Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates;
Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state 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 ...
,
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 ...
. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital of the
Ortenaukreis
Ortenaukreis ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Ortenaukrais; french: Arrondissement de l'Ortenau) is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (clockwise from north) Rastatt, Freudenstadt, Rottwe ...
.
History
In recent times the remains of Roman settlements have been found within the city's territory. Offenburg was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to 1148. Offenburg had already been declared a
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
by 1240. In September 1689, the city - with the exception of two buildings - was totally destroyed by the French during the
Nine Years War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
. Due to
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's dissolution of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
in 1803 and subsequent reorganization of the German states, Offenburg lost its status as a Free Imperial City and fell under the rule of 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 ...
.
During the outbreak of the
Revolutions of 1848
The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
, the "''Offenburger Programm''" which consisted of thirteen demands "in the name of the people of Baden", was put forward at the Salmen Inn on 12 September 1847. This was the first known demand for democracy in Germany. Along with the
Carlsbad Decrees, the Offenburger Program demanded basic and human rights as well as freedom of the press and a
progressive income tax
A progressive tax is a tax in which the tax rate increases as the taxable amount increases.Sommerfeld, Ray M., Silvia A. Madeo, Kenneth E. Anderson, Betty R. Jackson (1992), ''Concepts of Taxation'', Dryden Press: Fort Worth, TX The term ''progre ...
structure. On 19 March 1848 the demands were confirmed by the 20,000 member Offenburg Peoples' Assembly.
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Offenburg was one of the first cities to experience the effects of aerial bombardment, the operations against Offenburg railway sidings were mostly flown by aircraft from the
Independent Force
The Independent Air Force (IAF), also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a First World War strategic bombing force which was part of Britain's Royal Air ...
from
Ochey
Ochey () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department
*Nancy – Ochey Air Base
Nancy-Ochey Air Base (french: Base aérienne 133 Nancy-Ochey) is a front-lin ...
aerodrome.
It is mostly neglected, that in the aftermath of World War I, during the
Occupation of the Ruhr
The Occupation of the Ruhr (german: link=no, Ruhrbesetzung) was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925.
France and Belgium occupied the heavily industria ...
, French troops occupied Offenburg, because it fell within the perimeter of the
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic German, 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 munic ...
bridgehead. The French occupation forces entered the town in February 1923 and remained until 1924, blocking all traffic on the
Rhine Valley Railway
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sou ...
between Offenburg and
Appenweier
Appenweier ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Appewiir) is a municipality in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Appenweier consists of the main municipal Appenweier (4,075 inhabitants), Urloffen (4,301 inhabita ...
.
Following the rise to power of the NSDAP in the 1930s, Offenburg's Jewish population fell victim to acts of repression, that culminated in the vandalization of the local synagoge in November 1938. After the war had begun, those members of the Jewish population that had not managed to emigrate were deported to
Gurs
Gurs is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.
History
Gurs was the site of the Gurs internment camp. Nothing remains of the camp; after World War II, a forest was planted on the site where it stood.
Geogr ...
concentration camp in October 1940 and from there to
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 1942.
In
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 ...
, owing to its geographical proximity to the French border, Offenburg was either exposed to temporary evacuations during the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
in 1940 or artillery fire towards the final stages of the conflict. It was only a primary target on one occasion during World War II on 27 November 1944, when a force of more than 300
USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
B-17
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
and
Liberator bombers attacked the marshalling yards. Many other tactical attacks were flown during 1944 and 1945 against the railway installations.
French Forces entered Offenburg on 15 April 1945 and from then on Offenburg became part of the
French Zone of Occupation until the creation of
the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949.
Since the creation of the Federal Republic, Offenburg has continually developed in size, inhabitants and prosperity. Between 1971 and 1975 eleven adjacent villages were incorporated into the commune of Offenburg and are now an integral part of the city.
Government
Mayors
* 1801–1803: Leopold Witsch
* 1803–1832: Johann Nepomuk Lihl and Josef Sebastian Gottwald
* 1832–1840: Karl Josef Burger
* 1840–1845: Landolin Löffler
* 1845–1849:
Gustav Rée
* 1849–1859: August Wiedemeyer (1849–1851 acting)
* 1860–1875: Bernhard Schaible
* 1875–1890:
Franz Volk Franz may refer to:
People
* Franz (given name)
* Franz (surname)
Places
* Franz (crater), a lunar crater
* Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada
* Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see ...
