Zweibrücken (; french: Deux-Ponts, ;
Palatinate German: ''Zweebrigge'', ; literally translated as "Two Bridges") is a town in
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 ...
,
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 ...
, on the
Schwarzbach river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
.
Name
The name ''Zweibrücken'' means 'two bridges'; older forms of the name include
Middle High German
Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. High ...
''Zweinbrücken'',
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Geminus Pons'' and ''Bipontum'', and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''Deux-Ponts'', all with the same meaning.
History
The town was the capital of the former
Imperial State
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate ( la, Status Imperii; german: Reichsstand, plural: ') was a part of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise si ...
of
Palatine Zweibrücken
Palatine Zweibrücken (), or the County Palatine of Zweibrücken, is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken (french: Deux-Ponts). Its reigning house, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was also the Royal House of ...
owned by the
House of Wittelsbach
The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...
. The ducal castle is now occupied by the high court of the Palatinate (''Oberlandesgericht'').
There is a fine
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
Protestant church, Alexander's church, founded in 1493 and rebuilt in 1955.
From the end of the 12th century, Zweibrücken was the seat of the
County of Zweibrücken
The County of Zweibrücken (german: Grafschaft Zweibrücken) was a territory in the Holy Roman Empire named for Zweibrücken in the contemporary Land Rhineland-Palatinate. It was created in between 1182 and 1190 from an inheritance division of the ...
, the counts being descended from Henry I, youngest son of
Simon I, Count of Saarbrücken
Simon I of Saarbrücken (died after 1183) was a German nobleman. He was the second ruling Count of Saarbrücken (de), in office 1135 - 1183.
Life
Simon was a son of Frederick, Count of Saarbrücken (d. 1135) and his wife Gisela of Lorraine (b ...
(d. 1182). The line became extinct on the death of Count Eberhard II (1394), who in 1385 had sold half his territory to the Count Palatine of the Rhine, and held the other half as his feudal domain.
Louis Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis (d ...
(d. 1489), son of
Stephen, founded the line of the
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken.
In 1533,
Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken converted Palatine Zweibrücken to the new
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
faith. In 1559, Wolfgang founded the earliest grammar school in the town (Herzog-Wolfgang-
Gymnasium), which lasted until 1987.
When
Charles X Gustav
Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...
, the son of
John Casimir, Count Palatine of Kleeburg
John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg (20 April 1589, Zweibrücken – 18 June 1652, Stegeborg Castle) was the son of John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife, Duchess Magdalene of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. He was marri ...
, succeeded his cousin, Queen
Christina of Sweden, on the
Swedish throne, Palatinate-Zweibrücken was in
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
with Sweden, a situation that lasted until 1718.
Starting in 1680,
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
's
Chambers of Reunion awarded Zweibruecken and other localities to France, but under the 1697
Treaty of Rijswijk, "The Duchy of Zweibruecken was restored to the King of Sweden, as Count Palatine of the Rhine."
In 1731, Palatinate-Zweibrücken passed to the
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around the Duchy of Zweibrücken in modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken was created in 1731 when Christian III of Palatinate-Zweibr ...
branch of the counts palatine, from where it came under the sway of
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
in 1799. It was occupied by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in 1793 and on 4 November 1797, Zweibrücken became a canton centre in department of
Mont Tonnerre. At the
Peace of Lunéville
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
in 1801, the French annexation of Zweibrücken was confirmed; on its reunion with Germany in 1814 the greater part of the territory was given to Bavaria, the remainder to
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to:
Places
*Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
*Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany
**Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony
*Olde ...
and
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...
.
The town of Zweibrücken became part of the
Palatine region of the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...
.
At the ducal printing office at Zweibrücken the fine series of the classical editions known as the Bipontine Editions was published (1779 sqq.).
