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Lahr (officially Lahr/Schwarzwald since 30 September 1978) (); gsw, label=
Low Alemannic Low Alemannic German (german: Niederalemannisch) is a branch of Alemannic German, which is part of Upper German. Its varieties are only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers. Subdivisions * Lake Constance Alemannic ( de) **Northern Vor ...
, Lohr) is a town in western
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 ...
, approximately 50 km north of
Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...
, 40 km southeast 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 ...
, and 95 km southwest of
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. ...
. It is the second largest city in
Ortenau (district) 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 ...
after
Offenburg Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the ad ...
, and serves as an intermediate economic centre for the cities and towns of
Ettenheim Ettenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Äddene) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History Ettenheim was founded in the 8th century by Eddo, bishop of Strasbourg, and the was founded at about that time. Ettenheim recei ...
, Friesenheim,
Kappel-Grafenhausen Kappel-Grafenhausen ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kabbl-Groffähüüsä) is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is ...
,
Kippenheim Kippenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kibbennä) is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Kippenheim has restored its pre-war synagogue. Notable residents *Stef Wertheimer Stef Wertheimer ( he, זאב סטף ...
,
Mahlberg Mahlberg ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Mohlburg) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 8 km southwest of Lahr, near the Europa-Park Rust. It is about north of Freiburg im Breisgau and south of ...
,
Meißenheim Meißenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Missennä) is a municipality in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Personalities Sons and daughters of the place * Ferdinand Kopf (1857-1943), born in Kürzell, lawyer, member ...
,
Ringsheim Ringsheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Ringsä) is a village in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most pop ...
,
Rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...
,
Schuttertal Schuttertal is a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany and belongs to the district of Ortenau. It is located in the Schutter Valley in Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state ...
, Schwanau and Seelbach. The population of Lahr passed the 20,000 mark in the mid-1950s. When the new body of Municipal Law for Baden-Württemberg came into effect on April 1, 1956, the city was therefore immediately accorded ''Große Kreisstadt'' status. In addition, Lahr cooperates with the town of
Kippenheim Kippenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kibbennä) is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Kippenheim has restored its pre-war synagogue. Notable residents *Stef Wertheimer Stef Wertheimer ( he, זאב סטף ...
in administrative matters.


Geography

Lahr is located on the western edge 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 ...
where the Schutter Valley merges with the
Upper Rhine River Plains ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...
from the east. The Schutter enters the city from the southeast and runs in a northwesterly direction first through the boroughs of Reichenbach and Kuhbach, then through Lahr (proper) where the ''Altstadt'' (historic town centre) is situated on the right bank of the river. It then traverses the borough of Dinglingen where it bends north until it finally leaves the city after traversing the borough of Hugsweier. A canal for emergency relief in times of flooding branches off from the Schutter not far from Dinglingen. The city of Lahr is made up of Lahr (proper) and the formerly independent communities of Burgheim (merged with Lahr in 1899) and Dinglingen (merged in 1933). Burgheim and Dinglingen have merged with Lahr also in a geographic sense. During the last major district reform in
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 ...
in the 1970s Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler, Kuhbach, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim, Reichenbach and Sulz joined Lahr as new boroughs. Several of the boroughs include additional, geographically distinct settlements or neighbourhoods that either have a long history of their own or were created as new developments but with areal boundaries that have not been officially defined. Most of these settlements have only small populations and some have since also merged with their borough in a geographic sense. Specifically, ''Brudertal'' is part of the borough of Kuhbach; ''Galgenberg'', ''Schutterlindenhof'' and ''Waldfrieden'' are part of Lahr (proper); ''Eichberg'', ''Gereut'', ''Giesenhof'', ''Langeck'', ''Poche'' and ''Schindelhöfe'' are part of the borough of Reichenbach; and ''Dammenmühle'', ''Ernethof'', ''Hohberg'' and ''Langenhard'' are part of the borough of Sulz.