* 1893–1921: Fritz Herrmann
* 1921–1934:
Josef Holler
* 1934–1945: Wolfram Rombach
* 1945: Hermann Isenmann (acting)
* 1945–1946: Ludwig Heß, (acting)
* 1946–1947: Gustav Ernst (acting)
* 1947–1948: R. Moßbrugger (acting)
* 1949–1975: Karl Heitz
* 1975–1989: Martin Grüber
* 1989–2002: Wolfgang Bruder
* 2003–2018: Edith Schreiner
* since 3 December 2018: Marco Steffens
Representatives to the Federal Parliament
* Dr
Wolfgang Schäuble
Wolfgang Schäuble (; born 18 September 1942) is a German lawyer, politician and statesman whose political career has spanned for more than five decades. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), he is one of the longest-serving politi ...
(
CDU) has been representing the constituency of Offenburg as directly elected MP in the
Lower House of the German Parliament since 1972. Since October 24, 2017, he has held the office as 13th
President of the Bundestag
The president of the Bundestag (german: Präsident des Deutschen Bundestages or ) presides over the sessions of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, with functions similar to that of a speaker in other countries. In the German order ...
.
Geography
Offenburg is located approximately 15 km east of the river
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
between
Karlsruhe
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. ...
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 ...
. The French city of
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 Eu ...
lies 20 km northwest across the Rhine. Offenburg is situated at the mouth of the
Kinzig river valley and at the foot of 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 ...
. The Kinzig flows out of the Black Forest and meets the Rhine near
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic German, 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 munic ...
.
Climate
Köppen climate classification classifies its climate as
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa''). Marine features are limited however, as a result of its vast distance from oceans and seas. As a result, summers have a significant subtropical influence as the inland air heats up. Winters are moderate but usually with night frosts. The climate in this area is close to a
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
climate with less precipitation in summer and more during the winter months.
Offenburg is one of the warmest places in Germany and therefore considered as a viticultural area like neighbor villages such as
Durbach,
Oberkirch or
Gengenbach
Gengenbach (; gsw, label=Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic, Gängäbach) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, district of Ortenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and a popular tourist destination on the western edge of the Black Forest, with about 11,0 ...
.
Economy
Offenburg has a rich trade and manufacturing sector and is home to a number of well-known brands.
Manufacturing and industry
Important manufacturing companies based at Offenburg include
tesa-Werke Offenburg GmbH (adhesive tapes),
Vivil (humbugs and sweets),
MEIKO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG (professional dishwashing systems, cleaning and disinfection technology),
Hansgrohe SE (sanitary fittings) and
HOBART GmbH (professional kitchen equipment). Besides, there are many other small and medium-sized companies that produce highly specialized top-of-the-line products in their appropriate sector of business.
Trade and commerce
The most important trading company in terms of employees (1,850) is
EDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Südwest mbH, the largest German supermarket corporation which has a large regional production, storage and distribution centre in Offenburg. Printus GmbH with approx. 1,600 employees is a stationary wholesaling company. Several subsidiaries or affiliated companies of Markant AG (food and nonfood trade) are based in Offenburg with approx. 600 staff.
Publishing and printing
Hubert Burda Media
Hubert Burda Media Holding is a German media group with headquarters in Offenburg. It originated as a small printing business, founded by Franz Burda Snr in Philippsburg, in 1903.
In 1986, the corporate group was divided up between Franz Jnr, ...
is one of Germany's largest publishing companies. Together with the affiliated Burda printing works it still employs 1,600 people in Offenburg.
Although the prominent position with regard to the number of employees has diminished during the last decades with the emerging of further economic actors in town, the expansion of
Franz Burda's printing business after World War II as well as the growth and success of his wife
Aenne Burda's Burda Style
''Burda Style'' (formerly ''Burda Moden'') is a fashion magazine published in 17 languages and in over 100 countries. Each issue contains patterns for every design featured that month. The magazine is published by Hubert Burda Media.
History an ...
(formerly: ''Burda Moden'') have been decisive in developing the local economy after 1945 and in making the name of the city known all over the world.
Infrastructure
Traffic
Owing to its favourable geographic situation Offenburg has been lying at the crossroads of important lines of communication that can be traced back to Roman times.
Road
Offenburg is situated 3 km east of the
federal motorway A 5, to which it has been connected since 1960 via a famous egg-shaped junction.
Two major federal roads,
B 3 and
B 33, intersect at Offenburg.
Rail
Since the construction of the railway line from Mannheim in 1844, Offenburg had developed into a railway centre during the 19th and earlier part of the 20th century. However, since the privatization of the
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB (German Federal Railway) was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) on 7 September 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). The DB remained ...
in the early 1990s and the ensuing restructuring of the
Deutsche Bahn AG, which subsequently led to the decommissioning of the railway workshops, the operations in Offenburg have considerably shrunk in size.