The last prominent social event before the First World War was the inauguration of the ''Rosengarten'' (rose garden) by Princess Hildegard of Bavaria in June 1914. As a consequence of the First World War, Zweibrücken was occupied by French troops between 1918 and 1930. In the course of the ''
Kristallnacht'' in 1938, Zweibrücken's synagogue was destroyed. On the outbreak of the Second World War the town was evacuated in 1939–1940, as it lay in the ‘Red Zone’ on the fortified
Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the west ...
. Shortly before the end of the war, on 14 March 1945, the town was nearly completely destroyed in an air raid by the Royal Canadian Air Force, with the loss of more than 200 lives. On 20 March, American ground troops reached Zweibrücken. The town became part of the new 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 ...
after the war.
In 1993, the town underwent a major change. With the departure of the Americans, the military area became free, which corresponded altogether to a third of the entire urban area. Unemployment increased to approximately 21%, leading to a decrease in demand in the retail trade of approximately 25%.
Mayors and Lord Mayors
* 1895–1904 Wolff
* 1905–1905 Freudenberg
* 1905–1932 Roesinger
* 1932–1945 Karl Ernst Collofong (SDAP)
* 1945–1959 Ignaz Roth (1894–1972) (SPD)
* 1959–1969 Oskar Munzinger (1911–1983) (SPD)
* 1969–1979 Helmut Fichtner (SPD)
* 1980–1992 Werner von Blon (1929–2009) (SPD)
* 1993–1999 Hans Otto Streuber (born 1949) (SPD)
* 1999–2004 Jürgen Lambert (born 1936) (CDU)
* 2004–2012 Helmut Reichling (CDU)
* 2012–2018 Kurt Pirmann (1955–2018) (SPD)
* since 2018 Marold Wosnitza (born 1965) (SPD)
Economy
Weaving, brewing and the manufacture of machinery, chicory, cigars, malt, boots, furniture and soap were the chief industries before World War II. Nowadays Terex cranes and bulldozers and
John Deere
Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, ...
harvesting equipment are the chief industries.
The
Hochschule Kaiserslauternbr>
one of the largest universities in the Rhineland-Palatinate, with more than 6,000 students is also located in Zweibrücken.
Culture and sights
The city of Zweibrücken is represented at various cultural events by the Rose Queen, who is elected every two years.
Parks
Zweibrücken has one of the largest Rosariums in the World with 45000 Plants and 1500 Species. It consists of 2 gardens with the main garden having a area of 50.000 square meters. The second, smaller garden is accessible without entry fee and is located at the Fasanerie and contains Wild Rose plants. Due to this the city is allowed to have the title of "Rose City".
Museums
The Zweibrücken City Museum has a permanent exhibition in the former residence of court gardener Ernst August Bernhard Petri, documenting the eventful history of Zweibrücken. In addition, special exhibitions take place regularly, e.g. on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the State Stud.
Libraries
The
Bibliotheca Bipontina
The Bibliotheca Bipontina is a regional scientific library in Zweibrücken, which has been part of the since 1 September 2004. It is one of the most important libraries in the land.
The book stock amounts to about 120,600 volumes , including ...
is a scientific regional library in Zweibrücken, whose holdings mainly go back to rescued parts of the ducal libraries and therefore partly houses very valuable first editions from the 16th century. It is part of the Landesbibliothekszentrum Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate State Library Centre) and one of the most important old holdings libraries in the state. The Bibliotheca Bipontina is housed in the building of the Helmholtz-Gymnasium Zweibrücken. The Zweibrücken City Library, which has existed since 1903, is housed in an adjoining building of the town hall and has a stock of around 50,000 volumes. Branches are the youth library and the Rimschweiler branch.
Buildings
![Zweibrücken Alexanderskirche 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Zweibr%C3%BCcken_Alexanderskirche_06.JPG)
* ''Das Schloss Zweibrücken'' – the
Zweibrücken Castle
Zweibrücken Castle (german: Schloss Zweibrücken) is a building in the town of Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. It was built as a ducal palace in 1720-1725. It is the largest and most magnificent secular (i.e. non-religious) building in th ...