Neighbouring communities

The following cities and towns share a border with Lahr. They are listed clockwise starting from the north: Friesenheim, Seelbach,
Kippenheim Kippenheim ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kibbennä) is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Kippenheim has restored its pre-war synagogue. Notable residents *Stef Wertheimer Stef Wertheimer ( he, זאב סטף ...
,
Kappel-Grafenhausen Kappel-Grafenhausen ( gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kabbl-Groffähüüsä) is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is ...
and Schwanau.


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 ( ...
). However, it is close to being "
humid subtropical climate 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° ...
" due to the mean temperatures in July and August just under 22 °C which bringing this region types of a mediterran microclimate.


History


The city

Lahr developed around the ''Storchenturm'' ("stork tower") owned by the House of Geroldseck around 1220 and received a city charter around 1278. The charter was renewed in 1377 and served as the foundation for municipal independence through to the end of the Old Empire. The significant tax privileges enjoyed by Lahr allowed the city to quickly grow into a centre of trade during the eighteenth century. The city and surrounding land with the same name remained the property of the Geroldsecks until 1426. Their successor was the House of Moers-Saarwerden, which gave half the land to
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
as collateral for loans and in 1497 legal ownership was transferred to it. The other half was transferred to the
House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count o ...
-Saarbrücken in 1522. Both Baden and the House of Nassau-Saarbrücken implemented the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in the areas under their control and ruled the city jointly until the Baden half also became the property of the Nassaus in 1629. The
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
reduced the city's population significantly and during the Dutch War in 1677 it was burned to the ground by French troops under the leadership of Marshall de Créquy. Later on, during the eighteenth century, the citizens of Lahr sued the House of Nassau in the "Lahr Law Suits" in 1726 and 1778. The suits were decided in favor of the citizens of Lahr and thwarted Nassau's attempt at absolute rule. In 1803 Lahr and the surrounding land in Baden became the seat of a court, whose areal boundaries were modified several times. During the 19th century Lahr was highly involved in the printing industry and the Burda Publishing Company, nowadays located in neighboring
Offenburg Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the ad ...
, had its start at least partially in Lahr. Between 1898 and 1919 and again between 1936 and 1945, the city was home to a garrison. After
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 ...
, Lahr became one of the bases for the French until France left the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
in 1966. After that, from 1967 until 1994, the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
NATO forces (
CFB Lahr Canadian Forces Base Lahr (IATA:LHA, ICAO: EDTL, former code EDAN) was a military operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. It was operated primarily as a French air force base, and later as a Canadian army base, beginning in the late ...
) maintained their European headquarters in Lahr. Following the closing down of the "old" Brigade Area in North Rhine-Westphalia centred around Iserlohn, Hemer, Deilinghofen as well as Werl and Soest (1970–1971)the Land Forces and their families were transferred to the Lahr area to join the existing Air Force contingent. On 6 May 1994, Werner Dietz, Mayor of Lahr/Schwarzenwald presented the Canadian Forces a plaque "The City of Lahr/Schwarzenwald, in the Black Forest, thanks the
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
for their contribution to Peace, Security and harmonious relations between Canadian and German populations of our city during their presence from 1967 to 1994." After the Canadian Forces left in 1994, a small Canadian contingent of former civilian employees remained in Lahr (approximately 200). As early as 1939 Lahr was the seat of the rural district of the same name. Its automobile license plates code was "LR" but during the Baden-Württemberg district reform in the 1970s the district was dissolved and its communities were assigned and made part of the newly created Ortenau District.


