Kehl is mostly known because of its proximity to Strasbourg and as a border city. Strasbourg and Kehl are connected by four Rhine bridges which are from south to north: thePasserelle des Deux Rives (pedestrians and cyclists), theBridge of Europe (motorists, pedestrians and cyclists), theBeatus-Rhenanus Bridge (tramway, pedestrians and cyclists), and theRhine Bridge (railway).
Line D of theStrasbourg tramway was extended in 2017 to reachKehl station, and since 2018 there are another two stations within Kehl. It is therefore possible to directly reach the city centre of Strasbourg (stationsHomme de Fer andLangstross Grand'Rue) as well asStrasbourg Main Station (stationGare Centrale) by tramway without having to change.
TheJardin des Deux Rives/Garten der zwei Ufer extends on both sides of the Rhine, connected by thePasserelle des Deux Rives. Strasbourg and Kehl further share some municipal services. Kehl has a large port on the Rhine, theHäfen Kehl (Kehl Ports), south of the mouth of the Kinzig, and is the seat of the Kehl University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Kehl).
The village of Kehl was first mentioned in 1038. In 1338, the first permanent bridge between Kehl and Strasbourg was completed. In 1678, the city was taken over byFrance, as it was considered to be part of the defense system of Strasbourg. Hence the village was transformed into a fortress in 1683 by the French architectVauban.[3]
On May 7, 1770,Marie Antoinette was officially handed over byAustria to France on an island on the Rhine near Kehl. This island, which was uninhabited at the time but turned into a middle class settlement until theFirst World War, became known asKommissionsinsel after the commission that received Marie Antoinette.
Between 1842 and 1847, the first port facility was created by the Baden State Railway Administration. In 1861, the first railway bridge was built and the first direct connection fromParis toVienna was established, with locomotives being changed over in Kehl.
After the First World War, under article 65 of theTreaty of Versailles the harbor of Kehl was placed under French administration for seven years to prevent possible German attacks on the opposite newly French town ofStrasbourg.[4][5]
During World War II Kehl was located in the so-called "Red Zone" on the western wall, which was cleared when the war broke out: in the night from 3 to 4 September 1939, the population was evacuated to the Black Forest by special trains and was only allowed to return after German troops occupied France.
On November 10, 1938, the Jewish synagogue of Kehl was broken into by Kehl supporters of the SS and members of the Gestapo and all ritual objects were destroyed. All Jewish men from Kehl and the surrounding area were taken to the city hall, abused and then deported to the Dachau. After this night, the Jewish community had to sell the synagogue to the city, after which it was demolished in 1939.[6][7]
Kehl then became a suburb of Strasbourg. This status was retained even after the war. Kehl was released in accordance with the Washington Agreement on the Clearance of the City of Kehl by France from April 8, 1949, in 42 partial releases from July 29, 1949, to April 8, 1953. At that time (1945 to 1953) Sondheim was an independent municipality, which was then reunited with the city of Kehl. The city and the entire district of Kehl then belonged to the administrative district of South Baden within Baden-Württemberg.
Until 1519, Kehl was part of thediocese of Strasbourg. Then, the village had to change religion at the order of the margraves and the first Lutheran minister took office. During the French occupation of the 1690s, Kehl became Roman Catholic again, only to revert to Lutheranism after being ceded back to the margrave of Baden.
From the early 19th century up to 1914, Lutherans and Catholics shared one church building; then, as the first building on theKommissionsinsel the Catholic Church of St. Johann Nepomuk was erected.
The city of Strasbourg lies opposite Kehl over the river Rhine and the two share some municipal services.Kehl station is located near theEuropabrücke (Europe Bridge), which can be crossed on foot to enter Strasbourg. Bus line 21 used to connect Kehl with the nearest tram stations across the Rhine in Strasbourg, butStrasbourg tramway line D has since been extended to Kehl. It opened on April 28, 2017 to Kehl station, and to Kehl town centre in November 2018.[9][10]
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