lake which could be aligned with the wind to support the difficult launch procedure of
rigid airship A rigid airship is a type of airship (or dirigible) in which the envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps (also called pressure airsh ...
flight. Today there is a large Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen sited near the lake shore. In recent years the company
ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturing company. It is perhaps best known for its leading role in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, commonly referred to as ''Zeppelins'' due to the company's prominence. The name ...
, also located in Friedrichshafen, is the constructor of small,
semi-rigid airship A semi-rigid airship is an airship which has a stiff keel or truss supporting the main envelope along its length. The keel may be partially flexible or articulated and may be located inside or outside the main envelope. The outer shape of the ai ...
s designed by the Zeppelin firm, named (called ''
Zeppelin NT The Zeppelin NT (''"Neue Technologie"'', German for ''new technology'') is a class of helium-filled airships being manufactured since the 1990s by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT) in Friedrichshafen. The initial model i ...
''), by using modern technology. These airships can be booked for sightseeing tours above Lake Constance. Airbus Defence and Space maintains a site outside Friedrichshafen in
Immenstaad am Bodensee Immenstaad am Bodensee is a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on the north shore of Lake Constance (called the ''Bodensee'' in German) near the Austrian and Swiss borders. It is not to be confused with the similarly named town of Imme ...
, which is considered today as the successor of the ''Dornier Flugzeugwerke'' company. The
Dornier Museum The Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen is an aerospace museum located in the German town of Friederichshafen near Lake Constance. The museum exhibits the aircraft designs of Claude Dornier, the Dornier company and aerospace products of Airbus.
is located at the
Friedrichshafen Airport Friedrichshafen Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Friedrichshafen, ; also known as ''Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen'') is a minor international airport 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the banks of Lake Constance ( ...
and displays restored Dornier aviation technology as well as modern space technology.
AERO Friedrichshafen AERO Friedrichshafen is a trade show dedicated to European general aviation. It is held yearly in April on the shores of Lake Constance at the exhibition center of Friedrichshafen, Germany right next to Friedrichshafen Airport Friedrichshaf ...
is a yearly aviation conference that hosted an attendance of 33,400 in 2011, and 30,800 in 2012. Aero 2013 took place on 24–27 April 2013 at
Friedrichshafen Airport Friedrichshafen Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Friedrichshafen, ; also known as ''Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen'') is a minor international airport 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the banks of Lake Constance ( ...
.


Other

Rolls-Royce Power Systems Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG is a German company owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings with holdings in engine manufacturing brands and facilities. The company previously traded, from 2006 to 2014, as Tognum AG. Prior to 2006, the core company – MTU ...
AG (MTU), the German engine manufacturing company owned by
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
is also located in Friedrichshafen. Apart from industry and tourism, various international regular trade fairs, such as ''
Aero Aero is a Greek prefix relating to flight and air. In British English, it is used as an adjective related to flight (e.g., as a shortened substitute for aeroplane). Aero, Ærø, or Aeros may refer to: Aeronautics Airlines and companies * Aero ...
'' (
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
technology), '' Interboot'' (water sports), ''OutDoor'', ''Motorradwelt'' (Motorbikes), ''
Eurobike Eurobike is an international bicycle trade fair held annually since 1991 in the first week of September, on the grounds of Messe Friedrichshafen, one of the largest and most modern exhibition centres in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The bike show ...
'' (bicycles) and ''Tuning World Bodensee'' (
car tuning Car tuning is the modification of a car to optimise it for a different set of performance requirements from those it was originally designed to meet. Most commonly this is higher engine performance and dynamic handling characteristics but cars ...
) are important economical factors. There is a large fair ground (Messe Friedrichshafen) near Friedrichshafen airport where all these and many more trade fairs take place every year. Furthermore, the Graf-Zeppelin-Haus cultural centre has become a popular location for congresses, conferences, musical and other events. Friedrichshafen is the location for Europe's largest
ham radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...
convention.