, built in its present form in 1725, is the largest Palatine secular building in the Baroque style of Nordic coinage. It was built in 1720-1725 by master builder Jonas Erikson Sundahl and is the former residence of the Dukes of Zweibrücken. Destroyed in World War II, it was rebuilt in 1965 and is now the seat of the Palatinate Higher Regional Court.
* ''Herzogvorstadt'' – The so-called Herzogvorstadt consists of several baroque buildings built between 1762 and 1772. The entire complex is based on plans by Christian Ludwig Hautt. The buildings, which were not destroyed during the last war, house the city administration, the district court, the city archive and the city museum.
* ''Alexanderskirche'' –
Alexander's
Alexander's is a real estate investment trust that owns 7 properties in New York metropolitan area, including 731 Lexington Avenue, the headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. It is controlled by Vornado Realty Trust. It was founded by George Farkas and ...
Church (') is the oldest church in Zweibrücken, whose
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
is the burial place of numerous counts/dukes of the
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. A late-Gothic Protestant hall church, construction began in 1493, as a gift from
Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Alexander of Zweibrücken (german: Pfalzgraf Alexander von Zweibrücken "der Hinkende") (26 November 1462 – 21 October 1514) was Count Palatine, Duke of Zweibrücken and Count of Veldenz in 1489–1514.
Life
He was the son of Louis I, Count Pa ...
on his return from a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
.
* ''Karlskirche'' – The Karlskirche was built between 1708 and 1711 by the architect Haquinus Schlang from Sweden on behalf of the Swedish King Charles XII in his capacity as Duke of Zweibrücken. After its destruction in the Second World War, it was rebuilt as a community centre on the basis of the original plans and reopened on 1 November 1970.
* ''Heilig Kreuz Kirche'' – The third church in the inner city is the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, which was built much later than the other two churches.
* ''Gasthaus „Zum Hirsch“'' – The former guesthouse is the oldest building in the city centre.
* ''Villa Ipser'' – Built in 1908 for a shoe manufacturer, Villa Ipser is situated on the Rothenberg and features typical late historicist architecture with clear Art Nouveau influences.
* ''Zweibrücker Stollen und Felsenkeller''
* ''Himmelsbergstollen'' – The Himmelsbergstollen is a cellar complex carved into the sandstone on the Himmelsberg, in the southern part of the city centre.
* ''
Zweibrücken Observatory
Zweibrücken Observatory (german: Volkssternwarte Zweibrücken), or the Zweibrück Observatory of the Natural Science Association, is a public observatory in Zweibrücken, Germany. Its dome was painted to resemble the Star Wars character R2-D2 in 2 ...
'' - an observatory at the university
* ''
Lustschloss Tschifflik''/''
Fasanerie'' - built by
Polish King Stanisław Leszczyński. The complex is inspired by time the monarch spent in
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
, hence the
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
name Tschifflik. The paintings of King Stanisław, his wife Katharina as well as his two daughters Anna and Maria adorn the walls of the fireplace room.
Zweibrücken Air Base
![Sabrecrew](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Sabrecrew.jpg)
On the outskirts of the town,
Zweibrücken Air Base
Zweibrücken Air Base was a NATO military air base in West Germany . It was located SSW of Kaiserslautern and SE of Zweibrücken. It was assigned to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) during ...
was home during 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 ...
to the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) until early 1969, then to the
United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(USAFE) from 1969. The RCAF stationed No. 3 Fighter Wing of
No.1 Canadian Air Division at Zweibrücken AB. During the years 1953 to 1968, it was the home to the RCAF's
413
__NOTOC__
Year 413 ( CDXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Herclianus and Lucius (or, less frequently, year 1166 ...
,
427
__NOTOC__
Year 427 (Roman numerals, CDXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Hierus and Ardabur (or, less frequen ...
and
434 Fighter Squadrons flying
F-86 Sabre jets, and
440 Squadron, which flew the
CF-100 Canuck, then the
CF-104 Starfighter. When the RCAF transferred the wing southeast to
CFB Baden–Soellingen, the USAFE moved onto the base with
Phantom RF-4C aircraft, under the
38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
The 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (26 TRW), stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated along with ...
of the
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
The 26th Information Operations Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 5 July 2006.
