Baden-Baden () is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, 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 i ...

, south-western

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, at the north-western border of the

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, 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 th ...

mountain range on the small river Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

, the border with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and forty kilometres (twenty-five miles) north-east of Strasbourg, France. In 2021, the town became part of the transnational

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

under the name "

Great Spa Towns of Europe The Great Spa Towns of Europe is a transnational World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 11 spa towns across seven European countries. They were developed around natural mineral water springs. From the early 18th century to the 1930s, We ...

", because of its famous spas and architecture that exemplifies the popularity of spa towns in Europe in the 18th through 20th centuries.

Name

The springs at Baden-Baden were known to the Romans as "" ("The Waters") and "" (" Aurelia-of-the-Waters") after M. Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus. In

modern German New High German (NHG; ) is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language, starting in the 17th century. It is a loan translation of the German (). The most important characteristic of the period is the developme ...

, "" is a

noun In grammar, a noun is a word that represents a concrete or abstract thing, like living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, and ideas. A noun may serve as an Object (grammar), object or Subject (grammar), subject within a p ...

meaning "bathing", but "Baden", the original name of the town, derives from an earlier plural form of ' ( "bath"). (Modern German uses the plural form '.) As with the English

placename Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for a proper nam ...

"Bath", other Badens are at

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

throughout

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. The current doubled name arose to distinguish it from the others, particularly Baden near Vienna in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and Baden near Zürich in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. The original

Margraviate of Baden The Margraviate of Baden () was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Spread along the right banks of the Upper Rhine in south-western Germany, it was named a margraviate in 1112 and existed until 1535, when it was split into the tw ...

(1112-1535) split into several territories, including Baden-Baden and Baden-Durlach. The name "Baden-Baden" distinguished the Margraviate of Baden-Baden (1535–1771), from the

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

. "Baden-Baden" thus means the town of Baden in the territory of Baden, whereas the name of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden meant "the Margraviate of Baden with its princely seat at Baden". Baden-Baden formally got its current name in 1931.

Geography

Baden-Baden lies in a valley of the Northern

in southwestern

. The western districts lie within the

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

. The highest mountain of Baden-Baden is the Badener Höhe (), which is part of the Black Forest National Park. The

old town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

lies on the side of a hill on the right bank of the Oos. Since the 19th century, the principal resorts have been located on the other side of the river. There are 29 natural springs in the area, varying in temperature from . The water is rich in

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

and flows from artesian wells under Florentine Hill at a rate of 341 litres (90 gallons) per minute and is conveyed through pipes to the town's baths.

History

Roman settlement at Baden-Baden has been dated as far back as the

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...

, but on dubious authority. The known ruins of the Roman bath were rediscovered just below the New Castle in 1847 and date to the reign of

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

(AD 210s), who visited the area to relieve his arthritic aches.. The facilities were used by the Roman garrison in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. The town fell into ruin but its church was first constructed in the 7th century. By 1112, it was the seat of the

. The Lichtenthal Convent (') was founded in 1254. The margraves initially used

Hohenbaden Castle Hohenbaden Castle (at the time of its establishment ''Schloss Hohenbaden'', now ''Old castle'' or ''Altes Schloss'') in German Baden-Baden was the residence of the margraves of Margraviate of Baden, Baden for almost 400 years. The castle was built ...

(the Old Castle, '), whose ruins still occupy the summit above the town, but they completed and moved to the New Castle (') in 1479. The Margraviate was divided in 1535, with Baden-Baden becoming the capital of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden, while the other portion became the

. The Baden-Baden witch trials, an investigating encompassing the entire territory and resulting in hundreds of verdicts, took place in 1627-1631. Baden suffered severely during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, particularly at the hands of the French, who plundered it in 1643. They returned to occupy the city in 1688 at the onset of the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

, burning it to the ground the next year. The

margravine Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Empir ...

Sibylla rebuilt the New Castle in 1697, but the

margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

Louis William removed his seat to

Rastatt Rastatt () is a town with a Baroque core, District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 51,000 (2022). Rastatt was an ...

in 1706. The Stiftskirche was rebuilt in 1753 and houses the tombs of several of the margraves. The town began its recovery in the late 18th century, serving as a refuge for émigrés from the French Revolution. The town was frequented during the

Second Congress of Rastatt The Second Congress of Rastatt, which began its deliberations in November 1797, was intended to negotiate a general peace between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Empire, and to draw up a compensation plan to compensate those princes whose ...

in 1797–99 and became popular after the visit of the

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

queen in the early 19th century. She came for medicinal reasons, as the waters were recommended for

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

neuralgia Neuralgia (Greek ''neuron'', "nerve" + ''algos'', "pain") is pain in the distribution of a nerve or nerves, as in intercostal nerve, intercostal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and glossopharyngeal nerve, glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Classifica ...

