Karlsruhe ( , , ;

South Franconian South Franconian (german: Südfränkisch) or South Rhine Franconian (german: Südrheinfränkisch) is an Upper German dialect which is spoken in the northernmost part of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, around Karlsruhe, Mosbach and Heilbronn. Lik ...

: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

(''Land'') 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 ...

after its capital of

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 Sw ...

and

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...

, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. It is also a former capital 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 i ...

, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of

Baden-Baden Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the Rhine, the border with Fra ...

. Located on the right bank of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

near the French border, between the Mannheim/

Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning " Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it ...

conurbation to the north and

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

Kehl Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exa ...

to the south, Karlsruhe is Germany's legal center, being home to the

Federal Constitutional Court The Federal Constitutional Court (german: link=no, Bundesverfassungsgericht ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law () of Germany. Since its in ...

(''Bundesverfassungsgericht''), the Federal Court of Justice (''Bundesgerichtshof'') and the Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice (''Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof''). Karlsruhe was the capital of the

Margraviate of Baden-Durlach The Margraviate of Baden-Durlach was an early modern territory of the Holy Roman Empire, in the upper Rhine valley, which existed from 1535 to 1771. It was formed when the Margraviate of Baden was split between the sons of Margrave Christopher ...

( Durlach: 1565–1718; Karlsruhe: 1718–1771), the

Margraviate of Baden The Margraviate of Baden (german: Markgrafschaft Baden) was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Spread along the east side of the Upper Rhine River in southwestern Germany, it was named a margraviate in 1112 and existed until 1535, ...

(1771–1803), the Electorate of Baden (1803–1806), the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

(1806–1918), and the

Republic of Baden The Republic of Baden (german: Republik Baden) was a German state that existed during the time of the Weimar Republic, formed after the abolition of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1918. It is now part of the modern German state of Baden-Württemberg ...

(1918–1945). Its most remarkable building is

Karlsruhe Palace Karlsruhe Palace (german: Karlsruher Schloss) was built in 1715 for Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The city of Karlsruhe has since grown around it. The building is ...

, which was built in 1715. There are nine institutions of higher education in the city, most notably the

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; german: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) is a public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. The institute is a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 w ...

(''Karlsruher Institut für Technologie'').

Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (German: ''Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden'') is the international airport of Karlsruhe, the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also serves the spa town of Baden-Baden. It is the stat ...

(''Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden'') is the second-busiest airport of Baden-Württemberg after

Stuttgart Airport Stuttgart Airport (German: ''Flughafen Stuttgart'', formerly ''Flughafen Stuttgart-Echterdingen'') is the international airport of Stuttgart, the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is christened in honor of Stuttgart's forme ...

, and the 17th-busiest airport of Germany.

Geography

Karlsruhe lies completely to the east of the

, and almost completely on the

Upper Rhine Plain The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben (German: ''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'', ''Oberrheinisches Tiefland'' or ''Oberrheingraben'', French: ''Vallée du Rhin'') is a major rift, about and on average , between Basel in the s ...

. It contains the

Turmberg The Turmberg (German: "Tower Hill") is a hill (elevation: 256 m) located in Durlach, a suburb of Karlsruhe in Germany. It is home to a castle ruin. The Turmberg can be reached by the Turmbergbahn, a funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type o ...

in the east, and also lies on the borders of the

Kraichgau The Kraichgau () is a hilly region in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Odenwald and the Neckar to the North, the Black Forest to the South, and the Upper Rhine Plain to the West. To the east, its boundary is c ...

leading to the

Northern Black Forest The Northern Black Forest (german: Nordschwarzwald) refers to the northern third of the Black Forest in Germany or, less commonly today, to the northern half of this mountain region. Geography The Northern Black Forest is bounded in the north b ...

. The Rhine, one of the world's most important shipping routes, forms the western limits of the city, beyond which lie the towns of Maximiliansau and

Wörth am Rhein Wörth am Rhein () is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the Ger ...

in the German state of

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...

. The city centre is about from the river, as measured from the Marktplatz (Market Square). Two tributaries of the Rhine, the

Alb The alb (from the Latin ''albus'', meaning ''white''), one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed and Congregational churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ank ...

and the Pfinz, flow through the city from the Kraichgau to eventually join the Rhine. The city lies at an altitude between 100 and 322 m (near the communications tower in the suburb of Grünwettersbach). Its geographical coordinates are ; the 49th parallel runs through the city centre, which puts it at the same latitude as much of the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

, the cities

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

(Canada),

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(France),

Regensburg Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...

(Germany), and

Hulunbuir Hulunbuir or Hulun Buir ( mn, , ''Kölün buyir'', Mongolian Cyrillic: Хөлөнбуйр, ''Khölönbuir''; zh, s=呼伦贝尔, ''Hūlúnbèi'ěr'') is a region that is governed as a prefecture-level city in northeastern Inner Mongolia, China. ...

(China). Its course is marked by a stone and painted line in the ''Stadtgarten'' (municipal park). The total area of the city is , hence it is the 30th largest city in Germany measured by land area. The longest north–south distance is and in the east–west direction. Karlsruhe is part of the urban area of Karlsruhe/Pforzheim, to which certain other towns in the district of Karlsruhe, such as

Bruchsal Bruchsal (; orig. Bruohselle, Bruaselle, historically known in English as Bruxhall; South Franconian: ''Brusel'') is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, ...

Ettlingen Ettlingen (; South Franconian: ''Eddlinge'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about south of the city of Karlsruhe and approximately from the border with Lauterbourg, in France's Bas-Rhin department. Ettlingen is the second largest tow ...

, Stutensee, and

Rheinstetten Rheinstetten (; South Franconian: ''Rhoischdedde'') is a town in the west of Baden-Württemberg on the border to Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated to the south-west of Karlsruhe and belongs to the rural district of Karlsruhe. The city has ...

, as well as the city of

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...

, belong.

The city was planned with the palace tower (''Schloss'') at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like the

spokes A spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel (the hub where the axle connects), connecting the hub with the round traction surface. The term originally referred to portions of a log that had been riven (split l ...

of a wheel, or the ribs of a

folding fan A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is any broad, flat surface that is waved back-and-forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (su ...

, so that one

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

for Karlsruhe in German is the "fan city" (''Fächerstadt''). Almost all of these streets survive to this day. Because of this city layout, in

metric geometry In mathematics, a metric space is a set together with a notion of ''distance'' between its elements, usually called points. The distance is measured by a function called a metric or distance function. Metric spaces are the most general settin ...

Karlsruhe metric In metric geometry, the Karlsruhe metric is a measure of distance that assumes travel is only possible along rays through the origin and circular arcs centered at the origin. The name alludes to the layout of the city of Karlsruhe, which has radia ...

refers to a measure of distance that assumes travel is only possible along radial streets and along circular avenues around the centre. The city centre is the oldest part of town and lies south of the palace in the quadrant defined by nine of the radial streets. The central part of the palace runs east–west, with two wings, each at a 45° angle, directed southeast and southwest (i.e., parallel with the streets marking the boundaries of the quadrant defining the city center). The

market square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.Ettlingen Ettlingen (; South Franconian: ''Eddlinge'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about south of the city of Karlsruhe and approximately from the border with Lauterbourg, in France's Bas-Rhin department. Ettlingen is the second largest tow ...

