Freiburg im Breisgau[a] or simplyFreiburg is thefourth-largest city of the German state ofBaden-Württemberg afterStuttgart,Mannheim andKarlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of about 355,000 (2021),[5] while the greater Freiburg metropolitan area ("Einzugsgebiet") has about 660,000 (2018).[6]
Freiburg is located at the southwestern foothills of theBlack Forest, on theDreisam River, a tributary of theElz. It is Germany's southwestern- and southernmost city with a population exceeding 100,000. It lies in theBreisgau, one of Germany's warmest regions, in the south of theUpper Rhine Plain. Its city limits reach from theSchauinsland summit (1,284 metres (4,213 ft)) in the Black Forest to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of the French border, while Switzerland is 42 kilometres (26 mi) to the south. The city is situated in the majorwine-growing region of Baden and, together withOffenburg, serves as a tourist entry-point to the scenicBlack Forest. According to meteorological statistics, Freiburg held the all-time German temperature record of 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) from 2003 to 2015.[7][8]
An old university town andarchiepiscopal seat, it was incorporated in the early 12th century and soon became a commercial, intellectual and ecclesiastical center for the Upper Rhine region. TheUniversity of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), founded in 1457, is one of Germany's oldest universities. Freiburg's main landmark is theFreiburg Minster (Freiburger Münster), which was built between c. 1200 and 1513 and has been described as "Gothic architectural masterpiece".
The old town is traversed by an extensive system of runnels calledBächle (lit.small streams), that are fed with water from theDreisam and run on the side of almost all streets and alleys, giving the city a unique touch. Freiburg has a highstandard of living, and is known for its advanced environmental practices, which is embodied by local housing projects such as the creation of the sustainabledistrict of Vauban.
Freiburg was founded by Konrad and Duke Berthold III of theHouse of Zähringen in 1120 as a free market town;[9] hence its name, which translates to "free (or independent) town".Frei means "free", andBurg, like the modern English word "borough", was used in those days for an incorporated city or town, usually one with some degree of autonomy.[10] The German wordBurg also means "a fortified town", as inHamburg. Thus, it is likely that the name of this place means a "fortified town of free citizens".
This town was strategically located at a junction of trade routes between theMediterranean Sea and theNorth Sea regions, and theRhine andDanube rivers. In 1200, Freiburg's population numbered approximately 6,000 people. At about that time, under the rule ofBertold V, the last duke of Zähringen, the town began construction of itsFreiburg Minster minster on the site of an older parish church.[9] Begun in theRomanesque style, it was continued and completed 1513 for the most part as aGothic edifice. In 1218, when Bertold V died, then Egino V von Urach, the count ofUrach assumed the title ofFreiburg's count as Egino I von Freiburg.[9] The town council did not trust the new nobles and wrote down its established rights in a document. At the end of the thirteenth century there was a feud between the town of Freiburg and their lord, Count Egino II of Freiburg. Egino II raised taxes and sought to limit the citizens' freedom, after which the Freiburgers used catapults to destroy the count's castle atop theSchloßberg, a hill that overlooks the town. The furious count called on his brother-in-law thePrince-Bishop of Strasbourg,Conrad of Lichtenberg, for help. The bishop responded by marching with his army to Freiburg.
According to an old Freiburg legend, a butcher named Hauri stabbed the Bishop of Strasbourg to death on 29 July 1299. It was aPyrrhic victory, since henceforth the citizens of Freiburg had to pay an annual expiation of 300 marks in silver to the count of Freiburg until 1368. In 1366 the counts of Freiburg made another failed attempt to occupy the town during a night raid. Eventually the inhabitants were fed up with their lords, and in 1368 Freiburg purchased its independence from them. The town turned itself over to the protection of theHabsburgs, who allowed the town to retain a large measure of freedom. Most of the nobles of the city died in thebattle of Sempach (1386). Thepatrician family Schnewlin took control of the city until the guildsmen revolted. The guilds became more powerful than the patricians by 1389.