The wing was first establi ...
. These were photo-reconnaissance aircraft with missions all over Europe and used in
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
.
The
Short C-23 Sherpa, a small prop-driven transport plane, also flew out of the base in the 1980s under the
10th Military Airlift Squadron, a tenant
Military Airlift Command unit. The squadron's mission was to deliver high-priority aircraft parts to bases in USAFE to ensure a maximum number of aircraft were combat-ready. Today Zweibrücken Air Base has been transformed into the modern
Zweibrücken Airport
Zweibrücken Airport , or ''Flughafen Zweibrücken'' in German, is a regional airport and former minor international airport in Zweibrücken, Germany. It was the smaller of the two passenger airports in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the ot ...
, an international airport with flights to
Palma de Mallorca
Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situate ...
,
Antalya
Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...
,
Gran Canaria,
Teneriffe,
Rhodos
In Greek mythology, Rhodos/Rhodus () or Rhode (), was the goddess and personification of the island of Rhodes and a wife of the Solar deity, sun god Helios.
Parentage
Various parents were given for Rhodos. Pindar makes her a daughter of Aphro ...
,
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
and
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the North Africa region, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNES ...
(TUIfly),
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
(Pegasus Airlines).
On the other side of the town was Kreuzberg Kaserne, home to various units of the United States Army. Only one combat unit was located there: Battery A, 2nd Battalion,
60th Air Defense Artillery, with its Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) at
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
. The 3d Battalion, 60th ADA was a subordinate unit of the
32nd Army Air Defense Command
3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cu ...
. Major tenants at Kreuzberg Kaserne were USAISEC-EUR (Information Systems Engineering Command - Europe) and the USA MATCOMEUR (Material Command, Europe), later renamed the US Army Material Management Agency, Europe. During the US military draw down in the 1990s, control of the Air Base was transferred to the Bundeswehr. The base's housing toward the center of the city and Kreuzberg itself were eventually also transferred to the German government by the mid-1990s.
Transportation
Zweibrücken is situated at the
Landau-Rohrbach railway and offsets hourly connections to
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...
. This line is operated by
DB Regio Mitte
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. DB Regio AG, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and there part of the DB Regio busi ...
with currently DMU's of the Class 642 (
Siemens Desiro Classic
The Siemens Desiro (, , ) is a family of diesel or electric multiple unit passenger trains developed by Siemens Mobility, a division of the German Siemens AG conglomerate. The main variants are the Desiro Classic, Desiro ML, Desiro UK and the la ...
).
The public transport is operated by Stadtbus Zweibrücken GmbH, a
Transdev Germany
Transdev Germany is the largest private operator of passenger buses and trains in Germany. It is a subsidiary of Transdev.
History
In 1997, Aktiengesellschaft für Industrie und Verkehrswesen was purchased by a CGEA Group (60%) EnBW (40%) cons ...
company, with currently eight bus lines (221-226, 228 and 229 on saturday from 2 p.m. and sundays). The company is integrated in the
Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (VRN). The bus service operates from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, on weekends the times are changed depending on the requirements. On Sunday, the bus service does not start until 2:00 p.m. and is then only provided with lines 225 and 229. The end of operations is then 7:30 p.m. The fleet consists of 10
MAN Lion's City
The MAN Lion's City is a range of low-floor and low-entry public buses built by German truck and bus manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus (previously MAN Nutzfahrzeuge) since 1996 primarily for the European market, but is also available in chassis-on ...
city buses from 2020, and 4 articulated buses
Mercedes-Benz Citaro G
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia, ...
and a further 3 MAN Lion's City buses are available for school buses and booster traffic in the rush hour.
Climate
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
subtype for this climate is "
Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/
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 ( ...
).
Twin towns – sister cities
Zweibrücken is
twinned with:
*
Barrie
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...