, skin disorders, and stones. The Ducal government subsequently subsidized the resort's development. The town became a meeting place for the nobility and prosperous upper middle classes, who visited the hot springs and the town's other amenities: luxury hotels, the Spielbank Casino, horse races, and the gardens of the

Lichtentaler Allee The Lichtentaler Allee is a historic park and arboretum, set out as a 2.3 kilometer strolling avenue along the west bank of the river Oos in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is open daily without charge. Baden-Baden-Lichtentaler Al ...

. Guests included

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

Wilhelm I Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...

, and

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

. The pumproom (') was completed in 1842. The Grand Duchy's railway's mainline reached Baden in 1845. Reaching its zenith under

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

in the 1850s and '60s, Baden became "Europe's summer capital". With a population of around , the town's size could quadruple during the tourist season, with the French,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

, and

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

all well represented. (French tourism fell off following the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

.) The theater was completed in 1861 and a Greek church with a gilt dome was erected on the Michaelsberg in 1863 to serve as the tomb of the teenage son of the prince of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

Mihail Sturdza after he died during a family vacation. A

Russian Orthodox The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

church was also subsequently erected. The casino was closed for a time in the 1870s. Black Forest Autochrome 05 Baden-Baden

Just before the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the town was receiving visitors each year. During the Second World War, 3.1% of the houses in Baden-Baden were completely destroyed by bombs and 125 civilians were killed. 5.8% of the houses were heavily damaged by bombs. Lichtenthal, a residential area in the southwest of the town, was hit by bombs and Saint Bonifatius Church was severely damaged on 11 March 1943. Balg, a residential area in the northeast of Baden-Baden, was hit by bombs on 17 December 1944. On 30 December 1944 one third of the buildings of Oos (i.e. about 300 houses), a residential area in the north of the town, was destroyed or heavily damaged by bombs and Saint Dionysius Church was severely damaged as well. On 2 January 1945 the railway station of Oos and various barracks on Schwarzwald Road were heavily damaged by bombs. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Baden-Baden became the headquarters of the French occupation forces in Germany as well as of the Südwestfunk, one of Germany's large public broadcasting stations, which is now part of

Südwestrundfunk (; ), shortened to SWR (), is a regional public broadcasting corporation serving the southwest of Germany, specifically the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The corporation has main offices in three cities: Stuttg ...

. From 23–28 September 1981, the 11th

Olympic Congress An Olympic Congress, also known as IOC Congress is a large gathering of representatives from the different constituencies of the Olympic Movement, organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As detailed in chapter 1, rule 4 of the O ...

took place in Baden-Baden's '. The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Germany's largest opera and concert house, opened in 1998. CFB Baden-Soellingen, a military airfield built in the 1950s in the

, west of downtown Baden-Baden, was converted into a civil airport in the 1990s. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport, or Baden Airpark is now the second-largest airport in Baden-Württemberg by number of passengers. In 1981 Baden-Baden hosted the

, which later made the town awarded the designation Olympic town.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

year round. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

subtype for this climate is " Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/

Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

). The Baden-Baden weather station has recorded the following extreme values: * Highest Temperature on 25 July 2019. * Lowest Temperature on 10 February 1956. * Wettest Year in 1965. * Driest Year in 1959. * Highest Daily Precipitation: on 28 October 1998. * Earliest Snowfall: 28 October 2012. * Latest Snowfall: 28 April 1981.

Lord Mayors

* 1907–1929: Reinhard Fieser * 1929–1934: Hermann Elfner * 1934–1945: Hans Schwedhelm (when he was not in office because of military service, mayor Kurt Bürkle was in office) * April 1945–May 1945: Ludwig Schmitt * May 1945–January 1946: Karl Beck * January 1946–September 1946: Eddy Schacht * 1946–1969: Ernst Schlapper (CDU) (1888-1976) * 1969–1990: Walter Carlein (CDU) (1922-2011) * 1990–1998: Ulrich Wendt (CDU) * 1998–2006: Sigrun Lang (independent) * 2006–2014: Wolfgang Gerstner (born 1955), (CDU) * 2014–2022: Margret Mergen (born 1961), (CDU) * 2022–present: Dietmar Späth (independent)