The silver mines in Mount Schauinsland provided an important source of capital for Freiburg. This silver made Freiburg one of the richest cities in Europe, and in 1327 Freiburg minted its own coin, theRappenpfennig. In 1377 the cities of Freiburg,Basel,Colmar, andBreisach entered into a monetary alliance known as theGenossenschaft des Rappenpfennigs (Rappenpfennig Collective). This alliance facilitated commerce among the cities and lasted until the end of the sixteenth century. There were 8,000–9,000 people living in Freiburg between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and 30 churches and monasteries. At the end of the fourteenth century the veins of silver were dwindling, and by 1460 only approximately 6,000 people still lived within Freiburg'scity walls.
A university town, Freiburg evolved from its focus on mining to become a cultural centre for the arts and sciences. It was also a commercial center. The end of theMiddle Ages and the dawn of theRenaissance was a time of both advances and tragedy for Freiburg.
In 1457,Albrecht VI, Regent ofFurther Austria, establishedAlbert-Ludwigs-Universität, one of Germany's oldest universities. In 1498, EmperorMaximilian I held aReichstag in Freiburg. In 1520, the town ratified a set of legal reforms, widely considered the most progressive of the time. The aim was to find a balance between traditions and oldRoman Law. The reforms were well received, especially the sections dealing with civil process law, punishment, and the town's constitution.
In 1520, Freiburg decided not to take part in theReformation and became an important centre forCatholicism on theUpper Rhine.Erasmus moved here afterBasel accepted the Reformation. In 1536, a strong and persistent belief inwitchcraft led to the town's firstwitch-hunt. The need to find a scapegoat for calamities such as theBlack Plague, which claimed 2,000 area residents (25% of the town's population) in 1564, led to an escalation in witch-hunting that peaked in 1599. A plaque on the old town wall marks the spot where burnings were carried out.
The seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries were turbulent times for Freiburg. At the beginning of theThirty Years' War in 1618, its population numbered between 10,000 to 14,000; when it ended in 1648, only 2,000 remained.[13] In August 1644, it was the site of theBattle of Freiburg, said to be the bloodiest battle of the war in terms of percentage of casualties.[14]
Between 1648 and 1805, when the town was not under French occupation, it was the administrative headquarters ofFurther Austria, the Habsburg territories in southwest Germany. In 1805 the town, together with theBreisgau andOrtenau areas, became part ofBaden. In 1828, after theArchdiocese of Freiburg was founded, Freiburg became seat of aCatholic archbishop.
Freiburg was heavily bombed duringWorld War II. InMay 1940, aircraft of theLuftwaffe mistakenly dropped approximately 60 bombs on Freiburg near the railway station, killing 57 people, most of them civilians and including 22 children.[15] This was reported by the official German news agency as an attack by the Western Allies, and retaliation against them was threatened. The Freiburg police commander subsequently established that the bombs were German, but the full story was not published until many years later.[16] On 27 November 1944, a raid by more than 300bombers ofRAF Bomber Command (Operation Tigerfish) destroyed a large portion of the city centre, with the notable exception of theMünster—which was only lightly damaged—and houses southeast of it. After the war, the city was rebuilt on its medieval plan.
On 22 October 1940, theNaziGauleiter of Baden,Robert Heinrich Wagner, ordered the deportation of all of Baden's and 350 of Freiburg'sJewish population. They were deported toCamp Gurs in the south of France, where many died. On 18 July 1942, the remaining Baden and Freiburg Jews were transferred toAuschwitz inGerman-occupied Poland, where almost all were murdered.[17] A memorial has been created in the form of the 'footprint' in marble on the site of the city's originalsynagogue, which was burned down on 9 November 1938, during thepogrom known asKristallnacht. The memorial is a fountain and contains a bronze plaque commemorating the original building and the Jewish community which perished. The pavements of Freiburg carry memorials to individual victims, in the form ofbrass plates outside their former residences. There was a camp forSinti andRomani people (seeRomani Holocaust) in the city.[18]
It was occupied by theFrench Army on 21 April 1945, and Freiburg was soon allotted to theFrench Zone of Occupation. In December 1945 Freiburg became the seat of government for the German state ofBaden, which was merged intoBaden-Württemberg in 1952. TheFrench Army maintained a presence in Freiburg until 1991, when the last French Army division left the city, and left Germany.