, Canada (1997)
*
Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
, France (1959)
*
Yorktown, United States (1978)
Notable people
![Hermann Dingler ca1910](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Hermann_Dingler_ca1910.jpg)
*
Stanisław Leszczyński (1677–1766),
King of Poland
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...
,
Grand Duke of Lithuania
The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties that managed to stay in power—House ...
,
Duke of Lorraine and a count 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 ...
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Jonas Erikson Sundahl
Jonas Erikson Sundahl (1678-1762) was a Swedish-born architect who spent most of his working life at and around Zweibrücken in the German Palatinate. Most of his designs were in the then-modern Baroque style.
Biography
Sundahl's exact date of bi ...
(1678–1762), Swedish-born architect who designed
Zweibrücken Castle
Zweibrücken Castle (german: Schloss Zweibrücken) is a building in the town of Zweibrücken, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. It was built as a ducal palace in 1720-1725. It is the largest and most magnificent secular (i.e. non-religious) building in th ...
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Georg Christian Crollius
Georg Christian Crollius (21 July 1728 – 23 March 1790) was a German historian and librarian.
He was born in Zweibrücken, the son of the gymnasial headmaster Johann Philipp Crollius and Margaretha Gabriela Joannis. Crollius studied in Halle ...
(1728–1790), historian and librarian
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Johan Ludvig Mansa (1740–1820), Danish gardener and castellan
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Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz
Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz (3 January 1804 – 30 December 1876) was a German pharmacist and botanist who was a native of Zweibrücken.
He initially learned the pharmacy profession at his father's store in Zweibrücken. In 1827 be began studie ...
(1804–1876), pharmacist and botanist
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Carl Heinrich Schultz (1805–1867), physician and botanist
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Philipp Ludwig von Seidel (1821–1896), mathematician and astronomer
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Eugene W. Hilgard
Eugene Woldemar Hilgard (January 5, 1833, Zweibrücken, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany – January 8, 1916, Berkeley, California, United States) was a German-American expert on pedology (the study of soil resources). An authority on climate as a pe ...
(1833–1916), soil scientist, geologist and agronomists
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Carl Bersch (1834–1914), artist
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Hermann Dingler
Hermann Dingler (23 May 1846 – 30 December 1935) was a German physician and botanist. He was a son-in-law of chemist Emil Erlenmeyer and the father of philosopher Hugo Dingler.
Dingler was born in Zweibrücken. He studied medicine at the ...
(1846–1935), botanist
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Gustav Aschaffenburg
Gustav Aschaffenburg (May 23, 1866 – September 2, 1944) was a German psychiatrist born in Zweibrücken.
In 1890 he received his medical doctorate from the University of Strasbourg with a thesis on delirium tremens. Later he worked as an ...
(1866–1944), psychiatrist
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Maximilian Schuler (1882–1972), engineer, mechanical engineer and physicist
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Emil Oberholzer
Emil Oberholzer (December 24, 1883 – May 4, 1958) was a Swiss-American psychiatrist. He was a born in Zweibrücken, Germany, and died in New York City.
Beginning in 1908, he received psychiatric training under Eugen Bleuler (1857–1939) in Zur ...
(1883–1958), Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
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Johann Fortner
Johann Fortner (25 November 1884 – 26 February 1947) was a German ''Generalleutnant'' during World War II who commanded the 718th Infantry Division from its formation in May 1941 until he was relieved in March 1943. During his command the divisi ...
(1884–1947), officer of the Armed Forces
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August Heinrich Bruinier
August Heinrich Bruinier (7 May 1897 – 24 April 1970) was a German violinist and violin teacher. He was born into a musical family of Dutch provenance.Horst Bergmeier, Rainer Lotz: Die Familie Bruinier. In: Fox auf 78, Heft 12, Sommer 1993, IS ...