Education

Zeppelin University Zeppelin University (German: ''Zeppelin Universität'', ZU) is a small and highly selective private research university on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The university is accredited by the Ministry of Science, Researc ...
, a private research university, is the only private university in the state of Baden-Württemberg to have received the rare right to confer PhD titles to its students. Only founded in 2003, its Cultural & Communication Management programme has been already ranked the best university programme in that field in German speaking countries, according to the prestigious CHE ranking. The programme in Public Management & Governance was ranked 4th while the programme in Corporate Management & Economics was ranked 6th among all examined German, Austrian, Swiss and Dutch universities (figures from 2011). Zeppelin University holds the title of the 'most committed' university in Germany with regard to civil society issues (Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft/Stiftung Mercator 2011).
Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education is a public university with campuses in Ravensburg, Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen, Germany. It offers vocational studies in the fields of business sciences, engineering and media design. The schoo ...
also has a campus in Friedrichshafen.


Sports

VfB Friedrichshafen VfB Friedrichshafen Volleyball GmbH is a German professional men's volleyball club founded in 1969 and based in Friedrichshafen, southern Baden-Württemberg. Main stakeholder is VfB Friefdrichshafen e.V. The club plays in the German Bundesliga an ...
is a professional volleyball team based on Friedrichshafen. It is one of the top teams in
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
.


Culture


Music

The Seehasen-Fanfarenzug was founded in 1956 on the occasion of the Seehasenfest and Erich Deisel, a teacher at the Graf Zeppelin Gymnasium. At that time the club consisted of four drummers and two fanfare players. In 1959 the first typical yellow and red costumes reminiscent of the character from the Spanish era were designed. In 1972 the
fanfare band A fanfare band, fanfare corps, fanfare battery, fanfare team, horn and drum corps, bugle band, drum and bugle corps, or trumpet and drum band (including the German ''fanferenzug'', ''fanfarenkorps'' and ''regimentsblaserkorps'', the Dutch ''drumba ...
took part in the German Championship of Fanfare Bands and came eighth place. Up until the 50th anniversary in 2006, he organized many concerts abroad and won several prizes in competitions across Germany. The Friedrichshafen Music School was founded in 1953 as a municipal educational institution. In 2003 it moved to the newly built building near the Graf Zeppelin Gymnasium.


Festivals

Friedrichshafen has a number of town and local festivals that are held annually. Since 1985, the Kulturufer has taken place at the beginning of the summer holidays, a ten-day tent festival on the shores of Lake Constance. The performances range from music events to cabaret, drama and dance to readings, acrobatics and street theater. There is also a daily theater program for children in the tent. The Kulturufer is organized by the Culture Office and the Office for Family, Youth and Social Affairs. One of the most famous and oldest festivals in Friedrichshafen is the Seehasenfest, a local kids festival that has been taking place since the post-war period.


Transport

Friedrichshafen Stadt station Friedrichshafen Stadt (city) station is the largest railway station of the city of Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance (Bodensee) and a railway junction in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It has five tracks and is classified by Deutsche Bahn ...
enjoys train services at regular intervals to
Lindau Lindau (german: Lindau (Bodensee), ''Lindau am Bodensee''; ; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Lindou'') is a major Town#Germany, town and Lindau (island), island on the eastern side of Lake Constance (''Bodensee'' in German) in Bavaria, Ge ...
and
Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
, as well as to
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
in Switzerland. A car
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
service links Friedrichshafen to
Romanshorn Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. History Romanshorn was probably settled in the 7th century, and is first mentioned in 779 as ''Rumanishorn'' in a land grant from Waldrata to the Abb ...
in Switzerland, and various other towns around the lake can also be reached by ferry. Since 2005, a fast
Catamaran A Formula 16 beachable catamaran Powered catamaran passenger ferry at Salem, Massachusetts, United States A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a multi-hulled watercraft featuring two parallel hulls of equal size. It is a geometry-stab ...
ship connection has been in service between Friedrichshafen and Konstanz. Friedrichshafen has a local airport called
Friedrichshafen Airport Friedrichshafen Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Friedrichshafen, ; also known as ''Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen'') is a minor international airport 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the banks of Lake Constance ( ...
which offers, among other services, daily international connections provided mainly by
Lufthansa CityLine Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a German airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Munich Airport. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and maintains hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, from where it operates a dense domestic ...
and
Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the w ...
. The Zeppelin manufacturing company
Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturing company. It is perhaps best known for its leading role in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, commonly referred to as ''Zeppelins'' due to the company's prominence. The name ...
(LZ) was re-established in 1993, and a commercial airline
Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (), abbreviated DZR, is a German limited-liability company that operates commercial passenger zeppelin flights. The current incarnation of the DZR was founded in 2001 and is based in Friedrichshafen. It is a subsidiary ...
(DZR) began flying passenger service from
Friedrichshafen Airport Friedrichshafen Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Friedrichshafen, ; also known as ''Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen'') is a minor international airport 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the banks of Lake Constance ( ...
in 2001. , 12 scheduled routes were offered with additional flights to selected cities. The nearest big cities are
Konstanz Konstanz (, , locally: ; also written as Constance in English) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was th ...
, Ravensburg,
Bregenz Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...
,
St. Gallen , neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach , twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic) , website ...
,
Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...
,
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
,
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, and
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
.