Today
Offenburg station lies at the crossroads of a number of railway lines, the most important being the
Rhine Valley Railway
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, sou ...
, the main line between
Karlsruhe
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. ...
and
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 ...
with regular Intercity Express (ICE) services to Basel, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt,
Frankfurt 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 ...
and Amsterdam. The picturesque
Black Forest Railway starts at Offenburg as does the line to
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 Eu ...
and the line serving the
Rench
The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau (Baden (Land), Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is ...
valley in the Black Forest.
Due to the re-routing of 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 ...
services from Freiburg to Paris-Est via Offenburg (instead of via Müllheim and Mulhouse) in December 2018, there has since been a daily (except Saturdays) direct service from Offenburg via Strasbourg to Paris-Est.
Air
Offenburg airfield (EDTO) has been used for flying purposes since 1911 and has received a paved runway in 1975. It is owned by the municipality. However, since its declassification as a publicly accessible airfield in the 1990s, the 910 metre asphalt runway (02-20) is only available to resident aeroclubs and to aircraft that have obtained prior permission from the operator. Airports in the vicinity are:
Flughafen Lahr
Lahr Airport (German: ''Flughafen Lahr'', marketed as ''Airport Lahr,'' formerly as ''Black Forest Airport Lahr)'' is a privately owned and operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany, situated in the Black Forest. It is used for genera ...
in Lahr (EDTL) and, with scheduled traffic, Strasbourg-Entzheim (
LFST
Strasbourg Airport (french: Aéroport de Strasbourg; german: Straßburg Flughafen; gsw-FR, D'r Strossburi(g) Flughàfa) is a minor international airport located in Entzheim and 10 km (6.2 miles) west-southwest of Strasbourg, both ''commun ...
) and
Baden-Söllingen (
EDSB
Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (German: ''Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden'') is the international airport of Karlsruhe, the second-largest city in the Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also serves the spa town of Baden-Baden. It is ...
). Both, Lahr and Baden-Söllingen had formerly been used by the
Canadian Forces in Europe and became available for civil use after the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
.
The combination of an abundance of three well-equipped airports close by, the ever-growing noise sensitivity of residents as well as the necessity for commercial development areas has in 2012 revived discussions to shut down the aerodrome completely.
Education
Apart from the primary and secondary schools that are within the responsibility of several public bodies, Offenburg houses a diverse number of educational institutions.
Offenburg is also home to the
University of Applied Sciences Offenburg
The University of Applied Sciences Offenburg, with its head office in Offenburg and a branch in Gengenbach, is a German university owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is one of the most important educational institutions in the southern ...
, with its main campus location in Offenburg, and the other campus in
Gengenbach
Gengenbach (; gsw, label=Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic, Gängäbach) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, district of Ortenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and a popular tourist destination on the western edge of the Black Forest, with about 11,0 ...
(less than 12 km away).
Cultural heritage
There are several historical attractions in Offenburg including:
* The Salmen Inn
* The
Capuchin Monastery
* The ''Ritterhaus'', a 1784 manor-house that has been converted into the city archives and museum
* The Jewish Bath (''
Mikveh
Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity.
Most forms of ritual impurity can be purif ...
''): a bathhouse belonging to the city's historical Jewish community; it was held to be medieval, but recent research suggests it may be from the 16th or 17th century
* The former Royal Palace (''Königshof'') built by
Michael Ludwig Rohrer, now housing the Police station
Sports
Offenburger FV
Offenburger FV is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in the city of Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg.
History
Early years
The club was formed on 20 July 1907 under the name of FC 1907 Offenburg in what was then the Gran ...
is a German association football club based in the city of Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg. The club is one of the most successful amateur football clubs in Germany.
Notable people
*
Lorenz Oken
Lorenz Oken (1 August 1779 – 11 August 1851) was a German naturalist, botanist, biologist, and ornithologist.
Oken was born Lorenz Okenfuss (german: Okenfuß) in Bohlsbach (now part of Offenburg), Ortenau, Baden, and studied natural history and ...
(1779–1851), naturalist
*
Johann Hofer
Johann Hofer (18 August 1810 in Önsbach, Baden – 4 August 1880 in Offenburg) was a German lawyer.
He and his wife Amalie Hofer, née Weissenrieder (12 September 1820 in Gengenbach, 18 February 1872) were agitators and revolutionaries in th ...
(1810–1880), lawyer, lived and died here
*
Artur Dinter
Artur Dinter (27 June 1876 – 21 May 1948) was a German writer and Nazism, Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' of Gau Thuringia.