The boroughs

Lahr's boroughs also enjoy a long history. Hugsweier, Burgheim, Dinglingen, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim and Sulz used to be ruled by the same rulers as Lahr itself and therefore shared a great deal of the city's history. In 1803 they became part of Baden and were communities in a previous district of Lahr until they were merged and became part of the city. ''Hugsweier'' was first mentioned in 1341 as "Hugelswilre", ''Burgheim'' in 1035 as "Burcheim", ''Dinglingen'' in 961 as "Tuntelinga", ''Mietersheim'' in 762 as "Mutherisheim" and ''Sulz'' in 1270 as "Sulz". ''Langenwinkel'' is a village with a fairly short history. It was built starting in 1787 in the area of the Nassau forest, which was cut down to make room for the new village, on land that belonged to Dinglingen. In 1790 the first house was built and in 1797 Langenwinkel became an independent community that was also made part of Baden in 1803. After 1951 the airfield for the Canadian Forces was built in Langenwinkel's immediate vicinity and the associated noise and traffic became a tremendous hardship for the residents of Langenwinkel. In 1965 the German Ministry of Defense decided therefore to move the village and Langenwinkel was recreated between 1968 and 1971 several kilometres southeast of the ''Hurster Hof''. ''Kippenheimweiler'' was first mentioned in 1427 as "Wilre" and then in 1462 as "Kippenwiler". It was an extension of Kippenheim and like Kippenheim it became part of the Baden House of Mahlberg in 1629. In 1810 it was assigned to the Ettenheim court and only íts subsequent dissolution did it become part of the district Lahr. ''Kuhbach'' was first mentioned in 1035 as "Cuobach". Initially it belonged to the Geroldsecks. After the family divided into two in 1278 was it made part of Hohengeroldseck (''Vogtei'' Seelbach). Ecclesiastically, it was first part of the Burgheim parish and was later assigned to the Lahr parish. After the
counterreformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
the town became
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
again and was only made part of Baden in 1819 when it was assigned to the district of Lahr. ''Reichenbach'' was first mentioned as "Richenbach" in 1270. The town was divided up between the Houses of Geroldseck and Tiersberg. During the fourteenth century the part owned by the Tiersbergs came after several detours into the possession of Baden and was given to the Röder
vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
s as a
fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
. The Hohengeroldseck part eventually became the property of the Counts van der Leyen. Reichenbach was initially
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 ...
but returned to Catholicism in 1658. The Baden-Röder part was then passed on to the County of Geroldseck in 1806 and with the County came into the possession of Austria in 1815. In 1819 it was returned to Baden and became part of the court of Hohengeroldseck. Only in 1832 was it made part of the Lahr district.


Religion

The region around Lahr initially belonged to the
Archdiocese of Strasbourg The Archdiocese of Strasbourg ( la, Archidioecesis Argentoratensis o Argentinensis; french: Archidiocèse de Strasbourg; german: Erzbistum Straßburg; gsw-FR, Ärzbischofsìtz Strossburi(g)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archd ...
. The city itself was originally attached to the parishes of Dinglingen and Burgheim. Only the Chapel of Our Lady was located in Lahr. In 1259 the
Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
founded a monastery which was moved to the outskirts of Dinglingen in 1349 and converted into a collegiate monastery in 1482. In 1492 the parish of Burgberg was moved to Lahr and the Chapel of Our Lady became the parish church. After the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
was introduced in 1558 until 1567, the monastery was dissolved and Lahr remained exclusively
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 ...
for the next several centuries. After Lahr came to Baden, the church became seat of a deanery which serves the entire surrounding area. Two other parishes developed from the original one, Christ Church Parish and Peace Parish, but were merged later on to form a combined parish. The combined parish today also includes John's Parish in Sulz, the Luther, Paul and Melanchton Parishes in Dinglingen and Lahr-West, and St Peter's Parish in Burgheim. Additional Protestant parishes are located in the boroughs of Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler and Langenwinkel, while Langenwinkel is attached to the parish of Hugsweier and Kippenheimweiler to the parish in neighbouring Kippenheim. Protestants from Kuhbach and Reichenbach belong to the parish of Seelbach and those living in Mietersheim belong to the parish of Lahr. All Protestant parishes belong to the deanery of Lahr within the
Evangelical Church in Baden The Protestant Church in Baden (german: link=no, Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden; i.e. Evangelical Regional Church in Baden) is a United Protestant member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), and member of the Conference of Church ...
. The Liebenzeller Association is also represented in Lahr. At the beginning of the nineteenth century
Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
began to return to Lahr and in 1843 the first Catholic parish was founded, its church St. Peter and Paul constructed from 1846. St. Marien became the second Catholic parish in 1960 (its church was built in 1954 through 1956). Additional Catholic parishes exist in Dinglingen (Holy Spirit with church St. Martin in Hugsweier), Kuhbach (Mary Ascension and Chapel of Our Dear Lady), Reichenbach and Sulz (St. Peter and Paul). In Sulz a
Simultaneum A shared church (german: Simultankirche), simultaneum mixtum, a term first coined in 16th-century Germany, is a church in which public worship is conducted by adherents of two or more religious groups. Such churches became common in the German-sp ...
existed between 1773 and 1959 where Catholics and Protestants used the same church building. In addition to the two large denominations the following are also represented in Lahr: several independent Protestant churches among them
Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
, Methodists and
Pentecostals Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement
, and the
New Apostolic Church The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a Christian denomination, Christian church that split from the Catholic Apostolic Church during an 1863 schism in Hamburg, Germany. The church has existed since 1863 in Germany and since 1897 in the Ne ...
.


