Offenburg (German pronunciation:[ˈɔfn̩ˌbʊʁk]ⓘ; "open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates;Low Alemmanic:Offäburg) is a city in the state ofBaden-Württemberg, in south-westernGermany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital of theOrtenaukreis.
In recent times the remains of Roman settlements have been found within the city's territory. Offenburg was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to 1148. Offenburg had already been declared aFree Imperial City by 1240. In September 1689, the city - with the exception of two buildings - was totally destroyed by the French during theNine Years War. Due toNapoleon's dissolution of theHoly Roman Empire in 1803 and subsequent reorganization of the German states, Offenburg lost its status as a Free Imperial City and fell under the rule of theGrand Duchy of Baden.
During the outbreak of theRevolutions of 1848, the "Offenburger Programm" which consisted of thirteen demands "in the name of the people of Baden", was put forward at the Salmen Inn on 12 September 1847. This was the first known demand for democracy in Germany. Along with theCarlsbad Decrees, the Offenburger Program demanded basic and human rights as well as freedom of the press and aprogressive income tax structure. On 19 March 1848 the demands were confirmed by the 20,000 member Offenburg Peoples' Assembly.
DuringWorld War I Offenburg was one of the first cities to experience the effects of aerial bombardment, the operations against Offenburg railway sidings were mostly flown by aircraft from theIndependent Force fromOchey aerodrome.
It is mostly neglected, that in the aftermath of World War I, during theOccupation of the Rhineland, French troops occupied Offenburg, because it fell within the perimeter of theKehl bridgehead. The French occupation forces entered the town in February 1923 and remained until 1924, blocking all traffic on theRhine Valley Railway between Offenburg andAppenweier.
Following the rise to power of the NSDAP in the 1930s, Offenburg's Jewish population fell victim to acts of repression, that culminated in the vandalization of the local synagoge in November 1938. After the war had begun, those members of the Jewish population that had not managed to emigrate were deported toGurs concentration camp in October 1940 and from there toAuschwitz during 1942.
InWorld War II, it was the location of the Heilag V-C, Oflag 55/V-D and Stalag V-Cprisoner-of-war camps forAllied POWs of various nationalities, includingFrench, Polish, Belgian, British, Serbian, American,Soviet,Italian, Indian and South African.[3] Owing to its geographical proximity to the French border, Offenburg was either exposed to temporary evacuations during theBattle of France in 1940 or artillery fire towards the final stages of the conflict. It was only a primary target on one occasion during World War II on 27 November 1944, when a force of more than 300USAAFB-17 andLiberator bombers attacked the marshalling yards. Many other tactical attacks were flown during 1944 and 1945 against the railway installations.[4]
Since the creation of the Federal Republic, Offenburg has continually developed in size, inhabitants and prosperity. Between 1971 and 1975 eleven adjacent villages were incorporated into the commune of Offenburg and are now an integral part of the city.
Offenburg is located approximately 15 km east of the riverRhine betweenKarlsruhe andFreiburg. The French city ofStrasbourg lies 20 km northwest across the Rhine. Offenburg is situated at the mouth of theKinzig river valley and at the foot of theBlack Forest. The Kinzig flows out of the Black Forest and meets the Rhine nearKehl.[5]
Köppen climate classification classifies its climate asoceanic (Cfb). Marine features are limited however, as a result of its vast distance from oceans and seas. Winters are cool, sometimes with night frosts. Precipitation mostly falls in summer months.
Important manufacturing companies based at Offenburg includetesa-Werke Offenburg GmbH (adhesive tapes),Vivil (humbugs and sweets), MEIKO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG (professional dishwashing systems, cleaning and disinfection technology),Hansgrohe SE (sanitary fittings) andHOBART GmbH (professional kitchen equipment). Besides, there are many other small and medium-sized companies that produce highly specialized top-of-the-line products in their appropriate sector of business.
The most important trading company in terms of employees (1,850) isEDEKA Handelsgesellschaft Südwest mbH, the largest German supermarket corporation which has a large regional production, storage and distribution centre in Offenburg. Printus GmbH with approx. 1,600 employees is a stationary wholesaling company. Several subsidiaries or affiliated companies of Markant AG (food and nonfood trade) are based in Offenburg with approx. 600 staff.