On the site of the former French Army base, a new neighborhood for 5,000 people,Vauban, began in the late 1990s as a "sustainable model district".[citation needed] Solar power provides electricity to many of the households in this small community.
Because of its scenery, relatively warm and sunny climate, and easy access to theBlack Forest, Freiburg is a hub for regionaltourism. In 2010, Freiburg was voted as the Academy of Urbanism's European City of the Year in recognition of the exemplarysustainable urbanism it had implemented over the preceding decades.[citation needed]
The longestcable car run in Germany, which is 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long, runs fromGünterstal up to a nearby mountain calledSchauinsland.
The city has an unusual system of gutters (calledFreiburg Bächle) that run throughout its centre. TheseBächle, once used to provide water to fight fires and feed livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from theDreisam. They were never intended to be used for sewage, and even in the Middle Ages such use could lead to harsh penalties. During the summer, the running water provides natural cooling of the air, and offers a pleasant gurgling sound.[citation needed] It is said that if one accidentally falls or steps into aBächle, they will marry a Freiburger, or 'Bobbele'.[citation needed]
TheAugustinerplatz is one of the central squares in the old city. Formerly the location of anAugustinianmonastery that became theAugustiner Museum in 1921, it is now a popular social space for Freiburg's younger residents. It has a number of restaurants and bars, including the local brewery 'Feierling', which has aBiergarten. On warm summer nights, hundreds of students gather here.
At the centre of theold city is theMünsterplatz or Cathedral Square, Freiburg'slargest square. A farmers' market is held here every day except Sundays. This is the site of Freiburg'sMünster, agothicminstercathedral constructed of red sandstone, built between 1200 and 1530 and noted for its towering spire.
The Historical Merchants' Hall of 1520–21
TheHistorical Merchants' Hall (Historisches Kaufhaus), is aLate Gothic building on the south side of Freiburg'sMünsterplatz. Built between 1520 and 1530, it was once the center of the financial life of the region. Its façade is decorated with statues and thecoat of arms of fourHabsburg emperors.
TheAltes Rathaus, or old city hall, was completed in 1559 and has a painted façade. ThePlatz der alten Synagoge "Old Synagogue Square" is one of the more important squares on the outskirts of the historic old city. The square was the location of a synagogue until it was destroyed onKristallnacht in 1938.Zum Roten Bären, the oldest hotel in Germany, is located alongOberlinden near theSwabian Gate.
TheSiegesdenkmal, or victory monument, is a monument to the German victory in theFranco-Prussian War in 1871. It is situated at the northern edge of the historic city center of Freiburg and was built byKarl Friedrich Moest. In everyday language of people living in Freiburg, it serves as an orientation marker or as a meeting place.
To the east of the city centre, theSchlossberg hill provides extensive views over the city and surrounding region. The castle (Schloss) from which the hill takes its name was demolished in the 1740s, and only ruins remain. Schlossberg retained its importance to the city, however, and 150 years ago the city leaders opened up walks and views to make the mountain available to the public. Today, theSchlossbergbahnfunicular railway connects the city centre to the hill.[19]
Panoramic view of Freiburg, seen from Schlossberg.Freiburg Münster can be seen just right of centre.
Freiburg is bordered by the Black Forest mountainsRosskopf and Bromberg to the east, Schönberg and Tuniberg to the south, with theKaiserstuhl hill region to the west.
TheKöppen climate classification classifies Freiburg's climate astemperate oceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb;Trewartha:Dobk). Thus, July and August are, along withKarlsruhe, the warmest within Germany. Winters are moderate but usually with some frosts at night. More year-round rain occurs here than in the Rhine plateau. The city is close to theKaiserstuhl, a range of hills of volcanic origin located a few kilometers away, which is one of the warmest places in Germany and therefore considered as a viticultural area.
The Freiburg im Breisgau weather station has recorded the following extreme values:[20]
Highest Temperature 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) on 13 August 2003.
Warmest Minimum 26.0 °C (78.8 °F) on 5 July 1957.
