The Rhine, one of the world's most important shipping routes, forms the western limits of the city, beyond which lie the towns ofMaximiliansau andWörth am Rhein in the German state ofRhineland-Palatinate. The city centre is about 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from the river, as measured from the Marktplatz (Market Square). Two tributaries of the Rhine, theAlb and thePfinz, flow through the city from the Kraichgau to eventually join the Rhine.
The city lies at an altitude of between 100 and 322 m (328 and 1,056 ft), the higher figure being near the communications tower in the suburb of Grünwettersbach. Its geographical coordinates are49°00′N8°24′E / 49.000°N 8.400°E /49.000; 8.400; the49th parallel runs through the city centre, which puts it at the same latitude as much of theCanada–United States border and the cities ofVancouver (Canada),Paris (France),Regensburg (Germany), andHulunbuir (China). Its course is marked by a stone and painted line in theStadtgarten (municipal park). The total area of the city is 173.46 km2 (66.97 sq mi), hence it is the 30th largest city in Germany measured by land area. The longest north–south distance is 16.8 km (10.4 mi) and 19.3 km (12.0 mi) in the east–west direction.
The city was planned with the palace tower (Schloss) at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like thespokes of a wheel, or the ribs of afolding fan, so that onenickname for Karlsruhe in German is the "fan city" (Fächerstadt). Almost all of these streets survive to this day. Because of this city layout, inmetric geometry,Karlsruhe metric refers to a measure of distance that assumes travel is only possible along radial streets and along circular avenues around the centre.[7]
The city centre is the oldest part of town and lies south of the palace in the quadrant defined by nine of the radial streets. The central part of the palace runs east–west, with two wings, each at a 45° angle, directed southeast and southwest (i.e., parallel with the streets marking the boundaries of the quadrant defining the city center).
Themarket square lies on the street running south from the palace toEttlingen. The market square has thetown hall (Rathaus) to the west, the mainLutheran church (Evangelische Stadtkirche) to the east, and the tomb ofMargrave Charles III William ina pyramid in the buildings, resulting in Karlsruhe being one of only three large cities in Germany where buildings are laid out in theneoclassical style.
The area north of the palace is a park and forest. Originally the area to the east of the palace consisted of gardens and forests, some of which remain, but theKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (founded in 1825),Wildparkstadion football stadium, and residential areas have been built there. The area west of the palace is now mostly residential.
Panorama of Karlsruhe, looking south from the palace tower: The Institute of Technology is on the left, the market square in the centre, the Federal Constitutional Court on the right. Wings of the palace align with streets, all radiating out from the centre of town, i.e., the palace tower.
A 180-degree panorama from atopthe palace tower, facing north
Karlsruhe experiences anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb) and its winter climate is milder, compared to most other German cities, except for theRhine-Ruhr area. Summers are hot with several days registering maximum temperatures between 35 and 40 °C (95 and 104 °F). With an average of more than 2,000 sunshine hours a year, it is also one of the sunniest cities in Germany, like theRhine-Palatinate area.
Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter, while in summer it is concentrated on single evening thunderstorms. In 2008, the weather station in Karlsruhe, which had been in operation since 1876, was closed; it was replaced by a weather station inRheinstetten, south of Karlsruhe.[8]
Climate data for Karlsruhe normals 1991-10/2008, Rheinstetten normals 11/2008-2020, extremes 1948–2020
According to legend, the nameKarlsruhe, which translates as "Charles' repose" or "Charles' peace", was given to the new city after a hunting trip when MargraveCharles III William ofBaden-Durlach woke from a dream in which he dreamt of founding his new city. A variation of this story claims that he built the new palace to find peace from his wife.
Charles William founded the city on June 17, 1715, after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital,Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of thepalace. Karlsruhe became the capital ofBaden-Durlach, and, in 1771, of the unitedBaden until 1945. Built in 1822, theStändehaus was the first parliament building in a German state. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution of 1848, a republican government was elected there.
Karlsruhe was visited byThomas Jefferson during his time as the American envoy to France; whenPierre Charles L'Enfant was planning the layout ofWashington, D.C., Jefferson passed to him maps of 12 European towns to consult, one of which was a sketch he had made of Karlsruhe during his visit.[10]
The western city and western part of the central area, including the palace, suffered severe damage byAllied bombing during World War II. The castern central area and old towm remained mostly intact,but was largely demolished by the local mayor in the 1960s and early 70s. In the remaining parts and in Durlach, Kalrsruhe still has a relatively high number of baroque architecture (see "Altstadt" in main sights).