Hubert Burda Media is one of Germany's largest publishing companies. Together with the affiliated Burda printing works it still employs 1,600 people in Offenburg. Although the prominent position with regard to the number of employees has diminished during the last decades with the emerging of further economic actors in town, the expansion ofFranz Burda's printing business after World War II as well as the growth and success of his wifeAenne Burda'sBurda Style (formerlyBurda Moden) have been decisive in developing the local economy after 1945 and in making the name of the city known all over the world.
Owing to its favourable geographic situation Offenburg lies at the crossroads of important lines of communication that can be traced back to Roman times.
Offenburg is situated 3 km east of thefederal motorway A 5, to which it has been connected since 1960 via a famous egg-shaped junction.Two major federal roads,B 3 andB 33, intersect at Offenburg.
Since the construction of the railway line from Mannheim in 1844, Offenburg had developed into a railway centre during the 19th and earlier part of the 20th century. However, since the privatization of theDeutsche Bundesbahn in the early 1990s and the ensuing restructuring of theDeutsche Bahn AG, which subsequently led to the decommissioning of the railway workshops, the operations in Offenburg have considerably shrunk in size. TodayOffenburg station lies at the crossroads of a number of railway lines, the most important being theRhine Valley Railway, the main line betweenKarlsruhe andBasel with regular Intercity Express (ICE) services to Basel, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt,Frankfurt Airport and Amsterdam. The picturesqueBlack Forest Railway starts at Offenburg as does the line toStrasbourg and the line serving theRench valley in the Black Forest.Due to the re-routing of theTGV services from Freiburg to Paris-Est via Offenburg (instead of via Müllheim and Mulhouse) in December 2018, there has since been a daily (except Saturdays) direct service from Offenburg via Strasbourg to Paris-Est.
Offenburg airfield (EDTO) has been used for flying purposes since 1911 and has received a paved runway in 1975. It is owned by the municipality. However, since its declassification as a publicly accessible airfield in the 1990s, the 910 metre asphalt runway (02-20) is only available to resident aeroclubs and to aircraft that have obtained prior permission from the operator. Airports in the vicinity are:Flughafen Lahr in Lahr (EDTL) and, with scheduled traffic, Strasbourg-Entzheim (LFST) andBaden-Söllingen (EDSB). Both, Lahr and Baden-Söllingen had formerly been used by theCanadian Forces in Europe and became available for civil use after the end of theCold War.The combination of an abundance of three well-equipped airports close by, the ever-growing noise sensitivity of residents as well as the necessity for commercial development areas has in 2012 revived discussions to shut down the aerodrome completely.
Apart from the primary and secondary schools that are within the responsibility of several public bodies, Offenburg houses a diverse number of educational institutions.
There are several historical attractions in Offenburg including:
Medieval city wall with banana trees in Zwinger ParkMedieval city wall
Hirschapotheke is an old pharmacy built in 1698. TheLöwenbrunnen (Lions' Fountain) in front of it dates from 1599.[9]
The City Hall was founded in 1521 and enlarged in a baroque style in 1741.[10]
Saint Ursula's Column in the middle of the Market Place was erected in 1961. Legend has it that Saint Ursula saved the city in the Thirty Years' War in 1631.
TheRitterhaus, a 1784 manor-house that has been converted into the city archives and museum
The Jewish Bath (Mikveh): 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[11]
The former Royal Palace (Königshof) built byMichael Ludwig Rohrer 1714 - 1717, now housing the Police station
A part (1,340 metres) of the medieval city wall built in the 11th century can be visited in the west of the city centre.[12] Zwinger Park in front of the wall with its banana trees is worth a visit as well.
The Protestant Church (Evangelische Stadtkirche) was built from 1857-1864 in a neogothique style. Its tower was damaged by artillery at the end of World War II.[13]
Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche) was built from 1906 to 1908 in a neoromanesque style and damaged during World War II.[14]
The Church of the Holy Cross (Heiligkreuzkirche) was built in the 13th century, burnt down in 1689 and was rebuilt at the end of the 17th century.[15]
Offenburger FV is a German association football club based in the city of Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg. The club is one of the most successful amateur football clubs in Germany.
^Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Overmans, Rüdiger; Vogt, Wolfgang (2022).The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV. Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. pp. 207, 214, 425.ISBN978-0-253-06089-1.
^Peter Nath: Luftkriegsoperationen gegen die Stadt Offenburg im Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg, in: Die Ortenau (1990), S. 574-659.