Coldest Maximum −13.0 °C (8.6 °F) on 2 February 1956.
Lowest Temperature −21.6 °C (−6.9 °F) on 10 February 1956.[21]
Highest Daily Precipitation 80.3 mm (3.16 in) on 18 May 1994.
Wettest Month 288.9 mm (11.37 in) in August 1963.
Wettest Year 1,224.8 mm (48.22 in) in 1965.
Driest Year 641.0 mm (25.24 in) in 1953.
Earliest Snowfall: 20 October 1905.
Latest Snowfall: 28 April 1985.
Longest annual sunshine: 2,129.4 hours in 2003.
Shortest annual sunshine: 1,457.8 hours in 1980.
Climate data for Freiburg (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1874–present)
Freiburg is known as an "eco-city". In June 1995, the Freiburg city council adopted a resolution that it would permit construction only of "low-energy buildings" on municipal land, and all new buildings must comply with certain low energy specifications. The neighbourhoods ofVauban andRieselfeld were developed and built in the late 1990s in accordance with the principles ofsustainability. The city is also home to a branch of theFederal Office for Radiation Protection, as well assolar industry and research. The citizens of Freiburg are known in Germany for their love ofcycling andrecycling.[27] Freiburg is host to a number ofinternational organisations, in particular,ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability,International Solar Energy Society, and the City Mayors Foundation.[28] Politically, it is a longtime stronghold of theAlliance 90/The Greens, who have seen consistent success since the 1990s and have been the largest party on the city council since 2004. For many years, they performed more strongly in Freiburg than any other major city: former mayorDieter Salomon, who served from 2002 to 2018, was the first member of the Greens to hold such an office in a city of over 100,000 people.
Martin Horn, Mayor of FreiburgResults of the second round of the 2018 mayoral election
The current mayor of Freiburg isMartin Horn since 2018. He was previously a member of theSocial Democratic Party (SPD) but left before running for mayor. In the election, he was supported by the SPD and theFree Democratic Party (FDP).[29] The most recent mayoral election was held on 22 April 2018, with a runoff held on 6 May, and the results were as follows:
The Freiburg city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows:
The city is home to theIES Abroad European Union program, which allows students to study the development and activities of theEU.[30][31] This is in addition to an Environmental Science and Sustainability program focused on Freiburg's famed green lifestyle and infrastructure.[32] IES Abroad also offers a German Language and Area Studies program where visiting students get to take classes at theUniversity of Freiburg.[33]
TheDFG / LFA Freiburg, a French-German high school established by the 1963Élysée Treaty, is in the city.UWC Robert Bosch College is among the newest members of the United World Colleges (UWC) movement, one of its eighteen colleges around the world, having started accepting students in September 2014.
Freiburg belonged to Austria until 1805 and remained Catholic, although surrounding villages likeHaslach, Opfingen, Tiengen, and the surrounding land ruled by theMargrave of Baden became Protestant as a result of the Reformation. The city was part of theDiocese of Konstanz until 1821. That same year, Freiburg became anepiscopal see of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg. Due to a dispute between the government of Baden and theHoly See, thearchbishop officially took office in 1827.
The Freiburger Minster: one of Freiburg's most famous landmarks
Until 1929, the dioceses ofLimburg andFulda also belonged to this ecclesiastical province. The Archbishop of Freiburg holds the title of metropolitan and the German headquarters of thelink to Caritas Germany is in Freiburg.
In 1805, with the attack of Breisgau on theGrand Duchy of Baden by a Catholic ruler, many Protestants moved into the city. Since 2007, any Protestants who are not part of a 'free church' belong to the newly founded deanery of Freiburg as part of the parish of Südbaden which in itself is a part of the Landeskirche Baden.
The seat of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Baden, a free Lutheran church, is situated in Freiburg. There are multiple other free Protestant churches: e.g., the Calvary Chapel or Chrischona International. An old congregation has existed in Freiburg since the late 1900s, which utilises the old monastery church of the Ursulines in the black monastery at the border of the old city center. The Catholic Church of St. Maria Schutz has been made available for Masses by Greek, Serbian, Russian and Rumanian Orthodox congregations.