. The market square has the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

(''Rathaus'') to the west, the main

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

church (''Evangelische Stadtkirche'') to the east, and the tomb of Margrave Charles III William in a pyramid in the buildings, resulting in Karlsruhe being one of only three large cities in Germany where buildings are laid out in the neoclassical style. The area north of the palace is a park and forest. Originally the area to the east of the palace consisted of gardens and forests, some of which remain, but the

(founded in 1825),

Wildparkstadion Wildparkstadion, currently known as BBBank Wildpark for sponsorship reasons, is a football (soccer), football stadium located in Karlsruhe, Germany. It is the home of the football club Karlsruher SC. It is located northeast of the Karlsruhe Pa ...

football stadium, and residential areas have been built there. The area west of the palace is now mostly residential. Karlsruhe 180 panorama

Climate

Karlsruhe experiences an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Cfb'') and its winter climate is milder, compared to most other German cities, except for the

Rhine-Ruhr The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (german: Metropolregion Rhein-Ruhr) is the largest metropolitan region in Germany, with over ten million inhabitants. A polycentric conurbation with several major urban concentrations, the region covers ...

area. Summers can be very hot with several days above 35°C in a row and with an average of more than 2000 sunshine hours a year, it is also one of the sunniest cities in Germany, like the Rhine-Palatinate area. Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter, while in summer it is concentrated on single evening thunderstorms. In 2008, the weather station in Karlsruhe, which had been in operation since 1876, was closed; it was replaced by a weather station in

, south of Karlsruhe.

Districts

Karlsruhe is divided into 27 districts.

History

According to legend, the name ''Karlsruhe'', which translates as "Charles' repose" or "Charles' peace", was given to the new city after a hunting trip when Margrave Charles III William of

Baden-Durlach The Margraviate of Baden-Durlach was an early modern territory of the Holy Roman Empire, in the upper Rhine valley, which existed from 1535 to 1771. It was formed when the Margraviate of Baden was split between the sons of Margrave Christopher ...

woke from a dream in which he dreamt of founding his new city. A variation of this story claims that he built the new palace to find peace from his wife. Charles William founded the city on June 17, 1715, after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of the

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

. Karlsruhe became the capital of

, and, in 1771, of the united

until 1945. Built in 1822, the ''Ständehaus'' was the first parliament building in a German state. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution of 1848, a republican government was elected there. Karlsruhe was visited by

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

during his time as the American envoy to France; when

Pierre Charles L'Enfant Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (; August 2, 1754June 14, 1825) was a French-American military engineer who designed the basic plan for Washington, D.C. (capital city of the United States) known today as the L'Enfant Plan (1791). Early life an ...

was planning the layout of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Jefferson passed to him maps of 12 European towns to consult, one of which was a sketch he had made of Karlsruhe during his visit. In 1860, the first-ever international professional convention of chemists, the

Karlsruhe Congress The Karlsruhe Congress was an international meeting of chemists held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 3 to 5 September 1860. It was the first international conference of chemistry worldwide. The meeting The Karlsruhe Congress was called so that Euro ...

, was held in the city. In 1907 the town was site of the Hau Riot where large crowds caused disturbance during the trial of murderer

Carl Hau Karl or Carl Hau (1881–1926) was an early 20th century German lawyer found guilty of murdering his mother-in-law. His sensational trial in 1907 sparked the Hau Riot, the biggest street riot of its kind in German history. Life Hau was born ...

. On

Kristallnacht () or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (german: Novemberpogrome, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) paramilitary and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from ...

in 1938, the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, and the city's Jews were later sent to the

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

, Gurs concentration camp,

Theresienstadt Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...

, and

Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

during

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

, with 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews being killed. 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 ...

, it was the location of a

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

camp for men, and a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp, whose prisoners were mainly

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...

and

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

. Much of the central area, including the palace, was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing during World War II, but was rebuilt after the war. Located in the American zone of the postwar Allied occupation, Karlsruhe was home to an

American military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

base, established in 1945. After the war, the city was part 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 ...

until 1990. In 1995, the bases closed, and their facilities were turned over to the city of Karlsruhe.

Population

The following list shows the most significant groups of foreigners residing in the city of Karlsruhe by country.

Main sights

The ''Stadtgarten'' is a recreational area near the main railway station (''Hauptbahnhof'') and was rebuilt for the 1967 Federal Garden Show (''Bundesgartenschau''). It is also the site of the

Karlsruhe Zoo Karlsruhe Zoo is located north of Karlsruhe Central Station in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany. It was opened in 1865 and is one of the oldest zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in whic ...

. The '' Durlacher

'' has a look-out tower (hence its name). It is a former

keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...

dating back to the 13th century. The city has two botanical gardens: the municipal '' Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe'', which forms part of the Palace complex, and the ''

Botanischer Garten der Universität Karlsruhe The Botanischer Garten der Universität Karlsruhe is a botanical garden maintained by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology directorate of Peter Nick. It is located at Am Fasanengarten 2, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and is open week ...

'', which is maintained by the university. The ''Marktplatz'' has a stone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founder. Built in 1825, it is the emblem of Karlsruhe. The city is nicknamed the "fan city" (''die Fächerstadt'') because of its design layout, with straight streets radiating fan-like from the Palace. The

(''Schloss'') is an interesting piece of architecture; the adjacent '' Schlossgarten'' includes the Botanical Garden with a palm, cactus and orchid house, and walking paths through the woods to the north. The so-called ''Kleine Kirche'' (Little Church), built between 1773 and 1776, is the oldest church of Karlsruhe's city centre. The architect

Friedrich Weinbrenner Friedrich Weinbrenner (24 November 1766 – 1 March 1826) was a German architect and city planner admired for his mastery of classical style. Birth and education Weinbrenner was born in Karlsruhe, and began his career apprenticed to his father, ...

designed many of the city's most important sights. Another sight is the ''Rondellplatz'' with its 'Constitution Building Columns' (1826). It is dedicated to Baden's first constitution in 1818, which was one of the most liberal of its time. The ''Münze'' (mint), erected in 1826/27, was also built by Weinbrenner. Karlsruhe StStephan

The St. Stephan parish church is one of the masterpieces of neoclassical church architecture in. Weinbrenner, who built this church between 1808 and 1814, orientated it to the

Pantheon, Rome The Pantheon (, ; la, Pantheum,Although the spelling ''Pantheon'' is standard in English, only ''Pantheum'' is found in classical Latin; see, for example, Pliny, '' Natural History'36.38 "Agrippas Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis". Se ...

The

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built between 1889 and 1896, is a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

rather than a church, and is located in the middle of the forest. The main

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

of Karlsruhe is the oldest park-like cemetery in Germany. The

crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also be ...

was the first to be built in the style of a church. Karlsruhe is also home to a

natural history museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

(the

State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe The State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (german: link=no, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe), abbreviated SMNK, is one of the two state of Baden-Württemberg's natural history museums. Together with the State Museum of Natural H ...

), an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

(the Baden State Theatre), as well as a number of independent theatres and art galleries. The State Art Gallery, built in 1846 by

Heinrich Hübsch Heinrich Hübsch (9 February 1795 – 3 April 1863) was a German architect. After studies in Heidelberg (1813–15) and at Friedrich Weinbrenner's school of architecture in Karlsruhe (1815–17) he traveled extensively in Greece and Italy (1817� ...