Biography
Dinter was born in Mulhouse, in Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire (now France) to Josef Dinter, a c ...
(1876–1948), writer and politician
*
Kurt Baschwitz (1886–1968), journalist
*
Emil Sutor
Emil Sutor (June 19, 1888 – August 13, 1974) was a German sculptor. He was born in Offenburg and died in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Bad ...
(1888–1974), sculptor
*
Hermann Vallendor
Hermann Vallendor (13 April 1894 – 15 November 1974) was a German World War I flying ace.
Early life
Hermann Vallendor was born in Offenburg, the Grand Duchy of Baden on 13 April 1894. He was an engineering student in Mannheim before World War ...
(1894–1974), World War I flying ace
*
Hans Furler (1904–1975), politician
*
Otto Kumm
Otto Kumm (1 October 1909 – 23 March 2004) commanded two Waffen-SS divisions in the latter stages of World War II and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. At the post-war Nuremberg trials, the Waffe ...
(1909–2004), senior officer of the Waffen SS
*
Aenne Burda
Aenne Burda (28 July 1909 – 3 November 2005), born Anna Magdalene Lemminger, was a German publisher of the Burda Group, a media group based in Offenburg and Munich, Germany. She was one of the symbols of the German economic miracle.
Biograp ...
(1909–2005), publisher and honorary citizen
*
Hanns Martin Schleyer
Hans "Hanns" Martin Schleyer (; 1 May 1915 – 18 October 1977) was a German business executive, and employer and industry representative, who served as President of two powerful commercial organizations, the Confederation of German Employers' A ...
(1915–1977), manager, employer and industry representative
*
Hubert Burda
Hubert Burda (born 9 February 1940) is a German billionaire publisher. He is the owner, publisher and general partner of Hubert Burda Media, a global media company of more than 600 media products, including websites, print magazines and other br ...
(born 1940), publisher and honorary citizen
*
Jürgen Todenhöfer
Jürgen Todenhöfer (born 12 November 1940) is a German author, journalist, politician, and executive.
Early life and education
Todenhöfer was born in Offenburg in what is now the current German state of Baden-Württemberg, and studied law at ...
(born 1940), author, journalist, politician, and executive
*
Martin Wagner (born 1968), footballer
*
Jonas Alber (born 1969), conductor and violinist
*
Dirk von Lowtzow
Dirk von Lowtzow (born 21 March 1971) is a German musician. He has been the singer and guitarist with German rock band Tocotronic since 1994. Since 2001 he has also been active with the German electronic music project . In 1997, he took part in t ...
(born 1971), musician
*
Michael Kaeshammer
Michael Kaeshammer (born 7 January 1977) is a Canadian jazz and boogie-woogie pianist.
Early life and education
Kaeshammer grew up in Offenburg, Germany, where he studied classical piano for seven years. At age thirteen, he became interested i ...
(born 1977), Canadian pianist, vocalist and composer
*
Atika Bouagaa
Atika Bouagaa (born May 22, 1982) is a volleyball player from Germany.
Standing at and nicknamed "Bougi", she has played as an outside-hitter for the German Women's National Team since 2002.
She represented her native country at the 2004 Summ ...
(born 1982), volleyball player
*
Madeline Juno (born 1995), singer-songwriter
Twin towns – sister cities
Offenburg is
twinned with:
*
Lons-le-Saunier
Lons-le-Saunier () is a Communes of France, commune and capital of the Jura (department), Jura Department, eastern France.
Geography
The town is in the heart of the Revermont region, at the foot of the first plateau of the Jura massif. The Jur ...
, France (1959)
*
Weiz
Weiz () is a town in the eastern part of the Austrian state of Styria.
Population
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Weiz is twinned with:
* Ajka, Hungary
* Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Poland
* Offenburg
Offenburg ("open borou ...
, Austria (1964)
*
Borehamwood
Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly known ...
, England, United Kingdom (1982)
*
Altenburg
Altenburg () is a city in Thuringia, Germany, located south of Leipzig, west of Dresden and east of Erfurt. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district and part of a polycentric old-industrial textile and metal production region betw ...
, Germany (1988)
*
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
, Poland (1999)
*
Pietra Ligure
Pietra Ligure ( lij, A Prïa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Savona. It is mainly a touristic city.
Pietra Ligure borders the foll ...
, Italy (2007)
Notes
External links
*
*
*
Information about and images
*
Messe Offenburg-Ortenau (fair Offenburg-Ortenau)*
Webcam over the Burda-Tower
{{Authority control
Ortenaukreis
Historic Jewish communities
Baden
Holocaust locations in Germany