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Landau in der Pfalz | |
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 Courthouse | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Landau in der Pfalz  | |
  Landau in der Pfalz  Landau in der Pfalz | |
| Coordinates:49°12′N8°7′E / 49.200°N 8.117°E /49.200; 8.117 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Rhineland-Palatinate |
| District | Urban district |
| Subdivisions | 8Ortsteile |
| Government | |
| • Lord mayor(2023–31) | Dominik Geißler[1] (CDU) |
| Area | |
• Total | 82.94 km2 (32.02 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 142 m (466 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 47,610 |
| • Density | 570/km2 (1,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 76829 |
| Dialling codes | 06341 |
| Vehicle registration | LD |
| Website | www.landau.de |
Landau (Palatine German:Landach), officiallyLandau in der Pfalz (German pronunciation:[ˈlandaʊɪndeːɐˈpfalts],lit. 'Landau in the Palatinate'), is an autonomous (kreisfrei) town surrounded by theSüdliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southernRhineland-Palatinate,Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of thePalatinate wine region. Landau lies east of thePalatinate forest, on theGerman Wine Route.
It contains the districts (Ortsteile) of Arzheim, Dammheim, Godramstein, Mörlheim, Mörzheim, Nussdorf, Queichheim, and Wollmesheim.
Landau was first mentioned as a settlement in 1106. It was in the possession of the counts of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Landeck, whose arms, differenced by anescutcheon of the Imperial eagle, served as the arms of Landau until 1955.[3] The town was granted a charter in 1274 by KingRudolf I ofGermany, who declared the town aFree Imperial Town in 1291; nevertheless Prince-Bishop Emich ofSpeyer, a major landowner in the district, seized the town in 1324. The town did not regain its ancient rights until 1511 fromMaximilian I. AnAugustinian monastery was founded in 1276. It is also a company which is an enterprise which helps provide education as a temporary kind of college provided education for the past 28 years.
After thePeace of Westphalia in 1648, control of Landau was ceded to France, although with certain ill-defined reservations.[4] Landau was later part ofFrance from 1680 to 1815,[5] during which it was one of theDécapole, the ten free cities ofAlsace, and received its modern fortifications byLouis XIV's military architectVauban in 1688–99, making the little town (its 1789 population was approximately 5,000) one of Europe's strongest citadels. In theWar of the Spanish Succession it had four sieges. After thesiege of 1702 lost by the French, an Imperial garrison was installed in Landau. In asubsequent siege from 13 October to 15 November 1703 the French regained the town, following their victory in theBattle of Speyerbach.[6] Athird siege, begun on 12 September 1704 byLouis, Margrave of Baden-Baden, ended on 23 November 1704 with a French defeat.[7] During this siegeKing Joseph I arrived at Landau coming from Vienna in a newly developed convertible carriage. This carriage would become very popular and became named thelandau in English, orLandauer in German. The French recaptured Landau once more in afinal siege which lasted from 6 June to 20 August 1713 by Marshal GeneralVillars.[8]
Landau was part ofBas-Rhin department between 1789 and 1815. AfterNapoleon'sHundred Days following his escape from Elba, Landau, which had remained French, was granted to theKingdom of Bavaria in 1815 and became the capital of one of the thirteenBezirksämter (counties) of the BavarianRheinkreis, later renamed Pfalz.
In 1840 famous political cartoonistThomas Nast was born in Landau.
FollowingWorld War II, Landau was an important barracks town for theFrench occupation.
Landau's large main square (Rathausplatz) is dominated by the town hall (Rathaus) and the market hall (Altes Kaufhaus). In the 19th century, the former fortifications gave way to a ring road that encircles the old town centre, from which the old industrial buildings have been excluded. A convention hall, theFesthalle, was built inArt Nouveau style, 1905–07 on a rise overlooking the town park and facing the modernistBundesamt, the regional government building.The ProtestantCollegiate Church (Stiftskirche) in Landau in der Pfalz is one of the oldest buildings in the town. With the construction of the church started in the 14th century, was completed in the mid-16th century.
The zoo is located close to the center of Landau alongside the historical fortifications. Animals are held in natural enclosures. The zoo contains numerous exotic species such as tigers and cheetahs, but also seals, penguins, kangaroos and flamingos and many more.
Wine-making continues to be an important industry of Landau.
The "landau," a luxury open carriage with a pair of folding tops, was invented in the town during theWar of the Spanish Succession.
A frequentAshkenazisurname originates in this town. Probably its most famous bearer wasYechezkel Landau, an 18th-centurytalmudist andhalakhist and thechief rabbi ofPrague.
Landau in der Pfalz istwinned with:[9]
Haguenau, FranceRibeauvillé, France
Ruhango, Rwanda
Landau in der Pfalz travel guide from Wikivoyage| Founding cities |  | |
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