, displays paintings and sculptures from six centuries, particularly from France, Germany and Holland. Karlsruhe's newly renovated art museum is one of the most important art museums in

. Further cultural attractions are scattered throughout Karlsruhe's various incorporated suburbs. Established in 1924, the Scheffel Association is the largest

literary society A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of writing or a specific author. Modern literary societies typically promote research, publish newsle ...

in Germany. Today the ''Prinz-Max-Palais'', built between 1881 and 1884 in neoclassical style, houses the organisation and includes its museum. Karlsruhe Moninger Jugendstil

Due to population growth in the late 19th century, Karlsruhe developed several suburban areas ('' Vorstadt'') in the ''

Gründerzeit (; "founders' period") was the economic phase in 19th-century Germany and Austria before the great stock market crash of 1873. In Central Europe, the age of industrialisation had been taking place since the 1840s. That period is not precisely ...

'' and especially

art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

styles of architecture, with many preserved examples. Karlsruhe is also home to the ''Majolika-Manufaktur'', the only art-ceramics pottery studio in Germany. Founded in 1901, it is located in the ''Schlossgarten''. A 'blue streak' (''Blauer Strahl'') consisting of 1,645 ceramic tiles, connects the studio with the Palace. It is the world's largest ceramic artwork. Another tourist attraction is the Centre for Art and Media (''Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie'', or ZKM), which is located in a converted ammunition factory.

Government

Justice

Karlsruhe is the seat of the German

''(Bundesverfassungsgericht)'' and the highest

Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...

in civil and criminal cases, the ''

Bundesgerichtshof The Federal Court of Justice (german: Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction (''ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit'') in Germany, founded in 1950. It has its seat in Karlsruhe with two panels being situat ...

''. The courts came to Karlsruhe after World War II, when the provinces of

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 ...

were merged.

, capital of Württemberg, became the capital of the new province (

Württemberg-Baden Württemberg-Baden was a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was created in 1945 by the United States occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden and Württemberg had been split up between the US and French occupation zones. I ...

in 1945 and

in 1952). In compensation for the state authorities relocated to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe applied to become the seat of the high court.

Public health

There are four hospitals: The municipal ''Klinikum Karlsruhe'' provides the maximum level of medical services, the ''St. Vincentius-Kliniken'' and the '' Diakonissenkrankenhaus'', connected to the Catholic and Protestant churches, respectively, offer central services, and the private ''Paracelsus-Klinik'' basic medical care, according to state hospital demand planning.

Economy

Germany's largest

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...

is located in Karlsruhe, at the western edge of the city, directly on the river

. The ''Technologieregion Karlsruhe'' is a loose confederation of the region's cities in order to promote

high tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

industries; today, about 20% of the region's jobs are in

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

EnBW EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly-traded energy company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany. As its name indicates, EnBW is based in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. History Foundation and development EnB ...

, one of Germany's biggest

electric utility An electric utility is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major pr ...

companies, with a revenue of 19.2 billion € in 2012, is headquartered in the city.

Internet activities

Due to the

providing services until the late 1990, Karlsruhe became known as the ''internet capital'' of Germany. The

DENIC DENIC eG is the manager of the .de domain, the country-code top-level domain for Germany. It was founded in 1996 and is organised as a non-regulated not-for-profit cooperative. DENIC provides the Domain Name System (DNS) as well as registrat ...

, Germany's network information centre, has since moved to Frankfurt, though, where

DE-CIX DE-CIX (Deutsche Commercial Internet Exchange) is an operator of carrier- and data-center-neutral Internet Exchanges, with operations in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. All DE-CIX activities and companies ...

is located. Two major

internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise private ...

WEB.DE United Internet AG is a global Internet services company headquartered in Montabaur, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The company is structured in two business areas, ''Access'' and ''Applications,'' and has a total of 16 brands and numerous subsid ...

and schlund+partner/ 1&1, now both owned by

United Internet United Internet AG is a global Internet services company headquartered in Montabaur, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The company is structured in two business areas, ''Access'' and ''Applications,'' and has a total of 16 brands and numerous subsid ...

AG, are located at Karlsruhe. The library of the

developed the Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog, the first internet site that allowed researchers worldwide (for free) to search multiple library catalogues worldwide. In the year 2000 the regional online "newspaper" ''ka-news.de'' was created. As a daily newspaper, it not only provides the news, but also informs readers about upcoming events in Karlsruhe and surrounding areas. Karlsruhe Rbf Einfahrgruppe

In addition to established companies, Karlsruhe has a vivid and spreading startup community with well-known startups like STAPPZ. Together, the local

industry is responsible for over 22.000 jobs.

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Karlsruhe is Frank Mentrup of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...

(SPD) since 2013. The most recent mayoral election was held on 6 December 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Candidate ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Frank Mentrup , align=left,

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been t ...

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

, 50,064 , 52.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Sven Weigt , align=left, CDU/ FDP , 24,158 , 25.4 , - , , align=left, Petra Lorenz , align=left, Free Voters/For Karlsruhe , 8,303 , 8.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Paul Schmidt , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

, 3,914 , 4.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Vanessa Schulz , align=left,

Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazi ...

, 2,660 , 2.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Marc Nehlig , align=left,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, 6,065 , 6.4 , - , colspan=3 align=left, ''Other'' , 97 , 0.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 95,261 ! 99.6 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 430 ! 0.4 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 95,961 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 231,335 ! 41.4 , - , colspan=5, Source
City of Karlsruhe

List of mayors

After the castle was founded in 1715, there was also a settlement in which a mayor was appointed from 1718. From 1812 the mayors received the title of Lord Mayor. In addition to the Lord Mayor, there are five other mayors. Mayor for: * Human Resources, Elections and Statistics, Citizen Service and Security, Culture * Youth and social affairs, schools, sports, pools * Finance, economy and work, city marketing, congresses, exhibitions and events, tourism, supply and ports, real estate and market affairs * Environment and climate protection, health, cemetery office, waste management, forestry, fire and disaster control * Planning, building, real estate management, people's apartment and zoo

List of Mayors

City council

The Karlsruhe city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

(Grüne) , 1,802,237 , 30.0 , 10.2 , 15 , 6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 1,122,013 , 18.7 , 8.0 , 9 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 856,649 , 14.3 , 7.6 , 7 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 436,671 , 7.3 , 1.2 , 4 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(AfD) , 427,155 , 7.1 , 1.5 , 3 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 420,361 , 7.0 , 1.9 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, Karlsruher List (KAL) , 301,826 , 5.0 , 0.8 , 2 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(PARTEI) , 274,628 , 4.6 , 3.5 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters Baden-Württemberg (FW) , 193,764 , 3.2 , 0.5 , 2 , 1 , - , , align=left, For Karlsruhe (FÜR) , 163,214 , 2.7 , 0.5 , 1 , 1 , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 137,805 ! 100.0 ! ! 48 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 234,850 ! 58.7 ! 13.5 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Karlsruhe

Transport

Railway

The

Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe The Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Transport Company, VBK) is the municipal transport company of the city of Karlsruhe in Germany. It runs the tram and bus network within the city, as well as the Turmbergbahn funicular railway. The VBK is ...

