Offenburg

Offenburg is also the German name of Baia de Arieş in Romania.

Offenburg
Offenburg
Location of the town of Offenburg within Ortenaukreis district
Coordinates	48°28′15″N 7°56′27″E
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Freiburg
District	Ortenaukreis
Lord Mayor	Edith Schreiner (CDU)
Basic statistics
Area	78.39 km2 (30.27 sq mi)
Elevation	163 m  (535 ft)
Population	59,215 (31 December 2010)
- Density	755 /km2 (1,956 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	OG
Postal codes	77601–77656
Area code	0781
Website	www.offenburg.de

Imperial City of Offenburg Reichsstadt Offenburg
Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire
before 1240–1803 →
Capital	Offenburg
Government	Republic
Historical era	Middle Ages
- First documentary     mention	1148
- Gained Reichsfreiheit	before 1240 the 13th century
- City razed in     Nine Years' War	1689
- Became Badish fief	1701–71
- Ceded to Baden	1803

Offenburg ("open castle" - coat of arms showing open gates) is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city and the capital of the Ortenaukreis.

Offenburg also houses University of Applied Sciences Offenburg. Offenburg has a station on the Rhine Valley Railway between Karlsruhe and Basel.

Geography

Offenburg is located near the Rhine between Karlsruhe and Freiburg. The French city of Strasbourg lies directly west across the Rhine. Offenburg lies at the mouth of the Kinzig river valley. The Kinzig flows out of the Black Forest and meets the Rhine near Kehl.

History

The city is first mentioned in historical documents dating from 1148. By 1240 Offenburg had already been declared a Free Imperial City. The city was nearly totally destroyed in the Nine Years War. In 1803 Offenburg lost its status as a Free City and fell under the rulership of the Grand Duchy of Baden.

During the outbreak of the Revolutions of 1848, the "Offenburger Program" which contained thirteen demands "in the name of the people of Baden" was announced at the Salmen Inn on 12 September 1847. This was the first democratic demand in Germany. Along with the Karlsbad Resolves, the Offenburger Program demanded basic and human rights as well as freedom of the press and a progressive income tax structure. On 19 March 1848 the demands were confirmed by the 20,000 member Offenburg Peoples' Assembly.

Government

Mayors

• Gustav Rée (1945–49)
• Karl Heitz (1949–75)
• Martin Grüber (1975–92)
• Dr Wolfgang Bruder (1992–2002)
• Edith Schreiner (since 2003)

Representatives to the Federal Parliament

• Dr Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU)

Economy

Offenburg is home to Hubert Burda Media, a large printing and publishing company.

Culture and attractions

There are several historical attractions in Offenburg including:

• The Salmen Inn
• The Capuchin Monastery
• The Ritterhaus, a 1784 manor-house that has been converted into the city archives and museum
• The Jewish Bath (Mikwe): a bathhouse belonging to the city's historical Jewish community; it was held to be medieval, but recent research suggests it may be from the 16th or 17th century
• The former Royal Palace (Königshof) built by Michael Ludwig Rohrer, now the Police station

People

• Kurt Baschwitz, Jewish journalist
• Atika Bouagaa, female volleyball player
• Burda family
  • Aenne Burda, an honorary citizen
  • Franz Burda I. (Franz Burda), founder of the Hubert Burda Media, an honorary citizen
  • Hubert Burda, an honorary citizen
• Artur Dinter, lived here
• Hans Furler, lived here
• Johann Hofer, lawyer, lived here
• Michael Kaeshammer, boogie-woogie pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger
• Otto Kumm, lived here
• Dirk von Lowtzow
• Georg Monsch, an honorary citizen
• Lorenz Oken
• Franz von Roggenbach, an honorary citizen
• Felix Roth, football player
• Hanns-Martin Schleyer, manager, employer and industry representative
• Emil Sutor, sculptor
• Jürgen Todenhöfer, former judge, author, business executive, and former MP
• Hermann Vallendor, WWI German Ace, Jagdstaffel Boelcke
• Martin Wagner, football player

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Offenburg is twinned with:

• Borehamwood, United Kingdom
• Pietra Ligure, Italy
• Altenburg, Germany

for more see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offenburg#St.C3.A4dtepartnerschaften

External links

• (English) Offenburg's Official Website
• (German) Information about and images
• (German) Messe Offenburg-Ortenau (fair Offenburg-Ortenau)
• (German) Webcam over the Burda-Tower