Tourism

Baden-Baden is a German spa town. The city offers many options for sports enthusiasts; golf and tennis are both popular in the area. Horse races take place each May, August and October at nearby Iffezheim. The countryside is ideal for hiking and mountain climbing. In the winter Baden-Baden is a skiing destination. There is an 18-hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

in Fremersberg. Sights include: * The ', whose ' ("Spa Garden") hosts the annual Baden-Baden Summer Nights, featuring live classical music concerts * Casino * Friedrichsbad * Caracalla Spa *

park and gardens * Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden (State Art Gallery) * Museum Frieder Burda built by

Richard Meier Richard Meier (born October 12, 1934) is an American abstract artist and architect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color white. A winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984, Meier has designed several iconic buildings ...

for one of Germany's most extensive collections of modern art * Fabergé Museum * Museum der Kunst und Technik des 19. Jahrhunderts (Lichtentaler Allee 8), covering the technology of the 19th century * Kunstmuseum Gehrke-Remund, which exhibits the work of

Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by Culture of Mexico, the country' ...

* ',

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

's residence, which has been preserved as a museum *

or ''Old Castle'', a ruin since the 16th century * New Castle ('), the former residence of the margraves and grand dukes of Baden, now a historical museum * Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the second-largest festival hall in Europe * Ruins of Roman baths, excavated in 1847 * ', a church including the tombs of fourteen margraves of Baden * Paradise ('), an Italian-style Renaissance garden with many trick fountains * Mount Merkur, including the Merkurbergbahn

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

railway and

observation tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and woo ...

* Fremersberg Tower * Sturdza Chapel on the Michaelsberg, a neoclassical chapel with a gilded dome designed by

Leo von Klenze Leo von Klenze (born Franz Karl Leopold von Klenze; 29 February 1784 – 26 January 1864) was a German architect and painter. He was the court architect of Ludwig I of Bavaria. Von Klenze was a devotee of Neoclassicism and one of the mo ...

which was erected over the tomb of prince Michel Sturdza's son

Transport

Road

The main road link is autobahn A5 between

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

and

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

via

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

and

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...

, which is 10 km away from the inner city. There are two stations providing

intercity bus service An intercity bus service (North American English) or intercity coach service (British English and Commonwealth English), also called a long-distance, express, over-the-road, commercial, long-haul, or highway bus or coach service, is a public t ...

s: one next to the main railway station and one at the airport.

Railway

Baden-Baden has three stations, Baden-Baden station being the most important of them.

Air

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

is an airport located near Baden-Baden that also serves the city of

. It is

's second-largest airport after Stuttgart Airport, and the 18th-largest in Germany with 1,110,500 passengers as of 2016 and mostly serves low-cost and leisure flights.

Image gallery

File:Baden-Baden - Altstadt.jpg, Old town (') File:View of Baden-baden.jpeg, Florentine Hill ('), with the New Castle (top right), the Caracalla Spa (lower right), and the ' (lower left) File:Stiftskirche von Baden-Baden.jpg, Baden-Baden's parish church (') File:Baden-Baden 10-2015 img37 Pump house.jpg, The ' File:Brenners.jpg, Brenner's Park Hotel File:Baden-Baden Russische Kirche 01-gje.jpg, The Russian Orthodox Church (') File:Baden-Baden-Stourdza-Kapelle-01-gje.jpg, Sturdza Chapel File:Baden-Baden-Roemerplatz-32-Friedrichsbad-Neues Schloss-Kloster vom Heiligen Grab-2022-gje.jpg, The ', New Castle, and Abbey School (') File:Baden-Baden Kurmuschel.jpg, The Spa Shell, an open-air concert venue File:Baden-Baden 10-2015 img39 Museum Frieder Burda.jpg, Museum Frieder Burda File:Baden-Baden-Lichtentaler Allee-516-Spaziergaenger-2012-gje.jpg, Lichtentaler Allee File:Baden-Baden-Kunsthalle-22-Burdamuseum-Joan Miro-Femme 1970-2007-gje.jpg, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden File:Baden-Baden-Faberge-Museum-04-2021-gje.jpg, Fabergé Museum File:Baden-Baden-Museum19-02-Baden in Schoenheit-2020-gje.jpg, Museum der Kunst und Technik des 19. Jahrhunderts File:Baden-Baden-Brahmshaus-40-Wohnzimmer-2017-gje.jpg, Brahmshaus File:Baden-Baden-Festspielhaus-Alter Bahnhof-72-Suedecke-gje.jpg, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden File:Baden-Baden-Merkurturm-20-2014-gje.jpg, Mount Merkur, tower File:Baden-Baden-vom Korbmattfelsen-54-Fremersberg-2021-gje.jpg, Fremersberg Tower File:Hohenbaden hb.JPG, The Old Castle File:Baden-Baden-Kurhaus-27-2021-gje.jpg, The ' and Casino

Twin towns – sister cities

Baden-Baden is twinned with: *

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

, Czech Republic *

Menton Menton (; in classical norm or in Mistralian norm, , ; ; or depending on the orthography) is a Commune in France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italia ...