(VBK) operates the city's urban public transport network, comprising seven tram routes and a network of bus routes. All city areas can be reached round the clock by tram and a night bus system. The

Turmbergbahn The Turmbergbahn is a funicular railway in Karlsruhe in Germany. It is the oldest operating funicular in Germany. From Karlsruhe's former center Durlach, the line climbs the Turmberg, which on a clear day provides a lookout point with views o ...

funicular railway A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

, to the east of the city centre, is also operated by the VBK. Similar to a

premetro A premetro is a tramway or light railway which includes segments built to rapid transit standards, generally as part of a process of conversion to a metro-standards railway usually by the construction of tunnels in the central city area. Hist ...

tramlines operating in the city centre use two tramway tunnels that were completed on 11 December 2021. Durlacher Tor Kombilösung 3

The VBK is also a partner, with the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft and

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...

, in the operation of the

Karlsruhe Stadtbahn The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbou ...

, the rail system that serves a larger area around the city. This system makes it possible to reach other towns in the region, like

Bad Wildbad Bad Wildbad is a town in Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located in the government district (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Karlsruhe and in the district (''Landkreis'') of Calw. Its coordinates are 48° 45' N, 8° 33' E. About 10,1 ...

Bretten Bretten (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Bredde'') is a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Geography Bretten lies in the centre of a rectangle that is formed by Heidelber ...

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 ...

, and even

Freudenstadt Freudenstadt ( Swabian: ''Fraidestadt'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west (approx. 36 km away) and Tübingen to the eas ...

in the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

right from the city centre. The Stadtbahn is known for pioneering the concept of operating trams on train tracks, to achieve a more effective and attractive

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

system. Karlsruhe is connected via road and rail, with

Autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...

and

Intercity Express The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...

connections going to

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

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 ...

and

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

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 ...

from Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof. Since June 2007 it has been connected to the

TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...

network, reducing travel time to

to three hours (previously it had taken five hours). The

Rhine Valley Railway ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sou ...

is also an important freight line. Freight trains can bypass Karlsuhe Hauptbahnhof via the

Karlsruhe freight bypass railway The Karlsruhe freight bypass railway german: Güterumgehungsbahn Karlsruhe is railway line reserved for freight only in the southeast of the city of Karlsruhe in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The freight rail bypass allows freight trains ...

Shipping

Two ports on the

provide transport capacity on

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

s, especially for

petroleum products Petroleum products are materials derived from crude oil (petroleum) as it is processed in oil refineries. Unlike petrochemicals, which are a collection of well-defined usually pure organic compounds, petroleum products are complex mixtures. The m ...

Airport

The nearest airport is part of the

Baden Airpark Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (German: ''Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden'') is the international airport of Karlsruhe, the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also serves the spa town of Baden-Baden. It is the stat ...

(officially ''Flughafen Karlsruhe/

'') about southwest of Karlsruhe, with regular connections to airports in Germany and Europe in general.

Frankfurt International Airport Frankfurt Airport (; german: link=no, Flughafen Frankfurt Main , also known as ''Rhein-Main-Flughafen'') is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city of Germany and one of the world's leading financial centres. ...

can be reached in about an hour and a half by car (one hour by

);

can be reached in about one hour (about an hour and a half by train and

S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...

Streets

Karlsruhe is at the

Bundesautobahn 5 is a 445 km (277 mi) long Autobahn in Germany. Its northern end is the Hattenbach triangle intersection (with the A 7. The southern end is at the Swiss border near Basel. It runs through the German states of Hessen and Baden-Wü ...

and the

Bundesstraße 10 The Bundesstraße 10 (abbr. B10) is a German federal highway. It leads from Eppelborn, near the city of Lebach in Saarland, eastward to Neusäß near Augsburg in Bavaria. The Bundesautobahn 8 mostly runs in parallel to the Bundesstraße 10. Aft ...

. In the city there is a good bike lane infrastructure. Two interesting facts in transportation history are that both

Karl Drais Karl Freiherr von Drais (full name: Karl Friedrich Christian Ludwig Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn) (29 April 1785 – 10 December 1851) was a noble German forest official and significant inventor in the Biedermeier period. He was born and died ...

, the inventor of the bicycle, as well as

Karl Benz Carl Friedrich Benz (; 25 November 1844 – 4 April 1929), sometimes also Karl Friedrich Benz, was a German engine designer and automotive engineer. His Benz Patent Motorcar from 1885 is considered the first practical modern automobile and fir ...

, the inventor of the automobile were born in Karlsruhe. Benz was born in Mühlburg, which later became a borough of Karlsruhe (in 1886). Benz also studied at the Karlsruhe University. Benz's wife

Bertha Bertha is a female Germanic name, from Old High German ''berhta'' meaning "bright one". It was usually a short form of Anglo Saxon names ''Beorhtgifu'' meaning "bright gift" or ''Beorhtwynn'' meaning "bright joy". The name occurs as a theonym, s ...

took the world's first long distance-drive with an automobile from

to Karlsruhe-Grötzingen and

(see

Bertha Benz Memorial Route The Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a German tourist and theme route in Baden-Württemberg and member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It opened in 2008 and follows the tracks of the world's first long distance road trip by a vehi ...

). Their professional lives led both men to the neighboring city of Mannheim, where they first applied their most famous inventions. File:Duplex in Karlsruhe III.JPG, The Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof, the main station in Karlsruhe File:Karlsruhe tram 2017 3.jpg, alt=A tram in Karlsruhe 2017, A tram in Karlsruhe, 2017 File:Karlsruhe Sophienstr bei Waldstr.jpg, A bike street in Karlsruhe File:Südtangente Karlsruhe IMGP0787-crop.JPG, The

in Karlsruhe Karlsruhe Leibgrenadierdenkmal

Jewish community

Jews settled in Karlsruhe soon after its founding.Karlsruhe (Carlsruhe)
(1906). ''The Jewish Encyclopedia''. Ed. Isidore Singer. Vol. 7. p. 448-449. They were attracted by the numerous privileges granted by its founder to settlers, without discrimination as to creed. Official documents attest the presence of several Jewish families at Karlsruhe in 1717. A year later the city council addressed to the margrave a report in which a question was raised as to the proportion of municipal charges to be borne by the newly arrived Jews, who in that year formed an organized congregation, with Rabbi Nathan Uri Kohen of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

at its head. A document dated 1726 gives the names of twenty-four Jews who had taken part in an election of municipal officers. As the city grew, permission to settle there became less easily obtained by Jews, and the community developed more slowly. A 1752 Jewry ordinance stated Jews were forbidden to leave the city on Sundays and Christian holidays, or to go out of their houses during church services, but they were exempted from service by court summonses on Sabbaths. They could sell wine only in inns owned by Jews and graze their cattle, not on the

commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

, but on the wayside only. Nethanael Weill was a rabbi in Karlsruhe from 1750 until his death. In 1783, by a decree issued by Margrave

Charles Frederick of Baden Charles Frederick (22 November 1728 – 10 June 1811) was Margrave, Elector and later Grand Duke of Baden (initially only Margrave of Baden-Durlach) from 1738 until his death. Biography Born at Karlsruhe, he was the son of Hereditary Prince Frede ...

, the Jews ceased to be

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

s, and consequently could settle wherever they pleased. The same decree freed them from the ''Todfall'' tax, paid to the clergy for each Jewish burial. In commemoration of these changes special prayers were prepared by the acting rabbi Jedidiah Tiah Weill, who, succeeding his father in 1770, held the office until 1805. In 1808 the new constitution of what at that time, during the

Napoleonic era The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative ...