District reform

In conjunction with several district reforms the following towns were merged with Lahr: * 1899: Burgheim * 1933: Dinglingen * 1972: Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler, Kuhbach, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim, Reichenbach and Sulz


Demographics

Figures reflect city limits at the time and are estimates (until 1870),
Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
data (¹), or official extensions thereof, counting only primary residences. ¹ Census data Approximately 9,000 of Lahr's citizens are descendants of Germans who settled in Russia, and another 4,000 are descendants of other Soviet nationalities and so every fourth citizen of Lahr currently (as of 2006) lists the former
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
as his or her place of birth.


Government

In connection with the district reform in the 1970s, municipal laws of Baden-Württemberg were amended to introduce borough councils for certain boroughs. Residents of such boroughs elect their borough council at each municipal election and the borough council must be consulted on all matters of significance to the respective borough. The Borough President also presides over the Borough Council. In Lahr the boroughs of Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler, Kughbach, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim, Reichenbach and Sulz have borough councils.


City council

The elections in 2014 showed the following results: * The LEFT: 2 seats * SPD: 8 seats * The Greens: 4 seats * CDU: 8 seats * FWG: 7 seats * FDP: 3 seats *Total: 32 seats


Mayor

Initially Lahr was headed up by four members of the council, referred to as "The Four". From 1377 the council consisted of 12 "Friends of the Council", of them four were considered mayors. In addition, there was an executor and a regal advocate to facilitate matters between the city and the ruling houses. From the 19th century on, there was only one mayor and a council with 11 members. Currently, the mayor is elected by the city's citizens for a term of eight years and he is also the President of the city council. His permanent deputy mayors are the "First councilperson" and "Second councilperson". Mayors since 1803


Coat of arms

Lahr's coat of arms features a split shield. Displayed on the left is a red beam on golden background and on the right a silver wall on blue background. The wall has three
merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...
s, an open gate and a
portcullis A portcullis (from Old French ''porte coleice'', "sliding gate") is a heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed grille made of wood, metal, or a combination of the two, which slides down gr ...
that is pulled halfway up. The city colors are blue and white. The symbol in the coat of arms was used in official seals since at least 1305. It originates from the coat of arms of the House Geroldseck, founders of the city, and included the then customary symbol for cities, the wall. The wall was replaced with a parapet in the fifteenth century. Between 1898 and 1958 the coat of arms depicted only the parapet with the head of an angel holding the shield. This version was known since the 18th century but the city returned to the original version in 1958.


People, culture and architecture


Buildings

The ''Storchenturm'' (crane tower) is the logo of Lahr. The tower is a remnant of the former castle of the Geroldseck and remains together with parts of the old
city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
. Other notables are the City park with museum in the Jamm villa and the foundry in the borough of Reichenbach. The new city hall, which was originally constructed as the home for an entrepreneur, features a facade by
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, ...
. The main church serving the city is the
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 ...
''Stiftskirche'', formerly Church of Our Lady, which is a late-gothic basilica with three naves and a tower that was built in 1874. Much older is the St. Peter's church in Burgheim, which is one of the oldest churches on the right side of the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
. Between 1877 and 1880 a second Protestant church was built, featuring a dome and built in the style of the
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
. The ''Friedenskirche'' was built in 1956 and the first Catholic church, St. Peter and Paul, was built in 1846 in neo-Roman style and features two towers. The second Catholic church St. Marien was built between 1954 and 1956 and expanded in 1967. In the boroughs are the Petrus Church in Burgheim (featuring a Roman Choir church with
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 ...
murals A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...
), the St Martin's Church in Dinglingen (built in 1784), the Melanchton Church in Dinglingen (built 1979), former St. Margarethen Church in Hugsweier (built between 1755 and 1790), St. Martin's Church in Hugsweier (built in 1966), Kippenheimweiler Church (built in 1902, Chapel of Our Lady in Kuhbach (built in the 14th and 15th centuries), the church of the Assumption of our Blessed Lady in Kuhbach (built in 1956), the Mietersheim Chapel (built in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Reichenbach Church (built between 1846 and 1848 in neo-Roman style), St. Peter and Paul Church in Sulz (built in 1864 in neo-Roman style) and St. John's Church in Sulz (built in 1960).