Notable People


Before 1900

*
Matteo Pertsch Matteo Pertsch (; 1769–1834) was an Austrian classical architect best known for designing a number of structures in Trieste built in the early decades of the 19th century. He was born in Buchhorn (now Friedrichshafen, Germany) to a family o ...
(1769–1834), Austrian classical architect responsible for many historic structures in
Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
*
Frederick Miller Frederick Edward John Miller (November 24, 1824 – May 11, 1888) was a brewery owner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born as ''Friedrich Eduard Johannes Müller'' in Riedlingen, Württemberg, he founded the Miller Brewing Company at the Plank Road Br ...
(1824–1888), brewery owner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA * Heinrich Lanz (1838–1905), agricultural machinery manufacturers
Heinrich Lanz AG Heinrich Lanz AG is a former agricultural machinery manufacturer from Mannheim, Germany. Its tractors were sold bearing the LANZ brand. LANZ won numerous awards at the Strasbourg Agricultural Fair in 1866; namely four Gold, five Silver, and t ...
,
Lanz Bulldog The Lanz Bulldog was a series of tractors manufactured by Heinrich Lanz AG in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Production started in 1921 with the Lanz HL, and various versions of the Bulldog were produced up to 1960, one of them being th ...
*
Wilhelm Maybach Wilhelm Maybach (; 9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) was an early German engine designer and industrialist. During the 1890s he was hailed in France, then the world centre for car production, as the "King of Designers". From the late 19th ce ...
(1846–1929), engine designer and industrialist * Barbara Margaretha Meta von Salis (1855–1929), Swiss feminist and historian *
Hugo Eckener Hugo Eckener (10 August 1868 – 14 August 1954) Schwensen Thomas Adam. p. 289 ostsee.de was the manager of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin during the inter-war years, and also the commander of the famous '' Graf Zeppelin'' for most of its record-set ...
(1868–1954), manager of the
Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturing company. It is perhaps best known for its leading role in the design and manufacture of rigid airships, commonly referred to as ''Zeppelins'' due to the company's prominence. The name ...
during the inter-war years * Hermann Blau (1871–1944), engineer and chemist and inventor of
Blau gas Blau gas (german: Blaugas) is an artificial illuminating gas, similar to propane, named after its inventor, Hermann Blau of Augsburg, Germany. Not or rarely used or produced today, it was manufactured by decomposing mineral oils in retorts by ...
*
Ludwig Dürr Ludwig Dürr (4 June 1878 in Stuttgart – 1 January 1956 in Friedrichshafen) was a German airship designer. Life and career After completing training as a mechanic, Dürr continued his training at the Königliche Baugewerkschule (Royal School ...
(1878–1956), airship designer *
Claude Dornier Claude (Claudius) Honoré Désiré Dornier (born in Kempten im Allgäu on 14 May 1884 – 5 December 1969) was a German-French airplane designer and founder of Dornier GmbH. His notable designs include the 12-engine Dornier Do X flying boat ...
(1884–1969), airplane builder and founder of
Dornier GmbH Dornier Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer founded in Friedrichshafen in 1914 by Claude Dornier. Over the course of its long lifespan, the company produced many designs for both the civil and military markets. History Originally ...
*
Friedrich von Arnauld de la Perière Friedrich von Arnauld de la Perière (17 June 1888 in Breslau – 12 October 1969 in Friedrichshafen) was a German aviator and Generalleutnant of the Luftwaffe. He dropped the first bombs on England in World War I World War I (28 July 191 ...
(1888–1969), aviator *
Franz-Zeno Diemer Franz Zeno Diemer (3 July 1889, in Oberammergau – 27 April 1954, in Friedrichshafen) was a flight pioneer in Bavaria, setting a number of world records, and Flight Officer for Bavarian Lifeguard Regiment. Early life He was born in Oberammergau ...
(1889–1954), flight pioneer * Oberleutnant Hans Bethge (1890–1918), World War I flying ace and aerial commander * Richard Vogt (1894–1979), engineer and aircraft designer


