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Hanau
Hanau
Coordinates	50°08′0″N 08°55′0″E / 50.133333°N 8.916667°E / 50.133333; 8.916667
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Hesse
Admin. region	Darmstadt
District	Main-Kinzig-Kreis
Lord Mayor	Claus Kaminsky (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	76.49 km2 (29.53 sq mi)
Elevation	104 m  (341 ft)
Population	88,251  (30 April 2007)
- Density	1,154 /km2 (2,988 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	HU
Postal codes	63450, 63452, 63454 63456, 63457
Area code	06181
Website	www.hanau.de
Location of the town of Hanau within Main-Kinzig-Kreis district

Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main.

Geography

Districts

History

Hanau was first mentioned in 1143 and became a city in 1303.

At the end of the 16th century, Count Philipp Ludwig II allowed Protestant refugees from the Netherlands to found their own settlement near Hanau, to which these Walloons brought their knowledge of jewellery production. For this reason goldsmiths are still educated there. In the 19th century the Neustadt (New Town), as it was called, was merged with Hanau.

In the 19th century Hanau was a centre of the German democratic movement and contributed significantly both in 1830 and in the Revolution of 1848. Also in 1848 the German Gymnastic League (Turnerbund) was founded here.

During World War II Hanau was for the most part destroyed by British airstrikes in March 1945 a few days before it was taken by the US Army. It remained a large US Army garrison until 2008.

Nowadays many inhabitants work in the technological industry (VAC, Heraeus) or commute to Frankfurt. Frankfurt International Airport is only 30 km away.

Population

• Hanau is the 6th largest town in Hesse. Having recently lost its status as administrative centre of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis (Main-Kinzig district) to Gelnhausen, proposals have been made, that Hanau should form its own administrative district.
• More than 20% of the inhabitants are foreign nationals.

International relations

Hanau is twinned with 5 other towns^[1]:

• Dartford, United Kingdom
• Tottori, Japan
• Yaroslavl, Russia
• Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France
• Francheville, Rhône, France

(Doorn, Netherlands terminated in January 2009.)

In addition it is associated with two other towns:

• Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany
• Pays de Hanau, France

Sights

• The German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
• Philippsruhe Castle
• Health Establishment at Hanau-Wilhelmsbad
• St Mary's Church (Marienkirche)
• Walloon-Dutch Church (Wallonisch-Niederländische Kirche)

Historic Spa of Wilhelmsbad - Today Part of Hanau

Philippsruhe Palace of Hanau

Lion at the Philippsruhe Palace

German House of Goldsmiths (old town hall of Hanau)

Famous residents

Sculpture of brothers Grimm in Hanau

• The Brothers Grimm (Brüder Grimm) collected many German fairy tales and started work on the German Glossary.
• Ludwig Emil Grimm, painter, younger brother of Jacob and Wilhelm
• Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish footballer
• Paul Hindemith, composer
• Rudi Völler, football/soccer world champion 1990 and coach of the German national team, when it was runner-up in 2002.
• Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Designer (1900-1990)
• Mike Minnix, USAF & Aviation (1962 - )
• J. C. C. Devaranne was born in Hanau on March 8, 1784.
• Karl Storck, Romanian sculptor, born in Hanau on March 30, 1887.
• Louis Appia, surgeon, member of the Geneva "Committee of Five" (precursor to the International Committee of the Red Cross)
• Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, painter, often regarded as the first Jewish painter of the modern era.

Sports

• Turngemeinde 1837 Hanau a.V. (TGH), one of the oldest of Germany's sports clubs
• Hanauer Rudergesellschaft 1879 e.V. (HRG), one of Germany's oldest rowing clubs
• 1.Hanauer FC 1893 e.V. (Hanau '93), Hesse's oldest football/soccer club

External links

• Official site (German)
• HanauOnline Webzine (German)
• Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau (Hanau State Academy) (German)
• U.S. Army in Hanau

Towns and municipalities in Main-Kinzig-Kreis district Bad Orb | Bad Soden-Salmünster | Biebergemünd | Birstein | Brachttal | Bruchköbel | Erlensee | Flörsbachtal | Freigericht | Gelnhausen | Großkrotzenburg | Gründau | Hammersbach | Hanau | Hasselroth | Jossgrund | Langenselbold | Linsengericht | Maintal | Neuberg | Nidderau | Niederdorfelden | Rodenbach | Ronneburg | Schlüchtern | Schöneck | Sinntal | Steinau an der Straße | Wächtersbach

References

1. ^ Twinned towns