Events

The ''Chrysanthema'' is a three-week-long floral exhibition that takes place annually in the fall. It is visited by thousands from all over
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 neighboring countries and features a tremendously decorated ''Altstadt'' (historic center of town).


Economy and infrastructure


Infrastructure

As a former Canadian Forces base (CFB), Lahr owns an airport, the
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 ...
. The runway is 3 km long and 45m wide. The city is accessible from the A 5 via the Lahr exit and the B 3, B 36 and B415 all intersect here. Lahr (Schwarzw) station is a stop on the
Rhine Valley Railway ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...
of the
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 ...
but the former main train station in the heart of town and the tracks of the local railway from Seelbach (Schutter) to
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 ...
have been completely removed.


Media

In Lahr, the ''Schwarzwälder Bote'', a daily newspaper, publishes a local edition by the name of "Lahrer Zeitung" and the local edition of the ''Badische Zeitung'' out of
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 ...
(formerly ''Lahrer Anzeiger''). The ''Offenburger Tageblatt'' also publishes a daily edition with a very comprehensive local section for Lahr and the surrounding area.


Public service

Lahr is home to the IV. Division of the
Bereitschaftspolizei The ''Bereitschaftspolizei'' (literally 'Readiness Police'/On-Call Police (Reserve); effectively riot police) are the support and rapid reaction units of Germany's police forces. They are composed of detachments from the Federal Police and ...
and several regional and state courts and of the Departments of Finance and Labor, as well as a notary public maintain branch locations here. Lahr is also the seat of the Deaconies Lahr of both the Archdiocese Freiburg and the
Evangelical Church in Baden The Protestant Church in Baden (german: link=no, Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden; i.e. Evangelical Regional Church in Baden) is a United Protestant member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), and member of the Conference of Church ...
.


Education

There is a private university in Lahr and the hospital is a teaching hospital attached to the University in Freiburg. The City has three college track high schools (Clara-Schumann-, Max-Planck- and Scheffel- Gymnasium), one non-college track high school (Otto-Hahn-
Realschule ''Realschule'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...
), one school focusing on special education (''Gutenbergschule''), eight grammar schools (''Eichrodt-Grundschule'', ''Geroldseckerschule'', ''Johann-Peter-Hebel-Schule'', ''Luisenschule'', ''Schutterlindenberg-Schule'', ''Grundschule Kuhbach'', ''Grundschule Langenwinkel'', ''Schulhaus Kippenheimweiler'' and ''Grundschule Mietersheim''), two combined grammar and middle schools (in Reichenbach and in Sulz) and two middle schools (''Friedrich-Hauptschule'' und ''Theodor-Heuss-Hauptschule'' Dinglingen). In addition, Ortenau (district) operates several vocational schools, a schools for the speech impaired with attached
Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
, and a school for the mentally disabled, also with attached Kindergarten. Additional public schools are the Clara-Schumann-Gymnasium (where students with a degree from non-college track high schools may obtain a degree equivalent to a college-track high school) with room and board, a specialty school for painters, and the nursing school that is attached to the hospital. Numerous private and specialty training schools complete the picture, among them the ''Abendrealschule'' and ''Abendgymnasium'' where students with middle school and non-college track high school diplomas are able to gain college entrance prerequisites on a part-time basis after work.