Since 1900

*
Alfonsas Dargis Alfonsas Dargis (12 May 1909, in Reivyčiai, Mažeikiai parish – 13 January 1996, in Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the ...
(1909–1996), Lithuanian painter, graphic artist, set designer and poet *
Liselotte Herrmann Liselotte Herrmann (called "Lilo", 23 June 1909 – 20 June 1938, executed) was a German Communist Resistance fighter in Nazi Germany. Life Born in Berlin, Liselotte Herrmann, an engineer’s daughter, had a middle class liberal upbringing. Afte ...
(1909–1938), Communist Resistance fighter in Nazi Germany * Friedrich Jung (1915–1997), doctor and leading academic and research pharmacologist in the GDR * Albrecht Roser (1922–2011), puppeteer * Princess Marie Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein (1929–2000), wife of local restaurateur *
Carl, Duke of Württemberg Carl Maria Peter Ferdinand Philipp Albrecht Joseph Michael Pius Konrad Robert Ulrich Herzog von Württemberg (1 August 1936 – 7 June 2022) was the head of the House of Württemberg from 1975 to 2022. He was succeeded by his grandson Wilhelm. L ...
(born 1936), head of the
House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then called ...
*
Nico Stehr Nico Stehr (born 19 March 1942) was "Karl Mannheim Professor for Cultural Studies" at the Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen / Germany and Founding Director of thEuropean Center for Sustainability Research Biography Stehr received a PhD in s ...
(born 1942), university professor * Helmut Willke (born 1945), sociologist who studies the effect of globalization on modern society *
Stefan Waggershausen Stefan Waggershausen (born 20 February 1949) is a German singer, composer, and songwriter. Waggershausen was born in Friedrichshafen, at Lake Constance. In 1974 he produced his first record as singer. In 1980, he had his first big success with t ...
(born 1949), singer, composer, and songwriter * Laurent Gathier (born in 1953 in Friedrichshafen), French engineer and space pioneer * Patrick A. Baeuerle (born 1957), molecular biologist *
Peter Rundel Peter Rundel (born 1958 in Friedrichshafen), is a German violinist and conductor. A recipient of the Grand Prix du Disque in 1998 for his recording of Jean Barraqué's complete works, he became conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Fl ...
(born 1958), violinist and conductor *
Hubert Knoblauch Hubert Knoblauch (born March 21, 1959) is a German sociologist. He is known for his work on Sociology of knowledge, Sociology of Religion, Qualitative research and Videography. Biography Knoblauch has a degree in Sociology from the University ...
(born 1959), sociologist * Alissa Walser (born 1961), writer, daughter of poet
Martin Walser Martin Walser (; born 24 March 1927) is a German writer. Life Walser was born in Wasserburg am Bodensee, on Lake Constance. His parents were coal merchants, and they also kept an inn next to the train station in Wasserburg. He described the ...
*
Tasos Zembylas Tasos Zembylas (born 1962 in Cyprus) is a philosopher and social scientist with focus in aesthetics and cultural institution studies. Life From 1991 to 1997, Zembylas studied philosophy, history of art and sociology at the University of Vienna. ...
(born 1962), philosopher and social scientist *
Stefan Sommer Stefan Sommer (born January 7, 1963, in Münster, West Germany) is a German engineer who was the chief executive officer of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known aZF Group from 2012 until 2017. Early life and education Sommer studied mechanical eng ...
(born 1963), Chief Executive Officer of
ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally ''Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen'', and commonly abbreviated to ZF (ZF = "Zahnradfabrik" = "Cogwheel Factory"), is a German car parts maker headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south- ...
AG *
Philippe Bühler Philippe Bühler (born 29 November 1981) a.k.a. Philippe Heithier (named after his mother's birth name) is a German singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and manager. He came to fame as a contestant on the second season of '' Deutschland ...
(born 1981), singer *
Alicia von Rittberg Alicia Gräfin (''Countess'') von Rittberg (born 10 December 1993) is a German actress. Following numerous roles in German films and television series, she came to attention outside Germany for her brief role as Emma in the 2014 film '' Fury''. R ...
(born 1993), actress and local student *
Philipp Riederle Philipp Riederle (born October 9, 1994 in Munich) is a German author, consultant and keynote speaker. At the age of 13 he became famous with his podcast ''“Mein iPhone und Ich…” (My iPhone and me)'', with which he reached over one million v ...
(born 1994), author, consultant and podcaster