, had become the

granted Jews citizenship status; a subsequent edict, in 1809, constitutionally acknowledged Jews as a religious group. Dubnow, Simon (1920). ''Die neueste Geschichte des Jüdischen Volkes (1789–1914)''. Translated from the Russian by Alexander Eliasberg
Vol. 1. Einleitung. Erste Abteilung: Das Zeitalter der ersten Emanzipation (1789–1815)
Berlin: Jüdischer Verlag. p. 288. The latter edict provided for a hierarchical organization of the Jewish communities of Baden, under the umbrella of a central council of Baden Jewry (Oberrat der Israeliten Badens), with its seat in Karlsruhe, and the appointment of a chief rabbi of Karlsruhe, as the spiritual head of the Jews in all of Baden. The first chief rabbi of Karlsruhe and Baden was Rabbi Asher Loew, who served from 1809 until his death in 1837. Complete

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...

was given in 1862, Jews were elected to city council and Baden parliament, and from 1890 were appointed judges. Jews were persecuted in the 'Hep-Hep' riots that occurred in 1819; and anti-Jewish demonstrations were held in 1843, 1848, and the 1880s. The well-known German-Israeli artist Leo Kahn studied in Karlsruhe before leaving for France and Israel in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, there are about 900 members in the Jewish community, many of whom are recent immigrants from Russia, and an orthodox rabbi. Karlsruhe has memorialized its Jewish community and notable pre-war synagogues with a memorial park. File:Juedischer Friedhof Groetzingen.jpg, Jewish cemetery of Grötzingen File:Karlsruhe Synagoge 1810.jpg, alt=Karlsruhe Synagogue, built by Friedrich Weinbrenner in 1798 (existed until 1871), The

Karlsruhe Synagogue The 1798 Karlsruhe Synagogue was an early building by the influential architect Friedrich Weinbrenner in the city of Karlsruhe. According to David Brownlee, this "synagogue was the first large Egyptian building to be erected since antiquity." ...

, built by

in 1798 (existed until 1871) File:Karlsruhe Shoa.jpg, Holocaust memorial File:Karlsruhe Synagoge Luftbild.jpg, The new synagogue File:Chanukka Karlsruhe-2016 Mentrup-Mendelson.jpg,

Public menorah A public menorah is a large menorah displayed publicly during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is done to celebrate the holiday and publicize the Hanukkah#Traditional view, miracle of Hanukkah, and is typically accompanied by a public event du ...

on the ''Marktplatz''

Karlsruhe and the Shoah

On 28 October 1938, all Jewish men of Polish extraction were expelled to the Polish border, their families joining them later and most ultimately perishing in the ghettoes and concentration camps. On

(9–10 November 1938), the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, the main synagogue was damaged, and Jewish men were taken to the Dachau concentration camp after being beaten and tormented. Deportations commenced on 22 October 1940, when 893 Jews were loaded onto trains for the three-day journey to the Gurs concentration camp in France. Another 387 were deported in from 1942 to 1945 to lzbica in the Lublin district (Poland), Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz. Of the 1,280 Jews deported directly from Karlsruhe, 1,175 perished. Another 138 perished after deportation from other German cities or occupied Europe. In all, 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews died during the

Shoah The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ar ...

. A new community was formed after the war by surviving former residents, with a new synagogue erected in 1971. It numbered 359 in 1980.

Historical population

Notable people

* Anna Ettlinger (1841–1934), writer and poet *

George Bayer George Bayer (September 15, 1925 – March 16, 2003) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Senior PGA Tour. Bayer was born in Bremerton, Washington. He attended the University of Washington and was a member ...

, pioneer in the US state of Missouri *

(1844–1929), mechanical engineer and inventor of the first automobile as well as the founder of Benz & Co.,

Daimler-Benz The Mercedes-Benz Group Aktiengesellschaft, AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ...

, and

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

(now part of Daimler AG). He was born in the Karlsruhe borough of

Mühlburg Mühlburg, formerly a town on its own right, is a borough located in the west of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name ''Mühlburg'' could be translated as 'Mill Castle' and refers to a water mill and a water castle located at the sit ...

and educated at Karlsruhe Grammar School, the Lyceum, and Poly-Technical University *

Hermann Billing Hermann Billing (February 7, 1867, Karlsruhe – March 2, 1946, Karlsruhe) was a German Art Nouveau architect and designer. He attended high school, Kunstgewerbeschule and architectural college, but completed none of them. Funded by his wealthy ...

, Art Nouveau architect, was born and lived in Karlsruhe, where he built his first famous works *

Siegfried Buback Siegfried Buback (3 January 1920, Wilsdruff, Saxony – 7 April 1977, Karlsruhe) was the Attorney General of West Germany from 1974 until his murder in 1977. Life and career Buback studied at the University of Leipzig. From 1940 to 1945, he w ...

(1920–1977), then-

Attorney General of Germany The Public Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice (german: Generalbundesanwalt or ''Generalbundesanwältin beim Bundesgerichtshof'' (GBA), lit.: "General Federal Attorney at the Federal Court of Justice") is the federal prosecutor of G ...

who fell victim to terrorists of the

Rote Armee Fraktion The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section " Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. Th ...

in April 1977 in Karlsruhe *

Berthold von Deimling Berthold Karl Adolf von Deimling (21 March 1853, Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden – 3 February 1944) was a general officer of the German Army during World War I. Deimling entered the army in 1871, following the Franco-Prussian War, and after ...

(1853–1944), Prussian general *

(1785–1851), inventor of the two-wheeler principle (

dandy horse The dandy horse, a derogatory term for what was first called a Laufmaschine (in German), then a vélocipède or draisienne (in French and then English), and then a pedestrian curricle or hobby-horse, or swiftwalker, is a human-powered vehicle th ...

) basic to bicycle and motorcycle, key typewriter, and earliest stenograph, was born and died in Karlsruhe *

Theodor von Dusch Theodor von Dusch (17 September 1824 – 13 January 1890) was a German physician who was a native of Karlsruhe. He was the son of Baden statesman Alexander von Dusch (1789-1876). He studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg, where he had a ...

(1824–1890), physician remembered for experiments involving cotton-wool filters for bacteria *

Ludwig Eichrodt Ludwig Eichrodt (February 2, 1827, Durlach bei Karlsruhe – February 2, 1892, Lahr) was a German poet and dramatist. Biography Ludwig Eichrodt was the son of Ludwig Friedrich Eichrodt (1798-1844), an officer, and Elisabeth (née Joos, 1809- ...

, writer *

Erik H. Erikson Erik Homburger Erikson (born Erik Salomonsen; 15 June 1902 – 12 May 1994) was a German-American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychological development of human beings. He coined the phrase identity c ...

(1902–1994), children's psychoanalyst and theoretical pioneer in the field of study of identity building, spent his childhood and school time (Bismarck-Gymnasium) in Karlsruhe. *

Harry L. Ettlinger Heinz Ludwig Chaim "Harry" Ettlinger (January 28, 1926 – October 21, 2018) was one of the Monuments Men. On October 22, 2015, Ettlinger and Richard Barancik, a fellow Monuments Man, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Ettlinger also work ...

, US Army private who assisted the MFAA in the recovery of art looted by the Nazis. He was the last Jewish boy to celebrate his bar mitzvah in Karlsruhe's Kronenstrasse Synagogue, on September 24, 1938. *

Clara Mathilda Faisst Clara Mathilda Faisst (22 June 1872 – 22 November 1948) was a German pianist, composer and writer. Early life Clara Faisst was born in Karlsruhe, Baden to August and Emma Faisst. Her father died when she was one year old. She was the youngest o ...