, France *

Moncalieri Moncalieri (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 56,134 inhabitants (31 January 2022) about directly south of downtown Turin (to whose Metropolitan City of Turin, Metropolitan City it belongs), in Piedmont, Italy. It is the most populous suburb ...

, Italy *

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

, Russia (suspended) *

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

, Ukraine

Artistic depiction

Baden featured in

Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ; rus, links=no, Иван Сергеевич ТургеневIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; – ) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poe ...

's ''

Smoke Smoke is an aerosol (a suspension of airborne particulates and gases) emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwante ...

''.

Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...

wrote '' The Gambler'' while compulsively gambling at the town's casino. The novel '' Summer in Baden-Baden'' by Leonid Tsypkin is inspired by Dostoyevsky's visit to this resort. The 1975 film '' The Romantic Englishwoman'' was filmed on location in Baden-Baden, featuring the Brenner's Park Hotel particularly prominently. The 1997

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

movie ''

Dil To Pagal Hai ''Dil To Pagal Hai'' (; ) is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, and Akshay Kumar. It follows the love lives of the members of a musical tro ...

'' was also shot in the town. Baden-Baden is the subject of a pop song by Finnish songwriter

Chisu Christel Martina Roosberg (née Sundberg; born 3 January 1982), known by her stage name Chisu (), is a Finland, Finnish pop artist, songwriter, and producer. She wrote her first single, "Mun koti ei oo täällä", to the soundtrack of the 2007 f ...

of how the economic woes of

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

could be solved by selling bottled tears to Europe (specifically Baden-Baden). In the second season episode of The Sopranos, "The Happy Wanderer," Tony Soprano mentions that his friend David Scatino moved to New Jersey from Baden Baden. In the penultimate episode of the

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...

's fourth season, Baden-Baden is mentioned.

Notable people

Public service and commerce

* Friedrich, Freiherr von Zoller (1762–1821), Bavarian lieutenant-general who fought in the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

* Emil Kessler (1813–1867), entrepreneur, founder of the

Maschinenfabrik Esslingen Maschinenfabrik Esslingen (ME) was a German engineering firm that manufactured locomotives, tramways, railway wagons, roll-blocks, technical equipment for the railways, (turntable (rail), turntables and traverser (railway), traversers), bridges, s ...

* Colonel Francis Mahler (1826–1863), officer in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

* Richard Enderlin (1843-1930), Union Army,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient for rescuing a fallen comrade during the second day of the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

during the

* William Hespeler (1830–1921), German-Canadian businessman, immigration agent and a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

* Francis Pigou (1832–1916), Anglican priest * Sir William Des Vœux (1834–1909), British colonial governor,

Governor of Fiji Fiji was a British Crown colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the head of state was the British monarch, but in practice the functions of the crown were normally exercis ...

(1880–1885),

Governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the monarch, who Monarchy in Newfoundland and Labrador, operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the Cana ...

(1886–1887) and

Governor of Hong Kong The governor of Hong Kong was the representative of the United Kingdom, British The Crown, Crown in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong from 1843 to 1997. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executiv ...

(1887–1891) * Wilhelm Brückner (1884–1954), officer and chief adjutant of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

Rudolf Höss Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; ; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer and the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp. After the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II, he w ...

(1900–1947), Nazi, SS commandant of

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

, executed for war crimes * Leopold Gutterer (1902–1996), Nazi state secretary in the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda * Felix Gilbert (1905–1991), German-American historian * Fritz Suhren (1908–1950), SS Nazi concentration camp commandant executed for war crimes * Kai Whittaker (born 1985), German CDU politician, member of the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the Germany, German Federalism in Germany, federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag wa ...

since 2013

The arts

* Anna Zerr (1822–1881), German operatic soprano * Eugene Armbruster (1865–1943), New York City photographer, illustrator, writer, and historian * Paul Nikolaus Cossmann (1869–1942 in Theresienstadt), German journalist * Hermine Finck (1872–1932), opera singer * Édouard Risler (1873–1929), French pianist * Reinhold Schneider (1903–1958), writer * Franz Zureich (1904–1992), painter *

Antoinette Bower Antoinette Bower (born 30 September 1932) is a British retired film, television and stage actress, whose career lasted nearly four decades. Early years Bower was born in Baden-Baden to a German mother and an English father. She lived in Engla ...