(1897–1970), violinist
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Otto Bradfisch
Otto Bradfisch (10 May 1903 – 22 June 1994) was an economist, a jurist, an SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant colonel), leader of Einsatzkommando 8 of Einsatzgruppe B of the Security Police ('' Sicherheitspolizei'' or SiPo) and the SD, ...
(1903–1994), economist, jurist and SS-
Obersturmbannführer
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Otto Carius
Otto Carius (27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015) was a German tank commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He fought on the Eastern Front in 1943 and 1944 and on the Western Front in 1945. Carius is considered a "panzer ace", some sources ...
(1922–2015), pharmacist, tank-commander in WW II
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Peter Fleischmann (1937–2021), film director
* (born 1938), concert singer and singing teacher
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Ron MacLean (born 1960), Canadian sportswriter
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Rainer Schönborn (born 1962), ice dancer
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Larry Mitchell (born 1967), ice hockey player
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Julia Wilhelm (born 1980), author and journalist
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Nico Zimmermann
Nico Zimmermann (born 2 September 1985) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Career
Zimmermann came through 1. FC Saarbrücken youth system, having previously played for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and progressed to t ...
(born 1985), footballer
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Christin Hussong
Christin Hussong (born 17 March 1994) is a German track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She has won gold at the 2011 World Youth Championships, 2015 European U23 Championships and at the 2018 European Championships. Hussong ...
(born 1994), javelin thrower
Worked in Zweibrücken
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Hieronymus Bock
Hieronymus Bock ( Latinised Hieronymus Tragus; c. 1498 – 21 February 1554) was a German botanist, physician, and Lutheran minister who began the transition from medieval botany to the modern scientific worldview by arranging plants by their re ...
(1498–1554), significant physician and botanist
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Pantaleon Candidus Pantaleon Candidus was a theologian of the Reformed Church and a Neo-Latin author. He was born on 7 October 1540 in Ybbs an der Donau and died on 3 February 1608 in Zweibrücken.
Life and works
Pantaleon Weiss was born the 14th child of a landown ...
(1540–1608), reformed theologian, historian and author
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Nicolas Appert (1749–1841), confectioner and inventor
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Jakob Weis
Jakob Weis (13 May 1879, Ommersheim, Saarpfalz – 18 March 1948, Zweibrücken) was a priest in the Diocese of Speyer, who also worked as a prison chaplain. During the First World War he became the army chaplain to the 12th Bavarian Infantry ...
(1879–1948), prison pastor in Zweibrücken 1909–1921, divisional chaplain in World War I, an author, 1925–1940 study professor at the secondary school or at school, 1940–1948 Emeritus in Zweibrücken, there he also died
See also
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Palatine Zweibrücken#List of Counts Palatine Zweibrücken
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Bipont Editions
Bipont Editions (also known as the Bipontine Editions), the name of a famous series of editions, in 50 volumes, of Greek and Latin classical authors, so called from Bipontium, the modern Latin name of Zweibrücken (also referred to as "Deux Ponts"; ...
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Kaiserslautern Military Community
Kaiserslautern Military Community is a community of Americans living in and around Kaiserslautern, Germany, supporting United States Armed Forces and NATO installations, such as the Ramstein Air Base, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Kapaun Ai ...
References
Further reading
* Ammerich, Hans, ''Zweibrücken. Die alte Herzogsstadt in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', Zweibrücken 1983
* Bartz, Günther, ''Zweibrücken. Frühe Kunde – Herzogliche Zeiten – heute'', Speyer 1960
* Lehmann, Johann Georg, ''Vollständige Geschichte des Herzogthums Zweibrücken und seiner Fürsten, der Stamm- und Voreltern des k. bayer. Hauses'', Munich, 1867
* Molitor, Ludwig, ''Vollständige Geschichte der ehemals pfalz-bayerischen Residenzstadt Zweibrücken von ihren ältesten Zeiten bis zur Vereinigung des Herzogtums Zweibrücken mit der Bayerischen Krone'', Zweibrücken 1884
External links
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Information Portal about Zweibrücken
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zweibrucken
Zweibrücken
Palatinate (region)