Notable people

* Helmut Beinert (1913–2007), biochemist, was born in Lahr * Philipp Brucker (1924–2013), journalist, author, mayor of Lahr *
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- ...
(1827–1892), poet and dramatist, died in Lahr * Charles Fingado (1841–1901), member of the
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
* Hans Furler (1904–1975), politician ( CDU), president of the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
(1960–1962) *
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
(1889–1945), chancellor (removed from the list following a municipal council decision in 1947) * Jürgen Leonhardt (born 1957), philologist * Tommy Mac (born 1971), musician, electric guitarist *
Christina Obergföll Christina Obergföll (; born 22 August 1981) is a retired German track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. She was World Champion in 2013. Her personal best throw of 70.20 m is the German record. It also ranks her fifth on ...
(born 1981), javelin thrower *
Sascha Riether Sascha Riether (; born 23 March 1983) is a German former professional footballer who played as a right-back. In addition to playing in the right back position, Riether has also played in defensive midfield, center back and right midfield position ...
(born 1983), footballer * Oliver Schäfer (born 1969), football player and coach *
Dieter Schnebel Dieter Schnebel (14 March 1930 – 20 May 2018) was a German composer, theologian and musicologist. He composed orchestral music, chamber music, vocal music and stage works. From 1976 until his retirement in 1995, Schnebel served as professor of e ...
(1930–2018), composer of experimental music and theologian * Philipp Jakob Siebenpfeiffer (1789–1845), instigator and main speaker at the
Hambach Festival The Hambacher Festival was a German national democratic festival celebrated from 27 May to 30 May 1832 at Hambach Castle, near Neustadt an der Weinstraße, in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The event was disguised as a nonpolitical co ...
* Ludwig Sütterlin (1865–1917), inventor and creator of the Sütterlinschrift *
Felix Wankel Felix Heinrich Wankel (; 13 August 1902 – 9 October 1988) was a German mechanical engineer and inventor after whom the Wankel engine was named. Early life Wankel was born in 1902 in Lahr in what was then the Grand Duchy of Baden in the Upper R ...
(1902–1988), mechanical engineer, inventor of the
Wankel engine The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an Eccentric (mechanism), eccentric rotary combustion engine, rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. It was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, and desi ...
*
Emil Rudolf Weiß Emil Rudolf Weiß (or Weiss; 12 October 1875, Lahr – 7 November 1942, Meersburg) was a German painter, typographer, graphic artist and poet. Biography His father was a police officer and he grew up in Breisach and Baden-Baden.Tabea Zimmermann Tabea Zimmermann (born 8 October 1966) is a German violist. Born in Lahr, she began learning to play the viola at the age of three, and commenced piano studies at age five. At the age of 13, she studied viola with Ulrich Koch at the Conservator ...
(born 1966), violist, professor


Twin towns – sister cities

Lahr is twinned with: *
Alajuela Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of the province, it i ...
, Costa Rica (2006) * Belleville, Canada (1971) *
Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubušk ...
, France (1962)


References

* Badisches Städtebuch; Vol IV, Part 2. of the "Deutsches Städtebuch. Handbuch städtischer Geschichte" – Commissioned by the ''Arbeitsgemeinschaft der historischen Kommissionen'', seconded by the ''Deutsche Städtetag'', the ''Deutsche Städtebund'' and the ''Deutsche Gemeindetag'', published by
Erich Keyser Erich Keyser (12 October 1893 – 21 February 1968) was a Nazi activist and far-right nationalist historian connected with the anti-Polish ideology of Ostforschung and the racist Volkisch movement. He supported German expansion in Central and Easter ...
, Stuttgart, 1959 *''Stadt Lahr'' (Publisher), History of the City of Lahr **Vol 1: ''Von den Anfängen bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters'', Lahr 1989 **Vol 2: ''Vom Dreißigjährigen Krieg bis zum Ersten Weltkrieg'', Lahr 1991 **Vol 3: ''Im 20. Jahrhundert'', Lahr 1993


External links


Landeskunde online: Lahr (Images, history, etc.)

Chrysanthema, Lahr

History and images of Lahr
{{Authority control Towns in Baden-Württemberg Populated places established in the 13th century Ortenaukreis Baden