(born 1932), British-American actress * Tony Marshall (1938-2023), pop and opera singer *

Peter Griffin Peter Löwenbräu Griffin Sr. ( né Justin Peter Griffin) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is voiced by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, a ...

(1939-2007),

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

singer * Heinz Bosl (1946–1975), German ballet dancer * Elmar Hörig (born 1949), radio and television presenter * Robert HP Platz (born 1951), composer and conductor * Sabine von Maydell (born 1955), actress and author * Marc Trillard (born 1955), French writer * Andreas Heinecke (born 1955),

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, Startup company, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to ...

and creator of Dialogue in the Dark * Jean-Marc Rochette (born 1956), French painter, illustrator and comics creator. * Tobias A. Schliessler (born 1958), German cinematographer * Ann-Marie MacDonald (born 1958), Canadian playwright, novelist, actress and broadcast host * Stefan Anton Reck (born 1960), German orchestra conductor and painter * Birgit Stauch (born 1961), German sculptor, works in bronzes, sculptures, sketches and portraits. * Florian Ballhaus (born 1965), German cinematographer *

Alexandra Kamp Alexandra Kamp-Groeneveld (born 29 December 1966) is a German model and actress. Biography She was born in Karlsruhe to Peter Griffin (singer), Peter Kamp and his wife and grew up in Baden-Baden. She visited drama schools in New York, Los Angele ...

(born 1966), German model and actress, grew up in Baden-Baden.

Aristocracy

* Philip II, Margrave of Baden-Baden (1559–1588), Margrave of Baden-Baden, 1571 to 1588 * William, Margrave of Baden-Baden (1593–1677), regent of Baden-Baden, 1621 and 1677 * Ferdinand Maximilian of Baden-Baden (1625–1669), father of the "Türkenlouis"

Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden (; 8 April 1655 – 4 January 1707) was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Baden in Germany, chief commander of the Imperial army and Reichsgeneralfeldmarschall of the Holy Roman Empire. He was also known as ''T ...

Prince Maximilian of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (''Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm''; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929),Almanach de Gotha. ''Haus Baden (Maison de Bade)''. Justus Perthes (publishing company), Justus Perthes, Gotha, 1944, p. 18, (French). al ...

(1867–1929), last heir of the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

, a German prince, general and politician *

Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell Frederick Alexander Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell, ( ; 5 April 18863 July 1957) was a British physicist who was prime scientific adviser to Winston Churchill in World War II. He was involved in the development of radar and infra-red guida ...

(1886–1957), British physicist *

Louis II, Prince of Monaco Louis II (Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi; 12 July 1870 – 9 May 1949) was Prince of Monaco from 26 June 1922 to 9 May 1949. Early years Born in Baden-Baden, Louis II was the only child of Albert I, Prince of Monaco (1848–1922), and L ...

(1870–1949), Prince of Monaco from 1922 to 1949

Science

* Franz Carl Müller-Lyer (1857–1916), psychologist and sociologist, eponym of the

Müller-Lyer illusion The Müller-Lyer illusion is an optical illusion consisting of three stylized arrows. When viewers are asked to place a mark on the figure at the midpoint, they tend to place it more towards the "tail" end. The illusion was devised by Franz Car ...

* Joseph Vollmer (1871–1955), automobile designer, engineer and pioneering tank designer * Alfred Kühn (1885–1968), zoologist and geneticist * Erich Friedrich Schmidt (1897–1964), German and American-naturalized archaeologist *

Wolfgang Krull Wolfgang Krull (26 August 1899 – 12 April 1971) was a German mathematician who made fundamental contributions to commutative algebra, introducing concepts that are now central to the subject. Krull was born and went to school in Baden-Baden. H ...

(1899–1971), mathematician

Sport

* Marco Grimm (born 1972), football player, 334 pro appearances * Frank Moser (born 1976), German professional tennis player * Magdalena Schnurr (born 1992), German ski jumper

References

Bibliography

* * * .

External links

* {{Authority control Karlsruhe (region) Towns in Baden-Württemberg Spa towns in Germany Gambling in Germany Burial sites of the House of Leiningen Urban districts of Baden-Württemberg