(1872–1948), pianist and composer *

Hans Frank Hans Michael Frank (23 May 1900 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and lawyer who served as head of the General Government in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War. Frank was an early member of the German Workers' Party ...

(1900–1946), Obergruppenführer SA,

Gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...

and governor-general of Nazi-occupied Poland; hanged at Nuremberg for his war crimes during

Reinhold Frank Reinhold Frank (23 July 1896 – 23 January 1945) was a German lawyer. He did work for the resistance to Hitler's rule in Nazi Germany. He was sentenced to death in connection with the failed 20 July Plot. Life Reinhold Frank was born the young ...

(1896–1945), lawyer who worked for the resistance in Nazi Germany, ran a law practice in Karlsruhe; in his honour the street in Karlsruhe where the lawyer's chambers were founded bears his name *

Gottfried Fuchs Gottfried Erik Fuchs (also Godfrey Fuchs; (3 May 1889 – 25 February 1972) was a German Olympic footballer. He scored a then-world record 10 goals for the Germany national football team in a 16–0 win against Russia at the 1912 Olympics. He le ...

(1889–1972), German-Canadian Olympic soccer player *

Karoline von Günderrode Karoline Friederike Louise Maximiliane von Günderrode (11 February 1780 – 26 July 1806) was a German Romantic poet. She used the pen name Tian. Life Günderrode was born as the eldest of six children to and Louise Sophie Victorine Auguste. ...

, poet, was born in Karlsruhe (1780–1806) *

Johann Peter Hebel Johann Peter Hebel (10 May 1760 – 22 September 1826) was a German short story writer, dialectal poet, Lutheran theologian and pedagogue, most famous for a collection of Alemannic lyric poems (''Allemannische Gedichte'') and one of Ge ...

, writer and poet, lived in Karlsruhe for most of his life *

Heinrich Rudolf Hertz Heinrich Rudolf Hertz ( ; ; 22 February 1857 – 1 January 1894) was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. The unit o ...

, discovered electromagnetic waves at the

University of Karlsruhe The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; german: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) is a public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. The institute is a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 w ...

in the late 1880s. A lecture room named after Hertz lies close to the very spot where the discovery was made. * Julius Hirsch (1892–1945), Olympian soccer player and first Jewish member of the

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

, two-time Germany team champion, awarded the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

during World War I, murdered in

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

Friedrich Hund Friedrich Hermann Hund (4 February 1896 – 31 March 1997) was a German physicist from Karlsruhe known for his work on atoms and molecules. Scientific career Hund worked at the Universities of Rostock, Leipzig, Jena, Frankfurt am Main, and Göt ...

, physicist of the pioneering generation of

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...

(see

Hund's rules In atomic physics, Hund's rules refers to a set of rules that German physicist Friedrich Hund formulated around 1927, which are used to determine the term symbol that corresponds to the ground state of a multi-electron atom. The first rule is e ...

); was born here *

Hedwig Kettler Hedwig Friederike Karoline Auguste Kettler (19 September 1851 – 5 January 1937) was a German women's rights activist, writer and education reformer. She campaigned for equal educational opportunities for boys and girls, and led the effort to esta ...

(1851–1937), founded the first German ''Mädchengymnasium'' (girls' high school), located in Karlsruhe *

Willibald von Langermann und Erlencamp Willibald von Langermann und Erlencamp (29 March 1890 – 3 October 1942) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Biography Born in 1890, Erlencamp joi ...

(1892–1942), general *

Bernd Längin Bernd G. Längin (1941–2008) was a journalist and author of multiple books. In addition, he worked as Chief Editor of GLOBUS, published by Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland The Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Au ...

(1941–2008), journalist and author *

Gustav Landauer Gustav Landauer (7 April 1870 – 2 May 1919) was one of the leading theorists on anarchism in Germany at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. He was an advocate of social anarchism and an avowed pacifist. In 1919, he ...

(1870–1919), theorist of

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

in Germany, was born in Karlsruhe *

Kolja Lessing Kolja Lessing (born 15 October 1961) is a German violinist, pianist, composer and academic teacher. His focus as a soloist and chamber musician has been the neglected repertoire by composers who were ostracised under the Nazi regime. His recordin ...

(born 1961), German violinist, pianist, composer and academic teacher *

Markus Lüpertz Markus Lüpertz (born 25 April 1941) is a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and writer. He also publishes a magazine, and plays jazz piano. He is one of the best-known German contemporary artists. His subjects are characterized by suggest ...

worked and lives in Karlsruhe; he created the ''Narrenbrunnen'' (Fool's Fountain) in the city center * Composer

Wolfgang Rihm Wolfgang Rihm (born 13 March 1952) is a German composer and academic teacher. He is musical director of the Institute of New Music and Media at the University of Music Karlsruhe and has been composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival and the Sa ...

is a resident of Karlsruhe. * In 1886,

Joseph Viktor von Scheffel Joseph Victor von Scheffel (16 February 1826 – 9 April 1886) was a German poet and novelist. Biography He was born at Karlsruhe. His father, a retired major in the Baden army, was a civil engineer and member of the commission for regulating the ...

, poet and novelist, was born in Karlsruhe. *

Peter Sloterdijk Peter Sloterdijk (; ; born 26 June 1947) is a German philosopher and cultural theorist. He is a professor of philosophy and media theory at the University of Art and Design Karlsruhe. He co-hosted the German television show ''Im Glashaus: Das P ...

(born 1947), German philosopher. *

Rahel Straus Rahel may refer to: * Rachel, a biblical figure * Rahel Varnhagen Rahel Antonie Friederike Varnhagen () (née Levin, later Robert; 19 May 1771 – 7 March 1833) was a German writer who hosted one of the most prominent salons in Europe during the ...

(1880–1963), German-Jewish medical doctor and feminist *

Johann Gottfried Tulla Johann Gottfried Tulla (20 March 1770, in Karlsruhe – 27 March 1828, in Paris) was a German engineer who accomplished the straightening of the Rhine, improving navigation and alleviating the effects of flooding. His measures gave the Upper Rhine ...

(1770–?), instrumental in stabilizing and straightening the course of the southern

; a co-founder of the

Karlsruhe University The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; german: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) is a public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. The institute is a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 w ...

(1825) *

Victoria of Baden Sophie Marie Victoria of Baden (german: Sophie Marie Viktoria; 7 August 1862 – 4 April 1930) was Queen of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until her death in 1930 as the wife of King Gustaf V. She was politically active in a conservative fashion dur ...

(1862–1930), born in Karlsruhe, queen consort of Sweden by her marriage to King Gustaf V of Sweden *

(1766–1826), architect of neoclassicism; his tomb is situated in the main Protestant church in Karlsruhe. *

Thomas Ernst Josef Wiedemann Thomas Ernst Josef Wiedemann (14 May 1950 – 28 June 2001.) was a German-British historian. Life Thomas Wiedemann was born in Karlsruhe on 14 May 1950. His grandmother was Jewish and his father Heinrich had the luck that he wasn't sent to a c ...

