| Offenburg | |
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Offenburg
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| Coordinates | 48°28′15″N 07°56′27″E / 48.47083°N 7.94083°E |
| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Freiburg |
| District | Ortenaukreis |
| Lord Mayor | Edith Schreiner (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 78.39 km2 (30.27 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 163 m (535 ft) |
| Population | 59,171 (31 July 2008)Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg[1] |
| - Density | 755 /km2 (1,955 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | OG |
| Postal codes | 77601–77656 |
| Area code | 0781 |
| Website | www.offenburg.de |
Offenburg is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With about 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city, and also the capital of the Ortenaukreis.
Offenburg also houses
The Graduate School of Offenburg University of Applied
Sciences.
Contents |
Offenburg is located near the Rhine between Karlsruhe and Freiburg. The French city of Strasbourg lies directly west across the Rhine. Offenburg lies at the mouth of the Kinzig river valley. The Kinzig flows out of the Black Forest and meets the Rhine near Kehl.
The city is first mentioned in historical documents dating from 1148. By 1240 Offenburg had already been declared a Free Imperial City. The city was nearly totally destroyed in the Nine Years War. In 1803 Offenburg lost its status as a Free City and fell under the rulership of the Grand Duchy of Baden.
During the outbreak of the Revolutions of 1848, the "Offenburger Program" which contained thirteen demands "in the name of the people of Baden" was announced at the Salmen Inn on 12 September 1847. This was the first democratic demand in Germany. Along with the Karlsbad Resolves, the Offenburger Program demanded basic and human rights as well as freedom of the press and a progressive income tax structure. On 19 March 1848 the demands were confirmed by the 20,000 member Offenburg Peoples' Assembly.
Offenburg is home to Hubert Burda Media, a large printing and publishing company.
There are several historical attractions in Offenburg including:
The Offenburg Hauntings Local folklore claims that the Jewish Bath at Offenburg is haunted due to a series of murders in and around the medieval bath house. Descriptions of sightings have included voices crying for help and complete or partial apparitions. The Society for Paranormal Investigation has rated it as one if its Top 100 Most Haunted places in the World.
It should be noted, however, that the facts do not bear out the claims made by "local folklore." Almost all Jews were deported from Baden in 1940/1941 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Gurs#Jews_deported_from_Baden). Indeed, local folklore knows nothing of the bath being haunted - there is no mention of such at the website describing tours of the bath in German http://www.offenburg.de/html/besichtigung_des_judenbads.html, nor is there any mention of this in German on the Internet. The claim here is a complete fabrication, not local folklore. The head of Alemanica Judaica in Offenburg, which documents Jewish life in the region http://www.alemannia-judaica.de/, stated in reaction to this Wikipedia entry, "Sorry, but I have never heard of any stories of the bath being haunted."
Offenburg is twinned with:
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OFFENBURG, a town of Germany, in the grand-duchy of Baden, 27 m. by rail S.W. of Baden, on the river Kinzig. Pop. (1905) 15,434. It contains a statue of Sir Francis Drake, a mark of honour due to the fact that Drake is sometimes regarded as having introduced the potato into Europe. The chief industries of the town are the making of cotton, linen, hats, malt, machinery, tobacco and cigars and glass. Offenburg is first mentioned about 1 10o. In 1223 it became a town; in 1248 it passed to the bishop of Strassburg; and in 1289 it became an imperial free city. Soon, however, this position was lost, but it was regained about the middle of the 16th century, and Offenburg remained a free city until 1802, when it became part of Baden. In 1632 it was taken by the Swedes, and in 1689 it was destroyed by the French.
See Walter, Kurzer Abriss der Geschichte der Reichsstadt Offenburg (Offenburg, 1896).
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   | Offenburg's Official Website - Stadt Offenburg / Stadt Offenburg |
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| | Messe Offenburg-Ortenau (fair Offenburg-Ortenau) - Home / Messe Offenburg-Ortenau |
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