Baden-Baden
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| Baden-Baden | |
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| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Karlsruhe |
| District | Urban district |
| Mayor | Wolfgang Gerstner (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 140.18 km² (54.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 181 m (594 ft) |
| Population | 54,581 (31/12/2005) |
| - Density | 389 /km² (1,008 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | BAD |
| Postal codes | 76530–76534 |
| Area codes | 07221, 07223 |
| Website | baden-baden.de |
Baden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe.
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[edit] History
The German word 'Baden' translates as 'to bath/bathe'. The springs of Baden-Baden were known to the Romans, and the foundation of the town is referred to the emperor Hadrian by an inscription of somewhat doubtful authenticity. The name of Aurelia Aquensis was given to it in honour of Aurelius Severus, in whose reign it would seem to have been well known. Fragments of its ancient sculptures are still to be seen, and in 1847 remains of Roman vapour baths, well preserved, were discovered just below the New Castle.
The town was named Baden (without the repetition) in the Middle Ages. From the 14th century down to the end of the 17th, Baden-Baden was the residence of the margraves of Baden, to whom it gave its name. They first dwelt in the Old Castle, the ruins of which still occupy the summit of a hill above the town, but in 1479, they moved to the New Castle, which is situated on the hillside nearer to the town. During the Thirty Years' War and the Nine Years' War, Baden-Baden suffered severely from the various combatants, especially from the French, who pillaged it in 1643 and left it in ashes in 1689. The margrave Louis William (popularly known as Türkenlouis) moved to Rastatt in 1705.
During the Second Congress of Rastatt, Baden-Baden was rediscovered as a spa town. The 19th century saw the town rise to become a meeting place for celebrities, attracted by the hot springs as well as by the famous Casino, luxury hotels, horse races, and the gardens of the Lichtentaler Allee. Baden-Baden was then nicknamed the European summer capital. The Russian writer Dostoevsky wrote The Gambler while compulsively gambling at the Baden-Baden Casino.[1] Johannes Brahms' local residence, the Brahmshaus, can still be visited today.
In 1931, the town of Baden-Baden was officially given its double name which is the short form for "Baden in Baden" (i.e. Baden in the state of Baden). This was already in common use to distinguish the town from Baden bei Wien and Baden im Aargau. In both World Wars, the town escaped destruction. After World War II, Baden-Baden became the headquarters of the French forces in Germany.
Under the supervision of the French Air Force, a military airfield was constructed at Baden-Söllingen between the Black Forest and the Rhine River, 15 km west of Baden-Baden; the runway and associated facilities were completed in June 1952. In 1953, units of the Royal Canadian Air Force were accommodated at the base later known as CFB Baden-Soellingen. In the 1990s, the base has been converted into a civil airport, the Baden Airpark, which is now the second-largest airport in Baden-Württemberg.
From September 23 to September 28, 1981, the XIth Olympic Congress took place in the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden.
Former US President Bill Clinton was so taken by this little town that he stated "Baden-Baden is so nice they had to name it twice"[2]
The England Football Team were based near Baden-Baden at Hotel Bühlerhöhe (Schwarzwaldhochstraße) during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while their wives and girlfriends stayed at the local Brenner's Park Hotel.
[edit] Sights
- Kurhaus
- The Casino
- Friedrichsbad
- Caracalla Spa
- Lichtentaler Allee
- Sammlung Frieder Burda
- Old Castle "Hohenbaden", built in 1102, a ruin since the 15th century
- New Castle, former residence of the margraves of Baden
- The famous Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
- Ruins of Roman baths, ca. 2000 years old, excavated in 1847
- Stiftskirche, a church including the tombs of fourteen margraves of Baden
- "The Paradise" (Paradies), an Italian style Renaissance garden with lots of trick fountains
- Mount Merkur with Merkurbergbahn funicular railway and observation tower
- Fremersberg Tower
[edit] References
- ^ CNN Traveller in Baden-Baden
- ^ "Baden-Baden is so nice, that you have to name it twice". Official website of Baden-Baden.
[edit] External links
- Official site (German) (English) (Spanish) (French) (Italian) (Japanese) (Russian) (Chinese)
- "Art and Nightlife Have Baden-Baden Percolating Again", New York Times, July 9, 2006
 The Florentinerberg (Florentine Hill) with the New Castle (top right), the Caracalla Spa (bottom right), and the Friedrichsbad (bottom left) |
 Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden |
 The Trinkhalle with the mineral water spring |
 The "Old castle" (Hohenbaden) |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baden-Baden |
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