Friedrichshafen (German pronunciation:[ˈfʁiːdʁɪçsˌhaːfn̩]or[fʁiːdʁɪçsˈhaːfn̩]^ⓘ;Low Alemannic:Hafe orFridrichshafe) is a city on the northern shoreline ofLake Constance (theBodensee) inSouthern Germany, near the borders of both Switzerland and Austria. It is the district capital (Kreisstadt) of theBodensee district in thefederal state ofBaden-Württemberg. Friedrichshafen has a population of about 63,000.

Friedrichshafen
Town
Friedrichshafen in August 2009
Coat of arms
Location of Friedrichshafen within Bodenseekreis district
Friedrichshafen Show map of Germany Friedrichshafen Show map of Baden-Württemberg
Coordinates:47°39′N9°29′E / 47.650°N 9.483°E /47.650; 9.483
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Tübingen
District	Bodenseekreis
Government
• Lord mayor(2017–25)	Andreas Brand[1] (Ind.)
Area
• Total	69.91 km2 (26.99 sq mi)
Elevation	400 m (1,300 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)[2]
• Total	62,932
• Density	900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	88045–88048
Dialling codes	07541, 07544
Vehicle registration	FN
Website	www.friedrichshafen.de

Friedrichshafen was established in 1811 as part of the newKingdom of Württemberg, an ally of France during theNapoleonic Wars. It was named for KingFrederick I of Württemberg, who privileged it as a free port and transshipment point for the kingdom'sSwiss trade. Friedrichshafen was created from the former city ofBuchhorn, whose coat of arms it adopted. The new city also incorporated the former village ofHofen, whose monastery was refurbished to serve as the summer residence of the Württemberger kings.

KingWilliam I continued improving the city, including the purchase of the steamshipWilhelm. Ministers and senior officials built villas around the royal castle, and many foreign tourists visited the city as well, including TsarAlexander II of Russia. The first track laid by theRoyal Württemberg State Railways connected the port toRavensburg in 1847.Heilbronn was connected in 1850, and a ferry toRomanshorn in Switzerland began operating in 1869. Despite their previous opposition toPrussia, under the federal structure of theGerman Empire, Württemberg and Friedrichshafen continued to enjoy some special privileges following their incorporation into Germany following theFranco-Prussian War.

Ferdinand von Zeppelin established his famousdirigible factory at the end of the 19th century. The 128m-longLZ1 airship rose from its mooring on July 2, 1900. Other aviation companies, includingMaybach, also arose in Friedrichshafen to help service the industry, which received a major impetus fromWorld War I. Following theTreaty of Versailles, the Kingdom of Württemberg was dissolved but the deposed royal family continued in their possession of their castle in Friedrichshafen, despite a workers' revolution there in November, 1918.

Friedrichshafen served the Nazi regime as a resort for workers. The presence of Zeppelin, Maybach, Dornier, andZahnradfabrik made it an important German industrial center duringWorld War II. Between 1942 and 1945, the factories used slave labor of hundreds ofconcentration camp prisoners fromDachau andDora-Mittelbau. They were housed first at Zeppelin's hangar and then, following its destruction during a raid, theV-2 factoryRaderach. The prisoners were also used to dig tunnels near Friedrichshafen to protect production sites from the repeated bombing.

Between June 1943 and February 1945, the city was targeted for Allied bombing attacks. The most accurate took place on April 28, 1944, and destroyed most of the old town center. Approximately two-thirds of the city was destroyed over the course of the war.

Following World War II, Friedrichshafen was part of theFrench occupation zone before its incorporation intoBaden-Württemberg,West Germany. In the aftermath of the war, Maybach and many other aviation companies turned to automobile construction, whileClaudius Dornier purchasedTheodor Kober's failedFlugzeugbau Friedrichshafen and establishedDornier Flugzeugwerke. Owing to the provisions of the Versailles treaty, many of the planes were initially produced inItaly,Spain, theNetherlands orJapan, but resumed work at its Friedrichshafen and other German factories following the rise of theNazi regime. The 1937Hindenburg disaster and a subsequent embargo on sendingAmerican helium to Germany, however, effectively ended the production of German dirigibles. The German aeronautics industry was again banned for many years after the war, and companies again failed or shifted production.

The city's principal recovery dates to its establishment as the administrative seat of theBodenseekreis district ofWest Germany, in 1973. The last French troops withdrew from their "Durand de Villers" Quarter (Quartier Durand de Villers) in 1992.

Friedrichshafen is located on a gently curved bay on the north shore ofLake Constance and on the southwest edge of theSchussen. The city is over an altitude of 395.2 m above sea level.NHH on the shores of Lake Constance up to 501.6 m inAilingen. The core city is located not far to the west of the confluence of theRotach and Lake Constance. Coming fromOberteuringen, this river reaches the city west of the village of Ailingen and flows through some smaller districts before it flows into the lake on the eastern edge of the city center. The somewhat larger Schussen touches the northeast corner of the urban area.