(1950–2001), German-British historian, born in Karlsruhe *

Richard Willstätter Richard Martin Willstätter FRS(For) HFRSE (, 13 August 1872 – 3 August 1942) was a German organic chemist whose study of the structure of plant pigments, chlorophyll included, won him the 1915 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Willstätter invente ...

, recipient of 1915

Nobel Prize for Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

Sina Deinert Now United (sometimes abbreviated as NU) is a global pop group, formed in Los Angeles in 2017 by ''Idols (TV series), Idols'' creator Simon Fuller. Originally, the group was consisted of 14 members from 14 countries; but as of 2022, the group con ...

, a member of

Now United Now United (sometimes abbreviated as NU) is a global pop group, formed in Los Angeles in 2017 by '' Idols'' creator Simon Fuller. Originally, the group was consisted of 14 members from 14 countries; but as of 2022, the group consist of 19 members ...

Dennis Aogo Dennis Aogo (born 14 January 1987) is a German former professional footballer who played as a left back and midfielder. Early life Born to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Aogo grew up in Oberreut, a suburb in the south-west of Karlsruhe, ...

(born 1987), football defender *

Christa Bauch Christa Bauch (born December 19, 1947) is a former professional female bodybuilding, female bodybuilder from Germany. Background Born in Bad Schandau, East Germany, Bauch enjoyed music, riding and sprinting at school, before training as a masseu ...

female bodybuilder Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.

Walther Bensemann Walther Bensemann (13 January 1873 – 12 November 1934) was a German pioneer of football and founder of the country's major sports publication, ''Kicker''. Bensemann was born in Berlin, Brandenburg, as the son of a Jewish banker. During his time ...

, one of the founders of the first southern German soccer club

Karlsruher FV Karlsruher FV is a German association football club that plays in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Established on 17 November 1891, KFV was a founding member of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fussball-Bund) in 1900 and is the oldest ...

and later one of the founders of

DFB DFB may refer to: * Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city * Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas * Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia * Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate * Distributed-feedback ...

and the founder of ''

Kicker Kicker or The Kicker may refer to: Sports * Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football * ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany * Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player * Kicker, the word used i ...

'', Germany's leading soccer magazine *

Oliver Bierhoff Oliver Bierhoff (born 1 May 1968) is a German football official and former player who played as a forward. He has previously served as the national team director of the German Football Association. A tall, strong and prolific goalscorer, Bierh ...

(born 1968), retired football striker and former national team captain for the

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and Italian Serie A clubs

Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...

, A.C. Milan and

Chievo Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige. It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona, which competes in the second ...

; currently working as the German national team manager * Andi Deris (born 1964), musician and songwriter, lead singer of the

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...

Karl Elzer Karl Conrad Elzer (2 August 1881 – 30 August 1938) was a German film actor. Elzer was born in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and died in Rottach-Egern, Bavaria, Germany at age 57. Selected filmography * ''The Robber Bride'' (1916) * '' ...

, stage and film actor *

(1889–1972), was born in Karlsruhe and holds the record of ten goals in one single international soccer match for the German national team *

Regina Halmich Regina Halmich (born 22 November 1976) is a German boxer. She is among the most successful female boxers of all time and helped popularise female boxing in Europe. Amateur career Halmich was German champion in kickboxing as an amateur in 1992 ...

(born 1976), retired female boxing flyweight world champion *

Vincenzo Italiano Vincenzo Italiano (born 10 December 1977) is an Italian football manager, who is currently in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina, and a former player. Playing career Born in Karlsruhe, Germany to Italian parents, Italiano never played professiona ...

(born 1977), Italian footballer currently plays for

Calcio Padova Calcio Padova, commonly referred to as Padova, is an Football in Italy, Italian football club based in Padua, Veneto. Founded in 1910, Padova currently play in , having last been in Serie A in 1996. The team's official colours are white and red. ...

Nora Krug Nora Krug (born 1977) is a German–American author and illustrator. Her graphic novel ''Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home'' won the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award in Autobiography, 2019 Schubart-Literaturpreis, and 2019 ...

(born 1977), German-American writer *

Sead Kolašinac Sead Kolašinac (; born 20 June 1993) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Kolašinac started his professional career at Schalke 04, playing fir ...

(born 1993), Bosnian footballer who plays as a left back for

Arsenal FC Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (incl ...

Oliver Kahn Oliver Rolf Kahn (; born 15 June 1969) is a German football executive and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team in 1975. Twelve years later, Kahn made his debut match in t ...

(born 1969), retired

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. Domestically, the club was crowned German champion in 1909, and won the D ...

Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...

and

Sebastian Koch Sebastian Koch (born 31 May 1962) is a German television and film actor. He is known for roles in the 2007 Academy Award-winning film ''The Lives of Others'', in Steven Spielberg's '' Bridge of Spies'', and as Otto Düring in the fifth season of ...

(born 1962), actor *

Renate Lingor Renate Lingor (born 11 October 1975) is a retired female German international footballer, who played as a midfielder or forward. Club career Lingor began her career in 1981 with SV Blankenloch at the age of six, in 1983 she joined the youth t ...

(born 1975), former national football player * Pietro Lombardi (born 1992), singer *

Dirk Jens Nonnenmacher Dirk Jens Nonnenmacher (born 3 June 1963) was the CEO and chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the o ...

(born 1963), CEO and bank chairman *

Mehmet Scholl Mehmet Tobias Scholl (born Mehmet Tobias Yüksel; 16 October 1970) is a German football manager and former player. He played most of his career as an attacking midfielder for Bayern Munich. During his career he won the UEFA Cup in 1996 (scoring ...

(born 1970), retired footballer for

, later

and the German national team * Susanne Stichler (born 1969), journalist and television presenter * Muhammed Suiçmez (born 1975), Turkish guitarist and composer for

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

technical death metal Technical death metal (also referred to as tech-death) is a musical subgenre of death metal that began and developed in the early- to mid-1990s, with particular focus on challenging, demanding instrumental skill and complex songwriting. Techni ...

band

Necrophagist Necrophagist was a German technical death metal band founded and fronted by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez. The band used baroque music-influenced compositions paired with extreme metal drumming. The name originates from the Greek ro ...

* Eugene Weingand (1934–1986), actor and television host who claimed to be

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

Jr. *

Moon Ga-young Moon Ga-young (; born July 10, 1996) is a German-born South Korean actress. She is best known for her roles in ''Heartstrings'' (2011), ''EXO Next Door'' (2015), '' Tempted'' (2018), ''Welcome to Waikiki 2'' (2019), '' Find Me in Your Memory'' ...

(born 1996), South Korean actress *

Dennis Marschall Dennis Marschall (born 15 August 1996) is a German racing driver who currently competes in the ADAC GT Masters. Career Early career Marschall began his racing career in karting at the age of 11, competing until 2013. He spent most of his kartin ...

(born 1996), racing driver

Education

Karlsruhe is a renowned research and study centre, with one of Germany's finest institutions of higher education.

Technology, engineering, and business

The

(''Universität Karlsruhe-TH''), the oldest technical university in Germany, is home to the ''

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; german: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie) is a public university, public research university in Karlsruhe, Germany. The institute is a national research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT wa ...

'' (Karlsruhe Research Center), where engineering and scientific research is performed in the areas of health, earth, and environmental sciences. The

Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. I ...

(''Hochschule Karlsruhe-HS'') is the largest university of technology in the state of

, offering both professional and academic education in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

sciences and business. In 2009, the

joined the ''

'' to form the

(KIT).