Jews are said to have lived in the city before 1230, but it was only after 1230 that they supposedly founded an official community in the Webergasse (a small street within the town center). The counts of Freiburg bought the lucrativeSchutzjude, which means that all personal information on Jews living in Freiburg was directly sent toKonrad II and his co-reigning son Friedrich. The two issued a comprising letter promising safety and liberty to all local Jews on 12 October 1338. It lost all value shortly after, however, on 1 January 1349. Although theplague had not yet broken out in the city, Jews were accused of having spread it and taken into custody. All Jews except pregnant women were burned alive on 31 January 1349. The remaining children were forced to be baptised. This pogrom left Jews very hesitant to resettle in the city. In 1401, the city council decreed a regulation banning all Jews from Freiburg (orig. Middle High German dialect: "daz dekein Jude ze Friburg niemmerme sin sol". This was officially reaffirmed by King Sigismund with a ban for life (orig. German: “Ewige Vertreibung”) in 1424. Not until 1809 were Jews again allowed permanent residence within the city. They subsequently founded a Jewish community in 1836.
At theKristallnacht in 1938, the synagogue, built in 1870, was set afire. Numerous shops and apartments of Jewish citizens of Freiburg were devastated and plundered by National Socialists without the intervention of police or fire department. Male, wealthy, Jewish citizens were kidnapped and taken toconcentration camps (inBuchenwald andDachau) where they were subjected to forced labor or executed and their money and property stolen.
On 22 October 1940, the remaining Jews of Baden and Pfalz were deported toCamp de Gurs in southern France. One among many collecting points was Annaplatz. So-called 'Stolpersteine', tiles with names and dates on them, commemorate the victims of the prosecution of Jews during the Nazi-Era in the city's cobble. Journalist Käthe Vordtriede of theVolkswacht even received two Stolpersteine to commemorate her life. The first one was inserted into the ground in front of the Vordtriede-Haus Freiburg in 2006 and the second one in front of the Basler Hof, the regional authorities, in spring 2013. This was also the seat of theGestapo until 1941, where unrelenting people were cruelly interrogated, held prisoner or deported. The only solutions were flight or emigration. TheVordtriede family managed to escape in time.
Freiburg has a largepedestrian zone in the city centre where no motor cars are allowed. Freiburg also has an extensive public transport system, operated by the city-ownedVAG Freiburg. The backbone of the system is theFreiburg tramway network, supplemented by feederbuses. The tram network is very popular as the low fares allow for unlimited transport in the city and surrounding area. Furthermore, any ticket for a concert, sports or other event is also valid for use on public transport. The tram network is so vast that 70% of the population live within 500m of a tram stop with a tram every 7–8 mins.
Freiburg is served byEuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France, close to the borders of both Germany and Switzerland, 70 km (43 mi) south of Freiburg.Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport is approximately 100 km (62 mi) north of Freiburg and is also served by several airlines. The nearest larger international airports include Zurich (130 km (81 mi)), Stuttgart (200 km (120 mi)), and Frankfurt/Main (260 km (160 mi)). The nearbyFlugplatz Freiburg (IATA:QFB,ICAO:EDTF), a small airfield in theMesse, Freiburg district, lacks commercial service but is used for private aviation.
Car share websites such as BlaBlaCar are commonly used among Freiburg residents, since they are considered relatively safe.
The investment in transport has resulted in a large increase in both cycle, pedestrian and public transport usage with projections of car journeys accounting for 29% of journey times.
Freiburg is home to football teamsSC Freiburg, which plays at theEuropa-Park Stadion and is represented in the 1. or2. Bundesliga since 1978, andFreiburger FC. In 2016, SC Freiburg got promoted to the highest league for the fifth time in its club history. The club became generally known in Germany for its steady staffing policy.Achim Stocker was president of the club from 1972 until his death in 2009. Longtime coach wasVolker Finke (1991–2007), to whose initiative the football school of the club goes back. In 2004, SC Freiburg celebrated its 100th anniversary. Since December 2011, the coach isChristian Streich. The women's team of SC Freiburg plays in the first Women's Bundesliga.