The following municipalities border the city of Friedrichshafen:

Immenstaad,Markdorf,Oberteuringen,Ravensburg,Meckenbeuren,Tettnang andEriskich.

Friedrichshafen's climate is mainly influenced by the Lake Constance and the nearbyAlps. Compared to theHinterland, the temperatures are rather mild. The proximity to the Alps createsfoehn winds and sometimes strongthunderstorms. In addition, fog often forms in winter.

The border line between the former states ofBaden andWürttemberg ran on the Grenzbach between Friedrichshafen, Fischbach and Immenstaad. Remains of the"Grenzhof" can still be found between theBundesstraße 31 and the nature-protected shore zone.

Airship construction in the first third of the 20th century attracted considerable industry and contributed significantly to Friedrichshafen's relative prosperity. Friedrichshafen is best known for having been home to theLuftschiffbau ZeppelinAirship Company, the aircraft manufacturerDornier Flugzeugwerke,ZF Friedrichshafen, a manufacturer of transmission systems andMTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, the engine manufacturing company founded byWilhelm Maybach.^{[citation needed]}

Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was born inKonstanz (Constance), originally had his airships built in a floatingairship hangar on the lake which could be aligned with the wind to support the difficult launch procedure ofrigid airship flight.^{[citation needed]} Today there is a largeZeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen sited near the lake shore. In recent years^[when?] the companyZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH, also located in Friedrichshafen, is the constructor of small,semi-rigid airships designed by the Zeppelin firm, named (calledZeppelin NT), by using modern technology.^{[citation needed]} These airships can be booked for sightseeing tours above Lake Constance.

Airbus Defence and Space maintains a site outside Friedrichshafen inImmenstaad am Bodensee, which is considered today as the successor of theDornier Flugzeugwerke company. TheDornier Museum is located at theFriedrichshafen Airport and displays restoredDornier aviation technology as well as modern space technology.^{[citation needed]}

AERO Friedrichshafen is a yearly aviation conference that hosted an attendance of 33,400 in 2011, and 30,800 in 2012. Aero 2013 took place on 24–27 April 2013 atFriedrichshafen Airport.^[3]

Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG (MTU), the German engine manufacturing company owned byRolls-Royce is also located in Friedrichshafen.

Apart from industry and tourism, various international regular trade fairs, such asAero (aviation technology),Interboot (water sports),OutDoor,Motorradwelt (Motorbikes),Eurobike (bicycles) andTuning World Bodensee (car tuning) are important economical factors. There is a large fair ground (Messe Friedrichshafen) near Friedrichshafen airport where all these and many more trade fairs take place every year. Furthermore, the Graf-Zeppelin-Haus cultural centre has become a popular location for congresses, conferences, musical and other events.

Friedrichshafen is the location for Europe's largestham radio convention.^[4]

Zeppelin University, a private research university, is the only private university in the state of Baden-Württemberg to have received the rare right to confer PhD titles to its students. Only founded in 2003, its Cultural & Communication Management programme has been already ranked the best university programme in that field^{[citation needed]} in German speaking countries, according to the prestigious CHE ranking. The programme in Public Management & Governance was ranked 4th while the programme in Corporate Management & Economics was ranked 6th among all examined German, Austrian, Swiss and Dutch universities (figures from 2011)^{[citation needed]}. Zeppelin University holds the title of the 'most committed' university in Germany with regard to civil society issues (Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft/Stiftung Mercator 2011)^{[citation needed]}.Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education also has a campus in Friedrichshafen.

VfB Friedrichshafen is a professional volleyball team based on Friedrichshafen. It is one of the top teams inBundesliga.^[5][6]

The Seehasen-Fanfarenzug was founded in 1956 on the occasion of theSeehasenfest and Erich Deisel, a teacher at the Graf Zeppelin Gymnasium. At that time the club consisted of four drummers and twofanfare players. In 1959 the first typical yellow and red costumes reminiscent of the character from the Spanish era were designed. In 1972 thefanfare band took part in the German Championship of Fanfare Bands and came eighth place. Up until the 50th anniversary in 2006, he organized many concerts abroad and won several prizes in competitions across Germany.

The Friedrichshafen Music School was founded in 1953 as a municipal educational institution. In 2003 it moved to the newly built building near the Graf Zeppelin Gymnasium.

Friedrichshafen has a number of town and local festivals that are held annually. Since 1985, the Kulturufer has taken place at the beginning of the summer holidays, a ten-day tent festival on the shores of Lake Constance.^[7] The performances range from music events to cabaret, drama and dance to readings, acrobatics and street theater. There is also a daily theater program for children in the tent. The Kulturufer is organized by the Culture Office and the Office for Family, Youth and Social Affairs.

One of the most famous and oldest festivals in Friedrichshafen is the Seehasenfest, a local kids festival that has been taking place since the post-war period.

Friedrichshafen Stadt station enjoys train services at regular intervals toLindau andUlm, as well as toBasel in Switzerland.