The arts

The

Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe The State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe () is an art school located in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History The Academy was founded in 1854 by Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, with the landscape painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer as ...

is one of the smallest universities in Germany, with average 300 students. The

Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG) is a state art college founded in 1992 in Karlsruhe. It focuses on media art, communication design , product design , exhibition design and scenography, art research and media philosophy wit ...

(HfG) was founded to the same time as its sister institution, the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (''

Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie The ZKM , Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (until March 2016: ZKM Center for Art and Media Technology), a cultural institution, was founded in 1989. and since 1997 is located in a listed industrial building in Karlsruhe, Germany, a former muni ...

''). The HfG teaching and research focuses on

new media New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...

and

media art New media art includes artworks designed and produced by means of electronic media technologies, comprising virtual art, computer graphics, computer animation, digital art, interactive art, sound art, Internet art, video games, robotics, 3D prin ...

. The

Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe Karlsruhe's University of Music (Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in German) is a college of music in Karlsruhe, Germany. Originally the Baden Conservatory of Music, it was elevated to a Hochschule under the direction of Franz Philipp, who led th ...

is a music conservatory that offers degrees in

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

, music performance, education, and radio

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

. Since 1989 it has been located in the Gottesaue Palace.

International education

The

Karlshochschule International University Karlshochschule International University is a state approved non-profit private foundation university based in Karlsruhe. It focuses with an inter- and transdisciplinary approach on critical management studies, cultural studies and social and po ...

(formerly known as ''Merkur Internationale Fachhochschule'') was founded in 2004. As a foundation-owned, state-approved

management school A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, or ...

, Karlshochschule offers

undergraduate education Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

in both German and English, focusing on international and

intercultural Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Intercultural commu ...

management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

, as well as service- and culture-related industries. Furthermore, an international consecutive

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

leadership studies Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, psychology), in ...

is offered in English.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Karlsruhe hosts one of the

European Institute of Innovation and Technology The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an independent body of the European Union with juridical personality, established in 2008 intended to strengthen Europe's ability to innovate. The EIT is an integral part of Horizon ...

's Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) focusing on

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...

. Other co‑centres are based in

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

, France (CC Alps Valleys);

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

, Belgium (CC

Benelux The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: B ...

);

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain (CC Iberia);

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, Poland (CC PolandPlus); and

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden (CC Sweden).

University of Education

The

Karlsruhe University of Education Karlsruhe University of Education () is an institution of higher education in Karlsruhe, Germany. Its focus is on educational processes in social, institutional and cultural contexts. It has approximately 3,742 students, 180 researchers and lect ...

was founded in 1962. It is specialized in educational processes. The university has about 3700 students and 180 full-time researchers and lecturers. It offers a wide range of educational studies, like teaching profession for primary and secondary schools (both optional with a European Teaching Certificate profile), Bachelor programs that specializes in Early Childhood Education and in Health and Leisure Education, Master programs in Educational Science, Intercultural Education, Migration and Multilingualism. Furthermore, the University of Education Karlsruhe offers a Master program for Biodiversity and Environmental Education.

Culture

In 1999 the

ZKM The ZKM , Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (until March 2016: ZKM Center for Art and Media Technology), a cultural institution, was founded in 1989. and since 1997 is located in a listed industrial building in Karlsruhe, Germany, a former muni ...

(''Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie'', Centre for Art and Media) was opened. Linking new media theory and practice, the ZKM is located in a former weapons factory. Among the institutes related to the ZKM are the '' Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung'' (State University of Design), whose president is philosopher

and the Museum for Contemporary Art.

Twin towns – sister cities

Karlsruhe is twinned with: * Nancy, France (1955) *

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

, England, United Kingdom (1969) * Halle, Germany (1987) *

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

, Russia (1997) *

Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...

, Romania (1997) *

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. A ...

, Ukraine (2022)

Partnerships

Karlsruhe also cooperates with: *

Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...

, Finland

Legacy

* Ukrainian village Stepove near the city of

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Southern Ukraine, the Administrative centre, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides U ...

southern Ukraine Southern Ukraine ( uk, південна Україна, translit=pivdenna Ukrayina) or south Ukraine refers, generally, to the oblasts in the south of Ukraine. The territory usually corresponds with the Soviet economical district, the Southern E ...

was established by German colonists as Karlsruhe.

Events

Every year in July there is a large open-air festival lasting three days called simply ''

Das Fest DAS FEST (short form, engl. ''The Festival'') is one of the biggest open-air concerts in Germany, which has taken place in Karlsruhe since 1985 and is organized by ''Karlsruhe Event GmbH''. After the first few years of existence, its date was set ...

'' ("The Festival"). The Baden State Theatre has sponsored the

Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

Festival since 1978. The city hosted the 23rd and 31st

European Juggling Convention The European Juggling Convention (EJC), is the largest juggling convention in the world, regularly attracting several thousand participants. It is held every year in a different European country. It is organised by changing local organisation commi ...

s (EJC) in 2000 and 2008. In July the

African Summer Festival African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

is held in the city's Nordstadt. Markets, drumming workshops, exhibitions, a varied children's programme, and musical performances take place during the three days festival. In the past Karlsruhe has been the host of

LinuxTag LinuxTag (the name is a compound with the German language, German ''Tag'' meaning Diet (assembly), assembly, conference or meeting) is a free software computer expo, exposition with an emphasis on Linux (but also BSD), held annually in Germany. Li ...

(the biggest Linux event in Europe) and until 2006 hosted the annual Linux Audio Conference. Visitors and locals watched the total

solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...

at noon on August 11, 1999. The city was not only located within the eclipse path but was one of the few within Germany not plagued by bad weather.

Sport

; Football:

(KSC),

(2. Liga) ; Basketball: PS Karlsruhe Lions, Basketball-Pro-Liga A (second division) Karlsruhe co-hosted the FIBA

EuroBasket 1985 The 1985 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1985, was the 24th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It took place from 5 to 16 June 1985 in West Germany. The Soviet Union defeated Czec ...

. ; Tennis: TC Rueppurr (TCR), ennis-Bundesliga(women's first division) ; Lacrosse: KIT SC Karlsruhe Storm, 1. Bundesliga Süd ; Baseball, softball:

Karlsruhe Cougars Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

, Regional League South-East (men's baseball), 1st Bundesliga South (women's softball I) and State League South (women's softball II) ; American football:

Badener Greifs The Badener Greifs ( en, Baden Griffins) are an American football club from Karlsruhe, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 1987, when it reached the German Bowl but lost to the Berlin Adler.

, currently competing in the Regional League Central but formerly a member of the

German Football League The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from ''Ameri ...

's 1st Bundesliga, lost to the

Berlin Adler The Berlin Adler ( en, Berlin Eagles) is an American football club based in Berlin, Germany. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six German Bowls as well as a ten ''Ladies Bowls'' and five ''Junior Bow ...

in the 1987

German Bowl The German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League. The New Yorker Lions, from Braunschweig, are the record winners of the Ger ...

(see also:

)

Karlsruhe Schloss Panorama1 meph666 Okt 2006

Notes

References

External links

*
Map of Karlsruhe
* City wiki of Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart
{{Authority control 1715 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Capitals of former nations Cities in Baden-Württemberg Baden Holocaust locations in Germany Karlsruhe (region) Planned capitals Populated places established in 1715 Populated places on the Rhine