Located in the American zone of thepostwar Allied occupation, Karlsruhe was home to anAmerican military base, established in 1945. After the war, the city was part ofWest Germany until 1990. In 1995, the baseclosed, and its facilities were turned over to the city of Karlsruhe.[15]
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.
Karlsruhe has a population of about 310,000 and is the 3rd largest city inBaden-Württemberg. Karlsruhe, which was founded byCharles III William, became a major city in the 19th century. In the 1950s, Karlsruhe became a significant city where the population started to grow. It gained a large student population due to the university of technology and media arts. Karlsruhe reached populations of 200,000 in 1950 and 300,000 in 2014.
TheStadtgarten is a recreational area near the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and was rebuilt for the 1967Federal Garden Show (Bundesgartenschau). It is also the site of theKarlsruhe Zoo.
TheDurlacherTurmberg has a lookout tower (hence its name). It is a formerkeep dating back to the 13th century.
TheMarktplatz has astone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founder. Built in 1825, it is the emblem of Karlsruhe.The city is nicknamed the "fan city" (die Fächerstadt) because of its design layout, with straight streets radiating fan-like from the Palace.
TheKarlsruhe Palace (Schloss) is an interesting piece of architecture; the adjacentSchlossgarten includes the Botanical Garden with a palm, cactus and orchid house, and walking paths through the woods to the north.
The so-calledKleine Kirche (Little Church), built between 1773 and 1776, is the oldest church of Karlsruhe's city centre.
The architectFriedrich Weinbrenner designed many of the city's most important sights. Another sight is theRondellplatz with its 'Constitution Building Columns' (1826). It is dedicated toBaden's first constitution in 1818, which was one of the most liberal of its time. TheMünze (mint), erected in 1826/27, was also built by Weinbrenner.
St. Stephan parish church
The St. Stephan parish church is one of the masterpieces of neoclassical church architecture in.[17] Weinbrenner, who built this church between 1808 and 1814, orientated it to thePantheon, Rome.
Theneo-Gothic Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built between 1889 and 1896, is amausoleum rather than a church, and is located in the middle of the forest.
The maincemetery of Karlsruhe is the oldest park-like cemetery in Germany. Thecrematorium was the first to be built in the style of a church.
Karlsruhe is also home to anatural history museum (theState Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe), anopera house (theBaden State Theatre), as well as a number of independent theatres and art galleries. TheState Art Gallery, built in 1846 byHeinrich Hübsch, displays paintings and sculptures from six centuries, particularly from France, Germany and Holland. Karlsruhe's newly renovated art museum is one of the most important art museums inBaden-Württemberg. Further cultural attractions are scattered throughout Karlsruhe's various incorporated suburbs. Established in 1924, the Scheffel Association is the largestliterary society in Germany.[citation needed] Today thePrinz-Max-Palais, built between 1881 and 1884 in neoclassical style, houses the organisation and includes its museum.
Breweries and buildings in theArt Nouveau style were predominant in the western city.
Due to population growth in the late 19th century, Karlsruhe developed several suburban areas (Vorstadt) in theGründerzeit and especiallyArt Nouveau styles of architecture, with many preserved examples.
Karlsruhe is also home to theMajolika-Manufaktur,[18] the only art-ceramics pottery studio in Germany.[citation needed] Founded in 1901, it is located in theSchlossgarten. A 'blue streak' (Blauer Strahl) consisting of 1,645 ceramic tiles, connects the studio with the Palace. It is the world's largest ceramic artwork.[citation needed]
Another tourist attraction is theCentre for Art and Media (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, or ZKM), which is located in a converted ammunition factory.