Sport

* Jörg Diesch (born 1951), sailor, Olympian winner in 1976 * Eckart Diesch (born 1954), sailor, Olympic athlete 1976 * John Jurkovic (born 1967), former American football player currently employed as a US broadcaster * Stefanie Rothweiler (born 1979), Olympian participant in sailing * Steffen Wohlfarth (born 1983), footballer *
Kerstin Wohlbold Kerstin Wohlbold (born 11 January 1984) is a German handballer for Thüringer HC. Achievements *Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football ...
(born 1984), handball player * Max Günthör (born 1985), volleyball player *
Chantal Laboureur Chantal Laboureur (born 4 January 1990 in Friedrichshafen) is a German beach volleyball player. Professional career Since 2021 her teammate has been Sarah Schulz. World tour 2016 At the 2016 Grand Slam at Long Beach, California, In semi fin ...
(born 1990), volleyball and beach volleyball player * Simon Zoller (born 1991), footballer * Liane Lippert (born 1998), cyclist *
Giulia Gwinn Giulia Ronja Gwinn (; born 2 July 1999) is a German professional footballer who plays as a right-back or a midfielder for Frauen-Bundesliga club FC Bayern Munich and the Germany women's national team. Early life Gwinn started playing football a ...
(born 1999), footballer


Twin towns – sister cities

Friedrichshafen is twinned with: * Delitzsch, Germany *
Imperia Imperia (; lij, Inpêia or ) is a coastal city and ''comune'' in the region of Liguria, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the ''Intemelia'' district of Liguria. Benito Mussolini created the ...
, Italy * Peoria, United States *
Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...
, Belarus *
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (; german: Sankt Didel), commonly referred to as just Saint-Dié, is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Saint-Dié is located in th ...
, France *
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina The relationships to the twin cities are supported by the local government together with twin city associations. In Friedrichshafen there had been founded the associations Freundeskreis Polozk, Peoria Club, Arbeitskreis S.Dié and Amici di Imperia. Friedrichshafen has friendly relations with: *
Tsuchiura is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 138,033 in 60,069 households and a population density of 1123 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.7%. The total area of t ...
, Japan


See also

*
Dornier Consulting Dornier Group GmbH''isan international consulting and project management company that operates in the fields of traffic, transport, the environment and water. The German parent company was established in 1962 from the former Dornier Planungsber ...


References


External links

* *
Friedrichshafen Tourism

Zeppelin museum (English version available)Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen (English version)

ZF Friedrichshafen

Zeppelin UniversityGraf-Zeppelin-Haus cultural centreCount Zeppelin (Highland Pipes and Drums)Ham radio conventionSüdkurier
(
Südkurier The Südkurier is a regional daily newspaper in Germany serving the regions northwest of Lake Constance, Hochrhein and Black Forest with its headquarters Konstanz, Germany. The paper appears with a circulation of around 130,000, six times per w ...
) Local newspaper for Friedrichshafen (in German) {{Authority control Populated places on Lake Constance Bodenseekreis Free imperial cities Württemberg