Freiburg is represented in the first women's basketball league by the Eisvögel (Kingfisher) USC Freiburg. In the season 2005/2006, the Kingfishers took second place after the end of the second round, in the season 2006/2007 it was the fourth place. The men's team of the USC played in the 2009/10 season in theProA (2nd Bundesliga). The Freiburg men's team played their last first-division season in 1998/1999. Currently, season 2018/19, the men's team plays in the Oberliga and the women's team in the regional league.
Freiburg also has theEHC Freiburgice hockey team, which plays at the Franz-Siegel Halle. In the season 2003/2004 the EHC Freiburg (the wolves) played in theDEL, the highest German ice hockey league. Currently, season 2018/19, they play in the second league (DEL2).
Additionally, there is the RC Freiburg Rugby union team, which competes in thesecond Bundesliga South (Baden Württemberg). The home ground of the club, the only rugby sports field in the wider area, is located in March-Hugstetten.
Then, there is the volleyball men's team of theFT 1844 Freiburg, which plays in the second Bundesliga since 2001 and the handball women's team of the HSG Freiburg, which plays in the 3rd Women's Handball League.
The association Kunst in Freiburg is an association of galleries and exhibition spaces in Freiburg. They organize joint exhibition projects such as the annual art nightnocturne.[36]
The Biennial for Freiburg, which is organized by the association Perspektiven für Kunst in Freiburg e.V., has been taking place since 2021.[37]
Founded in 1827, the Kunstverein Freiburg is one of the oldest in Germany. In the building of the former Marienbad, the Kunstverein presents current trends and, above all, young positions incontemporary art at an international level.
TheAugustiner Museum presents its renowned collection of art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque as well as 19th century paintings. The former monastery church has been transformed into an impressive, modern museum building that makes a visit to the museum a real experience.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is a forum for important social debates, equally committed to art and the public. Changing exhibitions reflect elementary themes of our time. From the rich collection of 20th and 21st century works, a selection of classical modernism is always on display.
Colombischlössle Archaeological Museum: The neo-Gothic palace houses precious finds from the Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. The Alamanni treasure chamber displays jewelry and magnificent weapons from Alamanni graves.
Museum of Nature and Man: With its collections on natural history and ethnology, the museum is dedicated to the diversity and uniqueness of natural and cultural environments. It is an entertaining and educational place for the whole family.
Museum of City History: Treasures from 900 years of the city's history can be seen in the late baroque house of the artist Johann Christian Wentzinger.
Documentation Center for National Socialism Freiburg: Built in 1936, the former public transport office on Rotteckring will be home to the National Socialist Documentation Center by 2025, providing information about the National Socialist era in Freiburg.
Iranian presidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial comments, which included questioning the dimension of theHolocaust, have sparked discussions concerning Freiburg's relationship withIsfahan. Immediately following the comments, Freiburg mayor Salomon postponed a trip to Isfahan, but most people involved, especially those in theAlliance '90/The Greens party, were opposed to cancelling the relationship.[39]
The city'scoat of arms is Argent a cross Gules, theSt George's Cross.Saint George is the city's patron saint. The cross also appears on the city's flag, which dates from about 1368, and is identical to that ofEngland, which has the same patron.
The city also has aseal that can be seen in a few places in the inner city. It is a stylised depiction of the façade of theWasserschlössle, a castle-like waterworks facility built into a hill that overlooks the residential district ofWiehre. The seal depicts a three-towered red castle on a white background, with green-clad trumpeters atop the two outer towers. Beneath the castle is a gold fleur-de-lis.
^abc"Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau: History". www.freiburg.de (Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau). Archived fromthe original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved11 April 2009., also Arnold, BenjaminGerman Knighthood 1050–1300 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985) p. 123.
^"borough".American Heritage Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved13 September 2019.
.jpg)
_4029.jpg)
_jm10177.jpg)
_(ZMF2018)_jm66787.jpg)
.svg)
.jpg)
_2962.jpg)
_jm53329_ji.jpg)
_cropped.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