Karlsruhe is the seat of the GermanFederal Constitutional Court(Bundesverfassungsgericht) and the highestCourt of Appeals in civil and criminal cases, theBundesgerichtshof. The courts came to Karlsruhe after World War II, when the provinces ofBaden andWürttemberg were merged.Stuttgart, capital of Württemberg, became the capital of the new province (Württemberg-Baden in 1945 andBaden-Württemberg in 1952). In compensation for the state authorities relocated to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe applied to become the seat of the high court.[19]
There are four hospitals: TheKarlsruhe Municipal Hospital provides the maximum level of medical services, theSt. Vincentius-Kliniken and theDiakonissenkrankenhaus, connected to the Catholic and Protestant churches, respectively, offer central services, and the privateParacelsus-Klinik basic medical care, according to state hospital demand planning.[citation needed]
Germany's largestoil refinery is located in Karlsruhe, at the western edge of the city, directly on the riverRhine. TheTechnologieregion Karlsruhe is a loose confederation of the region's cities in order to promotehigh tech industries; today, about 20% of the region's jobs are inresearch and development.EnBW, one of Germany's biggestelectric utility companies, with a revenue of €19.2 billion in 2012,[20] is headquartered in the city.
In 2000, the regional online newspaperka-news.de was created. As a daily newspaper, it not only provides the news, but also informs readers about upcoming events in Karlsruhe and surrounding areas.
In addition to established companies, Karlsruhe has a vivid and spreading startup community with well-known startups. Together, the localhigh tech industry is responsible for over 22,000 jobs.[22]
The current mayor of Karlsruhe is Frank Mentrup of theSocial Democratic Party (SPD) since 2013. The most recent mayoral election was held on 6 December 2020, and the results were as follows:
After the castle was founded in 1715, there was also a settlement in which a mayor was appointed from 1718. From 1812 the mayors received the title of Lord Mayor.
In addition to the Lord Mayor, there are five other mayors.
Mayor for:
Human Resources, Elections and Statistics, Citizen Service and Security, Culture
Youth and social affairs, schools, sports, pools
Finance, economy and work, city marketing, congresses, exhibitions and events, tourism, supply and ports, real estate and market affairs
Environment and climate protection, health, cemetery office, waste management, forestry, fire and disaster control
Planning, building, real estate management, people's apartment and zoo
The Karlsruhe 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 nearest airport is part of theBaden Airpark (officiallyFlughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden) about 45 km (28 mi) southwest of Karlsruhe, with regular connections to airports in Germany and Europe in general.Frankfurt International Airport can be reached in about an hour and a half by car (one hour byIntercity Express);Stuttgart Airport can be reached in about one hour (about an hour and a half by train andS-Bahn).
Two interesting facts in transportation history are that bothKarl Drais, the inventor of the bicycle, as well asKarl Benz, the inventor of the automobile were born in Karlsruhe. Benz was born in Mühlburg, which later became a borough of Karlsruhe (in 1886). Benz also studied at the Karlsruhe University. Benz's wifeBertha took the world's first long distance-drive with an automobile fromMannheim to Karlsruhe-Grötzingen andPforzheim (seeBertha Benz Memorial Route). Their professional lives led both men to the neighboring city of Mannheim, where they first applied their most famous inventions.
Jews settled in Karlsruhe soon after its founding.[26] They were attracted by the numerous privileges granted by its founder to settlers, without discrimination as to creed. Official documents attest the presence of several Jewish families at Karlsruhe in 1717.[26] A year later the city council addressed to the margrave a report in which a question was raised as to the proportion of municipal charges to be borne by the newly arrived Jews, who in that year formed an organized congregation, with Rabbi Nathan Uri Kohen ofMetz at its head. A document dated 1726 gives the names of twenty-four Jews who had taken part in an election of municipal officers.
As the city grew, permission to settle there became less easily obtained by Jews, and the community developed more slowly. A 1752 Jewry ordinance stated Jews were forbidden to leave the city on Sundays and Christian holidays, or to go out of their houses during church services, but they were exempted from service by court summonses on Sabbaths. They could sell wine only in inns owned by Jews and graze their cattle, not on thecommons, but on the wayside only.Nethanael Weill was a rabbi in Karlsruhe from 1750 until his death.
In 1783, by a decree issued by MargraveCharles Frederick of Baden, the Jews ceased to beserfs, and consequently could settle wherever they pleased. The same decree freed them from theTodfall tax, paid to the clergy for each Jewish burial. In commemoration of these changes special prayers were prepared by the acting rabbi Jedidiah Tiah Weill, who, succeeding his father in 1770, held the office until 1805.