A carferry service links Friedrichshafen toRomanshorn in Switzerland, and various other towns around the lake can also be reached by ferry. Since 2005, a fastcatamaran ferry connection has been in service between Friedrichshafen and Konstanz.^[8]

Friedrichshafen Airport is the local airport. The Zeppelin manufacturing companyLuftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) was re-established in 1993, and a commercial airlineDeutsche Zeppelin Reederei (DZR) began flying passenger service from Friedrichshafen Airport in 2001. However, in recent years, passenger numbers have decreased such that, as of 2024, Friedrichshafen Airport no longer connects any domestic destinations.^[9]

The nearest big cities areKonstanz,Ravensburg,Bregenz,St. Gallen,Ulm,Augsburg,Munich,Zürich, andStuttgart.

• Matteo Pertsch (1769–1834), Austrian classical architect responsible for many historic structures inTrieste
• Alfonsas Dargis (1909–1996), Lithuanian painter, graphic artist, set designer and poet; died locally
• Albrecht Roser (1922–2011), puppeteer
• Stefan Waggershausen (born 1949), singer, composer, and songwriter
• Peter Rundel (born 1958), violinist and conductor
• Alissa Walser (born 1961), writer and artist; daughter of poetMartin Walser
• Philippe Bühler (born 1981), singer, songwriter, dancer and record producer
• Alicia von Rittberg (born 1993), actress and local student
• Philipp Riederle (born 1994), author, consultant, podcaster and local student

• Heinrich Lanz (1838–1905), agricultural machinery manufacturersHeinrich Lanz AG,Lanz Bulldog
• Wilhelm Maybach (1846–1929), engine designer and industrialist, worked locally after WW1
• Hugo Eckener (1868–1954), manager of theLuftschiffbau Zeppelin between the wars, worked and died locally
• Hermann Blau (1871–1944), engineer and chemist and inventor ofBlau gas, worked locally
• Ludwig Dürr (1878–1956), airship designer, died locally
• Claude Dornier (1884–1969), airplane builder and founder ofDornier GmbH, worked locally from 1910
• Friedrich von Arnauld de la Perière (1888–1969), aviator, died locally.
• Franz-Zeno Diemer (1889–1954), flight pioneer, test pilot for BMW, died locally
• Oberleutnant Hans Bethge (1890–1918), WWI flying ace and aerial commander, grew up locally
• Richard Vogt (1894–1979), engineer and aircraft designer, worked locally from 1916
• Patrick A. Baeuerle (born 1957), molecular biologist
• Stefan Sommer (born 1963), CEO ofZF Friedrichshafen AG from 2012 until 2017.

• Meta von Salis (1855–1929), Swiss feminist and historian, schooled locally
• Liselotte Herrmann (1909–1938), Communist Resistance fighter in Nazi Germany, worked locally
• Friedrich Jung (1915–1997), doctor and leading academic and research pharmacologist inthe GDR
• Carl, Duke of Württemberg (born 1936), head of theHouse of Württemberg
• Nico Stehr (born 1942), university professor on how we deal withKnowledge andinformation
• Helmut Willke (born 1945), sociologist who studies the effect of globalization on modern society
• Hubert Knoblauch (born 1959), sociologist, deal withSociology of knowledge
• Tasos Zembylas (born 1962), philosopher and social scientist, local visiting professor from 2009

• brothersJörg Diesch (born 1951) &Eckart Diesch (born 1954), sailors & team gold medallists at the1976 Summer Olympics
• John Jurkovic (born 1967), former American football player currently employed as a US broadcaster
• Stefanie Rothweiler (born 1979), former yacht racer, competed at the2004 &2008 Summer Olympics
• Steffen Wohlfarth (born 1983), footballer, played 374 games
• Max Günthör (born 1985), volleyball player
• Chantal Laboureur (born 1990), retired volleyball and beach volleyball player
• Simon Zoller (born 1991), footballer, played over 360 games
• Giulia Gwinn (born 1999), footballer, played over 130 games and 57 forGermany women
• Klara Bühl (born 2000), footballer played over 150 games and 62 forGermany women

Friedrichshafen istwinned with:^[10]

The relationships to the twin cities are supported by the local government together with twin city associations. In Friedrichshafen there had been founded the associationsFreundeskreis Polozk, Peoria Club,^[11] Arbeitskreis S.Dié^[12] and Amici di Imperia.^[13]

Friedrichshafen has friendly relations with:

•  Tsuchiura, Japan

• Dornier Consulting

• "Friedrichshafen" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). 1911.
• Official website (in German)
• Friedrichshafen Tourism
• Zeppelin museum (English version available)
• Bodensee Airport Friedrichshafen (English version)
• MTU FriedrichshafenArchived 2005-12-27 at theWayback Machine
• ZF FriedrichshafenArchived 2021-03-08 at theWayback Machine
• Zeppelin University
• Graf-Zeppelin-Haus cultural centre
• Count Zeppelin (Highland Pipes and Drums)
• Ham radio convention
• Südkurier (Südkurier) Local newspaper for Friedrichshafen (in German)