In 1808 the new constitution of what at that time, during theNapoleonic era, had become theGrand Duchy of Baden granted Jews citizenship status; a subsequent edict, in 1809, constitutionally acknowledged Jews as a religious group.[27][28] The latter edict provided for a hierarchical organization of the Jewish communities of Baden, under the umbrella of a central council of Baden Jewry (Oberrat der Israeliten Badens), with its seat in Karlsruhe,[27] and the appointment of a chief rabbi of Karlsruhe, as the spiritual head of the Jews in all of Baden.[26] The first chief rabbi of Karlsruhe and Baden was Rabbi Asher Loew, who served from 1809 until his death in 1837.[29]
Completeemancipation was given in 1862, Jews were elected to city council and Baden parliament, and from 1890 were appointed judges. Jews were persecuted in the'Hep-Hep' riots that occurred in 1819; and anti-Jewish demonstrations were held in 1843, 1848, and the 1880s. The well-known German-Israeli artistLeo Kahn studied in Karlsruhe before leaving for France and Israel in the 1920s and 1930s.
Today, there are about 900 members in the Jewish community, many of whom are recent immigrants from Russia, and an orthodox rabbi.[30]
Karlsruhe has memorialized its Jewish community and notable pre-war synagogues with a memorial park.[31]
On 28 October 1938, all Jewish men of Polish extraction were expelled to the Polish border, their families joining them later and most ultimately perishing in the ghettoes and concentration camps. OnKristallnacht (9–10 November 1938), the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, the main synagogue was damaged, and Jewish men were taken to the Dachau concentration camp after being beaten and tormented. Deportations commenced on 22 October 1940, when 893 Jews were loaded onto trains for the three-day journey to theGurs concentration camp in France. Another 387 were deported in from 1942 to 1945 to Izbica in the Lublin district (Poland), Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz. Of the 1,280 Jews deported directly from Karlsruhe, 1,175 perished. Another 138 perished after deportation from other German cities or occupied Europe. In all, 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews died during theThe Holocaust. A new community was formed after the war by surviving former residents, with a new synagogue erected in 1971. It numbered 359 in 1980.[12]
Hedwig Kettler (1851–1937), women's rights activist, writer and education reformer; founded the first GermanMädchengymnasium (girls' high school) in Karlsruhe
Berthold von Deimling (1853–1944), general officer of the German Army duringWW1 became a pacifist.
Harry L. Ettlinger (1926–2018), US Army private who assisted theMFAA in the recovery of art looted by the Nazis. He was the last Jewish boy to celebrate hisbar mitzvah in Karlsruhe's Kronenstrasse Synagogue
Ingo Wellenreuther (born 1959), former judge; politician, (CDU), member of the Bundestag, 2002 to 2021.
Karl Drais (1785–1851), inventor of the two-wheeler principle (dandy horse) basic to bicycles and motorcycles & the key typewriter and earliest stenograph
Walther Bensemann (1873–1934), one of the founders of the first southern German soccer clubKarlsruher FV and later one of the founders ofDFB, lived locally
Gottfried Fuchs (1889–1972), was born in Karlsruhe and holds the record of ten goals in one single international soccer match at the1912 Olympics for the German national team
TheKarlsruhe University of Education was founded in 1962. It is specialized in educational processes. The university has about 3700 students and 180 full-time researchers and lecturers. It offers a wide range of educational studies, like teaching profession for primary and secondary schools (both optional with a European Teaching Certificate profile), Bachelor programs that specializes in Early Childhood Education and in Health and Leisure Education, Master programs in Educational Science, Intercultural Education, Migration and Multilingualism. Furthermore, the University of Education Karlsruhe offers a Master program for Biodiversity and Environmental Education.[46]
In 1999 theZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie, Centre for Art and Media) was opened. Linking new media theory and practice, the ZKM is located in a former weapons factory. Among the institutes related to the ZKM are theStaatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung (State University of Design), whose president is philosopherPeter Sloterdijk and the Museum for Contemporary Art.
In July theAfrican Summer Festival is held in the city's Nordstadt. Markets, drumming workshops, exhibitions, a varied children's programme, and musical performances take place during the three days festival.[51]
In the past Karlsruhe has been the host ofLinuxTag (the biggest Linux event in Europe) and until 2006 hosted the annual Linux Audio Conference.[52]
Visitors and locals watched the totalsolar eclipse at noon on August 11, 1999. The city was not only located within the eclipse path but was one of the few within Germany not plagued by bad weather.
^Kober, Adolf (1942). "Mannheim."The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. Ed. Isaac Landman. Vol. 7. New York: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc. p. 330-332; here: p. 331.
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